Sometimes things happen that are not understood.

My research has taken a long time but it started with a book. That had nothing to do with me.

When I was 18 or 19 and living in Papatoetoe New Zealand my parents received a letter from publishers in England and advising that they have researched the Drinkwater name and in this book is our ancestors.

The book was called WARBURTON .  It is really about the Warburton's of a village called the same just south east of Liverpool. However it does speak about the Drinkwaters and their hereditary home there called "The Bent". The Bent was built by Richard Drinkwater 1645. His carved name on a plank of wood and dated is still above the main door of the manor house. I know this because in 1987 we visited the house and had tea with the present occupants. I took many photos and went into the church there and also say his name carved into the stone font in the church. I took photos of all the Drinkwater graves there.

However I kept saying and feeling that this is all very well BUT who say's they are my ancestors. The publishers do. So they sell books and that is their job. Well I left EMPTY. Why I do not know after all they could be my ancestors.

Before going to England I asked my father about his family. His siblings I knew about but he never really kept in touch with them. Even though they all were bought up and lived in Danniverke NZ. For some reason he did not care about them. Perhaps his self importance caused this. He thought his Grandmothers name was Sarah and I "think" he mention a Henry but that was about it. He did not know from where they came from. He did not know where they were buried  He did not know about them, he did not know what they did.  Basically he did not know anything but more importantly he did not care.

So off to England we went. BUT Warburton was a numbness to me. So we did some site-seeing and then drove up to Scotland to meet my wife's rellies with some very high quality NZ Cab Sav that we bought duty free. We presented the bottles to them and they straight away put them in a top cupboared in their kitchen. Alas we did not have a tipple.

After driving up to John O'Groats and back we drove down to Oxfordshire.  By the way. For some reason we had only one rainy day in the UK. That was in London just before we flew out. This was Oct. Nov.  The sun shone all the time where we were. Our SD1 Rover Van den Plas had the sun-roof open all the time. We were lucky.

We arrived in a small village calleed Milton under Wychwood. For some strange reason I stopped at a public phone box and looked up the Drinkwater name in the book. Then I actually rang them. Not much luck but one answered. She invited us round . We arrived and greeted with incredable warmth by the lady. She then said to us that we must meet her son. Next thing was that her son came down into the lower floor in a wheelchair but on a purpose built lift from the top floor. He was severally handicapped and aged about 35. poss 30. But very happy. We had tea and scones of all things. She even said that her son was a cousin of mine. They treated us as family. Why I do not know. But they liked us and we liked them. 

After that I did not do any more in regards to my possible/supposed ancestors. We went down to southern England and then over to Europe. We travelled thru France, Holland, Germany, Baveria, Austria, Italy, Switzerland then France again and back to UK. We had two days in London before we flew back to NZ. 

I had a final thing to do. We went to Sommerset House. I still did not know where I came from. And this is another strange thing (or is it coincedence ).  I got on the fiche machines and within ten minutes picked a marriage certificate for a Henry Drinkwater and a Sarah Franklin. I ordered a copy for 15 pound. WHY ? puzzles me to this date. BUT it was the one. WHY ? did I come across it so fast I do not know. For some reason I took it back to NZ and gave it to my Father and told him this was his Geanfather and Grandmother. His reaction was less than that of a ant stinging him. Just blank. In actual fact NOTHING. I don't think he believed it.

So that was it. For the next 20 years I never thought of my lineage again. Just got too buzy with life.

In 1997 I travelled down to Hastings looking at buying a Motel that was for sale. We already owned Kaimai View Motel in Katikati, Bay of Plenty but still kept our eye out for additional property's. This one was not a goer for us. I left quite early in the morning and travelled to Danniverke. I thought I would try to find the graves of my Grandfather and Grandmother. It was about 6.30 in the morning. I found them and many other Drinkwaters. I left that cemetary and drove down the main road but for some reason I decided to turn left and found a little parking area opposite a childrens day care business. I had made a flask of coffee in the motel so I thought I would have a coffee in this car parking area. I poored a cup and then noticed grave stones in front of me. I did not know that this was a cemetary. I kept my coffee in my hand and walked up a centre of this cemetary. WOW. After five rows of headstones there was a headstone and carved on it was : SARAH DRINKWATER.

Yes my Great Grandmother nee Sarah Franklin from Milton under Wychwood, Oxfordsire and next to her was my Great Grandfather Henry Drinkwater.  How and why did I get here?

The cemetary is the Pioneers Cemetary in Danniverke. My father was born and  bought up there and never knew they were there. TWO streets away from where he lived. Sad really, Dad talked of his mother dying young from cancer. He seemed to be sad about this. In regards to his father, well he was called Robert and that was it. He knew nothing more. Or did not want to because it was not important to him. If only he knew of his mothers lineage.??????????????????????????

But then did they care or possibly it was not important.?.  I tend to think people just got on with their lives.

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