Diane's Genealogy Blog 2018

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Monday 31st December 2018

Sorry, scans cannot be seen here any more.

Eliza Emily Matthews my great-aunt - see 30th Jan 2014 & 24th Feb 2016 where I told quite a full story. Update on the pub she worked in: in 2014 I said it had just reopened as a restaurant The Peckham Bazaar, well it is still there, and is doing very well, having just announced another branch in West Dulwich. I can trace Eliza and Charles at 131 Gloucester Road from 1918, when she called herself Emily Matthews, to 1921 when she started to be known as Neighbour. Why they waited until 1938 to marry I don't know, as the only marriage I can see for his name is in 1907, and he was still single in 1911 census, so it is all very puzzling. I have found out that Eliza was buried on 10 Feb 1964 in Camberwell New Cemetery, one of those I visited quite recently, not knowing she was there.

Elizabeth Matthews1 - see 31st Jan 2014
I found a burial at St Swithin's but as it is dated 13 Jun 1856, I think there must be a typo somewhere, as her death was registered at that time in 1859. I cannot track down a scan for this, or for their marriage

Elizabeth Matthews2 - also see 31st Jan 2014
Nothing for her death, unfortunately. I can see William rented home and garden from Joseph Trim in Gillingham until at least 1826 and Robson's Directory shows him functioning there until at least 1842 (although I still can't locate 1841 census) as a boot and shoemaker, after which he was no doubt retired. After Elizabeth died in1849 he may well have retired to Hampshire, if the 1855 death is correct in Southampton, and was buried there on 13 Oct 1855.

Sunday 30th December 2018

Eliza Matthews1 (my great great-aunt) - see 27 Jan 2014 & 12 Feb 2016 - told in much detail previously.

Eliza Matthews2 - see 30th Jan 2014 - no more luck today

Eliza Edith Matthews - see also 30th Jan 2014 - I have managed to find a baptism but, as before, I am struggling as she often went by the name Edith, her mother being Eliza too. I had found a marriage in 1904 in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, to Edgar Charles Howell, but looking at the scan of the register I see that not only is her father given as James (neither father nor step-father), but also the male witness was a Francis William Matthews, who I do not know.

Saturday 29th December 2018

Dorothy May Matthews - see 25th Jan & 28th Feb 2016. As I said, the 1939 Register turned out to be the one with the 4 girls all at home with their parents, 3 of the 4 redacted, despite Dorothy dying in 2000 and the other two in 2004. Her second husband Dennis Brimble was still alive in Farmborough in 2010.

Douglas Henry Matthews - see 25th Jan & 28th Feb 2016. Now I see that only Leonard (his twin) is redacted, so Charles must have died (see below). Douglas died on 7 Jul 1973 in bath and was cremated on 12 Jul at Haycombe Crematorium.

Edgar Charles Matthews - see 25th Jan 2014 and 29th Jan & 28th Feb 2016. There were 2 red herrings of the same name, one a collier in Wales with a criminal record, one in Middlesex, staying at lots of addresses. But "ours" I can confirm was at 34 Harbour Road, Poole with wife Dora and 2 possibly 3 children (only one still redacted, the probable Terence). Edgard died on 1 Feb 1951 in Poole and was buried on 6 Feb at Hamworthy Cemetery.

Edward Matthews - see 26th Jan 2014 & 31st Jan 2016. No new records.

Edwin Barnard Matthews Senior (my 3xgreat uncle) - see 26th Jan 2014

His eldest son Edwin Barnard Matthews Junior - also see 26th Jan 2014 - nothing new and the only scan I could find was his marriage.

Friday 28th December 2018

Doris Laura Matthews - see 25th Jan 2014 24th Jan & 27th Feb 2016. Close viewing of the actual pages of 1939 Register came to the rescue again! As I stated in Feb 2016 I found her with her parents and 2 evacuees. I now also have her baptism, on 20 Apr 1903 at Bath Abbey. Home address was given as 18 Bridewell Lane. They had probably lived there since her parents' marriage, were there in 1901 census, and moved to Wells Road by the following census in 1911. She also appeared on WW1 records of her father in 1915. I can also now give exact date of death 19 Mar 1977 and she was cremated on 25 Mar at Haycombe Crematorium.

Dorothy Marguerite Matthews - see 25th Jan 2014 & 27th Feb 2016 - nothing has changed, even the redacted file on 1939 Register remains closed. But I can bring you her scans and the fact that she died on 14 Jun 1972 and was cremated on 21 Jun at the West London Crematorium, Kensal Green (one of the most famous cemeteries and special to me as the last resting place of Freddie Mercury)

Oops, I missed out Dorothy Lilian Matthews, mainly because I missed her out before. She was born 13 Nov 1913 in Bath to Silas and Lucy née Nicholls. In Oct 1933 in Bath she married Frank Stephen Holloway and had one son Sidney the following year. In the 1939 Register she can be seen at 9a Snow Hill with her sister Violet Miller and son Sidney aged 5, both sisters UDD. There is one redacted file, by the order of people I think it likely to be Sidney Miller, Violet's husband, but I don't know where Frank was. There was one by his name who travelled to Quebec in 1928, returning in 1931 but as he settled in Walthamstow it is likely to be another family. However, as he was born and died in Essex, this could have been a bigamous marriage. But I won't go into that. Dorothy died in Norwich in 2004, according to my notes, but as that was a long way from home I'm not sure about that either.

Thursday 27th December 2018

Auntie Con, Constance Lilian Matthews - see 24th Jan 2014 & 21st Jan 2016 - has developed quite a bit this time around. Looking at the 1939 Register in detail, as I now can, tells me they had already left "The Rye" and can be seen living with Les's parents at 196 Days Lane, Sidcup. What confused me was that the electoral roll record shows they were registered with her parents, but on the eve of war were living with his. The Register shows that Les worked as a Telephone Operator for a Newspaper and Con UDD. 1964 electoral roll records are now also available, showing they moved from Peckham to 10 St Audrey Avenue, Bexley in the previous year, and this was probably where they still lived when Les died 5 years later.

Constance Lilian Louise Matthews - see 23rd Jan 2016 - was all wrong, as when I could see the 1939 Register she was a married woman. I see that Constance Pitt married W J Matthews so I can discount her entirely. I knew she wasn't at home with her parents in 1911 and have now found her with Aunt & Uncle in Peasedown (where her mother Lily was from, so maybe her aunt was sibling of hers), as they had no children of their own. However, by 1939 she could be anywhere, as there are 15,000 marriages in that name, 5000 within correct date parameters...

Daisy C Matthews - see 21st December below where I discovered she died in 1929 so did not last until the Register.

Daisy May Matthews - see 24th Jan 2014 and same 2016. I think I have disproved the death in Alabama - as I said in 2016 the record vanished - and I now favour the burial in Blockley, Gloucestershire under the married name of Garrett, 55 miles from Bath, where I think she was in 1939, working in a jeweller's shop and living with the manageress of a café. I believe she married William J Garrett in Chard, Somerset, and lived there with him until they both died in 1967.

Dorcas Maria Matthews - see 25th Jan 2014 - was a nuisance, not being known by her first name, and typo(s) re her husband. checking again, I can see James (and his father also James) clearly wrote "Pearceson", although Dorcas signed "Marie". There is a possible death for her in 1900, where she is a widow under the name of Pearce, but no obvious matching death of her husband a few years previously.

Monday 24th December 2018

Bessie Harriet Matthews - see 20th Jan 2014, Arthur's sister (see yesterday) born 2 years later. Her record on 1939 Register shows she was a "paid domestic servant" in the household of a baker & confectioner at 18 Blake Brook, Kidderminster, aged 41. She died in that town 5 years later.

Charles Matthews1 - my great great grandfather - see 21st Jan 2014 for the (very interesting) story. Also see 18th March below for his wife Jemima. Unfortunately any scan of the marriage seems to have vanished, as has the chapel. Charles' burial is odd, because he is shown buried in a plot at St Pancras Cemetery, Camden, in Feb 1873, along with 9 others, although his death wasn't registered until the October quarter of that year. Jemima later joined him in the plot when she died in 1900. (the Jemima Stocks mentioned above was their daughter, who died in 1898).

Charles Matthews2 - see 23rd Jan 2014 - son of the above, nothing new

Charles Joseph Matthews, his son, has scans, However, since I cannot find Charles in 1939 Register I have to go with his death in Paddington in 1930, although I have no burial record.

Charles Reginald Matthews - see 18th Jan 2016 - was the naughty boy who embezzled money from his employers the Co-op when he was 16 and died aged 41 on the way to hospital. 1939 Register helps me out in between these dates, and he can be seen at 22 Otago Terrace, which I understand is now Daffords Buildings, with his widowed mother Henrietta and another widow Mary Ann Jones, who may be her sister-in-law, both UDD. His brothers Thomas and Douglas were there too, both apprentices, and a closed file, probably the other brother Leonard. Charles was described as a "Butcher's Assistant". Rosina was by then married (for the first time), so away from the parental home. I have spent some time looking for Charles on directory lists but to no avail. He was aged 41 when he died, in an ambulance on the way to hospital. In 1942 it had been reported in the local paper that he had gone to hospital by ambulance after injuring his hand, so he may have made a habit of it!

Clara Matthews - see 24th Jan 2014 & 21st Jan 2016 - had a short story as she died aged only 18
baptism

Sunday 23rd December 2018

Alfred Silas James Matthews - see 16th Jan 2014. A very fascinating but shocking revelation came about here. I knew nothing about him, but see from the 1939 Register that he was living at that time in the Stoke Park Colony, Bristol, a "home for the mentally-deficient" and in 1939 all patients were described as "incapacitated". Unfortunately I can find nothing else, apart from a death record in Apr 1978.

Alfred William Matthews - see 16th Jan 2014 & 17th Jan 2016, in quite a lot of detail. Son of Edwin and father of Alfred James I dealt with yesterday, he is the baker covered a lot elsewhere. I see no new records.

Alice Kate Matthews - see 17th Jan 2014

Alice Maria Matthews - see 17th Jan 2014 & same 2016. She died just before the 1939 Register was taken, so husband William & son Reginald can be seen still in Bradford at 19 Edmund Street, (I thought she was still there with them in 2016 because you could not view the sheets without payment). William was a Sheet Metal Worker and ARP service volunteer, Reginald a Rep. I now see that William did not return to the Westcountry, as he died in Bradford, probably at the house above, in 1948.

Arthur Matthews - see 19th Jan 2014, where I told the story of his early married life bobbing in and out of the workhouse and then vanishing around the time of the 1911 census. I postulated he died in Lancashire in 1918 but think I have a more feasible story to tell. I have seen documents where he is attesting to the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in 1918, stating that he was in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry for 5 years 8 months as a private and was now staying with a friend Mary Duffy in Philadelphia, working as a "hostler" (I cannot find his original attestation papers, as WW1 records don't go back to 1912). Now, maybe he was the boarder staying in Swanscombe, near Dartford, Kent in 1911, working as a cement labourer (as most did in that area still in the 1970s when I worked nearby). As I cannot locate him in 1939 Register I suspect the death in London City in 1926 is correct or else he stayed in USA (there are directory records for his name, age, birthplace in Philadelphia to back this up, as well as several deaths that may be his).

Arthur Charles Matthews - see 20th Jan 2014 - nothing new here and no details on what I found before, but many possible emigrations. In 1939 Register I cannot find him, but there is an Edna E Matthews in Coventry with 2 possible daughters Marion and Edna, hairdressers like their father. She lived in Gulson Hospital in Coventry when she died in 1987 (now gone, 2012 was demolished) but there are too many Arthurs to trace him. I think he died in Worcester in either 1959 or 1967.

Arthur William Matthews - see also 20th Jan 2014. Unfortunately Arthur didn't wait for the Register as he died a year before it was taken (almost to the day!) but Hester can be seen at 13 Kensington Gardens, as expected, with a schoolteacher and a labourer working on defence staying with her, she listed as UDD, and she died there 12 years later aged 68.

Saturday 22nd December 2018

Alexander William George Matthews - see 15th Jan 2016 - no scans and unfortunately no 1939 Register for him. I found his future wife in Bath with her family but not Alexander. The only new detail for him is his cremation at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath on 24 May 1991

Alfred James Matthews - see 15th Jan 2014 & 16th Jan 2016 - I have now found his baptism at St Swithin's in Bath, giving home address as 5 Upper Mount Pleasant. This is in Freshford, a village just south of the city. I told the story in 2014 without details of marriage, so shall correct that now: on 8 May 1908 he married local girl Bertha Anna Evans in Philadelphia and the following January had son Alfred Junior, who unfortunately died of diphtheria at the age of 8. I still cannot track down his (Alfred senior's) death, however.

Alfred John Matthews - see 16th Jan 2014. He was baptised on 2 Jun 1895 with his brother Harry, who was just 2. The marriage I favoured is causing problems in 1939, not least because in the middle of having children in Bristol they are living in Norwich. And in Bristol there is nothing...
Later: I have found baptism records etc for the children and I think the details are correct. Although home was in Bristol they appear to be in Norwich for the Register. My difficulties with the children's ages have been solved: Margaret and Maurice were twins and Margaret died when a couple of months old. Martyn wasn't born until they had all returned to Bristol in 1943, and then he died too in infancy.

We spent a fun few days in London, but I am back at my desk now

Friday 21st December 2018

Albert F A Matthews - see 14th Jan 2016. 1939 Register dates of birth are all over the place (I suspect this enumerator was not taking his job completely seriously - he has half the Cann family in the road down as "Cant" and as I say half the dates of birth incorrect). Albert senior is listed as greengrocer shopkeeper, Florence UDD, Albert junior at school (here 12 although actually 13), John under school age" (he was almost 3, dob Oct 1936, although here 1937 given), Emma must be the redacted record, so maybe she is still alive. electoral records now extend to 1965, and all 5 are still there then. So both Albert junior and brother John must have died between 1965 and 2001

Albert George Matthews (Uncle Bert) - see 12th Jan 2014 & 15th Jan 2016 - was baptized at St Mark's Peckham on 11 Oct 1914. I told of 1939 Register for him, living with his parents a few weeks before his first marriage. Aunt Olive was at 10 Woodcote Place, Norwood with her parents, listed as a Dairy Book-keeper, she also married a few weeks later. She remained with her parents, though, as war was declared almost immediately and her husband went off to war and was killed in action in 1945, son Malcolm only a few months old. When she married Bert in 1955 she moved into 135 Peckham Rye with him and his son Bob, his father had died in 1952 and Nellie in 1949. We also lived there until 1959. The only other new record is his cremation on 5 Oct 1995, having died on 24 Sep.

Albert John Matthews - see 13th Jan 2014. Working around what I thought I knew of him in 1939 I found it was not him living with his daughter Daisy after Phoebe's death, and thus not in Brixton in the Register. Unfortunately daughter Daisy died in 1929 aged 28 and I cannot locate Albert, as he is probably called John and could be anywhere - there were 27 of these all over the country but none a carpenter.

Albert William Matthews - see 12th Jan 2014 - son of Albert Edwin and father of Albert F A. I called him "Albert senior" when discussing the 1939 Register above, where he was at 13a Deacon Road, Willesden (an interesting aside here is that in 2016 I wrote that all 3 children were redacted, so 2 must have been released recently). I think I have tracked down deaths for him and Florence, aged 91 in 1985 in Brent - probably Willesden, where they lived all their married life - and aged 89 in 1988 in Enfield respectively.

Saturday 15th December 2018

William Walter Hennig - see 9th Jan 2014 & 4th Jan 2016 I can't find a scan of his marriage, but it was in wartime. He was enrolled in the Lancashire Fusiliers and obtained three medals, but managed to pop out to get married in Chigwell, Essex on 17 Jul 1915. After discharge from the services he didn't retrn to office work, but found work as a labourer (as I have mentioned a few times in this blog). In fact he was admitted to hospital in Greenwich on 23 Aug 1920 with a hernia, necessitating a 35 day stay (nowadays a daycase). His records stated he was working for the Portland Cement Co. He may well have had another underlying condition though, as he died 5 years later aged only 35, as I said before, in St Bartholomew's Hospital, where his cousin my Dad died some 60 years later. He was buried on 19 Jan 1925 in Camberwell Old Cemetery with other family members, but when I visited a couple of years ago I could find no trace of the plot, as it was all so overgrown.

It's time to move trees again, and I shall go on to my Dad's Dad's side this time, as it is very nearly 3 years since I studied them last.

Ada Annie Matthews - see 10th Jan 2014. Somerset electoral roll records are still not available on Ancestry unfortunately and on Findmypast only from 1920 onwards. I have seen more detail on William's military service: he joined the Grenadier Guards in Nottingham on 22 Jul 1880 aged 18 years 10 months and served as Private for 6 years active service, then discharged to Reserves 22 Jul 1886 for a further 6 years, making 12 years service in all. It was only a matter of a few weeks before he married Ada. I see she gave father's name as Thomas, which is odd but this happens more frequently than you'd think. Fast-forward to 1939 and the Register shows them at New Street, Scalford a few years before they died. William was described as "Ironstone labourer (retired)" - he was 78, and Ada UDD. She died in Jan 1942 and he in 1948, both in the Melton Mowbray area.

Ada Emma Matthews - see 8th Jan 2016 - no new records so I am just as confused!

Albert Edward Matthews - see 11th Jan 2014 & same 2016(!) Records from Ireland and New Zealand are trying to confuse me here! Unfortunately they (he & wife Emma) both died before 1939 Register, but I have sight of his military records: he joined the RAF 7 Jun 1918 "for the duration". He was 43 years old, a fishmonger, very short in stature (4ft 11in), living at 20 Colin Road, Willesden with 3 young daughters still at home. He was transferred to the RAF Reserve on 5 Feb 1919 and "deemed discharged" 30 Apr 1920. Emma died in 1929 and Albert in 1934, both in Willesden.

Albert Edwin Matthews was another cause for despair in the past - see 14th Jan 2016. I have seen a census for 1911 that seems to fit, where he was lodging at the Beehive in Walcot Street. However it does say "single" and he wasn't and I can't find her "at home" on her own. Matthews is far too common a name, unfortunately.

Friday 14th December 2018

Maria Wilhelmine Carolina Hennig, my 3xgreat-aunt, has not been mentioned before, as I knew very little. I have spent several hours perusing German records this morning and can now tell her story. She was born on 7 Feb 1794 in Berlin to Johann Christian Hennig Senior & Anna née Schlueslern and christened there on 9 Feb at Jerusalem church. On 4 Apr 1813 she married Johann Gottlieb August Mathes. They had at least 7 children but both died in their 40s, Maria (or Caroline as she was often called) in 1836 aged 46 and Johann in 1841 aged 47, by which time their eldest was married but the youngest only 10. Both were buried in Berlin.
NB It seems that German names in previous centuries were many and interchangeable - which of course makes it difficult for genealogists, among others - and they were often known by middle names, which doesn't help.

Maude Clara Hennig - see 9th Jan 2014. In 1939 they confused me by not being at home when the register was taken. I did find them though, staying with son Reginald at Wray Croft, Wray Lane, Reigate. It wasn't because they needed to get out of London as these addresses are only 6 miles apart. Arthur was listed as a Stockbroker, and Reginald a "Member of Stock Exchange and St Johns Ambulance", the two wives UDD. There were 2 redacted files, presumably the children Margaret and Richard.

Sydney Walter Hennig - see 9th Jan 2014. For some reason he has no scans and for a long while I couldn't track down the 1939 Register as Ancestry do not have it. I have tracked it down on Findmypast and, as expected, the family can be seen at 55 Woodlands Avenue, Epsom. Sydney was described as "British American Tobacco Assistant Registrar" and Maud UDD. There was one redacted file, no doubt daughter Patricia, as the other daughter Muriel had married in 1934 (although her first husband died in 1943 and she remarried 4 years later). Incidentally, in 2014 I said I lost track of Patricia after marriage. I can see now that she moved to Hampshire, where her husband died in 2001.

William Charles Hennig - see 4th Jan 2016 - was a bit of a dead loss in previous research and not much better this time. Examining his Military records, I see that he was posted to the East Indies Jan 1873 and was there until 2 March 1882, so he didn't marry in Oct 1881. He was stationed in Dorset until 1890, for the final year promoted to Sergeant, then discharged on 18 Nov 1890. I see that he had promotion in 1875 but then blotted his copybook and was demoted to private, then re-promoted to corporal 1880, sergeant 1882, colour sergeant 1888. He had trips to the Mediterranean in 1882 (1 month) and 1885 (9 months) then Egypt in 1886 (8 months), Med again 1888 and Egypt 1889 about a year each. He was discharged in Cairo after 15 days in hospital with pneumonia (blamed on the climate). There is a "William Henning" lodging in Bishopsgate in 1891 of the right age which may be him, working as a labourer, and a death in Lambeth in Jan 1896 that I mentioned before.

Thursday 13th December 2018

Herbert Augustus Hennig - see 23rd Dec 2013 & 8th Dec 2015 - I outlined some addresses in 2013 but can now see they ventured into Berkshire in 1935, electoral rolls find them in Maidenhead. 1939 Register however shows that at the outbreak of war they were back in London, listed at 10 St James Avenue, Epsom. He described himself as "Manager of Motor Spare Parts business, trained as a Motor & General Engineer and now out of work". He died 2 years later aged 61. I can now also add details of Mabel's death; she died aged 92 on 16 Dec 1981 at Avalon Nursing Home, 5 Nevill Avenue, Eastbourne, leaving £25000.

Johann/John Christian Hennig Jnr - see 2nd Jan 2014 & 17th Dec 2015 - I have an exact date of birth of 12 Aug 1797 now and a scan of baptism and his marriage on 5 Oct 1824 in Berlin. I see now that his wife Henriette probably died in childbirth, bringing daughter Henriette into the world as she died not long after the birth.

Johann Christian Hennig Snr 3xgreat grandfather - see 2nd Jan 2014 & 18th Dec 2015
I am reasonably sure the death record I found is correct; he died on 14 Jan 1842 in Berlin and was buried there on 17th although I can't make any sense out of most of the information on the scan

John Frederick William Hennig - see 3rd Jan 2014 - my great-uncle. I have now found his wife Henrietta in 1939 Register, by doing an address search, as I knew where she would be. This was 52 Castle Street, Isleworth and she can be seen there alone, an 87-year-old widow. She was still living there when she died 7 years later, although this was at 30 Twickenham Road, Isleworth, the West Middlesex County Hospital, less than a mile from her door.

His half-brother Julius Redmond Hennig, another great-uncle - see 4th Jan 2014. I can bring you scans of his baptism and marriage but neither he nor his wife were around for the Register.

Another great-uncle Louis Alfred Hennig - see 6th Jan 2014 No scans, but I now know where they are buried. In Nunhead Cemetery, just behind the house in Peckham where I spent my first 3 years, Uncle Louis is in plot 45, but was buried with 17 other people over a period of a month, he being the first, so I imagine this is a public plot with no stone. Maria followed 5 years later and the situation is similar in that 11 were interred into her plot. this is the problem with London burials. If the information is available at all, it doesn't mean there is anything to see. Much of the London cemeteries have been built on. Nunhead is one of the famous London cemeteries called the Magnificent Seven, so will no doubt be there for many years to come.

Mabel Elizabeth Ellen Hennig, daughter of August & Hellen, is one of those most pleasurable cases where a new bit of information clears up an old puzzle. See 6th Jan 2014 for my previous work on her, where I explained my difficulty with her death & probate in 1928. 1939 Register has sorted that by showing her still alive, living with husband Sidney Benson at "Meelands", Hynesbury Road, Christchurch, Hants, where Sidney, a "shipchartering and coal shipping manager" had retired to "owing to ill-health" (he was 54). Mabel died there in 1956 then he died in 1959 in Hove, living in the green bungalow, but died in Hove Hospital. This closed in 1996 and is now Tennyson Court

Wednesday 12th December 2019

Helena Hennig - see 23rd Dec 2013 - I had another search for her and again could not detect her whereabouts until 1951. Granted, with such a very German name it was a good idea to hide when the 1939 Register was taken, so she may have used an alias. However, her exact date of birth gave 10 variations on Helena, most of whom were married, and none seems right.

Oddly, I have just been approached by a relative, Connor Baneck, regarding my next ancestor Henriette Auguste Charlotte Hennig - see 6th Dec 2015. The date of marriage is 8 Feb 1853 and it took place in Lobsens, Prussia, which is nowadays in Poland. I don't know why they went all the way over there to marry, as they were both from Berlin. Lobsens is now called Lobzencia, and they settled in a village just to the west of this called Rattey, now Rataje. As I said in 2015, after loss of their 9th child in 1868 they left to travel to USA and established a dynasty in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Adolph died there in 1870 but Henriette lived on until 1905. I have traced a few censuses showing her in Eau Claire, including 1885, showing her as head of a household made up of 2 males, 3 females, 1 US born and 4 German, then in 1905 Henriette alone, a widow aged 72 from Germany, owning her own house.

Tuesday 11th December 2018

My grandmother Florence Augusta Hennig - see 21st Dec 2013 & 26th Nov 2015 - nothing new. I don't think I mentioned previously the fact that her husband spent 8 months in the Royal Navy Air Service during WW1, then was transferred to the RAF. She died in June 1939 and on 22nd Mar 2016 I described finding the location of her grave in Camberwell New Cemetery.

Francis Edgar Hennig - see 5th Dec 2015 - has been mentioned in bits & pieces before. He was August & Hellen's 7th child & youngest son, born 15 Jun 1892 in Camberwell and died aged 18 a few weeks after his first communion (see sister Edith below). He was the first in the family plot, later followed by his parents and brother.

Francis William Hennig - see also 5th Dec 2015 - I now have more detail on the household in 1939 Register in that he is listed as a Clerk in Drug & Food manufacture, which ties in with his trip to New York in 1950, as a Copy Writer sponsored by Glaxo laboratory. As I said before, also in the household was his mother Winifred, UDD. I had missed altogether his marriage in 1951 to Olive E D Hardyand I can now see her in the electoral roll records of that year at 181 Wadham Gardens, Ealing. By 1961 they had moved to 162 Littlehampton Road, Worthing, where she remained until 2011. As far as I can see, she is still alive (aged 90) living at 57 The Street, Ashford, Kent.

Frederick Charles Edward Hennig - see 22nd Dec 2013. I have a couple of scans but no luck in further records after

Frederick William (Friedrich Wilhelm) Hennig, my great grandfather - see 22nd Dec 2013 & 23rd Nov 2015. There is nothing new

Grace Nellie Hennig - see 23rd Dec 2013.
This is a rather different story to be researching to the others I usually do. I told in 2013 how she married Albert Preston, a clerk, and they settled in Surrey with their 2 children. Albert was quite a career-man; I have seen several transatlantic trips he took with his company between 1905 and 1930, some of them 1st Class. In 1927 he took Grace with him, travelling on the Caronia, a Cunard liner. On his 1930 trip to Madeira he gave home address of Woodfield Gardens, Leigh-on-Sea, Southend, Essex, which was probably the home of his son Kenneth. By 1939 they were resident at Tepestede, Garden Walk, Coulsdon, a really lovely big house worth over a million today. 1939 Register shows them there, Albert listed as Stock Broker and ARP Paymaster Sub Lieutenant RNR (Royal Naval Reserves), Grace Household Duties and a 21-year-old Domestic Servant. Son Kenneth and daughter Elise were both married and living in Southend. When Albert died in the Bromley area in 1956, probably in hospital there, Grace moved to Essex to be cared for by the children, and died there in 1968. Ken followed in 1978, then Elise in 1992. She was a lovely looking girl, who married a John Mitchell, Managing Director of a paper manufacturing company.

Monday 10th December 2018

Ernest Francis Hennig - see 20th Dec 2013. Nothing new, as he just appears as birth and death aged 25

Ernest Herbert Hennig - also see 20th Dec 2013 & 23rd Nov 2015. I now have sight of his WW1 record. There is included a huge amount of detail, some of which shows his lovely writing, and also includes some hospital memorabilia e.g. temperature charts and even labels for stool samples! He joined the Australian Imperial Force 4th Battalion on 7 Sep 1914, having first attested in London when he was aged 23 years 10 months to 2nd City of London Fusiliers, "discharged on going abroad" after 2 years. It gives the usual personal details; he was very short for a man 5ft 6in and slight, only 8st 12lbs. Fair complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. His war:

20 May 1915 he embarked on board the "Commodore" for Dardanelles

1 Jun 1915 Joined the Battalion in Gallipoli

7 Aug 1915 sustained Gunshot Wound left thigh - operated for removal of shrapnel

8 Nov 1915 admitted in Port Said with enteric fever, diagnosed as Paratyphoid

13 Dec 1915 returned to Australia aboard "Wondilla" from Suez, medically examined and found to also have a heart murmur

16 May 1916 discharged as medically unfit with a pension.

It seems he worked for the Red Cross after discharge, as it shows on his marriage record 4 years later. On Alice's death, a newspaper article seemed to say (very blurred) she was "beloved mother of Richard and Helen, mother-in-law of Allan and Beryl, dear grandmother of Etienne and Peter", but I cannot find Australian birth records etc

Ethel Maude Hennig - see 21st Dec 2013 - Ernest Francis' sister. I can't find a scan of baptism, or even a record, so maybe she wasn't. This was odd as her siblings were. In 2013 I told how she died in childbirth in 1916, her death registered in the Kingston area. She was buried on 21 Nov 1916 in Putney Vale Cemetery, Wandsworth. In 1939 Register, Richard can be seen at 80 Coombe Road, New Maldon, the address where he died 12 years later, with 3 sons and a Paid Housekeeper. Richard was listed as "Produce Broker".

Sunday 9th December 2018

Mopping up the final Catchesides:

William Abraham Catchesides. He didn't even make it to his 4th birthday.

William Mark Catchesides died aged almost 3 months

William Robert Catchesides died aged almost 9

William Thomas Catchesides - see16th Dec 2013. He was buried on 28 Feb 1891 in Brockley Cemetery, joining wife Ann, who had been interred there on 18 July 1889.

Although I previously moved on from Catchesides to Coxes, following alphabetical order I suppose, I only recently did this family, so this time will move on to the Hennigs, as the only family I have not covered since 2015. The German ancestors may not have new records, but we shall see...

Arthur Henry Hennig - see 19th Dec 2013. In 1939 Register he can be seen, as expected, at 60 Thornbury Road, Isleworth. He is shown as a 62-year-old panel-beater, working on cars, but the odd thing is that Minnie is still redacted, despite being born over 100 years ago and died nearly 40 years ago, outliving Arthur by 29 years - all reasons for unredacting her. I cannot find a scan etc for his death and burial. By the time Minnie died in 1980 aged 93 she was living in a nursing home called Oketon in Teddington.

My grandmother's half-brother August Rudolph Hennig - see also 19th Dec 2013 & 30th Nov 2015. I cannot locate a scan of their marriage, oddly, although I do know the details, including the fact that Hellen's father was a cutler too, so maybe they worked together. I can also see that he (August) was buried in Camberwell Old Cemetery on 6 Jan 1927, joining wife Hellen who had been interred there on 18 Mar 1921 with son Frank, who died in 1910 and followed in 1925 by son William. If you remember when I visited this cemetery I had no luck in finding this plot as it was all impossibly overgrown.

Their daughter Edith Kate Hennig - see 20th Dec 2013 & 23rd Nov 2015 - did not marry, so all I can bring you is baptism scan and I have seen a sad little entry into St Philip's register in 1910. On 22 Feb she and her brother Frank were confirmed, he aged 17 she 15, and they celebrated their first communion. In a matter of weeks Frank had turned 18 and died. There is a faint note in the register to this effect. He is one of the sons who are in the burial plot at the Old Cemetery mentioned above. 1939 Register shows her in Hove, Sussex, as I reported in 2015. I have seen the full thing now, but she appears to be alone with no occupation, at 143 Hangleton Road, as expected. The family were reasonably well off as August left a goodly share to their daughters when he died, so she probably didn't have to work. When she died she was living in Flat 15, 14 Kings Gardens, Hove, right on the seafront. These flats are 2 bedroom and go for half a million now. She was 90 and left £47,718.

Saturday 8th December 2018

Richard Catchesides - see 23rd Mar 2015 - still nothing new

Robert Richard Catchesides1 - see 13th Dec 2013. Still no sign of a death record for him.

Robert Richard Catchesides 2 - also see 13th Dec 2013 - his son, nothing new

I haven't mentioned Sarah Dorothy Catchesides before, as all I know is her baptism on 5 Jul 1801 at St Mary's, Rotherhithe, parents Abraham & Sarah née Pratt. The death I thought was hers turned out to be for an 84-year-old, when she was 51.

Similarly, her sister Susannah Catchesides has only a baptism on 11 Jun 1815 at St Mary's and nothing else

All I have for William Catchesides is a burial scan - see 16th Dec 2013

William Catchesides 2 - also see 16th Dec 2013. No death record as I suspect this occurred in the South Pacific, and I can find nothing in the newspapers of the time mentioning his name.

Friday 7th December 2018

Matthew Catchesides (sawyer) - see 12th Dec 2013. Apart from scans, I cannot find anything. As they lost two daughters in infancy they would be prime candidates for emigration, but records are scarce so early.

Matthew Catchesides 2(Junior) - see also 12th Dec 2013 & 22nd Mar 2015 - I have found 1841 census record for the family and he can be seen there aged 6 months with his parents Matthew and Jane née Wells. The problem with trying to trace this name is that 1841 census shows Matthews senior and junior at Phoenix Vale, Lee, Lewisham, then Kent, now London, then stories in newspapers in the next couple of decades in somewhere called St Johns Lee, apparently near Hexham, in Northumberland. As this Matthew lived at Tyne Villa in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey and The Riding, St John Lee, Hexham, he may well be the same person. However, I do not think this is in the same league as Lee, Lewisham, a much coarser place by all accounts. Although the Catchesides in the North are interesting, they are not related, as I can see. Even the one who married a Mary was not this one, as the Mary concerned was Mary Charlton, daughter of a surgeon. So, in 1851 census he is still missing; only Richard is at home with their parents. No further sign of him or his wife after this and I have now discounted the death in 1851 I mentioned in 2015

His father Matthew James Catchesides, the butcher I called Matthew Senior above - see 12th Dec 2013, also got caught up in the Newcastle records, much to my confusion. One of the causes of confusion was they were born in the same year 1811. But "our" Matthew always gave the wrong age to census-takers; as I have said, people were often quite ignorant of their own date of birth if they were born before registration came in in 1837. As I said, they can be seen in censuses of 1851-1871 in Greenwich, in the latter he had given up butchery and taken to cab-driving, then he died in 1878, 3 years after his wife, and they were buried in Greenwich cemetery. I see that towards the end he was in Greenwich Workhouse, where he was looked after until June 1878, then he was transferred to the Infirmary and died there in the October.

Tuesday 4th December 2018

Henry Albert Catchesides - see 20th Mar 2015 - I was surprised to see that at his baptism at the age of 11 he wasn't with others, as that is usually the reason for late dates. As he died 12 years later maybe this was when he first became ill.

Jane Elizabeth Catchesides - see 5th Dec 2013 & 20th Mar 2015. baptism scan provides the date of birth of 15th Feb and I have more detail on her death. Previously all I knew was that her death was registered in Camberwell (where she lived) in the October quarter of 1890. I know now that it was in late December of that year and she was buried on 5 Jan 1891 in Southwark.

John Abraham Catchesides - see 21st Mar 2015 for a very detailed account! He died, as I said, in late October in Rotherhithe aged 41 and was buried on 5 Nov 1866 at the burial ground of St Paul's Deptford.

John Thomas Catchesides - see 9th Dec 2013 scans of both baptism dates (I am not sure which was the correct one, in the one in February he was one of 4 babies). He was buried 20 Feb 1875 in Southwark.

Joseph George Catchesides, his brother, was born 8 Feb 1804 in Rotherhithe and christened on 11 Mar 1804 at St Mary's aged 31 days. There was a red herring with the same name, making out that when he died in 1973 he was 169 years old! This is the only death I can find, and also no marriages.

Louisa Agnes Catchesides, my great great grandmother, see 10th Dec 2013 for detailed story. Although she was baptised at St Mary's Rotherhithe on 31 May 1833 and transcriptions are available. But again no scan of her burial, as it may well have been a paupers' grave arranged by the Workhouse.

Margaret Catchesides - see 12th Dec 2013 & 22nd Mar 2015. I think I have tracked down burial records for them. I think both Margaret and John died in Islington, where youngest son John was born in 1793, and were buried in the cemetery Spa Fields there, Margaret on 1 Apr 1821 and John 29 Oct 1795, 21 Jun or 22 Dec 1796 or 21 Sep 1823 (there are a lot of John Matthewses).

Mary Ann Catchesides - see 12th Dec 2013, when I was concerned re her marriage at 14 and disappearance after 1871 census. I may have solved the latter by finding a Mary Ann Dennis, widow of Andrew, living in Toledo Ohio. UK Passenger Lists don't go back that far, so I cannot check that listing, and there are several US records, but none with the correct date of birth. Meanwhile, her baptism gives a birth date of 5 Jan 1807. From the scan of her marriage I see Andrew was a widower, but I cannot find an earlier marriage.

Monday 3rd December 2018

Doriah Catchesides and twin Jane - see 1st Dec 2013 - died aged 2 days on 8 Jan 1764. I had the name as Dorian, but can see from the scan of burial it is clearly Doriah, and this is the only document there is.

Their sibling Dorothy Catchesides had more information, and stories told in 2013 - see tab above. I have seen scans of taxes paid on the house, in the name of Thomas in 1807, then house and shop in the name of Dorothy between 1822 & 1831, also her Last Will & Testament (too much to bring you here). There are also Waterloo-based pipe-making premises in the records in the name of William Cluer, who may be Thomas' brother. He also was a "naughty boy", was transported to Australia for Highway Robbery in 1792, taking his business with him. It will have been the remnants of the family business in UK (originally run by their father John) that Dorothy picked up on Thomas' death and ran along with son John.

Eliza Mary Catchesides 3xgreat-aunt - see 2nd Dec 2013 for full story. I have found a burial record for her husband William Moorhouse; he was buried in 1888 in Camden with other members of his family. And I have found Eliza in 1901 census, working as Housekeeper for a Chemist in Mottingham. Kent and baptism and marriage scans. No burial scan for her, unfortunately.

Emily Catchesides - see 16th Mar 2015

Frederick James Catchesides - see 16th Mar 2015  As I said in 2015 he does not appear to have been baptised, but I have found a burial record, at Lewisham on 10 Jul 1913.

His brother George Cafoy Catchesides was very similar, as I said on 19th Mar 2015. He did not appear to be baptised, but I have a scan of his marriage record. He died a few weeks before the 1939 Register, and was buried on 15 Aug 1939 in Lewisham. His wife Sophia survived another couple of years, but as a patient at Bexley Mental Hospital, that I knew 40 years later as The Heath. She died there in 1941 aged 79.

Sunday 2nd December 2018

I'm back from the New World; we had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Now it's time to catch up with the Catchesides, having last studied them in 2015.

Abraham Catchesides (4xg grandfather - cooper) - see 25th Nov 2013 & 12th Mar 2015 - scans are available for baptism and burial. I have also tracked Sarah down in 1841 census, at the Rotherhithe Workhouse as expected. So she lived there for at least 2 decades, probably since Abraham died in 1823 (possibly up to 30 years).

His son Abraham Joseph Catchesides (3xg grandfather - shipwright) - see 28th Nov 2013 & 12th Mar 2015. No new records, but a full set of scans. I was pleased to see both bride and groom signed with lovely signatures on marriage scan. Also I have seen bis burial and wife's burial

Ann Elizabeth Catchesides - see 12th Mar 2015 - I have scans of baptism and marriage. I have a slight amendment to her burial details; she was buried at Lewisham cemetery on 15 Jan 1927 (this makes more sense than Islington, as she lived there).

Caroline Amelia Catchesides - see 28th Nov 2013 & 13th Mar 2015 - I have now found her in 1901, at 34 Fairfield Place, Kingston, which is the address I had for her 3 years later, with son John & daughter (Sarah) May. I cannot see a scan of her baptism, although there are transcriptions, also  marriage. I don't think I mentioned that her husband John Sadgrove was a widower. He had been married to another relative, the lady I called Emma Wooldridge3 - see below - and they had 3 daughters, but one died in infancy. When he died in 1890, I see that he left only £31 to Caroline, which is why she then had to keep herself by taking in laundry, helped by at least one daughter.

Cathrine Margaret Catchesides - see 1st Dec 2013. I have her baptism scan. Her father was a cooper and she married a man called Cooper. Unfortunately it seems he died the following year, but I cannot find a marriage and/or death for her.

Charlotte Elizabeth Catchesides was born 16 Aug 1819 in Lemon Valley, Rotherhithe to William & Prudence née Hart and christened at St Mary's on 12 Sep 1819. In 1841 census she was probably in service somewhere, as she was 21 but not at home with mother and 3 brothers. On 11 Jun 1848 at St Alphege, Greenwich she married William Hurran, a 28-year-old widowed carman from Suffolk with a daughter. His wife Eleanor had died the previous year, probably in chidbirth, aged 20. Charlotte and William had 5 sons, and can be seen in census of 1851 at 3 Baltic Place, Rotherhithe with three, then in 1861 in Lingfield, Surrey with five. William then developed his own brewery and son George took over as carman. Son Edward worked as bottler for his father in the brewhouse and they can be seen listed as such in 1871 census, living at 1 Williams Terrace, Rotherhithe. By 1881 census Edward had taken over as Brewer and his father was listed as Labourer. The business did not thrive though, as, despite taking in lodgers, William ended his days in the Bermondsey Workhouse. I see that son Edward died in 1888 aged only 35, having married only 5 years earlier. I cannot find a story, but no doubt there was one (maybe he sampled the product too readily). Suffice to say William could not run the business alone by then (he was 70 when he died) and none of the other sons would. There is a death for Charlotte in 1891 in Poplar, but it is in the name of Elizabeth (her middle name).

Tuesday 13th November 2018

Walter Charles Wooldridge3 - see 23rd Nov 2013 - was son of Walter2 - see yesterday. In 1939 Register he can be seen with wife Florence and her family at 303 Woolwich Road, Greenwich. Her father Alfred Cottrell was a retired "explosives & fuse worker", Florence and her mother UDD, her sister Constance a Shorthand Typist & Book-keeper also ARP First Aid Post, her brother Frederick Carpenter & Joiner. Walter worked as a Grocery Salesman. This area is nowadays part of Charlton, close to the southern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel. According to electoral roll records, Walter had lived at "42 Guildford Road, Greenwich" prior to marriage, but I cannot locate this. After the war they moved out to their own home in Bexleyheath and had daughter Gillian (her birth was registered in the Dartford registration area). There seems to be a gap in records from 1948 in Bexleyheath until his death in 1961 in Brighton. They must have moved there in between, maybe to keep his mother company after his father died. He then died in Brighton, followed by his mother in 1968, but Florence lived on for another 34 years after this and died there aged 97 in 2002.

William Wooldridge1 - see 24th Nov 2013 - scans of baptism and marriage. In 2013 I said he was confused about his age, giving a different figure every time. This seems to be contagious, as he appears to have been buried on 33rd September!

William Wooldridge2 - also see 24th Nov 2013 - no news, he may be an error

William Wooldridge3 - also see 24th Nov 2013 - his father/grandfather and my 4xgreat-uncle. I have baptism, marriage and burial scans.

William Wooldridge4 - also see 24th Nov 2013 - still not sure about him either. I may have found a death in Farnborough, Surrey in Oct 1868 but where are censuses of 1851 & 1861?

William Henry Wooldridge - see 24th Nov 2013 and 16th Nov 2015. Scans of baptism and marriage. As I said in 2015, they were in Richmond in 1939. See Alice below, where I described this record (in 2015 blog both the girls were redacted, now Alice is free). William Henry seemed to think he was born in 1884, as he completed 1911 census and 1939 Register with this date, although he was 2 years younger than this.

William Isaac Wooldridge - see 25th Nov 2013 - my great great-uncle, Grampy's brother. I have baptism scan. His death worried me as I kept seeing the record of his son of the same name, who was both born and died in 1905 in Lambeth. However I see that there was also a record in Lambeth of a death aged 45 in the same quarter, same place.

William John M Wooldridge - see 16th Nov 2015 - no scans, I'm afraid, as these records are too recent. 1939 Register was as mentioned above, at 46 Ham Street with parents & sisters. William is listed as "Groundsman, Heavy Worker".

I may have a substantial hiatus at this point, as I have come to the end of this tree and am shortly off to New York to visit that branch of the family. So I will "see you when I see you". Please use the tabs above to browse as you will.

Monday 12th November 2018

Phoebe Wooldridge - see 18th Nov 2013 and 30th Oct 2015 - nothing new

Sarah Wooldridge1 - see 22nd Nov 2013 - scans of baptism, marriage and burial

Sarah Wooldridge2 - her niece - nothing, I'm afraid, apart from baptism scan.

There was a Sarah Wooldridge3, not covered before, as all I knew was she was born late Dec 1805 in East Horsley to James and Ann née Chuter and christened there at St Martin's on 26 Jan 1806. She was my 3xgreat-aunt but I know no more than this. If she died as a child, the Surrey records don't start until 1813, so she may have gone before this. She doesn't appear to be in the 1841 census.

Thomas Wooldridge - see 22nd Nov 2013 - scans of baptism and marriage. However, as usual no burial in London. I can't trace him after 1844, as in 2013, but Ancestry suggested the death I found before i.e. Oct 1862 in Poplar. I do have a note by my crossing-out "age 45" but I cannot see where I got that information, so it still remains a possibility. However, the fact that I can't find Lucy either suggests they emigrated, as I postulated in 2013.

Violet May Wooldridge, my great-aunt - see 22nd Nov 2013 and 16th Feb 2016 - I have found her baptism; as I said in 2013 it was at Emanuel church, just behind their home, but no scans of marriage or burial, as they are too recent. I did cover her 1939 Register, on Clayton Buildings, although I can only find a possible Uncle Eddie in Railton Road nearby, acting as an ARP stretcherbearer with his family. What worries me is that the record says "single" (although I wouldn't put it past him...).

Walter Charles Wooldridge1 - see 23rd Nov 2013 - scans of baptism, marriage1 and marriage2, but no news, I'm afraid.

His son Walter Charles Wooldridge2 - see 23rd Nov 2013 and 9th Nov 2015. I have found lots of details on their schools etc. They lived in the same area and were in the same school year, but the sexes were separated in those days, so went to different schools. Walter attended the local school; as they lived in Victoria Street, he attended Victoria School, formally named St Stephen's Parochial School from 29 Oct 1888 (and the infant department prior to this) to 20 Jun 1894. Caroline's story was not quite so fortunate. Her mother Elizabeth couldn't cope with her three daughters, as it seems her husband Thomas Lines was a serial housebreaker (allegedly - he was acquitted several times - and I have difficulty tracking him down, as no doubt did she!) So on 22 Nov 1888 she packed off her three daughters Hester, Caroline and Ellen to an industrial school, where they remained for eight years, until they were "released" into service, Caroline on 4 May 1896. In the next census she can be seen as a servant near home in Shepherd's Bush, in the household of a Laundry Proprietor. Walter at this point was working in a shop as a cheesemonger, but soon joined the laundry "profession". As I said in 2013, by the time Grace was born in 1909 they had moved to Kent and by 1911 he can be seen in Elham, Folkestone, working as a Laundry Assistant. I have managed to sort out the confusion with 1939 Register - the record I saw was wrong, because "our" Walter was transcribed as Minter! They can be seen at 16 St Francis Road, Folkestone, he a Laundryman, Caroline UDD, and two other couples, one of whom was a Head Waiter. I think that they moved to Cuckfield/Brighton when Walter retired in 1946, but unfortunately he died the following year. His death and Carolines were registered in Cuckfield, their son Walter3's in Brighton, 14 miles away (see tomorrow).

Sunday 11th November 2018

Nellie Emma Wooldridge - see 16th Nov 2013 and 29th Oct 2015 - scans of baptism and marriage

Percival Joseph Wooldridge senior - see 16th Nov 2013 and 29th Oct 2015. It is most appropriate on this centenary day of the Armistice to be studying the war record of my second cousin twice removed. I did report that he served in the Royal Fusiliers, was posted to France twice and obtained gunshot wounds to the leg. This printout was attached to his medal document and gives dates of postings. Other scans are of baptism and burial

Percival Joseph Wooldridge Junior was his third child, who died in India aged 24. I have no new records for him.

Percy John Wooldridge - see 18th Nov 2013 and 30th Oct 2015. I have baptism scan. 1939 Register found him at Ayone, Ryders Avenue, Walton-on-Thames, as expected. He was listed as "Traveller Cigar Manufacturer" (i.e. a rep) and Ethel UDD. Next was a closed file, probably son Richard (who was 14, still redacted as he died abroad), daughter Betty aged 13 (she also died abroad but Findmypast have "noticed" her death) shown as a schoolchild. Edna is the other redacted file; she was only 4 in the Register, and also died abroad. There was also in the household another couple, Doris Wooldridge UDD aged 39 and another redacted file. I am not sure who they are, as I cannot see the husband's name. I suppose there is a possibility she was Lloyd's wife, but - see below - I thought she was with her husband and her parents in Tottenham. The other new record I have is Percy's WW1 record. On 13 Feb 1918 he joined the Royal Flying Corps and when they became the Royal Air Force he went with them on 1 Apr 1918 (it states he was 5ft 7¼in tall, with a 30in chest and a scar on the righr of his chin) On 30 Apr 1920 he joined the RAF Reserve and was "deemed discharged". As I said before, he died from a heart condition, probably stemming from childhood Rheumatic Fever (not picked up by the RFC though) aged 43.

Philip John Wooldridge - see 18th Nov 2013 and 30th Oct 2015. I did manage to track down where he was at the time of the 1891 census; as I said in 2015 I found he had joined up and was in the Medical Staff Corps. I have now seen the records in detail and can bring you the information. He attested at Kingston on 28 Apr 1885, a 19-year-old servant (5ft 3¾ins tall, fresh complexion, blue/grey eyes, dark brown hair, scars on forearms). He trained "at home" for a few months, then was posted to Malta on 19 Sep 1885 as a Private. On 1 Mar 1886 he was promoted to 2nd Class Orderly, then on 19 Nov 1886 1st Class Orderly. He was in Malta for nearly 4 years, then on 10 Jul 1889 he was posted to Egypt, where he remained for 8 months until 3 Apr 1890 he sailed for home and was based in Ireland for some years. He had been very unwell, hospitallised in Malta and Cairot for a few days with attacks of scarlet fever and then twice in Dublin for months at a time. So he was then demoted to 2nd Class Orderly and on 5 May 1892 he was transferred to the Army Reserve and finally discharged on 27 Apr 1897 after 12 years service. By this time he had married, settled in London and had a daughter and a son. This first daughter was unknown to me in earlier blogs, but Ruth was born very soon after their marriage, and did not (as far as I can see) go with her mother and sister to America. As I said before, Philip died aged 37 in Oct 1902 and Mabel and Hilda emigrated. I did pose the question in 2015 if his early death had anything to do with his military career. I was thinking of wounds at the time, but his medical notes do paint a picture of sickness. The fevers were put down to the climate, I understand, when in Cairo. Nowadays we know scarlet fever is caused by streptococci, but not then, it seems. As with Percy above, it could have led to weakness later.

Saturday 10th November 2018

Mary Ann Wooldridge - see 26th Oct 2015 - no news

Mary Ann Alice Wooldridge - also see 26th Oct 2015 - scans are now available for  birth, baptism and marriage. By the way, in 2015 I was speculating on where The Bank, New Road was, but looking at the scan I think the road name was mistranscribed, as it looks to me like Kew Road, which is a kind of High Street, so may well have had banks on it. It is also interesting to note that at her birth her middle names were not used, only for her marriage and death.

Mary Elizabeth Wooldridge - see 15th Nov 2013. I am still unable to track her down in 1911 census but I have found that in 1913 she was unwell and was admitted to the Workhouse. Firstly to the infirmary of City Road Workhouse, Holborn on an "invalid diet", then in September transferred to her local one in Hammersmith, listed as "aged and infirm", assessed there for a few days and discharged "to the care of her daughter". This may explain why she ended up in Yorkshire, she moved in with Amy or Ethel, both of whom lived in the area in which she died in 1927. 2 Herries Road, the address on her burial record was that given when somebody died in the Sheffield Union Workhouse Infirmary.

Friday 9th November 2018

Mark Henry Wooldridge - see 9th Nov 2013 - I have a baptism for him on 31 Mar 1912 and 1939 Register, where he can be seen at 91 Hall Farm Drive, Twickenham. He was a Railway Porter, Gladys UDD. Arthur Peacock a Head Gardener (Heavy Work) but Laura is redacted, along with a probable sibling of Gladys, as also her daughter Margaret. Son Anthony is shown, aged 2. As I said in 2013, they lived there until at least 1957, then Mark & Gladys retired to the seaside, Bournemouth, where Mark died in 1974 and Gladys remarried.

Martha Wooldridge was born in November 1815 in West Horsley to George and Hannah née Stemp and christened there on 17 Dec 1815 at St Mary's. She does not re-appear in the later records, however, and I have now discovered why. She died in Esher aged 2½ in late Jul 1818 and was buried in St George's churchyard. Another daughter was given this name in 1820, who may have married the lovely-named Octavius Const in 1846 in London, but I doubt it, as, although she named her father as George (deceased), he was described as a Cabinet-maker and "our" George was merely a labourer. Otherwise she must have left the area or emigrated (passenger lists I can see only start in 1890), as there is no sign. I see this was one of those unfortunate families who lost children in infancy, as several of her siblings died very young.

Mary Wooldridge1 - see 26th Oct 2015 - was similar in that I think now that she died aged almost 2 and was buried in St George's churchyard, Esher on 23 Nov 1834.

Mary Wooldridge2 - also see 26th Oct 2015. I have scan of baptism. As I said, I believe she must be the burial in 1807 as the name was reused for her sister.

Mary Wooldridge3 - see 10th Nov 2013 and 26th Oct 2015 - was this sister, born in 1815. I have a full set of scans:

baptism, 1st marriage, 2nd marriage, burial and her husband's burial (that of James was badly damaged and is almost illegible). Home address at the time of Thomas' death was Swetenham Place, and she can be seen in 1881 census the following year, at 128 Burrage Road, literally around the corner (it is all a new modern housing estate now), lodging with a Master Mariner and family and living on her savings. By the next census she was lodging in Raglan Road, also just around the corner, and working as a Charwoman (it seems her savings were running out). She was buried on 4 Feb 1892 at St Margaret's, Plumstead.

Mary Wooldridge4 - also see 28th Oct 2015 - sister of Martha above. I have scan of baptism but marriage is difficult; This is the marriage I postulated in 2015. No father's name for confirmation, but a witness looks like Martha Stemp. Both of the Martha Stemps I know (her aunt and grandmother) were dead by then, but there may be a cousin etc...

Mary Agnes Wooldridge - see 14th Nov 2013 - my great great-aunt (Grampy's sister). She married a lighterman (but had to wait 28 years until his first wife died), who passed on in 1927, so she was a widow in the 1939 Register. I had thought this story was romantic/dramatic enough but it continued after his death. She evidently came across some luck in her final years, as she qualified for an Almshouse under the Free Lightermen and Watermen scheme, and they are still standing and absolutely beautiful! [I shall pause here for a while to tell you their history. They are 3 rows of cottages arranged around a formal garden, built in 1840 "for the benefit of Aged and Decayed Members of the Watermen's and Lightermen's Company and their Widows" (Victorians did not mince their words!) The Company was a Guild of the City of London, established in the 16th Century to regulate the carrying of passengers and goods on the River Thames. By the 1800s most guilds had become unrelated to their origins and were merely businessmen's clubs, but this one was still attached. However, the writing was on the wall; the newly-built London docks, bridges and the advent of steam power were causing this occupation to die out. In 1838 they decided to build almshouses for their infirm members, and one of their number was the influential John Dudin Brown, who donated 2 acres of his land in Penge, which was an up-and-coming new suburb. Fortunately for us, there was already a style authorised for these properties, and the Penge ones were built in Neo-Tudor brick style with an impressive gate-tower. The residents moved out in 1973 to bungalows in Hastings and the almshouses are now privately-owned dwellings.] Anyway, in 1939 Mary Agnes was listed as UDD, but she only lasted another 2 years, dying in Oct 1941 aged 77, her death registered in the Bromley area of Kent, which it was at that time. Incidentally, the almshouses stand opposite the Crooked Billet pub, which I remember my Dad talking about regularly in the 1960s and 1970s. Maybe he passed the almshouses many times. I can't ask him now, as he died in 1986.

Tuesday 6th November 2018

Louisa Mary Wooldridge - see 23rd Oct 2015 - my great great-aunt - I have searched again, to no avail. The family is missing in 1861 census but I do know they were in the Nine Elms area of Battersea. I suspect Louisa died in childhood, but the death record I found in Tower Hamlets aged 18 months belonged to another Louisa Wooldridge from Shoreditch, so is not hers. There is a death registered in Southwark in 1858 and another in 1862.

Mabel Esther Wooldridge - see 8th Nov 2013 - married in 1934, so can be seen with her husband and 2 sons at 33 St James Road, Kingston-upon-Thames. (they shared this house with another family) Joseph was a "Public Works Contractor's Labourer - Heavy Work" and Mabel UDD. Son Roy "child" (he was 2) and baby David is redacted as he is probably still alive. Jean was not born until 1946. I have baptism and marriage scans but her death was too recent in 1997.

Maria Wooldridge - see 23rd Oct 2015 - I have searched again but nothing after 1841. There is scan of her baptism.

Maria Eliza Wooldridge - see 8th Nov 2013 and 23rd Oct 2015 - turned out to be a most confusing lady. In 2013 I couldn't find her death record, although I was convinced she lived at 60 Sultan Street then Lilford Road, Brixton with daughter Lilian. These electoral roll documents are all well and good, but I have now discovered that she remarried in 1919 to widowed neighbour James Parsons. She thus became Mrs Maria Eliza Parsons and the address was the same, 60 Sultan Street (at first she moved in with James at no. 61, until 1924, then returned to 60 where son Alfred and some siblings still lived). I don't know what happened as she called herself Gates in 1939 Register and electoral rolls from 1937, maybe the marriage broke down. It was only at her death that she was named Maria Eliza Parsons. Very odd. Looking at James in 1939 it seemed he was living in Reading with his first wife and daughter (I haven't the time to investigate this possible bigamy - it does not appear in the newspapers). Maria died in Jul 1951 in the Lambeth area.

Monday 5th November 2018

John William Wooldridge1 - see 3rd November 2013 - nothing new. Killed in WW1.

John William Wooldridge2 - also see 3rd Nov 2013 - I have now found a baptism, at Holy Trinity, Twickenham on 17 Jan 1909. 1939 Register was, as expected, at 96 Fifth Cross Road, Twickenham. John was described as "Permanent Way labourer", Eileen UDD and there was a surprise (to me anyway) in that they had a 6-month-old baby Peter. Also another family. [I have looked Peter up and he lived at the above until he married in 1966. He died in 2015 in Berkshire, aged 76.]

Lewis Richard Wooldridge - see 4th Nov 2013 - his baptism was a private ceremony at St George's' In WW1 he was, as I said in 2012, Missing Presumed Dead, money in lieu of effects was sent to his father in Oct 1917 and Oct 1919 (1 and 3 years afterwards). He was posthumously awarded the Victory, British and Star Medals and honoured on the memorials of Thiepval and Esher.

There was one Lily Wooldridge I investigated previously but didn't publish here, as there was too little of any substance. She was born 28 Feb 1901 to William & Ellen née Guyatt, probably at 11 Clayton Buildings, Lambeth and christened at the Emmanuel Church behind the buildings on 4 Jul 1901. She can be seen in censuses of 1901 (aged 1 month) and 1911, at no. 11, with parents and sibs. Here is a scan of the register of her baptism, unfortunately they didn't have blotting paper on 22 July apparently, as the opposite page has marked this entry and made it hard to read. On 8th Sep 2013 I reported on sister Agnes, who married William Brooker, who was in the Canadian services, and emigrated to join him in Canada. The family hadn't had a good few years, while Lily was growing up, as her father William (my great great-uncle) died in 1905, following the death of four children in infancy. So, when Agnes left for Canada in 1920, Lily went with her. The passenger list shows they sailed on the SS Grampian on 4 May 1920, Lily listed as a telephone operator, arriving at Quebec on 15 May. In the 1921 census, she can be seen lodging with Agnes and William in West Oxford, Ontario, listed as a Mill Hand. When their sister Edith died in 1923, their mother Ellen was left alone, so she decided to join her daughters and travelled out to Canada the following February. She was a nurse, but I cannot trace her after that. she may have changed her name by marrying someone there. In 1945, 1957 and 1963 there are residence records showing William & Agnes, he a fireman, in Beachville, Oxford, Ontario. There was a Lily Wooldridge who married a Fred Crawford, had a son Ronald who died of dysentery aged 7 months. I have searched but cannot complete this story with deaths for his parents, births of siblings, or even a birth for Ronald. There are records showing a Mrs Lillie Crawford in Ontario in 1968 and 1972, alone.

Lloyd Philip Wooldridge - see 4th Nov 2013 and 23rd Oct 2015 - had a sister who emigrated too, but he remained at home. 1939 Register shows him listed at 7 Manor Road, Tottenham with his in-laws. If Doris is there she must be the closed file above Lloyd. It seems from electoral roll records that they lived from 1935-39 at 58 Shelbourne Road, then stayed for a while as above, then by 1941 were at 21 Cottimore Avenue, Chertsey, where they remained and died in 1977 (Lloyd) and 1981 (Doris).

Louisa Margaret Wooldridge - my grandmother - see 7th Nov 2013. The 1939 Register was covered on 30th July below, when I dealt with Grandad. She had taken the children to the countryside and was in the High Wycombe area, 11 Abercrombie (now Avenue), Chepping Wycombe. Nan was listed as UDD, Mum at school (she was 7) - Mum has only recently appeared on the Register, as she only died this February. After the war, they returned to Clayton Buildings and I told the rest in 2013.

Sunday 4th November 2018

John Wooldridge1 - see 1st Nov 2013 - my 5xgreat grandfather. No further records, as I had his baptism info. but Surrey marriages only go back to 1754 (as son John was born in 1749, I suspect they married around 1748).

John Wooldridge2 the same for marriage, but I have his burial scan. I may have found a baptism, in Vernham Dean, Hampshire. This is interesting on two fronts: this village was home to quite another branch of the family, the Dances, on my grandfather's tree. This is my grandmother's tree. Also, if it is true it gives his father also as John (making at least 4 generations of Johns).

John Wooldridge3 - also see 1st Nov 2013 - 4xg grandfather. Scans of baptism, marriage and burial

John Wooldridge4 - see 1st Nov 2013. Scans baptism and marriage

Unfortunately both he and Fanny died before 1939 (he 1936 she 1912, both London).

John Wooldridge5 - see 1st Nov 2013. For 1939 Register see Arthur, Gladys & Herbert (his children). John was listed as "Ganger Borough Council", although he will have retired that year.

Saturday 3rd November 2018

Jane Wooldridge2 - see 15th Sep 2015 - nothing I am afraid

There was a Jane Wooldridge3 I haven't mentioned. She was born in Dec 1811 in West Horsley to George3 and Hannah née Stemp and baptised there at St Mary's on 22 Dec 1811. I think this was the lady I got mixed up with Hannah1 in the past, as their dates of birth were similar in some records. She was the one who lived in Ockham in 1841, working as servant to William Whapshot (this is what caused confusiion before, but, of course, the Jane he later married was already called Draper - see yesterday - so was a red herring). I cannot find her in 1851 but she turned up again in 1861, still working as a servant, lodging at 8 Barretts Court, Marylebone in London. Something must have gone wrong and she lost her post, as in 1864 she was in the Union Workhouse in Marylebone and then in 1871 census that in Kingston, listed as of "No Fixed Abode". She can be seen there in 1881 and 1891 too, but the only death I can find, in 1892, I cannot access.

Jemima Elizabeth Wooldridge - see 28th Oct 2013 - had a very short story but now at least has a scan of her burial.

Jenny Wooldridge - see 15th Sep 2015 - as I said had a christening only. However, the only other record is a death in Lancaster with the wrong father...

Jessie Mabel Wooldridge - see 28th Oct 2013 with baptism. 1939 Register found them in Kent, at Mayfield, Vigo Road, Malling, George listed as Stockbrokers Manager, Jessie as Teacher Elementary School, with 2 other ladies of similar ages (50-60). They evidently did not stay in Kent, maybe were only there "for the duration". As a teacher, Jessie might have been evacuated with some pupils. They were both soon of retirement age and must have moved back to Surrey as they died there in 1970 and 1973.

Friday 2nd November 2018

Jane Wooldridge1 - see 28th Oct 2013 and 15th Sep 2015 - I think Ancestry have solved this for me by presenting a marriage record from West Horsley in 1830 for my consideration. I see one of the witnesses was a William, probably her father, although at 18 it could well be her brother. Richard was a widower; he had married Mary Ann Bridget Davis in 1812 in Southwark. Now, she has caused me no end of trouble, as there was a Mary Ann Draper née Ingall around at that time, popping in and out of gaol for larceny, and muddying my waters. She was married to a William Draper. "Mine" must have died before 1830 for Richard to be free to marry Jane (we hope!) However, I have seen a record where a Mary Ann Bridget Draper died in 1836, saying she was married to a Richard Draper (things do get a little confused at the time of deaths). 1841 census has a Richard and Jane living in Cirencester with 3 children, Richard an Agricultural Labourer. He died in 1844 in Hartley Wintney, 62 miles away, across the Chilterns. Jane returned home to East Horsley and married William Whapshot. This is such a rare name I can almost assume ownership of the records without checking - but not completely, as I found one in Berkshire, sentenced to death for housebreaking... Anyway, Jane and William can be seen in 1851 census at the Lodge, East Horsley, he a Shepherd, she Gatekeeper. In 1861 they can still be seen there, but it was now called Tower Lodge and had been rebuilt in 1858, and was now of a different style. It is now a private road, but used to lead into the grounds of Horsley Towers stately home. Unfortunately, both Jane and William died in 1870, she aged 62, buried on 14 Aug 1870 at St Martin's, East Horsley, he aged 73 buried on 12 Dec 1870 in East Clandon, 2 miles away to the west. Tracing William before he met Jane, I can see that he was a Victualler, i.e. publican, as was his father of the same name. They held licences in the village of Thorpe, near Chertsey from 1810 to 1821 at least, William Senior dying in 1833. They occupied land from 1815 to 1824, rented from Messrs Porter. this village is known mostly nowadays for the famous theme park Thorpe Park. They may have run the Red Lion, but records don't go back that far, it seems

Tuesday 30th October 2018

Henry Wooldridge - see 20th Oct 2013 - I have scans of baptism and burial. No marriage scan I am afraid, and no burial for his wife in Reigate 1901. I have seen several criminal records for a Mary Ann Harding in the 1840s, just after her parents died, but as they are scattered all over the country and I can't prove any was her, I shall ignore them for now.

Henry John Wooldridge (great-grandfather Grampy) - also see 20th Oct 2013 - I have scans of baptism, but as usual in London, no burial scans. The 1939 Register was covered on 27th Aug below.

Herbert Ernest Wooldridge - see 21st Oct 2013 and 11th Sep 2015 - 1939 Register shows him at home with his family before he "joined up", at 201 Staines Road (see Arthur, Gladys etc), although he was originally entered as Ernest H; this was later amended, but it has led to some confused transcriptions. He described himself as Railway Porter and wartime Stretcher-bearer.. I have just found his baptism, at Holy Trinity Twickenham in 1910 and I think Bertha was a widow, she can be seen with her first husband in the Register in Dunstable. However, dates of birth are confusing, so I may be wrong.

Hilda Mabel Wooldridge - see 23rd Oct 2013 and 14th Sep 2015 - previous accounts are very detailed, so I have little to add. I have found a lovely (but rather faint) marriage licence, showing they married on 17 Jun 1922 in Orange County, New York and photos of Joseph's father, irrelevant here.

Isabella Wooldridge - see 24th Oct 2013 - scans are available of baptism and marriage (interesting as it was by consent of parents, Isabella being 17 and James 20, and all parties "made their mark" as nobody could write) also burial at St Nicolas, Great Bookham, where James joined her 6 years later.

My 3xgreat grandfather James Wooldridge - see 25th Oct 2013 now has scans of baptism, marriage, burial 1853

and of his wife in 1841. As I said in 2013, they were not buried together, as James had moved away after four deaths in the family and followed himself 14 years later.

James John Wooldridge - see 25th Oct 2013 - He was evidently a railway porter, employed from 10 Apr 1916 at Richmond, but was unable to get any further with driving in 1917, so joined up and was released for Amy Service. Returning in April 1920, he wasn't there for long before being "dismissed for stealing milk". Perhaps he had seen a larger world... I covered his subsequent life, just need 1939 Register to complete the story. They were, as expected, in Garfield Road, Twickenham, at number 18, having moved from number 7 a year or so before. James was listed as General Labourer, Elizabeth UDD and her sister Dorothy was with them, working as a Domestic Servant (she was 8 years younger and still single). James and Elizabeth died in Twickenham in 1963 and 1959 respectively and were buried at Twickenham Cemetery, Whitton.

Monday 29th October 2018

Gladys Mary Wooldridge - see 19th Oct 2013 - updates include 1939 Register, where she can be seen at home with her family at 201 Staines Road (see Arthur below) listed as a machine hand in a printer's. The other new record is her probate document, showing that she died at Flat H, 23 Burnt Ash Road, Lee on 11 Feb 1991, and as she left £115,000 this must include freehold of this flat, located above the Wetherspoons pub Edmund Halley, where they lived from 1978, and both died.

Grace Hilda Wooldridge - also see 19th Oct 2013 - can be seen in 1939 Register in Folkestone, Kent with her parents and another couple. There are two closed files on this entry, one will be daughter Mary, who was only 4 but one may be William. If that is so, I don't understand why as he died some years before Grace. Mind you, he and his family never used the O' part of their surname, which makes him difficult to trace if he doesn't use his middle name.

Saturday 27th October 2018

Great great grandfather George Wooldridge1 - see 14th Oct 2013 - nothing new but scans of baptism and marriage

George Wooldridge2 - see 17th Oct 2013 - I have a correction. I said in 2013 that he was baptised in East and West Horsely but can see that in 1823 in East Horsely the father was named as James, so was not him. The one in 1820 in West Horsely is correct.

George Wooldridge3 (4xgreat-uncle) - see17th Oct 2013 - I now have a full set of scans.

George Abraham Wooldridge - see 17th Oct 2013 - I have tracked him down at his father's death. I said in 2013 that his mother went to Leyton Workhouse, where she died in 1915. I have found George in Lambeth Workhouse, Princes Road, and he was there even before his father died - it may have been the medical fees that necessitated this. However, I cannot find a death for him, and he only stayed there for a week. On discharge, I don't know where he went, as the record only said it was by his own request.

George Richard Wooldridge - also see 17th Oct 2013 - in 1937 they moved from no. 8 to no. 19 Park Road, Esher and can be seen there in 1939 Register. George can be seen, listed as Tailor and Alice as UDD, and they lived with another couple of ladies of similar age to them (early 60s), one single, one widowed. George died 2 years later Alice 10 years after that.

George Thomas Wooldridge - see 17th Oct 2013 - can be seen in 1939 Register at 48 Lock Road, Richmond with his mother Amy (UDD), sisters Ethel (Brush Factory Hand) & Lilian (Name-plate Factory Hand), also aunt Amy Gregory (Kitchen Help) and another couple (Robert Lunny was Cow Hand & ARP Warden). He was listed as Greengrocer Shop Assistant. On his death in 1976 he was buried with his parents & brothers, leaving £3000 but record by then doesn't specify to whom, so I am none the wiser regarding marriage. His address was given as 9 Sherwood House, Robin Hood Way, Kingston Vale. This is a care home just across Richmond Park from Lock Road, and as he was only 50 this suggests no wife.

Gertrude Florrie Wooldridge - see 18th Oct 2018 and 11th Sep 2015 - 1939 Register was a surprise here! There was a big gap between 1922 and 1958 in the records but I didn't expect them to shoot off up north! In 1922 in Old Brentford they weren't far west of London, and both died in that direction a couple of decades later. However, the chap in the Directory is undoubtedly him, at 3 Jackson Terrace, Carnforth, Lancs, working as a Railway Train Driver, and Gertrude UDD. They lived with widow Alice Wilkes and her two sons. This is of interest, not only because it is a lovely part of the country, on the edge of the beautiful Lake District, but also because Carnforth Station became world famous only a few years later, by being the setting for the film Brief Encounter. Henry must have worked there for a while, then returned south. As I postulated in 2013, he died in Eastbourne, so no doubt retired there.

Tuesday 23rd October 2018

Fanny Wooldridge - see 7th Oct 2013 - I have a scan of her marriage but otherwise only 1939 Register, just before she died. She can be seen, as expected, at 12 Oatlands Road, Banstead, with William (Labourer Retired) and also daughter Emily and her husband Sidney Lifford, a "Private Gardener". It seems, from electoral roll records, that they lived at no. 6 until 1935, then moved to no.12 in 1935. Fanny died a few weeks later, then William followed her a few months after that.

Florence Jessie Wooldridge - see 11th Oct 2013 and 7th Sep 2015 - after getting hopelessly muddled up with seeking her second marriage in USA to an American called Alfred T Nelson, and the birth of a daughter Margaret in 1915, I have given up on the latter part of her life, it is too confusing. It's a shame that the Ancestry records of divorces in Washington don't go back any further than 1969 as there must have been one in about 1913, when she went to USA with son Charles, leaving Arthur behind in London.

Florence Martha Wooldridge - see 11th Sep 2013 - should be in Staines Road in 1939, we know from electoral roll records that she lived there from birth to 1958. However I search, I cannot find her anywhere. She is one who has slipped between the cracks.

Frederick Alfred J Wooldridge - see 14th Oct 2013 - 1939 Register was taken just after he and his wife Margaret were married and settled at 11 Langham Gardens, Richmond, where they remained all their lives.

Frederick Charles Wooldridge - see 14th Sep 2013 and 10th Sep 2015 - has a long and complex story involving two marriages and emigration to Australia after the death of his first wife. Both wives were British, and in 2015 I got a little confused at the info in 2nd wife Annie's probate. Looking at it again, I believe it was her savings that were in England, not the people concerned. I have scans of his baptism, marriage1 and marriage2, but I cannot find a death for him under Charles Frederick or Frederick Charles, although he is in evidence in electoral roll records up to 1963 at 36 Lynton Avenue, West Ryde, Paramatta, with what may well be a son/grandson Robert William Wooldridge.

Monday 22nd October 2018

Before I move on with this tree I would like to thank Bryan for his advice and information regarding ancestors in the "Manhire Tree", and his compliments regarding my work. He says he hopes my research is "permanently recorded in the local history archive covering Roche". I am afraid I have only visited Roche once in my life, and never any archive there. I hope they can access this site. Bryan, I am updating my Ancestry tree today, many thanks for the information on deaths of your aunt and mother. I have dealt with that tree in 2012 and 2017, so it will be a while before it comes around again.

Eleanor Mary Wooldridge - see 27th Sep 2013 - (out of alphabetical order because she was known as Ellen) I have  scans of baptism, marriage and burial (a rare burial record for London, showing how each "common" plot was used for in this case six bodies over a 2-month period). as I reported in 2013, her husband went on to marry twice more. At the time of the 1939 Register his 2nd wife had just died, so he was shown as widower at 12 Leaver Gardens, Ealing, with 2 widowed ladies and son and daughter of one of these. The daughter Ruby was manageress of laundry office, and became his 3rd wife soon after the Register was taken, 18 years his junior, they were married for 12 years before he died aged 66. Oddly, his three marrages all lasted approx.12 years each! I cannot tell whether he was buried in Acton Cemetery, as the books are not transcribed to 1951 yet.

Ellen Amelia Wooldridge was not discussed before because her records faded out. This was not surprising as she was registered as Helen and baptised as Ellen, then transcribed as 76 years old in the census when it should be read as 16 and she was only 9 anyway - it's a conspiracy! Nothing makes any sense I'm afraid... so, moving on

Emily Elizabeth Wooldridge - see 6th Oct 2013. In 1939 Register she and Thomas can be seen still at 205 Staines Road, 2 houses from her family, with son James aged 10 at school. Thomas was described as "Ganger Public Works" and received extra rations for being a Hevy Worker.. Emily was UDD. They probably relocated to Basildon when Thomas retired in 1967, as he died there in 1976 and Emily in 1996.

Emily Jane Wooldridge - see 6th Oct 2013 - doesn't appear to have been baptised, but she does have one of the rare burial scans, as she was interred in Acton Cemetery. And her husband Arthur can be seen to have been put there 18 years earlier. The other occupant of the plot was Corporal George Giles, their son-in-law, who married daughter (Ethel) Emily in 1930 and died 3 years later. "Class B" plots evidently had multiple burials, but only those in the family, so to speak. 1939 Register shows Emily widowed, living at 110 Galloway Road, Hammersmith, as expected, with daughter Emily and widowed lodger Thomas Muse, motor fitter. Emily Junior was a Ledger Clerk and Senior a UDD.

Emma Wooldridge1 - see 7th Oct 2013 - died aged 15

Emma Wooldridge2 - same but this time generated scans of baptism and burial

Emma Wooldridge3 - lived a bit longer, dying at 24, and managing to produce 3 daughters

Sunday 21st October 2018

Daniel Wooldridge had a short story. He was born in October 1774 in West Horsley, Surrey to John and Elizabeth née Crouch and christened there on 9 Nov 1774. He never married, so next we hear of him was 1841 in the census, where he was living at Dorset Crescent, Shoreditch, working as a servant. Unfortunately in those days there was no health service, so when he became ill he presumably lost his place and died in the workhouse. He was buried from there on 4 Apr 1848 at St Leonards, Shoreditch.

Dennis Vincent George Wooldridge - see 15th Sep 2013 - I can add an exact date of birth - 17 Feb 1920 - and the fact that when his mother died when he was less than a year old, he went to live with his maternal grandparents. They can be seen in 1939 Register at Avenue Cottage, Ham, George Smith a Builder's Watchman, Elizabeth UDD and Dennis a Shop Assistant at the Household Stores. In 1940 he "joined up", was transferred into "The Buffs" and was posted to Bath, although I have no idea what happened then. He must have returned to Surrey after the war, as he married Doreen in 1948. Electoral roll records show how they wandered about West Molesey in the years after this, registered at several addresses in West Molesey over the next decade or so, all council housing. As I said, they had 2 sons and Dennis died and was buried in 1985 at St Peter's church.

Dinah Wooldridge - see 15th Sep 2013 - a full set of scans baptism, marriage, burial and that of her husband

Dorothy Irene Wooldridge - see 16th Sep 2013 - she can be seen in 1939 Register with her uncle Alfred, as I said on Friday (19th below). In 1964 she was living in Evelyn Road, round the corner, but when she died in 1993 it was in Hounslow, so may well have been in hospital.

Edith Catherine Wooldridge - see 16th Sep 2013. I have excluded the marriage to Ernest Doran as the scan shows her father to be Thomas, a chauffeur, and her age is wrong. So, I come to the conclusion she died in 1923 aged 23.

Eliza Caroline Wooldridge - see 17th Sep 2013 - unfortunately again both she and her husband died before 1939

Elizabeth Wooldridge1 - see 19th Sep 2013 - another full set of scans.

Elizabeth Wooldridge2 - see 19th Sep 2013 and 5th Sep 2015 - baptism and burial

Elizabeth Caroline Wooldridge - see 20th Sep 2013 - as her husband died in 1930 she should be seen widowed in 1939 Register. However, the only one I can find has not only the wrong date of birth but also a son Frederick who I don't know of.

Elizabeth Fanny Wooldridge - see 23rd Sep 2013 and 5th Sep 2015 - although she died in 1934, her husband Alfred Musk (who owned several shoe shops) was still around. He can be seen at 159 Croydon Road, Penge with 3 children, listed as Shoe Retail Employer. Son Ronald evidently was training in the same industry and he also worked in wartime for the Auxiliary Fire Service. Daughter Muriel was an Insurance Clerk and son clifford a "Laboratory Assistant (Electrical)". This was the address when Elizabeth died in 1935, and was still his address when Albert died (albeit in Orpington Hospital).

Elizabeth Mary Wooldridge - see 23rd Sep 2013 and 6th Sep 2015 - scans of baptism and marriage

Saturday 20th October 2018

Arthur Edward Wooldridge - see 10th Sep 2013 and 3rd Sep 2015 - baptism and burial scans are ok. I do have a scan of his marriage too, but it is quite illegible.There is nothing more for him, but Annie can be seen in 1939 Register, working as a cook for mining engineer Algernon Moreing and his wife at Woodside, Esher, along with a housemaid. She is still listed at 2 Dawes Court on the electoral roll, and died there in 1963. I do think number 2 would have been behind the shop that is now Siam Food Gallery.

Arthur Frank Wooldridge - see 10th Sep 2013 and 3rd Sep 2015. 1939 Register again caught him at home a matter of weeks before his marriage (like his cousin Alice below). He can be seen at 201 Staines Road, Twickenham with parents and sibs, listed as a Butcher's shop Assistant and Stretcher-bearer (as was his brother Herbert). Irene was nearby at 61 Upper Grotto Road (1 mile away) with her family, listed as "packer in razorblade factory".

Charles Wooldridge1 (my 3xgreat-uncle) - see 10th Sep 2013 - I have scans of baptism and marriage, but no burial scan, as it was London. (Incidentally, Elizabeth was buried on 12 Oct 1885 in a plot at Brompton Cemetery, Fulham with another lady (maybe a friend) Sarah Redman, where two others had been buried 10 and 20 years previously).

Charles Wooldridge2 - see 11th Sep 2013 - scans: of baptism, marriage and burial

Charles Wooldridge3 - also see 11th Sep 2013. By 1939 Register Caroline had lost husband and son, and can be seen at 2 St George's Place, Twickenham with 8-year-old daughter Pamela (at school) and a lodger (coal merchant). She was listed as "Shop Assistant (Newsagent)". This is now known as Bell Lane, just off the main shopping street, so she probably worked there.

Charles Wooldridge4 (4xgreat-uncle) - see 12th Sep 2013 scans of baptism and burial

Charles Wooldridge5 - see 12th Sep 2013 - nothing new

Charles George Wooldridge - see 12th Sep 2013 and 4th Sep 2015 - a full set of scans. In 1930 they were listed in electoral roll records at Langham, Kenley and it says in brackets "garage". I don't know if this meant they were living in a garage. Charles had been General Labourer in civilian life and rifleman in the services, so I suppose it could mean this. 1931 listing stated they were living in Kenley Park House and by 1939 he had his own business as a gardener. They were shown on the Register at 80 Walton Road, Esher, which was the address given when Beatrice died 10 years later. Both he and his wife died in hospital; Beatrice in Kingston Hospital, Charles in Richmond 1949 and 1960 respectively. Charles was buried on 19 Jan at St Peter, West Molesey

Charles Lewis Wooldridge - see 13th Sep 2013 and 4th Sep 2015 - nothing new

His father Charles Richard Wooldridge - see same. He was the one who surrounded himself with lead (plumber then painter) and died of kidney cancer aged 44. I can see why they gave their son his middle name, but I find his father-in-law's name of Lewis Lewis somewhat amusing (although he may not have).

Friday 19th October 2018

William Adam Woodford - see 6th Sep 2013 - was thoroughly confusing, changing his name and so on. I had hoped to pick him up somewhere in 1939 Register, but he does not appear.

William Charles Woodford and William Edgar Woodford - also see 6th Sep 2013 - nothing new

William Hatton Woodford - also see 6th Sep 2013 - I have the scans of his short life; baptism and burial

William John Woodford - see 7th Sep 2013 - was the one who left his family to work in Rhodesia and decided not to return. I can find nothing new for him, and no 1939 Register for Elizabeth, as she unfortunately died in 1934.

William Reginald Woodford - see 7th Sep 2013. 1939 Register finds the family at the address where he died, 20 Horderns Road, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, the house at that time called "Lynwood". William Reginald was still Grocer's Assistant, Agnes UDD, son William Ronald (18) a Clerk in Electrical Company Accounts Dept, and son Kenneth (17) a Railway Clerk. As I said before, he died here in 1965, a 76-year-old widower. He was buried the same day and left £309 to his son William Ronald, who had married in 1957 to Irene Lupton and died aged 48 on 28 Apr 1970.

Next branch is the Wooldridges. They joined the Woodford tree in 1901 when my great grandparents Catherine Selina Woodford and Henry John Wooldridge married. They were located in Surrey and London, so may not be so good in terms of updates/scans etc. We shall see.

Agnes May Wooldridge - see 8th Sep 2013 and 27th Aug 2015 - nothing new on her because she emigrated to Canada and the most recent electoral records still stop at 1965. I cannot locate a death.

Alfred Newman Vincent Wooldridge - see 9th Sep 2013 and 28 Aug 2015 - I told of how his wife May died in 1921 aged 28. 1939 Register shows Alfred aged 48, still in Ham, Surrey, living at 1 Yarrell's Cottages with his niece Dorothy (35) keeping house for him. He was by then listed as General Labourer, earning extra rations by being on the Heavy Worker list. This address was declared unfit for human habitation and demolished in 1969, as part of a clearance scheme. Alfred had died in Sep 1960 and buried with May in St Andrews churchyard.

Alice Elizabeth Wooldridge - see 28th Aug 2015 - 1939 Register was taken on 29 September, which was just before her marriage. So, she can be seen at 46 Ham Street, literally around the corner from Evelyn Road, where Alfred (see above) had grown up, with her parents and sibs. She was a 22-year-old packer in a curtain-rod factory. A few weeks later she married Thomas Kent, greengrocer who lived half a mile away. As I said before, she and Thomas settled in the area and died there in 2007 and 1990 respectively.

Tuesday 16th October 2018

William Woodford2 (3xgreat-uncle) - see 25th Aug 2013 - I have a full set of scans: baptism, marriage, burial and wife's burial

William Woodford3 - also see 25th Aug 2013 - I have his baptism scan, but the information regarding their marriage is odd. As I mentioned before, they already had 4 children when they married, and several records state "no date given", however the parish records of Kinoulton, Notts do have transcriptions (but no scan) dated 23 Sep 1792. And I am no closer to a definitive date for his death, either. All I know is that widowed Elizabeth was in Old Dalby in 1841, but there is no death there for a William at that time, just Hoby 1831 or 1835, Radford 1837 or Barrow-upon-Soar 1841.

His son William Woodford4 - see also 25th Aug 2013. I have scan of baptism. However, marriage took place at All Saints, Granby-cum-Sutton, Notts on 28 Jun 1819 but there is no scan of this or burial record in 1861. However I do have one for Ann

William Woodford5 - see 26th Aug 2013 - son of 4 above, a full set of scans, as they never left Old Dalby, as far as I can see.

William Woodford6 - see 26th & 30th Aug 2013 and 27th Aug 2015. Scans of baptism, marriage and burial. An update on the hotel he worked in (in 1880s when it was a school) for those who are interested: although it appears to have had an overhaul on the outside, looking fresh and repainted on Google Streetview, the reviews are still as bad as the inside is still falling apart. I see around the side, a board advertising the sale of apartments, so maybe its days are yet numbered. Ellen's death was in London, so no burial record.

William Woodford7 - (6xg grandfather) see 30th Aug 2013. I have baptism and burial scans as these events took place in Leicestershire. However, the marriage took place in Keyworth, Notts on 31 Dec 1771. I have found Elizabeth's burial, though. It took place in Old Dalby on 27 Aug 1806, when youngest daughter Anne was 15.

William Woodford8 - see 30th Aug 2013 - although his birth was registered at Loughborough in the July quarter of 1869 and he always said he was born in Willoughby, Notts, the family lived in Old Dalby but there doesn't appear to be a baptism. His marriage took place at Hucknell Torkard on 28 Dec 1895, which appears to have been in Derbyshire at that time, so no scan. By the time they died, they were back in Old Dalby. And of course they were there in 1939 in time for the Register. They can be seen then in Back Lane, William listed as "railway signalman retired" (he was 70) and Georgina UDD.

William Woodford9 - see 2nd Sep 2013 I do now know he was baptised on 22 Dec 1878 at St Mary's Willoughby and married in the July quarter of 1906 in Nottingham. 1939 Register finds them at 19 Main Street, Keyworth (now offices). As this was in the Bingham registration area, I suspect his death was not the one in Nottingham in 1956, but the following year in Bingham. Amelia was living at the same address when she died on 3 May 1965 in Nottingham Hospital, leaving £195 to son Harold, a lorry driver.

Monday 15th October 2018

Thomas Woodford6 - see 19th Aug 2013 - I have his baptism details: 1st May 1844 at St Mary's, Willoughby - where he was also married on 25 Jan 1870. His burial was at St Mary's on 8 Feb 1899. As Mary died in Basford, staying with daughter Anne I have none for her either.

Thomas William Woodford - also see 19th - I cannot find a baptism but have the marriage - in Harby, as I suspected. I can also now see that the death in 1941 in Basford is likely, as in 1939 Register he can be seen at "13 Council Houses", which Findmypast's map has put in Sutton Bonington, right where the railway used to run. This makes sense, as he was listed as a Farm Labourer, but trained as a railway platelayer. He died in the Jan quarter of 1941, but all I have is the death record, as it was wartime, no scan.

Walter Woodford - see 21st Aug 2013 - the snapshot of the 1939 Register found him at Front Street, Haxby (nowadays the area marked on Findmypast's map is Eastfield Avenue, all modern housing, but in those days was fields), listed as Postman, with Frances UDD and her mother, pensioner. There were also 3 closed files, no doubt the children Pattis, Nina and George.

Walter Edgar Woodford - see 22nd Aug 2013 - I have his baptism but I was hoping the 1939 Register would solve the question of whether he returned home from Africa. It seemed he didn't (I did suspect he died out there in 1946) as the only one I can find by this name on the Register was a widower a couple of years younger.

Walter Norman Woodford - see 23rd Aug 2013 - his story was a bit thin in 2013, although I found his entry in 1939 Register intriguing on 11th September below. He died at Hill View, 6 Church End, Nether Broughton.

Walter Wells Woodford - also see 23rd August 2013 - died in Africa too.

William Woodford1 - see 25th Aug 2013 and 24th Aug 2015 - adding to the story now is his baptism scan and marriage. It worries me that he got his father's name wrong, but as he was packed off to boarding school in his childhood there may be a story of estrangement here. In 1939 Register he can be seen at the address where he died 17 years later, 371 London Road, Leicester. He was running a "Transport Construction Company" - maybe an offshoot of his timber company mentioned at his marriage - and Dorothy UDD. There is a closed file, presumably Pauline, still alive, but son Gerald must have passed on as his file is open. He can be seen as a shoolboy (aged 7), and Pauline was at school too (aged 12).

When Dorothy died in 1974 she was living at 21 Stoneygate Court and left £26,533.

Sunday 14th October 2018

Sophia Woodford - see 15th Aug 2013 - I have scans (I forgot to look for scans for Reubens and Sarahs yesterday. Please let me know if you would like to see them): for baptism and marriage but nothing else.

SuSannah Woodford - see also 15th Aug 2013 - doesn't appear to have been baptised but I do have a scan of her marriage. There is a death record in Grantham in 1926, but I can't tell if it is hers. She certainly seems to have gone by 1939.

SuZannah Woodford - see 22nd Aug 2015: baptism and marriage, but unfortunately I cannot locate a death or burial for her.

Thirza Woodford - see 15th Aug 2013 has baptism and burial

Thomas Woodford1 - see 15th & 23rd Aug 2013 - appears to have been registered and baptised as Tom, but census enumerators of 1861 & 1901 assumed he was Thomas. then just to confuse, he was buried as "Thom"

Thomas Woodford2 (5xg-uncle) - see 16th Aug 2013. I have scans of baptism, marriage and burial

His son Thomas Woodford3 - also see 16th Aug 2013 - I have seen scans of baptism and marriage, as usual, but also his will. His will named his widow Betsey and son William as executors, leaving effects and 4 acre piece of land currently in use as a Nursery, called Hut/Nutt Close in Kibworth Beauchamp, with new buildings erected on it. He left Betsey, as long as she outlived him, a sum of £52 per year, payable quarterly. She did outlive him by 19 years, but never re-married as the sum would be halved if she did. His personal estate was apparently worth £1891.

Thomas Woodford4 - see 17th Aug 2013 has scan of baptism.

Thomas Woodford5 - see 17th Aug 2013 - was the ancestor with a criminal record. As I said before, he and Harriet Rudkin knew each other in the 1850s before their marriage in 1864. I have since learned that she was imprisoned in 1854 for "concealing a birth". I don't have access to the local newspapers of the 1850s, so even if it were reported I wouldn't see it. Thomas had been in court several times over the years, for stealing lead etc, and maybe they met in such circumstances. Harriet was again arrested in 1869, when they had been married for 5 years, pleading guilty to "obtaining by false pretenses from Sarah Watts at Loughborough on 3rd Nov 1868 one copper tea kettle value 7s 6d, the property of John Watts", given 2 months imprisonment with hard labour. What a naughty pair! I wonder how Harriet felt when her daughter Harriet died aged 7 when she had missed some of her life through being in prison. I was curious too that they both (Thomas and Harriet) died at the same time. I have found their burial records and they were interred in the Nottingham cemetery one month apart in 1893 (Thomas October, Harriet November). There was not an epidemic that year. They married on 8 Feb 1864 at St John's, Nottingham. If this were St John the Baptist at Leenside, Nottingham, it was bombed out in WW2, which may explain why there are no scans.

Saturday 13th October 2018

Reuben John Woodford1, my great great grandfather, was covered fully on 9th Aug 2013.

His son Reuben John Woodford2 was also, but as he was still alive in 1939 I can report on the Register. The snapshot this presented was temporary, as Flo had just died and Reub can be seen with some of the family at 12 Longville Road, Southwark, before he moved to Carshalton and died in 1943. The 1939 Register shows them there (nowadays Longville Road is all new-build and numbers start at 152) with son Herbert & his wife Kathleen, also daughter Ada and son George, Reub listed as Carpenter (retired). As I noted before, he moved in with daughter Flo for the final 4 years of his life, and died at Carshalton Hospital. I have found his attestation to the Royal Flying Corps dated 10 May 1917, but he didn't see action, being transferred to the RAF on 1 Apr 1918, then the Reserve on 14 Nov 1919, deemed discharged 30 Apr 1920. He was absent from London in 1918, however, and was excused from voting, at which time he was Air Mechanic 2nd class.

Reuben John Woodford3, his son - see 10th Aug 2013 - can be seen in 1939 Register at 20 Clayton Buildings, the same address I knew them to inhabit in my childhood, and where he died in 1963 (I do remember his funeral, although I did not attend, being only 7. His death was hard for me, as he had built me the most wonderful doll's house...) As his daughter Pat's record is still redacted, she must still be alive (or was until recently). Reub was at that time 31 year old "packer & warehouseman" and "ARP at place of employment", Lil UDD (25 years old), Pat would have been 3. When he died in 1963 he left £822 17s to Lil.

Sarah Woodford1 - see 11th Aug 2013 - was subsequently corrected - on 21st Aug 2015 - when I found her death in 1934. Unfortunately this means no 1939 Register for her. Husband William was at Deepdale Farm, Sutton Scarsdale, Derbyshire, farming with the assistance of son John, horseman, grandson John Ball, cowman, and widowed daughter Alice Ball, UDD.

Sarah Woodford2 and 3 - also see 11th Aug 2013 - nothing new

Sarah Ann Woodford1 - see 12th Aug 2013 - was another one who didn't wait fro the Register, as she died in 1933, although I do now know she was buried on 30 Mar 1933 in Nottingham. Cornelius had died in 1924. Also see 21st Aug 2015 for the story of her wayward stepson Arthur.

As usual at this time of year, I am off to Germany to the Oktoberfest tomorrow. So you will have to wait for the Reuben John Woodfords until probably 13th Oct. See you then.

Sunday 30th September 2018

Mary Catherine Woodford - see 5th Aug 2013 - in this account I mentioned that her 2nd cousin Joseph lived in the same road. Their grandfathers were brothers but I doubted that they knew each other. I have just noticed that there is a note beside her baptism entry, saying that this was a private ceremony and she had a public one on Christmas Day along with John's granddaughter Sarah Ann. So evidently their families were close originally, before Joseph took his branch out of the area (cousins Thomas & Joseph were born in the same year). Unfortunately, although a lot of Derby records have been scanned and put on Ancestry site, this doesn't apply to burials in all parishes, and I cannot find hers.

Oswald Cyril Charles Woodford - see 8th Aug 2013 - nothing new as he was killed aged 21.

Phoebe Woodford's story was short, so I haven't covered her before. She was born in May 1815 in Old Dalby to Thomas and Anne née Whiteacre and baptised there on 26 Jun 1815. On Christmas Eve 1835 in Old Dalby she married Edward Charles and they settled at Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, Edward's home. She died there aged 29, but managed to have 5 children before this. Indeed her death may have been due to complications of her final pregnancy or a sixth that didn't come to fruition. she was buried on 13 Sep at St Mary & All Saints, Willoughby.

Priscilla Woodford - see 9th Aug 2013 - I have a couple of scans: baptism and marriage. Unfortunately I can see from news reports of this area that the factory fire I mentioned in 2013, occurring in 2012 in the area they lived in, is a regular occurrence, having been repeated in 2015 and earlier this year. John's death in 1879 made the papers

Saturday 29th September 2018

Mary Ann Woodford 1 - see 2nd Aug 2013 - I can bring you a scan of her baptism, but no more. I have seen directory entries for her husband, firstly as a carrier in Grimstone - in 1840s & early 1850s he used to run a service to Loughborough on Thursdays, leaving Grimstone at 8am, and to Melton on Tuesdays at 9am. From 1855 he changed to farming, possibly inheriting land to do so from a parent etc. You may remember I mentioned that in searching the newspapers of the time for reasons why Mary Ann should end up in Broadmoor, the only "offences" I could find being reports of assaults on her by others. I have just found a report on her husband, who apparently assaulted one Henry Stockwell in 1844 "and maliciously damaged a fence". As this was 15 years prior to her case, it may indicate a quarrelsome family (the case was dismissed on this opinion) but may also have given her the idea. This was the year before she married him, so they were presumably together. I also showed that as she was in Broadmoor she wasn't aware of her husband's death in 1876.

Mary Ann Woodford 2 (4xgreat aunt) - see 5th August 2013 - a scan of her baptism. However, she was married in the Methodist Chapel, so no scan for that, or also for her burial, although I do know this took place on 19 Jul 1872 at St Anne's churchyard, Sutton Bonington and Thomas joined her there on 20 Jul 1889

There was another, Mary Ann Woodford3, but all I know is up to 1911. She was born in Oct 1885 in Old Dalby to William & Elizabeth née Wells and christened there on 8 Nov 1885. She can be seen in censuses of 1891 with mother and sibs in Old Dalby, as in 1901 with aunt, uncle, grandfather & sister, then in 1911 at The Croft, working as Help with relatives of her maternal grandmother. Unfortunately, she probably then married, and I cannot find one for her, so I cannot trace her 1939 Register entry and/or death.

Friday 28th September 2018

Mark Woodford1 - see 29th Jul 2013 - I have a scan of his baptism but unfortunately not of his marriage or burial.

Mark Woodford2 - see 29th July 2013 & 20th Aug 2015 - was the guy who deserted from the army and the story just ends, as I said he probably disappeared under an alias in England or Canada...

Martha Ellen Woodford - see 29th Jul 2013 - 1939 Register has helped a lot with her and husband Richard Parrs of birth and the usual snapshot of pre-war years, it also furnished me with evidence of a child! The family can be seen at 66 Navigation Street, Leicester (this was swept away in 1960s-70s when the Burleys Flyover was built), comprising Richard, who worked in an Iron Foundry as a labourer and was in the Auxiliary Fire Service, Martha a yarn-wrapper and wool-spinner, and also there was Walter Parr, hosiery warehouse assistant. He was Walter Richard Parr born 1925, so in 1949 had just left school and possibly joined his mother in the hosiery factory. I have followed him through, and he married Dorothy Slater in 1946 and died in Loughborough area in Feb 1991 aged 65.

On to the Marys - also see 29th Jul 2013 - I had hoped that the Register would sort them out for me. Three versions of them popped up, but I have discounted all. As I said in 2013, their names are too common.

Tuesday 25th September 2018

The story of Lucy Mary Woodford is somewhat fragmented here, as I featured her on 13th June, 8th July & 25th July 2013, also 2nd Aug 2013 when I was sent a gravestone photo. Now I can add the 1939 Register, so add a further chapter. They can be seen in Nether Broughton, Hubert a Foreman at Ironworks, Lucy UDD. They had 3 children at this time, 2 have redacted files as presumably Freda & Patricia are still alive, but Neville shows up as he has died.

Maria Woodford1's short life story is told in two scans: baptism and burial

Maria Woodford2 - see 26th Jul 2013 - was christened on the same day her cousin Thomas baptised his own son Joseph on 29 Jun 1828 but unfortunately Joseph died at 18 months. Maria went on to marry in 1852 but as it was an Independent chapel I have no scan. Neither have I for her burial, which took place on 27 Apr 1880 at St Luke's, Hickling.

Maria Woodford3 was born late Jul 1843 in Old Dalby to Joseph and Ann née Shillcock and christened there on 13 Aug 1843. She can be seen in census of 1851 in Old Dalby with her parents and 1851 in Dalby Parva, a nearby village, house servant in the household of a farmer. I haven't featured her before, as this was all I knew, but now I know that in Oct 1864 at Old Dalby parish church she married Thomas Cross, a fellow servant, not quite of age. One of the witnesses was Sarah Shillcock, possibly Maria's aunt (or grandmother, but unlikely). Maria and Thomas had 2 sons in 1867 and 1868 but unfortunately she died in 1969, probably in childbirth with daughter Mary Ann. Thomas can be seen in Granby with his widowed father in 1871 but then remarried in 1875.

Marian Amy Woodford - see 27th Jul 2013 - I can't see a baptism but have a scan of her marriage. In 1939 Register they can be seen, Thomas a "Retired Elect. Eng. Clerk" and Marion UDD, at 44 South Street, Rugby, which was where they lived when they died 4 years later. As I said in 2013, it is intriguing tha their deaths occurred in the same quarter. Thomas' probate says he was at 66 Percival Road, Rugby at time of death, and didn't leave to Marian, which suggests she died first.

Monday 24th September 2018

Albert & Nena (mentioned yesterday as son of Josiah1) had two children. The first died in infancy, the second was June Woodford, who was born on 19 Feb 1924 in Leicester. She can be seen in 1939 Register at 1 Argyle Street with parents & another dental nurse, which was her occupation, presumably helping her father, who made dental appliances. In Jan 1948 in Leicester she married Donald Alfred Law, who was a tobacconist's assistant in Coventry in 1939 but was a Leicestershire lad and they evidently settled there, although they had no children. Donald died in Lutterworth aged 65 in 1981 and June appeared on electoral roll lists at 5 Avery Close, Lutterworth 2003-2010 and died there in 2015 aged 91.

Lily Rose Woodford was my great great aunt - see 19th Jul 2013 - and 1939 Register gave me her exact date of birth 20 May 1881 and confirmed her whereabouts in the decade before her death. She can be seen at 7 Manor Place, Southwark with husband George Seear and two other households, George a Builder's Painter. As I said in 2013, she died in Oct 1944, George remarried and moved to Penton Place, where he died in 1953.Also I do have a scan of her marriage record.

Louisa Woodford1 had a lot of detail - see 19th Jul 2013 & 17th Aug 2015 - but no ending. Unfortunately this is still the case, as 1939 Register appears not to cover Scotland. It doesn't help having such a common name and not knowing your own age!

My great great aunt Louisa Margaret Woodford - see 22nd Jul 2013 & 17th Aug 2015 - was covered in fair detail and I knew they were living in Camberwell in 1935 and Patmos Road, Lambeth in 1949, but the war years were of course missing from electoral roll records. The Register shows how they "discovered" Chislehurst, where they retired to, and died, in later years. They must have moved there (or been evacuated) "for the duration" with son Charles, and he remained after they returned to Lambeth. Having said that, Charles Senior is listed as ARP Bermondsey (as well as Builder's Foreman, his permanent job), so maybe they lived in both places; they are only 12 miles apart. Louisa was of course UDD and Charles Junior Clerk LCC (London County Council) and ARP Chislehurst. After returning to Lambeth for a couple of decades, they returned to Chislehurst, probably on Charles' retirement and died there in 1966 and 1972.

My Nan's cousin Louisa Minnie Woodford - see 25th Jul 2013 - had in 1939 just moved to 21 Dennetts Road, Deptford, where they can be seen, Charles an "Assistant Motor-fitter, heavy worker" and Louisa "Dress Machinist Power" (factory dressmaker).

Lucy Gertrude Woodford was not covered previously as records faded out. I now think she was one of those who after childhood are known by their middle name, thus causing confusion for such as me. She was born in the October quarter of 1885 in Willoughby, Notts, registered in Loughborough, to Thomas and Mary née Henson. She can be seen in 1895 census aged 5 as Lucy at Tuckwoods Row, Willoughby with parents & brother, then as Gertrude in 1901 and 1911 as servant, first to a draper in Willoughby then a farmer in Widmerpool. In Jan 1920 in Basford she married Caleb Stubbs and 5 months later daughter Evelyn came along, followed at 2 year intervals by 2 brothers and a possible 4th child. Caleb and "Gertrude" can be seen in electoral roll records of at least 1926-31 at 64 Chandos Street, Carlton, Notts then in 1939 Register they can be seen at 25 Garnet Street, Carlton, literally around the corner

Caleb was a General Labourer and ARP First Aider, "Gertrude" UDD, the 3 older children worked with Cotton (Cleaner, "Doffer" & Packer respectively) and there is one closed file, hence the suggestion of a possible youngest child. With them was the link who made this possible; Hilda Woodford, Lucy's sister, who by then was registered Blind. It seems that Caleb died only 4 years later and Lucy lived on for another 20, died in 1963, then Hilda the following year in Nottingham.

Sunday 23rd September 2018

Joseph Woodford3 came to a dead stop in 2013 and I haven't solved him now. There are several options, one I mentioned was emigration, another is a guy with his name, born on 26 May 1867 (eminently suitable), living in Lymington, Hants in 1939 and died on the Isle of Wight in 1946. He was widowed before 1939 but with a 58 year gap, it may be him or not.

Joseph Woodford4 - see 15th Jul 2013 - I have some scans of baptism, burial and burial of his wife Georgiana. These confirm that both Joseph and Georgiana were buried in Woodhouse Eaves, St Paul's churchyard

Joseph Woodford5 - see 15th Jul 2013 - the difficulty with date of birth doesn't help, but I think I have the appropriate scans of marriage, burial and that of his wife Ann. I have found a couple of newspaper articles on his death, published 4 Apr and 11th Apr 1857. Apparently he was working as a labourer for Mr Hart Buck, helping another employee Samuel Paling, who was driving some sheep, and took a forkful of hay from a stack to feed to these animals. However, the hay was harder than he expected, he overbalanced and fell from the ladder onto his head, dislocating his neck. Mr Paling found him 5 minutes later, evidently dead. He called for a surgeon Henry Nuttall, but it was too late. The inquest, held next day in front of coroner John Gregory, found a verdict of Accidental Death.

Joseph Woodford6 - see 15th Jul 2013 and 14th Aug 2015. Although wife Emma died in 1936, Joseph was around for the 1939 Register, living with daughter Elizabeth and family at 28 Sudbury Road, Derby (see 8th Sep below). Electoral roll records show he lived at 159 Nottingham Road, Derby until 1931, then he probably moved to Sudbury Street on Emma's death in 1936. In 1939 he was described as " Foreman Railway Bond store Retired". A bond store is where items are stored without duty having to be paid on them, and the Great Northern Railway had one in Derby, where he no doubt worked, built 1877 but derelict for 50 years when featured last year in an article online. As I stated, he died at 28 Sudbury Street.

Josiah Woodford1 - see 18th Jul 2013 - didn't wait quite long enough for the 1939 Register, as he died the previous year. But see son Albert below, studied on 18th Aug, where I can see Josiah (his father) lived at 33 Abbey Gate in 1911, through to 1938, when he died there. From 1930, I now see, there was an Ann with him. I hadn't noticed that of course he was widowed by then and now suspect it was his sister, who probably came to live with him in their final years. She may well be the death there in Mar 1938, a few weeks before his. I also see that in 1920 between numbers 31 and 33 there were factory/workshops and in 1931 arches and workshops.

Josiah Woodford2 - also see 18th Jul 2013 - was father of the "Orphans sent to Bristol". The story has been told elsewhere but I do now know that there was a relatively large smallpox epidemic that year (1871) and 19,000 people died. Also, I have discovered that they had a daughter before Clara; Sarah Jane was born Jan 1862 in Frimley, Surrey, christened on 12 Feb in Yorktown, Surrey and died after the move to Lambeth in 1866. She probably died of typhoid, like her mother did 5 years later.

Saturday 22nd September 2018

John Edwin Woodford - see 13th Jul 2013 - I have mentioned the 1939 Register for this family under their son Frederick below on 10th September. The stationer/printing business was listed in Kelly's Directory of 1916 & 1925, previously belonging to F W Botterill, churchwarden of Lutterworth and author of a famous guidebook "An Illustrated Hand Book of Lutterworth" published 1884. It's possible that on his mother's death in 1914, Edwin inherited enough money to buy the business from him. He died there on 27 Mar 1941, leaving £668 to Sarah, and probably the business to Frederick.

John Marriott Woodford - also see 13th Sep 2013 - I had quite a lot of detail in that account. A new record is his baptism in Bingham (which appears to change from Leicestershire to Notts and back over time as borders move) on 13 Jan 1861 aged 3 months at St Mary & All Saints (medieval, dating from 1225)

John Williamson Woodford died before 1939 but although his wife hung on just long enough to appear in her final year, I cannot find her. I suppose shoe may have been in hospital and not considered viable...

Joseph Woodford1 - see 14th Jul 2013 - was the brother of John1 covered yesterday and father of John Marriott above. I have a couple of scans: baptism and marriage. Unfortunately, as I have said before, London burials were not well recorded, so I cannot complete the set.

Joseph Woodford2 - see 14th Jul 2013, a detailed story. New scans of baptism and burial. I have also a scan of his 2nd marriage. The first, as I pointed out in 2013, was at a non-conformist church, so no scans are available

Friday 21st September 2018

Jessie Woodford - see 20th June 2013 - was the young servant who had two illegitimate children, lost her job and died aged 28. As she didn't live until 1939 I have no new records.

Job Woodford - also see 20th June 2013 - I now have scans of either end of his life: baptism, burial and his wife Lucy 1908

Now it's time to tackle the main trunk of this tree - the Johns.

John Woodford1 - see 4th Jul 2013 - my 3xg grandfather.

His father John Woodford2, my 4xg grandfather, scans again: baptism [I noted that the line below his is his future sister-in-law Mary Manton, who witnessed below], marriage and burial 1879

John Woodford3 - see 5th Jul 2013 - I have outlined the places he lived in, but couldn't find a death record. Unfortunately the same still applies. I was told he died in 1918 but I can't find this.

John Woodford4 - see 8th Jul 2013 & 13th Aug 2015 - nothing new.

John Woodford5 - see 11th Jul 2013 - I have a scan of his baptism to add but as he only lived to 19, nothing else

John Woodford6 - see also 11th Jul 2013 - nothing new,

John Woodford7 was not covered before, as all I knew was a birth & christening. But I am pretty sure I have the rest of the story now. My 6xgreat uncle was born, middle child of seven, in Aug 1780 in Old Dalby to William & Elizabeth née Knifton and christened there on 5 Sep 1780. On 2 Jul 1811 in Kibworth Beauchamp, near Market Harborough, he married widow Ann Thornton née Bull. As she was 36 when they married, they only had one child, Job Bull Woodford, named after her father. In 1841 census they can be seen in Kibworth, where John was a butcher, with Job, by then 25. They obviously did well, as by 1851 John and Ann can be seen in Leicester Road, Kibworth, listed as "landed proprietors", as was Job, now living around the corner in Church Road with wife, 3 children and a servant. Next door to John was an intriguing lady, widow Mary Woodford, Innkeeper with her son William, now a butcher, possibly having taken over the business when John retired. He (John) died there in Oct 1852 and Ann in 1856. Job went on to marry twice and have many children (possibly 15). He was a Master brickmaker as well as owner of properties, retired by 58 and living on the approach road to the golf course. (It was a little worrying to find a newspaper report of an assault on one Job Bull Woodford in 1895, when he was 82, breaking his legs and putting him in the Infirmary, but then I realised he had called his son after himself and it was he who was attacked when assisting a policeman with an arrest of a drunk in the street. In 1863 he was reported as Foreman of the Jury in another court case, so was evidently an upstanding gentleman of the community. Job Bull senior this time, as Junior was only a child.)

Friday 14th September 2018

James Woodford my 5xgreat uncle - see 17th June 2013 - nothing new as such, but a couple of scans at either end of his life:  baptism 1811 and burial 1884

Jane Woodford 4xgreat aunt - see also 17th June 2013 - same here: baptism 1817, marriage 1847 and burial 1901

Jane Marriott Woodford - also see 17th June 2013 - nothing new

Jasper Woodford - see 20th June 2013 and 13th Aug 2015 - I now have scans again (baptism 1811 and burial 1823), but with a bit of bad news. I had been seeking a link-up with military records in USA but instead found he died at home aged 12. And his sister Ann shortly before. I knew that Ann must have died before 1823, as her name was reused then, but had no idea how recently.

Tuesday 11th September 2018

George Henry Woodford (aka Harry) - see 7th June 2013 -- I wonder if his wife was related to yesterday's Ellen Lewin. I can't tell, as Ellen was born after the censuses. I told Harry's story in full, but Mabel was around in 1939 for the Register. She can be seen at 14 Lower Hastings Street, Leicester [I am very puzzled by this as that road has only odd numbers and the Findmypast map points to an entirely different place] with her widowed mother and brother Walter. He is listed as a "Hosiery Despatch Clerk" and the females UDD. As I said, by the time Mabel died in 1971 she had retired to Bulmer, Yorkshire.

Gertrude Woodford - see 9th June 2013 - had a short story, but that has now been augmented by the 1939 Register, which I mentioned under her father Edwin below, where she was living with her mother, next door to her sister and listed as "Lace Curtain Mender". She died in Jul 1979 in the Nottingham area aged 85.

Gertrude Mabel Woodford - also see 9th June 2013 - I wasn't confident of finding anything, as she was the lady at the "convent" in Oxford, home for unmarried mothers, so may be anywhere with an alias. there were a couple of red herrings, who turned out to be widows or married ladies.

Hannah Woodford (aka Ann) - see10th June 2013 - I was seeking the 1891 census for this family, and thought I had found them. They were in Sneinton, where I had seen them last, but unfortunately Charles was called George and they had children with the wonderful names of Sherriff, Lillie and Bernell - I almost wish they were mine! The ages were all wrong too, so I hastily moved on...

Hannah Woodford who married William Palmer - see 10th June 2013 - nothing new

Harriett Woodford - also see 10th June 2013 - unlike the previous one, I found her in 1891 immediately, as she had been mistranscribed as "Cavner" rather than Corner. Anyway, it filled a gap and was as expected, Harriet with John, Alfred, Annie & George, Walter and Emily Harriet being with their grandfather Joseph Corner. As to where William was, I soon found out. On 25 Sep 1882 (just before baby Emily Harriet was born) he was admitted to the Leicester Lunatic Asylum! That must have been a terrible time for the family, and we can see that in the census taken 9 years later the family is scattered. I can't tell what was wrong with William, I can only say that he was admitted in 1882 and died there 17 years later. I can't tell which of the two asylums he was in, as the record just states "Leicester". The County Asylum was built in 1837 and in 1849 was renamed Leicestershire & Rutland Lunatic Asylum. It closed in 1908 and the land was used for the University. The Leicester Borough Lunatic Asylum is more likely. This building was constructed in 1869, closed in 2000 and was redeveloped in 2013, some parts demolished, some rebuilt as flats.

Harriet evidently thought she could manage four out of her six children, so sent two away to help William's father on his farm. As I said in 2013, William died in 1899 she moved to Cheshunt, Herts and spent a few years there with son Alfred and daughter Emily (son George lodged in Harrow then emigrated to Canada) until in 1904 Alfred moved away and she returned to Nottinghamshire. The following year she married Samuel Harding and they lived there until they died in 1921 and 1937 accordingly.

Harry Woodford - see 13th June and 8th Jul 2013 - this story was a bit fragmented by the way I discovered it, but the latest update fills a gap. They can be seen in Nether Broughton with son Norman (Walter), a 24-year-old "Public School's Conductor", Harry a Grazier, Sarah UDD. There are three closed files following, but as they are closed I cannot tell who they are (although I do know they are in this household). Incidentally, I did have a bit of a giggle over Ancestry's version of the transcription of Norman's occupation: in their copy he is listed as "Public Electric Conductor", which sounds like a remarkably dangerous job to me! I hope it paid well!

My great great-uncle Herbert Woodford - see 14th June 2013 - had quite a detailed story and a couple of lovely photos. I have more about the end of his life and a couple more photos. As we know, he had moved out to Essex in his latter days, and died there in 1940. So although electoral roll records show him living with great grandad Reuben in 1939, he was by the September at Woodspring, London Road, Billericay (Findmypast map shows this where the Downham Arms pub now stands, tracing the route the enumerator went it looks like the other side of the road, but all properties there are much newer than 80 years, I would say). As I said before, Emily moved to Deptford with daughter Louisa and family, dying there in 1957.

Monday 10th September 2018

Fanny Woodford - see 3rd Jun 2013 - died aged 18 - nothing new

Florence Woodford - see 6th Jun 2013 and 10th Aug 2015. I have found Florence and the children in 1911 census, but Frederick wasn't with them. On 19 Apr 1911 he sailed from Liverpool with several other lace-workers, giving Florence's name and address as contact in UK 61 Hamilton Road, Long Eaton (which is odd because she was in High Road, Old Chilwell in the census, taken 2 Apr, and other lace-workers also gave this address). As I said before, it does worry me that he appears to have married in USA in 1917, when Florence was still alive. I don't know if you were allowed to do that in the States at that time, but I can't find a divorce either side of the Atlantic... Another thing I have discovered is they had another daughter in Jan 1908, presumably a premature stillbirth because there was no time to baptise her before she died, and this was only 7 months after the birth of Eric. They had another girl 10 months later and called her Annie also. In 1911 just before sailing for USA Frederick had a photograph taken and also Eric and Annie. Frederick went out to America, as I said, in May 1911 with workmates, then his sister Clara took Eric and Annie out in November that year to join him. As Nellie was still a baby she remained with her mother in England. Eric was naturalized in 1936, married a couple of times and died in 1968, Annie married too and died in 1986. I suspect that Frederick and Helen may not have been married in 1917, as they said in 1920 census; on further examination, she would have been 18 and thus a minor, and they didn't have their son until 1923. Frederick died in 1925 and Helen married twice more before her death in 1955. Meanwhile, in England, Nellie married in 1929 and can be seen in 1939 Register with her in-laws in Mansfield, Notts. She died in 1995 aged 86.

The other Florence Woodford is still just as confusing as she was, although I have found her christening

Florence Ada Woodford - see 6th Jun 2013 - Electoral roll records tell me that in 1931-3 she lived at 12 Dante Road, Southwark with her parents & sibs, then on her marriage in 1934 she moved with Henry to Lambeth, where Joan was born. Henry had been living in Blackfriars Road prior to marriage, and Florence in Dante Road [just over a mile apart, I cannot post pictures as these addresses are rebuilt]. By 1938 they had relocated to Carshalton and can be seen in 1939 Register here, 31 St Benet's Grove. Henry was a "Foundry Furnaceman dealing with non-ferrous metals - Heavy Work" and Florence UDD. There is also a closed file, presumably Joan and she is still alive (aged 83). Sandra was born there in 1944, then Henry and Florence must have retired to Kingston-upon-Thames, as they died there in 1975 and 1978 respectively, aged 64 and 68.

Frances Burbage Woodford - see 7th Jun 2013 for the full story and there is nothing new.

I don't appear to have mentioned Frederick John Woodford, probably because there was little to report as he was born too recently. He was born on 27 Oct 1910 in Lutterworth to John & Sarah née Smith (poor Sarah, giving birth on her birthday!) and christened there on New Year's Day. He can be seen on 1911 census aged 5 months at Regent Street, Lutterworth with his parents.1939 Register, shows he was still with his parents, at High Street, Lutterworth (just around the corner from Regent Street) possibly working with his father, as they were both in printing; John a "Master Printer" and Frederick "Printer Compositor, Platen Hand", Sarah UDD. In Jul 1945 in Lutterworth he married Ellen E Lewin and they had one son Andrew in 1949. Frederick died in 1997, Ellen in 2006 and Andrew was last seen in electoral roll records of 2016 in Coventry Road, Lutterworth, close to where he grew up.

Sunday 9th September 2018

Emily Elizabeth Woodford - see 30th May 2013 - one of my grandmother's 1st cousins - is one of those I would have added to with information from the 1939 Register, if she had stayed in this country. But as she emigrated to Australia with her husband and daughters in 1926 I can't.

Emma Woodford - see 30th May 2013 and 7th Aug 2015 - the same thing applies to her, except that her move was death in 1927

Ernest Alfred Woodford - see 3rd June 2013 and 7th Aug 2015 - 1939 Register put the cat among the pigeons here! Even in itself, the Register was confusing, in that there are two Ernest A Woodfords in the Leicester area, with very similar dates of birth (different days in Dec 1886), but cross-checking other details I plumped for the one at 78 Checketts Road, Leicester [even numbers 20-108 were replaced by a school in 1967]. Widower Ernest described himself as "Grocer's Assistant", there was next a closed file then daughter Dorothy "Shoe Stockroom Hand". I was surprised to see another daughter, Sylvia, who I didn't know about. She was nine years old here, but I see she died the following year aged only ten. At the same address was a widow Mary Jane Ludlam, the lady he married in 1943. She had a 10-year-old too, son Ernest. Researching her, I see that she was born Mary Jane Twigg on 4 Sep 1890 in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire and married Ernest Henry Ludlam in Sep 1928, having only the one child as her husband died just 5 years later. She married "our" Ernest when she was 52, so had no further children, and she died in 1955 aged 64. As I stated before, he died aged 88 in 1975. So the only mystery left is who the closed file was in 1939, and I won't know that until it is opened.

Ettie Maude Woodford - also see 3rd Jun 2013 - was one of those with a big hole in her story. I had nothing from Bertie's death in 1917 until her death in 1958. Classically, 1939 Register has come to the rescue, placing her then at a cottage called Beverleigh, in Claverham Road in the Long Ashton area in Somerset. Looking at the map, I see that this is now considered Yatton, near Bristol. What is even more interesting is that she appears to have a married daughter with her, Cicely Ettie Tysoe. This has opened up a whole new chapter. She was born on 22 Apr 1914 in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, before her father attested to the Army, as I understand it, in Nov 1915. After his death, it seems Ettie moved to the West Country, as Cicely grew up and met local boy Robert George Hugh Stacey. They married in Sep 1938 and can be seen with Ettie a year later at Long Ashton, where his parents had lived and he had been born. Cicely was a saleswoman in drapery, he worked in a factory as "Timekeeping Clerk and Canteen Manager". Ettie died in March 1958, her death registered in the Warminster area and she was buried on 17 Mar in Westbury Cemetery, which looks lovely.

Saturday 8th September 2018

Elizabeth Woodford2 b1820 - also see 20th May 2013 - nothing new

Elizabeth Woodford3 b1870 - see 23rd May 2013 - nothing new and I still cannot locate husband Tommy Cooper's death, as it is a common name, giving 254 deaths in England alone

Elizabeth Woodford4 b1830 - see 6th Aug 2015 - I now know she was buried in the cemetery (just across the road from her home) on 4 Aug 1822 aged 51, but as I said, I didn't see a stone on my visit in 2008.

Elizabeth "Betsy" Woodford b1850 - 23rd May 2013 - provides another pub connection as she married a beerhouse keeper. Although she inherited moneys from him, she never got involved in that side of the business; he had inherited from his father when he died in 1891, a time when she had 7 children to care for.

Elizabeth Ann Woodford - see 30 May 2013 - I can now give a lot more detail, thanks to 1939 Register. I have seen her school admission record, dating from 1 Mar 1897 aged 11 to 23 May 1901. Her name was amended from Tunnicliffe, so evidently her uncle John or grandfather Joseph admitted her. I already knew her exact date of birth by the Register gave me her husband's and son's too. They married in Oct 1916 at the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Mansfield Street, Derby, 1 mile away from her home on Nottingham Road. William was a shopkeeper in hardware, as he was still in 1939. They can be seen at 28 Sudbury Street, Derby with son William and her father Joseph Woodford. William Senior was in the ARP Service, Junior an Engineering Draughtsman and Joseph a Retired Foreman in Railway stores, Elizabeth UDD. In 1953 Joseph died here and left £468 to Elizabeth, then in 1958 William died aged 65. Elizabeth retired to Littleover and died there at 14 Uplands Avenue on 27 Jan 1983 aged 94, leaving £25k no doubt to son William.

The other Elizabeth Ann Woodford I didn't mention, as I had very little on her. She was born Nov 1871 in Langar, Notts, her birth registered in Bingham, to John & Hannah née Adams and christened on Christmas Eve 1871 at St Andrew's, Langar. She can be seen in 1881 census at Crabtree Lodge, Colston Bassett aged 9 with parents and sibs but from this point on she vanishes. There is a possible death in Bingham but in 1943, without a 1939 record to match.

Friday 7th September 2018

Edwin Woodford - see 18th May 2013 - didn't wait for the 1939 Register, as he died in 1937. However, Elizabeth can be seen at 35 Birley Street, Stapleford, Notts. I told of this when dealing with Ada - see 15th August below - as Elizabeth and her daughter Gertrude lived next door to Ernest, Ada and their daughter Gwendoline. Elizabeth being 88 was UDD (housewife) and Gertrude 46 "lace curtain mender". It seems odd that when she died in 1945, Elizabeth left legacies to daughter Alice and son-in-law Ernest but not Gertrude, who she lived with. But maybe she left her the house (there is no mention of property in these probate lists).

Eli Woodford - no new records

Eliza Woodford - I now have a scan of her baptism, although her birth had been registered in the previous October quarter. See 18th May 2013 for her details. I think she stayed in the Barrow-upon-Soar area after her father died in 1915, as I have seen electoral roll records there up to 1926. I think she died in 1927, as there is no sign after that, including 1939 Register. My main problem is that although she was always Eliza, some enumerators assume this is short for Elizabeth, of which there are hundreds.

Eliza Ann Woodford - I told her story on 19th May 2013 - a very interesting one, orphaned at an early age, in service for many years, emigrating and marrying in USA. Of course, being in America, they wouldn't have appeared on 1939 Register anyway, but I see now that Charles registered with the US Army in 1918 although he was aged 44. He was a farmer of medium height, stout build, with blue eyes and dark hair, no disabilities. He farmed land owned by a Fred Adams. At this time their address was "One Gardner, Grundy, Illinois" but by the time of 1920 & 1930 censuses they had moved a few miles north to "Maine, Grundy, Illinois". He never did serve in the army, as under "veteran?" it stated No.

Elizabeth Woodford1 b.1822 was my 4xgreat aunt. I told her history on 20th May 2013 but have just found something out that is very exciting for me! If you know me you will see how this brings so many of my interests together in one ancestor. I have said that she settled with husband Sampson Gadd, daughter Emma and step-daughter Ann at Main Street, Sutton Bonington and can be seen there in censuses of 1861-1901. I now know that she ran the Rose & Crown pub in the part of Sutton Bonington called Zouch, which I knew from my canals study as being a canalside pub on the River Soar Navigation. According to the sites featuring this pub, she was the one in 1876 to register the building as an inn (don't know what if was before, maybe an informal inn). Looking in detail at the census records, nowhere is it called an Inn and she is never designated as Innkeeper/victualler or anything similar. Very odd. She appears on all the Directory entries with pub name. The pub was up for sale again last year, but it appears to have landed on its feet as it is going well by all accounts.

Tuesday 4th September 2018

The other Edith Ellen Woodford was last seen aged 17 at an institution in Yorkshire in 2013, but I have traced her further now. 1939 Register found her aged 46 at 2 Summerhill Cottages, Battle, Sussex, and Findmypast attached a map locating this as Ticehurst. This makes total sense as all her neighbours worked at the "Mental Establishment", as did she, as a "Trained Mental Nurse", and just along the road was Ticehurst House, now aka the Priory Hospital.

I can also see that in 1933 she had been at Peckham House Lunatic Asylum, Peckham Road but whether as inmate or staff I cannot tell. Other genealogists have digitised patient lists but she is not there. This means nothing, however, as it may just mean her time wasn't covered. As to her death in St Albans, she was 80, so it may mean she worked there (or should I say here) and then retired. Hill End Asylum was well-known and was in St Albans, so maybe she worked there...

Edith Mary Woodford - see 12th May 2013 - likewise had a big gap between 1911 census and her death in 1966.In 1911 she was in Main Street, Woodhouse Eaves with 4 children but by 1939 Register another 3 sons had joined them. The address was given as 53 Main Street, Woodhouse Eaves, probably the same house as 1911, but not the same numbering today, as the Methodist Church is right next door and is not on the register. Also, the enumerator cut down Maplewell Road after no. 55, and this is some distance away. George was listed as "County Council Roadman" and sons Sydney and Cyril worked for the local Golf Club, as "Pro Assistant" and "Greens Groundsman" - unusual! Another son was at number 49, Frank, "Public Work Contractor", wife Annie and 2 of his eventual 3 daughters. He was memorable in that he was over 100 when he died in 2014.

I already knew where my great great-uncle Edmund Woodford (brother of Carrie) was in 1939 - see 16th May 2013 and Charles Albert below. Findmypast's maps show me that this road was there before they moved there in 1918, their house being opposite the station buildings, The station was already closed to passengers in 1939. In the household were Edmund, Clara & Charles, son Edmund having married 6 years before. Ed Senior was described as "Carpenter LPTB" London Passenger Transport Board - handy for work! As I said the other day, Charles was Architectural Draughtsman and Met Special Constable. In 1945 they moved to Brixton and Charles was a few houses away, Edmund Senior died there in 1951.

Edmund Reuben Woodford was his son, and lived at home with his parents until 1933, when he married Winifred Owen and moved to Wandsworth. So in 1939 Register they can be seen there, at 37 Glenburnie Road, Wandsworth. I mentioned the significance of this address, in Tooting, when I dealt with this tree before, on 16th May 2013. Edmund was described as "Chartered Quantity Surveyor and Middlesex County Council Architects Dept ARP, Permanent Staff Office" and Winifred's mother Patricia Owen lived with them. As I also said in 2013, Edmund and Winifred retired to Eastbourne, probably in 1971 when he was 65. They died there in 1987 & 1988 respectively. Oddly they had different home addressess; Edmund's was a bungalow, so maybe he was infirm, Win's was 4 good properties 5-11 Lewes Road But her probate was £103k, which would have been for just one of these properties.

The other Edmund, Edmund Charles Woodford, I dealt with separately as he wasn't directly related to these two. See 17th May 2013 for their story. As he died in 1929, Emma was a widow in the Register, living at a house called The Quinton, Middle Street, Salisbury with a friend/relative called Beatrice Farrell (not one I can track down), both UDDs. As my sister now lives in Salisbury, I had a look at a map, but they are 2 miles apart across town. When Edmund died, they were living in Blandford, Dorset and he was buried there, so when Emma died in Salisbury she was taken to Blandford Forum Cemetery and buried with him. [We went to Blandford Forum 15 years later on our honeymoon, but didn't visit the cemetery.]

Monday 3rd September 2018

Douglas Edward Woodford - see 10th May 2013 - married in 1951, so he and Violet can be seen apart in 1939 Register. She was 24 and can be seen living with her widowed mother and single sister at White Cottages, Main Road, Melton, listed as in Domestic Service. The map Findmypast put together with this record points to Old Dalby, and there are White Cottages there, so I presume they were living here. Unfortunately I cannot find Douglas in any of the expected places; with his parents, nearby or in the services. Old Dalby is still, and was then even more so, a small community, so although I have seen Violet's family nearby and Douglas' mother's family, there is no sign of him. (There was a Douglas Woodford, reporting for The Telegraph in the Middle East at that time, but I doubt very much it was him.) The other new document I can see is his probate dated 1982, when he died at The Lilacs, Old Dalby (This house is just around the corner from White Cottages, but I have checked and Douglas wasn't already there in 1939). He was buried in the cemetery just across the road from the house.

Edith Elizabeth Woodford - also see 10th May 2013 - didn't wait for the 1939 Register, taken on 29 Sep, as she died 28 Apr that year. Harry can be seen, still at The Cedars, Hose, but he had with him a Housekeeper, widow Ethel Mavis Pears, who he married the following year. She died in 1957, 3 years before Harry, which would be why he left his effects to his brother. Harry was cremated at Wilford Hill Crematorium.

Edith Ellen Woodford - see also 10th May 2013 - her marriage took place at St Matthew's and Edith's brother and sister were witnesses. Both fathers were deceased, so I suspect her eldest brother Alfred "gave her away". She was the lady who ended up in the Union Workhouse at Lutterworth with 2 young children. Charles died in 1915 and the children's details were all mixed up (see 2013), so I have lost track of them. Edith pops up again in 1939 Register at 3 Park Road, Rugby, a "Retired Domestic Help", living with George Gill, a "Retired builders clerk" and his wife Nora.

[Son in household next door was "motor engineer", maybe he developed the car showrooms. She may have been in Rugby with George and Nora, or an evacuation move, because she died 14 years later back in Leicester, 20 miles away.

Sunday 2nd September 2018

David Woodford1 - see 9th May 2013 - the only new document was his baptism in Old Dalby on 16 Jul 1837. So he was probably born in the June,

David Woodford2 - see 10th May 2013 - was actually a closer relative, my 5xgreat uncle. Researching the newspapers of the time I can see he was a force to be reckoned with!

5 Mar 1852: he charged an apprentice with "absenting himself from work by lying in bed for days at a time". It seems this was a deliberate strike as he was not instructing him in all aspects of his job. It seems to have succeeded, as the offence was discharged at the worker signing a book, saying he would return to work.

3 Jun 1852: there was a report of a midnight fire at the joinery, causing mass panic as the buildings in Kent Street were very close together and David had a lot of potential fuel in his workshops; barrels, gates, ploughs, buckets etc. Furniture was pulled out into the street and neighbours went to stay with friends. Although his premises was insured, he made heavy losses and had to replace the buildings. One can't help but wonder about arson, following on from the previous problem...

15 Sep 1852: David wrote the first of two letters to the papers, complaining of the foul stench emitted by the activities of a neighbour whose business backed onto his. Firemen and builders had reported their disgust at the time of the fire and subsequent repairs and he hoped something would happen as a result.

1st Oct 1852: He wrote a second latter but it was refused, as journalists from the paper visited and couldn't detect anything. David did explain that the boiling of rotten carcasses that was causing the problem only happened on certain days (although this did last for 4 out of 7 days a week) and they must have missed it. The complaint then went to court so they couldn't publish any more about it, so I don't know what happened.

25 Aug 1852: David was charged with assaulting a plain-clothed police officer, who had called to investigate what sounds like a fight on the premises. He claimed not to know he was a policeman, but does seem to be attacting rather a lot of negative attention!

20 Apr 1855: Alex Bonser "borrowed" a plough (and tools) from David and pawned it, not a first offence. He was fined the value of the items plus expenses, but as he couldn't pay, was imprisoned for 3 months.

Similarly on 6 Mar 1857 Thomas Donoughmore, who was drunk, stole buckets from the yard and sold them at the local pub. This was dismissed as the moneys were returned.

Now, in these cases, he seems to be the innocent recipient of pranks, albeit serious ones, but on

15 Mar 1860 he and his wife were taken to court themselves, accused of slander. Apparently their daughter had been married to one Reuben Attenborough and had a child. They reckoned he and his second wife couldn't keep the child properly so they tried to remove the child from her care. They were apparent using abusive language and slandering Reuben and his wife, but the snatching of the child was unsuccessful. As far as I can see, this was a child of Hannah Ratcliffe Woodford, but she doesn't match up with the Hannah I had on my files, who married Charles Morley and died in 1900. I can see a death which may match up in 1857, but not knowing the sex of the child doesn't help.

Anyway, that was a fun aside.

Tuesday 28th August 2018

Charles Woodford - see 9th May 2013 - I now have sight of the marriage certificate and can see that Amelia was a widow, and her father's name gives us her maiden name of Cooper. I can see now she was born Amelia J Cooper to Thomas Cooper and Eliza in Jan 1840 in Cheltenham, married aged 19 in Colchester, Essex to William Rudkin, but they had been married for less than 2 years when he died. So in 1861 census she can be seen, newly-widowed, living with her sister Louise and family back in Cheltenham. They are the witnesses in the above marriage, and I have covered the rest of this story.

Charles Albert Woodford's story was told on 3rd Aug 2015, my Nan's cousin. I can now see a scan of his christening at St Mark's, Kennington and the expected address in 1939 Register, 47 Camberwell station Road, with his parents. This was just before his marriage the following January, and he was listed as "Architectural Draughtsman and Metropolitan Special Constable". Impressive.

Nothing new on Uncle Charlie Charles James Woodford, so see 9th May 2013 and 3rd Aug 2015. As I said yesterday, he was living at 27 Clayton Buildings in 1939 with Grampy.

One of the most interesting stories in this study was that of the sisters Clara Woodford and Eliza, born in 1866 and 1868 respectively to Josiah and Milicent née Adkins, orphaned as small children in 1871 and sent to Bristol, to live in an orphanage. I told the story on 9th May 2013, so see tab above. As Clara didn't die until 1942 I can see her in 1939 Register, widowed, living at 119 City Road, Bristol and she died here 3 years later, aged 76.

Cordelia Woodford - also see 9th May 2013 for full story but I can now add she was buried in St Luke's churchyard, Gaddesby, Melton.

Monday 27th August 2018

I told the complete story of Bertram John Woodford on 6th May 2013, Killed In Action in France.

Caroline Woodford was one of the "babies who died" - no new records.

Catherine Woodford I haven't reported on, it seems. She was born Mar 1832 in Old Dalby to Thomas and Sarah née Gregory and christened there on 22 Apr 1832. She can be seen in 1841 & 1851 censuses at Old Dalby with parents and brothers. Although she isn't shown with any occupation, no doubt she helped around the house/farm. By 1861 she was 29, listed as Domestic Assistant and had a daughter, named Sarah Ann Newton, whose father was evidently Robert Newton (I have notes stating he was also born 1832 and possibly died 1861, which may explain why they never married). By 1871 Catherine's mother had died and she can be seen as her father's Housekeeper with help from Sarah (now renamed Woodford). Thomas died in 1874 and Catherine went to live with Sarah and her family , firstly in Aston, Warks then Frodsham, Cheshire. She died in Runcorn in 1892.

Catherine Emma Woodford - see 6th May 2013 - was covered in fair detail in the past, but now have 1939 Register to add. I said she married widower Charles Tyers in 1913 and he had 2 daughters already. By 1939 he had retired from his work at the ironstone quarry and they can be seen at King Street, Melton, with son Horace just down the road, married to the wonderfully-named Dorothy Starbuck. Mabel confused me a while by being known by her middle name Irene, but I can see that she married and settled less than a mile away, across Melton. When Charles died in 1958, then Catherine in 1968, both deaths were registered in Melton.

My great grandmother Catherine Selina Woodford died in 1934, so I have no Register for her. But her husband, Grampy, Henry John Wooldridge was living with Uncle Charlie, Charles James Woodford, Carrie's younger brother (see later) at 27 Clayton Buildings. Grampy worked as a warehouseman for a printer, Charlie an erector/fitter for a pneumatic tube company Lamson & Co, as did his nephew, my granddad. Carrie had died at No 27, so did Grampy 20 years later (and I think Uncle Charlie did too, 8 years after that).

Sunday 26th August 2018

Bertha Mary Woodford - see 6th May 2013 - I was saying yesterday that having illegitimate children runs in families and here is another example. Both Bertha and Henry were born to single mums and had their first child almost two years before their marriage. He was called Harry Hall Woodford and remained so. While I was looking into Harry, I decided, as he is a Woodford, to report on him and his family, (even though he is only my 4th cousin 3x removed!): Harry Hall Woodford was born 30 Sep 1883 in Old Dalby and can be seen in 1891 census with parents & sibs in Old Dalby, his father a tram driver. In 1901 he was 18 and can be seen working as a footman, one of 11 staff at The Lodge, Blackwater Road, Eastbourne (now a block of flats but presumably not at that time). In Jan 1905 at South Stoneham, Hampshire he married Mabel Rose Butler from Peckham and they had two daughters. In 1911 census they can be seen with one of these at 11 Berwick Road, Easton, Bristol Lily, born 1906, and Grace 1918, both births registered in Southampton. The age gap here was probably explained by his involvement in WW1. Medal cards indicate he was in the Hampshire Regiment (but not the one who was sent home with a bullet in his leg, that was an Isle of Wight resident). 1939 Register shows the family were still together, but had moved 5 miles to 2 St Ladoc Road, Keynsham near Bristol. Harry was listed as "Railway Inspector and in Railway APR Service", Mabel as UDD and both daughters "Female Railway Clerk". I see that Grace went on to marry but Lily remained single.Mabel died in this house in 1952, leaving effects worth £266 to Harry. When he died in 1955 his address was still this house, but he actually died in the Royal United Hospital, Bath, where his sister Thirza lived, and his death was registered there. He left £2818 to solicitors, but daughter Lily continued living at this address until she died in 1960, Grace had moved to Stroud on her marriage in 1943.

Saturday 25th August 2018

Arthur Ernest Woodford (see 5th May 2013) - 1939 Register has, as it often does, helped to fill the gap between marriage and death. As expected, they were found in Rugby, where Arthur's parents had both died in the decade preceding this. Arthur and Alice can be seen at 43 Southfield Road, Arthur listed as "Fitter (Electrical Genr)" and Alice UDD. They must have retired to West Haddon, Northants as they both died there.

Arthur Fardell Woodford's story was fully told in 2013 right up until death. Another genealogist had told me he died in 1932 but I still cannot find a record to confirm this. As he was last seen in Derbyshire I am tempted to believe the alternative that he died there in Jul 1914, which means daughter Ettie was left alone when her husband was killed in 1917. I cannot find her in 1939, but then her name is difficult, and I don't know if it was short for Henrietta or something. She isn't with her brother William in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, which is incidentally where their father died if the 1914 record is correct. And if it is, Arthur died only weeks after son William's marriage on 1 June.

Aubrey Cecil Dunsmore Woodford was covered on 6th May 2013, but now I have more info on his later years. We knew both he and Florence died in the Basford area in 1990 and 1989 respectively, but I can now confirm they were already at this address by 1939, so probably were there all their married lives, 38 Leslie Avenue, Beeston. Aubrey was "Gardener & Chauffeur" and Florence UDD, they had two children, John Roy Dunsmore Woodford and Sophia J Woodford, although she had a closed file in 1939 so is probably still alive. John apparently died in 2000. Aubrey died here on 29 Jun 1990, leaving £115000, which was no doubt the value of the house (the probate document didn't specify to whom, as they don't nowadays). [I did have a bit of an aside here; I investigated son John as he appeared to have that rare thing, a divorce. He was married to Sheila M in 1958, but led me astray by being served with a divorce for "dereliction of duty" 3 years after his wife died! It turned out there was a couple in USA called John D Woodford and Sheila M Woodford who did divorce]

Beatrice Annie Woodford, as explained below (20th Aug) was always called Annie. She was born 25 Sep 1892 in Harby, Leics and can be seen in census of 1901 aged "7" (really 9 - she'd be furious!) in Stathern Road, Harby with parents & sibs, then also with them aged 19 in Brandon Lane, Grantham. In Jul 1915 in Melton Mowbray she married Arthur J Richardson. This story reads like a soap, so don't blame me... On marriage, Beatrice was 23, Arthur 49. Looking into him, I found he was a widower who had been married when he was 22 to a much older lady (57), called Fanny Hunt (don't snigger!), who had a son Emanuel only 7 years younger than Arthur. It turns out he was illegitimate, born when Fanny was 43 and living with her father. Anyway, Arthur and Beatrice had two children together, Elsie and Willie. If the details given about Elsie are correct, she was born before her parents were married too (I find that does "run in families"), worked as a "Domestic, Daily Help" and Willie was a labourer in a cement works (sounds like fun). There are names beside Elsie, suggesting she married twice, one may well be Mensson but the marriage I found is in Durham, and then no sign of what looks like Jacques. The address was "5 Council Houses, Melton Mowbray", which I cannot track down, except that Google Streetview takes me to an inaccessible area in Harby. At this point, Arthur was retired (had been an ironstone worker) as he was 73, in fact he died in 1942 aged 76. Beatrice lived on until 1978, when she died in Melton aged 87.

Beatrice May Woodford was born Apr 1880 in the School House, Woodford, Essex to Arthur Fardell and Esther née Jackson. She can be seen on censuses of 1881 and 1891, aged 10 months and 10 years respectively at School Houses in Trysull, Staffs and Bredicot, Worcs. I have said the family moved around, working in various schools. Unfortunately they had just moved back to the Essex area when Beatrice died aged 12 in Jul 1893 in Ongar, Essex, her younger brother Lonsdale had died aged 7 six months previously.

Wednesday 22nd August 2018

Annie Elizabeth Woodford - see 5th May 2013 - I have a scan of her baptism. I found her admission record to Walnut Tree Walk school on 1 Sep 1890, giving home address, which I think says 13 Saunders Street, right by the school. However, they moved to Camberwell by the census of the following year. She may have been interested in the lives of their next-door neighbours there; Abram Taylor ran a coffee house and his daughter Eliza a bakery, which may have influenced Annie in her choice of career, as she was next seen working as barmaid in the Victoria Tavern. I told her story before, how she married a man 20 years older, with 8 children, had one herself, then died aged 29 and he went on to marry for a 3rd time.

There are three Arthurs on this tree, one with no middle name, two with. "Plain" Arthur Woodford was confusing me, so I haven't reported on him before, but thanks to 1939 Register, I think I have him sorted out now. He was born on 12 Dec 1883 in Leicester, probably Abbey Gate - see Saturday below for his brother Albert - registered in Leicester Jan 1884. In 1891 census he can be seen there with the family at 22 Abbey Gate, aged 7.In 1901 he had moved with them round to Frog Island and was training up as a Blackmith's Assistant. By 1911 he can be seen further along in his training, living at King Street, Southwell, Notts, with his employer Edward Foster and his family. In Jul 1914 in Lincoln he married Coal Merchant's daughter Mary Elizabeth Parker and they had three children. I love their names; Abert (after his brother) Jack and Jill! They evidently settled in an area on the Lincolnshire/Rutland border as in 1916 he was listed in Kelly's Directory in the village of Pilkington. Albert's birth was registered in Lincoln in 1915, Jack and Jill in Leicester. The 1939 Register shows them at the Blacksmith's Shop, Stonesby, Melton, Arthur and Albert both Master Blacksmiths, Mary UDD and Jack & Jill at school. All the children married and settled, the boys locally, Jill joined her husband in Surrey. Arthur died Jan 1966 in Stamford, Lincs and Mary joined him 11 years later.

Monday 20th August 2018

I will review the Anns as I did on 3rd May 2013, numbering accordingly:

Ann Woodford 1 (b 1833) - no new records

Ann Woodford 2 (b 1865) - nothing new

Ann Woodford 3 (b 1861) - her information peters out because I was unsure which death record was hers. As I cannot find her at all in 1939 Register, I suspect she died in Leicester Jan 1938 aged 76.

Ann Woodford 4 (b 1824) - nothing. I thought I had found her married to an Edward Stubbs, but she turned out to be from South Croxton, and announced it on every document.

Ann Emmeline Woodford - she died aged 22 on 14 Dec 1854, still at 17 Kent Street (where they were in 1851 census) and was buried at Nottingham General Cemetery on 21st.

Anna Maria Woodford - I was discounting the death in 1892 in Barrow-on-Soar, but I see that both her parents' deaths were registered in that district, so it may well be her.

Anne Woodford - emigrated to Australia. Nothing new.

Annie Woodford - nothing seemed to fit, until I realised she was Beatrice Annie, known as Annie, so will return to her anon.

Sunday 19th August 2018

The story of Alice Woodford - see 2nd May 2013 - has been filled in substantially by her husband's army records. He enlisted at the age of 18 on 6 May 1904, was sent for training in 1904 and 1906. On 4 Jun 1908 he was discharged to the Sherwood Foresters Special Reserve (sounds like a good wine to me!) as temporarily unfit, then served in UK until 10 Nov 1914 (with another temporary lapse in Jul 1912). Meanwhile Alice was running the Beer Shop at 42 Latimer Street, Nottingham. She had son Joseph in 1911 (which may explain her absence in the census), but whether he was John's child we shall never know. They married on 12 Jul 1913 and James was born 19 Sep, but that was as usual. John was posted on 11 Nov 1914 with the Expeditionary Force, returning to UK 20 Aug 1915, serving here for almost a year before going out to France again. During this time he was promoted to Acting Corporal for a short while and was Wounded in Action. While he was in France his promotion was ratified and he returned in May 1917 as a Lance-Corporal. 14 Nov 1917 he returned home to 31 Maltwell Lane, Nottingham, with a pension, excused further action through chronic bronchitis. On 24 Aug 1918 he was discharged with medals and a King's Certificate. I have solved the difficulty of their different addresses by discovering I had the wrong death record for him (so ignore the middle names I gave in 2013). He died in 1937, so didn't make the Register in 1939. Instead, I have found Alice at the address I knew for the beer shop in 1941: 52 Northumberland Street, Nottingham with son John and others. She was a widowed shopkeeper and son John a general labourer. There is also another file but that is closed so doesn't help. Her Off License was on the corner of Northumberland Street & Hutchinson Street . It appears to say the bar is run by G Toone, over the door. I wonder if that was the Notts County goalkeeper by any chance, after retirement. I think she was the one who died in Jan 1964 in Nottingham, aged 88.

Alice Kate Woodford - also see 3rd May 2013 - nothing to add, as both she and her husband died a few months before the 1939 Register.

Andrew Woodford was Kate's father (and my 4xgreat uncle), but I have no new records for him either.

Saturday 18th August 2018

Pressing on with the Woodfords, next is Albert Woodford - see 29th Apr 2013 - and all sorts of details have come to light. He was the guy who was born and grew up in the run-down industrial area of Leicester called Frog Island, as I reported in 2013. Looking at Google Streetview I can see that in 5 years this has still not improved one bit. After moving with the family to Frog Island, he returned to Abbey Gate with his widowed father, after his mother died in 1905. In 2013 I then had the usual gap, only populated with the directory entries of 1945-60 when he was a dental technician at 87 Jermyn Street. 1939 Register showed he was at no. 1 Argyle Street, and the photograph of that street in 1969 is amazingly similar! The Register also explained who the Donald Law was who inherited from Nena on her death. They had another child June Woodford on 19 Feb 1924, and I shall tell her story now to save disruption later. She was 15 in the Register, working (possibly for/with her father) as a dental nurse, and a colleague Doris Daniels was living with them also. She (Doris) was 36 and also was a WAAF in the 41st Leicester Company of the RAF. After this, I see that June went on to get married in Jan 1948 in Leicester to Donald Alfred Law, local tobacconist's assistant. I don't know if Donald served in the forces in WW2; I don't have any records to say one way or the other, but his father Alexander Ernest worked in France, building roads in war areas, attached to the Royal Engineers. Donald died aged 65 on 21 Mar 1981 and was buried 26 March in Lutterworth. June followed aged 91 on 26 Mar 2015.

I was hoping the 1939 Register could help me in tracking down the last days of Frances Ann Woodford née Rogers. I know that after the death of her husband, she retired to Bourne, Lincolnshire but died in 1948 at Bromley, Kent. Unfortunately I cannot find her on the Register, so all I have to go on is the entry on Findagrave, which says she died at "Top O' the Hill", Highland Road, Bromley - this road is eminently suburban and, although a hill, has nothing of note at the top. Google cannot help me either, although it may have been an inn, there is now no sign. Anyway, Findagrave tells me her remains were interred at St Sebastian churchyard, Great Gonerby, Lincs and her stone inscribed "FRANCES ANN wife of ALBERT ERNEST WOODFORD d 5 Nov 1949 age 60. HANNAH ELIZABETH PALMER sister of the above and wife of ALFRED late of Old Dalby d 13 May 1954 age 77". I don't know her sister, but Frances was buried 10 Nov 1948, aged 79 (she died 5 Nov certainly), so there is something wrong there. Maybe the inscription is difficult to read, as they often are.

Alfred Miles Woodford promised much but everything was just duplicates of what I already had. Unfortunately he didn't wait for the Register, as he died in 1932, 3 years after his wife.

Friday 15th August 2018

The last child of John & Elizabeth was Thomas Hawkins, born in Canterbury in Feb 1812 and christened at St Mildred's on 3 March. Unfortunately, again this was a very common name, and this time had no middle name to assist. There are many versions of him to choose from, but I think I have pieced a feasible story together.He can be seen on 1841 census at a large farm in Throwley, Kent, one of 10 servants working the land, met Mary Ann Kemsley and they had a daughter Mary Ann in 1845. On 12 Oct 1847 in the village of Linstead, where her parents lived, he married Mary Ann and moved to Lambeth. In 1851 census they can be seen at 109 East Street (which became Lollard Street and, oddly, I knew well over a hundred years later, as it was very close to my grandparents' home). They can be seen there with their 6-year-old daughter, Thomas working as a labourer. Mary Ann died aged 53 in 1858 and a few months later Thomas married local girl Eliza Spooner st St Mary Newington. They can be seen in 1861 census at Osborn's Cottages, George Street, Camberwell Green, Thomas a "Brewer's Servant" and Eliza "Bonnet maker", with 2 sons, the youngest with as yet no name, christened George a few weeks later. In 1871 they may have been in the same cottage, now called 1 Banbury Place, George Street (it is all redeveloped, renamed and unrecognisable nowadays), Thomas working in the same job. He died aged 68 in 1880, in Canterbury, so probably being cared for by family.

That's the end of this tree. It is time to revisit the main one, the Woodfords, once again, as I haven't checked them since July 2015. However, as usual I am at risk of repeating myself and don't want to bore you, also to mess up Google searches etc too much.

Studying Ada Woodford was productive in that I was able to fill in a gap with 1939 Register, and found her as expected at the address in Stapleford, Notts she was at in 1911 (census) and 1957 (husband's death). It did, of course, also furnish me with exact dates of birth and daughter Gwendolyne's married name. But what surprised me most of all was that next door were her sister Gertrude and widowed mother Elizabeth née Adams! Elizabeth was widowed, but I can see that Gertrude was still single, a "lace curtain mender". The other information I have now is that both Ernest and Ada were cremated, in Nottinghamshire.

There was another Ada in this tree, but previously there was nothing to report. However I shall now do so. Ada Rose Woodford was born on 16 Mar 1913 in Lambeth to Reuben & Florence née Wells, who I never met but my grandmother called them Uncle Reub (her uncle) & Aunt Flo. She (Ada) was christened on 6 Apr 1913 at St Mary-the-Less, Lambeth. She can be seen on 1939 Register at 12 Longville Road, Southwark (this area has been redeveloped and now no longer exists as such) with her widowed father and her brother George, Reub Senior a Retired Carpenter and George a "Warehouseman, Iron & Steel"; Ada worked in printing as a Bookfolder. Electoral roll records show that for a few years prior to this, her sister Florence also lived with them along with her husband George Pearson, also Reub Junior prior to his marrage. Ada died aged 54 in Sutton, Surrey.

The only new information about Adam Woodford was that he was listed as a shopkeeper in 1840s. So, he changed his occupation over the years from this to grazier and farmer to gardener at The Hall. Probably he sold his farm produce (or Sarah did) from home and it was after his time living at the Hall as gardener that he was called farmer (1860s).

Tuesday 14th August 2018

Next child (and 4xgreat uncle) was John Francis Hawkins, born in Apr 1803 in Canterbury and christened on 28 Apr at St Mildred's. Unfortunately this is a very common name, giving me no less than 21 possible child deaths or 7 local marriages. Using his middle name leads me to a marriage in Surrey in his 80s, unlikely enough but his father is still there, so I have discounted that! [Another likely story is one with a birth date of 1806, but as I have said here before, people didn't always get that right, and he is at least consistent. First appearing in 1851 census, living alone at 2 St Alphage Lane, Canterbury, working as a master cordwainer (shoemaker). In 1861 he can be seen at 2 Blackfriars North, which is the next road to Alphege Lane, with a housekeeper. I think he then married Frances Bouch in West Ham Jul 1864, although in 1871 census she says she is from Canterbury. They can be seen at 4 Welby Square, Canterbury, which no longer exists as Westgate Hall was built on it, with 5-year-old son John. I don't know what happened to Frances, as in 1881 the two Johns are together, calling themselves single, just around the corner at 59 St Peter's Lane. 15 year old John Junior was working as an Errand Boy and paying his father as a lodger, Senior was 75 and retired. He died aged 80 in Jan 1883 in Canterbury. There is a possiblility he had a criminal past. There was a John Hawkins who was accused of larceny on 3 occasions in Kent, Summer 1826 fined 1 shilling, Oct 1826 acquitted and 23 years later Aug 1849 sentenced to 7 years transportation due to a previous offence. I do know a lot of these (transportations) did not happen, due to the expense involved, so maybe it is him. However, it is such a common name I doubt it.] Of all these possibilities, I favour the death aged 25, as it not only gives the correct birth year and states his middle name, he was buried at St Mildred's, the family's local church, on 16 May 1828.

The next child born to John & Elizabeth was a girl, so they had another attempt at Phoebe Maria Hawkins, this time successfully. She was baptised so on 12 May 1805 at St Mildred's, then at the same church in Mar 1824 she married John Millington from St Mary Northgate parish (half a mile away across town). I found the banns, but cannot locate an actual marriage, but then it is too early for Registration per se. Unfortunately I cannot track down Phoebe or John after this either.

3xg grandfather William Henry Hawkins was next - see 11th March.

Then the next was Charles Hawkins, born Jun 1809 in Canterbury and baptised at St Mildred's church on 2 July. I went off on a wild-goose chase, thinking he married a Margaret Crook in Lambeth and settling in Bermondsey with at least 7 children, but this guy was still around when "our" Charles married Rhoda Crook at St John the Evangelist, Lambeth in 1854 and went on to have 2 sons. They can be seen in 1861 census at High Street Brentford with his sister Charlotte, publican, as I said yesterday. Rhoda was 20 years his junior, so it is not surprising that she was soon widowed. He died aged 53 in early May 1862 and was buried on 9 May at the New Parish burial ground, Old Brentford. Rhoda remarried the following year, to Thomas Smith, and they had a daughter together, Mary Ann Rhoda Smith. Rhoda died in 1895 in the Brentford Union Workhouse, but that may not mean anything; as I have said before, this was the means of accessing healthcare.

I shall tackle the final sibling, Thomas, on Friday.

Monday 13th August 2018

Continuing with John & Elizabeth's children, the next infant born to them in Canterbury was christened Mary Elizabeth Hawkins on 1 Sep 1794 at St Mildred's - see yesterday - and unfortunately buried there a week later on 8th Sep.

Just over a year later they had another daughter, christened Elizabeth Ann Hawkins on 11th Nov 1795 at St Mildred's. On 21 Oct 1827 in St Mary's church, Chilham, a village just outside Canterbury, she married local farmer William Pullen and they went on to have 8 children before she died aged 46, possibly due to complications from having George, the final child, who only survived to the age of 9 months himself.
 
The eldest daughter, Frances, married and had 13 children (calling them wonderful names like Ambrose Basil Whibley, the eldest son emigrated to Australia and married three times there. Three died aged 16 years, 10 years and 9 months, but son Jesse made up for it, also emigrating to Australia and surviving to the age of 95. Daughter Alice went into service in London, married and retired to Guildford, son Daniel stayed local, farming in Chilham, employing 9 men and 3 boys, but dying aged 33, only 3 years after marriage. In 1841 census they can be seen on the farm at Chilhsm with 7 children, a house servant (18-year-old female) and two Ag Lab farm sevants. Elizabeth's husband William died only 3 years after her, aged 51. Oh, I forgot to say they were Wesleyans, and all their children were baptised in that church, often in Faversham.

Mary Ann Hawkins was born in early November 1797 and was christened 13 Nov at St Mildred's. Unfortunately she died aged 2½ and was buried there on 22 Mar 1800.

Phoebe Maria Hawkins was born late August 1799, christened at St Matilda's on 1 September, but unfortunately buried there 17 weeks later, on 29 Dec 1799 (some turn of the century celebrations spoiled for this family!)

Charlotte Hawkins was born Feb 1801 and christened at St Matilda's on 24th Feb. She married William Marshall but I cannot locate the marriage, as I don't know where it took place or when, as they don't appear to have had any children. I pick them up again in 1851 census at Heath Street, Hampstead, running a pub. Unfortunately the census-taker didn't give the name. There are or have been lots of pubs in that road, and looking for theirs is difficult. In 1851 they can be seen there with several resident staff members, including Jesse and Alice Pullen, two of sister Elizabeth's children, aged 13 and 15, working behind the bar - as both their parents had died this was no doubt a helpful arrangement for all. Also on site were a domestic servant and a potman as well as a lodger. By 1861 census William had died so Charlotte can be seen in High Street, Old Brentford (close to where William Gamble worked - see below), a widowed publican, living with her brother Charles and family, barmaid, servant & a pot man. In 1871 she was 70 and can be seen, retired, living at 3 Brunswick Villas, High Street, Old Brentford with an 18-year-old servant girl looking after her, and this was the address at which she died on 11 Aug 1873 aged 72.

Sunday 12th August 2018

You may remember that back in March I was studying my great great grandmother Harriet Hawkins and her family, but didn't get very far, only able to report on her and her father William Henry. Yesterday I had a bit of a breakthrough due to the fact that William's sister Sarah named her children Jane Hawkins Cole and Edwin Hawkins Cole. This led to (as these things often do) a sudden explosion of information as I discovered another nine siblings of William and Sarah. I shall outline their stories now before moving on, in birth order:
Sarah Hawkins, the lady mentioned above, confused me - and no doubt anybody else studying her - by relating her age wrongly. She stated in 1861 census (the one where I picked her up), while staying with her brother William, that she was 78 (d.o.b. 1783). In fact she was only 68; there is nobody by her name born in the 1780s and it would make her much much older than her siblings. Correcting to 1793 means she was born a year after her parents' marriage, not 9 years before it! This does mean her death record was wrong, but as I have said before here, without birth certificates (did not start here until 1837) the registrar had to go by information from the deceased prior to death, or what the family knew, and under these circumstances they probably believed her. Once John and Elizabeth got into the routine of having children, they baptised them at what was probably their local church, St Mildred's, Canterbury but I cannot find a baptism for her, the first. There are two other possible records, one in Cirencester, Gloucestershire and one in Warwick, with the same parents' names, but I feel these are unlikely. She can be seen in Census of 1841 and because of the rounding-down of ages that characterises (and confuses) this census she appears to be 45, which I believe wasn't far off the truth (52). William is listed as Schoolmaster, and both children were still at home, Jane aged 20 and Edwin 15 (18), a tailor. I have just noticed next door is a widow called Harriet Payne, obviously too old to be the wife of Sarah's brother William Henry, but possibly related? The address was given as "St Mary Magdalen, Burgate Lane, Canterbury", nowadays Burgate Lane is just a nearly completely pedestrianised access road to shops, alongside the ancient city walls, so 177 years ago would look very different (walls date from 14th Century). This photograph is fascinating - <<Sorry, no pictures now>>. It was taken in 1890 and shows the remaining tower of St Mary Magdalen church, the rest of which was demolished in 1871, and Burgate Street. Here I had one of those very odd and rare coincidences. Looking at this tower in present-day Canterbury I realised I had seen it before. If you go to the 2017 tab above, scroll right down to 6th January you will see that I have covered it before for another ancestor. The most famous on all our trees Gerald Hocken Knight, the one who wrote "Sing Hosanna", lived directly opposite the tower in 1939, the houses at the right of the photo above (or rather those that replaced them). He is in my husband's tree, not related to the Hawkinses in any way. Well, I cannot track Sarah after this except for the census I mentioned. Her husband William died just before the 1851 census, and I cannot find her then. In 1861 she was staying with her brother in Mortlake, but then disappears. She may have remarried but I doubt it. I cannot find her death as it could have been anywhere (is not in Canterbury or Mortlake). Son Edwin Hawkins Cole became a schoolmaster like his father, by the way. Daughter Jane Hawkins Cole married a schoolmaster from Canterbury and moved to London.

Friday 10th August 2018

Sydney Harry Gamble wasn't covered before, as I had very little on this generation. He was my mother's cousin, born 28 Nov 1924 in Lambeth to William (Bill) and Margaret (Mags) née French. I don't remember visiting them, although they lived very close to my grandparents in Kennington, but that may be my faulty memory. In 1939 Register Syddie (as he was known in the family) can be seen aged 14 living with his parents and brother Billy at 61 Forsyth Road, working with his brother as a messenger (as their father was a taxi driver - and their grandfather - they may have run a parcel delivery route), next door to a baker's shop. All I can find out online us that this used to be a council estate, but is now privately owned properties, and the road name changed from Road to Gardens, but I cannot discover when] Electoral roll records show that in 1950 the family had moved out to Lewisham, 11 Montem Road then by 1961-64 Uncle Bill had died and Billy married, so Aunt Mag and Syd can be seen there. Records then jump to 2003-6, when Syd was elderly, living at 10a Westbourne Drive, right near Forest Hill station and it was here that he died in Apr 2006, aged 81.

Thomas Caffyn Gamble - see 22nd Apr 2013. Again his story peters out later, but in this instance he didn't hang around for the Register, as he died in Jan 1939.

Victoria Louisa Gamble - see 22nd April 2013 and 30th Apr 2015 - needs sorting out. However, all I managed to do today was find in the 1939 Register the couple I mentioned before, Victoria & Albert Gamble, before they left for Canada. They were living in Brixham, Devon, Albert working in a local fish shop and as a night watchman. One thing was that this Victoria had a middle initial H here, despite having the exact same date of birth as my lady. I think she was Victoria H Hall, married in Totnes in 1918. None of which helps me really. There are 25 Victorias on the Register with her date of birth, but none fits.

On to the 4 Williams. William Gamble born 1875 - see 30th Apr 2015 - last seen as a 16-year-old pot boy in 1891. The interesting thing here is at the end of their road, Brook Road was - and is - the famous pub The Griffin, which gives its name to the ground of Brentford Football Club. This was built in 1883 so may well be the Inn at which William worked. As brother John was born there, the family must have moved there before 1885 (they are all missing in 1881 census) but William just disappears. I thought I had him, marrying a Margaret and having childen in Brentford, but I found them on censuses and they both said they were born in Liverpool.

William Alfred J Gamble (Mum's cousin Billy) I have already mentioned here - see Syddie above. Now we know he lived at home with parents and brother in 1939, both messengers. In 1956 he married Beatrice Smitten (Betty) and they had 4 children. I know no more...

His father Bill, William Isaac George Gamble was covered fully in 2013, but of course I now know that in 1939 Bill & Mag were at Forsyth Road and he was a Taxi Driver, Aunt Mag an Office Cleaner, the boys Messengers. In 2013 I said I would ask Mum if there was significance in the fact that Aunt Mag and her son died at the same time in the same place and she said she knew nothing. I see now that Aunt Mag probably went to stay with Billy & Betty so they could care for her and Billy aged 62 succumbed too. I can't see a serious epidemic, but flu' is with us every winter and this was the January quarter.

Isaac's brother William Marshall Gamble was covered on 26th Apr 2013 and 30th Apr 2015 but there was not much information and he died aged only 31.

That is the end of the Gambles for now.

Tuesday 7th August 2018

Marion Edith Kitty Gamble was covered on 27 Apr 2015 but details were thin on the ground. I have padded them out now with christening and 1939 Register. The former was on 5 Oct 1902 in Lyndhurst, Hants and the latter furnished me with an exact date of birth of 5 Aug 1902 and an address in 1939 of (what is now) 25 Wellands Road, Westhill, Lyndhurst. She can be seen there with husband Frederick, a Builder's Foreman and wartime Special Policeman, and two brothers Robert and Joseph Gamble, both builders. I knew about one of them, but had missed Joseph the youngest, so this was useful. Next door (the attached semi to the left in photo above) was home to Frederick's mother, sister, brother and sister-in-law. His mother had been widowed in 1918 and she died in 1954. Frederick followed in 1965 and Marian in 1967.

The unknown brother Joseph Albert Gamble was born in Lyndhurst to Joseph Francis Gamble and Marion née Quinney on 19 Jul 1921. In 1939 Register he was 18 years old, as I stated above, a builder. In Jan 1947 he married Irene Broomfield in New Forest area and in 2003-6 lived just around the corner from the house above, at Sandy Lane, Lyndhurst, where he died in Oct 2006 aged 85

Mary Ann Hatton Gamble's dramatic tale was told on 20th Apr 2013, my only divorce. Please use the tab above as I have no new records.

Richard Ernest Gamble - see 22 Apr 2013 - electoral roll records have just filled in the story I already knew. In 1914, when he was 24 he rented a room, ground floor, furnished, from his father at the same address, 8 Walton Terrace, Vauxhall (now Walton Close, this backs onto Luscombe Way, where Maria lived - see yesterday). He died aged 40 in Apr 1930, but Edith can be seen at 218 Derinton Road, Wandsworth, widowed working for the London Auxiliary Fire Service and with 2 closed files, no doubt daughters Evelyn & Iris, who were 17 and 12 at the time. In 1957 Iris and Ethel still lived in the same house when she (Iris) was married and got a flat in Croydon Road, Caterham, Surrey. This is no doubt where Edith was staying when she died in 1991, aged 94.

Monday 6th August 2018

Lilian Alice Gamble was covered in detail on 16th Apr 2013, so it is just a matter of filling in between. Unfortunately, would you believe it, there was another Lilian Alice Prior, but she was married to a Henry Owen Prior and lived in Windsor. Ours can be seen in 1939 Register, as expected, at 2 Heysham Road, Tottenham However, there was also another Frederick George Prior too and I suspect his was the death I found in 1957, as he spent all his life in Surrey and "our" Frederick north of the river. Finding his exact date of birth from the Register points me to his death being the one in Islington in Mar 1973 aged 89. I have found electoral roll records for both, living at Metropolitan Benefit Society's Cottages, Balls Pond Road, Islington, 1957-60 at 7b and 1961-64 at 3a. It might seem rather a come-down to spend your retirement years in charity almshouses, but they are beautiful! However, when Frederick died, Lilian had to move and can be seen at 32c Sutton Dwellings, another charity accommodation, where she died in Jul 1972.

Lucy Maud Gamble was her sister, so had the same early years. Fortunately for me, she didn't marry, so in 1939 I can be sure the record I found was the correct one as she was a "Shop Assistant Drapers" and it gave her correct date of birth. She was at 23 Court Road, Uxbridge living with a "Sorter, Post Office" and his wife, also with a widow, but they were all of similar ages (mid 50s). I can see from electoral roll records that they were already there in 1931 but the house was called "Petitor" and the numbering only took place in 1937. No records exist for the war years, but she reappears in 1948 at 17 Burlington Road, Tottenham. 1949-1952 she can be seen at 74 Lordsmead Road, Tottenham but then I cannot find her until her death aged 91 in Derby. What she was doing there I have no idea, and I have a note in my file against this death "not her - different woman". However, I can now see that the exact date of birth matches up, and the one born in Derby and attending school there does not. (There was also a Mrs Lucy May Gamble in Derby around this time, but she was a taxi-driver not a draper).

Maria Gamble, Ike's sister, was covered on 17th Apr 2013, although for some reason I didn't follow up in 2015. Her baptism record has surfaced, taking place on 12 May 1861 at St Mary's, Barnes - she had no name on the census taken on 8 Apr, but at her christening was given one, 5 weeks later. I covered her lifetime, moving around Kennington and giving birth to children before Henry died in 1908. In 2013 I couldn't find her in 1911 census but now can tell you I found her, aged 50, a widowed charwoman, living alone at 9 Luscombe Street, South Lambeth. She stated that of her 14 children, 7 had died. Previously I tracked her down to 1918-1921 at 19 Sharsted Street, but by 1928 when Kit was there she had moved on. Here the 1939 Register is of uncertain help, as the only one by her name had the wrong date of birth. Of course, this surname caused a great deal of confusion as most people couldn't spell it. There is a Maria Ayres at 1 New Close, Mitcham but a piece of tape across the record has blurred the date of birth. Having said that, it cannot say 25 Mar 1861, but is more likely 20 Apr something... This record is at least in the correct part of the world, as she died 3 years later at 9 Dore Gardens, Merton, Surrey, only 1.4 miles away.

Sunday 5th August 2018

John Augustine Gamble was covered on 24th Apr 2015, but was one of those records that petered out, in his case when he returned to civilian life after WW1. Again the 1939 Register has come to the rescue, providing a snapshot of him aged 54 with a wife Mary Ann 9 years younger than him. I have found the marriage, in Apr 1916 in West Ham to dressmaker Mary Ann Phillips, local daughter of dock labourer Frank Phillips. I think they had just one child, Nellie, in 1917, but I cannot locate her after this except a possible death in Derbyshire 63 years later. In 1939 just John and Mary Ann can be seen at 1a Parker Street, West Ham, Essex, John working as a "Permanent Way Rail Labourer", i.e track-layer, and Mary Ann a "Bulb Examiner, J R Manufactory" - I can not track this company down, so I don't know if they were electric bulbs or garden ones! Electoral roll records in 1964 and 1965 show they were still in the same road, but had moved to number 23 due to bomb damage Nowadays the entire "odd" side after number 5 is taken up with Drew Primary School, but this is a new building. In the latter half of the 20th century there was a terrace of houses continuing along this side too near the docks and now there is also the London City Airport. When John died aged 89 on 22 Jul 1974 he was in Plaistow Hospital, giving home address as 10 Castleton House, Pier Street, London E14 (they probably moved there when new). This area was the Isle of Dogs, now Canary Wharf. He was buried at St Patrick's RC Cemetery, Leytonstone and Mary Ann moved to Rayleigh, Essex, where in 1984 she died at 13 Creswick Avenue, a bungalow.

Joseph Francis Gamble - see 16th Apr 2013 and 24th Apr 2015 - has been covered in detail before, but the 1939 Register gives a snapshot a few years before he died. Joseph and Marion can be seen at "Awelon", Marine Drive West, Barton-on-Sea, with a "Trained Hospital Nurse" to look after them (he wasn't old but he was infirm). As I said in 2015, he died in a nursing home at Tenbury Wells 135 miles away. Marion remained in Hampshire and died there in Jan 1974 aged 91.

Kate Eveline Gamble (Aunt Kit) - see 16th Apr 2013 and also 31st Jul 2018 below. The snapshot of 1939 Register "caught" her just after her husband Ted died. She moved to 94 Lucas Road, which my mother informed me was a prefab, now under grass at Kennington Park, but in the Register she can be seen hop-picking with her aunt Ellen Moss at Alton in Hampshire. The Register was taken in September, so they were probably coming to the end of their "holiday" and she returned to her prefab. Just in case you don't know what they were, after the war these were an emergency means of rehoming those who had lost their homes by bombing. Factory-made panels were bolted together to form a little house, ruggedly made but only temporary, although many lasted for years! The council removed them in 1980s and where the turnings including Lucas Road stood was grassed over to extend Kennington Park. As I said, Kit moved on to an address in Stockwell in 1940s, and died in Surrey in 1972.

Friday 3rd August 2018

James Hugh Gamble (my great great grandfather) was covered in detail on 15th Apr 2013 and 23rd Apr 2015 and there are no new records.

The story of James Thomas Gamble (see 15th Apr 2013) started off well, but petered out in later years. This is where 1939 Register comes in so handy as they were last seen in 1927 in Kennington. As he cannot be found in 1939, I looked for Annie and found her in Dagenham, Essex with eldest daughter Elizabeth, and then James' death in 1933 in Romford. thus they must have moved to Essex in the late 1920s/early 1930s. 1939 Register entry shows the family at 149 Frizlands Lane, Dagenham. Annie was listed as widowed Office Cleaner aged 46 (James had died aged 40), Elizabeth "Husherette Cinema" aged 23 and there were 3 closed files, evidently Renee, Grace and Reginald still alive, so redacted. A note states that Annie subsequently became Slade and Elizabeth Bradford, and I have found the marriages. Elizabeth married Sidney Bradford in Romford in 1941, Annie married Arthur Slade in Southend in 1955. Annie died aged 85 in Redbridge in 1977 (I lived near there then, as I graduated from London University at that time and lived in Halls of Residence in that borough)

Jessie Hatton Gamble - also see 15th Apr 2013 - as she died in 1930 I have nothing new.

My Mum's cousin Joan Iris Ethel Gamble was the daughter of Uncle Jim I mentioned on Tuesday, but she wasn't on the 1939 Register with her parents in Southwark. Her brother Peter was not yet born, but she can be seen at 8 Seaford Road, Wokingham, Berkshire, living with a family called Brant. There are shown several children, probably evacuated there, most of whom are still redacted. Joan is showing, so that suggests she has since died, although I'm not sure we knew this in the family. She married William E F Sutton in Lambeth in 1956 and he died in 2012 in Cambridge. Joan and William had 7 children, the last three in Plymouth, Devon, but evidently moved back to the Home Counties after this.

Tuesday 31st July 2018

My great grandfather Isaac Gamble was covered on 13th Apr 2013 and 21st April 2015. As expected, he cannot be located in 1939 - if he had his caravan by then he no doubt moved it so as not to appear on the Register. There is still a mystery, too, regarding the Alice he is with at 19 Sharsted Street in the 1930s. He can be seen on electoral roll records with daughter Kit until she was widowed in 1938, with an Alice Gamble, who I took to be his sister. However, I just realised she (the sister) died aged 6 in 1865. Mum never mentioned a second wife for Isaac, but maybe she didn't know... I have located a marriage to an Alice Parker in Lambeth in 1937 but this is even more confusing because the dates I see her with them are 1931-1933. However, 2 possible deaths in 1938 in Lewisham and 1939 in Tonbridge might be relevant, and prior to the marriage she may have called herself Mrs Gamble. This seems odd to me, though, as Aunt Kit was presumably aware they weren't married. Mind you, she was quite bohemian herself (she was the one who painted out th green parts of the lino pattern, as green is unlucky) - I shall be returning to her quite soon.

On to the Jameses. Ike's grandfather James Gamble (my 3g grandfather) was covered on 13th Apr 2013 and 23rd Apr 2015. The new records I could find were 1825 & 1826 land tax records, showing he rented a "House & Garden" in Mortlake from someone with the lovely name of "Talbot Master" for 13/3 (I think this was the rate for 6 months). In 1840 he can be seen in the Pigot's Directory for Mortlake, listed as "Stationer, Engraver and Printer", then in 1851 "Engraver and British Schoolmaster". By the time he died in 1871 he was well established as an "occupier of tenement he rented from British Schools". As the 1871 census showed, he was 78-year-old schoolmaster, still teaching and living in "School House", Mortlake, now the site of a Premier Inn.

My 2xg uncle, James Francis William Gamble was father of Edith, see 24th July below, who left his family and emigrated to Australia (see also 13th April 2013). I completed the story with 1939 Register then.

James Henry Gamble (Uncle Jim) - see 15th Apr 2013) - I can add 1939 Register here, finding him and Aunt Ethel in Southwark as expected. They were at 29 Westcott Road, I had intended posting a photo, but it is all modern build. Jim is listed as "Bench Fitter, Sanitary", which I take to mean he was working for Royal Doulton, big local employer, constructing toilets etc. I can't remember ever discussing his work, as he was always quite elderly to me (he was 54 when I was born), which is a shame. I was amused to see (and Jim no doubt would be too), that his father's name has been transcribed on Ancestry as "Jesse" instead of Isaac (bad handwriting!) My mother claimed that Jim left home in about 1924 because he didn't get on with his father, who was a difficult chap to live with. As you can see, this was just after his mother died and maybe prompted him to leave. The only other thing I remember of him when he lived in Hemel Hempstead, after retiring there in the late 1960s, was that he had a "bubble car", fascinating to childen, like me!

Monday 30th July 2018

Unfortunately, Aunt Em's probate document is still impossible to open, so I shall have to give up on that for now. Others are appearing, so it looks like it is just this one...

Frances Annie Gamble (my 1st cousin 3x removed) was covered in detail on 8th April 2013, including her daughters. I can now add 1939 Register for them: they can all be seen at 66 St Augustine Avenue, Croydon If this is familiar, it is because it was the house where her sister Clara died in 1932 and I featured it last week (see below). Frances and Colin must have moved here after 1911, as at that point they were living in Norbury, maybe in 1929 when her mother died. In 1939 Frances is shown as head of the household, widowed, living on "Private means", Marjorie is "Science Teacher home on leave from Malaya" - see 2013 for full story. Doris is "Kindergarten Teacher. ARP Work. Ambulance Attendant". Incidentally, Doris became a wealthy woman, but for the worst of reasons. By 1943 she was alone, having lost her parents and sister but in the process inheriting the £22k (worth £1.5m today!) held in the family, probably the reason Colin could travel First Class to Rio de Janeiro in 1933, the year before his death (maybe a business trip, he was listed as a Secretary) and/or maybe they owned the house above. Marjorie left her £7689 in 1943 but I don't know if that was part of the £22k.
[I now see that Colin had left £26886 to Frances in 1934 i.e.£1.8m today. It must have been a business]

Henry Charles Gamble, both Senior and Junior, were previously missing 1881 census and I have just wasted a lot more time trying to find them, to no avail. As neither survived until 1939 I have nothing to add then either.

Henry Thomas Gamble was my grandfather and I have covered most of his details. Nobody knew anything about him, to be honest, as he was a taciturn and private man. I have always wondered why he never served in either World War. Born in 1904 he was too young for WW1 but in 1939 he can be seen alone at 30 Clayton Buildings, where the family had moved in 1935 on the birth of my Uncle John - see 21st Apr 2015 and 12th Apr 2013 - but Nan had taken the children into the countryside, evacuating to High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. He is shown with a Date of Birth in 1901, but as he couldn't read or write he wouldn't have noticed this. His job description was "pneumatic tube fitter" and I have explained this before. He worked for Lamson Engineering along with his uncle by marriage Charles Wooldridge, who lived at number 27, who did the same job at that time. Now, reading around I see that he was of conscription age at that time, as he was 35 in 1939 (even if the 1901 "mistake" was deliberate, conscription age was up to 41). The fact that he did not join the family in High Wycombe was always explained by his having to work. I personally wonder if the tubes they made became modified to take torpedoes, but I cannot find evidence for this (and never could). Nan can be seen lodging with George & Emma Woods at 11 Abercrombie Avenue, Chepping Wycombe. Nan UDD, Mum at school (7 years old) and also Walter Woods and Emma Dix, widowed parents of Mr & Mrs Woods. There are 3 closed records; my Uncle John has not been unredacted as he died abroad, Uncle Brian is still alive and the other is probably a child of the Woods, who I do not know. I do have photos taken at High Wycombe and will look them out for when I get to Nan's record.

Saturday 28th July 2018

To continue with Aunt Em Emily Sarah Gamble, I found several new things yesterday. One was the 1939 Register, which confirmed nicely that this was the date they moved out to Morden, Surrey from The Oval, Lambeth.That was one of the functions of the Register, to catch everyone just as they started moving around, redistributing families at the start of the war, including evacuations. At 32 Faversham Road, Morden can be seen Alfred (Mick), Em and Vera, Mick was a Motor Mechanic and gave his wartime services to the London County Council Ambulance Staff. Em was listed as UDD (unpaid domestic duties in case you have forgotten) and Vera at school (13 years old). As I said before, Mick died at St Helier Hospital, Carshalton in 1946 and Em moved back to the Oval. Unfortunately the probate record I found at her death yesterday is still not available. Hopefully I can come back to you with this information. I am a bit worried because the entire probate section has disappeared, I hope this is only temporary

Florence Mary Gamble, my first cousin twice removed - aee 19th Apr 2015 - was fully reported on before, but I can now add 1939. I was under the impression that she had been widowed in 1931, but this turned out not to be true - quite understandable given the number of Clarkes! I found her in 1939 due to exact date of birth from her school admission document, and there were her husband and 3 daughters large as life! They were living at 8 Edwin Road, Hendon, Walter working as a General Labourer, Florence UDD, daughters Florence a "Power Sewing Machinist", Louisa and Kathleen "Laundry Packer & Porter". They all sound very practical and useful occupations. Edwin Road is now classed as Edgware, and looking at Google Streetview it looks as if it may have been a council estate. All three daughters married the following year in Hendon. There were vast numbers of marriages that quarter, evidently rushing to marry in case parties didn't survive the Blitz. As far as I can see, everybody here did. Walter died in Hendon in 1946 aged 55 and Florence moved to Camberwell, possibly to care for her father, who died there in 1951 and she followed in 1956.

Friday 27th July 2018

I had pieced together most of the story of Elizabeth Eliza Gamble from the beginning, but it petered out after WW1. However, the more I looked the more confusing it became. I did manage to find middle names for both her husband Michael Christopher Hayes and son Charles Michael Hayes, but this was no help. It did seem that Michael remarried in St Mary's Lambeth, where they had married in 1911, to a Lily Smith in 1922, but I cannot find a death for Elizabeth that fits. I cannot find any of them in 1939 Register, which is a shame.

For Great-aunt Em, Emily Sarah Gamble see 5th April 2013 and 19th April 2015. Several new points of interest, but Ancestry has just gone down, so I shall have to come back tomorrow...

Tuesday 24th July 2018

Clara Jane Gamble's record - see 29th Mar 2013 - was rather confusing geographically, but the more I study it the more confusing it becomes. She was born in Ramsgate, Kent then grew up in Ealing with her parents and worked there in a Stationery shop. But when she married William Henry Spurlock Quick, he was ostensibly from Bristol, in Tiverton, Devon, and they seemed to live all over the place! As I said in 2013, at 1901 census they were both living in Withington, Lancs but by the next one in 1911 she was staying with her sister Jessie in Croydon and he was at home in Buxton, Derbyshire. I have also found William listed here in Kelly's Directory of 1912 and a newspaper article of 1923 gave this as home address, with business address 88 Fetter Lane, Aytoun Street, Manchester. This is directly above the Rochdale Canal, which we visited some years back - see Canal tab above - and were not impressed. Maybe he did so well with his business that they could afford several homes. When Clara died in 1932, she was at 66 St Augustine's Avenue, South Croydon, staying with her sister Frances (Jessie had died in 1930) but her probate document states her home address was 179 Queen's Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, an end-terrace house which seems to have been developed into a shop at some point and is now a "fitness centre". Unfortunately I cannot pin down a death for William still, as he didn't use his middle names.

Her father David Thomas Gamble was the ancestor admitted to (and died in) what became the hospital behind my daughter's house in 2013, which both she and I found fascinating. Daughter Vickie has moved on and now lives in Norway.

Grandad's cousin Edith Caroline Gamble - see 4th Apr 2013. I searched again for her (and her mother) in 1891, to no avail, but confirmed everything else. (Her mother confused me initially by calling herself by her middle name Rebecca). 1939 Register shows Alfred & Edith living at 122 Wolverton Road, Bournemouth with Edith's daughter Frances, mother "Rebecca" Gamble and aunt Elizabeth Myers née Gates, both widows in their 80s. Alfred was listed as "Wholesale Newsagent", Edith UDD, Frances "Mother's Help" and the two widows OAP. This was the address in 1911, so they were evidently there for some years. Mother Rebecca died there 4 months later, in Jan 1940. I suspect aunt Elizabeth the following December, but the record appears to be in her maiden name of Gates. As I said in 2013, Alfred died in 1950 and Edith in 1958.

Edward Isaac Gamble (Grandad's uncle) was fully covered up to and including his second marriage, in 1918. You may remember from 2013 (probably not, please see tab above) he married at 51 a girl of 28 but she died in 1941 aged 51 and he 85 in 1951, both in Camberwell. 1939 Register found them at 5 Belmont Buildings, Picton Street, Camberwell with 2 children. It seems that Edward had 6 with his first wife and 3 with his second. Also Fanny had one of her own. He is listed on the Register as Taxi Driver and sons Edward (19) and Donald (17) "Textile Warehousemen", Edward a "Heavy Worker". He was buried in 1951 in Nunhead Cemetery.

Edward William Gamble was his eldest son - see 5th Apr 2013 and 17th Apr 2015. I have an exact date of birth for him 10 Dec 1885 and confirmation that he was at 34 Fontarabia Road, Battersea in 1939 Register. He was listed as "Counter Clerk Dist Mess Co", which I imagine is like a Post Office. Son Reginald (27) was there, working as a Cashier at Covent Garden Market along with his wife Olive (22) telephonist. Caroline was not there with them as she can be seen at 10 Station Road, Hungerford with other members of her family. She can be seen there keeping house with her sister Edith for her brother-in-law Percy Barrett, who was a Gardener and recently also in Berkshire Police Special Reserve and a First Aider (with Edith), also her son Herbert (25), Articled Clerk to a blind Solicitor and her father Edward Josiah, retired Taxi Driver. Her mother was staying in Wokingham with Caroline's sister Florence Wright, whose husband was in the RAF Reserve. What an interesting couple of households! One other detail that I have seen today is that Edward died on 4 Feb 1965 at St John's Hospital, Battersea and left £5887 to son Reginald, who was called "salesman"; he may have left Covent Garden Market by then. St Johns was originally a workhouse infirmary, which served as a hospital 1870-1985, then lay vacant for many years before re-emerging in 2007 as St John's Therapy Centre.

Monday 23rd July 2018

Unfortunately the Dance family have not been forthcoming with new records, so I will move on again, this time to the Gamble family.

Alice Gamble - see 24th Mar 2013 - I had hoped to find her death and/or her husband's, but as I said 5 years ago there are very many with the name of Stevens. Suffice to say I am sure neither survived until 1939.

Alice Mary Gamble was born 6 Mar 1858 in Mortlake to James & Harriet, my great great grandparents, and I had thought I found a marriage for her in 1927, but she would have been 69, unusual for a first marriage, and there is no sign of her in the censuses between. I am now fairly certain I know why, having found a 7-year-old buried in Barnes on 10 Jul 1865.

Amy Ethel Gamble - also see 24th Mar 2013 - can be seen in 1939 Register at the same address as electoral roll record put them, 27 Elsley Road, Battersea, with husband Frederick and daughter Joyce aged 13. there is also a closed file, presumably son Frederick, who is evidently still alive, unlike Joyce. I am struggling to see what Frederick Senior's occupation was; it looks like "Naval Ability Cap Cutter" (and that is what Findmypast have transcribed it as, I see, although Google has no ideas about that term). They must have remained at this address for a few more years, but by 1945 were evidently at 54 Gayville Road, when Frederick died in 1955, and up until 1965 at least, and maybe even 1977 when Amy died.
Later: I have looked into Frederick Junior and have found a death record dated 2000 in Somerset, so the 1939 (on both sites) may be out of date.

Archibald Gamble was born 18 Jun 1893 to Thomas & Lucy née Woods in Battersea and christened there at St Stephen's, Battersea Bridge Road on 22 Jun. He can be seen in 1901 census aged 7 at 7 Colestown Street, Battersea with parents and sibs, but I cannot find him in 1911. He may well have been apprenticed somewhere, misspelled by his employer, as often happened. We next see him in Oct 1920 at his marriage in Kings Norton, Worcestershire, his bride from Staffordshire, Rose Manning. They can be seen in 1939 Register at "Electrical Works, Station Road, Overton, Flintshire" - just over the border in Wales.Archibald was described as "Electrical Engineer (travelling)" and Rose as UDD. When she died in 1985 aged 90 her home address was Electricity House, Overton, so I assume she never moved. I cannot find Archibald's death record, unless it is the one in Trowbridge, Wiltshire aged 69 in 1963. I suppose if he was rep, as "travelling" suggests, he could go anywhere.

Sunday 22nd July 2018

Shall we Dance? As I can see nothing to add to the William Coxes and Winifred, I shall move on to the next branch, that of great great grandmother Dewey Dance. I can see nothing new of her or her aunt by the same name.

Elizabeth Dance - see 21st Mar 2013 - I have discovered why she married under the name Bowley. When she was 5, in 1832, her father died and her mother remarried. This was to Thomas Bowley and in 1841 the family can be seen at Vernham Dean, all under this surname. By 1851 she was employed and in the census as a 23-year-old in her own right and evidently wishing to be known as Dance. At her marriage in 1852 she was given away by her step-grandfather William, (which suggests she was estranged from her stepfather), and he may have insisted she used the name Bowley. In those days name-changing was not formal, so she could use either. It may also have come into consideration that both bride & groom having the same name may have raised eyebrows. As I said in 2013, they lived in Linkenholt until Thomas' mother died, then moved a little way to Vernham Dean (his father moved in with son charles at Linkenholt). Thomas, his father Charles, brother Charles and son Hiram were all gamekeepers.

Nothing new is available for George Dance or either of the Johns.

Friday 20th July 2018

I have filled in gaps with electoral roll records and 1939 Register entries for both Victor Coxes, but nothing worth reporting here, except maybe the intriguing report on why Victor Frank Cox did not receive a pension after discharge from the Army in 1919. His gunshot wounds to the back were sufficient for discharge, but there is a report on the fact that he was punished for "improper conduct whilst on Hospital Guard in breaking into a hospital ward". He had been admitted to Colliton House Hospital Dorchester on 28th Oct 1918 with a shell-wound received on 22 Oct in France and kept in for 61 days, released on 27 Dec 1918 and this offence took place on 24 Jan. It's only guesswork but I wonder if he had become addicted to painkillers... He was sent home and was able to get a job, possibly with the gas company his father worked for, as in 1939 Register he can be seen living at 95 Bolina Road, Deptford, near his brother Charles - see 10th July below. Son Derek moved to Sutton after marriage. Victor was listed in 1939 as a Retort Stoker at S M Gas Co., so evidently recovered well from his injuries. He was also a Fire Watcher at the company, a very valuable occupation in wartime. Following his electoral roll addresses, he can be seen in 1945 at 53 Bolina Road, so didn't move away immediately after the bomb fell. I can see from a book of bomb damage in London, that a high-intensity bomb fell right on the railway arches and all the property at the north end of the road was destroyed, then some badly damaged. In the listing of 1945 the numbers on the odd side start at 45 and only go up to 79, so were obviously renumbered (so 53 may be the same as 95 in 1939). 1955 electoral roll records show that by then they had moved out as far as Crayford. I don't know more about their move into Kent, just that Victor died in Thanet in 1962 and Parthenia in 1973. She died at Hill House Hospital, Thanet, which had previously been the workhouse but became a hospital in 1948, at creation of the NHS, on 6 Jan 1973, it closed in 1986, was demolished in 1989 and a housing estate built there in 1993.

Tuesday 17th July 2018

Louisa Elizabeth Cox - see 11th Mar 2013 - was covered in detail before, so now all I can add is the 1939 Register, showing just Louisa and George, at 19 Sheldon Street, Croydon, George listed as "flour warehouseman retired". He was 67 and died the following year. The house is still there, a nice enough end-terrace "cottage".

As Maria Mary (Minnie) Cox, her sister, also see 11th Mar 2013, lived her entire adult life at 2 Aberdeen Road, Croydon, it wasn't a surprise to find her there in 1939 Register. I actually did mention her last Friday - see 13th July below - when I found Edith there with her (previously having married her off). She was listed as "dressmaker & domestic", like Edith, but it seemed she also worked for the Blood Transfusion Service - obviously a very worthwhile cause, especially in wartime.

I spent a lot of time on fruitless searches for 18th century records involving Martha, Mary and Rebecca and confirming what I knew of Richard Cox. Various records of several Sarahs were also elusive.

Monday 16th July 2018

My 5xgreat uncle James Cox was frustrating. All I knew was his baptism 10 Aug 1754 at West Hanney. I was half asleep when recording details of a marriage to an Ann Major in the same village, with banns also read in Hampshire, so evidently her home town was there. It was only some time later - when the coffee kicked in - that I realised he was only 13! Back to the drawing board...the next alternative was the opposite, aged 59, marriage to Elizabeth Butler. So I was not confident this is correct either, there being no father's name to check against, so I wasn't surprised to find it was another James Cox, of the same age i.e. born 1794 not 1754. Unfortunately there are 6 James Cox deaths in Berkshire in the decades of his childhood and young adult years, and after that he could have gone anywhere. This is the difficulty with the 18th century.

James Henry Cox (another 5xgreat uncle) wasn't baptised, as I stated in 2013, at the age of nine. This was a mis-transcription and it was really a matter of weeks or days, as usual, on 14th Feb 1830. Leaving this late was very risky in those days with so much infant mortality, but some families did, I know. Everything else checked out.

The other James Henry Cox, his grandson, was of course around in 1939, The address was "The Hood", Cuckfield, but as the village was all house names, not road names, I cannot locate it. Findmypast have tagged it as half way up Vicarage Road, Crawley Down nowadays. The village faded when the railway bypassed it in favour of Haywards Heath, but the railway line ran quite close by. Not that this affected James, unless he commuted to London, which I doubt. He was a Chartered Accountant, but most people lived where they worked back then. I have searched Google Streetview but it seems when they rebuilt the properties they renamed them too, and it seems a shame that the only mention of the Police Station next door is in a document only available at Sussex archive. Anyway, the Register confirmed they didn't have children and they lived in Cuckfield, possibly from their marriage. Both James' parents & his wife died there, or rather Uckfield Hospital 14 miles away, then James went into a nursing home in Lewes when he became infirm and died there in 1975 aged 79. It is still there, a specialist dementia care centre.

Sunday 15th July 2018

George Henry Cox - see 30th Mar 2015 - just needs 1939 filling in. It was right at the end of his life as he died 2 years later, and he can be seen still at 141 Sheen Road, Richmond, listed as "farrier retired" aged 73, with Julia, dressmaker. In seeing the register here, what I found fascinating was that the Skinner family next door ran a newsagent's and when I looked at Google Streetview again I found this is what it looks like today. Investigating why his death was registered in Uckfield, which is 65 miles away, I looked at the children and discovered both daughters had died but son James lived in the right area, so both George and Julia probably moved in with him and he registered their deaths when they died in 1941 and 1950 respectively (and James' wife Gladys in 1962).