Bunyan Family Tree
Family History. As Curator of Elstow Moot Hall, I researched and published the most comprehensive (to date) version of the Bunyan family tree. This is updated from time to time, as new information comes to light. There is a downloadable file of this document at the bottom of this page.
Geneology. I am sometimes able to assist people who think they may be related to the Elstow Bunyan family. However, before contacting me, please be aware that:
1. 'Bunyan' is not a rare surname - in Bedfordshire alone, there were three separate families of Bunyans living at, or around, the time of John Bunyan and none of these families appear to have been related.
2. The data about the Elstow Bunyan family in private family trees on geneology websites (and even on some trees held at Bedford Archives!) can be highly inaccurate.This is because of the lack of documents from JB's time, forcing the creators of those trees to have to base their tree's earliest content on deductions and assumptions. Thus, these trees have mislead many people into thinking that they are descended from Bunyan when, in fact, they are not.
3. Beware trees found in 'old' family bibles! These bibles are not anywhere near as old as many people believe - because such bibles only became widely available to purchase from 1840 onwards. Therefore, any family information they contain, from before 1840, is often based on family myths, assumptions and suppositions, rather than on verifiable documents.
Sadly, I have yet to find a verifiable living descendant of the Elstow Bunyans. But I live in hope - so do contact me if you think you have some (verifiable) data about an ancestral connection to John Bunyan.
A large amount of Bunyan-related historical information can be found on my Elstow village website, in the Picture and History archives. There is also information about Bunyan on the John Bunyan's Bedford website.
Geneology. I am sometimes able to assist people who think they may be related to the Elstow Bunyan family. However, before contacting me, please be aware that:
1. 'Bunyan' is not a rare surname - in Bedfordshire alone, there were three separate families of Bunyans living at, or around, the time of John Bunyan and none of these families appear to have been related.
2. The data about the Elstow Bunyan family in private family trees on geneology websites (and even on some trees held at Bedford Archives!) can be highly inaccurate.This is because of the lack of documents from JB's time, forcing the creators of those trees to have to base their tree's earliest content on deductions and assumptions. Thus, these trees have mislead many people into thinking that they are descended from Bunyan when, in fact, they are not.
3. Beware trees found in 'old' family bibles! These bibles are not anywhere near as old as many people believe - because such bibles only became widely available to purchase from 1840 onwards. Therefore, any family information they contain, from before 1840, is often based on family myths, assumptions and suppositions, rather than on verifiable documents.
Sadly, I have yet to find a verifiable living descendant of the Elstow Bunyans. But I live in hope - so do contact me if you think you have some (verifiable) data about an ancestral connection to John Bunyan.
A large amount of Bunyan-related historical information can be found on my Elstow village website, in the Picture and History archives. There is also information about Bunyan on the John Bunyan's Bedford website.
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Bunyan Family Tree
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