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Walk Through Yesterday, Event by Event
From a York arrival in 1878 to shoreline get-togethers in Whitby — the turning points that shaped our household.
An Arrival in York
Thomas Rootwell arrives on 14 March 1878, first-born boy of a railway clerk. Every tale gathered on this site starts with him.
Thomas Weds Edith
Thomas takes Edith Marlowe, a Harrogate teacher, as his wife. That wedding morning Edith starts the big household ledger — the storehouse behind all you read here.
The Cottage on Mill Lane
Thomas purchases the stone dwelling on Mill Lane that will shelter three Rootwell line-ups and guard the swelling household papers.
William Harlow Arrives
Born 24 September 1945 in Leeds, William will wed into the household and vouch for its whole paper chain. His birthday is still toasted each September.
The Chronicler Is Born
Joseph Rootwell is born in York. He will take on Edith's ledger and devote thirty years to turning it into an evidenced, pictured account.
The Harlow Nuptials
William Harlow weds Margaret Rootwell, grafting the Harlow limb onto the trunk and opening his long years of record sleuthing.
A Run of September Birthdays
Evan Marsh (1971), Oscar Reed (1974) and Vincent Rootwell (1976) come into the world — three September birthdays the household still marks side by side every year.
The First Shoreline Group Photo
Peter Rootwell lines the entire household up on the Whitby sands for a group likeness — the opening shot in a run retaken every five years since.
Mill Lane Gets a Reprieve
Architect Vincent Rootwell wins protected status for the 1911 household dwelling, rescuing the family seat from the wrecking ball with his repair study.
Four Line-Ups, One Storehouse
The newest line-up — Olivia, Brooklyn and their kin — tends the storehouse now: scanning, snapping and carrying the narrative forward.
Savour Images From Then and Now
Move from dates to faces — wander the albums of kin, homesteads and merry reunions.
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