Feature those famous names family tree with nuggets of detail pulling out special notable dates and events.
* Make this a coffee table read
* Add a timeline
* Include pics of the family in the covergift pack
* Link to events, places of interest, museums, books, websites to give readers more
* Giveaway tickets to gardens, stately homes, birthplaces
Family Background
The Jekyll family line from which Gertrude Jekyll was descended can be traced back 13 generations; the name is probably of Danish origin. William Jekyll (1470-1539) came to London from Lincolnshire; he became Purveyor of Forage for the King's Horse. Down the years, the family were lawyers, clergymen, bankers, merchants, soldiers, sailors and servants of the British crown.
A distinguished lawyer, Sir Joseph Jekyll (1662-1738), Master of the Rolls, actually left money in his will to reduce the national debt; his portrait by Sir Godfrey Kneller is shown above. Sir Joseph's nephew, John Jekyll, Gertrude's great great grandfather, lived in America and was Collector of Customs in Boston, Massachussets from 1707 to 1732; he discharged his job with such competence and fairness that he was described as the 'Darling of all Fair Traders' in New England.
The family tree below of the Jekyll family over 13 generations is based on the work of the family historian, Sir Herbert Jeyll (1846-1932) and taken from the book Gertrude Jekyll - Essays on the Life of a Working Amateur
Taken from the Woman's Hour website.
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