I would be very grateful for any help in tracking down further information about the ancestors of this man, who was my GGG grandfather. He was born in Chester, but appears in the census records later in the 19th century living in Buckley, Flintshire, married to Elizabeth ROBERTS. The family moved to Widnes, then in Lancashire around 1893, where Joseph and his sons were employed as labourers in the growing chemicals industries there (alkaline and copper works). The Speed family went on to become very prominent in Widnes. Joseph's son Edward founded Speed's Widnes Ltd, an electrical contracting firm which was at one time one of the largest such firms in the NW of England. My father, his brother and a cousin, all Speeds worked in the firm, which finally closed in the early 1990s, I think. This cousin is Geoff Speed who is currently the presenter of Folkscene on BBC Radio Merseyside.

Unfortunately, I cannot trace Joseph back before the census of 1871 (by which time he has two children (Mary and Joseph (!)) so I can't find out who his parents and siblings are.

I'd really appreciate any help on this as I have been stuck on it for quite a while!

Thanks, Stephen Speed