Origins of the Hudston Family in Beeston -

Both family tradition and the evidence of the 1891 census agree - virtually all who hold the very unusual name of HUDSTON can trace their ancestry back to Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. More specifically, most can be traced to common ancestry centred on John Hudston who married Rebecca Smedley in the village of Aston-on-Trent in south-east Derbyshire in 1778.

At least three sons of this couple moved to south-west Nottinghamshire in the early part of the 19th Century - James and Francis to Beeston and William to Attenborough - no doubt following the attraction of the increasing economic activity in the greater Nottingham area when seen against the continuing dependence on agriculture in the rural, low-lying Derbyshire Trent valley. For James at least, there may have been another attraction - this was the age when many were finding a voice through religeous Non-Conformity and Nottingham was the home of many of those who played a part in its development; James and his family were to demonstrate their commitment to this cause throughout their lives.

Many of the sons and unmarried daughters of this original nucleus of three stayed in Nottinghamshire - notably in Beeston - but, inevitably some settled and took the name elsewhere in the course of their lives - notably to Ockbrook in Derbyshire, Lancashire or Northamptonshire. As a result, whilst the name continued to be centred on Nottinghamshire by the time of the 1891 census, a limited number of smaller concentrations can be found in these other areas of England.

In the 1891 census, 66 persons with the surname HUDSTON can be identified. As this is based on an index of this census (ancestry.com), this total may be understated due to errors which are inevitable with any transcription. However, based on those that are identified at that time, the county-by-county distribution is shown in the table in the left margin.

Virtually all these individuals trace their ancestry to John & Rebecca Hudston and many have their origins in Beeston as a result. The ancestry of all these and other known Hudston family members is traced in these pages.

Click to read about Hudstons in Beeston