Last year, I was hit with a computer virus only to discover that the backup service, CARBONITE, had lost my entire backup, some of it dating back 15 years or so. Ironically, it appears that this back-up service does not back-up their own files, or they could have retrieved mine. Everything I had was gone: the website files, the book, research files, years of notes and all of my contact and correspondence records. The loss was devastating. A year later, I am still reconstructing this website, and I'm going to have to reconstruct the GEDCOM manually, so it will be some time before that will be available again. In the meantime, if you had submitted worksheets or family photos that were still in line to be added to the website, you can assume CARBONITE lost your contributions as well. Any assistance you can provide in helping me to reconstruct the Chute family records would be very much appreciated.

Francis Chute's book focusing on the Chute Family in Great Britain is available for purchase from the Woodfield Publishing Company, which does ship to the United States.

This is a gorgeous book, full of history and color photos, maps, pictures and stories about Chutes you might not have read before. Francis did a huge amount of research for this, and it shows - this is one of those books you'll want to save for your children and grandchildren.

462 years ago Philip Chute, Captain of Camber Castle, and John Isted, Bailiff of Hastings, were summoned to answer a charge of robbery at sea by a boat they jointly owned. Both men were respected councillors on the Kent/Sussex coast. Last week, Chute and Isted family representatives brought this skeleton out of their cupboard and tried to decide whether it was piracy or not.

The correspondence is still ongoing - and anyone is welcome to join in on the discussion - and of particular interest to the North American side of the Chute family is the tantalizing new research direction the discussion provided on Anthony of Kent.

A special thanks to Kevin Isted, descendant of John Isted who was not only a contemporary of Philip's, but apparently a business partner as well, for allowing us to share the correspondence between himself and Francis over the last several days. It's an extremely interesting discussion!

"I only address two Mysteries: how did the Chutes start and finish their time at Taunton? The short answer (I find) is - because on each occasion there had just been a major rebellion against the King, and our ancestors were important enough, locally, to be affected. Once, to their gain; once, to their shameful loss. The first is told in two paragraphs. The second is deeply interesting and takes the rest of this long note.

Album of the Year

This video, compiled by one of Daisy's uncles, is, in his words, "the soundtrack of my niece, Daisy, performing at her school, Purcell School of Music near London. Photos are a collection from my personal files as well as from her professional website at http://www.allangelsofficial.com. Daisy's done with school now and this was from her last jazz concert there in July." Daisy's Mom sent us the link.

After considerable research into the American Chute ancestry of Lionel Chute, Jr., Lionel Chute Sr. and then Anthony Chute of Kent, our Chute researchers have come to the conclusion that we may need to rewrite the pedigree again. Steve Chute has written an article on the possibility that the North American Chutes descended from Lionel Chute may have descended from Arthur and not Anthony. Read "The Suffolk Connection" and let us know what you think.

Cover of Irish Memories by Isaac Chute

Also on the list of talented musical Chutes is tenor Isaac Chute, who now lives in Boston, Massachusetts. I haven't been able to determine where he fits, exactly, into the Chute Family Tree, but you can learn more about him (and purchase a copy of his cd) by visiting his website, "The Irish Tenor".

And does anybody recognize the location on the cd photo cover?

There are numerous travel websites devoted to the Vyne; included on this page is also a link to the National Trust, which maintains the property.

Janet Chute's Masters Thesis was written for Trinity and All Saint's College, University of Leeds. Her thesis is a delight to read for anyone interested in Irish history (or in provincial newspaper history) - but for Chute genealogists, the chapter of note is the tantalizing fifth, Pierce Chute and Chute's Western Herald. This Pierce was the cousin of a Caleb Chute - and we do have a record of Caleb Chute - but which of Caleb's uncles was Pierce's father? Janet's Masters Thesis can be accessed from here, as well as from the Current Research section and the History section.

Lionel Chute has located a source which provides excerpts and commentary on Anthony Chute's Beawtie dishonored". The excerpts and commentary have been moved from his notes section to a new Beawtie section. The section is somewhat out of order at the moment, and is being worked on. It should be more readable and fluid in a few days.

"I'm going to include some excerpts from a note on the Crispe discussion that I sent to Francis. As I said to Francis I'm going to wade into this debate ... and I'm coming with a proverbial 'monkey wrench' to put in the works. The various Bindoff, Pearman, Hasted, BCHR etc records, as well as the references to lawsuits and land dealings, do make a convincing argument that the Chute family, the Crispe family of Quex (Quekes) and the See (aka Sea, Atsea, At-See) family of Herne in Kent are closely linked. Indeed, I believe that Charles Chute did marry the daughter of a John Crispe of Birchington, Isle of Thanet, and that their marriage marked the beginnings of the Chute association with Kent. But which John and how did Charles in Suffolk locate a Birchington bride??"
Steve Chute, 27 MAY 2006