Diane's Genealogy Blog 2015

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Currently working on what I call the Matthews tree, mostly centred in Bath and London, England. I worked on this tree here in 2013, so this is an update. (It is my father's tree).

Monday 21st December 2015

What happened on this day:
20th Dec: Ernest Herbert Hennig was born in 1887 and
George Dance in 1794
Phoebe Wooldridge married Joseph Sams in 1879 and
Frederick Maunder Retallick married Ann Whitwam in 1919
William John Knight died in 1879 and
John Knight was buried in 1896
21st Dec:
Ann Woodford married James Monk in 1852

I have mentioned Maria Carolina Hennig in passing. She was born in Jan 1794 in Berlin to Johann & Anna and christened there on 9 Feb 1794 at Jerusalem Church. She married Johann Gottlieb August Mathes, but I still cannot locate the marriage record. They had one daughter Marie Alwine, but as Ancestry pointed out, she was 37 at the time, so it is not surprising this was an only child. Maria was evidently not strong, as she died on 22 Jan 1841 aged 47 in Berlin.

Friday 18th December 2015

What happened on this day:
Charles Manhire was born in 1890
Edward John Roffey in 1808
Alfred Silas James Matthews in 1911,
Frederick William Hennig died in 1936
Rebecca Sturgess née Roffey in 1967 and
Frederick Hennig in 1879
Linda Ada Wood née Cox in 1936,
"Joseph Woodford 2" was buried in 1882

There is little information on Johann Christian Hennig senior, father of the one yesterday, my 3x great grandfather, as it is so early. I have found a death record which may be his, dated 14 Jan 1842 in Berlin, giving an age of 80 and thus a birth date of 1762. This would make him 31 on marriage, and he died just a year after his daughter Maria. The only death record I can find for his wife Anna Regina Carolina is in the name Anna Maria, (although married to Johann Christian) in 1806, aged 45 (so similar age to her husband).

Thursday 17th December 2015

What happened on this day:
Grace Nellie Hennig was born 1883
John William Wooldridge in 1908 and
George Matthews in 1897,
"George Wooldridge 2" was christened in 1820
Martha Wooldridge in 1815
Thomas Stephen Hodd in 1854 and
Ellen Louisa May in 1882,
Thomas Dance married Louisa Coleman in 1811
George Roffey married Jane Elizabeth Smith in 1840
Thomas John Manhire died in 1964

The Ancestry site, which I use most of all, has changed the layout and functions of the website, so I shall have to study it in detail to get the hang of the new appearance and make sure I am using all the new information. At first examination it does look to be improved, as each ancestor's profile has events like death of wife, daughter etc, which it never had previously.

However, I have heard there are many errors, especially for those of us not in USA where placenames etc are changed to their equivalent in the States, so I shall keep a lookout particularly for those.

I dealt with Johann Christian Hennig jnr on 2nd Jan 2014, but didn't have a death record for him. I have now found one dated 10 Sep 1865 in Schwerin, Brandenburg, although it does have the age wrong. I have previously said that this is not completely trustworthy however, as sometimes an age at burial is a guess (unreliable for obvious reasons). On this map his birthplace of Berlin, Prenzlau, his wife's birthplace and place of death Schwerin can be seen.

Monday 14th December 2015

What happened on this day:
Amelia Knight married John Roberts in 1874 in Australia
Silas Matthews married Sarah Williams in 1853
Henry Taylor married Sarah Jarvis in 1840
Percival Wooldridge died in 1927
Herbert Ernest Wooldridge in 1991
Eliza Roffey in 1893 and
Cordelia Haines née Woodford in 1911

Sunday 13th December 2015

What happened on this day:
Ernest Alfred Woodford was born in 1886
Harriett Woodford was christened in 1840
"Thomas Woodford 2" married Sarah Gregory in 1825
John Dance married Hannah Gibbs in 1853
William Retallick married Ann Roberts in 1851
Ernest Knight died in 1932
Hilda Knight in 1943 and
Woodman Manhire in 1914

I have searched 177 Matthews records at Honor Oak Crematorium - none matches with mine (including their wives) - and there are no Hennigs. St George's Churchyard only has 140 records at present, and none familiar to me.

I have, however, found the cremation records, elsewhere, of my Uncle Bert and Aunt Olive, and will include them when I get to them in the routine research.

Saturday 12th December 2015

What happened on this day:
Louisa Minnie Woodford was born in 1898
Charles James Robert Parker in 1884
John Retallick was christened in 1791
Maria Matilda Roffey died in 1866 and
Charles John Cox was buried in 1935

Pressing on with checking Honor Oak Crematorium, although so far they are much too recent.

Friday 11th December 2015

What happened on this day:
Mary Agnes Woodford was christened in 1864
Hannah Woodford married William Palmer in 1854 and
Albert Woodford died in 1960

This morning Findmypast told me of new records being made available for baptisms and burials in Leicestershire. I was very excited about this and set to with a will, only to find none of the new parishes included any of my ancestors. However, the Camberwell records I worked on a while ago have now been extended to include the Honor Oak Crematorium and St George's church graveyard, so I am working through those.

Tuesday 8th December 2015

What happened on this day:
7th Dec:
Frances Burbage Woodford was christened in 1828 and
Edwin Woodford died in 1937
8th Dec:
"Thomas Cox 3" was christened in 1751 and
Charles Retallick in 1863
Sidney George Cox married May Lilian Fitzgerald in 1935
Catherine Retallick married John Borlace Hawke in 1864 and
Thomas Henry Hodd married Jane Burns in 1873

A little bit about Herbert Augustus Hennig, whose wife I couldn't find after his death. I have now tracked her down and she lived for some years at 263 Chiswick Village before retiring to Eastbourne in her latter years. I had hoped to find them in 1939 Register, but this name is so often mis-spelled I wasn't surprised to draw a blank. Electoral Roll record of that year puts them at Epsom, at 10 St James Avenue.

Sunday 6th December 2015

What happened on this day:
Florence Sarah Matthews was born in 1905
Alice Kate Morley née Woodford died in 1848 and
Joseph George Roffey in 1940
Hannah Roffey née Smith was buried in 1956

Henriette Auguste Hennig was born in the Berlin area on 14 Dec 1833 to Johann & Henriette née Krumrei (I do have to state that a lot of these details are either from other genealogists or from much later census records, so may not be correct) and was christened on 18 Dec 1833 at Neukirche, Berlin. In approx 1853 (first child was born in November of that year) she married Adolph Wilhelm Dehnke and they had 9 children in Prussia. However, in 1868 the 9th child, named after his father, died aged 3 and, as I have so often noted in the past, this prompted them to up sticks and emigrate. They sailed from Hamburg on 1 April 1868, leaving son Heinrich aged 11 to follow on (maybe he was in an apprenticeship - he followed 5 years later!) aboard the SS Gutenberg, to Quebec & New York. 1870 census found them at Lincoln, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where they had settled on a farm, Adolph working as a Blacksmith and the 3 eldest boys on the land. There were now 6 other children, as baby Julius had arrived in February. The youngest Ernst was born there the following April, but unfortunately Adolph predeceased him, dying 27 Nov 1870 of typhoid (Ernst died aged 5 in 1877). He was buried 30 Nov in the St John's Lutheran Cemetery, Falls Creek. Eldest son Erdmann (Edward) is also buried there, as he had died aged 16 on 23 Oct of "nerve disease". Other family members were buried at Trinity Cemetery, including Ernst mentioned above. Henriette herself died, I am told, aged 73 on 16 Sep 1905 at Lincoln, Eau Claire, although I cannot track down her burial (which may not be surprising given that in the 1905 census taken just before her death, she is transcribed as "Hanratte Delinka")

Saturday 5th December 2015

What happened on this day:
Charles George Wooldridge was born in 1890 and
Matthew Catchesides in 1840
William Henry Retallick died in 1914 and
Selina Clark née Hatton in 1891

After that aside, back to studying the Hennigs. As I stated, Frank Edgar Hennig has been completed by the "new" burial record - he died aged 18 and was buried on 4 Jul 1910 in Camberwell Old Cemetery, the first buried in this grave, then subsequently his parents & brother joined him.

His nephew Frank William Hennig was born 8 Sep 1921 at 7 Ribblesdale Road, Streatham (1 below) to William Walter & Winifred née Knowles, and lived at that address until some time in the early 1930s. By 1938 he can be seen at 7 Francis Road, Eastcote (2 above) and his brother is still at home with mother, but by 1949 Robert had joined him in Eastcote and mother had moved to Hove, where she died in 1973. From 1961 Frank lived at 162 Littlehampton Road, Worthing until his death there aged 56 in Sep 1977. There is a record of a tourist by his name travelling on the Queen Elizabeth Cunard liner in May 1950, giving occupation of Copy Writer c/o Glaxo Lab, 10 Charles II Street, London SW. I cannot be sure this is him and I cannot find a return trip.

Friday 4th December 2015

What happened on this day:
Just 3 deaths:
Alice Hennig in 1951
James Retallick in 1921 and
Jemima Stocks née Matthews in 1898

Rather busy with the Lewisham cemetery records I mentioned yesterday - will report back if I find a match.

I found no match in any of the 500 Matthews records or the wives of the boys! And no Hennigs at all.

Thursday 3rd December 2015

What happened on this day:
2nd Dec:
"Christopher Retallick 1" was christened in 1734
Hester Cox married William Ferres in 1811
James Knight married Emmeline Cook in 1851
Thomas David Roffey died in 1864
3rd Dec:
"Walter Charles Wooldridge 3" was born in 1905 and
Ethel Louise May married John Albert Streaks in 1908

The study of Nunhead Cemetery yielded little: a possible match with William Henry Matthews (who may be son of Albert John & Phoebe) and Mary Jane Matthews née Bradley, who married Charles Joseph and died in 1904. So maybe Charles is also there, and possibly their son Henry Charles, I must have a look next Spring.

While on the Deceasedonline site, I decided to list Matthews burials in Lewisham too (500 of those) at Brockley (289) and Hither Green (211) as these records only came on 10 weeks ago.

Monday 30th November 2015

What happened on this day:
29th Nov:
Adam Woodford was christened in 1812
Arthur Matthews married Ada Bryant in 1896
Eleanor Knight married Thomas Ellery in 1812
30th Nov:
Maria Woodford married William Rippin in 1852
"Thomas Cox 3" married Betty Spindler in 1776
Emily Elizabeth Dobbins née Woodford died in 1942
Percy Harry Roffey died in 1951
Charlotte Knight née Behenna was buried in 1896

My mother came for the weekend, and we were chatting about my latest developments. She had some memories of evacuation to High Wycombe etc and one of these days I must include her memories here. In the mean time we are trying to plan a "30th Anniversary of my father's death" trip to visit Camberwell Cemetery to visit his mother & associated relatives there. This will be next March, so more then...

But now, on with the Hennigs. I ran a search through Deceased Online with this surname and found four at Camberwell Old Cemetery: August Rudolph (Flo's half-brother) and his wife Hellen, and their two sons Frank Edgar and William Walter. Now, this fits well with the plans mentioned above, because the date in question 18th March is also the anniversary of the burial of Hellen Hennig. Also found in that search were Louis Alfred (another half-brother) and his wife Maria Jane at Nunhead Cemetery. This is close by, so could be incorporated in the plans... It is a famous and very beautiful cemetery

Looking at the records (which were only put online 5 months ago) the list of Matthews burials here amounts to 394 so I shall list them and cross-check as I did with the Camberwell Cemeteries.

Friday 27th November 2015

What happened on this day:
not a lot:
Alfred William Matthews was born in 1863 and
Jessie Hatton Biscoe née Gamble died in 1930

Continuing to peruse the burial lists of the Camberwell Cemeteries. There are 133 Matthews records in the "New" and 335 in the "Old". I didn't manage to match up any of the names directly with known members of my Matthews tree until I started cross-referencing the wives of family members called Matthews, then I found my Uncle Bert's 1st wife Nellie Minnie Matthews, buried 5 Sep 1949 in the New Cemetery, then Uncle Horrie's wife Elizabeth, explaining why he was brought back from Sussex to Camberwell. She died 19 Apr 1941 at 62 Stanbury Road, Peckham and was buried in the Camberwell New Cemetery on 28 Apr 1941, leaving £185 to Horace.

Thursday 26th November 2015

What happened on this day:
25th Nov:
oddly, only marriages:
Matthew Catchesides married Elizabeth Nichol in 1781
Agnes May Wooldridge married William Edward Brooker in 1917
"Joseph Woodford 2" married Ruth Brewen Underwood in 1857 and
Manlius Roffey married Isabella Morrison in 1867
26th Nov:
oddly, only deaths:
Elizabeth Fanny Musk née Wooldridge died in 1935 and
John Bosanko (who married Fanny Knight) died in 1885

Today in USA they celebrate Thanksgiving, and I am thankful for the study of Genealogy and breakthroughs like this.
As I moved on to check all the details of my grandmother Florence Augusta Hennig, I expected, as usual, to find nothing new to add to the information gathered in 2013. Especially as I had such details as "she was born at 12 Loughborough Street, Lambeth, opposite Tesco in Vauxhall". But amazingly (especially for London) I have found her last resting place! I never met her, as she died in 1939 when my father was 17 and my mother didn't meet him until 10 years later, so nobody now has memories of her. I now know that she died in mid-June at the house on Peckham Rye, aged 60 and was buried on 19 Jun 1939 in Camberwell New Cemetery, Honor Oak - I even have the grave number! You may not appreciate how rare this is, although I have explained how London's burials were not permitted and records generally don't tell where they took place. One of these days when I am in London I shall seek her out.

While I was looking at the listings for this cemetery, I scanned it for other familiar names and came across what I think may be her brother-in-law Horace George Matthews, who I seem to remember my father referring to as Uncle Horrie. I can see a burial date of 8 Jan 1970. I have a death record in Battle, Sussex in the December quarter of 1969, so he may have been brought back to London after the Holidays to be buried in the family plot. I must investigate...

Monday 23rd November 2015

What happened on this day:
Ella Manhire was born in 1877
Edward Charles Roffey in 1831
Daisy Olive Smith in 1901
Violet Josephine Hodd in 1896
"Richard Retallick 8" was christened in 1754
John Retallick married Jenefer Rowse in 1819 and
my grandparents Florence Augusta Hennig married William George Matthews in 1902

This last date is most appropriate, as it it time to move on to my father's tree, and as usual I start with the Hennigs.

I thought I would like to go back to the roots of Florence's father Frederick and study his place of origin, before embarking on his tree as such.
Before he came to this country, Frederick was known as Friedrich Wilhelm Hennig and was christened at the Reformed Church in Prenzau, Brandenburg, Prussia. His parents were evidently staunch Protestants, as this church was strong in the Reformed faith. It was built on the site of a former Franciscan monastery, which had been blessed by the protestant King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia and the site given to the local Reformed congregation on the understanding that they would rebuild it and put it to use. His father Friedrich Wilhelm III had united the Lutherans and Reformed Church in Prussia previously. Parents John Christian Hennig and wife Henriette were evidently so keen on this king that they named their son after him (subsequent children were daughters, so called after their parents Joanne Christiane and Henriette.) I had a quick look at Prenzlau, as I knew nothing of it. It is apparently 100k north of Berlin, had its heyday in 13th & 14th century but was decimated by plague & cholera. By the time "our" FW left in 1845 it had recovered (many Huguenot refugees came in in 1700s to repopulate) but then it suffered further in WW2. It held a large Jewish community, and in 1938 this was destroyed, along with a Jewish cemetery where gravestones were removed for use as paving-stones. There were about 600 fatalities on this occasion. Then on 25 Apr 1945 American bombers destroyed 85% of the town, reducing the population to 15000. [I found this shocking, as it was the Allies who carried out this last decimation, and my father - FW's grandson - fought alongside them in the Middle East in that same war.] In 1952 the East German authorities rebuilt the town with prefabs. It has recovered again, the population peaking at 26000 in 1980s, now about 19000.

As these records were very detailed in 2013, I am not going to list the files I have checked as I am aware that this is boring. I shall just report on subjects that crop up as I do so. Please get in touch on the Feedback tab above if you have any thoughts.

Edith Kate Hennig was a case in point regarding new records. When I reported on her on 20th Dec 2013 there was a gap of 47 years in her story, as she didn't marry and only appeared after the 1911 census on phone book records of 1958-76 and 1981 in Hove, Sussex. The 1939 Register now provides a snapshot in the middle of this gap: she can be seen on there in Hove by 1939, so it is entirely possible she moved out of town at this point "For the Duration" and stayed for the rest of her life. I have not purchased the scan, but can see she is in a household on her own.

Another little snippet is regarding brothers Ernest Herbert and William Walter Hennig, who were both Clerks in the Stock Exchange. I knew that Ernest emigrated to Australia, but now have the listing for the SS Zieten he sailed on in late June 1914. The journey was via Bremen and he had brother "Willy" with him. He however did not stay as he was back in London the following July to marry Winifred.

Saturday 21st November 2015

What happened on this day:
John Retallick was born in 1839
William Alfred Knight died in 1992
(a different) John Retallick was buried in 1890

The next household I tried was called "Matthews Household" and was that of my paternal grandfather William G Matthews and his son Albert G Matthews, who were both listed as Working Jeweller. The address was the house in which I lived until I was 3, 135 Peckham Rye. As I said when I discussed these records before (see 5th November) there is one other (hidden record) in the household and it is an intriguing puzzle as to who it is. My mother thought it must be cousin Bob, but he wasn't born until 1941. Uncle Bert married the month after the Register was taken and his fiancée was elsewhere, likewise it couldn't be his mother, as she died the April before.
Stop Press - I have just referred to my father's Airforce papers and he wasn't called up until 1942, so no doubt it was him! When he used to reminisce, I never took notes (and am ashamed to say, like many of our generation, soon learned to "switch off" - much to my regret now, obviously!) As he died in 1986 he should have been unredacted. I can get this done by sending Findmypast his death certificate, and one day will probably do so. They are dealing with all sorts of problems now so I will wait a while. My only remaining doubt is due to the fact that he would be Working Jeweller too (he was 17 but I don't think he was at school still) and I can see under the blacking out stripe that his description was not mere dittoes but had at least 3 tall loops. The page, as before, showed a lot of the neighbours. I don't recognise any names but there are some interesting Occupations listed, including (at 139) a "Bakers Roundsman and Special Constabulary", (at 137) a Bus Driver, (next door at 133) a Jewellery Salesman (useful!), a Clerk of Works Manager, worker in the Survey Department of [illegible somewhere] in Scotland, "Sales Manager in Photographers and Stretcher-bearer in Camberwell" and a "Stenographer with Petroleum Board", as well as Metropolitan Police Constable, "Inland Revenue Stamping" and the intriguing "Motion Film Artist" (Algernon R Preston, who changed his name to Patrick Lascelles and I cannot find trace of either in the movie world!)
The other documents are even more generic than usual, lumping the whole of London together - which is frankly ridiculous - although the maps are interesting, mainly because the area hasn't changed in almost 130 years. The Rye (Common land) and Nunhead cemetery remain and any changes (ie modern housing estates) are elsewhere.

The next printout was the most intriguing to me, and again - as with Ivy's yesterday - brought to light some family I hadn't expected (pleasurable not least because you get bonus people you hadn't paid for!). As I have said, my grandmother took the children away to High Wycombe, leaving Grandad behind in London. He can be seen on the sheet for part of Clayton Buildings, an address I have mentioned here many times. It was a block constructed in the 1870s, situated off Lollard Street (formerly East Street), itself a turning off Lambeth Walk. Anyone who knew it would agree the numbering system was bizarre, and this page related to the part the enumerator walked, along one floor, up a flight of stairs and along the one above, comprising numbers 7, 17, 27, 37, 39, 29, 19, 9 10, 20 then 6. At number 27 were Henry J Wooldridge (Grampy) and Charles J Wooldridge (Uncle Charlie), listed as widowed "Printers Warehouseman" and single "Pneumatic Tubes Erector/Fitter" respectively. This last occupation I found particularly interesting, as I hadn't realised Uncle Charlie worked with my grandad (his niece's husband) and this is why number 30 is inserted next - probably Grandad was there with them and gave his information then. His occupation was the same, and I do know where they worked, as he remained there until he retired in 1969. The company was called Lamson Engineering and they made & installed the suction-tube system used at tills/checkouts before the introduction of electronic tills. Money & bills were sealed in a capsule, sent by pneumatic tube to cashiers, and the change & receipt returned the same way. I have looked the company up & they had in 1937 changed their name to this & had offices in Cheapside & factory in Willesden. Although Grandad always had a car (a classic Austin Seven) when most families didn't, I can't imagine he drove all the way to Willesden on a daily basis. The company was bought up & dissolved in 1976. Prior to this he had worked as a lorry-driver, and may have done this throughout the war as well. Other neighbours of interest were those at numbers 39 Charles & Lizzie Clarke, he was an Ambulance Driver, number 19 Thomas Grummitt, widowed "Cardboard Box Machinist", with his ?son Arthur Grummitt, "Boot & Shoe Repairer" with widow Alice Bringlow UDD and at number 20 Reuben Woodford, "Packer & Warehouseman" and his wife Lilian UDD - Uncle Reub & Auntie Lil to me but actually my Nan's cousin & wife (everyone of an older generation was called Auntie & Uncle by a child in the 1950s & 60s). Other interesting occupations on this page are Taxi Driver, Scaffolding Builder, Street Hawker, Tram Driver & Office Cleaner

The equivalent on my husband's tree was the Manhire Household, where Oliver Manhire, his maternal grandfather was at 443 Battersea Park Road, while his wife & children were in Cornwall. They ran a sweetshop/tobacconist shop next to the pub. Oliver was 44 and listed as tobacconist, other occupations in the street Dairyman, "Hotel Caterer", "Garage Hand", Dustman, Kitchen Porter, "Chocolate Ornamenter" and of course next door Licensed Victualler (widow aged 59), "Manageress Public House" (widow aged 42), Cook (single aged 39) and chauffeur (married aged 45). Again the generic documents relating to London as a whole were not very useful. However, the maps were really informative. I have mentioned here many times the great changes that have come about in the Battersea/Nine Elms area in recent years. The 1939 map shows the street layout was much like that in the early map dating from 1888. Many "ribs" branched off the main "spine" of Battersea Park Road, parallel turnings with a grid of terraced houses. This has all changed now and the area is made up of tower blocks with paved & grassy open areas between. So the map looks much more open, but is in fact higher density, and unfortunaltely much less of a community feel.

Findmypast offered a further bonus to bloggers who subscribe, another household free of charge. So I decided to take the final household on my Shortlist, that of Clive's paternal grandmother Ethel Smith. She can be seen at 18 Cleaver Square and as I noted last week has 2 Hidden records with her. These no doubt belong to her boys Clifford (my late father-in-law who died in 2013) and Eric (who died in 2002) They are still redacted until we send up the proof of death. Cleaver Square was formerly known as Prince's Square, after Mr Prince, who owned the two houses at the opening to the square, not the Prince of Wales pub at number 48 in the corner then renamed after the 18th Century landowner Mary Cleaver. As usual, the articles are regarding London generally, and the maps have not changed much over the years. Other interesting occupations on this page are "Cook at Hotel" and Barmaid, several working on "Ladies Neckwear", a "Night Telephonist GPO", Hospital Laundress, Retired Hairdresser, widowed "Theatrical Costumier" and a widowed "Actress/Comedienne" called Florence Carruthers. I cannot find much on her except this article interviewing Cleaver Square residents in 1964 and her death in Jan 1976 in Lambeth aged 91.

Friday 20th November 2015

What happened on this day:
Aubrey Cecil D Woodford was born in 1909
Constance Matthews in 1917
Lucy Harvey née Woodford died in 1952
Charlotte Retallick née Edyvean in 1892
Daniel Hitchcock (who married Ellen Roffey) in 1924 and
James Hodd in 1970

This morning I received from Findmypast an offer I could not refuse, so I decided to pay what amounted to half price for a small bundle (5) of 1939 Register printouts and see how it goes.

I decided, as I always do, to start with my maternal grandmother and her household. I purchased Louisa M Gamble's household, called "Woods Household". She appears on the sheet at 11 Abercrombie Avenue, High Wycombe, with George Woods, a 52-year-old Woodmaking Machinist and his wife Emma, 5 years older, who performed what they called in 1939 "Unpaid Domestic Duties" i.e. a housewife. Also in the household were Walter Woods, probably George's father as he was a retired widower aged 76, also Emma Dix a 72-year-old widow (maybe Emma's mother?) Underneath Emma's name there was a Hidden record, probably a son o daughter whose name has been hidden as (s)he was still living when records froze in 1991. Along with the scans of the sheet (I love seeing the real handwritten documents - and this one was stylishly written in green ink!) you receive 3 maps of the area one dated around 1939, one before & one after (present day). As I know almost nothing about High Wycombe, despite it being only 45 miles from here, this was useful. I must admit I was most surprised to find Abercromby Avenue a fairly cramped suburban street, and number 11 particularly small as I expected countryside. Looking at the maps I can see there was much more space then, but it is hard to imagine life 76 years ago! See yesterday's photos for why I thought it would be more rural... Anyway, Findmypast provides a selection of newspaper clippings and articles on the area, but I found these were not nearly specfic enough. They related in this instance to the whole of the county, the main article called "Leafy Bucks", and included Bletchly Park, important to the War Effort but not to my family. It was interesting to see among the occupations listed in the area that working with wood was not only eminent but also of course George's surname! Below my Nan's name are three Hidden Records. They must be the children Kathleen (my Mum, hidden as she is still alive) who was 7, John (who died in 2005, too late to be what they call Unredacted as they ceased upkeep of these records in 1991. Also as he died in Australia, the death certificate would have to be obtained from there to release his details) and Brian (aged 17 months and still with us).

Clive's maternal grandmother Ivy Manhire was in a similar situation to mine. I purchased the records for her to find she had gone to Cornwall to stay with family, and many familar names popped up! Her household was called "Algar Household" as she was staying with Norman J Algar, a 46-year-old farmer and his wife Beatrice. Both Ivy and Beatrice were listed as doing UDD (see above) and the address was Hallew Farm, Bugle. This is a place well known to us as many family members lived around Hallew & Bugle. I visited there in 2009, but my photos were of Bilberry Farm looking a little run-down and Hallew Farm was just a couple of cottages attached to a caravan-park. I see from Google Streetview that several new buildings have been built there now, and they look very authentic and classy - but of course are not the Farm. As above, there are maps and articles but again too general - dealing with Cornwall in its entirety, a very large county! there was an article on Land Army Girls, but Jessie joined them years later, in a different area. And unfortunately the maps given were of completely the wrong area, having been distracted by the fact that these villages are in the St Austell area, they attached maps of there, not Bugle at all.
On the positive side, the sheet covered many households in surrounding farms and, as I said above, included unexpected nearby family members as a bonus! Also on the page were other households in cottages on the land, called Bilberry Michael Knight & family, including a possible daughter married to a Samuel Grose - we do have Groses but these are not listed. Of course we have many many Knights, but not specifically these names.
Blenheim Bilberry widow Fanny Knight and offspring in their 40s - this was the widow of Paul Knight, maiden name Allen (on my tree but Ancestry won't calculate how they are related)
Kengarthy Bilberry Lilian Manhire and her son Edgar can be seen here - she was Oliver's sister, so close kin, and also a widow. Edgar was 29 and a builder's labourer. Bilberry "Rundle Household" was a very large household of 12 adults made up of William Rundle, a driver of a stationary Oil & Steam Engine and his wife Lena (UDD) along with a Retired Petty Officer Royal Navy (aged 53) and assorted Clay Labourers, some with UDD wives. This Rundle may be son of the William Rundle on my tree, but I do not have his details.
Moor View Bilberry Kate Hewett widow, and "incapacitated" son Alonzo, also Henry, Clarence & Gertrude Trethewey - we have Hewetts and Tretheweys but I do not investigate in-laws too far so have no details
Hallew Cottage Bugle Oliver & Elsie Kestle - I don't know this surname
Peniel Farm Bugle Ernest Richards, retired General Dealer, and wife Mary, also son Frederick, who ran a Newsagent & Tobacconist shop, probably in Bugle High Street
Hallew Bugle Ida Brewer 51 year old UDD

I will continue reporting on these documents tomorrow

Thursday 19th November 2015

:What happened on this day:

18th Nov:
Zerua Rosina Knight was born in 1854
Frederick William Hodd in 1895
One John Knight was christened in 1813 and another in 1822
"George Wooldridge 3" married Hannah Stemp in 1810
Benjamin Knight married Jenepher Harris in 1811 and
Frances Knight was buried in 1846
19th Nov:
Walter Norman Woodford was born in 1915
Adam Francis Retallick was christened in 1837
Lilian Annie Cox married Sydney Reading in 1922
Florence Hodd married Leonard Smithers in 1916
Abraham Woodford died in 1854
Bessie Cox née King died in 1910
Gertrude Knight née Rowse died in 1949

Monday 16th November 2015

What happened on this day:

Nothing on 15th or 16th, so:
13th Nov:
James Matthews was born in 1814
Matthew Catchesides was christened in 1758
John Retallick married Mary Jane Retallick in 1856
Thomas Knight married Elizabeth Mark in 1790
Louisa Knight married Frederick James Higbed 1895
Walter James Matthews died in 1921
14th Nov:
"Anthony Knight 5" was christened in 1802
Charles Wooldridge 1 married Elizabeth Woods in 1840
(John) George Chapman (who married Louisa Cox) died 1940
John Fry (who married Elizabeth Roffey) was buried in 1887
Philippa Knight née Hooper was buried in 1842

Working today on the 9 William Wooldridges, 7 already outlined in 2013, the other two were babies who died in infancy in 1902 & 1905. No further news on "plain" Williams, but a few more details on William Henry. He was married on 30 Jul 1909 in the church he was christened in; St Andrew's, Ham, and his bride Alice Mabel (on all documents except her marriage, where she was Mabel Alice) was staying at 2 Wiggins Cottages in Ham (electoral roll records show her alone at 264 Kings Road, Kingston in 1905-6). After the wedding they settled in Kingston and had 3 children there. In 1939 they appear in Richmond, Surrey with son William J M (see below) and possibly the two girls, but they are closed, so were still alive in 1991. I posted details of his death in 2013 and a picture of his grave.  William Isaac, my great great-uncle, was dealt with in detail in 2013 and two further Williams were sons of his who died in infancy, but nothing new on him or his family. William John M Wooldridge, mentioned above, was born 10 Aug 1914 in Kingston, Surrey to William Henry and Alice née Hubbard. In Apr 1942 in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire he married local girl Gladys A Walker. The only possibilities I can find for children are Janet b1944 and Terence b1948, both in Edmonton, North London. The family evidently did return South, as William died in Oct 2003 back in Kingston, Surrey, possibly at the home of one of his sisters Alice & Emily, who lived and died there.

So I have come to the end of this tree again. I haven't yet decided what to deal with next. It would appear obvious to move on to the newly-released 1939 Register, but as it would seem there are many teething-troubles I shall wait until these are ironed out before plunging in (sorry for the mixed metaphors!). As I have to work tomorrow and Wednesday, I shall return on Thursday and have a look around.

Monday 9th November 2015

What happened on this day:

8th Nov:
Alfred Newman Vincent Wooldridge was christened in 1891
David Knight died in 1882 in California
Christopher Knight died in 1905
9th Nov:
William Drew Retallick was born in 1892
"William Woodford 4" was christened in 1795
William Retallick married Jemima Brent in 1848
Mary Knight married William Bryant in 1819
Eliza Knight married Thomas Hooper in 1850
William Holmes (who married Sarah Roffey) was buried in 1937

I must finish up the Wooldridges:
Checked today: 3 Sarahs (the only new info was that the husband of Sarah b1780, Henry Ledger, was christened at the same ceremony as her brother William in 1778, so they must have grown up together), Thomas, Auntie Vi Violet May Wooldridge (she will be included in the 1939 Register so when I buy them I will see her in Lambeth, alone it seems from the search results), the 3 generations of Walter Charles (WCW1 was very detailed in 2013 so I wasn't surprised to find nothing new, but his son WCW2 was confusing in that he seemed to be in Wokingham, Berkshire in 1939 with someone called Anne Wooldridge, rather than Caroline Emily - but without the details I would have to pay for, this may not be him. The younger Walter Charles can be seen in Greenwich with wife Florence Rubie and her family in 1939, 5 years before their daughter was born)

Thursday 5th November 2015

What happened on this day:

4th Nov:
Jenepher Knight married John Martin in 1848
"George Wooldridge 1" died in 1893
5th Nov:
Alberta Emmeline Knight married William Henry Tremewan in 1898
John Roffey married Sarah Way in 1820
Sarah Roffey née Russell died in 1920 and
Elizabeth Knight née Grose was buried in 1849

Returning to the 1939 Register, I am continuing to search for Family households. I finished the Manhire Tree and will now tackle the Matthews tree. Of course, this does relate to a limited period in history, i.e. those alive in 1939 who have died between then & 1991 (when updating ceased), so only relates to a couple of generations.

I have continued to find households in my family trees - 38 at present - but cannot track down my Dad. He was in the Air Force in the Middle East in WW2. However, in 1939 he may not have even joined up as he was only 17. I must ask Mum - although she only married him in 1952 when he was 30, so she may not know. I did make a discovery concerning his auntie Eliza - I had tracked her to 1911 and suspected she may have married a Charles Neighbour in 1938. In the 1939 Register I found confirmation of this, as it gave her middle name and was in Camberwell. So now I can finish her record off with a death in her married name. So even without paying anything, it is possible to gain from this. As I see from various websites etc there are teething problems with these records, so I have decided to wait a while before ordering any (I have heard that you have to reorder & can be charged again after any query is fixed).

Primary Households:
Louisa Gamble (my grandmother) & her children, staying in High Wycombe with a couple called Woods. They were evacuated as a family.
Henry Gamble Grandad remained at home in Lambeth, London, working as a lorry driver
Charles J Woodford (Nan's uncle Charlie) living alone in Lambeth
Henry John Wooldridge (Grampy - who later lived with him) likewise
Ethel Smith (Clive's paternal grandmother) with her 2 sons in Lambeth (unfortunately I couldn't find her husband as he wasn't with them and there are 3 pages of Ernest Smiths elsewhere)
Ivy Manhire (Clive's other grandmother) in St Austell, Cornwall with 2 others (probably including Jessie, his mother, who is still with us and thus her record is closed), staying with Beatrice & Norman Algar, evacuated like my grandparents. Jessie was in the Land Army.
Oliver Manhire, her husband, was holding the fort in Battersea, London - they ran a sweetshop/tobacconist
Albert Matthews (my uncle Bert) was in Peckham with his father William George. The family business, repairing jewellery, presumably took a back seat during hostilities, but evidently survived, as they ran it throughout the 1950s-80s. There was another member of this household I cannot identify as the record is closed, so presumably that person was still alive when updates ceased in 1991. It cannot be Dad's mother (she died in the April of that year and the Register dates from 29th September) or his siblings (I have tracked them all down elsewhere) or Uncle Bert's fiancée (likewise) - and anyway, closed files are supposed to be from living people and all of these are long gone.
Emily Parkinson (Dad's grandmother) was living in Woolwich with a family I cannot identify. But she had remarried after her husband's death, so they may be from this family. She was in 1939 aged 84 and died there the following January.

Monday 2nd November 2015

On 20th August I discussed the release of the 1939 Register. You may remember that this has been looked forward to by genealogists as it bridges the gap between the 1921 census (due out in 7 years) and the 1951 one (due out in 2052) as those in 1931 & 1941 are gone. It is being released today, so I shall study the free searches and decide whether to plunge in with money. It was a major disappointment for me when I found that a full membership of Findmypast (annual subscription of £116 I have just renewed) doesn't entitle me to access the details without further payment, but so be it. I shall report later. In the mean time...

What happened on this day:

1st Nov:
Agar Lloyd Retallick was born in 1908
Sylvia Matthews in 1931 and
Sarah Matthews née Alexander died 1888
2nd Nov:
Mary Catherine Woodford was christened in 1855 and
Thomas George and Daisy Hodd in 1893
Charles John Cox married Ada Louisa Snuggs in 1882
Zerua Bennetts née Manhire died in 1930

At the end of the day I have found 30 households I am pretty confident are "ours". At £6.95 each, I won't be following up on all of them, but the search does yield a few new details sometimes - although more often incorrect dates of birth etc. Anyway, I have done 2 trees fairly fully; I will return to the half-finished one later in the week and I haven't touched my Dad's at all.

Friday 30th October 2015

What happened on this day:

Edward Dance Cox was born 1869
William Retallick in 1820
Florence Louise Hodd in 1892
John Knight was christened in 1727
William Robert Hodd married Frances Harriet Warne in 1917
Anthony Knight died in 1852

I dealt with Percy John Wooldridge in fair detail in 2013, but lots more details are now available, so I shall cover him again. He was born on 16 Jan 1899 at 8 Park Road, Esher to George & Alice née Batchelor and christened at St Georges, Esher. He lived there with his parents & half-brother Charles until his marriage, on 9 Jun 1924. This took place in Hampreston, Wimborne, Dorset, the home-town of his wife Ethel Marion White, a farmer's daughter. They moved into a house called Bedboro, Dudley Road, Walton-on-Thames [I cannot obtain a photo from Streetview for a large part of his road, as it is private], then in 1930 moved to Grove Cottage, Molesey Road, Waton-on-Thames. They were only there for a few years as they can be seen on electoral roll records registered at another house called Bedboro, this time in Kennel Lane, Fetcham (they must have taken the name with them) and then in 1937 at Ayone, Rydens Avenue, Walton-on-Thames. These are all very nice residential areas, but I cannot see the house-names on the properties so cannot locate tem individually. It was while still living at Ayone in 1943 that Percy was admitted to St Mary's hospital, Paddington with heart trouble and subsequently died on 10 Jan. There was a postmortem and his death was deemed to have been caused by mitral stenosis and aortic incompetence (faulty heart-valves) probably stemming from Rheumatic Fever he had when younger. Son Richard and daughter Betty emigrated to Australia, but I think daughter Edna married a Cornishman and moved to his home. Ethel remarried in Oct 1946 in Southampton to Richard Charles Winter from Hampshire, then I suspect travelled to Australia to be with family as there is a grave for an Ethel Winter in NSW dated 1957 and co-researcher "8parkrd" has stated Richard died there in 1985.

Philip John had a similar story in that is wife emigrated after his death (see 18th Nov 2013) to be with children. I have found his army attestation papers, stating he joined up on 28 Apr 1885 in Kingston to Medical Staff Corps (with the usual detailed description of him) but any further pages won't load at the moment - this may be because of the imminent arrival of new 1939 register. I don't know if his death at 37 had anything to do with his military career.

Phoebe Wooldridge - I told all the story in 2013 but now have details of burials to go with it. Joseph died in Redhill Infirmary (admitted from the workhouse, no doubt - see 18th Nov 2013) and was buried on 18 Oct 1912 at St Andrew's, Kingswood. Phoebe joined him there 12 years later, when her home address was listed as Middle House, Dorking Road, Epsom, which is also a Workhouse! [in 1950s it was Epsom District hospital]

Thursday 29th October 2015

What happened on this day:

27th Oct:
Maria Mary (Minnie) Cox was born in 1879
Alfred Stanfield Roffey in 1876
Reuben John Woodford married Florence Ethel Wells in 1907
I (Diane Margaret Matthews) married Clive Vernon Smith in 1979
Harry George Small died in 1937
28th Oct:
Charles Parker Junior was born in 1924
William Isaac George Gamble (Uncle Bill) was christened in 1894
Thomas Cook (who married "Dewey Dance 2") was buried in 1880
29th Oct:
Twins Eliza Ann & Clara Woodford were born in 1868
Mary Jane Marshall née Knight died in 1938

A few more details on Nellie Emma Wooldridge: as with her brother John, admission records are now available for Nellie to Heber Road School, dated 3 Dec 1890. Her exact date of birth is given 24 Jul 1881 and the address 228 Crystal Palace Road. She started school on the same day as Elizabeth Fanny her sister (John joined the following year). When she married Sidney Hicks in Apr 1904, banns were called at St Peter, Islington for him (he was staying at 31 St Peters Street) and for her at Christ Church, Turnham Green, Chiswick (she was staying at 388 High Road) and the ceremony was performed there on 11 Apr. They moved into 54 Mannock Road, Wood Green and daughter Margery was born on 22 Aug the following year. After she died, Sidney married Edith Annie Harford and they had a daughter Elsie. In 1911 census they can be seen at 48 Maryland Road, Bowes Park, Wood Green, Sid working as a sorter in the Post Office. He died in 1915 and in 1938 electoral roll Edith is with her two girls at 5 Hillfield Gardens, Friern Barnet. Margery lived to the age of 92 but never married.

I dealt with the Percival Josephs, senior & junior, in 2013 in quite some detail. I have more detail on Senior's army career, nothing of special interest, but it seems that Junior died in India in 1936, before joining his father in the grave in Kingston. He died 13 Jul 1936 at Ranikhet, Bengal and was buried on 17 Jul. I have also found the death record - he was in the army himself, in the 1st East Surrey Regiment, and died by drowning! Presumably his remains are not in the grave with his family, because he was buried on 17 Jul in Bengal. (I also found another child born Dec 1911 & died aged 5 months in Mar 1912 - Amy Gertrude)

Monday 26th October 2015

What happened on this day:

25th Oct:
Robert Knight married Elizabeth Hore in 1829
"William Cox 1" married Martha Ferres in 1810
Paul Knight was buried in 1852
26th Oct:
Ann Wooldridge was christened in 1806, as was
Robert Knight

There are 5 "plain" Mary Wooldridges and 4 with additional names. "Mary 1" was born Feb 1833 in Esher, Surrey to Charles & Jemima née Pickard and christened there on 17 Mar 1833. The only Surrey record for "plain" Mary is a death in Farnham in 1837, but has no details to confirm. They lived in Esher until at least 1860, as her sister died there in 1854 and father in 1860. Mary is not in the household in 1851, so is either the death I mentioned above, or is somewhere mis-spelled as a servant etc.

Mary 2 was born Jul 1804 in West Horsley to William & Ann née Martin and christened there on 26 Aug 1804. As the name was used again by the same parents in 1815, I would assume she died before that date (not invariably so, but usually). There is a burial of a Mary Wooldridge at St Michael & All Angels, Thursley on 7 Mar 1807, so that is probably her.

I dealt with Mary 3 in 2013, except for the censuses of 1881 & 1891. I have found her now, lodging in Plumstead in 1891. Her age is wrong - she admits to 62 in 1891 when she is really 66 - but her death & burial are the same, so she was truly convinced.

Mary 4 was born Dec 1813 in West Horsley, Surrey to George & Hannah née Stemp and christened there 26 Dec 1813 at St Mary's. There is another Surrey record for a "plain" Mary - a marriage to John Dicks in 1835 in Esher, but I cannot assign this to anone as it has no fathers' names on. So I must again leave this Mary blank.
I told the story of Mary Agnes in 2013 - please see the tab above as it is interesting & complex.

Mary Ann was born 1 Sep 1803 in East Horsley to James & Ann née Chuter and christened there on 25 Sep 1803. There are several marriages & death records before the 1841 census (she is gone by then) and none has father's name etc with which to confirm.

I'm not sure why I didn't report on Mary Ann Alice in 2013, apart from the fact that I disproved my own story that she went to Philadelphia by discovering a marriage record. Anyway, it gives me something to report on now. She was born on 18 Oct 1839 to William & Hannah née Freeland in a village called Stoke-next-Guildford and christened there in St John the Evangelist church on 10 Nov 1839. In 1841 the family is at Merrow Street, Guildford, then in 1851 at Ham Common - she can be seen with parents, grandfather, uncle & sibs, aged 11. In 1861 census she can be seen at Johnson's Cottages, Richmond visiting her fiancé's parents, listed as a dressmaker. She was married there a few weeks later, on 20 May at St John the Divine. Robert was listed as a Waiter, and they gave their address on marriage as "Back of the Bank, New Road" (If this is New Road, Ham, Richmond it is off Ham Common, but I don't know if there was a bank here in 1861, it is a residential side-street now) . Unfortunately, she died in October the following year, probably from childbirth, in Richmond. Following Robert through the next few decades, I can see him in 1871 census as a patient at the Smallpox & Vaccination Hospital, Islington, and in 1890-98 in electoral roll records living in St Pancras, where he died in 1899 aged 61 and was buried on 20 Jun at St Pancras Parish Chapel, which I understand is the "New church" (1822) rather than the Old Church we have come across before, which dates from around 14th Century.

I have found nothing to help my study of Mary Elizabeth - the gap I have is around 1911 and I cannot be sure when she joined her children in Yorkshire - apart from what may be a large red herring in the form of electoral roll records from New Zealand 1911 & 1925!

Friday 23rd October 2015

What happened on this day:

22nd Oct:
William Retallick was born in 1870
"Anthony Knight 4" married Ann Pinch in 1842
Henry Francis Matthews married Annie Hudson in 1900
23rd Oct:
Elizabeth Ann Knight was born in 1883 in Australia
Jane Sarah Roffey in 1823
Daniel Knight was christened in 1828
"William Woodford 6" married Ellen Jane Dawkins in 1898
Ruth Loder née Roffey died in 1954 and
Elizabeth Dodge née Hodd in 1952

Checked today:
Lloyd Philip Wooldridge - just one snippet of further information was that after WW2 he can be seen with wife Doris at 21 Cottimore Avenue, Chertsey, and this will have been the area in which he died in 1977. I cannot find military records for WW1 for him.
Louisa Margaret Wooldridge - my grandmother - nothing new concerning her.
Louisa Mary - the twin whose birthday I mentioned on Monday - I suspect she died in early childhood. Twin George is with the family in 1871 census, but she isn't. This doesn't prove anything as she could be in service somewhere, it's a shame 1861 seems to be missing for the whole family.
Mabel Esther - nothing new.
"plain" Maria - disappears aged "15" (really 18) - probably married but this name has a bad habit of becoming Mary Ann, of which there are many!
Maria Eliza - no further details on her, but Alfred's death in 1914 was followed by his burial in Camberwell Old Cemetery. [although records exist, no entry is found on Find A Grave, so his may be one of the graves damaged by V1 flying bombs in WW2]
Mark Henry - nothing new

Monday 19th October 2015

What happened on this day:

Louisa Mary Wooldridge was born in 1856 - especially interesting as her twin George was born just after midnight and so had a different date of birth!
Charles Edward Roffey born in 1870
Jane Woodford was christened in 1817 and
Julia Hetty Christina May in 1844

John Wooldridge 4 was covered in detail in 2013, but I couldn't find him in 1871 census. I have now tracked him down, living at 3 Hill Place, Richmond with his employer & family, working as an Assistant Grocer, along with 2 other assistants & a servant. This made total sense, and he had his own grocery business by the time he was married 6 years later. I had hoped to follow him through electoral roll records to his death in 1936, but unfortunately he moved from Middlesex to Surrey & slipped between the cracks.

John 5 was covered in 2013 but I have recently come across a couple of photos of him with some of his family and included these on 11th Sept.

John William 1 was son of John 4 & Fanny. I have found his school admission document dated 31 Aug 1891 when he was 7 and joined Heber Road School in East Dulwich, giving home address as 228 Crystal Palace Road. I have also found his military death record, stating he was Killed in Action in France and his effects & remuneration were sent to his grandmother Emma Laws in 1919. He was buried in Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery in Calais.

I covered Lewis Richard Wooldridge's short life in detail in 2013, and have now only extra photos of the Thiepval monument and military death record, stating his effects were sent to his father.

I did not deal with Lily/Lillie Wooldridge before, as I knew very little but she has surfaced. She was born 28 Feb 1901 at 11 Clayton Buildings, Lollard Street, Lambeth (a very well-known address to regular readers) to William and Ellen née Guyatt and was my Nan's first cousin. She was christened 4 Jul 1901 at Emanuel church (the one behind the Buildings) and can be seen just prior to this on 1901 census with parents and sibs at number 11, then the same in 1911 aged 10. Life was evidently not happy at home at this time, as her 4 younger siblings all died in infancy. I shall go into this in more detail later, when I deal with her father William Isaac. So in 1920, when her elder sister Agnes left with her husband & baby for Canada, she went along with them, on the SS Grampian, leaving London on 4th May and arriving at Quebec on 15th May. (this ship caught fire the following year while undergoing a refit & was scrapped). Lily is listed as "telephone operator", but in 1921 census she can be seen lodging with them in South Oxford, Ontario, listed as "mill-hand". Unfortunately, after this I lose track of her - she may have married but I cannot locate a marriage or death for her. (Incidentally, I can see in electoral roll records now that Agnes & William remained in Beachville, Oxford, Ontario until at least 1963, when William retired)

Sunday 18th October 2015

I'm back at my desk, revitalised and ready to press on.

What happened on this day:

Clive's grandmother Ethel May was born in 1900
George Abraham Wooldridge in 1856
Louisa Jane Knight in 1873
Elizabeth May Roffey in 1829
Eliza Annie Roffey in 1871
Thomas May married Sarah Burley in 1841
Rebecca Knight married Nicholas Cock in 1836
Mary Hutchinson née Matthews died in 1919
Andrew Woodford in 1882 and
Dewey Cook née Dance was buried in 1880

There are in this tree at least 5 "plain" John Wooldridges and 2 with middle name of William

John Wooldridge 1 checked out, but I was still unable to find the maiden name of Ann, his wife. His father John 2 may have been the one who married Elizabeth Collins on 19 Sep 1712 in Farnham, but all of these early documents do not prove a link, just conjecture, as none has father's name, age or address on. I am on safer ground with John 3, John 1's son, but I covered him in 2013 in fair detail. That's as far as I was able to go today. More tomorrow.

Sunday 20th September 2015

What happened on this day:

19th Sep:
Eliza Mary Catchesides was born in 1836 and
Leonard Manhire in 1886
"Christopher Retallick 3" was christened in 1802
"John Wooldridge 2" married Elizabeth Collins in 1712
"Mary Woodford 4" married Barnabas Tiplin in 1836 and
Gordon Edmund Luke Retallick died in 1995
20th Sep:
Clifford's mother & aunties Phoebe, Ethel & Amy May were christened in 1905
Joseph Slade (who married Elizabeth Caroline Wooldridge) died in 1930

At this time of the year I always have at least one holiday, and this year more than most. So I shall be away from my desk for the next month. I shall return in late October; in the mean time don't hesitate to surf the tabs at the top for previous years.

Friday 18th September 2015

What happened on this day:

17th Sep:
Ethel Louise May was born in 1881
William John Knight married Elizabeth Crouch in 1870
"John Woodford 1" died in 1894
George Hawkes (who married Ellen May) died in 1951
Dorothy Knight née Bray was buried in 1767
18th Sep:
Jemima Matthews was born in 1839
"Thomas Cox 4" was christened in 1785
John Knight married Amy Rowe in 1846
Mary Ann Knight married Thomas Snell in 1833
Arthur W Matthews married Hester Offer in 1910 and
"Richard Retallick 9" was buried in 1839

Before moving on through the John Wooldridges, I had a detour today, as Deceased Online emailed me to say there were lots of London burials now on their site. As you know, this has long been a concern of mine, as much of my ancestry ends up in London, never to be seen again as burials were not allowed there from 1851. As there is no necessity in this country to record a burial, just a death, tracing ancestors' last resting place is difficult at the best of times, but in cities this is made worse by overcrowding forcing them out. I have studied Deceased Online's lists in order to record those I suspect may be "ours". Unfortunately this list is short, but especially with females will need some research.

Tuesday 15th September 2015

What happened on this day:

James Wooldridge was christened in 1782 and
William Henry Retallick in 1833
Charles William May married Jessie Elizabeth Cherrill in 1908
Jane Merrifield Knight married Joseph Toms in 1855 and
Matthew Catchesides married Mary Ann Mandell in 1867
Dorothy Hicks née Knight was buried in 1824

James John was detailed enough in 2013.

One Jane Wooldridge I didn't mention in 2013 was born to William & Hannah née Freeland in Jan 1842 in Merrow, Surrey and christened there on 13 Feb 1842. She can be seen aged 9 in census of 1851 at Ham Common with parents, grandfather, uncle & sibs. The only further possibility is a death on 11 May 1858 aged 16, but this is in Hampstead, and she was buried there 2 days later. Maybe she was in service there, but I don't know why she wasn't buried in Ham. The other Jane, who I did study, was not the one who died in Lincoln (that was another lady, a widow with a son, living in Lincoln in previous censuses) so I have to revert to the theory of an unmarked pauper's grave when she died in the Workhouse. I also searched for her in those missing years 1850s & 1860s too, to no avail, although in 1850s there are records for one of her name in Marylebone Workhouse in London. I cannot check her address, as she is of No Fixed Abode. Jemima was as limited as before, having died at the age of 23. Jenny Wooldridge had a christening only, in 1776. For Jessie Mabel I found that she was christened on 13 Jun 1880 in Ham, but attempts to follow her & husband George Carter foundered due to the common surname.

Not very productive day, in all.

Monday 14th September 2015

What happened on this day:

13th Sep:
Just 3 christenings:
Ann Wooldridge in 1772
"Mary Woodford 3" in 1835 and
James Knight in 1818
14th Sep:
Frances Annie Gamble was born in 1870
Arthur George Roffey in 1873 and
Joanne Christiane Hennig in 1831
Harriet Ann Knight married James Bourne in 1848 (in Australia)
Ann Wooldridge married James Peasley in 1794
John May married Mary Ann Maxwell in 1836
John Retallack died in 1864 and
Elizabeth Knight in 1934

Checking all the info concerning Hilda Mabel Wooldridge there was nothing new except I dicovered I had the wrong death record for her husband, as from 1956 she was listed as Widow, thus he died in late 1955, although I have not located the death record in New York. Nothing new for Isabella, and James my 3xg grandfather all was just confirmed,except his death. I found a death record with the correct age, in the area he was "last seen" living with sons William & Henry, in Ham, and he was also buried there on 13 May 1853.

Friday 11th September 2015
Thinking of our American family & friends today on their day of mourning.

What happened on this day:

Robert Richard Catchesides married Elizabeth Hughes in 1827 and
Isabella Wooldridge married James Sawyers on the same day (I doubt these couples knew each other - the families intermarried a generation later, and these marriages were in different counties)
Frederick A J Wooldridge died in 1989

As my record of Gertrude Florrie Wooldridge was so detailed, I didn't expect to find anything more, and I did manage to track down the baptism record of her husband, confirming the spelling of his middle name, but that is all. The same applied to Gladys Mary and Grace Hilda (which was a shame because there was a huge gap in her story but all I could find was an annoying red-herring Hilda O'Flynn!). Henry had nothing new and I had covered Grampy in good detail in 2013.

Herbert Ernest Wooldridge was the chap who on marriage went to live in Alexander Pope's Villa, by then probably a school (see 21st Oct 2013 if you don't have an exceptional memory) which we shall see again shortly in discussing his father John. It also pointed me towards military records. As he was only 4 when WW1 broke out, I had to look to WW2, but there is very little online from this time. I did find his attestation sheet though, to the Royal Artillery, dated 13 Mar 1946, with an added stamp stating that in 1955 he was discharged as at the Age Limit (he was 45). As he was at the Pope's School in 1951 he was evidently not on active service all this time.

Thursday 10th September 2015

What happened on this day:

9th Sep:
Frederick Maunder Retallick was born in 1890
Abraham Joseph Catchesides married Louisa Fayle in 1828
John William Wooldridge died in 1918
10th Sep:
Thomas Caffyn Gamble was born in 1850
Frederick Guy Retallick died in 1956

I have found nothing new on Florence Martha, Frederick A J (apart from his baptism, which just confirmed what I already knew). Frederick Charles Wooldridge seemed to think his Christian names were reversed and after he left his father's influence he called himself Charles Frederick for the rest of his life. Many new details have emerged on him, as I left him on the way to Sydney with his 2nd wife (Annie Lydia Frances McGarrell née Grinyer) & family. He left England on 2 Aug 1912 aboard the SS Orsova (see 14th Oct 2013) and in the party were Charles, gardener and Annie housewife, Dorothy Wooldridge (adopted child from first marriage) aged 11, Margaret McGarrell aged 7 and James Frederick McGarrell aged 5, her children and Arthur Wooldridge aged 5, Charles' son. Annie can be seen in 1911 census with her two children, a widow, at Larne Cottage, New Road, Ham Common the year before she married Charles at St Oswald's, Anselm Road, Fulham (her birthplace) [church demolished in 1970s and I cannot find a photo]. Electoral records show that from 1930 to 1963 (when records end) they lived at 36 Linton Avenue, Ryde, Paramatta, NSW. They had 2 further sons that I know of, possibly more. Annie died on 18 Jun 1948 at Ryde District Soldiers Memorial Hospital and left effects worth £1788 to Charles - but a note on her probate said they were in England! The final electoral roll available to me in 1963 showed Charles with son Robert William, as James Frederick had died that year and John Alfred lived in Sydney with his wife Elvie Beatrice. James was buried in North Rocks Catholic Cemetery but I don't know Annie's resting place or a death record for Charles at all.

Nothing new on great-great-grandfather George, unfortunately, or Georges 2 & 3, George Abraham, George Richard or George Thomas

Monday 7th September 2015

What happened on this day:

No births (!)
Richard Hodd was christened in 1817
Jessie Hatton Gamble married Charles Henry Biscoe in 1904
Thomas Stephen Hodd married Annie Douch Martin in 1879
John Roberts Knight died in 1935
Stephen James Hodd was Killed In Action in 1916
Abraham Catchesides was buried in 1823 and
William Hore (who married Jane Knight) in 1876

Nothing new on "Emma Wooldridge 3", or Fanny, the story for Florence Jessie faded out after the death of her eldest son. I have traced the youngest son, Charles, to Canada then USA and can see him in Spokane, Washington, in 1920 census with his wife Mattie & step-parents. There is an annoying tendency in old documents to call son-in-law step-son, so I disregarded this, thinking the Nelsons were his wife's family. However, I have today found he married Mattie Johnson in 1920 just prior to the census and another look at the home-owners in 1930 revealed that the wife is Florence J Nelson, born in England around the right time. Either I had the wrong death for Arthur (there was another Arthur Henry Milan of the same age in the same area) or they split up/divorced and she remarried in USA. When he was young in UK, Charles had followed his father in choice of occupation and became a woodcutter, and I would suspect this was why he went to Canada, as there were few opportunities for a woodsman in London! However, by 1930 he was listed with a fascinating occupation: he worked as "Film Operator, Unique Theatre", i.e. projectionist for the new movies, at a time when talkies were taking over from silent movies. By 1940 Florence was widowed, seen in census living in Idaho with Charles, who was also widowed and working there at the "moving-picture theater" but they must have moved back to Washington as they both died there, Florence ostensibly in 1967 aged 98 (although the obituary attached to this record will not open) and Charles in 1983 aged 83.

Sunday 6th September 2015

What happened on this day:

Gladys Mary Wooldridge was born in 1913 and
Edwin Knight died in 1921 in USA

No more on Elizabeth Mary Wooldridge herself, but I think I solved the question I posed at the end of the section in 2013. I feel very sorry for her son Percy, as he was only 7 when she died, then he lost his only sibling, sister Ada when he was 13, then his father when he was 19 (father's death found in Jan 1894 in Paddington, London aged 58). That was when he moved back to the West Country to be with family, and in 1902 married his first cousin there (I have dealt with this concept before - it was totally acceptable as Queen Victoria did this) and settled in Newport, Monmouthshire, South Wales [coincidentally where Clive's family live now] where he worked for a brewery. In 1915 he joined up in the army - the Royal Garrison Artillery - aged 39 and died in 1924 aged 49.

Ellen Amelia, Ellen Mary & Emily Elizabeth were not forthcoming with new info, and neither were the first two Emmas.

Saturday 5th September 2015

:What happened on this day

Nothing - very odd!

Eliza Caroline Wooldridge yielded nothing new, as did Elizabeth Wooldridge 1, being quite detailed in 2013. Elizabeth 2 had holes in the story and I managed to fill some with new documents. I found her baptism on 14 May 1848 in Ham and thought I had a death in 1912. However this latter was for a widow, according to the probate document, so I can discount this. Continuing to search, I found a death in Jul 1877 with associated burial in Kingston on 31 Jul 1877 and am fairly sure this is her. (The 1881 census I found was very "iffy" as it was for an Elizabeth Walters.)

I found a couple of interesting snippets concerning Elizabeth Fanny Wooldridge, as my information had jumped from 1911 to her death in 1935 (see 23rd September 2013). Her husband Albert George Musk was born & grew up in Diss, Norfolk, and in 1901 census can be seen lodging in Camberwell, (just around the corner from Crystal Palace Road where she lived with her family), working as a shop assistant, presumably in a shoe shop. On their wedding, as I said, they moved to Ondine Road, Peckham, but soon settled at 332 Brockley Road. On 18 Jun 1917 he joined the Grenadier Guards and was posted abroad (I cannot see where), but was not in service for very long as on 16th Nov 1918 he was wounded & sent home. He was awarded a Silver Medal, and the Victory & British war medals. By 1921 another address was added to his electoral roll; 332 Brockley Road had a note attached saying "abode 159 Croydon Road", so I assumed he rented the Brockley Road property out. From 1929 another address appeared; 30 Catford Hill, likewise. At Elizabeth's death he was described as "shoe retailer", so I thought maybe these were shops - Brockley Road is still a restaurant/venue and it doesn't take much imagination to make it a shoe-shop. 30 Catford Hill is now a house, but I can see from Google Streetview that even just a few years ago it was a shop - this will be a wonderful tool eventually, showing how things change over the years! So this guy owned at least three shoe shops!

Friday 4th September 2015

What happened on this day:

Sarah Ann Grace Roffey was born in 1839
Mary Ann Roffey in 1841
Nellie Emma Wooldridge was christened in 1881
James Henry Gamble (Uncle Jim) in 1902
Edward Roffey married Sarah Frances Loe in 1803 and
Richard Small married Mary Bedlow in 1870

Charles Wooldridges 1-5 yielded nothing new. I found Charles George's (see 12th Sept 2013) WW1 records, showing that he was in the 6th East Surrey Regiment as a Private, posted to India 1914 - 1917, where he then transferred to 21st Rifle Brigade as Rifleman until March 1919, when demobbed & returned home. He was awarded the Victory, British & Star medals for "service in the Asiatic Theatre of War".

Charles Lewis Wooldridge was interesting. He was reported in 2013 as a 10-year-old who died, and having now seen the death certificate I know this was from Tabes Mesentericum, a condition never heard of today because it was a form of TB thought to have been caused by the consumption of unpasteurised milk from un-immunised cattle. The bug affects the lymph glands in the abdomen and causes wasting and, as the certificate says, exhaustion.

His father Charles Richard Wooldridge died fairly young too - aged 44 - while working as a house painter, of kidney cancer probably caused by the lead paint he used. As he was previously a plumber, he was also exposed to lead pipes and solder, which no doubt also contributed. He had the disease for 10 months and when he died (2 years after his eldest son) his remaining boys were 10, 8 and 5. I feel so sorry for his wife Ann at that time. She died 26 years later, aged 69 of chronic bronchitis (for 10 years) and heart failure, which were fairly "natural causes" in those days.

Nothing emerged for Dennis, Dinah, Dorothy and Edith.

Thursday 3rd September 2015

What happened on this day:

2nd Sept:
Victor Allerton Cox (the author) was born in 1909
John Roffey in 1800
Jane Knight in 1850
Robert Matthews was christened in 1787
Jenefer Knight married James Davis in 1834
Ellen Knight née Blackwell died in 1924
"Emma Wooldridge 2" was buried in 1841 and
Catherine Retallick in 1784
3rd Sept:
William Horace Matthews was born in 1903
Julius Redmond Hennig was christened in 1871
Violet Josephine Hodd married Arthur Mair in 1921
Georgina Woodford née Bird died in 1953
Edward Dance Cox in 1942 and
Nicholas Uriah Knight in 1963 (in Australia)

I searched the military records for Arthur Edward Wooldridge, finding nothing but they helped to exclude alternatives I had come across living in the same area, Alfred Tylee Wooldridge (who was in the army) and Alfred Edward Sprado Wooldridge (in the navy). Our Alfred was possibly too old for active service in WW1, and without a middle name I cannot be sure the other cards aren't his. I did find some electoral roll records for 1929-34 - his latter years - all at 5 Park Road, and brother George & family were still at number 8.

I glossed over Arthur Frank Wooldridge in 2013 (see 10th September), largely because I didn't know much about him. The extra facts I have now are electoral roll records and some photos: He can be seen living with parents & 2 siblings in 1938 at 201 Staines Road, Twickenham, then from 1946-1952 at 39 Crane Road - probably from marriage in 1939. In 1953 they moved to 42 Fourth Cross Road (all these addresses in Twickenham).

Friday 28th August 2015

What happened on this day:

Annie Jane Manhire was born in 1888
Jane Wooldridge was christened in 1808
Kate M A Matthews and Frederick Herbert Matthews in 1853 and
John Retallick died in 1920 in Australia

I have extra information on Alfred Newman Vincent Wooldridge - his WW1 army records. Although I cannot track down his attestation I see that he was in the 2nd battalion Royal Fusiliers from 24 Oct 1915 to 12 Jul 1916, the latter part of this period in France. On 12 Jul 1916 he joined with the 4th battalion and marched into the Somme. He was there until 3 Apr 1917 when he transferred to 20th, and again transferred on 17 Aug 1918 to 13th until 27 Aug 1918. I cannot see where he was posted on these latter dates, as things were a little confused, unsurprisingly. It was great to see he survived all this, was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal, returned home and had a son. All the more poignant then that May died just a few years later. She was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's church, Ham, Surrey on 8 Jan 1921 while living at 20 Lock Road and that is why Alfred was buried in the same plot in 1960, to join her.

I didn't mention Alice Elizabeth Wooldridge, because I knew so little about her. I now know a bit more. She was born 27 May 1917 in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey to William & Mabel née Hubbard. In Oct 1939 she married Thomas Kent in the Surrey Northeast region, probably Kingston or Richmond, where their only child John was born two years later. Thomas was also from Kingston, and died there in 1990 aged 76. Alice followed on 27 Aug 2007 aged 90.

No more was forthcoming on either Ann Wooldridge.

Thursday 27th August 2015

What happened on this day:

26th August:
Gertrude Woodford was born in 1893
George Roffey married Emily Maria Napper in 1899
Margaret Noonan married Alfred Cooper in 1877 and
John Knight was buried in 1781
27th August:
Mary Wooldridge was christened in 1815
Mary Ann Roffey died in 1924

Checking William Woodford 6 (see 26th Aug 2013), I saw that the hotel he worked in when it was a school, in Leicester, is still going, still getting dire reports, so I don't understand why it is still there... I see from his Railway Employment Record that he did indeed work as a Station Porter at Linby but only from 15 Jan 1891 to 19 Nov 1891, at a wage of 16 shillings a week initially, but this decreased to 14 shillings, which may have been why he left (no details at all given). I did mention his children in passing. Son David Ellis Woodford was only 4 when his father died, but when 17 in 1924 he sailed to Sydney, Australia and settled at Cobargo, New South Wales, working as a labourer. He married a Jessie Virginia Sutherland in 1932 and died between 1968 & 1972. William's daughter Lillian Louise remained in UK, married the quirkily-named Bernal Gadolphus Osborne, lived and died in Essex.

Williams 5, 7-10 revealed nothing new, likewise William Adam, William Charles, William John, William Reginald & William Ronald.

So, the next group to deal with are the Wooldridges, my grandmother's paternal line. They are exactly like the Woodfords in that I dealt with them in great detail in September 2013, so merely need to check them over for updates.

I do have a little more information on Agnes May Wooldridge; I have her entry to Walnut Street School on 22 Oct 1900 aged 5 (as May). Also, when she & baby Ellen set off for Canada (married name Brooker), they settled in Oxford, Ontario with her sister Lily lodging with them, and can be seen there in 1921 census, on Oxford Street West [now an Outlet Mall], next door to a Joseph & Emma Brooker and daughter Florence aged 17, an English family who emigrated in 1913, probably relatives. William was a labourer who had been born in Ontario of English-born parents. I still cannot see death records of Agnes or William, but can see them on electoral roll records at Beachville, Oxford, Ontario (near Woodstock) until 1965, when records end at present, Edward retired and Agnes a housewife.

Monday 24th August 2015

What happened on this day:

Amelia Knight & Charlotte Knight were christened in 1869 aged 10 & 9 respectively
Elizabeth Knight married Joseph Allen in 1824
Stephen Francis Roffey died in 1916 and
Jenefer Knight née Harris was buried in 1814

On the subject of Thomas 5's census record from 1871, I tracked down Charles as Mark's son Charles Carrington Woodford but the son mentioned, Robert Woodford born 1864 in Newark, Nottinghamshire doesn't seem to exist anywhere but in this record. There is a possibility (it has been known) that the census taker put son of head of family when he meant son of Charlotte, the widowed machinist, as they were from the same place, but I cannot locate a marriage for her either.

Moving on, I did have a look at the other Woodfords next door to Thomas 6's family, but found it as confusing & distracting as before, so left it again.

The outstanding part of Thomas William's story was their deaths and I favour those in 1941 for Thomas in Basford, then in 1943 in Bingham for Elizabeth.

All of the Walters were fairly detailed in 2013 and nothing new has arisen.

You may remember "William Woodford 1" as he was last seen aged 15 at Greystones, 47 Westbourne Grove, Scarborough, a private boarding school, at the time of the 1911 census a 15 year old pupil. I have since found that he married Dorothy May Rose in Willesden, Middlesex. They evidently settled in Leicester, as both children were born there. William died aged 61 on 7 Jun 1956 at home, 371 London Road, Leicester, a house called touchingly after his old school, Greystones and he left £10,285 to Rose, who died in 1974.

Nothing new turned up for Williams 2, 3 & 4.

Sunday 23rd August 2015

What happened on this day:

Aunt Em - Emily Sarah Gamble, Grandad's sister - was born in 1900
David Thomas Gamble was christened in 1829 and
"Ann Knight 1" in 1826
Jane Sarah Roffey married Timothy Haggerty in 1846 and
Ann Woodford née Burbage died in 1870

I covered Thomas Woodford 1 in some detail (see 15th August 2013 & 23rd August 2013), also Thomas 2, I still cannot find Thomas 3's family in 1901 (and 1891 but I have the details from before). Thomas 4 was complete except for his mother's maiden name, which I now know is Knifton. His son Thomas 5 was the naughty boy in with the wrong crowd - I have spent an amusing afternoon reading several contemporary local papers, but no more concerning him. Still trying to puzzle out his censuses - if I have any luck I'll report tomorrow.

Saturday 22nd August 2015

What happened on this day:

Dewey Alice Cox was christened in 1880
Mary Catherine Woodford married Thomas Howell in 1874
John Knight married Grace White in 1790 and
Emmeline Knight née Cook died in 1903

Checking the remaining Sarah Ann Woodford, all I could find that was new was some photographs of her husband Charles after her death, nothing new for Sophia, Susannah still couldn't find their death records, with surname of Brown. But much more is now available on Suzannah Woodford, who was born Jan 1757 in Old Dalby to William & Mary (whose maiden name remains a mystery) and was christened there on 10 Mar 1757. She was married there on 24 Nov 1780 to Robert Slingsby from Lincolnshire and they had 8 children. Robert died in 1838 in Old Dalby at the age of 92, but I think Suzannah must have done before Registration came in in 1837 and I cannot locate documentation.

Thirza was complete, such as she was.

Friday 21st August 2015

What happened on this day:

Joseph Couch Knight was born 1881 in Australia
Edward James Roffey in 1870 and
Edward W S G Roffey in 1913
Charles Matthews was christened in 1817
William I G Gamble (Uncle Bill) and Margaret French (Aunt Mag) were married in 1918
Stanley Gordon Roffey married Florence Emma Matthews in 1910
Emily Jane Roffey married Alfred Cook in 1878 and
Emma Roffey née Bennett died in 1954

Priscilla, Reuben John x3 and 3 of the 4 Sarahs yielded nothing new. The Sarah who married William Howett didn't die in 1951 (the probate document now attached to that record stated "single" so was the wrong lady) and I have tracked down the correct one showing she died in 1934 i.e. before William. She died at Hillside, 3 New Station Road, Bolsover, although her home address was given as Deepdale Farm, Sutton Scarsdale near Chesterfield (nice touch, naming the farm after her childhood home) and she left effects worth £321 to William there. I suspect she was staying with one of the children, possibly the eldest, Alice. 

I told in 2013 about Sarah Ann Woodford, who married Cornelius Hindley, widower with 5 children. I found some background details and an associated story which may be of interest. In the 1880s she was a servant in Radford and Cornelius lived in Nottingham nearby, running a Painting & Decorating business. One of his children Arthur Cornelius was somewhat out of control (Cornelius admitted that himself) and was brought up in front of the local magistrates on several occasions. I first found reports of him in the Nottingham Evening Post dated 12 Jun 1889 when he was accused, aged 12, of stealing 6 shillings from his older brother Frederick (apparently he went up to Frederick, saying their mother - who had given the money to her eldest to take to the savings bank - had changed her mind & needed it for the rent, then ran off with it). Apparently the magistrates agreed he should go to reform school as Cornelius stated he could "do nothing with him", but decided to let him go if they promised to control him. His mother Emily had to testify, but she must have been unwell, as she died 6 months later. The following year he was brought to court again, this time for stealing a woollen gown from a local tobacconist/pawnbroker and also for stealing sixpence from his father. He was sent to gaol for 21 days and ordered to a reformatory for 5 years. So in 1891 census he can be seen as an Inmate on a "Training ship" moored off Purfleet, in "Training for the Sea". It didn't help him because 3 years later he had graduated to breaking & entering. He & another 18-year-old were found guilty of breaking into a house & stealing some clothing, and sentenced to 6 months hard labour. He did pick up on the training later, though, as on 27 Oct 1906 he landed in Savanna, Georgia, having sailed from Buenos Aires on SS Archuarden, listed as a Seaman. He passed the medical and was admitted to USA. I suspect he may have died in 1942 (spelled Hindle so I can't be sure). So when Sarah Ann joined the family in 1891 he was on the reformatory ship - one can only imagine how she felt about this; she was only 12 years older than him. I also have a further scrap about Cornelius: He continued his Painting & Decorating business right up to his death in 1924 aged 73, from 64 Birkin Avenue, Nottingham, and this was presumably the address at which he died.

Thursday 20th August 2015

What happened on this day:

19th August:
William James Manhire married Adeline Nicholas in 1896
Eliza Matthews married Richard Callen in 1872 and
John Hill (who married Fanny Knight) died in 1927
20th August:
Edward James Knight was born in 1890 and
Alice Sarah May in 1864
Johann Christian Hennig Jnr was christened in 1797

I have been looking at the future prospects for release of Census information. I don't know if you are aware, but censuses have been taken in England & Wales every decade since 1841, and have been given over to genealogy websites for online publication. The last one, the 1911 census, was released early (through a unique change in the law) in 2009. The next, the census taken in 1921, is due for release in 2022, although it is reportedly very very large. I hope to still be here in 7 years, and will report on the family information found therein. However, the census after that, taken in 1931 and due for release in 2032, was completely destroyed in a fire in 1942. (In hindsight it is a disaster that there was only one copy and it was kept in a furniture warehouse, but it was wartime...) A census was not taken in 1941 for this reason (WW2), so we have to wait for 2052 for the next release. I shall be 96 by then, and probably not up to studying genealogy, so shall have to leave it up to the next generation (or the one after that) to inform you. However, in 1939 a register was taken, on the outbreak of hostilities, enabling everyone to have National Identity Cards, and this contains some of the information expected in the 1941 census. This is held by Findmypast, with whom I hold a full membership so should be able to access the information when it is released "later this year". Looking into the details, it seems that anyone deemed still living will have their details redacted (i.e removed) from publication, which will hamper things somewhat. So, I shall report back in a few weeks/months and hope there is something to be gleaned from all this.

Continuing to check Woodfords: I have found some more details about Mark Woodford b1862 (see 29th July 2013). As I said before, he joined the army on 11 Jul 1884 in Wales, then on 23 Jan 1885 in Loughbrorough he joined the Leicestershire Regiment at Glen Parva Barracks, Wigston, Leicestershire. Apparently he had signed up for 6 years in Monmouth, and for some reason didn't see this through - more later. He seemed to disrespect authority, unfortunately, and his record reports that in only 4 months at Glen Parva Barracks, he was found to be absent from parade or training on 3 occasions, the punishment increasing from a warning on the first occasion (11 Feb) to deduction of a day's pay and 7days Confined To Barracks (1 Mar). Then on 11 Mar 1885 he was Court Martialled for "Fraudulent Enlistment into the Leicestershire Regiment" - as he hadn't served the full 6 years with the Monmouthshire Regiment (I don't know why he left them) he wasn't entitled to join the Leicestershire Regiment and thereby obtain a free kit worth £1 5s 1d. He was found guilty and sentenced to 56 days imprisonment with hard labour, followed by stoppage from his pay until the price of the kit was made good. He was released from prison on 5 May 1885, the third Absence took place on 4th Jun and on 19 Jun he deserted. I don't know where Canada came into this, but the records were found in files of British soldiers serving in Canada. In July the itemised bill for his kit was drawn up and I suspect was sent to his sister Emma & brother Thomas, as their details were written on it, but there is no evidence to say it was paid! As I said in 2013, he disappears from the records at this point because he no doubt continued under an alias, in Canada or UK.

Martha Ellen, Marys 1-4, Mary Anns 1-3, Mary Catherine, several others that I didn't report on before because they died as children, all revealed no further detail, as did Oswald & Phoebe.

Monday 17th August 2015

What happened on this day:

16th August:
Henry Thomas Roffey was born in 1856
Ethel Clifton née Matthews died in 1981
Mary Ann Retallick was buried in 1860
17th August:
Grace Nellie Hennig married Albert Edward Preston in 1907 and
Edward John Cox died in 1962

Woodfords checked today: Joseph Edward, Josiah x2, and Lily Rose yielded nothing new. Louisa Woodford's story petered out somewhat in 2013 (see 19th July) at her marriage. I have found her husband's army record, so now have many more details. On 24 Apr 1896 Robert Johnson "apparent age 21" attested in Edinburgh to the Royal Highlanders, taken on as Private (5 ft 6in tall, fresh complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair, Presbyterian, with a scar on forehead and one on left arm, also tattoo of anchor on left forearm) and he was posted that day to "Home" - ie billetted in UK. He remained there for 3.5 years, meanwhile appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal in 1897, then Corporal in 1899. On 23 Oct 1899 he was posted to South Africa, where he remained for 133 days, despite being wounded on 11 Dec and requiring treatment to both arms. On 5 Mar 1900 he was posted back Home, where he remained for 2 years and was promoted to Sergeant. From 25 Apr to 20 Sep 1902 he served again in South Africa and extended his army service to 12 years. After further time at Home, he re-engaged with the Black Watch to complete 21 years service, in 1915 promoted to Sergeant Major, and was discharged 27 Jul 1918 after 22 years & 95 days service! He received the Queen's African Medal for service in the Cape Colony, the King's African Medal for service in South African Campaign in 1902 and the Good Conduct Medal. His father, wife and 2 sons were mentioned, but I cannot find them in Scotland as my access to Scottish records is not good. The eldest son, Douglas, emigrated to Canada and was married at least twice. I also found some more info on Louisa Woodford's husband Charles (Chas) Arthur Whitehouse. He was born 21 Nov 1885, his father Arthur, and started school at Walnut Tree Walk Infant School aged 3 on 7 Jan 1889, giving home address as 17 China Walk, then 13 Feb 1893 he went up to the Junior School and the home address was 2 China Square - these were just around the corner from Clayton Buildings in Lollard Street, where they settled. Jump to 27 Aug 1917 and he was engaged by the Royal Navy for "duration of hostilities". His description was oddly familiar (see above) as "5ft 5in tall, brown hair, hazel eyes, fresh complexion, with a tattoo on the left arm". He served on the "HMS President II" training facility, firstly at Crystal Palace, then at Cranwell, for 8 months, until on 31st Mar 1918 he transferred to the RAF, after which there wasn't much info. He remained at Cranwell as an Air Mechanic I until 4 Apr 1919 was transferred to RAF G Reserve, then 30 Dec 1920 "Deemed Discharged"

Further checks done on Louisa Minnie, Lucy Gertrude & Lucy Mary, 3 Marias and Marian yielded nothing new.

Friday 14th August 2015

What happened on this day:

Martha Roffey was born in 1827
Jane Marriott Woodford (one I checked yesterday) was christened in 1859 and
Frances Knight in 1853
my great great grandparents Reuben John Woodford and Louisa Small married in 1850
as did John Knight & Elizabeth Williams in 1825
and James Knight & Elizabeth Harris Blake in 1854

On with checking records for the Woodford family:
Johns 5&6, John Edwin, John Marriott and John Williamson, Josephs 1-5 all yielded nothing new.
When checking Joseph Woodford 6 (see 15th July 2013) I came across his gravestone, entered onto the Find A Grave website last year with much more detail than I am used to seeing - and a beautiful high-definition photograph of the stone itself! Nottingham Road Cemetery, Derby. Alongside this photo was the following information, not all of which is on the stone: Maud Mary Woodford died, aged 5 years & 3 months, on 11th October 1895 at her home at 159 Nottingham Road, Derby. Emma Woodford of 159 Nottingham Road, Derby died on 2nd October 1936 at 28 Sudbury Street (the home of her daughter). She was 73. Her funeral took place at 2.30 pm on Monday 5th October at the Campion Street Chapel. Joseph Woodford died on 7th March 1953 aged 90. If you have looked at my 2013 entry, you will see that the information I gave there was correct, I'm pleased to say. I have also found his Trade Union Membership registration document, although haven't as yet found the Railway employment record - maybe he was too lowly for this, as he was in effect a labourer. The Union document for Jan/Feb 1897 when he was aged 32, shows him described as a "loader" at Derby (which confirmed the information given on the 1891 census) and the one dated Aug/Oct 1911 lists him as a "Checker" (likewise for 1911). [Campion Street Methodist Chapel, where the funeral mentioned above took place, is now a private house]

Thursday 13th August 2015

What happened on this day:

12th August:
Claude Manhire was born in 1879
Robert Richard Catchesides married Ann Warr in 1795
13th August:
Mary Ann Matthews was born 1837 and
Jane Retallick née Roberts died in 1902

Continuing to check Woodfords: no new details for Hannah b1831, Harriett, Harry, Hatton, Herbert, James, Jane x2, Jasper (except perhaps a record as Union soldier fighting in Wisconsin Infantry in the 1860s, although I cannot find an emigration record), Job, Johns 1-3.

John Woodford 4 was the father of Ernest, who ran the grocer shop & was in the army in WW1 (see last Friday), given as Next of Kin on his papers, living at 66 Navigation Street, Leicester. Now, I have looked up this address and found it was a pub called the Marquis of Hastings, and there was another pub by that name in Leicester at that time, in Sanvey Gate - the address of the family a few years before. This may be additional info regarding what he did after the death of Eliza, his second wife, but I still cannot pin down his death record with full certainty. I suspect it is the one from 1935 in Billesdon, Leicestershire aged 75, as this was where his daughter-in-law Florence (Ernest's wife) died the previous year.

Monday 10th August 2015

What happened on this day:

9th August:
Herbert Edward Matthews was born in 1907
Wilson Manhire was christened in 1883
Elizabeth Giles née Retallick died in 1933 in Australia and
Elizabeth Roffey née Law was buried in 1835
10th August:
Harriet Charity May was christened in 1860
Ellen Hitchcock née Roffey died in 1921 and
Ethel Hodd née Hearnden died in 1994

Woodfords checked today include: Ettie Maud (and her husband Bertie Tysoe) and Fanny. Florence (see 6th June 2013) posed several problems with emigration to USA, so I have carefully examined the records again and I think clarified what happened. I can see the baptism records now for the 3 children: Eric born 6 Jun 1907 was christened at St Laurence, Long Eaton on 14 Jul 1907. On 15 Sep 1910 the other two were christened, Annie was 2 years old, Nellie one, before in 1911 Frederick left with the two eldest girls for USA, leaving Florence & baby Nellie behind. Maybe they were supposed to follow on later but couldn't. The trouble is I can't find Florence and Nellie in 1911 census, although they could easily be mis-spelled! As I reported, Florence died in Mansfield in Apr 1922, but by then Frederick had settled in with a new wife and the other two children in USA. Daughter Nellie married a local lad in Oct 1929 in Mansfield.

No more information on the other Florence, as I suspect the baby died and she married, but there are many possibilities. I couldn't shed light on the scenario regarding Frances Burbage Woodford & the mystery grandson either, but I suspect Mary Ann was his mother.

No further info was available on Frederick John & George Henry, Gertrude or Gertrude Mabel. I was hoping to find Hannah in 1891 but she & her husband are still skilfully hiding in the latter years of their lives.

Friday 7th August 2015

What happened on this day:

"William Cox 1" was born in 1789
Henry Taylor christened in 1808 and
William Retallick died in 1882 in Australia

Woodfords checked today include: Elizabeth b1870, Betsy, 2x Elizabeth Ann, Emily, all with no changes. For Emma (see 30th May 2013 for her story) I found I had the wrong date of death, as she can be seen in 1911 census, living with her son James & family, supposedly 9 years after her death! I have found the correct record and she died aged 81 in Barkby in Jan 1927, actually 9 years after the death of her son.

Ernest Alfred Woodford had a big gap in his story (see 3rd June 2013) some of which I can now fill through his military record. On 28 Oct 1916 he was called up and enlisted at Blackpool into the Royal Army Medical Corps. He had been settled as a grocer at 66 Navigation Street, Lecicester with his father & step-mother [this area is now factories]. He was relegated to the Reserves until, on 23 Jul 1917, he was called up again, trained and on 11 Sep left Southampton for Le Havre with the British Expeditionary Force. On 30 Nov 1919 (with the 35th General Hospital Unit) he was examined by the medical board in Calais and sent back to UK for Home Service 5 Dec 1919 to 3 Jan 1920, when he was demobbed at Woking and returned home. By this time home was 12 Little Lane & he was a Lance Corporal. He received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. After the war he set up his own shop at 16 Thornton Lane, Leicester with a carter business registered next door at number 14 [this area was swept away in 1965 by new underpass road] but by 1973 he had retired to 40 Houghton Street, Leicester and died there in Oct 1975.

Thursday 6th August 2015

What happened on this day:

5th August:
George Roffey was born 1796,
William Marshall Gamble was christened 1853,
Edith Annie Roffey married Herbert Henry Smith in 1894
6th August:
Ellen Roffey was born in 1848
Frederick Richard Knight and Lucy Knight (twins) were born in 1877,
Catherine (Kitty) Knight was christened in 1826
John May in 1837 and
Christiana Knight in 1815,
Edmund Woodford married Clara Kitson in 1905 and
Anthony Knight married Mary Hore in 1793 and
George Henry Woodford died in 1928

Checking Woodfords previously studied: records of Clara, Cordelia, both Davids, Douglas, Edith Elizabeth & both Edith Ellens, Edith Mary, all 3 Edmunds, Edwin, Eli, both Elizas, several Elizabeths (I came across the gravestone of the one born 1820, photographed by another Ancestry member) yielded nothing new. One Elizabeth I seem not to have dealt with was born Dec 1830 in Old Dalby to Thomas & Anne née Whitacre (the last of their 11 children) and christened there on 23 Jan 1831. In 1841 census she can be seen in Old Dalby aged 10 with mother & 4 sibs, her father having died 2 years before, then in 1851 she is shown there with mother & sister Sarah, also nephew Arthur, all listed as paupers. By 1861 mother has died also and Sarah & Elizabeth in business together as sempstresses (lovely old-fashioned word!) with Arthur aged 10 scholar. [The house they lived in was 2 away from the schoolhouse, which is now the village hall, so this would have been where there is now 20th century council housing]. In 1871 the address is Broughton Road [which may well have become Station Road not long after] and the two sisters can be seen there, still together. However, Sarah died shortly after the census was taken, so in 1881 census Elizabeth is there alone and died herself in 1882. She may well be buried in the cemetery just along the road, but when I visited in 2008 I didn't see a stone.

Monday 3rd August 2015

Back for a short visit, I'll give you an update on progress, but then am off again, this time to Norwich.

What happened on this day:

3rd August:
Eleanor Mary Wooldridge was born in 1884
"James Roffey 2" in 1837
Charles Wooldridge was christened in 1902
"Thomas Woodford 4" married Anne Whitacre in 1807 and
Sarah Dance married Thomas Randall in 1813
4th August:
Mary Elizabeth Roffey was born in 1806
Alice May was christened in 1892
My parents Walter Charles Matthews and Kathleen May Gamble were married in 1952
Jane Marriott Woodford married Arthur John Mellish in 1879 and
Betsey Knight died in 1878

Continuing to check through the Woodfords I studied in detail in 2013. Charles yielded nothing new but I found I didn't report on Charles Albert, probably because he was too recent. He was born 28 Aug 1916 in Camberwell to Edmund & Clara née Kitson and was one of my Nan's cousins. He spent his early years there, first at 49 Camberwell Station Road [now part of the bus garage], then in 1926 number 47, where he remained until in Jan 1940 in Lambeth he married Lily Rose Huntley and moved to 53 Leander Road, Tulse Hill. I told part of the story on 16th Mar 2013, and can see that Charles lived at number 53 whilst his parents were down the road at number 37. Charles can be seen on electoral roll records until 1953, so may have moved out of the area then. Both he & Lily died 50 or so years later in Sutton, Surrey, Lily in 2000 and Charles in 2003. I cannot see that they had any children, which would have helped trace them in this large gap.

Charles James Woodford, my "Uncle Charlie" I dealt with in 2013, explaining that it was only when I started investigating my genealogy that we discovered he was my Nan's uncle rather than my Mum's. Please see the 2013 tab (9th May) for his main story, although I have now much more detail on his military history I will set down here.
Oddly, he gave his date of birth as 21 Nov 1886 when attesting - he wasn't lying about his age to enter, as he was almost 28 by this calculation. The birth registration I have states he was born in the April quarter of 1888, and in censuses of 1891-1911 he is listed as a 3 year old, 13 year old and 23. He joined the Army on 16 Nov 1914, signing on "for the Duration" into the Royal Flying Corps, as an Enlisted Air Mechanic 2nd Class, listed as previously working as a Motor Cyclist and giving Next of Kin as "Edward", Elder Brother (Edmund) of 49 Station Road, Camberwell. On 2 Dec 1914 he embarked for France, and according to medical records was in Rouen & Le Havre the following year (he obtained medical attention there in Aug 1915). He was awarded the 15 Star Medal for services in France and on 1 Mar 1916 promotion to 1st Class Air Mechanic, followed a month later by promotion to Corporal. On 16 Aug 1917 he was Acting Sergeant but something went wrong and, instead of promotion, on 24 Nov he received demotion back down to 1st AM. He was then awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for service in France 2 Dec 1914-29 Apr 1917. The demotion may be to do with the development of the RAF, as on its inception on 1 Apr 1918 he attested to the newly-formed force as a Private, although the rank of Fitter/Air Mechanic was given on 24 Jun 1918. Things were a bit chaotic, as on 11 Apr he was transferred to 134 Squadron, only for it to be disbanded on 17 Aug, so he transferred to 132 Squadron. On 24 Sep 1918 he was listed as "unpaid Corporal Mechanic" and on 13 Dec this squadron was disbanded. He moved to "4th School of N & BD" (Navigation & Bomb-Dropping), presumably for training but by then the war was over. On 11 Jan 1919 he went to the Purfleet Dispersal Station and a month later his record reads "Transferred to RAF Reserve. Deemed Discharged". He received the Star Medal on 25 Jan 1921 & British War Medal & Victory Medal on 5 Jul 1921.

*****

I am so sorry, when I returned from my travels I was taken ill. Recovering then going to Copenhagen, so I will return here in a couple of weeks.

Thursday 16th July 2015

What happened on this day:

15th July:
Thomas Wooldridge was christened in 1787
Charles A Cox married Helen Jager in 1911
Edward James Roffey married Julia Green in 1893 and
Selina Hatton married William Lockton in 1847
16th July:
James Knight married Sabina Chapman in 1842
Mary Ann Chester née Woodford died in 1872 and
her husband Thomas Chester in 1889

Checked: Aubrey Cecil, Beatrice May, Bertha Mary, Bertram John, baby Caroline, Catherine, Catherine Emma (I discovered her husband had 2 children aged 9 & 10 when they married), Catherine Selina aka Carrie (my great grandmother. New info received concerning her was the existence of a baby with her own name, who was born to her in Feb 1903, christened 22 Mar 1903 at Emmanuel church, while they were living at 3 Tracey Street, then died on 1 Jan 1906. The odd thing was we, neither my mother nor her mother it seems, didn't know of this until recently - seems strange that my Nan never knew she had an older sister who survived until she was 3 years old, and even overlapped with her for 6 months of this. By the time my grandmother was baptised in June 1905 they had moved to 27 Clayton Buildings, where Carrie and Henry lived for the rest of their lives).

Another hiatus, I'm afraid. I am off to Oxford, then Berlin, so will return next week. Be good.

Monday 13th July 2015

What happened on this day:

12th July:
Percival Joseph Wooldridge was born in 1889 and
Rosetta Ruth Roffey in 1851
Henry George Small married Louisa Mary Judd in 1879
Herbert G W Matthews died in 1937 and
James Knight was buried in 1892
13th July:
Beat May was born 1890
Thomas May was christened in 1817
John May in 1814 and
Emily Catchesides in 1846
Charles Loder (who married Ruth Roffey) died in 1934 and
John Knight was buried in 1699

Now it is time to move on to what I consider the main trunk of this tree. Those of you who read this blog regularly will know how I came to discover my genealogy, through a Family Bible giving the names of "the babies who died". These were the siblings of my grandmother's grandfather Reuben John Woodford. He married Louisa Small and his mother was Louisa Hatton, whose branches I dealt with in May & June. The main Woodford tree has been studied in detail in 2013, so my work here is to update this as new records etc come online (for the start of this tree see 26th April 2013). Unfortunately this leads to stilted logs, and for this I apologise in advance. By all means, please request any information I gloss over if it interests you. That is what the Feedback tab above is for, and I would be only too pleased to tell you what I know.

Going through Abraham, Ada, Adam, Albert, Alfred, Algernon, Alice (found lots of her husband's military records but marriage to her shows her as widow, so still not 100% sure I have the right couple), Alice Kate, 11 versions of Ann/Annie and 3 of Arthur has yielded nothing new, unfortunately.

Saturday 11th July 2015

What happened on this day:

10th July:
my great-grandparents Isaac Gamble & Eliza Jane Cox married in 1892 at St Mary Newington, the church by which we had lunch on Wednesday
James Gamble married Mary Ann Hatton in 1822
John Common Knight died in 1911
Martha Knight née Yeoman died in 1891
11th July:
Henry Charles Gamble was born in 1845

William James Taylor (aka Jim) was born 27 Feb 1903 at 184 Lambeth Road to William Henry and Dewey née Cox and was christened 13 Apr 1903 at St Mary's, Lambeth with cousin Sydney Cox. He can be seen in census of 1911 aged 8 at Newbury Street, Lambourn with grandfather, father, uncles & 2 sisters, his mother having died when he was 5. From 1920 he lived with Ted Cox & family and worked in London. In 1924 at Frascati's, Oxford Street as Junior in the restaurant, then in 1925 as Commis Chef at the Waldorf Hotel Grill Room with Vic. In 1930 he was working on the Isle of Wight as waiter, and that is the last Vic mentions of him in his book. Other genealogist relatives have said he died in 1971 or 1973 in Hammersmith, but I cannot locate a record with the correct date of birth with which to confirm this (especially as he was never known by his real name - like most on this tree!).

Thursday 9th July 2015

Well, the guided History Walk around Southwark and Lambeth took place yesterday, so I am now free to return to researching Family - and reporting here to you. The walk was deemed a success, although we took on far too much and will in future split this subject into two as we couldn't cover everything we wanted to.

What happened on this day:

8th July:
Herbert Ernest Wooldridge was born in 1910
Sarah Grace Roffey in 1805
Charles Woodford was christened in 1838 and
Ellen Smith in 1892
Thomas Hooper (who married Eliza Knight) died in 1880
9th July:
"Joseph Woodford 1" was christened in 1826 and
"John Woodford 1" in 1820
Eliza Caroline Wooldridge married William Jones in 1893
Julia Small née Rogers died in 1902

There are two Williams to report on but, as was the norm in this family, they were never known by this name, rather by a diminutive of the middle name - confusing for genealogists of the future!
William Henry Taylor aka Harry was born 22 Apr 1872 in Lambourn to Thomas & Mary Alice née King. He can be seen in census of 1881 aged 9 at Oxford Street, Lambourn with parents, sibs & grandfather, at the butchers' shop, then in 1891 aged 19 in Newbury Street with parents & sibs, when he was listed as a gardener. By 1901 he had, like so many of the family, gone to Lambeth to stay with Ted Cox & family (my grandad's uncle) and can be seen in 1901 census at 13 Richmond Street, off Kennington Road, working as a Brewer's Drayman. Mixing with the Cox family was unavoidable and, although I think of the link as that of his sister (Harriet) Annie, who married Ted Cox, Harry also married into the family. On 1 Jun 1902 at St Mary's church, Lambeth he married Dewey Alice Cox, who was Ted's niece and hence his first cousin (as I have noted before, this was perfectly acceptable at the time and Queen Victoria had done so herself). They settled in Lambeth and had 3 children there, firstly at 184 Lambeth Road [now the railway arches by the Corner Cafe on the bomb-site where the movie Passport to Pimlico was filmed], then at 144 Lorrimore Road [now numbers only go up to 98 but this area was devastated by bombing in WW2]. Unfortunately in Apr 1908 Dewey died at the age of 28, leaving 3 children under 6. As Vic said in his book: "their mother... Dewey had died when they were very young, so then Harry left London and returned to Lambourn, where he had a butcher's shop, and Grandma cared for the children. When Uncle Harry died in 1920 it was thought better for Dot & Cis to come to us as Grandma was over 70 by this time; Jim was already living with us and working. After settling down with us for a while, it was arranged for Cis to go and stay with Auntie Kate & Percy at Highbury" (Vic Cox:Lambeth to Lambourn)

Monday 29th June 2015

What happened on this day:

Several christenings:
Frederick Charles Edward Hennig in 1876
Sarah Wooldridge in 1828 and
William Hatton in 1783
Ernest Herbert Hennig died in 1927 and
Ann Catchesides née Warr in 1842

Sunday 28th June 2015

What happened on this day:

27th June:
I was born in Lambeth in 1956 (hence no work on here yesterday!)
Susannah Dance in 1798 and
Sarah Elizabeth Roffey in 1853
John Wooldridge was christened in 1722 and
Anthony Knight in 1798
Henry Wooldridge married Mary Ann Harding in 1852
Abraham Catchesides married Sarah Pratt in 1790
David Woodford married Ann Marchant in 1826
Nancy Ann Daniel née Knight married Thomas Jane in 1826 and
John Retallick was buried in 1877
28th June:
Jane Knight was christened in 1793
Herbert Augustus Hennig married Mabel Sophia Golding in 1913
"William Woodfod 4" married Ann Burbage in 1819 and
Robert Edward Matthews died in 1913

As I am helping with a guided walk around Lambeth next week, I will have to work on researching this, rather than Family, so please forgive me... the remaining few Taylors will have to wait until after the walk.

Thursday 25th June 2015

What happened on this day:

24th June:
A popular date for christenings:
Josiah Woodford in 1855
Job James Hodd in 1866
Louisa Matthews in 1849 and
John Knight in 1759
Simon Retallick married Elizabeth Miles in 1782
Mary Ann Roffey married William Morgan in 1865 and
George Cleveland (who married Mary Wooldridge) was buried in 1880
25th June:
Priscilla Woodford was christened in 1837
Eli Woodford in 1843 and
John Knight in 1701
Horace Matthews married Elizabeth Munns in 1914 and
James Knight married Philippa Hooper in 1788

Thomas Charles Henry Taylor (Tommy) was born Jan 1880 in Lambourn to Thomas & Mary Alice née King and can be seen on 1881 census aged 1 with parents, sibs & grandfather at the butchers shop in Oxford Street, Lambourn and in 1891 at Newbury Street as previously described. In 1901 he was living with Vic's father, his brother-in-law Ted Cox and family at 13 Richmond Street, Lambeth, and working as a Brewer's Drayman. On 11 June 1905 at St Paul Lorrimore Square he married (Sarah) Ellen Cramm, known as Nell, a local waiter's daughter. They lived in Lambeth for a few years, then in Battersea and can be seen in 1911 census at 21 Abyssinia Road, Clapham (gone now). The peculiar thing about that census return is that 3 daughters are listed on it, although the 3rd, Lilian, had died some weeks before the census night. Maybe Tom misunderstood - a number 1 is entered against Lilian in the column meant for the mother, headed "children who have died". They had 9 children but lost two in infancy and two in war action. By the time war broke out in 1939 they were living in Lambourn. Although Vic doesn't say in his book when Uncle Tommy & Aunt Nell moved to the countryside, he does say he contacted them about moving his parents out of London at that time, and they were involved in instigating this. Daughter Win had married in Battersea in 1938 so that was probably when they moved. When daughter May married in 1939 they were in Berkshire. Electoral rolls are impossible, as none of these people used their correct names and Taylor is so common! Vic tells me Tom died in Oct 1960 in Newbury Hospital aged 80. He doesn't mention Nell, but I have found a death record for her in the area, aged, 85 in Oct 1967

Monday 22nd June 2015

What happened on this day:

21st June:
Gertrude Louise Taylor Cox was born in 1912
Mary Knight was christened in 1802
Florence Martha E Wooldridge died in 1996 and
Emily Elizabeth Bennett née Wooldridge on the very same day
22nd June:
Victoria Louisa Gamble was born in 1897
Edwin Thomas Roffey was christened in 1834
Daniel J Knight married Emma Bannister in 1897
Elizabeth Behenna née Knight was buried in 1889

Hinton Taylor was born in Apr 1877 in Lambourn to Thomas & Mary Alice née King, registered as Thomas Charles Hinton Taylor, as I noted on Saturday. He can be seen in census of 1881 aged 4 at Oxford Street, Lambourn with parents, sibs & grandfather, at the butchers' shop. He is listed as Charles H and his little brother as Thomas. In 1891 census he is 14, at his father's butchers shop in Newbury Street with parents & sibs. In Apr 1901 in Richmond he married Rose Hannah Reed, who had been born in Mile End, London, but was working as a servant to an elderly widow in Richmond. I can't track him down in 1901, as I'm not sure what combination of names he was using. After the marriage, they settled in Tooting, Wandsworth for a few years and had 2 sons there. Christening and Electoral roll records show them at 4 Kellino Street, Tooting 1902-1906 at least, but Hinton was a trained butcher and he was working as a painter. By 1911 census he had found work as a butcher in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex (near Southend) and the family can be seen at 30 Rayleigh Avenue - they had 2 sons & a boarder. On 28 Sep 1914 he joined the Army Service Corps, to work in the army as a butcher, to 'A' Company, giving home address as 36 Godstone Road, St Margarets, Twickenham. By then he had a daughter as well as two sons - another with a variety of names Kathleen Gwen or Gwendoline Margaret, known as Gwen (probably Kathleen Gwendoline Margaret Taylor but never using the whole name, just like him). He was posted in England 28 Sep 1914 to 29 Apr 2015 then to France with the Expeditionary Force 30 Apr 1915 to 22 Jan 1916. He was one of the lucky ones who returned (probably because he was working in the kitchens, away from gunfire etc) and was posted in England again until 1 Aug 1916, when he was sent home as his "services were no longer required". I understand it was normal for butchers to sign up for 3 years service followed by 9 in the reserves, although in his case he was fully discharged after not quite 2 years. I have seen the result of his medical, and see that he was discharged on medical grounds as he had permanent urological problems. Electoral roll records show they remained at this address until at least 1938. I have already mentioned his daughter Gwen looking after her aunt & uncle in her house in Feltham in 1965. I have seen a death for a Thomas Taylor in the area in 1962. Maybe she took to nursing her aunt & uncle having just done so for her father. I cannot track down a death for Rose as there are again several options.

Saturday 20th June 2015

What happened on this day:

James Knight was christened in 1836
Arthur Henry Hennig married Minnie Biggs in 1914
Alwyne Knight married Edith Harvey in 1905
Priscilla Woodford née Dakin died in 1929

Next comes a tricky little problem. I have no idea what was the thinking behind it, but Thomas and Mary Alice decided to name their 4th & 5th children Thomas Charles Henry and Thomas Charles Hinton. They were subsequently known as Tommy and Hinton, but it certainly made it difficult for me! Apart from the habit of calling their children by their middle names they had up to now been reasonably sensible in their choices, but what prompted this duplication I have no idea.

Friday 19th June 2015

What happened on this day:

Cassie Alice Taylor was born in 1905
"Ann Knight 2" & Jenefer Knight were christened in 1809
James Wooldridge married Ann Chuter in 1803
Arthur Stanley Manhire married Florence Bare in 1917 and
Mary Elizabeth Roffey married Richard Atkins in 1851
"Thomas Woodford 2" died in 1874
Ann Retallick née Hoare in 1857 and
Edward Knight in 1923

(Maurice) Sidney Taylor was born Oct 1887 in Lambourn to Thomas & Mary Alice née King (I just discovered the first name, as it was certainly never used!) so shared the early years with Mary Kate, Jim & Jack discussed in the last few days, at Newbury Road, then Hungerford Road, Lambourn. In 1911 he is still at the butcher's shop, now run by eldest brother Harry, working for him as a butcher. In Apr 1916 in Lambeth he married Maud Larcombe, who had been working as a servant very close to his home in Lambourn. [Then called Laburnums, it is now called Oakwood Lodge & a listed building]. They had 3 children and settled in Lambeth, close to family, for a while. I can see by electoral roll records that they lived for at least the period 1924-29 at 63 Monkton Street, Lambeth (maybe earlier, as both the boys were born in Lambeth). They moved out to Sydenham, possibly in 1930, when electoral roll records for them in London stop. Vic says in his book that although he saw them a lot in his early childhood ("Auntie Maud was a bit on the plump side and inclined to be jolly"), when they moved away they didn't tell the family and lost touch. Maud died there aged 49 in Jan 1942 but I cannot find a record for Sid.

Thursday 18th June 2015

What happened on this day:

17th June:
Douglas Edward Woodford was born 1902
Phoebe Retallick in 1824
Annie Louise Knight in 1877
Edith Parker in 1897
Charles Alfred Roffey was buried in 1926
18th June:
"John Woodford 1" was born in 1820
My grandmother Louisa Margaret Wooldridge was christened in 1905
Mark & Anne Woodford in 1865 and
Ann Woodford in 1861

Mary Kate Taylor was born 28 Sep 1886 in Lambourn to Thomas & Mary Alice née King, so shared the early years with Jim & Jack mentioned earlier this week (see below) at the butcher's shop in Lambourn. For some reason in 1901 Vic's siblings Win & Harry Cox were swapped for Kate, Tommy & Harry Taylor and can be seen at 13 Richmond Street, Kennington, Lambeth with Uncle Ted Cox. Unfortunately I cannot track her down in 1911 census, with family or not, although I think she still lived with Vic & family until her marriage. In Oct 1932 in Islington she married Albert Percy Claxton, known as Percy. I have been studying him and it made very interesting reading. He was born in 1892 in Barton Regis, Bristol to a Professor of Music and grew up in a lovely little village called Pucklechurch (I have been there many years ago). When he left school he worked as a Cardboard Box Maker, and this may have been why he moved to Lambeth, as there was a cardboard box factory there. On 10 Dec 1915 he attested to the Army as a Private, giving his home address as 163 Westminster Bridge Road [near Waterloo Station] and occupation as Barman. He was posted to France on 15 June 1916 but first married local widow Louisa Frances Favell née Shepard - very odd as she was 78 years old at the time! On 30 Nov 1917 he encountered a Gas Shell and was badly afflicted so that he was sent home on 22 Dec 1917, and attached to a Labour Corps unit in Aldershot. However, on 15 Nov 1918 a medical board discharged him with a pension, 2 medals and a Siver War Badge. He had been before a Special Neurasthenia Board on 12 Oct and they evidently upheld this diagnosis [today we would say he suffered from PTSD along with the poisoning effects of the gas - and he was never the same again]. Demobbed back to 15 Stangate Buildings, Upper Marsh, Lambeth [near St Thomas' Hospital now] he can be seen on electoral roll records at that address with Frances. This didn't seem to tally with what Vic said in his book, that Percy made violins and gave him violin lessons over at his house in Highbury. Looking through the records, I have a feeling Percy ran two homes. The name Albert Percy Claxton is unusual, I'm sure you'll agree, and he appeared between 1925 & 1930 at 15 Stangate Buildings with Frances (Favells next door seem to confirm this is her) but also at 99 Calabria Road, Islington with Kate (which tallied with the marriage venue in 1932 and is in Highbury). I don't wish to be mean, but maybe having an elderly wife was becoming a little awkward. Vic doesn't mention that Percy was a widower, or either marriage at all, so the family may not have known. Anyway, in Jan 1932 at 15 Stangate Buildings, aged 93, Louisa died, and later that year Percy & Kate were married in the Highbury area (I cannot tell where exactly as Ancestry London records stop in 1921, how annoying!) The next I know is from Vic's book about the time of WW2: "Uncle Percy had brought Auntie Kate down to stay with us [in Lambourn] as they were now living in Perivale in their own house, but within the bombing area [of central London]. So of course Auntie Kate, being our mother's sister, and suffering with crippling rheumatoid arthritis, was glad to come somewhere peaceful, her childhood village. Uncle Percy would go back to look after their house and carry on work. He was now running his own small car, so that made it a bit easier." Percy gave Vic a lift to his barracks in Guldford, where he remained for a while. On gaining a period of leave before shipping to Iceland with his unit, he visited home and again mentioned that Kate was still staying and in need of carrying up & downstairs. After the war Percy & Kate sold their house and moved to Lambourn. They bought a plot of land & a mobile home and had it connected up to electricity and lived there for some 15 years. They had always been friendly with Kate's niece Gwen, who lived at Feltham, near Heathrow and in 1965 they were told they needed to go into nursing homes, only single-sex facilities being available, so they chose to move in with Gwen. They sold their land & bungalow and used the money to build a "Granny-annexe" onto Gwen's house, with their own facilities. Gwen looked after them until 12 Sep 1972, when Kate had a stroke & died in Ashford Hospital, Middlesex. Percy bought a plot of land in Upper Lambourn cemetery and she was cremated locally, then her ashes interred in the plot, Percy joining her 2 years later.

Monday 15th June 2015

What happened on this day:

Albert Woodford was born in 1891
James Joseph Hodd in 1894 and
Charles William May in 1883
Thomas Knight was christened in 1765
Alexander Adolphus Knight married Ellen Blackwell in 1899 and
Ethel G Matthews married Albert Clifton in 1938
No deaths, fortunately

John Taylor (Jack) was born 15 Jun 1882 in Lambourn to Thomas & Mary Alice née King, thus shared the early years with brother Jim (see yesterday). In 1901 census he can be seen aged 18 in Hungerford Road, Lambourn, with parents, brothers Fred & Sid, also Win & Harry Cox (Vic's sibs, who had joined them from London). John was working as Racing Stableman, possibly at the stables on Baydon Road where Annie had lived (see Friday), but Lambourn was - and still is - famed for its many racing stables. In Jan 1908 in Lambourn he married Emily Victoria Chapman from London and they had 6 children. 1911 census shows them in Mill Lane with the first 2, Jack working as a carpenter for a builder. The only other thing I know about Jack is that he died aged 71 in Lambourn 14 Apr 1954. Emily followed in 1981 at the age of 93

Sunday 14th June 2015

What happened on this day:

Eliza Cox was christened in 1835
Frances Knight married Thomas Warne in 1871 and
Elizabeth Knight married Isaac Behenna in 1845
George Thomas Wooldridge was buried in 1976
"Anthony Knight 3" in 1848 and
Grace Knight née Woon in 1854

James King Taylor (Jim) was born Apr 1873 in Lambourn to Thomas & Mary Alice née King. He can be seen in census of 1881 aged 7 in Oxford Street, Lambourn, at the butcher's shop with parents, sibs & grandfather. In 1891 he was at Newbury Street with parents & sibs and had obviously joined the family profession as he was listed as Butcher's Boy. He was Captain of the Lambourn Cricket Club during this time. On 11 Apr 1897 he married Alice Mary Malster (whose mother was his father's cousin & grew up in Lambourne) from Hammersmith. It seems the entire family moved to Kew (the Malsters and Jim's) as Vic describes New Year parties there in his book. But the wedding took place at St Mary's, Staines. They had 3 children and 1901 census shows them at Laleham, 2 miles down the Thames, Jim running the butcher's shop next door to the Three Horseshoes pub, Shepperton Road, with 2 of them.
In 1911 they were at 54 Balmoral Road, Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex, where he worked in a butcher's shop again [but the road they lived in was redeveloped as part of the Westcliff Hospital redevelopment and is now modern flats]. The other thing Vic said about Jim in his book was that he rode a penny-farthing bicycle - what a wonderful picture that evokes, especially as he sported a waxed moustache! I don't know how long they were in Essex, but not long I think, as Vic doesn't mention it at all. When daughter Doris married in 1927 they were back at Kew - 6 The Green, a cute little place to this day. Jim was still running it as a butcher's shop. Alice died in 1941, so when Doris' husband died and she remarried, Jim decided to return to his roots and in 1953 moved back to Lambourn, to live with nephew Vic and his mother at Bockhampton Road. When they were moved out of the old house & were going to be homeless (see Friday), Jim applied for an almshouse and lived there for a while until he died there in May 1957. His death was rigistered in Lambourn, but Vic says he was taken to Oxford Crematorium, arranged by his son Cecil & daughter Doris (now living in London)

Saturday 13th June 2015

What happened on this day:

William Frank May was christened in 1841 and
Edward Knight in 1856
James Hill (who married Annie Knight) died in 1919
Louisa Ricketts née Matthews in1967 in Canada and
Rosina Matthews née Champion in 2002

Henry Taylor was born Jul 1808 in Upper Lambourn (a separate hamlet to the north-west of the village) to Thomas & Sarah and was christened there 7 Aug 1808 at St Michael & All Angels church

On 14 Dec 1840 at the same church he married Sarah Jarvis (her father died soon after, and her widowed mother was living "by the mill") and they can be seen in the census a few months later - although having said that, it is one of the worst scans I have ever seen & the road name is illegible. [The position in the census route puts them on what is now The Broadway between Chapel Lane & Goose Green in Lambourn village - nowadays ony 3 modern bungalows are here] Oddly, Henry was listed as Ag Lab - agricultural labourer. This may be an error as in 1851 he is, as expected, a butcher and they can be seen at 7 High Street, Lambourn - which in 2011 was still a butcher's - with son and 2 lodgers. [No 5 was a pub called the Hind's Head, and was part of the same building]. In 1861 census they had taken a cottage off the High Street, rather than living at the shop, and the address was 3 Crowel Cottages, between Sheepcoop Road & Lawrence's Yard, near the Hind's Head - so, nearby. Son Thomas was by then a Pig Butcher too and they also had with them a niece who was a domestic servant out of place. In 1871 the family home was in Wantage Street, where the houses were more spacious. By then Thomas was married, Mary Alice living with them and baby Annie. Henry was still Head of Household then, but by 1881 he had retired and Thomas was. Sarah died aged 69 and was buried 30 Apr 1874 in the churchyard shown above. Henry lived with Thomas & family for anpther 16 years, until he died aged 82 and was buried there too on 11 Feb 1891.

Friday 12th June 2015

What happened on this day:

Sarah Adelaide Roffey was born in 1830

Frederick Taylor continued
Vic said that Frederick wasn't married and that he served in WW1 in Egypt. He was always known as Shady, because he was a little unusual, but always knew how to lay his hands on an animal for Sunday lunch, and how to despatch it himself! I cannot find attestation papers however. All I know from Vic's book about Shady's life after the War was that he died in his sleep in 1954. There is a death on 22 Nov 1954 aged 70, at 4 Alms Houses, Lambourn and he was buried on 25 Nov 1954 at St Michael & All Angels churchyard. 

Harriet Annie Taylor - known as Annie - (the main stem of this branch) was born Jun 1870 in Lambourn to Thomas & Mary Alice née King and can be seen in census of 1871 10 months later at Wantage Street, Lambourn with grandparents & parents. [Mostly modern housing now]. In 1881 census she can be seen aged 10 at Oxford Street, Lambourn [a road continuous with Wantage Road] in the butchers shop run by her father & grandfather. In 1891 she was working as a domestic servant in Baydon Road, Lambourn, one of 11 staff at a racing stable. She worked for James Chandler, trainer of racehorses. She left her job there to, as Vic puts it in his book "come to London as a young girl to be in service and until she married she worked for a family in Queen's Gate, near the Royal Albert Hall".
On 21 May 1893 she married my great great uncle Edward Dance Cox, who ran an Off-Licence in Lambeth, attached to Jenner's Brewery (see 11th Feb 2013). They had 9 children, but by the time the question was asked in 1911 Annie had to say that of these 4 had died. In 1901 census she can be seen at 13 Richmond Street, Lambeth with 2 children, Ted's father George, and 3 of her sibs Henry, Thomas & Kate. By 1911 they had moved to 84 Kennington Road and there were 5 children, Ted's brother George and niece Lil Cox. The following year Annie had her final child Gertrude & they moved next door to no. 86 and remained there until 1930, when the terrace was demolished and new flats built. They were relocated in the new estate at 52 Wedgewood House, China Walk. I told the story in Feb 2013 of how Jenner's Brewery were taken over and retired Ted in 1939 with no pension (he was 70) and they moved back to Lambourn the following year. However, he was very unhappy and died in 1942. Annie llived there (Bockhampton Road) until Vic returned from fighting in WW2, and they spent some years there together. When the owners needed the house for their son, Vic had to go to court and plead homelessnes, when they were relocated to Deacon's Cottage, Newbury Street, which is still there, not far from the Butcher's shop. This was a very large house, as it was 3 cottages knocked into one and had 6 bedrooms. They lived here for some while, but felt happier when the council moved them into a new development nearby, and the new address was 9 Woodbury which backed onto Newbury Road. Annie soon became frail and had to move downstairs, but she had plenty of care, as 3 of her children lived there with her & she died peacefully in May 1963 aged almost 93.

Thursday 11th June 2015

What happened on this day:

10th June
"Edward Roffey 3" was born in 1815
Frederick Charles Wooldridge was christened in 1883 and
James Knight in 1811
Jane Woodford married William Hatton in 1847
"Anthony Knight 2" married Elizabeth Grose in 1805 and
Josiah Woodford died in 1871
11th June
Arthur Edward Woodford married Annie Chandler in 1916 and
Anne Exon née Woodford died in 1880 in Australia

Florence Lillian Taylor was born 2 Dec 1906 in Lambeth to William & Dewey née Cox. As I said on Monday, she was known in the family as Dot. A lot of members of this branch were known by their middle names or nicknames but I don't know where hers came from, possibly a child's attempt at saying Florence. She can be seen in census of 1911 with her sibs, staying with their grandmother (as their mother died in 1908), at Newbury Street, Lambourn. However, she must have returned to London, as she met George Edward Lipscombe from Southwark, whose father was a tailor (not a Taylor), and married him there in Jul 1930. They had 2 daughters I am pretty sure of - Audrey born 1932 in London & Susan 1946 in Barnet, Herts - although there is a very big gap between them it was WW2, although there are many military records none fits him completely (2 further girls were born with surnames Lipscombe & mother's maiden name Taylor in somewhere called "Staines, Hertfordshire", which as far as I know doesn't exist - and I live in Herts! There is a hamlet near us called Staines Green, but that wouldn't be a registration area, it isn't even a village. So it must be Staines in Surrey many miles away). There was a G E Lipscombe who ran a cycle shop in Shepperton 1955-81, and he had a home address in 1978-81 at The Poplars, Breakspear Road North, Harefield. These may be him. The site of the shop is now a modern building, and The Poplars may be the sme as the building there could well date from then. However, they are not all that near to Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, where he died on 22 Feb 1988 aged 82 and Florence aged 91 in Apr 1998. This story is one of those with so many unknowns it's tantalising but ultimately unsatisfying.

Frederick Taylor was born Jul 1884 in Lambourn to Thomas & Mary Alice née King and can be seen in 1891 census aged 6 with them at the butcher's shop in Newbury Street. His father Thomas was an expert pig-slaughterer, renowned in his field as affirmed by his relative Vic Cox in his book. In 1901 census he can be seen in Hungerford Road with parents, sibs, niece & nephew Win & harry Cox, his occupation described as "Odd Boy". By 1911 his father had died, so he can be seen with 2 brothers, their widowed mother, nieces Cis & Dot Taylor and their brother James, Frederick and his brothers all now butchers in their own right.
<to be continued>

Monday 8th June 2015

What happened on this day:

My paternal grandmother Florence Augusta Hennig was born in 1879
George Richard Wooldridge in 1863
Henry William Smith in 1854 and
Alice May in 1892,
Jane Merrifield Knight was christened in 1830,
Dorcas Matthews married James Pearceson in 1885,
Joseph Francis Gamble died in 1942
"Christopher Retallick 3" in 1874 and
Frances Knight née Alford was buried in 1876

Cissie Alice Taylor was born 19 Jun 1905 in Lambeth, London to William & Dewey née Cox and was christened there 6 Aug 1905 at St Paul's church, Lorrimore Square. She can be seen in census of 1911 staying with her grandmother & uncles - her father and his 3 children had moved to Lambourn to his in-laws when his wife died in 1908, and he had a butcher's shop - in Newbury Street, Lambourn. When their father died in 1920, Cis and her sister Florence (known in the family for some reason as Dot) went to live with their aunt Harriet (mother of Vic, the author) for a while, then with aunt (Mary) Kate Taylor & her family in Highbury. It was here that she met Welshman Brinley Islwyn Rees and married him in Jan 1929 at St Pancras (he had been in the navy in WW1 & had a typical tattoo of a woman & snake on the muscle of his right arm - I'm sure you wanted to know that). They settled nearby and electoral roll records show them in 1930 at 6 Cantelowes Road, Pancras, in 1931 44 Russell Square, Holborn with brother (William) James Taylor, in 1932 48 St John's Road, Islington, in 1933-4 29 Highgate Road, Pancras [now modern buildings] Then in 1935 they were lodging over a newsagent at 16 Fortress Road, Pancras with a fellow Welshman Mr Evans [now a cyber café] In 1938 & 9 they can be seen at 21 Lupton Street - this is nowadays a modern building but is interesting in that there was a Merlin Rees living with them. Too old to be a child of theirs, he may be a relative of Brinley's. As far as I can see, they only had one daughter, with the lovely name of Velma Ceredwin Elmid Rees. Brinley died aged 61 in Cheltenham, Gloucester where he was probably staying with Velma and/or her husband Hilary's family. After his death Cissie moved to Surrey - in 1964 she can be seen at 1 Old Ford House, Beddington. She retired down to Cornwall in her later years, and died there in Apr 1999 aged 93 at St Germans. In 2002 Velma still lived in Cornwall (latest records I could find).

Sunday 7th June 2015

What happened on this day:

A long list today:
William John Knight was born in 1847
Charlotte Emily Smith in 1856
Frederick Charles Edward Hennig in 1876
Cordelia Woodford in 1843.
Ellen Knight was christened in 1852 and
Richard Retallick in 1824.
Clive's grandparents Oliver Manhire & Ivy Buckwell were married in 1924
Jane Knight married William Hore in 1813
Catherine Retallick married William Tregoning in 1835.
"William Woodford 1" died in 1956 and
Charles Cox in 1917.

The final ancestor on this branch, William Small was born Jun 1850 in the St George Hanover Square area to Henry George Small Senior & Mary Ann née Edwards and was christened on 8 Jul 1850 at St Andrew's, Holborn. He can be seen aged 1 in census of 1851 at 9 Little Chester Street, Begrave (no doubt where he was born) with parents, aunt & grandmother (the latter both Louisa Small). As I have previously noted, this family are missing on the 1861 census, so the next one for him was in 1871 and I found him (I hope), a private in the 4th Battalion Rifle Brigade, at the District Camp in Cheriton, Folkestone, Kent. In 1881 the census "snapshot" finds him at "New Barracks", Alverstoke, Hampshire, by now a Sergeant. [The barracks are still there, the living quarters now converted to homes] I cannot find him after this, alive or dead. The 4th battalion fought in many battles over the years:
India 1877-8
Afghan 1878-80
Kabul 1880
Burma 1885-92
Boer 1899-1902
Somaliland 1902-4
They were in India when WW1 broke out, returned to UK, then were posted to Salonika. The unit was disbanded in 1922. I have searched for him in all walks of life that I can think of to no avail.

So, time to move on. I have some Taylors to polish off. This branch links to the Coxes, my grandfather's mother's family. Her brother married a Taylor, and regular readers will remember Vic Cox's book (now sadly out of print) detailing his family life - those were his parents.

Alice Louisa Taylor was born 27 May 1908 in Lambourn, Berkshire and can be seen there in 1911 census, aged 2 at Mill Lane with parents & brother. In Sep 1931 in Lambourn she married Philip Ford from Bradfield, also Berkshire (22 miles away), son of a farrier/blacksmith (who fought in WW1 & was awarded meritorious medals). As far as I can see, they may have had one child Carol, born in Poole, and/or maybe 4 others born in Newbury (which included Lambourn). Philip died in 1984 aged 76 and Alice in 1995 aged 87.

Friday 5th June 2015

What happened on this day:

Gordon Edmund Luke Retallick was born in 1921 and
"Anthony Knight 2" in 1773
Beat May married Ernest W P Samways in 1911
Dorothy Knight married Lancelot Hore in 1762
Martha Hodd died in 1916

Sidney Alfred Small was born 2 Jul 1886 in the area called St George Hanover Square to the middle Henry George Small and Louisa née Judd. He is first seen in records in 1891 census, aged 4 living at 53 Monson Road, Deptford with parents & sibs. He evidently went to school at the end of the road, Monson Infants school, until on 12 Feb 1894 aged 7 he was transferred to Cold Blow Lane Temporary School - on the same site - then on 14 Dec 1896 to Ivydale School, Nunhead. At this point Henry gave their address as 59 Linden Grove, nearby. However, the next few years were not good. As I mentioned when dealing with Henry (see 16th May), the family were admitted & discharged from several workhouses over the next decade or so. In the first record I can see, the 4 children were admitted to the Greenwich Workhouse, Woolwich Road on 14 Oct 1896 because their "mother was in Casual Ward", admitted by the Master because they were Destitute. They were discharged the next day - I'm not sure what was going on, but one naturally suspects alcohol to play a part. Maybe this is unfair, but this situation repeats throughout the records. They were admitted again "by police" on 27 Oct 1896 (ie 2 weeks later) to Lewisham Union Workhouse, High Street, then on 6 Nov 1896 discharged "to Anerley Schools". On 24 Nov they were again admitted to Greenwich, this time with the note "deserted by father, mother in prison" but again discharged the next day "to Sutton". The Anerley Schools were Industrial Schools, part of the Workhouse system, and they should have been at least secure there. Maybe they kept running away... The whole family was admitted on 1 Jan 1898, then "discharged to Sutton" 2 days later, followed by another trip in June that year for Louisa & the children. In June 1898 Sidney was admitted to the National School of St Barnabas, giving the address 3 Susannah Place, Henry stating he is an umbrella maker. We know that by then he was a labourer and this address was his brother Robert's (see yesterday) - if Sidney was staying with his uncle Robert, he certainly wasn't declared there on 1901 census. (By the time of the 1901 census Henry's family were living at 11 Chadwick Street, but this was the Devil's Acre address I mentioned, so not much of an improvement... and Sidney was not with them, just Daisy & Ernest.) Unfortunately Sidney disappears off the radar at this point. I suspect he changed his name and/or emigrated etc. There are a few records for an Alfred Small, but I cannot prove this is him. At around this time, the Anerley schools were sending boys of suitable age to train on HMS Exmouth and thence into the Royal Navy. Sidney was certainly a suitable age - 14 in 1900 - but I cannot track down any confirmation of this. There were also WW1 army records for Sidney Small, but no proof any was him.

Thursday 4th June 2015

What happened on this day:

My grandmother Louisa Margaret Wooldridge was born in 1905
A very popular day for christenings:
Cheveletia Knight 1866
Philip John Wooldridge 1865 and
"Christopher Retallick 4" 1837
Elizabeth Hodd married Alfred Percival in 1882
Mary Ann Knight née Williams was buried in 1843

Robert Mayes Small was born Oct 1859 in the St George Hanover Square area to Henry & Mary Ann née Edwards and the first we see of him he is aged 11 at 42 Kings Street, St Giles with parents & sibs. In 1881 census he can be seen at 10 White Lion Street, Chelsea with parents, aged 21 & working as a Stableman. By 1891 he is at 4 Chester Cottages, Belgravia, with mother, working as a Builder's labourer. In Oct 1892 at St George's he married Annie Maria Lambourne, who had been born in Buckinghamshire but was living with her brother in Southwark and working as a servant. They settled in the area and had 5 children, although one, Robert, died in infancy, and when the next arrived within the year he was named John Robert, and called Robert. Electoral roll records show they moved around a very small area for the next few years, firstly in 1900 the address was 3 Susannah Place, although in 1901 census this included a fairly illegible road name something like Scarnal Row, an alley off Elizabeth Street, Pimlico, [now unfortunately under Victoria Coach Station] which was probably in Susannah Place, and they had 3 children. In 1908 the address was 4a Robert Row, then in 1910 they were at 3 Robert Place. I think in those days people took rooms where they could, and landlords moved them about, as these were all alleys/courts very close by. By 1911 census the roads had been renamed and Robert & family can be seen at 19 Commercial Road with 3 children. The address was the same in 1915, and then in Jan 1919 Annie died there. I'm not sure where Robert lived for the next few years, as there are multiples of his name (without the unusual middle name) in various areas, but on 18 Jun 1927 he was admitted to Christchurch Workhouse, Southwark and on 20th discharged by transfer to hospital. It doesn't state which one but he died the following spring in the Chelsea registration area. I suspect his son John Robert lived there and he may have been with him.

I just realised I forgot his brother James Frederick Small 2, born 3 years before Robert, in Oct 1856. They obviously shared the same early years and in 1871 he can be seen aged 14 at 42 Kings Street, as above. On 4 Oct 1879 at St George's Bloomsbury he married local girl Julia Jane Rogers, carpenter's daughter. In 1881 census they can be seen at 24 Cook's Road, Walworth with baby son (who later died aged 4 - only 3 out of 5 survived) - [this road is now completely modern blocks, and only a few weeks ago hit the news because of a police stabbing incident]. James was at that time working as a Collar Cutter, which I understand was part of shirt manufacture, so maybe he worked at a local workshop/factory. However, it evidently was not to his taste as he soon joined his brother Robert on the buses. In 1891 census he can be seen at 19 Aspland Grove, Hackney and he is working as a conductor. This meant in those days standing on the back of a jolting horse-drawn vehicle, taking fares & helping passengers on & off. [Aspland Grove has now gone as the area was rebuilt in about 1960 as a modern estate and the stub of the road that remains is a car park serving Hackney Central Station]. By 1901 census (taken in March of that year) he has trained up and now describes himself as Bus driver, living at 102 St Paul Road, Walworth, Southwark with 1 daughter. In October of that year another daughter, Ann was born, but died 3 months later. Unfortunately Julia was by now 44 years old, and she died on 9 Jul 1902. The address given was 39 Chapter Road, Walworth, a nice little house right on Pasley Park.
As she was just the wife of a bus driver, she didn't have much to leave, but left effects worth £5 to James. On 8 Apr 1905 at St Cuthbert, Kensington he married Sarah Elizabeth Turley, whose father was a butler, and they settled in Croydon. Unfortunately the father Joseph died very shortly afterwards and in 1911 census James & Sarah can be seen at 125 Boston Road, West Croydon, and Sarah's widowed mother Elizabeth Turley is living with them. James died aged 86 in Sep 1943 in Uxbridge, which I was a little puzzled about, then I saw that Sarah died in Uxbridge too, and I could see her in the last couple of years of her life in a nursing home, Elmfield, Fairfield Road, Uxbridge, one of 22 residents. She died aged 93 in Sep 1964. [After WW2 the Red Cross, who had used this building as their HQ, continued its use as a home for the elderly, and both James and Sarah may have lived there for many years. It was demolished in 1970 and it has been replaced by handsome mock-tudor houses]

Monday 1st June 2015

What happened on this day:

Edwin B Matthews was born in 1826 and
James Matthews in 1815
Lily Rose Woodford married George Seear in 1902
Dewey Alice Cox married William Henry Taylor in 1902
Rebecca Mary Ann Roffey married Mowbray Forrest in 1886
Mary Ann Snell née Knight was buried in 1897

Mary Ann Small continued
In 1891 census they can be seen at 18 Bett Street, where they remained for nearly 20 years. In Oct 1989 Richard died there aged 48, and in 1901 census Mary Ann is there widowed with the 3 children (Harriet a bookfolder, Arthur a drapers assistant). Mary Ann continued at this address until 1909, but by 1911 census had moved - again into the next road - and can be seen at 127a St George Street. This was an interesting address, as it was no doubt "above the shop" for daughter Harriet, who worked at a "wholesale & manufacturing stationers". By 1921 the house was in her name and the two daughters lived there, Ada with her husband, but there is no sign of Mary Ann. I cannot find a death records, but the alternative is a marriage aged 63 to a William Paget in Southwark, followed by a death aged 74 in Bethnal Green, which all seems somewhat far-fetched.

Richard Small was born in 1802 in Bloomsbury but I have no parents' names for him. He probably married in about 1822 to a girl known as Louisa, then later as Ann (I cannot see that these were 2 separate wives, but it's possible) and they had 3 children in the Piccadilly area of London. 1841 census shows them in George Street, Pancras with 2 of the children and Richard was working as a Coach Maker. In 1851 he was almost 50 and had moved on to the more sedentary driving of the vehicles, rather than the construction, as he was listed as a Cab Driver. In 1861 census they can be seen still at the same address, with granddaughter Ann Powell & 2 boarders, also cabbies. Ann died Jul 1868 in Clerkenwell, so in 1871 Richard can still be seen at Wellington Street, but this time calls his wife Mary - now, this time I believe she is a different person, as her date and place of birth are different. (I suspect this may be Mary Bedlow & they married in 1870, but the record lists him as bachelor. Now, as I haven't found records for marriage to Louisa and/or Ann I cannot disprove this, so leave it there). If she is correct, she died in Apr 1876, which is why in 1881 census at the Strand Union Workhouse, Richard is listed as a widower, cab driver. I have also records of an admission to City Road Workhouse, Holborn on 11 Nov 1886, and a transfer on 4 Jan 1888 to the infirmary, where he died on 1 May 1889.

Sunday 31st May 2015

:What happened on this day

30th May
Albert Victor Hodd was born in 1897
Lewis Richard Wooldridge was christened in 1895
Dorothy Irene Wooldridge died in 1993 and
William Retallick in 1815
31st May
William Ronald Woodford was born in 1921
Dorothy Cluer née Catchesides died in 1835
James Knight was buried in 1896

Mary Ann Small was born 10 Jan 1849 in St Giles (2 years after my gg grandmother, her sister) and christened at Holy Trinity, Kingsway, Holborn. As I have said, I cannot find this family in 1851, but in 1861 census she can be seen aged 12 at 5 St Anne's Court, Westminster (Devil's Acre). In 1871 she was at 3 Lawrence Street, St Giles with my gg grandparents, her sister Louisa & family, and was married from here a few weeks later to Richard Catling from Bethnal Green who was at that time working nearby at the Crown & Anchor, as potman. [This pub was at that time in King Street, then not long afterwards changed its address to 36 Neal Street. The buildings there now bear the date 1903, so have evidently been rebuilt, and house entirely shops and the current Crown & Anchor 1904.] Richard & Mary Ann settled in this area, known as St George in the East, now part of Soho, and had 9 children. Unfortunately this was a very bad area and 6 of them died in infancy. In 1881 census they can be seen there at 11 Mayfields Buildings with one daughter, having lost 5 other children aged between 0 and 5. The social commentator & Charles Booth in his report on this road in 1898 described it as "a black spot, the worst place in the subdivision. Not one male in the street above school age that has not been convicted. Thieves, prostitutes, rough cockney irish. Broken dirty windows, bareheaded women. Doors open, black shiny door ports. 3-storied houses". He moved on to the next road, Bett Street, which housed the Ratcliffe Highway Mission for Fallen Women, which, he said "Does a lot for women as long as they do not fall again, when they will have nothing to say to them". Well, Richard & Mary Ann lived at 11 Mayfield Buildings until 1888, then they moved, but only to Bett Street!

<to be continued>

Wednesday 27th May 2015

What happened on this day:

26th May
Herbert G W Matthews was born in 1898
William Ferres (who married Hester Cox) was buried in 1831 and
Elizabeth Fry née Roffey in 1904
27th May
Alfred James Matthews was born in 1886
Elizabeth & Caroline Hodd were christened in 1860
Edwin Woodford married Elizabeth Adams in 1874

The other Louisa Eliza Small, after whom I imagine my gg grandmother was named, was her aunt, born n Dec 1829 to Richard & Louisa and christened 28 Dec 1829 at St James, Westminster (aka St James Piccadilly). I have found a possibility for her in 1841 census in Little Chester Street, Belgrave, but if this is correct it raises some issues - there is a Louisa Small who could be her mother and an older lady Elizabeth Cornford. If Elizabeth is her grandmother, then the Louisa who married Richard would have the maiden name of Cornford. Her (Louisa senior) age is wrong, but that often happened in 1841. Elizabeth is of Independent means, but Louisa's occupation is illegible - it looks like "Ch. Morman" but I cannot draw any conclusions... There is also a William 3 years younger than Louisa junior, about which I knew nothing. I must investigate him. I just found confirmation of the above, as in 1851 census she is seen in the same street with her brother Henry, mother Louisa (who is a nurse), working as a book-binder. I cannot find her in 1861 but on 11 Apr 1864 at St Jude's church, Chelsea she married labourer Frederick Charles George Cressy, from Little Bookham, Surrey who was lodging in Gloucester Row, Newington. They settled in Chelsea, and can be seen in 1871 census at 10 George Place, Chelsea, he working as a General Dealer, she as needlewoman [this area bears no resemblance now, due to the development of the City Airport & Emirates Air Line]. In 1881 Frederick had taken some labouring work for the railway and they can be seen at 10 Suffolk Place, Pancras. As St Pancras station opened in 1888 he may have been involved in the construction of that, although I can't find Railway Employment records for him. Unfortunately, their names were mangled in so many combinations it's hard to build a coherent picture of their lives. Suffice to say they moved around London until in Apr 1909 Frederick died in Islington aged 66, then Louisa could be seen on electoral rolls in her own name, at 9 Turle Road until she too died in Apr 1911 (before the census) aged 83. (I suspect he made things difficult for me by going by the name of Charles, and Cressy could be spelled in so many ways!)

Monday 25th May 2015

What happened on this day:

Jessie Hatton Gamble was christened in 1879
Silas Matthews married Martha Watkins in 1906
Albert Musk (who married Elizabeth Wooldridge) died in 1935
Jane Lobb née Knight in 1914 and
Eliza Epsley née Roffey in 1927

Now I come to the central figure in this branch: my great great grandmother
Louisa Eliza Small was born on New Year's Day 1847 in St Giles, Westminster registration area to James & Margaret née Miles and christened 20 Jun 1847 at St Martin-in-the-Fields church. [In case you are not familiar with this very famous church, it is the one on Trafalgar Square with all the handsome columns]. As I have said before, there is no census for this family in 1851 so the first one for her is 1861 where she can be seen aged 14 at 5 St Anne's Court, Westminster (in Devil's Acre) with parents & sibs, uncles & aunts. Her mother died when she was 18 and I have just found a record I feel I must share at this point, as I missed it last week. At Easter 1868 we shall stop for a "snapshot": Margaret and little James had died and were buried in the awful Victoria Park cemetery. James had 3 young daughters at home when he found himself too ill to work and support them all. He had no choice but to resort to the Workhouse, and I have seen the document stating the details. He admitted himself to Westminster Union Workhouse due to illness on Easter Monday 13 Apr 1868 and stayed there until he was released on 5 May (ie a stay of 3 weeks) when he would have received treatment for whatever ailed him, bedrest and food. What the girls did during that time I don't know, but the fact that James remarried the following year suggests he found someone to look after them all, even though he died in 1871. Anyway, on with Louisa... On 14 Aug 1870, again at St Martins-in-the-Fields above, she married Reuben John Woodford, carpenter from Old Dalby in Leicestershire (the remaining sibling of the "babies that died"). They had 8 children and can be seen in census of 1871 at 3 Lawrence Street, St Giles with Louisa's sister Mary Ann and baby Louisa aged 3 months. [This street no longer exists, as the Centre Point development was built over it in 1960s and Crossrail is due to redevelop the area again very shortly. Charles Booth in his contemporary study of the social structure of London described this street as "a narrow asphalted street, all small workshops - cabinet makers, upholsterers & carpenters", so Reuben was in good company!] Unfortunately the first baby, Louisa, died in infancy of hydrocephalus (aka water on the brain) she had suffered from for 18 days and her death was registered in the St Giles area in 1871. The next child, Herbert, was born in the Whitechapel area, as were the two subsequent children (including Carrie, my great grandmother in 1877) as they evidently lived at 4 Haydon Square 1872-77. [This area is of interest for a couple of reasons and has evidently changed very much over the years. In the times of Charles Booth (1880s & 1890s) he described it as having "only one house left, and that is a beer house as well as a common lodging house. The rest of the houses are shut up as it has been very rough" (possibly when they lived there). Also at that time the Jack the Ripper investigations were going on and one of the main suspects was a butcher from this very spot. The family had fortunately got out of there by then. In 1902 the railway here was considered important enough to build a Haydon Square Station, useful for tansporting good & passengers from the docks to the City, but this didn't last long as changes of ownership by the railway companies of the day led to a terminal drop-off in use of the line. There had been railway arches and goods yards here for a long time. In the mid 1920s it was used almost entirely for transport of newspapers from Fleet Street and by 1962 was deemed useless and demolished. Nowadays Haydon Street is still there, but no square and it has modern offices etc on it.] By 1879 the family were in Lambeth and the final four children were born there. 1881 census finds them at 39 Clayton Buildings, off Lollard Street, Lambeth (a block that appears frequently on this blog for obvious reasons, as my grandparents were born & brought up there) with 4 children then 1891 at number 30 with 7 and 1901 with 6. Louisa died there in Apr 1904 and Reuben 7 Feb 1906.

Friday 22nd May 2015

What happened on this day:

Catherine Margaret Catchesides was born in 1798
"Richard Retallick 7" was christened in 1756 and
Eliza Emily Matthews in 1881
Mabel E E Hennig married Sidney Benson in 1909
James Knight married Frances Alford in 1831
John Marshall (who married Edith Knight) died in 1948

Louisa Annie Small was born 28 Nov 1883 to Henry George & Louisa née Judd, probably at 29 D'Oyley Street, Chelsea and christened on 21 Dec 1884 at Holy Trinity. She can be seen in census of 1891 aged 7 at 53 Monson Road, Deptford with parents & sibs, then was admitted to the Greenwich Workhouse, in Woolwich Road 3 miles away. I have just had sight of the workhouse admission record and all becomes clear - or not! I assume it reads "Deserted by father, Mother in Prison". A little more digging came up with a previous admission of the children with their mother into the Workhouse at Lewisham, stating that they were admitted by the Police. Evidently Henry had abandoned them at this point - 27 Oct 1896 - and Louisa was subsequently imprisoned. The Lewisham Workhouse had passed the children on to Greenwich, as they belonged to the parish. I cannot find any discharge records, but a year later they were re-admitted on 1 Jan 1898 to Greenwich again, this time the entire family (except son Harry in the army), giving home address as 3 Armada Street [apparently renamed New Street, but I cannot find it]. As Henry is there, I assume he returned (voluntarily or not) and as I said in his segment, he had to return to the workhouse alone in March of that year, and many times in the decades hat followed. By this time Louisa Annie was 15, and soon left home. She can be seen in the next census (1901) working as a barmaid at The Buck's Head, 55 St John's Road, Battersea (now a betting office). On 3 Jun 1906 at St Luke's church, Chelsea she married Stephen Charles Russell, farmer's son from Sussex. Stephen was listed as labourer on his marriage certificate, and can be seen in 1911 working at a scrap-iron works, living at 2 St Andrews Terrace, Vauxhall Bridge Road. In the same house was Henry with Daisy & Ernest, by then in their 20s & Ernest was working as a coal porter for a coal merchant, Henry was labourer & road sweeper for Bow Council. They must have moved back to Sussex after this, as when Stephen died there in 1929 he was living at Cornford's Cottages, Punnetts Town, Heathfield and his funeral was held at the parish church, All Saints. The death in Heathfield I had attributed to Louisa turns out to be another lady by that name, as usual there are several possibilities and I can't tell which one is correct.

Thursday 21st May 2015

What happened on this day:

20th May
Walter Woodford was born in 1892
Margaret Edith Matthews in 1907
Grace Knight née Bennett died in 1883
21st May
Edward Dance Cox married Harriet Annie Taylor in 1893
Amelia Roberts née Knight died in 1914 in Australia
Mary Knight née Hore was buried in 1803

James Frederick Small, my 3x great grandfather and HGS Senior's brother, was born 25 Jan 1823 in Pimlico and christened 1st Dec 1824 at St James Piccadilly. At this time they lived at Stanbrook Court, Piccadilly but 1841 census only shows James as an 18 year old servant in College of Advocates Square, St Benet Pauls Wharf, 3 miles due East, in the City. In Jul 1844 at St Margaret, Westminster he married neighbour Margaret Miles and a few weeks later Alice was born (see 12th May below) at Little Wild Street, Bloomsbury. As I have noted before, I cannot find the family home in 1851 but can see Margaret visiting in St George in the East area [not very far from Mile End, where I went to University, in the East End of London], listed as a Hop Worker. They had 5 children: 4 daughters then a son James, who died aged 5. In 1861 census they can be seen at 5 St Anne's Court, Westminster - in Devil's Acre I told you about. James was working as a shoemaker and they had 4 children (including James). Margaret died 27 Jul 1865 aged 42 in Golden Square and was buried in Victoria Park Cemetery, Hackney [the history of this place is not good - it was used for overflow from other areas in London and was overfilled many times, resulting in collapse of graves and pestilence. Only the gates now survive.James married again on 17 May 1869 at St Mary Soho (church was never completed and is now demolished), and they can be seen in 1871 census at 15 King Street, St Giles, James a "Ladies Shoemaker" and Sarah laundress. Unfortunately they were not together long, as he died himself in Oct 1871 aged 48. He was buried with Margaret in the cemetery above. Sarah may have re-married the following year, but there are no details, so I cannot be sure.

Monday 18th May 2015

What happened on this day:

Agar Alexander Retallick was born 1908 and
William Richard Manhire in 1852
My Grandparents Louisa Margaret Wooldridge & Harry Thomas Gamble married in 1929
Martha Roffey née Johnson died in 1904
John Wooldridge was buried in 1781

Before I move away from the trio of Henry George Smalls, I would like to share some details I dug up yesterday. This story has been odd in that the middle generation spent his time going in & out of the workhouse while his father owned property. It seems that Henry George Small Senior owned premises at 19 Great Marlborough Street during 1854 to 1879 at least - this later became Liberty's (where I worked in 1975 - it is a very famous department store, second only to the even more famous Selfridge's) and thus extremely lucrative property. In 1874-9 he also owned 62 Poland Street nearby. This is the Star & Garter pub (and was since at least 1825) - and still is. In 1886 records show he owned 5 Granby Place, St Clements Danes - this is off Drury Lane (aka Theatre Land), while renting a "room on the first floor, unfurnished at 5/6 per week" in White Lion Street for himself & son Robert. By 1897 he lived in 14 Ebury Square, renting from the owner John Hunt, and that was where he died. I can't find any probate record, so don't know what happened to the properties. [I have spent some time in the newspaper records, chasing a red herring - one George Henry Small (sic) who, it turns out, travelled up to London from his home in Kent to write poetry about the Duke of Wellington, but this wasn't of good enough quality and he was reduced to having to steal a coat, for which he was arrested. Needless to say, this wasn't "my man". I have said several times with regard to the stories of the day "you couldn't make it up!" People think Dickens wrote fiction!] On a more positive note, I have managed to track down Harry's military record. He attested to the Royal Horse & Field Artillery at Woolwich on 27 Nov 1900 at the age of 19 years and 3 months, 5ft 7.5 ins tall with fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, a brown speck in his right iris and a mole on his right shoulder (I am constantly amazed at the detail on these records!). He was posted as a Gunner "At Home", ie in Britain, until May 1902, during which service he was wounded in the right leg, but not severely enough to affect anything. On 10 May 1902 he was posted to South Africa, then the Boer War ended & he was sent from 10 Jul 1902 until 6 Dec 1907 to India. On 7 Dec 1907 he returned home, having on 1 Apr 1904 signed on for a further 8 years. He was generally a good soldier: on 24 Nov 1902 & 24 Nov 1905 he received Good Conduct badges, then promotion to Bombadier on 18 Jan 1908. However, due to misconduct at this point (no details given) he was demoted back to Gunner on 3 Oct 1908. He celebrated "12 years with the Colours" on 21 Nov 1908 and was soon taking on more (albeit temporary) responsibility; he can be seen as "Acting Schoolmaster" on 25 Oct 1910 and - as we have already seen on the census - "Acting Bombardier" in 1911. After his marriage, he was discharged on 25 Aug 1913, notching up 12 years 275 days of service.

I have also found that his father "Henry George Small 2" lived out the final years of his life, after release from the asylum, at 31 Bessborough Place, Pimlico. He rented rooms at this address from 1921 through to 1939 at least, and daughter Daisy can be seen with him from 1935, along with her husband & family.

Sunday 17th May 2015

What happened on this day:

"William Cox 2" was born in 1827
Ellen Woodford (née Dawkins) died in 1925 and
Millicent Woodford (née Atkins) in 1871

I have introduced you to two generations of Henry George Smalls, but you may have guessed that there was a third. Henry George Small 3 (Harry) was born 11 Aug 1881 at 29 D'Oyley Street, Chelsea to HGS 2 and Louisa Mary née Judd and christened 30 Oct 1881 at Holy Trinity Chelsea. As he missed the census of 1881, the first record is when he started school at Cold Blow Lane School, Lewisham - renamed Monson Road School, so it shows how close it was. He can be seen in census of 1891 at 53 Monson Road with parents & sibs (for photo see below). On 26 Oct 1894 aged 13 he left school to become a "Newspaper Boy" - I don't know if this meant he worked for a newspaper or he just delivered them! In census of 1901 he can be seen at the Dorchester Cavalry Barracks, listed as a Gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery. I cannot find an attestation, but in 1911 he can be seen in Ipswich, posted to the Royal Artillery Barracks there and listed as Acting Bombardier. Following electoral roll records, his home address in 1909-11 was 64 Keppel Street, Chelsea, not his father's address 11 Chadwick Street, Westminster. [Keppel Street is now called Sloane Avenue, so you can imagine how close it is to where his grandfather had lived.] On 22 Dec 1912 at St Saviour, Battersea he married Emma Oake, daughter of a local bookie, who was working as a servant in Chiswick. Harry was described as a Brass Finisher. Electoral roll records show that after his marriage he lived at several addresses in Green Street, Chelsea 1912-15, then 1921-35 at 3 Kinnerton Place North [this has recently gone up for sale for £2m - and it has just one bedroom!] They had 2 sons, both born in Wandsworth, where Emma's father lived. I have conflicting evidence for later years. I did think Harry & Emma moved to Essex, where he died in 1937 and she in 1977. However, he appears to have attested again to the Royal Artillery for WW2 in 1939, being transferred to the Z Reserves in 1946, then discharged as over the age limit in 1958. This all sounds feasible until you realise his age at that time was 77!

Saturday 16th May 2015

What happened on this day:

Alice Gamble was born in 1870
Thirza Woodford was christened in 1847 and
John Williamson Woodford in 1855
Emma Roffey married George Elphinstone Job in 1842
George Roffey died in 1859

Henry George Small 2 was the son of the Henry I dealt with yesterday, born Apr 1853 in the St Georges Hanover Square area, probably Little Chester Street (see yesterday). As I said yesterday, the 1861 census for this family is missing, so straight on to 1871, where he can be seen with parents & brothers, aged 17 at 42 King Street, St Giles, working as a porter. On 12 Jul 1879 at St Saviour, Upper Chelsea he married Louisa Mary Judd, daughter of a coachman, his occupation described as "Umbrella Finisher". 1881 census shows that they didn't move far from his parents; they can be seen at 29 D'Oyley Street, off Sloane Street (as was White Lion Street) [This is close to where my daughter lived last year] By 1901 they had moved again & can be seen in the census at 11 Chadwick Street, Westminster. Things are not looking good - although only 2 children are at home, Henry has had to take work as a General Labourer. Then Louisa died very shortly after the census was taken, so in 1911 census Henry is shown widowed, at 2 St Andrews Terrace, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Westminster. Looking into what he did next, I uncovered a huge network of paperwork showing workhouse visits, starting in 1898, when Henry & Louisa had been admitted along with their 4 children (the eldest Henry was away in the army), the reason given was "destitution". Louisa & the children returned home, but Henry had to return in March, leaving at the end of May. Later records show a similar story in 1908-20 when Henry was in & out of the workhouses at City Road, Holborn (previously called St Lukes) and St Pancras workhouse. Notes suggest the reason was that he was unable to work through illness, as he is listed as "not able-bodied" and is given a "diet for the infirm". In 1921 records shift to Camberwell (altough these records have an incorrect middle initial I think they are his), he is listed as "caretaker" but discharged because of "paralysis" to Cane Hill Asylum in Coulsdon, Surrey. He must have been discharged into the care of one of his children, as he died in Oct 1941 in Chelsea (although there is only the one registration document as it was wartime, so no further details) aged 88.

Friday 15th May 2015

What happened on this day:

Daisy Maud Hodd was born in 1887
Ernest Herbert Hennig married Alice Mary Ashton in 1920
Mary Ann Parker married Joseph Holgate in 1880
William Edgar Woodford died in 1915
Edmund Charles Woodford in 1929 and
Edward W S G Roffey in 1979

I thought this tree would be straightforward, but far from it! I am sorry for the delay while I try to sort it out... Of course, in studies like this you have to work backwards from what you know, and in this instance that was Louisa and her siblings born to James Frederick Small and Margaret Miles. His parents are the problem, as all I know is they are Richard & Louisa and the 3 offspring I know about were all born in 1820s, before Registration came about. Baptism records in Middlesex/London are plentiful but often give no details - like dates! So I have 4 other possible siblings but no census confirmation etc. A set of census records led to a theory that Richard was a cab-driver who settled in Clerkenwell, but his wife was called Ann. I cannot find that Louisa died and he remarried, or that Ann was her middle name. A marriage fits on 26 Jul 1819 at St George's in Bloomsbury with one Ann Bedford, but why then was his wife's name given in baptism records of the children as Louisa? I suspect that he ended up in the Workhouse, so don't know whether to hope for confirmation he is "mine" or not.

Henry George Small was born in 1826 in Dorset Mews, St George's [oddly, renamed in 1938 "Dorset Works"] to Richard and Louisa and was christened 28 Dec 1829 at St James Piccadilly with his sister Louisa Eliza. Just to confuse, the only 1841 census I can find for him shows the correct area but the wrong parents' names (William & Jane) and wrong siblings. Henry is shown as a farrier, which matches his marriage cert - and that has his father as Richard, Hackney cab driver! Oh dear! On 23 Apr 1848 at St Andrew Holborn he married Mary Ann Edwards also born in Bloomsbury, daughter of a fellow cabbie. (She doesn't help matters by being known as Ann in some records). They settled in the registration area known as St Georges Hanover Square and had 4 sons there. They can be seen in census of 1851 in Little Chester Street, Belgrave with baby son William. Unfortunately the census for this family is missing for 1861 but they can be seen in 1871 at 42 King Street, St Giles [now flats] with 3 sons, 2 working as porters. In 1881 census they were at 10 White Lion Street, Chelsea with son Robert, who was working as a stableman (there was a livery stable in White Lion Street at that time, although White Lion Street was swept away when the Royal Hospital was built), then in 1891 the household was the same at 4 Chester Cottages, Belgrave. By this time Henry had retired and was occupied as a Road Sweeper, Robert a builder's labourer. [These are fancy addresses, albeit tiny properties - Chester Cottages are selling at the moment for £1.6million apiece - rather worrying if his father was the Richard in the workhouse at this time!]. As Mary Ann died aged 74 in July 1897, in 1901 census Henry was alone, at 14 Ebury Street, St Georges, and in Jul 1903 he died there aged 76

Tuesday 12th May 2015

What happened on this day:

Mary Ann Roffey was born in 1825
Henry Wooldridge was christened in 1816
and James Knight in 1821

Before I go back to the "Main Trunks" I would like to study the family of another great grandparent, Louisa Small:

Alice Elizabeth Small (her elder sister) was born at Little Wild Street, Bloomsbury, London (then Middlesex) on 29 Sep 1844 to James Frederick & Margaret née Miles (11 weeks after their marriage) and was christened there at St George's on 10 Nov 1844. However, after this good start this is one of those stories that fades away. She may well have gone by her middle name - and there are a lot of Elizabeths! I did think I found she had emigrated - but when she was 104, so I think that unlikely!

Elizabeth Small, another sister, was born 22 May 1854 in Pimlico and christened 27 Mar 1855 at the Old Church, St Pancras. In 1861 census she can be seen at 5 St Anne's Court, Westminster with parents & sibs. This may sound a salubrious area but was far from it, especially at that time, in the area Dickens called "Devil's Acre". I don't know if you are aware of Dr Snow and his work on cholera, but I made a special study of it in my dim & distant past. He basically invented epidemiology by proving the epidemic rife in the area at the time was caused by the infected water from the pump in the street. I won't disgust you with details of conditions found here at this time, but I have a shocking account of this very road. His paper was published in 1854 - the year Elizabeth was born - and it was only many years later that the area was improved, largely in the 1880s when the Peabody Trust raised the land and built healthy homes. Her mother died in 1865 (whether related to the epidemic I do not know, as yet). By the next census in 1871 her father had remarried and his children were elsewhere. I cannot track Elizabeth down in that census, but on 11 Apr 1874 she arrived in Brisbane, Australia on board the SS Alexandra. She married Scotsman William George Grant a mere 4 months later, so maybe they met on the voyage or already knew each other. They married 24 Aug 1874 in Brisbane and had 4 children (although two died in infancy) before Elizabeth succumbed to pneumonia in the winter of 1882 aged only 28 (21 Aug) at Bulimba. William married Margaret Priddy Wilson and went on to have 7 more children with her. He died aged 44 in Townsville on 14 Dec 1895. 

Monday 11th May 2015

What happened on this day:

Gordon Reginald Retallick was born in 1906
Simon Knight married Grace Bennett in 1845
"John Woodford 5" died in 1850
Viole Retallick died in 1961

Thomas Herbert Hatton was born Apr 1892 in Old Dalby to Herbert & Ann née Biddles. He can be seen in censuses of 1901 & 1911 at Old Hall, Ragdale with parents, sibs & servant, aged 8 & 18 respectively. At some point (probably 1914) at Hoby, he joined the army and was sent to fight. On 10 Oct 1917 aged 25 he was Killed In Action, and is commemmorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Flanders.

William Hatton was born May 1783 in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire to Stephen & Mary and was christened there 29 Jun 1783. On 20 Oct 1814 at Old Dalby Parish Church (see below) he married local girl Elizabeth Tuckwood (apparently he was living in Broughton Sulney - now Upper Broughton - at the time). This may explain why Selina was born at Old Dalby & baptised in Broughton. All the children were born in Old Dalby, but when Elizabeth died in Jul 1838 aged 56 it was in the Barrow-upon-Soar area. I have mentioned before that by the time of the 1841 census, William had left the "chidren" (in their 20s) to keep the farm going in Old Dalby, while he grazed his herd in Knipton, 14 miles away. By 1851 he was retired, and living back at Dalby with son William running the farm with his family. He died there Jan 1855 aged 71

His youngest son was also William Hatton, born in 1821 and can be seen in census of 1841 in Old Dalby as outlined above, with his sisters. On 10 Jun 1847 at the Parish Church in Old Dalby (see below) he married Jane Woodford (my 3xg great-aunt), daughter of a local joiner, and they ran the farm. They had 4 children there, and can be seen in census of 1851 with two of these, and William senior, who was retired. In 1861 they can be seen to have moved to Nether Broughton and he is listed as Farmer, with 4 children until 1881 (52 acres). In 1891 the children have left, and William & Jane can be seen at Dalby Road, Nether Broughton, "living on own means" - ie pensioners living on savings etc. They inhabited one of 4 lodges at the edge of the village. On 2 Jan 1899 William died, leaving £422 to Herbert, his son and Leonard Milnes, his son-in-law. (Strangely the probate document calls him "gentleman, from Shoby" - he may be called a gentleman as he was of independent means, but not from Shoby, which is 6 miles away, the other side of Old Dalby). He was buried in the Parish Churchyard, Old Dalby and Jane joined him on 4 Mar the following year.

Sunday 10th May 2015

What happened on this day:

Nicholas Uriah Knight was born in 1875
Ann S J Roffey married Samuel Finch in 1885
Esther Cox married Henry Clements in 1868

Selina Hatton was born Sep 1815 in Old Dalby to William & Elizabeth née Tuckwood and christened at the General Baptist church, Broughton Sulney on 20 Oct 1815. In 1841 census she can be seen at Old Dalby with her siblings, working as a dressmaker, then on 15 Jul 1847 at Old Dalby Parish Church she married William Lockton, local shoemaker & grazier, and moved in with his parents. In 1851 census they can be seen in Dalby with them, next door to Thomas & Sarah Woodford. On 9 Mar 1860 William died aged 48, leaving effects worth less than £100 to Selina. So in 1861 she can be seen in the same place, with 2 nieces (one a dairymaid) and a nephew (domestic servant). The following year, on 23 Jun 1862 in the same church she married Thomas Clarke, farmer from Car Colston, 15 miles north of Old Dalby, and moved in with him. They can be seen there in census of 1871 with his daughter Rebecca & family & a niece, same in 1881 & 1891, with his other (widowed) daughter & her children, a grandson is working as servant on the farm. Selina died aged 76 & was buried 27 Sep 1892 in St Mary's churchyard, Car Colston.
Thomas followed 19 Mar 1894, aged 86.

Saturday 9th May 2015

What happened on this day:

Another quiet day:
Benjamin Knight was christened in 1787
"Joseph Woodford 2" married Ann Shilcock in 1842

Mabel Elizabeth Hatton was born Apr 1898 in Ragdale to Herbert & Ann née Biddles and can be seen in censuses of 1901 & 1911 living in a part of Old Hall, Ragdale with parents & sibs. In Jul 1923, probably in Ragdale, she married Royal Marine George Reginald Seaton Boulter (who had enlisted in 1914 aged 17 & received a long-service medal in 1930). They had one son towards the end of 1923, Mabel died aged 81 in Oct 1979, in the Melton mowbray area and George aged 84 in 1982 in Leicester.

Friday 8th May 2015

What happened on this day:

Louisa Agnes Catchesides was born in 1833 and
Edward Charles Roffey in 1875
John & Joseph Woodford were christened in 1842
Mary Knight married William Small in 1816
Mary Ann Retallick née Matthews was buried 1895 and
Henry Thomas Roffey in 1952

Herbert William Hatton was born Jan 1853 in Old Dalby to William & Jane née Woodford, younger brother of Francis, dealt with yesterday. Thus he can be seen in censuses 1861-81 in Dalby then Nether Broughton. In Jan 1888 he married Ann Biddles, whose parents ran the Six Hills Hotel at Willoughby [nowadays a rather run-down mock-tudor rambling place - it is difficult to see what exists from 150 years ago], then worked as a servant in Thorpe-in-the-Glebe, 6 miles to the west. They settled in Dalby - I suspect he inherited/leased the same grazing land his father worked some decades before - and raised 4 children there. In 1897 they moved to Ragdale and had the final child (Mabel) there. Thus he can be seen in 1891 census in Dalby-on-the-wolds working as grazier/farmer with 2 children, then in 1901 in part of Old Hall, Ragdale with 5 children. They were still there in 1911, but Herbert died there aged 76 on 12 Jan 1929, leaving effects worth £7394 to widow Ann & eldest daughter Emma. Ann lived in the Melton Mowbray area until she died in Apr 1950 aged 87.

Laura Annie Hatton was the last of the children of Herbert & Ann born in Dalby, so can only be seen with them in censusues of 1901 & 1911 in Ragdale. In Jan 1933 she married Ebenezer Cross, dairy farmer's son from Upper Broughton (one of 16 children!). It seems they had no children, which is not surprising as they married later than most, Ebenezer dying in Oct 1956 aged 74, Laura on 28 Sep 1862 aged 66. Laura left effects worth £3895 to Thomas Herbert Cross (who may be a nephew as Ebenezer's brother Thomas had died by then).

Now, the central person of this tree, my great great great grandmother
Louisa Hatton was born in 1817 in Old Dalby to William Hatton & Elizabeth née Tuckwood and can be seen in 1841 census aged 20 in Old Dalby with siblings. On 21 Apr 1847 at the Parish Church in Old Dalby she married carpenter John Woodford, in a joint ceremony with her sister Selina, where they each witnessed the other's marriage. As I discussed recently, William was born mere weeks after the wedding, leading someone to scrub the date out of the family bible, but he died of consumption 8 months later. In 1851 census they can be seen in Old Dalby, with baby Reuben (my great great grandfather), John's brother Andrew, also his father John & family. The twins Hatton & Caroline were born (and died) in 1854, and by the next census in 1861 the family had moved to Upper Broughton and can be seen there with Reuben & a servant. They soon relocated to London though, as Reuben met his future wife there & married in 1870.In census of 1871 Louisa & John can be seen living at 32 King Street, St Anne, Westminster. They stayed here with several other couples but by 1881 they had moved on again, this time to Lambeth, where the "dynasty" began. In 1881 census they can be seen at 6 East Street, which we knew as Lollard Street (my grandparents lived just around the corner in my early childhood) and this looked directly onto the Bricklayers' Arms. Louisa died there (Lambeth, not the pub!) in Jul 1886 and John boarded in Newington for a while before he died 17 Sep 1894 aged 74 (at 30 Clayton Buildings, where his son lived - and died 12 years later).

Thursday 7th May 2015

What happened on this day:

6th May:
Violet Mary Matthews was born in 1917
William Charles Woodford died in 1937
Ann Grose Retallick née Courtney died 1919
7th May:
Henry Smith married Emily Kate Cutler in 1910
Hilda Matthews married William Allen Rayner in 1918
Thomas May died 1885
Thomas Snell (who married Mary Ann Knight) was buried in 1877

Francis Hatton was born Sep 1850 in Old Dalby to William & Jane née Woodford and he can be seen in 1851 census aged 7 months at Dalby-on-the-Wolds with parents, sister & grandfather William Hatton. As I have related with sisters Elizabeth & Emma, the family moved to Nether Broughton and he can be seen there with them in censuses of 1861-81. Shortly after this last one, at Nether Broughton church he married neighbour Charlotte Lovett, grazier's daughter, and they had a daughter, charmingly named Frances, but unfortunately he had died before she was born, on 13 Apr 1882. He was buried there 17 Apr, leaving effects worth £148 to Charlotte. Charlotte remarried in 1890, to widower James Wilford of Long Clawson, who had 4 children from his first marriage and they had 3 of their own. They lived there until he died in 1927 and she in 1937, aged 79 & 86 respectively.

Frances Mary Hatton was born as outlined above in Jul 1882 in Nether Broughton. She can be seen in census of 1891 with the family (her mother, step-father, half-sibs etc) at the Old Manor House, Long Clawson. Then in 1901 she can be seen at 13 Eldon Place, Bradford, working as a draper's assistant in a large drapery business, along with 23 other assistants, 3 cashiers & 5 domestic staff as well as her employer's family [Eldon Place is a listed building, now part of Bradford Regional College] She was evidently trained as a milliner, as that is what appeared on her marriage certificate, when on 24 Mar 1907 in Bedford she married Arthur Ernest Pears, commercial clerk from Melton Mowbray. They lived in Bedford for some years and had 2 sons there, but were back in Nottinghamshire when they died in 1952, Arthur 19 Feb and Frances 16 Sep, leaving effects worth £4500 to their sons, by then a local government officer & a solicitor.

Francis William Hatton was born Sep 1889 in Old Dalby to Herbert & Ann née Biddles and can be seen (as outlined in section of sister Emma - see last Sunday) in census of 1891 aged 1 with parents, sister & 2 servants. Then in 1901 & 1911 at Old Hall, Ragdale, with parents, sibs & servant. In Oct 1915 he married Ellen Jane Shelton, but he died in Jan 1919 then she followed in Jan 1927, aged 29 & 37 respectively. I cannot see that they had any children.

Monday 4th May 2015

What happened on this day:

James Hayward Woodman (who married Jane Smith) died in 1865
Edmund Thomas Retallick was buried 1865

Sorry, I spent Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you) watching a marathon of all the movies on TV. I shall be back here later in the week.

Sunday 3rd May 2015

What happened on this day:

All deaths today, I'm afraid :-(
Ernest Francis Hennig died in 1907
Reuben John Woodford in 1963
Thomas George Hodd was Killed In Action in 1917
(Hester) Isabella Matthews née Offer in 1951

Emma Elizabeth Hatton was born Sep 1848 in Old Dalby to William & Jane née Woodford, elder sister of Elizabeth I dealt with yesterday, and was christened at the Parish Church there on 3 Oct 1848. It seems that William & Jane only had their first-born christened, as her siblings were not, as far as I can see. She can be seen on census of 1851 aged 2 in Dalby with parents, sibs & grandfather William Hatton, retired farmer. As I said below, the family moved to Nether Broughton for the next census and she can be seen there in 1861 aged 12 with parents & sibs, then still in 1871 & 1881. Just after the latter she married neighbour Edward Greaves and in 1891 census they can be seen farming their own land nearby, with 4 sons. Unfortunately 3, maybe even all, of these joined up to the Army to fight in WW1 and two died in 1918 in their 30s. In 1901 census they can be seen at The Pastures, Hickling, just across the border in Nottinghamshire (but only 2 miles from Nether Broughton) Emma died in Oct 1908 aged 60, so 1911 census shows Edward, widowed farmer, with 3 sons & a daughter-in-law at Langar Lodge, Barnstone. Edward died there in Oct 1929 aged 81. Both his & Emma's deaths were registered in Bingham district, and I suspect they are buried in St Luke's, Hickling.

Emma Jane Hatton (the other Emma's niece) was born in Old Dalby to Herbert & Ann née Biddles. She can be seen in censuses of 1891 in Old Dalby (from the positioning of the census, probably in Debdale Hill, for those that know the village, or remember it from 2013) aged 2, then in 1901 the family have relocated to Ragdale Old Hall [demolished 1958], only 3.5 miles away, and farmed the land adjacent to the hall and were still there in 1911. In Apr 1918 she married Walter Edmund Pickard, who had been born in Long Clawson (where the Stilton cheese still comes from) and lived most of his life in Thrussington, the next village to Old Dalby. Emma & Walter married in the Melton Mowbray Registration Area, which could mean Thrussington Church, but more likely Ragdale. As it appears they did not have any children, the next we hear is Walter's death on 19 Jul 1938 at Leicester Royal Infirmary, giving his address as Thrussington, and leaving £2234 to Emma and two farmers I don't know - probably friends. Emma followed, but many years later - she died in Jan 1975 in the Leicestershire Central area, which at that time was made up of Blaby, Barrow on Soar, Billesdon, Loughtborough, Lutterworth & Market Bosworth, and it could be any of these.

Saturday 2nd May 2015

What happened on this day:

Arthur Augustus Hodd was christened in 1900
John Knight married Dorothy Bray in 1726
Sidney George Cox died 1971
Joseph Hodd died 1901
Emily E S Knight died 1876 aged 14
James Knight was buried 1838

Elizabeth Hatton was born April 1855 in Old Dalby to William & Jane née Woodford, who evidently soon moved to Nether Broughton, as that was where the family was in 1861 census. In 1871 Elizabeth can be seen aged 15, living with her uncle William Hatton & family in Old Dalby next door to her widowed grandfather John Woodford, working in the household as servant. In 1881 she was back in Nether Broughton with parents & sibs but in Jul 1884 she married local lad Leonard Milnes, builder, and they had 3 children. Unfortunately, they must have lived in unhealthy conditions, because within 5 years all 5 members of the family died, I suspect from phthisis (TB) - certainly the youngest daughter did. [The village is quite well-to-do nowadays, but a long time has passed...] They lived in Chapel Lane, Nether Broughton for 1891 & 1901 censuses, then on 2 Apr 1907 Elizabeth died aged 52 and was buried in the churchyard, St Mary the Virgin, Nether Broughton. Son Leonard Gill (known as Gill; this was Leonard's grandmother's maiden name) died in the same month aged 18, but I don't know day or burial details for him. In 1911, son Harold died in January, before the census was taken, aged 20 and daughter Hilda on 6 May, a few weeks after. So she appeared aged 19 with her widowed father on the census just a month before her death. He followed the rest a few months later, on 15 Jan 1912. His probate documents were interesting, he left effects worth £828 to William Ball, builder and Francis Payne Milnes, widow - presumably in-laws - but evidently someone queried this (probably due to lots of deaths in close proximity causing confusion) and it was reassessed as £1048.

Friday 1st May 2015

What happened on this day:

Not much, I'm afraid
Albert Edward Knight was born in 1866
Sir James Roffey died in 1912

I don't know if you remember, but I have previously explained how I came to discover Genealogy. My grandmother had an old Family Bible, handed down from her grandfather's family, and on the inside back fly-leaf were hand-written details of a sad little story. It reads:
John Woodford was Born June 28th 1820
Louisa Hatton was Born Mar 18th 1817
John Woodford and Louisa Hatton was (sic) married April 21st 1847
William Hatton Woodford son of John and Louisa Woodford was Born June 3rd 1847
William Hatton Woodford died February 14th 1848
Reuben Woodford son of John and Louisa Woodford was Born September 8th 1849
Caroline and Hatton Woodford son and daughter of John and Louisa Woodford was (sic) Born January 7th 1854 at 2 o'clock in morning
Hatton Woodford son of John and Louisa Woodford died January 19th 1854
Caroline Woodford son of John and Louisa Woodford died aged 7 weeks
One of the most heart-breaking things about this page, I think, is the fact that it trails away, running out of ink as if tears were taking over, and the last entry doesn't even have a date. The only surviving child Reuben grew up to be my Nan's grandfather, and passed the Bible down to her and she in turn to me. The date of William's birth was scrubbed out by someone ashamed that he was born a mere 6 weeks after his parents married, and wishing to expunge that fact from family history. I'm sorry, but it doesn't work that way - I have a copy of the birth certificate.

I shall now study Louisa's family, the Hattons, as I feel they are central to our family tree (she is after all my 3xgreat grandmother). It isn't a large tree, as you can see.

Caroline Hatton was born in 1818 in Old Dalby, Leicestershire to William & Elizabeth née Tuckwood. Unfortunately Leicestershire C of E baptisms are not available online. She can be seen in census of 1841 in Old Dalby with her 3 siblings, brother William listed as Grazier on the land. As they were all brought up at Old Dalby, I imagine their father had only recently moved to Knipton, 15 miles away, where he was currently grazier, possibly only at the death of his wife 3 years previously. In Apr 1846 at the Parish Church Old Dalby she married Isaac Burroughs, son of local schoolmaster. In census of 1851 Isaac is described as "Cottager of 6 cows" ie smallholder, living in Old Dalby, and in 1861 they have a 7-year-old nephew John Burroughs with them and 2 servants, one domestic, one farm. The farm has extended to 54 acres - this may have something to do with her father's death in 1855, or Isaac's (his mother was a widowed cottager in 1841 census). By 1871 they had extended the acreage to 65 acres and their address was Back Lane - this country lane leads to Willoughby-on-the-Wolds to the North West. They still had nephew John with them, along with 2 servants. In 1881 the farm extended to 110 acres, John had gone but they now had 3 servants, 2 farm, one domestic. Caroline died in Jan 1887 aged 69, and Isaac married Ann Perkins the following year (15 years younger than him). She had a daughter Annie from her previous marriage, who can be seen with them in 1891 census on the farm, with 2 farm servants. Isaac died 23 Mar 1897 aged 78, leaving effects worth £559 to Ann, who subsequently moved to Derbyshire with her daughter when she married. [I suspect there is a hotel on the site of the farmhouse now, as there is no other building on that road]

Thursday 30th April 2015

What happened on this day:

29th April:
My Grandad Henry Thomas Gamble was born in 1904
Jemima Cox was christened in 1832
and Edith Annie Knight in 1873
John Retallick married Jane Prior 1861 in Australia
Caroline Hodd married Henry James Head 1877
30th April:
My Grandad William George Matthews was christened in 1882
Elizabeth Woodford married Sampson Gadd in 1855
David Thomas Gamble died in 1900

Chasing up Victoria Louisa Gamble, I again found a red herring, as I found transcription of a gravestone in Tasmania for a (Mabel) Victoria Louisa Castle née Gamble, but found that she had been born in Tasmania and married there to an Arthur Clyde Castle. Again I searched for our girl after 1911 & came up with nothing...

The same happened with William Gamble. Two 1911 censuses led to brick walls, as one has father Charles, and one was born in Nottingham.

Likewise I found nothing new on my mum's cousin Billy William Alfred J Gamble. Vanessa, if you happen to find this on Google, Ancestry etc would you get in touch please. I'd love an update!

William Marshall Gamble was born Jul 1853 at Chiswick to James & Harriet née Hawkins, one of Isaac's brothers, and christened 5 Aug 1853 at St Mary's, Mortlake. He can be seen on census of 1861 aged 7 at Back Street, Barnes, with parents & brothers, then in 1871 aged 17 at Laurel Cottage, Mortlake with parents & sibs, working as a carrier. By 1881 he can be seen at 7 Pownall Terrace, Lambeth, lodging with John Gregory, fellow Hackney Carriage driver. This is an interesting address, as Charlie Chaplin lived at no. 7 as a small child a mere 13 years later. He died in Jan 1884 in the registration area of St George, Hanover Square - I don't know why there - aged only 30.

This is the end of my trawl through the Gambles, so tomorrow I shall move onto another branch.

Monday 27th April 2015

What happened on this day:

Richard Ernest Gamble was born in 1890
Emily Augusta Cox in 1851
Edward John Cox in 1885.
Amelia Knight was christened in 1834
Ernest Sidney Smith in 1902 and
Clara Mary Knight in 1854
Bertie Tysoe (who married Ettie Maud Woodford) died in 1917

Marion Edith Kitty Gamble was born Jul 1902, a few weeks after her parents' marriage - Joseph & Marion née Quinney - in Lyndhurst, Hants (the guy who ran his own company, who I dealt with on Friday). She can be seen aged 8 on 1911 census with parents & 4 sisters at Pikes Hill, Lyndhurst. I did think she emigrated to Connecticut & died there, but I have today found the death record and it related to a Mrs Marian Gamble née Lovett, born in New York, so I have discounted that. Oddly enough, when I found her marriage in 1926 in the New Forest it was a very similar name! In Jan 1926 she married local lad Frederick Baden Harry Lovell. I cannot see that they had any children and they died in Somerset in 1965 & 67

Friday 24th April 2015

What happened on this day:

"William Woodford 6" was christened in 1867
Caroline Hodd in 1857
Betty Gamble (born Beatrice Smitten) died 2011
Jane Knight née Neave died 1708

John Augustine Gamble was born 10 Jan 1885 at 36 Distillery Road, Brentford to Henry & Esther née Walker. He can be seen in census of 1891 aged 6 at 11 Brook Road, Ealing with parents & brother (they had moved there the previous year) with 2 lodgers. The 1901 census shows him aged 17 at 5 Albany Road, Old Brentford, boarding & working as a "pit worker in a skin factory". I can't find out what a "pit worker" did there, but he used the term "skinner" when attesting to the army a couple of years later. This was 28 May 1903 when, aged 18, he went along to the army recruitment office in Kew and joined up to the Royal Fusiliers. He passed all the medicals etc (I know the colours of his skin, eyes & hair and where he had scars due to boils - no doubt an occupational hazard of his workplace) and was posted to Woolwich barracks. In 1905 he did Infantry Training at Kilworth, Leicestershire, followed by Transport Duties at Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. In Apr 1906, at Portobello Barracks in Dublin he signed up to a further period of service, making 9 years (he had already served 3). However, in 1912 he was transferred to the Reserve and then released from service in 1913. WW1 soon started, though, and he was re-mobilised on 5 Aug 1914 and posted 22 Oct 1915 (possibly to Africa - the document is very damaged). I cannot see why, but he was "discharged from the remainder of his period of engagement" on 27 May 1916, with a Good Conduct Medal and a Punishment Sheet completely blank bar one word against his conduct: "Exemplary". He also had a Sobriety Certificate issued, stating he had "never been under the infuence of liquor during the whole of his army service". Unfortunately, I cannot find out what he did on returning to civilian life. He may have been the John Gamble who married Elizabeth Protheroe on April 1919 in London, but both his parents were dead so there is no cross-reference info. He did have an "MI Certificate" stating he had been a "clerk employed in the Orderly Room for 4 years and 8 months" - sounds like part of a reference. Anyway, the only death that matches his age is Jul 1974 in Newham, London, but I cannot find electoral roll records to fill this gap

Following up on Joseph Francis Gamble (see 16th April 2013) I was able to find more details about either end of his life. I found his baptism on 6 Nov 1881 at St Mary's, Mortlake, stating exact birth date of 2 Jul 1881 in Barnes. In 2013 I expressed wonder at the place of his death and also the amount he left, as he was only listed as "plumber & decorator". I can see now that he was owner of the company J F Gamble & Sons (New Forest) Ltd, a fairly small family firm of builders/contractors, but with a Registered Office in Lyndhurst and Branch Offices in Bourton & Wells. When Joseph died in 1942 there was a large funeral at Lyndhurst Parish Church, then burial in the cemetery. I have a newspaper cutting listing the attendees, including lots of family members, representatives of his colleagues & employees, and also someone from Fenwick Cottage Hospitals (which explained the address of his last residence - it was as I suggested, a nursing home organized by his family). The Company was set up 28 Oct 1937 but has since been dissolved. I also have a clipping of a 1949 court case they were involved in, where they were acquitted of wrong-doing but it is business and boring...

Thursday 23rd April 2015

What happened on this day:

Sidney Walter Hennig was born 1891
Sarah Ann Grace Roffey married Charles Howey in 1867 and died on this day in 1916
Maria Rippin née Woodford died 1880

In trying to fill the gaps in early knowledge of my great great great grandfather James Gamble, (see 13th April 2013) I couldn't add anything before his marriage. I did narrow down Mary Ann's previous marriage to 4 possibilities, but scattered all over the country (I favour the one in Cheltenham, but only because it is nearest to her birthplace in Oxfordshire - this would give her the maiden name of Nichols). Witnesses at the marriage of James & Mary Ann were John & Sophia Larkin, at St Mary's, Mortlake. I also discovered that their second child Thomas died aged 16 months and was buried in the churchyard at this church in 1828. The scan of the 1841 census was pretty bad, so a better one has now revealed the word "engineer" to be "engraver". Possibly he did engraving as well as his teaching job - which makes more sense, as he never trained as an engineer, but engraving is an artistic skill. He can be seen in Post Office Directory of 1826 listed as an engraver, then in 1839 & 1851 as both. Another interesting thing is that son David, born the year following his brother Thomas' death was called Thomas as a child. (He was the one who died in the asylum close to where my daughter Vickie lived). When James died he too was buried in the churchyard, leaving effects worth less than £200 to David, the sole executor, who at that time lived with wife & 2 daughters in Ealing. As I said in 2013, Mary Ann followed him into the churchyard a few months later.  

I covered his son James Hugh Gamble, my great great grandfather, in fair detail in 2013, but have just discovered he died in the Workhouse as well as his wife, so the "slide" I referred to happened before his death, rather than at it. I don't know what happened but his life was somewhat dramatic anyway, as shown in two newspaper clippings I have found. The first dates from Sep 1864, when James appeared as complainant at the Petty Sessions, accusing a fellow cab-driver of stealing his customers in Richmond Park. Apparently licensed cabs were not permitted in the park and so they removed their license plates and then charged customers a higher rate (as a private hire) when they left. This scam upset the public, understandably, and as James had "used threats toward" the defendant, he had little support. As the defendant was not using his license at the time, apparently it was deemed that the usual rules of cabbies' conduct did not apply, so he was given the benefit of the doubt & the case dropped. This was reported quite baldly in the Surrey Comet at the time - you can imagine the fuss the tabloids would make today! The family appeared indirectly in a slightly larger newspaper in 1867, as the London Daily News reported on 10 April that year. James Hugh's son Henry, then 21, was accused of attempting to murder one Edward Edwards. As the story went, he had turned up one Sunday evening at the house of James senior, his grandfather, asking to see his grandfather & when the maid told him he wasn't home, "turned round and placed on his face a green leather mask and told her if she resisted he had persons outside who would assist him". He went upstairs (to check if she told the truth, presumably, about his grandfather being home) and she ran next door to fetch a neighbour (Mr Edwards) to help. On their return they saw Henry running off across the fields and Mr Edwards gave chase. When he caught him up, Henry shot at him with a pistol, but it didn't go off, because, although loaded, the gunpowder charge wasn't set properly. "After a struggle the pistol was secured & the prisoner taken into custody". The house was examined & grandfather's bedroom seen to have been ransacked and an old-fashioned pistol stolen. At court, as there was no evidence that the pistol was loaded and dangerous, apparently the law required he be acquitted - you couldn't make it up! They then went on to repeat the whole process on the charge of stealing the weapon, but the same happened - they could not prove "felonius intent" in stealing a pistol! There were several witnesses who swore Henry was of good character - I'm pleased to hear it, although he does sound to be lacking in the intelligence & honesty genes I hoped for!

Tuesday 21st April 2015

What happened on this day:

James Henry Gamble (Uncle Jim) was born in 1902
Eliza Jane Knight was christened 1831
"John Woodford 1" married Louisa Hatton in 1847 (the couple who started all this!)
John Retallack married Elizabeth Nicholls in 1833
David Knight married Mary Ann Mutton in 1859

Checking the information on my grandfather Henry Thomas Gamble, I discovered/confirmed that when they were first married, my grandparents lived in Camberwell Grove, and saw through electoral roll records that this was at number 116, with quite a lot of others. This last fact explains why they moved out when the family started arriving, as they probably only rented the one room. My Mother was born a short distance away at Kings College Hospital, as they had lost the first child. I hadn't realised he had survived long enough to be registered, but have found documentation showing he was called John Henry Gamble, born in the January quarter of 1931, but died shortly after. [The whole terrace was destroyed in WW2 bombing in 1944 (numbers 100-138) and now modern flats are on the site.] In 1934 they moved back to Kennington, spending 1934 & 1935 at 38 Hutton Close [now called Beaufoy Close as it is opposite where the Beaufoy Institute is - this lovely listed building was at risk, but has been saved, I understand, by being converted to a Buddhist Centre]. By 1936 they can be seen back at Clayton Buildings, where they had grown up, firstly at number 30 then at number 10, where they were when I spent much of my childhood there.

Isaac Gamble, my great grandfather, always somewhat of an enigma, had a similar gap, and having now "found" Camberwell Grove, I can see that in 1918, when he returned from WW1, they lived at 124 Camberwell Grove - one of the others in the terrace that was later bombed - and this was where Lizzie died in 1923. In 1926 he had moved to 118, so when Grandad brought Nan to 116 after their marriage, his father was next door! Not for long, though, as in 1931 Isaac moved to Sharsted Street, with his daughter Kit & husband, also his sister Alice. Kit had 2 small daughters and by 1938 they had moved out. I cannot find Isaac after 1933, but my mother may have the reason for that - as I said in 2013, she told me he lived in a caravan on the Pilgrim's Way, so would be of "no fixed abode" and thus not on the electoral roll. I undertand he was always somewhat bohemian - in fact my father suspected there may be Romany blood. I think I have proved not, but he remains off the map!

Sunday 19th April 2015

What happened on this day:

18th April:
Mary Elizabeth Wooldridge was born 1847
David Knight was christened 1835
Henry Cox married Lilian Ferres 1814
Percy Harry Roffey married Ada Frances Barker 1908
William Lobb (who married Jane Knight) died 1892 in USA
19th April:
Lilian Ann Gamble was born 1888
Joseph Knight was christened 1835
James Knight was christened 1829
Elizabeth Matthews née Munns died 1941

Further work on my Great-aunt Em, Emily Sarah Gamble, showed how she and Uncle Mick moved about London. Electoral Roll records show them at 67 Warham Street, Kennington Oval until 1939, although when Mick died in 1946 in St Helier Hospital he gave home address as 32 Faversham Road, Morden (so they must have moved to Surrey shortly before this). The years between were Wartime, and it was difficult to follow anyone at that time. Em can be seen again in 1948 at 11 Lohmann House, Kennington Oval, with daughter Vera, and she lived there until 1961, even after Vera married in 1954. In 1962 she moved in with them at 3 Crawthew Grove, Dulwich and can be seen there with them when records cease in 1964. At some point between then & 1986 she retired with them to Eastbourne, where she died in Nov 1990 aged 90. I was hoping to find a photo of her, but they appeared to have studio shots of her two older siblings, but not of her or the younger two. She does not appear in the family portrait either, but then neither does her brother Jim.

Florence Mary Gamble was born 30 Apr 1894 at 12 Clayton Buildings, Lambeth to Edward & Mary Ann née Pitt and christened 7 Jun 1894 at Emmanuel church, just behind the Buildings, in Distin Street. She can be seen in census of 1901 at 1 Richmond Cottages, Walnut Tree Walk (very close by) aged 6 with parents & siblings. She had started school on 3 May 1894 at Walnut Tree Walk School, aged 3. In 1911 census she can be seen at 8 Walton Terrace, South Lambeth Road, Vauxhall with father & siblings, aged 16 working as a book-folder [this is now Walton Close, a development of modern housing]. In Jul 1916 in Lambeth (unfortunately detailed London records are not available for this period - it was during WW1 after all) she married Walter Clarke/Clerke and they had 3 daughters in Lambeth. Unfortunately is seems that Walter died aged 40 in Jan 1931, by which time they were living in Camberwell. Florence was still in the area 35 years later, when she died aged 63 (not far from where my parents were living, and I joined them a few months later).

Friday 17th April 2015

What happened on this day:

16th April:
Mark Woodford married Ann Turner in 1841
Louisa Margaret Woodford married Charles Whitehouse in 1905
Elizabeth Eliza Gamble married Michael Hayes RN in 1911
William Knight married Mary Ann Penrose 1827
Sarah Grace Wright née Roffey died 1868
17th April:
Victor Frank Cox was christened in 1898
Mary Ann Knight married John Grose in 1849
Susan Hodd married George Alfred Dodge in 1881

I have gone through the ancestors in this tree up to Edward William Gamble, and only confirmed all I discussed in 2013. All I can add for him is the address in Battersea where he spent his entire married life: 34 Fontarabia Road, Battersea, and where both he & his wife Caroline Amy died.

Studying Elizabeth Eliza Gamble, I confirmed her husband was on the HMS Formidable before their marriage, but it seem he moved onto Pembroke II, so he evidently did not go down with the ship when it was torpedoed. His record shows he was born 24 Dec 1885 in Liverpool and prior to joining the navy was a labourer (I have tracked him down in 1911, boarding in Liverpool). He worked on board ship as a "Stoker 1st Class" and this was his 18th trip in 6 years. He was demobbed in 1918 after a further 8. I can see that he was punished for desertion in 1910 - I wonder if meeting Elizabeth had anything to do with this? I think he served 42 days incarceration and was fine afterwards. However, although they had a son Charles, born in Lambeth in 1912, I cannot be sure about anything else. Lots of emigrations have their names, as well as deaths in this country and abroad.

Monday 13th April 2015

What happened on this day:

Frederick Alfred J Wooldridge was born in 1909
Ella Manhire married William Henry Cock in 1901
Harry Wood (who married Lilian Cox) died in 1918
Edward James Roffey died in 1940

Having finished the Dance-ing, I shall now move on to Gamble-ing (!) This is my grandfather's tree, previously dealt with in March 2013.

Unfortunately, I found no new info today - although it was not for want of trying!

Friday 10th April 2015

What happened on this day:

Eleanor Knight was christened in 1791
Sarah Wooldridge married Henry (Harry) Ledger in 1803
Elizabeth Mary Wooldridge married James Lea in 1872
Edward John Cox married Gertrude Ellen Cole in 1915
Charlotte Retallick married Reuben Searle in 1850
Daniel Knight married Frances Wright in 1855
Elizabeth Stemp née Wooldridge was buried in 1842

There is one remaining Dance to follow up on, and studying him has answered a question I have been puzzling over. Thomas Dance 3 was born Mar 1829 in Vernham Dean, Hampshire to George & Ann née Jarvis and christened 12 Apr. He can be seen in censuses of 1841 aged 10 & 1851 aged 22 in Linkinholt, in the latter listed as Farm Labourer, with parents & brothers. On Christmas Eve that year he married his first cousin Elizabeth. Now, when dealing with her last time, I said I could only find a marriage to an Elizabeth Bowley, not Dance. I may have found the answer to this. When her father died she was only 5, and I suspect her mother changed her name to Bowley when Thomas Bowley became her "father" - he may even have adopted her. I cannot see that her mother married Thomas Bowley until 1857 (even after Elizabeth herself was married) and he was still living with his family in 1851. I do have doubts about this theory, I must say, as Thomas was very much younger than Mary, so I may have the wrong Mary (such a common name!) Anyway, in censuses of 1861 & 71 they (Thomas & Elizabeth) can be seen in Linkinholt with 3 children - they had 7 in all - near his parents & her brother. In 1881 they can be seen to have moved to Littledown, Vernham Dean, where they spent the rest of their lives. I did mention this address in 2013 and the pub next door, The Boot Inn which when it burned down in 2010 was over 400 years old. Thomas died here 2 Jul 1906, leaving effects worth £55 to youngest daughter Bertha, who came home from Bexhill, where she had been working as a cook, and can be seen still there in 1911 census with her widowed mother Elizabeth, who died there in 1915.

Thursday 9th April 2015

What happened won this day:

William George Matthews (my grandfather) was born on this day in 1882 - happy 133rd birthday Granded, shame we never met!
Ernest Francis Hennig was christened that same day (they were only related in that WG married his half-auntie)
Elizabeth Knight married William Tucker this day in 1874
Thomas Sobey Retallick died this day in 1858
Ethel Heygate née Knight died 1950
James Peasley (who married Ann Wooldridge) was buried this day in 1857

Time to Dance!
If you read this column in 2013 you will remember that one of my great great grandmothers had the wonderful name of Dewey Dance, and this is her family. In 2013 I covered this Dewey herself, but she had an aunt of the same name
Dewey Dance 2 was born 13 Feb 1802 at Vernham Dean, Hampshire to Thomas & Sarah née Skates and christened the following day - this probably meant she was not expected to survive, although she did, until she was 78 - youngest of 6 children. On 1 Aug 1831 in Vernham Dean church she married Thomas Cook from Chute, Wiltshire, 4 miles away. They lived in Vernham Dean for a few years and had 5 children there, then in 1836 they moved to Chute and had 2 more children there. (This may have been to be closer to his father Edward, who died there the following year).They can be seen there, in Upper Chute, in censuses of 1841-1871, Thomas listed as Ag(ricultural) Lab(ourer) or Groom. Two sons worked with him on the land, the other, Laben, moved to London & raised a family there. In Oct 1880 Dewey died and within a few days Thomas followed her. They were buried in Chute, Dewey on 18 Oct & Thomas on 28 Oct.

 Her brother George Dance was born 20 Dec 1794 at Vernham Dean and christened on 4 Jan 1795. On 12 Apr 1828 in Buttermere, Wiltshire (27 miles away) he married local girl Ann Jarvis. They settled in Linkenholt, a village close to Vernham Dean (2.5 miles) and had 6 children. They can be seen in censuses of 1841-1871 in Linkinholt, George working as an Ag Lab. Ann died Feb 1876 in Linkinholt, but was buried on 1 Mar in Preshute, Wiltshire 20 miles away (it must have been a favourite place of hers as it's not close by). George can be seen in census of 1881 widowed, living in Linkinholt with son Charles & his family, then died there Oct 1883. I cannot find a burial record for George in Hampshire or Wiltshire.

Another brother, John Dance was born 6 Mar 1793 in Vernham Dean and christened there 14 Mar 1793. On 1 Jan 1825 at Vernham Dean he married Mary Sexton and Dewey was born at the end of that year. They lived in Vernham Dean but only had 3 children before he died in Dec 1834 aged only 41. He was buried 19 Dec 1834 at St Mary's. I lose track of Mary after his death...

Monday 6th April 2015

What happened on this day:

"John Wooldridge 4" was born on this day in 1853
Catherine Retallick in 1777
Ann Sarah Jane Roffey was christened this day in 1856
Phillip Knight married Betsey Knight this day 1825
Alice Smith née Cox died this day 1961
Preston Solomon Knight died 1889
Elizabeth Ann Brack née Knight died 1957 in Australia
Philippa Knight née Varcoe died 1871

I covered one William Cox in 2013, but there were three here. William Cox 1 was born Jul 1789 at West Hanney, Berkshire to Thomas & Elizabeth née Spindler and christened there 7 Aug 1789

On 25 Oct 1810 at Wantage he married Martha Ferres (by licence with consent of father, as she was a minor - she was 20). Three of the Ferres siblings married three of the Cox siblings, but I think there were 10 of each! I have found a few baptisms for possible children: Charles 1811, Sarah 1816 & Mary 1819 but no proof these are correct, as the latter two were christened in Warminster, some distance (60 miles) from Wantage. The census I have for William in 1841 matches an electoral roll record for 1832 & puts him in Market Place, Wantage, working as a hairdresser with a 12-year-old assistant, but with no sign of Martha (or the children mentioned above). Martha died in 1860 in Wantage, but William in Wokingham - 30 miles away but at least in the same county.

William Cox 2 I dealt with in fair detail in 2013, but I have seen new documents - either end of his life. He was christened at Hungerford church on 27 May 1828 And he was buried 27 Jul 1910 at St Mary's church, Oxted

His eldest son followed the blacksmith line & I have called him William Cox 3, born Jul 1855 in Oxted. He can be seen in censuses of 1861 & 1871 in Oxted Village with parents & sibs, in the latter a 15-year-old Smith. In 1881 he can be seen living alone at Newlands, Crockham Hill, Westerham, Kent, a blacksmith in his own right, employing 1 boy. In Jan 1884 he married Mary Elizabeth Deadman, she moved into the Forge with him and they had 3 children.
Son Gordon was apprenticed to the coachbuilder next door, and daughter Ethel trained as a teacher. Both Mary & William died here, in 1925 aged 69 & in 1927 aged 71 respectively.

Sunday 5th April 2015

What happened on this day:

Barnard Cox (my 3xg grandfather) was born on this day in 1801
Thomas Dance was born this day in 1762
Archibald Charles Cox and George William Cox 3 were christened 1885
Charles Retallick died this day 1945
Alexander Knight died 1930
John May (Clifford's grandfather) died 1905
Jane Brewer née Knight was buried this day 1903

I covered the bare bones of the story of Victor Frank Cox but have now found his military records. Previously a warehouseman working for R, H & S Roagers, New Union St, London, in WW1 (1916) he enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles (transferred from the Royal London Rifles) and was demobbed from the army in 1919 with 2 medals, transferred to Class Z (Reserves) as he was no longer fit for service due to gunshot wounds to the back but was refused a pension as this was considered healed. He had served less than 3 years, but had seen action in India, South Africa & France and spent 2 months in hospital in Dorchester in 1918 with shell wounds to foot, arm & back. There was one strange item; he was punished for breaking into a hospital ward whilst on guard duty in 1919 (this may be why his pension was refused, although the only reason that springs to mind for doing so was if he was addicted to painkilling drugs - just conjecture here). The lady he married in 1926 Perthenia Stevens can be seen in census of 1911 at 36 Fawcett Road, Greenwich with parents & 2 brothers, her father a coal porter in a Gas Company. It appears that Victor & Parthenia had no children and, as I said in 2013 they both died in Thanet, Victor in 1962 & Parthenia in 1973

Saturday 4th April 2015

What happened on this day:

Edward Matthews was christened this day in 1742
James Knight in 1767
George Richard wooldridge married Alice Batchelor this day in 1895
Edwin Matthews died this day in1908
and James Wooldridge was buried in 1855

Nothing new on many Coxes that I checked. The 4 generations of Thomases were a big hope; as I said in 2013, I had such a paucity of information there was sure to be more to add two years later. Well, Thomas Cox 1 appeared to clarify when I discovered a marriage in the place they lived, Fyfield-by-Marlborough. At that time it was Berkshire or Wiltshire - (it was probably just a coincidence that the bride's surname was Wiltshire) and is now in Oxfordshire. If this is correct, he married Elizabeth Wiltshire on 28 Dec 1708 at Fyfield, and there are lots of baptisms in the area for the time around 1690, when Thomas would have been born. But there is no proof for any of this, so it remains a mystery really. I can fill in some other details should it prove to be true: an Elizabeth was buried 1713 at St Mary the Virgin, Marlborough, a Thomas was born 1713 & christened 5 Jul 1713 at Overton & Fyfield, father Thomas Cox, mother Elizabeth. Also there were 2 burials at St Nicholas, Fyfield, either of which could be him - 8 Dec 1745 or 15 Nov 1754 - and an Elizabeth at the same church 6 Oct 1743.

Thomas Cox 2, their middle son, was christened 21 Nov 1725 at the same church (his brother Francis had just died aged 4 and been buried 28 Jul 1724 at this church). Next record would be his marriage to another Elizabeth, but not necessarily in Fyfield (likely to be her parish). After marriage, they settled in West Hanney and all 7 children were born there. There is a death for an Elizabeth Cox, buried 19 Dec 1787 at St James the Great, West Hanney, with a note attached saying "paid for by the parish, and not charged the tax" which suggests they were broke.

I covered their son Thomas Cox 3 in more detail, but I have now found his burial record in West Hanney on 9 Sep 1824, again at St James the Great then I found the matching burial for Elizabeth there at the same church 9 Jul 1810 - records for "Thomas, blacksmith and Elizabeth wife of blacksmith"

Thomas Cox 4 was their son, born Aug 1785 & christened at the church above on 18 Sep 1785 but I still can't find any more for him.

Good Friday 3rd April 2015

What happened on this day:

John Robert Smith Retallick was born on this day in 1895
Elison Gordon Retallick in 1896
William Woodford married Mary Ann Pick 1855
William Crowfoot (married Martha Roffey) was buried this day in 1913

On 3rd March 2013 I said I couldn't find death records for Jemima Stroud née Cox, or of her husband. Today I can confirm that Edward died aged 80 in Jan 1917 in Chertsey Union Infirmary (although whether resident in the union workhouse at the time I cannot say) and was buried at St Mary's, Walton-on-Thames. Jemima evidently moved to Alresford, Hampshire after this, because that was where she died in Jan 1924 aged 91. She was buried on 25 Jan 1924 with Edward in St Mary's, Walton (above).

John Thomas Cox (poor man! - but then the euphemism arose much later) was born May 1837 in Inkpen, Berkshire to Barnard & Eliza née Spanswick and christened there on 4 Jun 1837 (for church pic see yesterday below). He can be seen in censuses of 1841 & 1861 at Farley Green with parents & sibs. In 1861 he was at Farley Common with father, 4 brothers, 2 cousins & some visitors, listed as a blacksmith (as I noted yesterday, Barnard had 4 assistants). On 27 Jul 1868 at St Mary's church, Farleigh he married Jane Annie Gardiner, publican's daughter from Bisley, Gloucestershire and they had 10 children, all of whom survived (although 2nd son Arthur was variously described as "imbecile"/"simple-minded" from birth - the latter description his father's own). In 1871 census John can be seen at Village Green, Farley with 2 sons, cousin Thomas Challis, also a blacksmith, and a servant. I have described how his brother James moved to Cudham, Kent, and in 1881 census John can be seen there too, but he has set up in Fairchilde's Cottages across town. In about 1884 John took his family back to Surrey but it is very odd that in 1891 census their home is called Fairchild's Cottages, Chelsham - maybe they followed a landowner as he developed the area - and they have 8 children at home. They can be seen there in 2 further censuses and died there, John in Jan 1922 and Jane in 1925

Tbursday 2nd April 2015

What happened on this day:

Lots of April Fools, celebrating 1st April:
"Walter Charles Wooldridge 2" born 1881
"Joseph Woodford 4" in 1842
Leslie Frank May 1905
Mary Anne Retallick married James Morvell 1861 in Australia
Henry Francis (who married Gertrude Wooldridge) died 1958
Martha Crowfoot née Roffey died 1918
also today:
William Manhire was christened this day in 1826
Caroline Amelia Catchesides married John Sadgrove this day in 1871

Henry Cox was the blacksmith in Lambourn Woodlands for several decades, but despite wandering round this most beautiful of English villages in Google Streetview, I cannot find the site of the forge. Although there are several old buildings, London Lane is gone/renamed and I cannot follow the census-taker of 1861 - which is a shame.

James Henry Cox was born in 1830 in Inkpen, Berkshire to Barnard & Eliza née Spanswick and was christened there 14 Feb 1839 aged 9 years. He can be seen in censuses of 1841-61 in Farley, Surrey with parents & sibs, in the latter listed as a blacksmith, one of 4 assistants his father Barnard was evidently training up (3 sons & a nephew). On 4 Feb 1866 at St John's Croydon he married Ellen Gibson and they moved into the old union workhouse buildings in Leaves Green, Cudham, Kent (see George on Monday). Both Ellen and James died in 1892 aged 58 & 62 respectively.

His grandson, the other James Henry Cox was born 30 Jul 1895 at 21 Eyot Gardens, Hammersmith to George & Julia née Finch and was christened there at St Peter's 22 Sep 1895. He can be seen in census of 1901 aged 5 at 1 Grosvenor Road, Twickenham with parents & sister, then at 141 Sheen Road, Richmond in 1911 with parents, sister & 2 boarders, listed as "Clerk to Argentine Company". This morning I had nothing but his death, but I have just found a marriage: On 20 Jul 1920 at St John the Divine, Richmond he married local widow Gladys Lilian Mable Franckeiss née Plastow, daughter of Joseph Plastow, ironmonger's porter (deceased). She had married Gunner Herbert Cecil Franckeiss in Sep 1918 and he was killed in Belgium 4 months later in Jan 1919 and buried in the cemetery at Mons. I cannot see that James & Gladys had any children. Gladys died aged 65 on 24 Jan 1962 at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, giving home address as Marrions, Lewes Road, East Grinstead and leaving effects worth £1447 to James, who was by now a chartered accountant. He must have moved to Lewes, East Sussex as that was where he died aged 79 in Jan 1975.

Monday 30th March 2015

What happened on this day:

"Edward Roffey 2" was born this day in 1780
George William Parker in 1856
Martha Matthews in 1851
Anne Woodford was christened this day in 1823
Simon Retallick in 1752
Caroline Amelia Catchesides in 1845
and Frances Warne née Knight died this day in 1913

George Henry Cox was born 5 Aug 1866 in Croydon to James & Ellen née Gibson and christened there 4 Nov 1866 at St John the Baptist. He was an only child and can be seen with his parents in censuses of 1871 & 1881 at Leaves Green Cottages, Cudham, Kent where his father was blacksmith. [Cottages which were originally built as the Cudham workhouse, but even by 1871 had become privately owned]. George evidently learned this trade too as he can be seen listed as such on census of 1901 at 1 Grosvenor Road, Twickenham with 2 children [now modern housing]. In 1911 the family has moved to 141 Sheen Road, Richmond with 2 children & 2 boarders. George died Jan 1941 aged 73 and Julia in Apr 1950 aged 83, both in Uckfield, Sussex.

The three George William Coxes were quite fully dealt with in 2013 and I cannot find anything new to report on for them. The same applies to Gert, Vic's sister.

Sunday 29th March 2015

What happened on this day:

Winifred Alice Cox was born this day in 1894
Elizabeth Dance was christened this day 1829
August Rudolph Hennig married Hellen Emma Hill this day 1876
Richard Stephen Hodd married Ellen Elizabeth Jane Webb in 1891
Louisa Jane Wheeler née Knight died this day in 1939
"John Wooldridge 2" was buried this day in 1762

Esther Cox was born Mar 1842 in Farleigh, Surrey to Barnard & Eliza née Spanswick and was christened there 25 Mar 1842. She can be seen in census of 1851 aged 9 at Farley Green with pareents & sibs. In 1861 she was working as a housemaid in the house of a landowner in Haydon Lane, Wimbledon, her sister Jemima also there as cook. Esther married Henry Clements, blacksmith from Hungerford, Berkshire, on 10 May 1868 at St Mary's church, Farley and I now have sight of the certificate. Witnesses were William Cox, her brother, Maria Spanswick (possibly a cousin; I was interested to see the Spanswicks came from Lambourn) and an H Woodham. In 1871 they can be seen at Crownpits, Goldalming, next door to the Three Crowns pub with 2 children (the third arrived shortly after the census). Unfortunately Henry died in Jan 1872 & was buried 24 Jan 1872 in Clifton, Gloucestershire (now Bristol). I don't know why he was in that part of the country when the rest of the family were at home in Surrey, possibly away working, but I don't know why he didn't return home to be buried, if not in Surrey then in Berkshire. Thus in 1881 census Esther can be seen a widow aged 36 , working as a domestic servant in Philmore House, Copers Cope Road, Beckenham. Then in 1891 aged 49 she had attained the rank of Cook, and can be seen working at 10 Anerley Road, Penge in the household of two elderly ladies, with her daughter Elizabeth, now 22, as parlourmaid. By 1901 Esther was back in Surrey, working as cook for a Church of England clergyman & family (Elizabeth now a cook in her own right nearby). In 1911 Esther was aged 69 at Somerley, Annandale Avenue, Bognor, Sussex, servant to a widow. Esther died in Jul 1917 in Epsom and was buried 11 Aug 1917 at Sutton Cemetery.

Saturday 28th March 2015

What happened on this day:

Elizabeth Knight was christened this day in 1852
Edward John Roffey christened 1813
Elizabeth Wooldridge married John Stemp this day in 1829
and "Charles Wooldridge 4" was buried this day 1856

no new records found

Friday 27th March 2015

What happened on this day:

Florence Martha E Wooldridge was born on this day in 1907
Ann Elizabeth Catchesides was christened this day in 1844
Alice Woodford née Shillcock died this day 1899
John Edwin Woodford died 1941
"Joseph Woodford 5" was buried this day 1857

I dealt fully with the two Dewey Coxes in 2013 and can see no further documents.

Edith Fanny Cox was born 1 Sep 1875 at 7 Parker Road, Croydon to Charles & Sarah née Challis and was christened 31 Oct 1875 at St Peter's. She can be seen in censuses of 1881, 1891 and 1901 at 7 Parker Road, with parents & sibs (also grandparents in the former), listed as a dressmaker in the latter. In 1911 they had moved to 2 Aberdeen Road, Croydon. In Apr 1925 in Croydon (no details including which church, as the London records only extend to 1921) she married Harry William Fullick. It is worth pausing here to study him, as I have a lot of detail on him (and not much on Edith). He was born 13 Dec 1898 (ie was 22 years younger than she) in Norwood, Surrey and lived at 28 Anerley Grove, Upper Norwood for many years. One amusing record was his school entrance document. On 25 Aug 1902 he started at Woodland Road School but as he was only 3 years old the distance was too much for him, so he only lasted a week. It wasn't far - only 0.7 miles according to Google Streetview - but he did have quite a few siblings. He tried again the following June and remained there for 3 years, until in 1908 he was transferred to the Boys' School. He remained with his family until on 9 Feb 1916 he joined the Suffolk Infantry as a Private, aged 17 years and 9 months, working as a printer. He remained with them until he was called for National Service in Feb 1918. However, he was soon deemed unfilt for further service and discharged on 12 Oct to the care of his mother with 6 months pension and a referral to Kings College Hospital with 25% disability. After marriage, they lived in Sydenham for a while, electoral roll records showing them at 57 Bradford Road in 1932-4, and they had 2 daughters. In WW2 Harry was called up again but transferred to the Z reserves and in 1957 discharged as he had reached the top age limit. By 1964 they were living, with their daughters, in Farnborough Hill, Orpington (only a mile from where I grew up) but in 1965 moved to Beckenham. They can be seen that year, occupying the ground floor of 11 Manor Road. It was here that Harry died in 1970, and I suspect Edith also around that time - she was listed there in electoral roll of 1965 but was already 90. Daughter Doris died there in 2013. I cannot find a death for Patricia, but as she wasn't born until 1937 she may well still be there.

Edward John Cox was dealt with on 15th February 2013. I knew he married in 1915 but his Army Service Record has since come to light and provides a snapshot of him at that time. On 8 Dec 1915 he attested aged 30 years 9 months, a married clerk, home address 161 Lower Road, Rotherhithe. 9 Dec 1915 he was placed in the Army Reserve. On 8 Jul 1916 ready for mobilisation, he presented for a medical, when it was noted he had suffered from fainting fits for 3 months - further investigation showed he had a slight cardiac arhythmia and was deemed fit for Field Service at Home but not abroad. He was mobilised into the Army Service Corps at Woolwich. He must have taken to this, as on 29 Nov 1917 he was promoted to Corporal, then 11 May 1918 to Sergeant. On 10 Aug 1919 he was transferred to Class Z and discharged to 31 Chalsey Road, Brockley, where Gertrude and new daughter Helen were living.

Thursday 26th March 2015

What happened on this day:

Amelia Jane Parker was born on this day in1864
Doris Laura Matthews was born this day 1903
George Job (who married Emma Roffey) died on this day in 1898 in Australia

There are several Ann Coxes but all so early there is little information. Ann Cox 1 was born Oct 1753 in West Hanney, Berkshire to Thomas & Elizabeth and christened there 18 Nov 1853. She probably died before she was 10, as her parents re-used the name. There are death records in Berkshire in 1756, 1757 & 1759 under this name, but with no parents' names, so I cannot assign one. Ann Cox 2 was born to the same parents in Aug 1763 in West Hanney and christened 7 Sep 1763. There are lots of possible marriages for her in the area, but again none with father's name shown.

Ann Cox 3, niece of the above, was born Aug 1783 in West Hanney to Thomas & Elizabeth née Spindler, 4th of their 13 children. Again nothing more as Berkshire is not well covered (and the county borders have changed over the years, which doesn't help) or records can be seen with no father's name again.

I dealt with Archibald Charles Cox in 2013, but I have now filled in some detail to the middle of his life. Although I still cannot find him in 1901 or 1911 censuses, he may well be in the army abroad, I have found his marriage. On 1 Dec 1917 at Holy Trinity, Drybrook, Gloucestershire he married Winifred Colwell, a housemaid & daughter of a local Woodman. As I said, Archibald died in the Royal Army Service Corps on 4 Mar 1919 and was buried at Etaples military cemetery in France. In 1932 at the same church Winifred married Herbert Fidler, engine driver on the Great Western Railway. Herbert died in 1973, Winifred in 1978 aged 86.

Catherine Cox (who may be Catherine Ann) was born Dec 1757 in West Hanney to Thomas & Elizabeth - sister to Anns 1&2 mentioned above. On 4 Nov 1790 she married John Parson but the record is a little confusing; I think he was from the parish of St Andrew, Holborn in London and the marriage took place in West Hanney. The only other records I can find are possible children, but no dates attached, so they are not very much use. They may have had 4 children; John, Annie Tufnell, William and Charlotte Amy. I cannot find deaths of either Catherine or John, but they could have moved on.

I have found more records on Charles Cox, who I covered quickly on 8th February 2013, so I now know he was christened at St Mary the Virgin in Farleigh on 29 Sep 1844 and that he married Sarah Challis, local carpenter's daughter on 12th April 1868 at St James, Croydon Common [now converted into housing]
 
Monday 23rd March 2015

What happened on this day:

Olive Eileen May was born this day in 1927
"James Knight 6" was christened on this day in 1746
Eliza Mary Catchesides married William Moorhouse this day in 1859
Mary Ann Knight married George Bennett Coon 1861
Augusta Courtney Retallick died this day 1891
and Henry James Matthews died 1947

Richard Catchesides was brother of Matthew I studied yesterday, born 10 Jan 1848 at East Street, Blackheath and christened at the nearby St Alphege church aged 5 on 14 Sep 1853 with brother Joseph. Census of 1851 shows him aged 3 at 8 Claremont Place, Greenwich with parents, lodger & visitor, then 1861 at number 4 with parents & brother. I thought I had a marriage in Bethnal Green in 1866 but have seen the certificate and it has Richard as "full age" when he was 18, a widower and father's name John. So I have removed it from my tree and unfortunately am back to nothing for him. This whole family fizzles out, but I cannot find records for death or emigration. Most frustrating!

The two Robert Richard Catchesides were better, but not much, and there were no new records since I covered them in 2013. Likewise the Sarahs & Susannah and even the Williams. I shall step away from this surname now. It is a two-edged-sword.

The Coxes were my Grandad's mother's family.

Albert Charles Cox was the first, previously dealt with on 1st February 2013 and straight away today I found his baptism record, which was not in evidence back then. He was christened 29 May 1870 at St Peter's in Croydon and his exact date of birth (7 Apr 1870) was also on there (not necessary but some clergymen were thoughtful like that).
In 2013 I pointed out that although I had all other censuses I didn't have 1901, but suggested they must have been at 7 Parker Road as they always were. However, I have tracked it down and they weren't! They were listed at 34 Fawcett Road, Croydon with 4 children, and his parents Charles & Sarah were still at 7 Parker Road with Albert's 3 sisters. Possibly Charles only moved out when he retired at 65. I spent some time going through the deaths for lots of Alberts & Elizabeths, only to conclude again that there were too many, none of which fits exactly.

Alice Emily Cox was his youngest sister, also dealt with on 1st Feb 2013. However, I now have the exact date & church for her christening (29th October 1882) and also her marriage to Philip Frank Turner Smith (9 Jun 1908), both at St Peter's

Sunday 22nd March 2015

What happened on this day:

"William Woodford 3" was christened this day in 1774
Emma Amelia Parker married Sidney Thomas Mills 1913
Oswald Cyril Charles Woodford died on this day in 1918
and "George William Cox 3" died on this day 1916

Checking the records of several Catchesides ancestors, including my great great grandmother Louisa, I found nothing new. I was pleased to find the marriage record of Margaret Catchesides to John Matthews at St Dunstan's, Stepney (I couldn't track it down before as she was transcribed as "Margaret Catch" & not picked up by the search engines).Witnesses were a John Newton and Dorothy Catchesides, her sister. I found subsequent baptisms for 4 children, although 2 were Johns, so at least one must have died, at St Martins-in-the-fields, Westminster, London. I suspect they settled in Islington, as I have found possible records for burial there of John & Margaret and 1841 census of son John, widowed with 5 children, living in the area. However, there is no proof, so I will not claim this history, just suggest.

There are 3 Matthew Catchesides, two of which I dealt with in 2013 (one a sawyer, one a butcher) and, although I have searched the gaps again, can find no new information. The other Matthew Catchesides was son of the butcher, born 5 Dec 1840 in Lewisham & christened 3 Jan 1841. On 15 Sep 1867 at St Paul, Deptford he married Mary Ann Mandell and I suspect that he died 10 years later, as I have seen an index to Death Duty Registration, giving an address at death of St John's, Lee (nearby) and executor Mrs Catchesides. However, the two sons I found were discounted by being born 10 years too early! I don't know why Matthew never shows up in any of the censuses - he appears to leave home as an infant, but I cannot find him with grandparents etc.

Saturday 21st March 2015

What happened on this day:

Hilda Clarice Knight was born on this day in 1887
Ernest Willian Hodd christened this day 1894
James Knight married Martha Yeoman this day 1855
Mary Matthews married William Henry Hutchinson 1875
and "Richard Retallick 5" died in 1869

John Abraham Catchesides was born 8 Feb 1825 in Lemon Valley, Rotherthithe to William & Prudence née Hart and was christened 13 Mar 1825 at St Mary's. Lemon Valley was a road off St Helena Road, which ran parallel to Eugenia Road, where George & family settled some years later. Lemon Valley was an area on the island of St Helena, so must be named after that, but as I said when dealing with this family before, is now replaced by a modern estate of blocks of flats. He can be seen there in census of 1841, aged 15 with parents, grandparents Hart and his 2 brothers. On 18 Apr 1850 at St George in the East he married Emma Maria Petch. In 1848 when he was 23, he had joined the Merchant Navy; I can see records showing he travelled on at least 4 trips in 1851, 3 as a waiter, one as a steward, one trip in 1852 and two in 1853. Thus he was at sea for the 1851 census, but Emma can be seen at 20 Stanley Terrace, Deptford with her parents & 3 sisters - all four girls married mariners and in the census Harriet is widowed but the rest merely without their husbands. Daughter Helena was baptised later that year, with the same home address. John took another trip in 1854 from Southampton to New South Wales, Australia, aboard the SS Argo, as steward. Leaving Southampton on 4 Oct 1854 to the sounds of the German Band on board, they sailed to St Vincent, late as blown off course by heavy gales at the edge of the Bay of Biscay, and on to Melbourne 6 Dec. The Argo transported 170 passengers to Sydney. On 14 Jan they left Sydney with gold dust & general merchandise. Travelling back again via St Vincent (27 Feb) they arrived at Plymouth 15 Mar, to drop off the mail, then Southampton 16 Mar, where they dropped off 85 passengers and gold dust & jewellery worth in excess of £310,918 (a vast amount!) and 138 cases of exhibits for the Paris Exhibition. The Argo then became a government transport, and took cavalry to the Crimea. Meanwhile, Emma was expecting a second child, who was born at Stanley Terrace on 10 May 1855, a few weeks after John's return, and christened William Tatton Adolphus Catchesides (names in Emma's family) on 6 Jun 1855 at St Paul's, Deptford. However, within a short space of time they were burying him at All Saints, Rotherhithe, aged 3 or 9 months, depending on the record you read! As I have so often pointed out, this kind of thing often leads to relocation and the family can soon be seen at Stratford, Essex. In 1857 a third child was born and christened Fanny Marian Petch Catchesides at St Saviours, Southwark. In 1861 census Emma is with her mother, sister & daughters at 1 Montague Terrace, Plaistow Road, West Ham, John must be on a journey somewhere, but the next I hear of him is Oct 1866 when he died in Rotherhithe aged 41. One of these days I must purchase the death certificate to see what killed him... After John's death, Emma reverted to the name of Petch, by marrying her first cousin Frederick Corbould Heath Petch (great names in this family!) at St Mary's, Whitechapel and settling with him in Stepney. They can be seen in 1871 census at 113 Bromley Street, Stepney with her mother & daughter [in 1921 this address was a cycle-maker, but now the Sir John Cass Redcoat School is on the site]. By 1881 her mother had died & she can be seen with Frederick back at Plaistow Road. I'm not sure why he has changed from a clerk to a dock labourer - and it was evidently not good for him, as he died the following January, aged 45. Emma followed him the year after that and was buried in West Ham Cemetery

Friday 20th March 2015

What happened onb this day:

Ena Constance May was born this day in 1907
Ellen Hannah Roffey was born this day in 1922
David Woodford was christened this day in 1805
John Knight christened this day in 1816
and Emily Clara Woodford née Smart died on this day 1957

Henry Albert Catchesides was another of the brothers, born 13 May 1854 to William & Ann née Kinchin at 9 Maynard Road, Rotherhithe and christened at the age of 11 on 17 Aug 1865 at St Mary's. He can be seen with parents & brothers in censuses of 1861 & 1871 in Rotherhithe (in the latter aged 17, errand boy), but in Apr 1877 he died aged 23. This was registered in the district of St Olave, Southwark, which may indicate he was in hospital.

2 "plain" Janes had no luck as one died in 1764 aged 2 days, the other in 1792 aged 10 months.

Jane Elizabeth Catchesides was dealt with on 5th December 2013. You may remember the anecdote about her father-in-law's gunshop during the riots. The only new record is a death registration for Thomas in Jul 1848, a little earlier than I expected, as he was only 34.

Thursday 19th March 2015

What happened on this day:

Eliza Ann Parker was born this day 1847
Harold Leslie Matthews born this day 1898
Oretta Knight born this day 1871
Alberta Emmeline Knight was christened this day in 1871 (but her relatives Lavinia & Oretta were presumably not present for the reason above!)
Elizabeth Matthews married Henry Alexander this day in 1855 in Bath
Joseph Woodford married Elizabeth Marriott this day in 1855 at Old Dalby, Leics
and Arthur George Roffey emigrated to Canada in 1903
Nobody died on this day, thankfully.

George Cafoy Catchesides was born 1859 in Rotherhithe to William & Ann née Kinchin, brother of Frederick who I dealt with on Monday (see below). Their childhood records were identical, even to the occupation, as George was a Deal Porter too. On 4 Jan 1886 at St Thomas' Bethnal Green he married Sophia Mary Skelton, also from Rotherhithe,
[demolished 1956] and they settled at 15 Eugenia Road, Rotherhithe [now modern blocks], with Sophia's widowed mother & brothers, where they can all be seen in 1891 census along with 2 children & a lodger. By 1901 they had moved on, leaving George & Sophia at the same address with 2 children, daughter Alice aged 16 working as a "blouse buttonholer" and son Joseph 15 an office boy. By 1911 George was listed as Stevedore, Joseph a lighterman & his niece was living with them (Alice had married in 1909). They had produced 2 more daughters, but lost both in infancy. Electoral roll records show them at this address until their deaths, George in 1939 & Sophia in 1941. (Incidentally, I have seen his unusual middle name transcribed as Purefoy, Carpoy & Cafoy but cannot track down an origin. It isn't used in official documents, just in electoral rolls in later years).

Monday 16th March 2015

What happened on this day:

Thomas Woodford 2 was christened on this day 1797
Anna Maria Woodford christened 1862
Lilian Ada Cox married Harry Wood this day in 1918
Kate Elizabeth Martha Roffey married Frederick William Rengert in 1901
Alice Sarah May married Charles Leverett in 1884
and George Wooldridge 3 was buried this day in 1826

I didn't deal with Emily Catchesides in 2013, so here goes. She was born Jun 1846 in Deptford to Robert & Elizabeth née Hughes, sister to Ann (see last Thursday). She was christened 13 Jul 1846 at St Paul's, Deptford. She can be seen in censuses of 1851 & 1861 at 10 Crossfield Lane with parents & sister, then on Christmas Eve 1865 at St Nicholas, Deptford she married John Johnson, in a joint ceremony with Ann. They lived with her mother after their marriage, at 10 Crossfield Lane, and can be seen there in 1871 census with her and their 3 children, John working as a labourer in the docks. When she died in 1880 she was living in Merton, Surrey and John & Emily in Peckham, where they can be seen in 1881 census at 32 Penarth Street [all warehouses today] with 3 children, John now a whitesmith (one who polishes & finishes metals particularly tin plate & galvanised iron). They had 5 children but 2 died in infancy. Son John married in 1886 and in 1891 census Emily can be seen with him & his family at 15 Pensbury Street, Clapham (John senior is at home with daughter Alice at 4 Liardett Street, Deptford - now modern housing]) In 1901 both Emily & John are there but by 1911 have moved on again - to 22 Douglas Street, Deptford. John died the following year in Gravesend (probably in hospital) and Emily in 1923 in Greenwich, where daughter Alice lived.

Frederick James Catchesides was born 31 Jan 1857 in Rotherhithe to William & Ann née Kinchin. I cannot see a baptism for him - or any of the boys, although they did christen the girl Kate. He can be seen in census of 1861 aged 4 at 12 Hewitts Terrace, Rotherhithe with parents & brothers, then in 1871 aged 14 at 3 Canute Street with parents & sibs, now working as a Rope Maker. In 1881 he can be seen in census aged 25 with parents & sibs at 61 Cornbury Road, Deptford just a few weeks before he married Emily Maud Aldous 28 May 1881 in St Mary, Rotherhithe. He was listed as a Deal Porter in the census - one who carried planks of wood in the docks - but as a lighterman on his marriage certificate. In 1891 census he can be seen at 44 Reculver Road, Deptford [now modern housing] with 4 children, then in 1901 with 7 children & a boarder. In 1911 they were at the same address with 4 children but Frederick died in Jul 1913 aged 56 and Emily in Oct 1923 aged 62.

Saturday 14th March 2015

What happened on this day:

Thomas David Roffey was born on this day in 1835
Dorothy Irene Wooldridge 1904
and lots of christenings:
William Henry Wooldridge 1886
Sarah Ann (Tal) Cox and George William Cox 1848
Ernest Alfred Knight and William Knight 1865
Also Ellen Hodd & William May married this day in 1875 - Cliff's grandparents

I was a little worried, considering what I reported on John Cluer (husband of Dorothy Catchesides) on 1st December 2013 i.e. that he was a "bit of a rogue" & had a police record, to discover a further case in 1839 concerning rape of his own daughter. However, as the Thomas concerned died in 1810 this was not possible. It did turn out to be his own son, though, so still within the family, so I do feel somewhat shocked nevertheless. Looking into it further, there must have been an Appeal, as he came up before the Old Bailey a month later, and was found Not Guilty. Bit of a roller-coaster, this family!

Friday 13th March 2015

What happened on this day:

Elizabeth Treverton Knight & Grace Knight were christened this day in 1758
Frederick Matthews was killed this day in 1945 by a bomb in Harrow Road, Kilburn
Sarah Catchesides nee Pratt was buried this day in 1853 - see yesterday

The other Ann Elizabeth Catchesides was born Sep 1807 in Rotherhithe to Robert & Ann née Warr and christened 4 Oct 1807 at St Mary's, Rotherhithe. I have just found that she died aged 5 weeks on 16 Oct 1807.  

Sometimes it is not welcome when you find new records. I have a case in point with Caroline Amelia Catchesides. I did deal with her before, on 28th November 2013, when I was content with her latter years; after being widowed in 1890 she could be seen in 1891 census in Kingston with her children and then died in Jul 1908. Electoral Roll records confirmed this, as she can be seen at addresses in Kingston until 1904, then I discounted the next ones in Epsom, as they gave her middle name of Elizabeth when it was Amelia. However, she had been in Kingston in 1891 with daughter Annie, born in Ham. So, I was completely shocked to find a burial record showing she died 30 Sep 1889 (ie just before John) at Greenwich Royal Hospital. This is persuasive only in that it included her (fairly unusual) middle name of Amelia. I have done a search to discover another Caroline Amelia Sadgrove, married to a Charles William Sadgrove, living in the Greenwich area. So I revert to my initial story, but thought I would share the scare, as it illustrates the problems involved in this process, even with relatively rare names. (One good thing is that in this investigation I discovered another child, albeit one who died almost immediately, and thus escaped detection in censuses etc).

I studied several who died as babies and one lady for whom everything was guesswork as I suspect she was known by her middle name for all of her life.

Thursday 12th March 2015

What happened on this day:

Well, although not strictly Family, today is the 59th anniversary of the birth of our dear friend and fellow London University alumnus, Philip Thomson, who was Clive's Best Man at our wedding and thus qualifies for a mention here.
Also born this day, but in 1877: Anthony Charles Knight
Christened this day in 1800 Joseph Woodford 5 and
Catherine Emma Woodford in 1871
Hellen Hennig died this day in 1921

for the stories of these people, please see previous entries.

OK, on with the Normal Daily Business. I will start again now by reviewing my main (maternal) tree, but, having already reported on these people before, I shall just work on updates. Any subject of interest can be looked into in more depth as it arises, so if anyone has any particular field of interest please let me know on the Feedback tab.

Abraham Catchesides, (my 4xg grandfather) as previously reported, died in Church Street, Rotherhithe in 1823, living in Bell Alley. I have since discovered that his wife Sarah after his death had to resort to the Workhouse - records were not forthcoming in 2013 as she had been transcribed as "Catersider", now corrected. No sign of her in 1841 census - under any name I can come up with - but she can be seen there in 1851, aged 84.

Their son Abraham Joseph Catchesides (3xg grandfather) was a shipwright/boatbuilder and was last seen living with wife Louisa née Fayle at 7 Nine Elms Road, Battersea in 1851 census. I have just found a record showing he was admitted to Surrey County Lunatic Asylum on 10 Feb 1865 and died there 24 Feb 1867. He was buried, as I said, 1 Mar 1867 at St George the Martyr, Battersea, as his home address was Haines Street, Battersea and Louisa was still living there. I dealt with the Surrey County Lunatic Asylum in Tooting, on a couple of occasions, as I was bemused by the connections, my daughter living in the next street at the time. She has now emigrated to Norway but I still feel the coincidence - and this is compounded by multiple links!

I didn't deal with Ann Elizabeth Catchesides in 2013, so will do so now. She was born to Robert & Elizabeth née Hughes, Feb 1844 in Deptford, probably in Grove Street, as they lived thare a few weeks later at her christening 27 Mar 1844. Looking on Google Images, I see that this was a strange road indeed, by modern standards, as the railway ran down the middle of the road on totally open tracks, like trams do today. By 1851 she can be seen at Crossfield Lane, Deptford with parents & sister, also 3 lodgers [now the tyre garage, if anyone remembers] They can also be seen there in 1861 census, although her father has died. On Christmas Eve 1865 at St Nicholas, Deptford she married Amos Dawes from Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire at a joint ceremony with her sister Emily. They can be seen in 1871 at 1 The Avenue, Tooting, Amos working as a carman, and in the household is a "nurse child" Alfred Taylor, aged 3 months. I understand this was the term for a foster child or one wet-nursed by a couple who lost their own child. Ann & Amos didn't have any children, so maybe this was their answer. In 1881 they can be seen at 4 Railway Place, Wimbledon with a lodger, I don't know what happened to the child, he is no longer with them. By 1891 they had moved round to 114 Russell Road, Wimbledon, again with a lodger (a deaf "cook out of occupation") and Amos is now working as a Coal Merchant as well as carman. In 1901 they can be seen at 22 Dermody Road, Lewisham, Ann working as a laundress, sharing the house with a stonemason & family. Amos died in Jan 1903, his death registered in Kensington, so maybe in hospital etc. Ann can be seen in census of 1911 at Dermody Road, widowed, sharing the house with a baker & family. She died here in early Jan 1927 aged 82, and was buried 13 Jan in Islington Cemetery.

Friday 6th March 2015

Hi everybody, we're back from making more Family History in New York. I can report that the latest phase went off well and that the next generation has successfully moved on...

Alden Henry Smith (born to Clive & myself in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire 17 Jul 1983, raised & educated in Hertford, worked in Customer Services at Fantasy League in London for 10 years, then Ameraal Beltech in Hertford) on 28th February 2015 at Fort Hamilton, New York married Jennifer Valenti and has settled in with her at her home in Brooklyn.  

I am still preparing the info for the new approach, but within a few days I should be back. Starting again with review of my main tree, that of my mother.

Sunday 22nd February 2015

Sorry about the hiatus. I am working on the new approach I mentioned before, but it is taking longer to prepare than I thought. As we are flying out to New York this week to celebrate the new Family Development, ie son Alden's marriage, I won't be back here until March. So please remain patient and I shall report on things when I return. Bless you for reading.

Friday 13th (!) February 2015

John Hocken Knight was born Jul 1846 in Luxulyan to Joseph & Priscilla née Hocken. He can be seen in census of 1841 at Higher Menadew, Luxulyan with parents, brother & 3 servants, then I suspect he was working as a farm servant in 1851 at Lower Tregunnon Farm, Altarnum. (His employer must have told the census enumerator he was from Altarnum, or he just dittoed the entire household.) In 1871 he was back home, with his mother, sibs & servant. When Joseph died in 1858 Priscilla had taken on the family business - they were Coal & Manure Merchants, a very lucrative trade in those days . In Oct 1873 in Luxulyan he married Elizabeth Jane Knight, daughter of a merchant, from Higher Menadew (not related, that I can see). By 1881 census he had moved the business to Fore Street, St Blazey, where they were living with mother, son & servant and they can be seen there in 1891 too. His mother died in 1893 and that same year he had an entry in Kelly's Directory, describing him as Manager of Wheal Rashleigh and of Methrose China Clay Companies. [These are both local clay works - now Wheal Rashleigh has been converted into holiday lets and there is still a chimney and a rail siding at Methrose (well there was in 2012)] By 1901 he was at Priory Mead, Tywardreath with son & servant. In 1911 census they can be seen there too, John describing himself as Coal Merchant Dealer (Employer) and he was still resident in 1914 Kelly's Directory (he was 68 by then so may have retired). He died there on 30 Dec 1927 aged 81, leaving effects worth £13,556 to son Alwyne, then when Elizabeth died 14 Sep 1934 a further £350 was released to him. [Total is worth £740,868 in today's money]

John Roberts Knight was born Jul 1865 in Roche to Christopher & Jane née Roberts. He can be seen at Criggan Down in censuses 1871-1901 with parents & sibs, helping out on the family farm. His father died in Nov 1905 & left him £270, then on 26 Dec 1905 in Roche church he married Louisa Kingdon, who had been born in Boscastle, North Cornwall, but was living in Roche where her father was a farmer & retired police officer. In 1911 census he can be seen with her family at South Moor, Whitstone, North Cornwall with son (Percy, born in Roche). John is the farmer (employer) and the Kingdons are living on a Police Pension. They all died there; Henry & Mary Kingdon in 1919 & 1923, John 7 Sep 1935 and Louisa in Dec 1948. John left effects worth £3639 to Louisa & Percy and was buried 11 Sep in Whitstone with his in-laws. Presumably Louisa joined them, but as yet records at that burial site don't extend as far as 1948.

And this is where we came in. In Apr 2012 this was the point at which I commenced this blog, so it has taken me 34 months to get round all four trees. I have another related project to deal with here, so will return with that after the weekend. I hope you have enjoyed it so far, and if you have any suggestions please leave them on the Feedback tab. Diane x

Thursday 12th February 2015

John Common Knight was born Sep 1844 in Roche to James & Rose née Common. As I reported for his father James 5 (see 1st Feb), in 1841 he was at Criggan Downs with parents & family, then in 1851 at Tresibble with mother & sibs, father & brother lodging at St Agnes. In Oct 1863 at St Columb church (see Monday) he married Sarah Ann James, tailor's daughter from St Teath, and they proceeded to have 11 children over the next 20 years. In census of 1871 he can be seen aged 26 at Hallew, Roche (next door to his parents) with 3 children, working as an Engine Driver in Clay Works (as was his father at a Tin Mine). By 1881 census the whole family had moved to London and he can be seen at 46 Russell Street, Battersea [now Ravenet Street, near the Park, modern flats], and he was working at the Water Works, driving an engine there. By 1885 they had completed their family and in 1888 emigrated to USA. As far as I can see, all the children went too and over the years settled and raised families there (including 2 of my favourite names: Youngest son Oliver married an Elva T Kitchen, and youngest daughter Mabel called her daughter Alpharetta). John was naturalised in 1894 and by 1900 census can be seen at Glendale Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio with 4 children still at home, working as a Machinist (as are his 2 sons). They are at 2317 East 86th Street, Cleveland in census of 1910, retired with son Oliver, John died here on 10 Jul 1911 and Sarah 28 Apr 1916. They were both buried at Woodland cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio

John Gerald Ashton Knight (Jack) was born 2 Aug 1891 at Lanlivery to Woodman & Elizabeth née Ashton. He can be seen in census of 1901 aged 9 at Penpell, Lanlivery with parents & sibs, then in 1911 at Doubletrees, Par, visiting friends, as the family had moved to Tunbridge Wells, Kent. He died at Tunbridge aged 25 on 28 Sep 1916.

John Henry Knight was born in Jan 1850 at St Stephen-in-Brannel to John & Amy née Rowe. He can be seen on censuses of 1851 & 1861 at Bloomdale, St Stephens with parents & sisters, then in 1871 at Drinnick, working as apprentice to Thomas Bellin, carpenter. This evidently didn't work out because he didn't take up carpentry. As I cannot track him down in 1881, the next time we see him is 1891 when he is back with his parents, living on his own means, then the same in 1901 in Nanpean with his widowed mother. He died aged 61 in Jan 1911, only 3 years after his mother.

Monday 9th February 2015

John Knight 11 was born Sep 1822 in Roche (possibly Venton Vale) to Thomas & Elizabeth née Hammer and christened on 18 Nov 1822 at St Mewan (mother's home-town). In 1841 census he can be seen aged 15 (rounded down, as they did then, 18 really - I'm sure that upset him!) at Drinnick, St Stephen-in-Brannel [an area of warehouses now] with parents & sibs. On 18 Sep 1846 at St Stephens he married Amy Rowe, Blacksmith's daughter from Nanpean and they had 11 children (although one died aged 7 & one at 4). In 1851-71 censuses he can be seen at Bloom Dale, St Stephens [was a china clay works, now there is a villa on the site] with 3 children, then 6 children, listed as a miner. By 1881 there are only 2 children left at home and they had "downsized" back to Nanpean, John calling himself "China Stone Quarry Man". By 1891 he was aged almost 70 and he & Amy can be seen there with son John, all "living on their own means". John senior died aged 71 and was buried at Nanpean Cemetery on 15 Oct 1893, Amy continued to live there with son John until her death aged 85, when she joined John on 29 May 1908. It was only after Amy's death that John's will was probated (maybe it was lost/hidden): he left effects worth £118 to son John (John Henry - see later).

John Knight 12 was born Mar 1816 at Hendra in Roche to Benjamin & Christiana née Lawrence and christened at Roche church on 20 Mar 1816. In 1841 census I'm not sure, but he may be the John Knight working as a slate cutter in Tintagel & staying with a colleague & his family or he could be the servant on a farm in St Columb - in one the age is correct, in the other not, but in the right area. On 8 Aug 1847 at St Columb Major he married Charlotte Behenna and they settled at Goss Moor, where they had 3 daughters. He can be seen there in the next 5 censuses too with daughters, in 1861 with lodger his brother-in-law Nicholas Behenna (in the few years prior to his death), and latterly with grand-daughters & a servant. Both John & Charlotte died at the end of 1896, Charlotte aged 82, buried at St Columb churchyard 30 November, John on 20 December. There are a couple of errors on the records: Charlotte's age is given as 87 when she was 82 and John's death date given as 27 Dec, his burial as 20th. But they are definitely them. They left effects worth £67 to youngest daughter Fanny, who had lived with them until the end.

Sunday 8th February 2015

John Knight 7 was born Dec 1765 in Roche to Joseph & Elizabeth née Mark and christened there 5 Jan 1766. On 31 Dec 1792 at St Germans he married Elizabeth Prin and they had 2 daughters in St Germans. Elizabeth died aged 40 and was buried there on 28 Apr 1806. Both daughters married and the eldest died, probably in childbirth, in 1822. I suspect that when he died in Feb 1839 aged 72 he was estranged from the other daughter and was thus forced to be buried by the St Austell Workhouse.

John Knight 8 was born Nov 1808 in Roche to Robin & Eleanor née Kite and christened there 25 Dec 1808. On 16 Oct 1826 at the same church he married Maria Williams and they had 7 children. They lived at Carn Rosemary (now called Bugle) and John worked, as so many did locally, as a "tin streamer". He can be seen in census of 1841 aged 32 at Mount Whistle, Carn Rosemary with 7 children. This was apparently a hard time for families such as this, when the potato famine hit Cornwall as well as the more documented Ireland, and pushed families over the edge. In Nov 1842 John set off from London to Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia on board the Eden. His brother Robert had done this 4 years before and was bringing up his family in Australia. I think what happened was that he sent back money (many did) until he could afford to bring the family over to be with him. In the ned, it took 25 years, and when they sailed to join him it was only Maria & eldest son John, himself a miner. They arrived in Sydney 15 Nov 1877 on the Star of India. (I'm not sure about the family details regarding John junior. I am told he married Grace Peak in Cornwall, but she & her daughter both died in Alabama USA, so may have left him. It does look as though he died in NSW in 1885.) I'm not sure when John senior died - the fact that John junior's death was registered by Maria suggests that it was before 1885 - but there were many in the area under that name! Maria died aged 80 in 1891 in Bega, NSW.

John Knight 9 was born Dec 1802 in Roche to Anthony & Mary née Hore and christened there on 30 Jan 1803. On 14 Aug 1825 at Tywardreath he married Elizabeth Williams , they settled there and had 7 children. He can be seen in 1841 census in Tywardreath Village with 5 children, ?aunt Jane Knight and servant Mary Hore (aged 12), working as a butcher. Unfortunately Elizabeth died in Dec 1845 aged 39, so in 1851 census John is listed as a widower, living in Fore Street, Tywardreath with 4 children & 2 servants until he died aged 56 and was buried 12 Jan 1859 with Elizabeth in the churchyard shown above.

John Knight 10 was born Oct 1813 in Roche to Anthony & Elizabeth née Grose and christened there on 18 Nov 1813. He can be seen in census of 1841 aged 27 at Carbis, Roche with parents & sibs, working as a Shoemaker. On 8 Aug 1849 at the same church he married Melinda Annear, carpenter's daughter from St Austell. In 1851 they can be seen living with Melinda's mother Jane Annear in Hendra, St Dennis with their baby son and working in her Grocer's shop with 3 other staff. By 1861 all has changed, as he is living at Little Trerank, Roche with 5 children, working as an engineer. 1861 census shows him at Carbis with 4 children & servant, working as an Engine Driver at Tin Mine. He died aged 58 and was buried 24 Dec 1871 in Roche churchyard. Melinda remarried and in 1881 census she can be seen at Carbis with Richard Grose and 3 daughters - one hers, 2 his - and a servant.

Saturday 7th February 2015

It is time to tackle the Johns in this tree. As usual, I shall have to number them as it is very easy to mix them up, there being 16 "plain" Johns and a further 6 with middle names! I won't bore you with all the details of all of them, so please bear with me.

John Knight 1 was born approx 1649 in Cornwall (this date was provided by genealogical research company Family Finders, so I haven't had sight of documentation). His parents seem to be called Richard and Sarah née Rogers, but I am unsure of this because of the ages of the parties inolved (60 and 20). On 1 Sep 1669 at Broadoak (pronounced - and thus sometimes spelled - Braddock), Cornwall he married Elizabeth Tingcombe, who had been born there in 1645 but unfortunately she died the year after the marriage, probably in childbirth as their son John was born & also died in Roche in 1670. Family Finders claimed that John married Jane Neave later that year, but I am not convinced, as there is a marriage to a Jane Neave in Nottingham but the date is Feb 1669 ie before his marriage to Elizabeth, and I can find nothing in Cornwall. However, these dates are very early and easily muddled. Their son William is the father of this tree, so it is only his mother's maiden name I am disputing... her name is Jane on William's baptism record in Roche on 16 Jan 1672, and there doesn't seem to be further examples of this combination, so presumably he was an only child. John senior died aged 50 and was buried in Roche 13 Jul 1699, Jane 24 Apr 1708 aged 63.

John Knight 2 was grandson of the above, born May 1701 in Roche to William & Katherine née Jenking and christened 25 Jun 1701 in the above church. On 2 May 1726 at St Stephen-in-Brannel church he married Dorothy Bray and they had 11 children - hence the size of this tree, as each of those had a tree of their own! They lived in Roche, as all the children were born & baptised there, and died & were buried there too, Dorothy 17 Sep 1767 and John 26 Aug 1781.

His son John Knight 3 was born Sep 1727 in Roche and christened at the church there 30 Oct 1727. At the same church on 22 Nov 1755 he married Joyce Williams and they had 4 children, although the first died aged 1. I am told (although again I cannot find the documents) that Joyce died aged 55 in 1790 and John aged 72 in 1800.

His son John Knight 4 was born May 1759 in Roche and was christened there 24 Jun 1759. On 22 Aug 1790 at Lostwithiel he married Grace White. They had their first child the following year in Lanlivery (Grace's birthplace), but soon moved to Lostwithiel and had the other 7 children there. John died aged 54 in St Agnes & was buried there 10 Feb 1813, then Grace followed 25 Dec 1819. Oh, this John was a carpenter.

John Knight 5 was born Sep 1791 in Luxulyan to Thomas & Elizabeth née Mark and christened there 2 Oct 1791 (see yesterday for pics). At the same church (although banns were read in Roche too) on 1 Oct 1811 he married Mary Ann Williams and they had 5 children (although 2 died in their very early 20s). In 1841 census he can be seen aged 57 at Tresibble, Roche with 3 children and what they called a "stranger" Elizabeth Knight with her 7-year-old son Joseph. The only version I could come up with in that combination was Elizabeth née Hammer, Thomas's wife & their son Joseph, but they were at home in Drinnick in 1841 with the rest of their family. Maybe that's what "stranger" meant - not related - I had assumed it was a joke or some such. Anyway, also present at Tresibble was an apprentice William Phillips and I have been able to study his apprenticeship document, outlining the relationship entered into on 16 May 1836 (at age 11) in order that he learn husbandry from John Knight. In May 1843 Mary Ann died aged 58 and was buried at Roche on 7 June. In 1851-3 John had a vote, as he leased the land at Tresibble for many years. However, when he died and was buried 31 Mar 1853, he was at Criggan (possibly taken over the home of son John & family on their emigration).

This son was John Knight 6, born Dec 1812 in Roche and christened 1 Jan 1813. On 1 Aug 1831 in Bridport, Dorset he married Christiana Wakeley. They settled at Cariggan Downs, Roche and had 3 children there. They can be seen there in census of 1841 with 3 children, John working as a tinner. At some point in the next decade they emigrated to Holland, Ontario, Canada (passenger lists don't go back that far generally, so I can't give more details) as 1851 census shows them there with 6 children, John now a farmer. They remained there for some years, but in 1871 census John can be seen visiting daughter Tabitha, now married to Englishman Jacob Searle. By 1881 John & Christiana had moved in next door to Tabitha & family in North Grey, Ontario. John died 25 Mar 1882 aged 69 and Christiana 1 Mar 1891 aged 77.

Friday 6th February 2015

Jenefer Knight was born May 1809 in Luxulyan to Robert & Elizabeth (Betsy) née Udy, twin with Ann. At the same church on 2 Sep 1834 she married James Davis, who had been born on the Isles of Scilly & lived in St Gluvias, Penrhyn (30 miles away, near Falmouth). They settled in St Gluvias, where James ran a grocer's shop, and had 3 children there. In 1851 daughter Elizabeth was 16 and working as Assistant in the shop, same in 1861. James died there aged 67 in Jan 1868 and Jenefer moved back to the area she was born. Unfortunately she died the following year aged 60, in a lovely-sounding area called Sweetshouse and was buried 14 Jul 1869 in Lanlivery.

Jenepher Knight was born Jan 1816 in Roche to Anthony & Elizabeth née Grose and christened there 21 Feb 1816. I cannot find her in 1841; she is not with her parents, but at 25 years old she is no doubt in service somewhere. (In 1848 she was a servant at the Rectory, so this may be where he was.) On 4 Nov 1848, across the road at Roche church she married John Martin, tailor from St Teath, and they settled in Tywardreath, 8 miles away, near St Blazey. They had 8 children there, then moved to St Blazey & had the final child there. Strangely enough, two daughters called Mary Susan died aged 17, almost 20 years apart. In censuses of 1851 & 1861 she can be seen at High Street, Tywardreath with baby son, then 6 children & an apprentice. In 1871 they had moved on to Foundry Street, St Blazey and Jenifer can be seen there with 6 children & a Mary Knight (not her mother, as the census-taker imagined, as she would be much older) widowed pauper, and John was away with his eldest son, also a tailor, in Falmouth at that time. In 1881 John & Jenifer were at home with just 3 daughters, then 1891 same. By 1901 they had retired to 34 Station Road, St Blazey. Both John & Jenefer died in Jul 1901, but I cannot find a burial record for either.

Thursday 5th February 2015

Jane Knight 4 was born 2 Sep 1850 in St Columb Major to John & Charlotte née Behenna and christened there 27 Oct 1850. She can be seen in census of 1851 at Goss Moor with parents & sibs, at the age of 6 months, then at the same place in 1861 aged 10 with parents, 2 sisters, uncle Nicholas Behenna & a lodger. In 1871 the same with parents, sister & niece (sister Fanny's illegitimate daughter - there is much illegitimacy in this branch - it's odd how that happens). She had an illegitimate daughter of her own, Eva, in 1875 (no father's name was given in 1877 when both these girls were baptised together). In Jul 1880 she married John Brewer, moved in with him & his parents, leaving Eva with her parents. In 1881 census they can be seen thus, but by 1891 census Eva has been incorporated into the household at Hendra (John's parents were dead) of 3 children. By 1901 Eva had moved out, leaving the 3 younger children at home, William now a china clay/stone labourer with his father. Jane died there aged 51 and was buried 5 Apr 1903 at St Dennis. John remarried in 1910 - to Charity Sims from Camborne. However, she died aged 62 in Apr 1922, leaving him widowed again. John died aged 76 and was buried in the churchyard above on 26 Sep 1932. (Eva had an illegitimate son of her own in 1906, incidentally).

Jane Merrifield Knight was born May 1830 in Roche to Joseph junior & Betsy née Merrifield and christened there 8 Jun 1830. She can be seen in census of 1841 aged 11 at Criggan Downs, Roche with parents & sibs, then in 1851 aged 22 at Altarnum, Cornwall, working as a House Servant. On 15 Sep 1855 at Roche church she married Joseph Toms, a miner from Tywardreath and in 1861 census they can be seen at Tywardreath with 3 children, Joseph mining copper. Unfortunately they lost their 4th child in 1863 aged 7 months. In 1866 Jane and the children sailed on the SS Malta to New York, arriving on 3 September, then moving on to Illinois. Joseph was not with them, as he had signed up as a crew-member on SS Isabella from Poole 10 May - 26 Dec 1866. He evidently joined the family in US straight after this trip ended - and daughter Louisa was born the following autumn in Galena, Illinois. 1870 census shows them at Ishpeming, Marquette County, Michigan with 3 children, Joseph back working as a miner. In 1880 Jane is still there, with 3 children, the eldest 2 miners. I am told she went to Santa Clara, California to stay with her eldest daughter Elizabeth Toms Trevillyan and died there in 1890.

Tuesday 3rd February 2015

Jane Knight 3 is causing me headaches. She was born Apr 1799 in Roche to James & Philippa née Hooper and christened 19 May 1799. In the same church on 16 Oct 1819 she married Edward Mannear. As you can see from the name of this tree, the Knights link with the Manhire family, which were my mother-in-law Jessie's direct kin (it was her maiden name) via her grandmother Tahpenes Knight marrying Robert Manhire. In 18th century this was often spelled Mannear - in fact Edward's children are recorded as Manhire. I cannot fully make the connection yet with this branch of the family, but they must be related in some way. After a fairly short period of study, this makes your head spin! Having said that, I am aware whenever I look around the census pages that lots of local families are interconnected, so it is only a matter of time before all branches link up! Especially in 18th Century and earlier, there was only a fairly small gene pool, as people just didn't travel much in their day-to-day lives. Anyway, Jane & Edward had 7 children in the St Austell area. Unfortunately it is a very difficult name to trace, as it has so many variants, for example I eventually found them in 1841 census under the name "Mancer". Edward is not with the family on that census, and by 1851 Jane is listed as widow. The family were married and scattered by then, with Jane working in Charlestown, servant to a merchant. In 1861 she can be seen visiting in Grants Walk, St Austell, as a "sewing woman". I cannot find her in 1871 and she died in Sep 1873 in Tregonissey, St Austell aged 74. She was buried on 24 Sep 1873.

Monday 2nd February 2015

The final James on this tree James Knight 11 was born Mar 1829 at Pendevale, St Stephen-in-Brannel to Thomas & Betsy née Hammer and christened 19 Apr 1829 in Roche church. He can be seen in censuses of 1841 & 1851 at Drinnick, St Stephens with parents & sibs, farmer's son. On 5 Mar 1853 at St Stephens church he married local girl Mary Ann Ellis and they had 9 children. In censuses of 1861-1891 he can be seen at High Street, a village just outside St Stephens, forstly as a tin miner, then a clay labourer, with a selection of children & latterly a grandson. He died there on 10 Mar 1892 and was buried 12 Mar in the cemetery featured at the top of this page. Mary Ann was still at High Street in 1901 census, along with granddaughter Eveline, but she died later that year aged 72.

Jane Knight 1 was born Jun 1793 in Roche to Joseph & Elizabeth née Williams and christened there 28 Jun 1793. On 7 June 1813 in St Austell she married William Hore and they had 8 children. She can be seen in censuses of 1841-61 at Molinnis, St Austell with children & latterly a possible granddaughter. She died aged 68 in Oct 1861, but I cannot find William in 1871 census. When he died aged 83 he was buried 7 Sep 1876 from the Union House, St Austell i.e. the Workhouse.

Jane Knight 2 was born Dec 1829 in Roche to Anthony & Philippa née Varcoe and christened there 3 Jan 1830. She can be seen in census of 1841 aged 10 at Bodwannick, Lanivet with parents, sibs & various farm staff.In Oct 1850 in Truro she married William Tamblyn Lobb. (There is an awful lot of information on this couple, a lot of it contradictory, so I hope I have the bare bones right.) It seems that they stayed in Cornwall at first, having 3 sons, but one died, so that when they sailed off for USA aboard the "Margareth Ann" from Plymouth in May 1854 they had with them one 2-year-old and one baby. William fought in the Civil War: he enlisted in Company G, Pennsylvania 141st Infantry Regiment on 26 Aug 1862, was promoted to Full 1st Lieutenant on 27 Sep 1864 then Captain on 18 Feb 1865. Mustered out 28 May 1865 at Washington DC. Jane can be seen in census of 1870 at Texas, Wayne, Pennsylvania with 7 children, William a carpenter, sons Isaac & Anthony (the elder 2, born in UK) "teamsters". There is a bit of a gap in my knowledge here, as I cannot track down censuses for 1880 & 1890. The children married & settle in Wayne County, mostly. William died aged 65 on 18 Apr 1892 and was buried in Glen Dyberry Cemetery, Honesdale, Wayne. In censuses of 1900 & 1910 Jane can be seen widowed, still living at Honesdale, until she (as you can see on the stone above) joined him on 25 May 1914, aged 84. Three of the children were also buried here.

Sunday 1st February 2015

James Knight 5 was born Aug 1818 in Roche to John & Mary Ann née Williams and christened 13 Sep 1818. In 1841 census he can be seen aged 23 at Tresibble, Roche with parents & sibs. On 28 Jul 1842 in the same church he married Rose Common, local miller's daughter, and they had 6 children. He can be seen in 1851 census at Criggan Downs, Roche with 3 children, listed as Tin Miner. In 1861 he and son William were boarding at Manor Parsley Miner's Inn, St Agnes, working there as Mining Engineers. Meanwhile Rose was at Tresibble with the younger children, stating "husband abroad" (in the wider sense, not necessarily overseas - but in those days 25 miles was probably considered just as far). [The Miners Inn was famous for smuggling activities and is now the Miners Arms]
By 1871 James can be seen at Hallew with 2 children, listed as Tin Mine Engine Driver, next door to son John (the same), then in 1881 at Rosemelling with one remaining daughter, "Working Engineer". In 1891 he was aged 73 and he & Rose were "lodging" with daughter Sarah & family at Higher Woon. James died in early Jul at Paradise, Roche (Higher Woon) and was buried in Roche churchyard 12 Jul 1892, followed by Rose aged 80 in Oct 1898.

James Knight 6 was born Feb 1746 in Roche to John & Dorothy née Bray and christened 23 Mar 1746 at Roche Church. He was married at the same church on 9 Jun 1766 to Blanche Robins and they had 7 children. However, 1785 was evidently a bad year for them, as 3 of the children died that year, aged 16, 10 & 6, including both girls. One of my fellow researchers of this tree claims this was due to the Laki volcanic eruption of 1783 in Iceland, which spread ash in the atmosphere & caused breathing difficulties across much of the world in the couple of years that followed (and it has even been claimed that the resultant famine amongst the poor led to the French Revolution among other things). It would explain the high percentage of deaths in an age-range usually fairly safe - if you survived infancy you usually made ot to adulthood. James & Blanche survived this, but he died aged 59 in Feb 1805, she aged 84 in Dec 1830 and both were buried in Roche churchyard.

His eldest son James Knight 7 was born Jan 1766 in Roche and christened there on 4 Apr 1767 aged 1. On 25 Jun 1788 at the Holy Trinity church in St Austell he married Philippa Hooper and they had 9 children. James died aged 72 at Tresibble in late Apr 1838 and was buried 2 May 1838 in Roche churchyard. Philippa died at Woon and was buried with James on 14 Nov 1842.

His son James Knight 8 was born Dec 1796, middle child of the nine, and was christened 15 Jan 1797 in St Austell - probably at the church above. On 22 May 1831 in Roche church he married Frances Alford (known as Fanny). This worries me, as they already had 3 sons and were expecting a 4th and were in their 30s. Another researcher has put forward a marriage on 2 Aug 1814 but I cannot find evidence of this, although the timing would make sense. Maybe banns were read but it never actually happened, then in 1831 they decided to make it legal. Anyway, they had 5 children in all, then in 1841 can be seen on census at Woon, Roche, farming, with daughter Selina at home & also Philippa, James' mother. In 1851 census they can be seen at Rosemellyn Moor with a lodger, James has handed the farm over to son Thomas (several other sons had emigrated to Canada) and is trying his hand at Tin Streaming. However, by 1861 he is back at Woon Common, albeit still a tin streamer, living a few houses away from his son (and brother Anthony a bit further on still). On 26 Dec 1868 (cheerful Christmas that one) he died, leaving effects worth <£100 to his widow Frances. She was alone at Woon in census of 1871, next door to Thomas & family, then died there & was buried 8 Jun 1876 in Roche churchyard with James.

James Knight 9 was born Feb 1821 in Roche to Joseph & Betsey née Merrifield and christened there 11 Mar 1821. On 17 Mar 1849 at St Austell he married Selina Hambly (who had been a "Clay Girl" living with her parents in Carthew, St Austell in 1841) but died there only a year later aged 29 and was buried 29 Mar 1850 in Roche churchyard. She returned to her family and can be seen with them in 1851 census back at Carthew. On 15 Dec 1853 in Roche she married William Roberts, followed him to Paignton, Devon, where he was mining, then returned to St Austell after his death. She died there in 1893 aged 78.

James Knight 10 was born Apr 1821 in Roche to Benjamin & Christiana née Lawrence and christened there 12 May 1821. He can be seen in census of 1841 at Castle Down Tenements, St Columb Major with his parents, grandfather & sister living next door. On 16 Jul 1842 in St Columb church he married neighbour Sabina Chapman and they had 2 children. By 1851 census his father, who worked on the land, had died and his mother, a school teacher, had moved away into the town, so James can be seen farming at Castle Downs with 2 children. Unfortunately Sabina died aged 30 on 5 May 1854 and was buried 7 May in the churchyard above. He didn't wait long at all to re-marry, doing so on 14 Aug 1854 at St Wenn to Elizabeth Harris Blake and they had 5 children together. They seemed to live at interesting places: In 1861 census he can be seen at Providence, St Columb Major with 3 children, in 1871 at Brynn Mill, Roche with 3 children, in 1881 at Crossehand, St Columb Major with 2 sons. In 1891 it was back to Castle an Dinas, St Columb Major (Castle Downs), next door to relatives of his first wife. When he died aged 75 he was buried on 31 May 1896 at St Columb Major Cemetery, where his first wife was. There is a note on his burial record that he was in unconsecrated ground - maybe his second wife refused to do this. I cannot trace her after this point.

Saturday 31st January 2015

On with the Jameses - there are many, as you could no doubt guess!
James Knight 3 was born May 1811 in Roche to Anthony & Elizabeth née Grose and christened 10 Jun 1811. At the same church on 2 Jan 1836 he married Grace Ann Woon and they had 8 children (although 2 died in infancy). He can be seen on census of 1841 at Carbis Common, Roche with 3 children, same in 1851 with 6 children, next door to Anthony & Ann, James working as a Clay Labourer. Grace died aged 48 and was buried at Roche churchyard on 14 Jun 1854. The following year on 21 Mar in the Wesleyan Chapel, St Austell James married Martha Yeoman née Colliver (her first husband John Yeoman had died after only 2 years of marriage), dressmaker living in St Blazey with one daughter. In 1861 census he can be seen at Bodelva, St Blazey with 5 children, the youngest Bessie his with Martha. (If you're at all curious, Martha's other daughter had married Edwin Ball in Jan 1861 and they subsequently emigrated to Melbourne, Australia.) They remained at Bodelva for censuses of 1871 & 1881, in the former with 3 children & a lodger, in the latter with daughter Bessie & 2 granddaughters, next door to son Nicholas and 3 houses from son Woodman & family. James died aged 72 on 9 Mar 1883, leaving effects worth £590 to his widow Martha, who followed on 10 Jul 1891 after a final appearance in census at Sea View Cottage, Bodelva with daughter Bessie (now widowed), 2 grandchildren & a lodger.

His son James Knight 4 was born May 1836 (4 months after they married tee hee) to James & Grace and christened at Roche church 20 Jun 1836. He can be seen on censuses of 1841 & 1851 at Carbis Common with parents & sibs, in the latter a 14-year-old Clay Labourer. On 11 Oct 1860 at St Luke's Church, Tideford, St Germans he married local girl Sarah Ann Williams and they had 4 children. He can be seen in census of 1861 at Bara Head farm, St Germans, working as an Ag Lab, just before their first child was born. Unfortunately James died 7 Jan 1870 aged 33, so in 1871 Sarah's mother is at Bara Head, while Sarah herself is at 19 Mount Pleasant, St Germans, working as nurse. By 1881 she can be seen back in the household, but now at 38 Fore Street, St Germans, her mother still there as a lodger and at the time of census a 16-year-old visitor was staying with the name Sarah Williams, so was probably a niece etc. In 1891 Sarah Ann can be seen living alone in St Germans, working as a nurse & midwife. She must have retired at 60, because she moved in with her daughter and can be seen in census of 1901 at Station House, Radley, Berkshire. Her son-in-law was Station Master there, but the station is now long gone. They were still there in 1911 census and I believe she was still living with them when she died on 21 Oct 1918 aged 79.

Friday 30th January 2015

Hilda Clarice Knight was born 21 Mar 1887 at Bodelva Farm in St Blazey to Woodman & Elizabeth née Ashton (see sister Ethel 24th Jan), she was one of the children they appear to have not baptised. She can be seen on census of 1891 aged 4 at Penpell, Lanlivery with parents, sibs & servants, then in 1901 aged 14 at 1 Double Trees, St Blazey (her parents had by then produced 11 children, so were encouraged to live elsewhere, no doubt!) with her aunt Annie & cousins. By 1911 her parents had moved to a larger house in Kent, and evidently Hilda went with them - for a while! She can be seen in census of 1911 at Park Farm, Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent with parents and 6 sibs but on 4 Sep 1915 she set sail on SS Llanstephan Castle from London to Algoa Bay and settled there. [Algoa Bay is now called Port Elizabet] lived there for some years, returning home for visits, stating permanent residence in South Africa, but I'm not sure when she returned to UK to live. She died at 8 London Road, Tonbridge on 13 Dec 1943 aged 56, which was where her mother had died 4 years previously [I can't tell what was there, as the road layout has changed in recent years]. She left effects worth £430 to her eldest sister Kate.

James Knight 1 was born 4 Feb 1826 in Chile to Anthony & Philippa née Varcoe, then christened with sister Mary Ann at Roche on 18 Jul 1829 on their return from abroad. He can be seen in census of 1841 at Bodwannick, Lanivet with parents & sibs aged 15, then also in 1851 aged 23 with 3 servants. On 2 Dec 1851 in Lanivet church he married local girl Emmeline Thomas Cook and they had 8 children. In 1861 census they can be seen at Bodwannick with 5 children and Elizabeth Retallick as servant. He had taken over the farm on the death of his father in 1852, as eldest son. In 1871 & 1881 census returns he was there with 6 then 4 children at home. By 1891 they had moved across to a different farm, and can be seen at Rosewarrick with 3 children, all employed on the farm. In 2012 I visited the churchyard in Lanivet and reported on this blog James farmed an estate called Bodwannick, just to the north of Lanivet, then in later life moved to Rosewarrick, just to the east. He was living here in 1894 when he died & was buried on 12 Feb. Emmeline joined him in the grave at her death in Aug 1903 [the inscription reads: "In loving memory of James Knight who died at Rosewarrick in this parish Feb 7th 1894 aged 68 years. Also of Emeline beloved wife of the above who died Aug 22nd 1903 aged 74 years".]

James Knight 2 was born Feb 1818 in Luxulyan to Robert & Elizabeth née Udy and christened there 8 Mar 1818. In Oct 1839 at the same church he married Rebecca Roberts from St Austell and they had 5 children. He can be seen in 1841 census at Higher Menedew, Luxulyan with baby son & a servant, James working as a miner, and the Roberts family can be seen nearby. [Spelled Menadue now and converted into holiday lets]. He can be seen there in censuses through to 1881 with the children and assorted servants, in the latter James is listed as a widowed Clay Merchant, as Rebecca died in Jul 1880, living with son Josiah and widowed sister-in-law Elizabeth Bazley. James died 6 Nov 1886 in St Peter's Hospital, Covent Garden, London and was buried in Innis Chapel cemetery in Bodmin, leaving effects worth £468 to son Josiah. However, if you remember my report on the gravestones of this excellent burial ground in 2012, you will know that I had a big surprise. On James' stone it said that the grave contained remains not only of James & Rebecca but also of his second wife Elizabeth! As her date of death was 23 Mar 1886 this was not long before his, and as Rebecca's was in 1880 they were evidently not together for long. I did wonder about Elizabeth Bazley, the live-in sister-in-law, but found a separate death for her - oddly also in 1886 but in January, in Bodmin and in her own name. The only suitable marriage is with an Elizabeth Hoar née Stephens in Liskeard in Apr 1882, but of course I cannot prove this without buying the certificate (usual problem), who was living in St Austell in 1881 as a "labourer's widow". Still, each time I deal with these things a little more detail emerges. That's what I love about this hobby. [Oh, by the way, St Peter's Hospital building on Henrietta Street was new in 1881, when this engraving was made, was closed in 1992 and is now apartments & shops]

Thursday 29th January 2015

Frederick Richard Knight was born 6 Aug 1877 in Bodmin, one of twins (sister Lucy) to Oscar & Mary Ann née Cock. On the day after the twins' 2nd birthday the family sailed off to America and can be seen in the 1880 census in Riley, Clinton, Michigan. The 1890 census is missing, so on the next one 1900 he is 22 years old, farm labourer helping his parents on the farm at Bengal, Clinton with several sibs. In 1916 he married a lady from Ohio called Mildred (unfortunately I cannot find her maiden surname on any documents) and in 1917 was drafted into WW1, his card stating he had grey eyes & brown hair, giving his address as RFL#1, Clinton, Michigan - I have no idea what this means, and Google cannot help, it seems. Suffice to say he lived in Clinton, Michigan all of his life, a farmer, and can be seen there in 1920-1940 censuses, in the latter at West Walker Street, so maybe here all along. It seems they had no children. He was drafted into WW2 also, but was 64 by then, so probably did not see action. Mildred died in 1957 and Frederick in 1961 and both were buried at Mount Rest Cemetery 

Hannah Knight was born Sep 1852 at Criggan, Roche to Christopher & Jane née Roberts and christened Ozmasinda Hannah on 6 Oct 1852 at Roche church. Unsurprisingly, the first name was never heard of again & she was always called Hannah! Unfortunately due to the vagueness of the information, I am unable to follow her further (Hannah in itself can become Ann, Anne, Anna or Annie). I just thought her unusual name worthy of mention.

Next another emigrée, Harriet Knight was born Dec 1847 at St Stephen-in-Brannel to John & Amy née Rowe. She can be seen on censuses of 1851 aged 3 & 1861 aged 13 at Bloomdale, St Stephen with parents & sibs. In 1868 she travelled to USA and in 1870 she married a fellow Cornishman Thomas Robert Bullock (I don't know if they knew each other in UK or met by chance in the States) and they had 9 children, of which 7 survived. 1880 census shows them at Lane Street, Cincinnati, Ohio with 4 of these, Thomas working as a shoe-maker. This evidently did not work out as the next census - that of 1900 - shows he is farming at Branch Hill, Clermont, Ohio with 3 daughters and the family of daughter Harriet, then in 1910 they are at Miami, Clermont, Ohio with 4 children (Harriet & family moved across Ohio then to West Virginia). Thomas died aged 72 in Clermont, Ohio, Harriet died there on 16 May 1919 aged and they were both buried in Evergreen Cemetery. 

Harriet Ann Knight was born Oct 1832 in Roche to Robert & Elizabeth nee Hore and christened at Roche church on Christmas Day that year. When she was almost 6 years old the whole family sailed to New South Wales, Australia aboard the "William Metcalfe". On 14 Sep 1848, when she was almost 16 at St Philips church in Sydney she married James Bourne and they had 6 daughters (although the final one died in infancy). I know little else, except that Harriet died in 1884 in Sydney aged only 52.

Hart Knight was born in 1852 in Roche to James & Rose née Common and christened at Roche church on Boxing Day that year. He can be seen on census of 1861 aged 8 at Tresibble with parents & sibs. However he died in early Jul 1870 aged 18.

Monday 26th January 2015

The other Fanny Knight was born 28 Jul 1852 at Goss Moor, St Columb Major to John & Charlotte nee Behenna and christened 17 Oct 1852. She can be seen in census of 1861 at Goss Moor with parents, 2 sisters and uncle Nicholas Behenna. In 1871 she was working as a servant to a merchant/landowner and can be seen with them at 11 Talskiddy, St Columb Major. When she returned in 1881 to Goss Moor, her uncle had died, so she can be seen with her parents, 2 nieces & a servant Sarah Grigg. She lived there for the rest of her life; after her parents died she was alone there with Sarah until she died in Jul 1942.

Two other Knight ancestors were christened Frances but always known as Fanny. The first Frances Knight was born Dec 1824 in Roche to John & Mary Ann nee Williams and christened 2 Jan 1825. She can be seen in 1841 census aged 16 at Tresibble with parents & brothers but died aged 21 and was buried 18 Nov 1846 in Roche churchyard.

The other Frances Knight was born Apr 1853 in Roche to William & Kitty nee Roach and christened 14 Aug 1853 in Roche church, unfortunately her mother died shortly after the birth and was buried in this churchyard on 27 Aug. She can be seen in censuses of 1861 & 1871 at Tresibble with father, sibs & servant, then Charlotte Knight as "boarder", hence she had 2 younger sisters (for story see previous entries). On 14 Jun 1871 she married Thomas John Warne, local stonemason. In 1881 census, however, she appears on her own, listed as "mortar mason's wife" but I cannot find him. By 1891 she is described as a widow, but again I cannot find a local death or burial. (Of course, he could have vanished in another way - there are plenty of records for T or J Warne leaving the country). This is a sad story, as in 1891 Fanny can be seen in the Union Workhouse in St Austell, from whence she was admitted to the County Lunatic Asylum on 26 Feb 1892 classed as a lunatic from age of 37 (this may have been when she was widowed/deserted i.e. 1890). She died there on 30 Mar 1913 aged 59 and was buried in Bodmin 3 Apr 1913.

Sunday 25th January 2015

Fanny Knight was born Apr 1847 at Criggan, Roche to James & Rose nee Common and christened at Roche church on Boxing Day 26 Dec 1847. She can be seen in census of 1851 aged 4 at Criggan Downs, Roche with parents & sibs, then in 1851 aged 14 at Tresibble with mother & sibs. By 1871 she was working as a servant to a draper & silk merchant, living with them at 52 Fore Street, Bodmin [a charity shop now, and I doubt the building dates back this far]. On 10 Jan 1874 at the church shown above she married John Hicks Bosanko, local tailor. Records disagree here - I can see on his marriage record at Roche he is described as bachelor, but there is a previous marriage at St Columb Minor in 1871 to a Melinda Giles, who died a year later, so he should be down as a widower. I have no doubts I have the correct guy, with a unique name like that! (Hicks was his mother's maiden-name by the way). In 1881 census Fanny is at Hallew, Roche with 4 children. John is not at home and I cannot find him anywhere else. Unfortunately he died aged 44 and was buried on 26 Nov 1885 in Roche churchyard. Fanny had 4 young children and was expecting a 4th, Hart, who was born the following July. In the next census she is still at Hallew, with 6 children and a lodger John Hill. Now there seems to have been a little scandal here, as the youngest child was born 22 Sep 1890 and was given the name John Charles Hill Bosanko, christened 19 Dec 1890 with the father's name field blank. She did eventually marry John Hill but not until the child was 3 years old, when his name was changed to John Charles Hill & he was known as Charlie. I know this sort of thing happens all the time nowadays, but not then. I can't find a reason for Mr Hill not marrying sooner, for example an existing wife somewhere... In 1901 & 1911 censuses they were still at Hallew with 4 children, then 2, at home, John working as a China Clay Labourer and all the boys following his example. John died there aged 67 on 19 Aug 1927, although oddly enough the probate took 10 years, and effects worth £180 only came to John Charles in 1937 after paperwork was forwarded from Bodmin to London! Meanwhile, Fanny died aged 86 in Jan 1933 and was buried on 11 Feb 1933 in the Council Cemetery in Roche

Saturday 24th January 2015

Ernest Alfred Knight was born Apr 1860 in Lanivet to James & Emmeline nee Cook and christened there 14 Mar 1865 with brother William. He can be seen in censuses of 1861-1911 at the family farm Rosewarrick, Lanivet, firstly with parents, sibs & servant, then when his father died in 1894 he inherited the farm, brought his wife there and raised their sons there. He married in Jan 1897 to Gertrude Jane Rowse from Withiel at her local church. Both sons became farmers and when Ernest senior retired, he gave the working of the farm over to them and lived at Meadow Bank, Lanivet (one of the houses on the site of St Benet's Abbey, I understand) until his death 13 Dec 1932 aged 72, when he was buried 16 Dec 1932 in the churchyard, leaving effects worth £2135 to Gertrude & their sons. When she died on 19 Nov 1949 she was still living there. She left effects worth £1744 to her sons and was buried with Ernest.

Ernest Alfred Knight, eldest son of the above, was born on 17 Oct 1898 in Lanivet (no doubt at Rosewarrick) and christened on 10 Apr 1899. He can be seen there in censuses of 1901 & 1911 with parents & brother. In Apr 1926 in Bodmin he married Amy Wills and they too had 2 sons. When Amy died aged 78 on 23 Jan 1978 and Ernest on 13 Oct 1986 aged 87 son William had a beautiful headstone made and erected in Lanivet churchyard (the other son, Alfred, died in infancy).

Ethel Mary Knight was born Jul 1881 at St Blazey to Woodman & Elizabeth nee Ashton but it seems they only christened their first 3, as I cannot find a record for Ethel, nor the 7 children that followed! She can be seen in census of 1891 at Penpell with parents, sibs, cousin & 2 servants. In 1901 she was boarding with a draper/milliner who was probably her employer, at St Nicholas Street, Bodmin, as she was also a Milliner. In Jul 1905 in St Austell area (possibly St Blazey, where her parents still lived) she married Robert John Pearse Heygate, who worked in his father's grocery shop just half a mile across Bodmin, in Castle Street. By the 1911 census her parents had moved away to a farm in Kent and Robert's father John had died, leaving John to run the shop. Ethel and he can be seen there with 2 daughters, Lucretia Knight (Ethel's sister) working as Mother's Help and a servant. However, Robert died aged 37 in 1916 and it seems that Ethel joined her family in Kent. All her girls grew up & married in Tonbridge, Kent. When she died it was 9 Apr 1950 at 36 Hadlow Road, Tonbridge. but she was buried with Robert in Bodmin. She left effects worth £19500 to Frederick Heygate Challis, Company Director, and daughter Muriel Airey.

Friday 23rd January 2015

Elizabeth Treverton Knight was born Feb 1758 in St Dennis to William & Sarah nee Treverton and christened there 13 Mar 1758 with sister Grace. I understand (although I haven't found documentation) that on 5 May 1777 at St Dennis she married Walter Williams, had 5 sons and died Oct 1801. Walter died in 1826 and both were buried in St Dennis.

Ellen Knight was born Mar 1852 at Carbis, Roche to Anthony & Ann nee Pinch and christened at Roche church on 7 Jun 1852. She can be seen in censuses of 1861 & 1871 at Woon Common, Roche with parents & sibs, in the latter aged 19 listed as a dressmaker. In 1881 she was at 53 Wolsdon Street, Plymouth, with sister Clara, both working as dressmakers. A few weeks later, on 23 May 1881 she married William John Hill Trethewey, a local copper miner, and they had 2 sons. Oddly, I cannot find them in census of 1891, although the boys are staying with relatives, even the baby, William. The same applies in 1901, but the fact that William died in Madras, India in 1903 suggests an explanation. His death record states that he died of heart failure aged 49 on 1st July and buried there the same day, but no Next of Kin was stated. Ellen may have been there with him, I cannot tell. If so, she did return to England as 1911 census shows her widowed, living at 5 Spring Hill, Tavistock with eldest son Francis, and when she died there many years later a headstone was erected to both her & William in the churchyard where she was buried.


Emily Elizabeth Stick Knight was born Apr 1862 in Lanivet to Richard & Mary Ann nee Stick and christened there 1 May 1862. She can be seen on census of 1871 aged 9 at Bodwannick, Lanivet with parents, sibs & 4 servants, but unfortunately died on 2 May 1876 aged 14 and was buried 8 May in the churchyard

Thursday 22nd January 2015

Elizabeth Knight 8 was born Mar 1852 at Polpinka, Menheniot to Simon & Grace nee Bennett and christened there 28 Mar 1852. She can be seen there in census of 1861 with parents & sibs, then in 1871 in Menheniot Village, with a JP & Landowner & family, working as Housemaid, one of 3 staff members. On 9 Apr 1874 at St Thomas' church, Exeter, Devon she married William Tucker, who was employed by GWR (Great Western Railways). He was first at Ivybridge as Booking Porter, then transferred to Bovey Tracey station, where he was Inspector then Station Master, finally resigning in 1910 aged 62. They had 8 children (and 2 more who died) and can be seen in census returns of 1881-1911 in Bovey Tracey with them, in 1881 the address was Heathfields, St Johns Road, in 1891 Heathfield Cottages, but a little more detail in 1901 "No. 1 Heathfield Terrace" and in 1911 number 13 enabled me to pinpoint the little homes, still in existence. William died there in Oct 1913 and Elizabeth followed on 15 Mar 1920, leaving effects worth £211 to sons William (police detective) and Herbert (station master, like his father).

Elizabeth Knight 9 (aka Lizzie) was born 15 Apr 1879 at St Blazey to Woodman & Elizabeth nee Ashton and christened at Par church on 20 Jul 1879. She can be seen in census of 1881 aged 1 at Bodelva, St Blazey (where the Eden Project now stands) with parents & sibs, 2 servants & aunt Annie Ashton. In 1891 & 1901 she can be seen at Penpell, St Blazey with parents & sibs, 2 servants & cousin Minnie Ashton. By 1911 the family have moved to Kent and can be seen at Park Farm, Hadlow, Tonbridge and they stayed in the area, it seems, for some decades. Her father died there in 1915 & brother John in 1916, her brother Reginald in 1934, her mother in 1939 & sister Hilda in 1943. In 1962 her sister Lucretia died at the local cottage hospital & left £2847 to Lizzie & sister Kate. When Lizzie herself died in Oct 1975 it was at St George's Hospital in London (only a couple of years before I applied for a job there, but didn't get it)

Elizabeth Knight 10 was born Jan 1864 to Richard & Mary Ann nee Stick but oddly there seems not to be a christening record for her - her 4 siblings all have records. She can be seen in census of 1871 aged 7 at Bodwannick, Lanivet with parents, sibs & 4 servants (2 farm, 2 domestic). In 1881 census she was at the Ladies' School, Fore Street, Bodmin with her cousin Cheveletia (see 4th Jan). For censuses of 1891 & 1901 she can be seen back at home in Bodwannick with parents, brother Anthony, a servant & in the latter also ?cousin Florrie Jane Stick, aged 9. In 1911 the whole household has moved to Tremeere, Lanivet (including Florrie). Her father died here in 1915 and her mother in 1918. Elizabeth died 17 Oct 1948 at 5 Western Terrace, Bodmin aged 84, leaving effects worth £3781 to Florrie, who was married to Johnny Morris (no, not that one!)
 
Monday 19th January 2015

Elizabeth Knight 4 was born Jan 1801 in Roche to Thomas & Elizabeth nee Mark and christened 22 Feb 1801 at Luxulyan church. On 24 Aug 1824 in St Austell she married Joseph Allen, a sawyer from St Austell, and they had 4 children. They can be seen on 1841 & 1851 censuses at Old West Turnpike, St Austell with 3 children. In 1861 they have moved round to Old Bridge Road (or this was the same place renamed), with son William (aged 20 already a widower as his wife Mary Prior had died after just 3 months of marriage. He did marry again the following year, and Joseph was a witness). Both Elizabeth & Joseph died in 1868 at Union House, the local workhouse. As I have said before, this needn't mean they were destitute; it often was the only way to access medical treatment and terminal care. Elizabeth was buried on 10 Feb and Joseph 27 Jul in St Austell. (The workhouse was not far from home, in Priory Road, where there is still a substantial medical centre).

Elizabeth Knight 5 was born Sep 1804 in Luxulyan to Robert & Elizabeth nee Udy and christened there 14 Oct 1804 (see above for pics of church & font) - christened Elizabeth but always known as Betsey. On 6 Apr 1825 at the same church she married Philip Knight (Elizabeth 4's brother) I have not established a relationship between them; it is possible they were not related at all, as Knight is a kind of occupational surname). In 1841 census they can be seen farming at Hallew, Roche with 4 children (they had 5 in all), then in 1851 at Bilberry, Roche with all 5. By the time Philip died in Jan 1858 they were living at Hallew again (of course the descriptions of addresses at time of census, death records etc may vary when referring to the same place, as nothing was as precise then - it was probably known as the Knights' Place!). He was buried on 16 Jan 1858 in Roche churchyard. In 1861 census Betsey can be seen at Hallew, with youngest son Oscar at home, with a couple of lodgers to help make ends meet. Son Robert is next door with his family, working as a tin miner (he was Jessie's great grandfather). Betsey is farmer, assisted by 15-year-old "Oscarlando". By 1871 Betsey was 67 years old (admitting to 65) retired & living in the Cottage shown above, with her niece Taphenes (Jessie's grandmother) as servant. Oscarlando and his family were living in the main farmhouse next door. Betsey died there on 4 Aug 1878, leaving effects worth £300 to her brother James, farmer of Luxulyan. She was buried 8 Aug 1878 in Roche churchyard with Philip.

Elizabeth Knight 6 was born late Dec 1817 in Roche to Joseph junior & Betsy nee Merrifield and christened there 4 Jan 1818. In 1841 census she can be seen at Tregoss, working as a servant - this is the area to the immediate West of Roche. On 14 Jun 1845 at Roche church she married Isaac Behenna from Tregoss and moved in next door to her parents at Criggan Downs, Roche, where they can be seen on census return of 1851 with daughter Susan and lodger John Knight. They remained at the same address for the next 3 decades too, while her brother Christopher moved the other side to her parents and after their deaths her brother David. Elizabeth died there aged 72 Jun 1889 and was buried at Roche 22 Jun, followed a decade later by Isaac aged 87. (Daughter Susan married James Pascoe and emigrated to USA).

Elizabeth Knight 7 was another always known as Betsey. She was born Dec 1828 in Roche to Anthony & Ann nee Jeffery and christened there on Christmas Day. She can be seen in census of 1841 aged 12 at Carn Rosemary (Bugle) with parents & sibs. On 23 Jan 1848 at St Austell Register Office she married Joseph Trudgeon/Trudgian, labourer from St Mewan and they had 9 children. In 1851 census they can be seen at Gunbarrow, St Austell with a daughter, then in 1861 at Chenowa, St Austell with 5 children. In 1871 they can be seen at Bonnie, St Austell with 8 children. Betsey died Oct 1877 aged 48 and Joseph in May 1888 aged 63, but I cannot find out where they were buried.

Sunday 18th January 2015

Elizabeth Knight 3 was born in December 1795 in Roche to Anthony & Mary nee Hore and christened there 1 Jan 1796. (Her parents had already produced a daughter in May the previous year and christened her Elizabeth on 9 Jun 1794 but she died aged 8 months on 17 Jan 1795 & was buried in Roche churchyard 20 Jan 1795). On 21Oct 1815 at the same church she married John Henry Chapman, an Ag Lab and they had many children - I have counted 10, a fellow genealogist/relative studying this tree reckons there were as many as 18! in 1841 census they can be seen at Drew's Cottage, St Columb Major with 7 children, but Elizabeth died aged 52 at home in Castle Downs, St Columb Major and was buried on 3 Jan 1848. In 1851 census John can be seen at Castle Downs with 3 children at home, next door to daughter Sabina & family. I am told he died in 1882.

Friday 16th January 2015

Sorry for the delay, I was engaged in a process familiar to readers of this blog as my son has just emigrated to America. Unlike the others on these pages he did not sail off on a Steamship, he boarded a jet and is already now settling into in his new home in New York. I hope he will be very happy there, no doubt he will, as my soon-to-be daughter-in-law is lovely. I will speak for all the ancestors in all these trees in wishing them well for the future.

Eliza Jane Knight was born Apr 1861 in Roche to William & Charlotte (who we know well, see 3rd Jan), illegitimate and not baptised, in 1871 census she can be seen at Tresibble, her mother listed as boarder. In 1881 her parents are shown as married, also in 1891 census. Later that year Eliza married neighbour Richard Datson, china clay labourer from Lanivet, in Jul 1891 in St Austell and they had 2 children. Censuses of 1901 & 1911 show them at Hallew, Roche with the children (they had moved into his family home, his parents having died shortly before). Eliza died aged 62 and was buried 29 Aug 1922 in Roche Cemetery, where Richard followed on 14 Jul 1933. [There was an potentially exciting event, that turned out to be a Red Herring here. Divorces in UK in those days were very rare indeed, as they involved a High Court in London & often an Act of Parliament. I found records of one such in 1893 involving a Richard & Eliza Datson, from Cornwall. However, looking into the details it was not them]

The other Eliza Jane Knight was born Mar 1831 in Roche to Anthony & Ann nee Jeffery and christened 21 Apr 1831 at Roche church. She can be seen on census return of 1841 at Mount Whistle, Carn Rosemary, now called Bugle, aged 9 with parents & sibs. On 9 Nov 1850 in St Austell she married Thomas Hooper, local farmer's son, and they moved into the house next door to the Bugle Inn. They can be seen there in census of 1851, then they had 5 children. In 1861 they can be seen at Yondertown, now called Carbean, with 2 children & her mother Ann, a widowed nurse (helpful, as son William Richard - or vice versa - was described as "imbecile from birth" and had what we would call today "special needs"). They moved up north to Cumberland for the 5th child, Willie, but Eliza died shortly afterwards aged almost 40. The census shows the rest of the family there a few weeks later at No. 6 Dent View Cottages, Cleator, Cumberland but they soon returned to Cornwall and Thomas married widow Rhoda Ellicott nee Hicks in October. Thomas died aged 53 on 8 Jul 1880, leaving Rhoda with her own son and 3 of his children at home in 1881 census, at Union Close, Mount Charles, St Austell.

There are lots of Elizabeths, so I shall number them as usual, for clarity.
Elizabeth Knight 1 was born Feb 1744 in Roche to John & Dorothy nee Bray and christened 4 Mar 1766 at Roche church. On 31 Mar 1766 at the same church she married Philip Treveale and they had 4 children. Philip died aged 59 and was buried on 4 Mar 1796 in Luxulyan parish churchyard. Elizabeth died, I suspect in 1801 or 1811, and was probably buried with him - although I did not see the headstone when we visited in 2012 this may have been there but too old and illegible.

Elizabeth Knight 2 was born in early Jan 1789 in St Austell to James & Philippa nee Hooper and christened there 18 Jan 1789. On 12 Jan 1811 at Roche church she married Lancelot Hore and they had 2 daughters. Unfortunately Elizabeth died shortly after the second birth, and baby Mary was christened afterwards. Mary died aged 2 in 1815, Lancelot married again in 1822 (to Mary Trevail) but another daughter Mary from that marriage died aged 5 and her mother in 1828 aged 45 - he didn't have much luck with his girls. He married for a third time in 1830, to Mary Harris and had a daughter with her too. This was Betsy, who died aged 24. Lancelot died aged 57 and was buried 11 Mar 1843 in Roche.

Monday 12th January 2015

Time for another emigré - there are a lot in this tree! Edwin Paul Knight was born 6 Mar 1852 at Nanpean, St Stephen-in-Brannel and christened there 1 Aug 1852 (for pic of church see yesterday). He can be seen in censuses of 1861 & 1871 with parents & sibs at Bloomdale, St Stephens, in the latter aged 19 & listed as a miner. Bloomdale was a china clay mine, in 1840 very up-and-coming and with high hopes. Accounts are available up to 1877, which suggests this was when the clay ran out and mining was abandoned. On May 1878 in St Stephens he married Elizabeth Jane Rooke, carpenter's daughter, who had been brought up by her grandparents in St Stephens. Edwin sailed from Liverpool to New York aboard the SS Germanic arriving 8 Jun 1878 and in census of 1880 can be seen boarding in Harshaw, Patagonian Mountains, Pima, Arizona, which was a newly-founded town and silver mine in the "Wild West", where he presumably hoped to make his fortune. Elizabeth can be seen visiting her parents in St Ewe in 1881 census, then later that year she travelled out to join him. However, this area became very lawless and run-down - it was near the site of the famous "Gunfight at the OK Corral" which took place 26 Oct 1881 and the silver mine at Harshaw itself closed down at the end of that year, due to a decline in the quality of its product. Edwin & Elizabeth moved straight off to Cincinnati, Ohio in time for their first son, Thomas Floyd, to be born there in 1882, followed in 1885 by daughter Henrietta and 1888 by John Paul. I cannot find the 1890 Ohio census - I believe it is missing - but they can be seen there in 1900, at 3516 Goodwin Street, Cincinnati with 3 children, Edwin working as a Carpenter. This road was renamed Handman Avenue by the time Elizabeth died there of tuberculosis on 3 Feb 1908 and was buried at Spring Grove Cemetery [an absolutely beautiful place by all accounts]. Apparently on 2 May 1911 the grave was moved, so when Edwin joined her on his own death in 1921 it was here. In 1910 census Edwin can be seen at the same address, widowed with daughter (Henri)Etta, who worked as a dressmaker at home. In 1920 the entire family were together in one house: Etta was married, as was John, and they all lived at 2629 Ida Avenue, Cincinnati along with their families and Thomas, still single. Edwin obtained a little place of his own, 2635 Marsh Avenue, Cincinnati, but maybe this wasn't a good idea, as he died aged 70 on 6 Sep 1921 of a cerebral abscess as a result of a fall (these US burial records are so detailed!) and joined Elizabeth at Spring Grove.

Eleanor Knight was born Mar 1791 in St Austell to James & Philippa nee Hooper and christened there 10 Apr 1791. On 29 Nov 1812 at Roche church she married Thomas Ellery of St Mabyn and they had 5 children. In 1841 census they can be seen at St Paul's Square, St Austell with 4 children, Eleanor working as a dressmaker & Thomas as an "Engine Man". In 1851 Eleanor was staying in Church Town, St Teath, North Cornwall with daughter Catherine, a straw bonnet maker, while Thomas was in Calstock with son Richard & family. In 1860 they are together again in Fore Street, Saltash, Thomas listed as an Engine Driver. However, he died the following year so she can be seen in the next 2 censuses "supported by children", who live with her or next door until her death in Apr 1873 aged 83.

Sunday 11th January 2015

Edwin Knight was born Jul 1839 at St Stephen-in-Brannel, Cornwall to Thomas & Betsey nee Hammer and christened there on 2 Aug 1840 aged 1. He can be seen in census of 1841 at Drinnick, St Stephens with parents & sibs, as in 1851 also with a lodger & 2 visiting cousins. In 1861 census there appears to be a mess-up on the part of the census-taker, as Edwin appears to be 2 months old and his father has 2 wives (!). I assume this should read 21 and the enumerator couldn't read his own handwriting. I thought maybe Mary (the 2nd wife) could be his, but in future records he is shown as unmarried, not widowed. In 1871 & 1881 he can be seen with his widowed mother, boarding with a butcher in Goodwives Lane (renamed Pydar Street, unfortunately!), Truro, in the latter listed as a Brewer. His mother died in 1884 and I cannot find further trace of him - well. none that I can confirm; he may have died in Kent in 1900, Devon in 1913 or emigrated to Freemantle, Australia in 1908 (unlikely as he would be a 68 year old farmhand).

Saturday 10th January 2015

<Eden Knight continued>
In 1861 census return she can be seen at 5 Laws Buildings, Teignmouth, Devon with 3 children & a servant, Joseph working as Candle Manufacturer [all modern buildings now], as he was in 1871 at King Street [a useful place today as home of Devon Family History Society] with 2 children. By 1881 he had retired from this occupation and taken up Tea Sales. He is not at home in 1881 but staying at Webb's Hotel in Liskeard, which we have met before (Albert Knight lived next door, but many years later) Joseph was working as a Tea Merchant, ie salesman.  Eden was at home in Canal Bank, St Thomas, Exeter with 2 children & a servant, and still was there when she died in Jul 1890. She was buried at St Thomas (Exwick) Cemetery, Exeter. In 1901 census return Joseph can be seen boarding at 10 Fortescue Road, St Thomas, Exeter, listed as a Retired Tea Merchant. He died there in Jan 1905 & joined Eden in the grave

Philip & Elizabeth nee Willcocks really wanted a daughter called Edith. When their 5th child was born in Lanivet in 1869 they christened her Edith Leonora Knight on 17 Dec 1869 and she can be seen with them in census return of 1871 in Lanivet Village. However, she died that July aged 18 months. So when Elizabeth gave birth again in Oct 1872 and it was a girl, they (as was the practice of the time) re-used the name and christened her Edith Annie Knight on 29 Apr 1873. She can be seen in 1881 census aged 8 at Lanivet with parents & sibs. In census of 1891 she was living in Phillack Market Square, working as a servant to a widowed grocer. In Oct 1897 in Liskeard she married John Edward C Marshall, who was himself a grocer, so she may have met him through her employer. In 1901 census they can be seen in their own grocer's shop in Higher Market Street, East Looe (much nearer "home"). In 1911 he had taken/inherited a dairy farm and they can be seen at Kirland, Bodmin, running this with 2 servants (one female domestic and one male farmhand). Edith died in Jun 1935 aged 63 and John moved to 2 Lynstone Cottages, Bude, where he died 22 May 1948 aged 80, leaving effects worth £1903 to Henry John Marshall (?brother - I do not know of any children).

Edward Knight was born Jan 1856 in Roche to James & Rose nee Common and christened there 13 Jun 1856. He can beseen in 1861 aged 5 at Tresibble, Roche with mother & sibs, then in 1871 aged 16 at Hallew with parents & sister. He cannot be found in 1881 census, and he may be the Edward Knight who signed up in the US Army aged 21 in 1877 and appeared in 1880 US Census at Fort Clark, Kinney, Texas as a Private. If so, he was dishonorably discharged 6 months later and presumably returned home. In Oct 1885 in St Austell he married Alma Beswetherick from that town, who was working as a servant to a grocer, living at Criggan, Roche. They moved in near his parents at Hallew and can be seen there in 1891 census with one son, Edward working as a Farm Labourer. He was obviously very taken with America, as he took Alma there in 1886. In 1892 she gave birth to a second son in Cornwall then they all emigrated to Pennsylvania. They had 3 more children there and can be seen in census of 1900 at Bigler, Clearfield, Pennsylvania (Edward gave his date of first arriving in USA as 1880, unlike the others, which corroborates the story above), with 5 children, Edward listed as Coal Miner. By 1910 census the whole picture had changed. They had moved right across the country to Portland, Oregon and can be seen in that census at South Taylor, Edward listed as a Labourer on the Railroad, son Arthur a cigar salesman & son Raymond in clothing delivery. 1915 directory shows them there, but Alma died there aged 54 in 1918, and she was buried in Multnomah Park Cemetery. She is therefore not present in 1920 census, when they can be seen at 4610 62nd Street, Multnomah. Edward is still working in the Steel Industry, 2 youngest sons are still at home, both mechanics. Edward died 19 Jun 1923 and was buried with Alma.

Friday 9th January 2015

The next ancestor was another who emigrated to USA. David Knight was born Dec 1845 at Polpinka, Menheniot to Simon & Grace nee Bennett and christened 10 Jan 1846 at Menheniot church. He can be seen in census returns of 1851 & 1861 aged 5 & 15 at Polpinka with parents & sibs. I cannot find him in census of 1871 but ha may have been travelling, as on 20 Jun 1871 he arrived at New York on board the SS City of Paris. However, the next we hear is his death in 1882 in California aged 36. His mother died the following year and a headstone was erected to them both in Roche churchyard

The other David Knight in this tree was born Mar 1835 in Roche to Joseph junior & Betsy nee Merrifield and christened 18 Apr 1835 in Roche church. He can be seen in census returns of 1841 & 1851 at Criggan Downs, Roche with parents & sibs, in the latter listed as Farm Labourer. On 21 Apr 1859 in Lanivet church he married Mary Ann Mutton, farmer's daughter from Lanivet. They settled at Hallew, Roche & had 11 children (although 5 died as children) and can be seen there in 1841 census with eldest daughter Elizabeth (who died aged 4), David listed as a Copper Miner. By 1871 his father had died and they can be seen at Criggan Down with 5 children, next door to his brother Christopher, David now mining Tin. In 1881 he is 2 doors from brother Joseph, still at Criggan with 6 children, in 1891 with 3 daughters left at home and working as a China Clay Labourer. By 1901 David is farming his own land, with just youngest daughter Clara to help at home. In 1911 she has married but son Michael has returned from America as his wife died there in childbirth. Mary Ann died in 1915, then David on 7 Feb 1917, leaving effects worth £70 to sons Charles, civil servant & Michael, farmer. They were buried together in Roche churchyard.
 
There are 3 Dorothy Knights in this tree; one was born Dec 1779 in Roche to James & Blanche nee Robins and was christened 5 Jan 1780 at Roche church. I think she died aged 19 & was buried there 24 Jul 1799 (document not conclusive as it does not state parents' names).

Dorothy Knight 2 was born Sep 1800 in Roche to Anthony & Mary nee Hore and christened 5 Oct 1880. On 4 Mar 1821 in Roche she married George Hicks, a "cordwinder". They had 2 children, Hannah and William, but Dorothy died, possibly from complications after childbirth, 9 months after William was born at Parnal's Barn, Roche. She was buried 15 Sep 1824 in Roche churchyard.

Dorothy Knight 3 was born 1741 in Roche to John & Dorothy nee Bray and christened 25 Apr 1741. On 5 Jun 1762 she married Lancelot Hore in his home parish of St Austell. They had 3 children in Roche and Lancelot possibly died in 1808 or 1809 (this was a very common name in the area and there are multiple records). Dorothy died in Dec 1828 at Rosevear, St Austell and was buried 15 Jan 1829 in Roche churchyard.

Eden Knight was born Jan 1820 in Luxulyan to Robert & Betsey nee Udy and christened there 20 Feb 1820 by the Bible Christian Circuit at the Ebenezer Chapel [now a private house], just along the road from Higher Menadew, where she can be seen in 1841 census with parents & brother. (Menadew was mentioned in previous entries: see Ann Knight 4th Dec 2014 and also Joseph & Josiah Knight Apr 2012). In Oct 1845 in Exeter, Devon she married Joseph Udy Wills (whose middle name suggests a cousin of some sorts) and they settled in Exeter. In 1851 census they can be seen at Coopers Buildings, St Mary Steps, Exeter with son and nurse (William may well have been a sickly child, as he died aged 16), Joseph listed as a "Tallow Melter" (nice...). We have met St Mary Steps before, but this time I don't know if they married in this church.

<to be continued>

Thursday 8th January 2015

Daniel Knight was born Sep 1828 in Roche to Joseph junior & Betsy nee Merrifield and christened 23 Oct 1828 at Roche church. He can be seen in census of 1841 aged 13 at Criggan Down, Roche with parents & sibs. I cannot find him in 1851; he is not at home with the rest of the family. He may well have been in London, as on 10 Apr 1855 at Hackney Parish Church he married Frances Wright, who was from Norfolk but living in Hackney, working as a servant. Daniel was a Police Constable (so was presumably training in 1851). They remained in Hackney and had 6 children there. In 1861 census they can be seen at Stoke Newington Green with 3 children, but by 1861 they had moved to 23 Shacklewell Row, Hackney [modern flats now, but surrounded with the old buildings they must have seen daily]. They remained there until at least 1891, and during that time Daniel worked on the railways, ostensibly as a porter. It seems he was bored with simple railway work though, as in Jan 1886 he was found asleep on duty - at 4.30 am - & fined on day's pay and later transferred. The 1891 census-taker described him as "Detective in Railway Employ", so I would imagine he applied for more interesting work as he wanted to use his police experience, and was transferred to the newly-formed CID. In 1893 he retired to Bletchley, Buckinghamshire and the following year Frances died there aged 62. Census of 1901 shows him living at 30 Brooklands Road, Fenny Stratford, Bletchley [now part of Milton Keynes], widowed, with daughter Susette as his Housekeeper. He is listed as "Retired on Police Pension". Details in 1911 are the same, and he died there in Jul 1915 aged 86.

His son Daniel James Knight was born Feb 1856 at Brown's Place, Hackney and christened 9 Mar 1856, possibly at St John's above, record doesn't say. He can be seen in censuus returns of 1861-81 as above with parents & sibs, aged 5, 15 & 25 respectively and listed as Errand Boy then Book Salesman. In Nov 1890 he sailed from London to New York aboard the Lydian Monarch, arriving on 26 Nov 1890. On 22 Jun 1897 in Brooklyn, New York he married Emma Bannister. She was born near to him in London but was 19 years younger, so I'm not sure if they knew each other when he lived there. They settled in Manhattan and had 6 children. Census returns show they lived at West 101st Street until at least 1920, Daniel working as a Tile Layer in the building trade. Once he retired several of his children worked to keep the family, including a chauffeur, 2 plumbers and a stenographer/secretary. In 1930 the family can be seen at West 179th Street, then in 1940 Fort Washington Avenue (apparently in 1935 at Boind Brook, New Jersey - ?Bound Brook - with daughter Selina but leaving 2 sons behind, no details available) Daniel died on 5 Oct 1942 in Manhattan, aged 86. I cannot find a death record for Emma - outside possibilities are that she married (at 75+) or returned home to England.

Monday 5th January 2015

Clara Knight was born Sep 1864 in Roche to Robert & Lavinia nee Retallick. She can be seen in census return of 1871 at Molinnis, St Austell with parents & sibs, then in 1881 aged 17 at 11 Menacuddle Street, St Austell, working as servant to an 85-year-old lady. In Apr 1885 in St Austell (no record states which church) she married Daniel Hancock, a china clay labourer from Ruddle Moor, and they had 6 children. It appears that Clara had not been baptised as a baby, as there is no record until she was 23, and was christened at Treverbyn along with her first child Laura (under the name Knight, so she must have felt her childhood omission). In censuses of 1891 & 1901 they can be seen living on Ruddle Moor with 6 children. By 1911 Daniel had been promoted to Captain of the Clay Mines, his eldest two sons working there as engineer & miner and they lived in Colchester House, Ruddle (a sizeable house with 7 rooms extra to scullery etc), eldest daughter Laura boarding in Folkestone, Kent & working as a milliner. Unfortunately 4 out of the 6 children died in the next few years in their teens & 20s - I cannot tell without purchasing the death certificates whether this was an epidemic, something genetic or just bad luck - the remaining two girls did not marry, so they may have suspected something... Clara herself did not die until Oct 1935 aged 71 and Daniel Jan 1940 aged 76.

Clara Ann Knight was born Oct 1865 in Roche to William & Charlotte (see Saturday), illegitimate, but both parents were named. She was christened at Roche church on 16 Jan 1866 and her birth registered in the April quarter of 1866. In census of 1871 she can be seen at Tresibble, Roche with parents, 2 sisters & a male servant (her mother was listed as boarder). By 1881 her mother was now listed as Wife and Clara had one sister still at home, along with a female servant. In 1891 the household was the same except the servant was male again. Clara was listed as a Farm Servant. On 27 Feb 1894 in St Austell she married John Grose. They moved to 3 Wesley Place, Slades, St Austell and had 3 sons there. In 1901 census they can be seen there with two of these and Charlotte, who was by now a widow. [I have now found the house on Google Streetview, as it is still there, next to the Methodist Chapel - a church is always a useful pointer!] Clara died aged 37 in Jul 1903, either in childbirth or as a result of this, having third son Arthur. John married again in 1906 to a girl 20 years his junior, and died himself in 1919 (in the house above), leaving £2142 to his widow.

Clara Mary Knight was born Oct 1853 in Roche to Anthony & Ann nee Pinch and christened there 27 Apr 1854. She can be seen in census of 1861 aged 7 at Woon Common, Roche with parents & sibs, then with them still there in 1871. By 1881 she can be seen with sister Ellen, living at 53 Wolsdon Street, Plymouth, both working as dressmakers. Ellen married later that year and moved away, and I am told Clara moved back to St Austell & died in 1885. However, I cannot find any documentation to back this up, so will reserve judgement.

Sunday 4th January 2015

Cheveletia Annie Knight (one of my favourite names on this tree!) was born May 1866 in Lanivet to James & Emmeline nee Cook and christened 4 Jun 1866 in the Bodmin area (possibly Lanivet, no record states). She can be seen aged 4 in census of 1871 at Rosewarrick, Lanivet with parents & sibs. In 1881 she was 14 at "Ladies School", Fore Street, Bodmin with 9 other pupils & 3 servants. This establishment was run by two sisters. In 1891 she was back at Rosewarrick, living with parents & sibs, helping on the farm, but by 1901 her father had died & brother Ernest was running the farm. Cheveletia can be seen at 33 Clowance Lane Cottages, Devonport [now part of Plymouth & modern flats are on the site] as Annie. 1911 census shows her visiting a friend in Devonport, describing herself as a "Housekeeper in Farmhouse". As she never married and had no children, the next we see of her is at her death in 1941 aged 75. She died on 26 Jun 1941 at 21 St Nicholas Street, Bodmin, leaving effects worth £878 to her brother William.

Christiana (Kitty) Knight was born Jun 1819 in Roche to Benjamin & Christiana nee Lawrence and christened at Roche church 28 Jul 1819. In census of 1841 she can be seen aged 20 (rounded down, as was usual in that census), living next door to her parents in Castle Downs Tenements, St Columb Major, working as servant to John Lawrence senior & junior, her grandfather & uncle. In 1851 census she can be seen at Truthan, St Erme, working as Kitchen Maid to a JP. In 1861 she was in Churchtown, St Wenn, one of 3 servants to Rev. Stanhope Rashleigh, Vicar of St Mary's and his family, and in 1871 the Cook. In 1881 she can be seen aged 61 at Bellflower, St Columb Major, next door to her brother James & family, and she was still there in 1891 She died there 29 Jul 1891 aged 72 and was buried at St Columb Major cemetery 31 Jul 1891, leaving effects worth £290 to her brother John, a farmer at Goss Moor, St Columb Major. [When we visited in 2012 I did not see her grave - most of them were fairly recent]

There was another Christiana Knight, born Jul 1815 in Roche to Robin & Eleanor nee Kite, then christened there 6 Aug 1815. She can be seen in 1841 census in Church Street, Liskeard with Thomas, Sarah & Susanna Knight (who I haven't tracked down yet, but when her parents died a few years previously, she no doubt moved in with Family) and she died there aged 28 in Jul 1844, buried 15 Aug 1844 at Liskeard Parish Church.

Christopher Knight was born Aug 1826 in Roche to Joseph junior & Betsy nee Merrifield and christened there 21 Sep 1826. he can be seen in censuses of 1841 & 1851 at Criggan Downs with parents & sibs, in the latter aged 24 listed as China Clay Labourer. On 7 Jul 1852 at Roche church he married Jane Roberts from St Stephens and they had 6 children. In census of 1861 they can be seen 2 houses along from his parents, on Criggan Down, with 2 children, Christopher still a China Clay Miner. In 1871 they can be seen in the same place with 4 children, but his father & her mother had been widowed. John Roberts can be seen living with them (he died there in Dec 1873 leaving £200 to Jane) and Christopher had changed occupation to Tin Miner, next door to his brother David & family. By 1881 the set-up was the same, then 1891 he can be seen with only one daughter left at home and he has left mining to take up farming, which he is still doing in 1901, with son John Roberts Knight there to help. Jane died there in Jul 1902, Christopher died there 8 Nov 1905 and was buried 11 Nov with her in Roche churchyard, leaving £270 to son John.
   
Saturday 3rd January 2015

May I wish a very Happy New Year to all

now on with the work...

Cecilia Knight was born Oct 1839 in Lanivet to Anthony & Philippa nee Varcoe - I cannot find a baptism; they seem to have only baptised the first few children & not bothered with the later ones, who died young. She can be seen in census of 1841 aged 1 at Bodwannick with parents & sibs. In 1851 census she was aged 11, at the same place, and now they had 3 servants too. Unfortunately she died just before her 21st birthday and was buried in Roche churchyard.

Charlotte Knight was born Jan 1860 at Polpinka, Menheniot to Simon & Grace nee Bennett and christened at the age of 9 with sister Amelia on 24 Aug 1869 at Menheniot church. In census returns of 1861 & 1871 she can be seen at Polpinka with parents & sibs, then in 1881 aged 20 at 25 George Street, Plymouth [now modern blocks of flats], working as a servant. She remained in this household for many years and by 1901 she was listed as Cook. After this she disappears from the records - of course she could have married anywhere in Devon or Cornwall and I would not know the surname, and there are many death records that could be hers.

The other Charlotte Knight in the tree was born Nov 1831 in Roche to Joseph & Betsy nee Merrifield and christened there 15 Dec 1831 (see above for photo). She can be seen in 1841-61 censuses living at Criggan Downs with parents & sibs, in the latter listed as Dressmaker. In 1871 she can be seen living at Tresibble, Roche, listed as unmarried boarder in the household of William Knight, a distant cousin, who had been widowed in 1853, probably in childbirth, and his 3 daughters. This is not as it seems, however, as looking closely at the birth records one finds Charlotte was actually the mother of two of these. William had 5 children with his first wife Kitty, and they had 4 together (although 2 of these died in infancy). In 1881 she is listed as wife, although I still cannot find a marriage record, but from 1873 children's births are not marked as illegitimate. In 1891 census things are the same and in 1894 William died aged 78 and was buried in Roche churchyard 19 Jan 1894. In 1901 Charlotte can be seen to have moved in with daughter Clara & family at Wesley Place, Slades, St Austell. She died here in Jul 1905 aged 73 and was buried with William in Roche churchyard.