A FAMILY history buff has encouraged others to keep track of their relatives, after discovering her great grandparents had a staggering 135 descendants in just five generations.
Charles and Alice Barker, who lived in Great Oakley, had nine children together.
And decades later their descendants, who have spread far and wide across the UK, came together to reunite.
Val Wrycraft, of Little Oakley, a great-granddaughter of the couple, said the reunion included four generations of the family.
Charles was the foreman in charge of the workforce at Great Oakley Hall and died in 1932.
While many of the family still live locally in the Harwich and Manningtree areas, some have moved as far away as Lincolnshire, Birmingham and Wales.
But no matter what the distance, Val said it is important to keep in contact with family.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here