Wren Tree

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My Wren lineage starts with my father Matthew Rutherford Wren.  He was named after his maternal grandfather.  The previous two generations of Wren, both called John George, were born in County Durham.  Their predecessor, Daniel, was born in Dearham in Cumberland where his father, Joseph, was a blacksmith.  Joseph's origins aren't known (yet).

The female lines include Braithwaite, Tindal (or Tyndal), Fallow and Rutherfords.  The Rutherfords split into Shepherds, Dunns and Cowells.  They appear to have remained around the South Shields area in Durham.

Occupation wise the predominant job on both sides, but particularly the Wrens, is that of hewer.  A hewer is a coal miner who worked at the coal face hacking out coal with a pick axe.  This was a particularly nasty job until mechanisation of the mines in the latter half of the 20th century.  I, and two of my brothers, have also worked down a coal mine and even in the 1980's it was a dirty, unhealthy and dangerous environment.  Other occupations include master mariner, yeast merchant, woolen spinner and stationer.

The surname Burka is from John George (snr) death certificate.  The notifier was a Thomas Burka, father in law of the deceased.  I can find no evidence of Burka as a surname.  It may be a typographical error on the certificate in error of Burke.