From a small child I was often told by my grandfather (1899 -1983) that one of his maternal ancestors was a foundling having been abandoned in Windsor Great Park as a new born baby in swaddling clothes in the 1760/70s (at best guess), named Arthur as they had got back to the As in the alphabet and Windsor for where he was found. He was said to have been wrapped in linen and not paper or rags (as one might have expected). I have never been able to track Arthur Windsor down but have got as far back as William Windsor b c 1793 (aged 37 at death in 1830) who I believe to have been the foundling's son. Years ago I did make contact with the descendants of a Henry Windsor bc 1791 who had exactly the same story in their own family lore, including the fact of the swaddling linen (which makes me believe this story is based on fact) but were able to add that Arthur was apprenticed as a ferryman on the river Thames at Eton and was nicknamed 'Froggie', as were all the ferrymen. It is supposed that Henry is possibly the brother of William but no documentary evidence has been found for this. William did name his son Henry b 1826 - perhaps after his brother? All the parish records of Eton and the surrounding parishes have been searched for the baptism of an Arthur (baptising a foundling would have been high on the list of priorities apparently - to save his soul) and for William and/or Henry but nothing has been found. WDYTYA (Who Do You Think You Are) Magazine even took up this "brick wall" some years back when the magazine was first published but they didn't have any more luck.

My own research into the ferryman at Eton/Windsor has also drawn a blank. I cannot find any reference anywhere to 'Froggies' in connection with watermen/lighterman/ferrymen. I had also hoped Arther may have passed through the London Foundling Hospital but Windsor is too far away apparently for that to have been likely and he was most probably fostered out to a local family who would have found some sort of work or apprenticeship for him from as early as 7 years of age.

This particular brick wall is years old now as I have been researching other branches of my family but having found this site wondered if it was worth airing it again.