Welcome to Raine Genealogy!

Well, I'm Jo.  I'm 44 years old and, apart from a brief sojourn in Newcastle whilst I was a student, have lived in Hartlepool all my life. I have always been vaguely interested in my family's history, but only became serious about researching it around 10 years ago. So far I have seriously tackled the RAINE family (my father's paternal line)and the CARR and HARRISON lines (my mother's paternal and maternal lines). I have also started looking seriously at the REEVE, WESTON, KNOWLES, OLLEY, EMMERSON and LANGLEY lines and am now looking at HILL and FORTUNE and other ancillary names like GOMMERSALL, FOX and BASSETT.

I currently work as a freelance researcher and writer.  Previously I worked for the University of Teesside in Middlesbrough as Planning Manager for five years. Before that I worked for Tees Valley Training & Enterprise Council [RIP] again, in Middlesbrough, for eight years.

I am also a keen writer, principally of science fiction, fantasy and horror, and a big fan of 'cult' sf programmes such as X Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel, Farscape, Firefly, Stargate, Millennium and the 'classics' Dr Who (both old and new version), Blakes Seven, Space 1999 and the Star Trek franchises.

I have two younger brothers, Tim and Dan and have two nephews and niece and two step-nephews and two neices courtesy of Liz's family.  Liz and I got married in Canada (where such things are blessedly legal) three years ago and Liz came over from the US to join me in the UK just before Christmas 2006.  She is the love of my life.