We follow the fortunes of the Eade family over seven and a half centuries as, with an eye for the main chance, they attempt to climb the ladder of prosperity by constructing, amassing and then protecting their land holdings over the centuries while diversifying into trades such as bricklaying and stonemasonry. From 13th century Chiddingfold in Surrey they spilled over the adjacent county border into West Sussex around Northchapel and Lurgashall and then into Bramshott and Headley in Hampshire via the Sussex settlement of Linchmere, relentless- ly pursuing their aspirations. When all of this eventually began to unravel in the Hampshire village of Hawkley at the end of the 18th century, family fortunes stuttered on for a while with a Market Garden Business located in Petersfield. However it was courtesy of the empire’s Armed Forces that poverty was staved off and Eades visited much of the globe then marked pink. The available records provide a fascinating glimpse into past times throughout the centuries where events such as the plague, diseases, war and market downturns make their indelible mark on a family line that survives to this day.