Eric Rayner Family History

The Rayner family has been farming in the Colnbrook area since at least the reign of Elizabeth I.
We can trace our family tree back to 1654 but there are still many unknowns. For a long time we were Strict Baptists and priovided land for the chapel in Colnbrook, eventually however we were ejected from the church for being on the losing side of a doctrinal dispute. There are anecdotes of battling Highway Men on Heathrow Heath, execution by crossbow for poaching. One ancestor Thomas Rayner married into the wealthy Anthony family of Chalfont St Giles. He was also the Great Grandfather of Louise Rayner the Victorian artist. This website is a celebration of the life of Eric Rayner 1929-2002.