Are you connected to the ROBINSON or YATES families from Sheffield in Yorkshire whose wedding has a link to Reverend Alexander Cavell the cousin of World War 1 Nurse Edith Cavell?

I just loved this old photograph I recently found which showed a bride as part of a wedding group celebration with lots of boy scouts behind her and luckily on the back of the postcard someone had written lots of information to help me research it further, as below;

On the back is written – Miss Myrtle ROBINSON of Wood Bank, 142 Burngreave Road in Sheffield married Frank YATES at Holy Trinity Church in Nursery Street in Sheffield – Father John ROBINSON an Iron Founder in Royds Lane in Sheffield.

I quickly found that Elizabeth Myrtle ROBINSON married Frank YATES in the July quarter of 1926 in Sheffield registration district, so an exact match to my photograph.

The 1911 census, as below, shows Elizabeth Myrtle ROBINSON aged 18 living with her mother Susan a widow aged 50 and a sister Edie aged 7 – her mother Susan’s occupation is described as Proprietor of Iron Foundry, so again that fits with the details written on the back of my postcard.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

The 1901 census, as below, shows Elizabeth M ROBINSON aged 8 living with her parents Thomas J ROBINSON aged 49 and Susan aged 40 – her father is shown as an Iron Founder – so was his middle name possibly John to fit with my postcard?

Sadly Elizabeth’s father Thomas Frederick ROBINSON (not John0had died in the June quarter of 1909 aged 59 leaving his wife a widow with two daughters.

I then found Elizabeth Myrtle ROBINSON on the 1939 register, as below, and sadly she was a widow after only marrying in 1926 – she was living in Sheffield with a son Kenneth YATES who had been born on 18th August 1927 and she was living next door to her mother Susan and sister Edie ROBINSON.

Elizabeth’s husband Frank YATES had died on the 13th November 1935 aged 64 and his probate recorded stated that he was a Reverend of Holy Trinity Vicarage in Rock Street in Sheffield – again a match with where my wedding photograph had been taken. Frank YATES had been a few years older that Elizabeth when they married in 1926.

I found an old photograph of Reverend Frank YATES on the internet, as below and I also found some fascinating information about the church and its link with boys groups on this Sheffield website https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/4251-st-michaels-neepsend-amp-holy-trinity-wicker/

I then discovered much more sadness in the life of Elizabeth Myrtle ROBINSON , as I found her as the executor on her husbands, sisters, mothers and her sons probate records covering the years 1936 to 1954, as all shown below.

Susan ROBINSON her mother died in 1946 aged 86, Sheffield, her sister Edie ROBINSON who never married died on 7th November 1947 and her son Kenneth YATES died on 11th June 1951 all in Sheffield.

Elizabeth Myrtle YATES nee ROBINSON died in March 1984 aged 91 in Bideford in Devon aged 91, as her probate record below shows.

I have also looked for any newspaper reports of the wedding of Reverend Frank YATES to Elizabeth Myrtle ROBINSON IN 1926 and was so pleased to find a full report of the wedding in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, as below, which mentions the Guide group Guard of Honour and also had a photograph of the wedding and confirms the link to my own old photograph – also I was amazed to find that present at the wedding was the Reverend Alexander CAVELL of Gunness in Lincolnshire who was the cousin of the World War 1 nurse Edith Cavell who was killed by the Germans during the war – more information here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell

I also found mention of the death of Reverend Frank YATES in the newspapers, again as below.

Sheffield Independent Newspaper – Thursday 14th November 1935

Here is Reverend Alexander CAVELL and his family on the 1921 census from the Find My Past website living at the Rectory in Gunness in Lincolnshire, as below

Do you have a connection to the ROBINSON or YATES families as it would be great to reunite this fabulous old photograph with a family member if possible – if you do please email me or send me a message via this blog post.

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com

Are you connected to the PANTER or ROBINSON families from Rushden in Northamptonshire?

Another lovely old wedding photograph find had some clues written on back of the postcard as below – With all good wishes for a Bright and Merry Xmas and a Prosperous New Year – Mr and Mrs A E PANTER.

The photograph was taken by Perrott & Lacey photographers in Rushden in Northamptonshire – so could I find a Mr and Mrs A E PANTER in that area to link to the photograph?

I started by looking at marriage registrations online and found quite a few A E PANTER’s, but the most likely match seemed to be the marriage of Alfred E PANTER and Gladys M ROBINSON in the October quarter of 1924 in the Wellingborough registration district.

The 1911 census record for Alfred E PANTER, as below, shows him aged 11 living in Exhall near Coventry in Warwickshire, but his place of birth is shown as Wellingborough in Northamptonshire – living with Alfred were his parents Alfred senior aged 34 and Ellen Louisa aged 32 and siblings Edith aged 12, Horace Bernard aged 3, Mary E aged 2 and Maud Ellen aged seven months. Alfred senior’s occupation was shown as a Miner.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA) Series RG14, 1911.

The 1911 census record for Gladys May ROBINSON, as below, shows her aged 13 born in Rushden in Northamptonshire and working as a Machinist – living with Gladys were her parents Edward aged 39 and Mary Ann aged 41 and siblings Maggie aged 19, Frederick aged 18 and Doris Nellie aged 6. Gladys’s father’s occupation was a Boot maker.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA) Series RG14, 1911.

Looking at the wedding photograph again the bride and groom are surrounded by two older bridesmaids and a best-man, so this could possibly match with Gladys’s siblings and the older man could be her father Edward ROBINSON.

I then found Alfred and Gladys on the 1939 register, as below, living in Rushden in Northamptonshire, but Alfred is listed as Ernest A rather than Alfred E – his date of birth is shown as 25th April 1900 and Gladys he wife as 23rd May 1897 and again this would fit with her being two years older than him on the 1911 census records. Alfred/Ernest’s occupation is shown as Boot and Shoe maker.

Alfred Ernest PANTER died aged 92 in July 1992 in Eastbourne in Sussex and Gladys May PANTER nee ROBINSON died aged 96 in January 1994 , also in Eastbourne in Sussex.

Do you have a connection to the PANTER or ROBINSON families as it would be great to reunite this old photograph with a family member if possible – if you do pleas send me an email to the address below or message me via this blog.

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com

Are you connected to the WHALLEY or PARK families from Streatham in London and Fylde in Lancashire?

I always enjoy finding and researching old wedding photographs so I was really pleased to find this one below with lots of clues on the back – it had names Emmeline WHALLEY and Arthur and Andrew, a date of September 15th 1920 and an address of Sunnyhill Road in Streatham.

I started by looking at the 1911 census records and quickly found a match to a WHALLEY family living at 119 Sunny Hill Road in Streatham ,as below, the census showed Henry WHALLEY aged 59 a Retired Grocer born in Low Moor in Clitheroe in Lancashire, his wife Dora Frances aged 59 born in Blackburn and children Arthur Angelo aged 27, Elias Andrew aged 23 and Emmeline Dora aged 21, all born in Higher Walton near Preston in Lancashire.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Emmeline, Arthur and Andrew WHALLEY were all matches to the names written on the back of my old photograph taken in September 1920.

Emmeline Dora WHALLEY, aged 31, married Edgar PARK on the 15th September 1920 in Fylde in Lancashire and I have then found that they both emigrated to Canada on the 14th October 1920, as the passenger list below shows:

They lived there for the rest of their lives – Edgar PARK died aged 48 on the 27th August 1937 in British Colombia in Canada and Emmeline his wife died on the 11th December 1980 aged 91, also in British Colombia in Canada. I found a photograph of their headstone on an online cemetery website, as below:

Both of Emmeline’s parents Henry and Dora had died before she married Edgar in 1920, with Henry her father dying on 19th December 1913 in Fylde in Lancashire and her mother on 14th May 1917, also in Fylde in Lancashire – was this one of the reasons why she decided to emigrate to Canada with Edgar her new husband.

I need to investigate further to see if Emmeline and Edgar PARK had any children once they had settled in Canada.

Do you have a connection to the WHALLEY and PARK families from Lancashire as it would be great to reunite this lovely old wedding photograph with a family member if possible – if you do please message me or send me an email to the address shown below.

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com

Are you connected to the GAUNT or PRATT families from Pudsey or Calverley in Yorkshire?

A great recent old photograph find, as below, had both names and an address written on the back of the postcard so I was sure I could research it further – it was sent by Mr and Mrs GAUNT and Edith from 13 Whitelands, The Lanes in Pudsey in Yorkshire, but had no date unfortunately.

I started by quickly searching the 1911 census records using the surname GAUNT and the address and found a match, as below, to John William GAUNT aged 34 a Domestic Coachman born in Pudsey, his wife Janet aged 30 born in Calverley and their daughter Edith aged 8 born in Pudsey, so an exact match to the three people shown in my old photograph.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA) Series RG14, 1911.

John William GAUNT married Janet PRATT on the 24th August 1901 at the Parish Church in Calverley in Yorkshire – at this time John’s occupation was a Gardener, as per the marriage record below:

Edith GAUNT their daughter married Cecil Morris TUNE on the 25th August 1928 at the Parish Church in Pudsey in Yorkshire, as below, and Cecil’s occupation was a Warehouse Man – again the address when Edith married matched to 13 Whitelands in Pudsey.

On the 1939 register, as below, Edith’s date of birth is confirmed as 23rd July 1902 and she is now a widow living at 42 Pembroke Road in Pudsey with her parents John W GAUNT aged 63 and mother Janet aged 59 – Edith has a daughter Margaret E TUNE aged 9. Edith’s occupation is shown as a Woollen Weaver.

Edith’s husband Cecil Morris TUNE had died aged only 45 in the October quarter of 1934, so they had only been married for under six years when he sadly passed away.

I also then found found that sadly Edith’s daughter Margaret Elaine TUNE born on 13th September 1930 had also died young aged 54 in the June quarter of 1984 in the Leeds registration district and she had never married.

Edith TUNE nee GAUNT married again to Douglas E COURTS in the October quarter of 1942 in Wharfedale registration district and she died in the July quarter of 1979 aged 77, also in the Leeds registration district and her probate record, as below, shows she was still living at 42 Pembroke Road in Pudsey, the same address she had been living at in 1939.

Do you have a connection to the GAUNT or PRATT families in Yorkshire as it would be fantastic to reunite this lovely old photograph with a family member if possible – if you do please send me an email to the address below or message me through this blog.

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com

UPDATE Postcard Reunited: Are you connected to the SAVAGE families from Stradishall in Suffolk or the EARNSHAW families from Saffron Walden in Essex?

A recent old postcard find that perked my interest was this old card below sent to Master F W E SAVAGE at the General Stores in Orford in Suffolk on 26th September 1906 from his cousin Dudley with a Bury St Edmunds postmark – could I discover more?

I quickly found the 1911 census record, as below, which showed Frank W E SAVAGE now living in the Thoroughfare in Woodbridge in Suffolk with his parents William SAVAGE aged 38 a Retail Draper, Kate M SAVAGE aged 39 and his brother Stanley SAVAGE aged 3 – his father was born in Stradishall in Suffolk and his mother was born in Saffron Walden in Essex.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Frank William Earnshaw SAVAGE was born in the April quarter of 1906 in the Plomesgate registration district and his father William SAVAGE had married Madeline Kate EARNSHAW on the 7th November 1900 in Saffron Walden in Essex – I now knew where Frank’s middle name of EARNSHAW had come from.

The 1901 census, as below, shows William and Madeline SAVAGE as the Shopkeepers in Church Street in Orford in Suffolk and they were obviously still living here when their son Frank received his postcard in September 1906.

But, who was cousin Dudley? – well I have discovered that Frank’s father William had a brother James SAVAGE and he had a daughter called Dudley Mary Ann SAVAGE who was born in 1888 and the 1911 census, as below, shows her living at Cooks Farm in Hartest near Bury St Edmunds, which matches the postmark on Franks’s card received in 1906.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Frank married Rene BAKER in the July quarter of 1932 in Kensington registration district and the 1939 register, as below, shows him born on 2nd April 1906 and working as a Manager in a Furnishing Department of a Drapery Store in Ealing in Middlesex.

Frank W E SAVAGE died on 14th July 1969 and at that time he was living at Little Haugh in Woodbridge in Suffolk – Dudley his female cousin married a Mr WRIGHT in the October quarter of 1911 in Sudbury in Suffolk and died in 1958.

Are you related to the SAVAGE or EARNSHAW families, as it would be great to reunite this old postcard with a family member if possible – if you are please send me a message or an email to the address below.

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com

Two postcards with a family link – are you connected to the WATSON or COVERDALE families from South Shields in County Durham?

I recently found and purchased two World War 1 themed postcards on eBay, as below, but it was only upon receipt of them in the post, not having seen the reverse of the cards previously and starting the research that I discovered that they were both connected to the same WATSON family.

The first postcard was sent on 5th November 1915 with a South Shields postmark to Private R N WATSON by his mother, as below and quickly using his name and regimental number of 690 I found that his name was Robert N WATSON.

I then looked for a Robert N WATSON in the South Shields area on the 1911 census and quickly found him, as below, living at 24 Heugh Street in South Shields aged 25 a Painter with his wife Ethel aged 24 and they had been married for two and a half years.

Source Citation:The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Instantly the address of 24 Heugh Street rang a bell and I realised that the other postcard I had purchased was sent to Mrs WATSON at 24 Heugh Street in South Shields, as below, on 5th October 1915 from Grimsby and the message started ‘Dear Ethel’ – so this had to be the wife of Robert N WATSON as shown on the 1911 census.

Also the 1911 census showed that Robert Newton WATSON and his wife Ethel were living with her parents Robert Daniel and Francis COVERDALE who was a Master Stevedore and Ethel’s siblings Lily aged 19, John aged 17, Robert aged 15, William aged 12, Albert Edward aged 10 and Norman aged 7.

Did Robert Newton WATSON survive World War 1?

Well I was pleased to find that he did, as I found him and Ethel on the 1939 register, as below, living at 64 Bath Street in South Shields with children Norman, Elizabeth, Ethel and Joyce – Robert was now a Painter and Decorator.

Looking at other records I found that Robert Newton WATSON had married Ethel COVERDALE in the April quarter of 1908 in the South Shields registration district – as we know her father was called Robert Daniel COVERDALE and Robert’s father was called Robert Newton WATSON, the same as him.

I also found the World War medal index card for Robert N WATSON, as below, which showed one of his regimental number as 690, the same as on the postcard – he served with the Northumberland Fusiliers and the Durham Light Infantry.

Robert Newton WATSON died aged 89 in the April quarter of 1976 in the South Shields registration district and his date of birth was confirmed as 22nd October 1886.

his wife Ethel WATSON nee COVERDALE died aged 91 in the January quarter of 1978 also in the South Shields registration district and her date of birth was confirmed as 22nd October 1886.

If you have a family connection to the WATSON or COVERDALE families from South Shields please send me a message or email as it would be great to reunite these two lovely old military postcards with a family member if possible.

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com

PHOTO REUNITED: Do you have connection to the WOODFIELD or STEVENS families from Solihull and Birmingham?

UPDATE: This lovely old wedding photograph has now been reunited with a member of the WOODFIELD family and will be added to their family archive, which makes all the research and blog writing so worthwhile.

Simon – 21st November 2023

—————————————————————————————————————

Another lovely old wedding photograph find at the Postcard fair in London at the weekend was this one, as below, which has written on the back ‘To Dear Brother Bill from Mr & Mrs V STEVENS 16th May 1928.

There is a slight photographers marked indented into the photograph, as below, that looked like Birmingham and I quickly found a possible marriage of Victor STEVENS to Florence M A WOODFIELD in the April quarter of 1928 in the Birmingham South registration district.

Florence Mary Ann WOODFIELD was born in the July quarter of 1900 in Alcester in Warwickshire and the 1911 census, as below, shows her aged 10 living with her father Joseph a Widower aged 48 whose occupation was a Waggoner on a Farm and siblings Ellen aged 21, Hubert aged 17, Frank aged 14 and Joseph aged 11 – they were living at The Green in Aston Cantlow in Warwickshire.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Joseph WOODFIELD married Hannah BROOKS on the 20th November 1886 in Aston Cantlow in Warwickshire as per the marriage certificate below.

Joseph WOODFIELD signed up to fight in World War 1 and below is his military service record which names Florence WOODFIELD his daughter as his next of kin and shows him joining the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.

Source Citation: WO364; Piece: 4832 Source Information: Ancestry.com. UK, British Army World War I Pension Records 1914-1920 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Original data: The National Archives of the UK (TNA).

I then found Victor STEVENS born on 30th December 1889 with his wife Florrie born on the 26th June 1900 on the 1939 register, as below, living in Solihull and they had two children Ivy E STEVENS born on 7th February 1929 and Victor William STEVENS born on 11th August 1932 – Ivy married Royston L KIMBERLEY in the January quarter of 1951 in the Solihull registration district.

Do you have a connection to these females as I would love to reunite this amazing old photograph with a family member if I can – if you do please message me or send me an email to the address below

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com

Are you connected to the STOTT family from Wath-on-Dearne inYorkshire, Sudbourne in Suffolk and Netherbury in Dorset?

Another great find at the Bloomsbury postcard fair in London yesterday was this lovely old photograph, as below, which has had the date and names typed onto it – it was taken in October 1912 and shows Hilda STOTT (died aged 31), Dorothy RAND, Benjamin STOTT and Verena, Kitty, Aunt Jessie and Ella, but who were they?

I started my research by looking for the 1911 census match and was amazed to find the record, as below, all neatly typed just like the names on the old photograph that I had found.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

The 1911 census shows Benjamin Joseph Thomas STOTT aged 51 born in Wath-on-Dearne in Yorkshire who was a Head Schoolmaster, his wife of seventeen years Jessie Harriet aged 39 born in Page Green in London and then their children Clement Archibald aged 15 born in Enville in Stourbridge, a Solicitor’s Clerk, Lawrence Rowland aged 10 born in Sudbourne in Suffolk, Hilda Winifred aged 14 born in Sudbourne in Suffolk, Verena Jessie aged 7 born in Sudbourne in Suffolk and Ella Millicent aged 2 born in Netherbury in Dorset.

The family were living at the School House in Netherbury near Beaminster in Dorset and this census record matched some of the children shown in the old photograph.

Benjamin Joseph Thomas STOTT had married Jessie Harriet COX in the September quarter of 1894 in the West Ham registration district and I also found them on the 1901 census record, as below:

Verena Jessie STOTT married Frederick Jack SAUNDERS in the October quarter of 1928 in Great Dunmow in Essex and she died in the January quarter of 1979 aged 75 in the Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire registration district.

Hilda Winifred STOTT married Albert W CHANNELL in the June quarter of 1923 in the Guildford registration district and she sadly died aged only 28 in the March quarter of 1928 in the Guildford registration district and not aged 31 as typed on the photograph.

Ella Millicent STOTT married twice firstly to William H L Richards in the January quarter of 1929 in Hampshire and secondly to Leslie M DUCKETT in the January quarter of 1948 in Reading in Berkshire.

More investigation is needed to link Dorothy RAND and Kitty, but in the meantime if you have a connection to the STOTT family please email me or send me a message, as it would be great to reunite this fantastic old photograph with a family member if possible.

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com

Are you connected to the BUNCHER, WILEMAN or NUTTING families from Leicestershire?

A lovely old wedding photograph find over the weekend at a postcard fair in London, as below, had the surnames BUNCHER, WILEMAN and NUTTING written on the back, but with no location, so could I discover anything about these families.

As the surnames were quite unusual I started by looking at the marriage registrations on Free BMD and quickly found the marriage of Walter BUNCHER to Ethel K WILEMAN in the October quarter of 1910 in the Leicester registration district.

I then found Walter and Ethel BUNCHER on the 1911 census, as below, living at 26 Clifton Road in Aylestone Park in Leicester – Walter was aged 21 born in Wigton in Leicestershire and his occupation was a Nurseryman for a Tomato and Cucumber Grower – Ethel was aged 23 and born in Earl Shilton in Leicestershire and her occupation was a Stocking Machinist.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

The 1921 census shows them living at 68 Milligan Road in Leicester and they now had a daughter Phyllis Mary Maud BUNCHER who was aged seven years and three months.

The 1939 register, as below, shows Walter BUNCHER a Printers Packer born on 3rd December 1889, Ethel his wife a housewife born on 9th December 1887 and their daughter Phyllis M M BUNCHER a Hosiery Machinist who was born on 12th March 1914 – her later married name of CHAMBERLAIN is written above her entry with a date of 15th November 1949.

Having now identified the BUNCHER family could I find anything relating to Mr and Mrs NUTTING, also written on the back of the photograph!!

I traced Ethel K WILEMAN back on the 1901 census, as below, and found her aged 13 staying with her Uncle and Aunt Michael and Mary NUTTING and her cousins William And Clara NUTTING.

The 1891 census also shows the same family set up with her staying with her Aunt and Uncle NUTTING,as below, so what had happened to Ethel’s parents?

I quickly found the link as I looked at Ethel Keturah WILEMAN’s birth registration in the October quarter of 1887 in the Hinckley registration district in Leicestershire, which showed her mother’s maiden name as BIRD and on looking at the marriage record for Ethel’s Uncle Michael NUTTING he had married Mary BIRD, the sister of Ethel’s mother.

Sadly I quickly found that Ethel’s mother Ethel Keturah BIRD had died during childbirth and her husband George Myatt WILEMAN had also died young in 1896, so our Ethel had been taken in by her Aunt and Uncle NUTTING, who were sitting very proudly in the old wedding photograph that I had found.

Ethel Keturah BUNCHER nee WILEMAN died in 1966 aged 78 and her husband Walter BUNCHER died in 1964 aged 74.

Do you have a connection to the WILEMAN, BUNCHER or NUTTING families, as it would be great to reunite this lovely old wedding photograph with a family member if possible – if you do please send me an email or message me.

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com

Are you connected to the HENSON, TEBBETT or JOLLY families from Bedfordshire?

I have recently been sorting my postcards boxed away to research (when time was permitting!!) and I came across this lovely old postcard sent to me by my lovely friend Lynn way back in 2018 – it is a World War 1 song card and it was sent to Private F M HENSON in France on 25th November 1918 from Alice and it was posted in Ampthill in Bedfordshire.

Could I discover more?

As the postcard had a regimental number of 23160 for Private F M HENSON I started by looking at World War 1 military records and quickly found a World War 1 medal index card, as below, for Frederick M HENSON of the Bedfordshire Regiment.

Using the name Frederick I found his birth registration in the January quarter of 1894 in the Bedford registration district and his full name was Frederick Montague HENSON – he died aged 76 in the January quarter of 1970 in Bedford and his date of birth was confirmed as 24th January 1894.

As I was able to find his death registration I knew that he had survived World War 1, so what other information could I find for Frederick – he married Mildred TEBBETT in the July quarter of 1919 in Bedford and they had two children Alfred R HENSON in the March quarter of 1920 and Gwendoline M HENSON in the September quarter of 1922.

I then found Frederick HENSON on the 1911 census, as below, living at Hardmead, High Road in Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire with his father Arthur HENSON aged 41, a farm labourer his mother Emily aged 42 and siblings Arthur aged 19, Alice aged 13, Edward aged 6 and Francis aged 1.

Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

I now knew that the postcard that was sent to Frederick in 1918 was sent by his younger sister Alice Emily HENSON – Alice married Frederick JOLLY on the 21st September 1918 in Ampthill in Bedfordshire, a couple of months before she sent the postcard to Frederick in France.

The 1939 World War 2 register entry, as below, shows Frederick HENSON, his wife Mildred and his son Alfred living at 12 Council Houses in Bedford – his occupation was a builders labourer.

Do you have a connection to the HENSON, TEBBETT or JOLLY families, as it would be great to reunite this fascinating old postcard with a family member if possible – if you do please email me or send me a message via the blog.

Many thanks

Simon LAST

charnwoodresearch@virginmedia.com

http://www.charnwood-genealogy.com