Author and Humanitarian Reformer
The Henry Salt Foundation is pleased to present a newly expanded genealogy section tracing the family histories of Henry S. Salt and his first wife, Kate. This resource brings together carefully researched records that illuminate the lives, origins, and connections of the families that shaped their early years. Alongside Salt’s own Shropshire roots, visitors can explore the intertwined histories of the Salts of Shropshire, the Allnatt family of Shropshire, and the Joynes family of Kent, among others.
Our aim is to provide a clear, accessible, and responsibly sourced account of these lineages, correcting long-standing inaccuracies that have appeared elsewhere and offering a reliable reference point for researchers, historians, and descendants alike. As further details emerge through ongoing research, this section will continue to grow, deepening our understanding of the familial landscapes that influenced Henry Salt’s life and work.
Many years ago, Richard Williams compiled an intriguing list of possible “Salts of Staffordshire, Shropshire, etc.” on Genealogy.com. His work appears to identify Henry Salt’s great-great-grandfather, Thomas Salt, and was undertaken long before most records were available online. Richard’s remarkable research made it possible to link the Salts of Shrewsbury with the Salts of Shropshire, providing a foundation for much of what we understand today about the family’s earlier history.
Genealogy is, at its heart, the work of piecing lives back together. With the Salt family, our aim is simply to understand who Henry Salt’s relatives were — even the distant ones — and where they lived, so that we can offer a snapshot of their lives and times. Rather than romanticise the past, we focus on carefully tracing people through the records available and setting their stories in context.
Much valuable work has already been done by other researchers on families such as the Allnatts and the Moultries. Building on that foundation, we have concentrated our efforts on other branches, including the Joynes of Kent and the Moller family of Ireland and Shropshire, to create a fuller and more reliable picture of the wider family network. Our goal is a clear, accurate, and comprehensive genealogy for anyone interested in the Salt heritage.
More than twenty years have passed since we first began researching the genealogy of Henry S. Salt. While incremental improvements have been made over the years, this year we undertook a comprehensive re-examination of the entire dataset. The greatly expanded availability of online records has enabled us to verify earlier findings and add significant new details, including burial dates, locations, and previously unavailable documentation.
Our principal focus has been the Salt family, the Allnatts of Shrewsbury, and the Joynes of Kent. We have also enhanced the information relating to Salt’s father, Thomas Henry Salt, and his sister, Ellen Maude Elizabeth Salt. Recent work has concentrated on clarifying the life events of Henry Salt’s great-grandfather, Thomas Salt of Staffordshire. Together, these efforts represent the most substantial update to our research in more than a decade.
We research as carefully as possible, but genealogy is always evolving. New information often leads to revisions and corrections. If you have material to add, please get in touch. Always verify our findings through their own research before using them elsewhere.
