Tiverton : Gold Street cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Lewis Clarke - geograph.org.uk/p/1658721 |
Wednesday 6 March 2024
James Prescott and Mary Ann Stone
Sunday 3 March 2024
George Charles Mew and Sarah Jane Fudge
Kingston Cemetery, Portsmouth cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Basher Eyre - geograph.org.uk/p/2655103 |
- Lucy Elizabeth Ann Mew b. 1870 J Qtr in PORTSEA Vol 02B Page 478, bap. Lucia Elizabetha at Portsmouth, St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral in 1872. Died, aged 6, in 1876 J Qtr in PORTSEA Vol 02B Page 324.
- Mary Ann Mew b. 1872 J Qtr in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 452, bap. Maria Anna at Portsmouth, St John's RC Cathedral in 1872.
- George Charles Mew b. 9 Dec 1874, reg. M Qtr 1875 in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 463, bap. 15 August 1877 at St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Portsmouth. Died, aged 37 in 1912 M Qtr in PORTSMOUTH Vol 02B Page 663.
- Annie Louisa Mew b. 18 May 1877 J Qtr in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 504, bap. 15 Aug 1877, at St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral.
- Henrietta Mew b. 18 Oct 1879 D Qtr in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 493, bap. 16 Nov 1879 at St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral.
- Henry Michael Mew b. 10 Oct 1881 D Qtr in PORTSEA Vol 02B 522, bap. Henricus Michael in 1881, at St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral.
- Mabel Mary Mew b. 1884 S Qtr in PORTSEA Vol 02B Page 480.
- Lucy Maria Mew b. 1885 D Qtr in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 498, bap. Maria Lucia at St John's RC Cathedral, Portsmouth. Died age 1, in 1886 S Qtr in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 350.
- Lucy Mary Mew b. 1887 D Qtr in PORTSEA Vol 02B Page 511.
- Margaret Marshall Mew b. 1889, reg. 1890 M Qtr in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 423, bap. Margarita Marshall in 1889 at St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Portsmouth.
- Andrew Samuel Mew b. 1892, reg 1893 M Qtr in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 458, bap. Andreas Samuel in 1893 at St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral. Died, aged 2, in 1894 D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 301, buried at Kingston Cemetery.
Friday 23 February 2024
John Leese and Caroline Bussey
Looking down from Telscombe Cliffs cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Marathon - geograph.org.uk/p/6864973 |
- Susan Caroline Leese b. 1852 D Quarter in ROMNEY MARSH Volume 02A Page 646, baptised at All Saints Church, Lydd, Romney Marsh.
- Margaret Hannah Leese b. 1857 J Quarter in ROMNEY MARSH Volume 02A Page 677, baptised at All Saints Church, Lydd, Romney Marsh.
- Henrietta Leese b. 1860 M Quarter in LEWES Volume 02B Page 169, bap. 12 Feb 1860 in Telscombe, presumably St Laurence.
- Henry John Leese b. 5 Jan 1862 M Quarter in LEWES Volume 02B Page 164, bap. 7 Feb 1862, also in Telscombe.
- Mary Jane Leese b. 1864 S Quarter in LEWES Volume 02B Page 161
- Elizabeth Leese b. 1867 M Quarter in LEWES Volume 02B Page 178
- William James Leese b. 1869 D Qtr in LEWES Vol 02B Page 182
Tuesday 30 January 2024
Henry Sweney MBE and Mary Louisa Efford
Christchurch tramway |
Henry Sweney (b. 13 Jan 1874) son of John Henry Charles Sweeney and Susannah Harvey, married divorcee, Mary Louisa Ansley, in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 22 Nov 1901. Born Mary Louisa Efford on 16 Sep 1869 in Torquay, Devon (Volume 05B Page 161), daughter of John Ash Efford Jnr and Louisa Fulford, she had previously married Frederick William Ansley (b. 23 Jan 1866 in Oldbury, Staffordshire), son of Alfred Ansley and Emma Cooper, also in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 1 Nov 1887, with whom she had three daughters: Mary Louisa Ansley, b. 16 Aug 1888; Rose Amelia Ansley (1889-90) and Emma Miriam Ansley b. 18 Apr 1891.
Wednesday 10 January 2024
William Edgar Farthing and Ivy May Hepworth and Lieutenant Commander Derrick William Graham RN OBE
Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Voller - geograph.org.uk/p/3699730 |
Ivy May Hepworth (b. 3 Nov 1892), daughter of Vincent Hepworth and Mary Ann (Annie) Rogers, married William Edgar Farthing (b. 23 Dec 1892), son of Frederick William Farthing and Emily Maud Gidley, on 10 Jan 1913, at the church of Saint James the Less, Plymouth.
Their only son, Edgar Grahame Farthing, was born on 15 Nov 1913 and baptised on 16 Apr 1914 at St Mary's Church Plympton.
William Edgar Farthing, formerly a clerk at the Great Western Railway, who enlisted in July 1914 in the Royal Garrison Artillery, husband of Ivy May Farthing of 22 Atheneaum St, The Hoe, Plymouth, Devon was invalided home and died at the London Hospital, Whitechapel on 8 Feb 1917, aged 24, of a disease contracted while on active service. Second Lieutenant William Edgar Farthing is buried at Ford Park Cemetery (Plymouth Old Cemetery).
Ivy May Farthing remarried, on 29 May 1925, to Derrick William Graham.
Derrick William Graham, b. 8 Aug 1900, was the elder son of Charles William Graham a Silk Merchant born in Melbourne, Australia and his wife Edith Eleanor Clodd (m. 1899 in the City of London). In 1911, Derrick (10) and his younger brother, Geoffrey Edward (9) were boarders at Doon House Preparatory School for Boys, Canterbury Road, Westgate-on-Sea. He entered service with the Royal Navy in May 1913, as an officer cadet, at Britannia Royal Naval College, at Dartmouth, Devon.
The couple had two sons:
- David William Graham b. 1926 D Quarter in DEVONPORT Vol 05B Page 423, died 1926 D Quarter in DEVONPORT Vol 05B Page 395
- Michael William Graham b. 5 Jan 1929 in MEDWAY Vol 02A Page 1189
Derrick William Graham made Sub-Lieutenant in 1919; Lieutenant in 1921 and Lieutenant-Commander in 1929. His service record places him in Malta in 1928 and Ivy May Graham and son Michael, of 109 Broadfield Road, Catford, SE6, sailed to Malta with RMS Viceroy of India, in 1931.
In 1939, at West Lodge, Villiers Road, Portsmouth, were Ivy M Graham, listed with a birth year of 1896 - it was 1892 - admitting to be four years older than her husband, but not all eight, while Derrick W Graham RN, at that time, was attached to HMS Dolphin (shore establishment), home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service from 1904 to 1999, at Fort Blockhouse, Gosport.
On 1 Jan 1944 Acting Commander Derrick William Graham, Royal Navy (Portsmouth) is listed in The London Gazette, having been mentioned in despaches. His record states "Mentioned in Despaches for zeal, patience and cheerfulness in dangerous waters, and for setting an example of wholehearted devotion to duty, upholding the high traditions of the Royal Navy."
Graham got his OBE (which him indoors tells me stands for "Other Buggers' Efforts") in 1946 for distinguished services during the war in the Far East.
Acting Commander Derrick William Graham reverted to the retired list on 30 Jul 1948. The marriage between Derrick and Ivy was disolved on 23 Feb 1951 and Derrick William Graham immediately remarried, on 17 Mar 1951, to Margaret Hamilton Sterling in Natal, South Africa. Derrick William Graham of St. Paul Road, Vacoas, Mauritius died on 28 Apr 1960.
Ivy May Graham died on 20 Oct 1978 in Portsmouth, just days short of turning 86. She is buried in the churchyard at St Nicholas Church, Durweston, Dorset, where her sister, Ida Lily Soppit, is also buried. Dorset Monumental Inscriptions lists her as "Mother of Grahame & Michael GRAHAM".
- Having joined The Royal Regiment Of Artillery in 1933, Edgar Grahame Farthing married Kathleen Lucy Downs (b. 29 May 1914), in Windsor, Berkshire, in 1949 and on 17 May 1957, they and their two children, of Officers Married Quarters, Andover, sailed to Canada on the RMS Empress of Britain. Edgar Farthing died on 3 Jan 2000 (aged 86) and is buried at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery, North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Kathleen Farthing died on 17 Nov 2004 and is buried with her husband.
- Michael William Graham, formerly a Director of Rookery Estates Co, property management company, in Maidstone, Kent, married Rachel M Norman in 1952. He died at 69, in 1998.
Wednesday 27 December 2023
Ernest Richard Eastabrook and Edith Mary Pope
St George's Church in Portsea cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Steve Daniels - geograph.org.uk/p/5462454 Located almost opposite the entrance to Gunwharf Quays. The church is known as the shipwrights' church having been built by 15 shipwrights from the dockyard in 1753. |
- Ernest Kenneth Eastabrook b. 17 Jun 1916 S Quarter in PORTSMOUTH Volume 02B Page 625 and baptised at Portsea, St George.
William Tubb and Sarah Chard
The nave at St Mary's, Portsea cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Basher Eyre - geograph.org.uk/p/1379010 |
The font at St Alban's, Copnor cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Basher Eyre geograph.org.uk/p/1493684 |
- William Tubb bap. 1 May 1808
- James Tubb b. 30 Apr 1809, bap. 23 May 1809
- Samuel Tubb bap. 16 Jun 1811
- Sarah Jane Tubb b. 30 Sep 1812, bap. 3 Jul 1814
- Mary Tubb b. 15 Jan 1814, also bap. 3 Jul 1814
- John Tubb bap. 12 Feb 1816
- Thomas Tubb bap. 24 Apr 1820 (Later records suggest he was probably born in 1818.)
- Alfred Tubb bap. 2 Oct 1820
- Hannah Tubb bap. 23 Nov 1823. Buried 27 Aug 1826, also at St Mary's.
- Henry Tubb bap. 12 Jun 1825
- Edward Tubb bap. 18 Nov 1827
Thursday 14 December 2023
Thomas Pearce and Sarah Hall
St. Mary's Church - Alverstoke cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Colin Babb - geograph.org.uk/p/1093207 |
Thomas Pearce married Sarah Hall on 14 Dec 1797 in Alverstoke, Hampshire. Witnesses to their marriage were Ann Deadman and Robert Hills.
- Mary Ann Pearce b. 19 Dec 1798, bap. 21 Dec 1800
- Robert Pearce bap. 21 Dec 1800, in the parish of Portsea St Mary
- Thomas Hooper Pearce b. 30 Aug 1806, bap. 2 Sep 1806 in the parish of Portsea St John
- James Pearce b. 9 Jan 1809, bap 19 Jan 1809, St Johns Chapel
- Sarah Pearce b. 16 Dec 1810, bap. 24 Mar 1811 at Portsea, St Mary
Wednesday 13 December 2023
Thomas Tubb and Louisa Wearn
King Street, Portsmouth cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Jaggery - geograph.org.uk/p/3754148 |
Thomas Tubb, Bachelor, Labourer from Bow Street, Portsea, son of William Tubb and Sarah Chard, married Lousia Wearn, daughter of John Wearn and Mary Billinger, at St Mary's Church, Portsea on 28 Feb 1841.
- Thomas Alfred Tubb b. 1841 S Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 07 Page 120. Died, aged 1, in 1842 D Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 07 Page 101 and was buried on 30 Oct 1842 at St Mary's, Portsea.
- Louisa Ann Tubb b. 1843 S Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 07 Page 131
- Mary Tubb b. 1845 J Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 07 Page 128
- Sarah Tubb b. 1848 J Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 07 Page 140
- Samuel Henry Tubb. b. 1852 M Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 02B Page 402. Died, aged 19, in 1871 D Quarter in PORTSEA Volume 02B Page 246 and buried on 29 Oct 1871 at St Mary's, Portsea. See below.
- Hannah Tubb b. 1854 D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 364. Daughter of Thomas & Louisa Tubb of Bow Street, Landport, died aged 1, and was buried on 9 May 1856 at Kingston Cemetery.
- Emma Jane Tubb b. 24 Mar 1857 J Qtr in PORTSEA Vol 02B Page 383
- Frances Tubb b. 1860 J Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 02B Page 371. Died, aged 47, in 1907 D Quarter in PORTSMOUTH Vol 02B Page 273.
- Charlotte Elizabeth Tubb b. 1863 M Qtr in PORTSEA Vol 02B Page 457
Fanny Tubb (33), then of 13 Upper Church Path, Portsmouth, was admitted to St James' Hospital, Portsmouth, still a mental health facility, on 12 Jan 1894, suffering from Delusional Insanity, where she died on 21 Oct 1907.
Tuesday 12 December 2023
Edward John Bicknell, Marcella Jones & Harry Babb
Portsmouth Cathedral cc-by-sa/2.0 - © N Chadwick - geograph.org.uk/p/6829155 |
Edward John Bicknell married Marcella Jones, daughter of David Jones and Johannah Anne O'Callaghan, at St Jude's Church, Southsea on 12 Dec 1906. Among the witnesses was Marcella's younger sister, Helena Jones. At the time of this marriage, Edward John Bicknell was a Corporal RGA (Royal Garrison Artillery) and was then stationed at Southsea Castle. On the marriage certificate, Bicknell's father is listed as Edward Bicknell, a farmer
Their only child, David Nicholas Bicknell was born on 20 Jan 1909, at 15 Gold Street, Southsea and baptised, on 10 Feb 1909, at The Anglican Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, now known simply as Portsmouth Cathedral.
In 1891, Edward Jno Bricknell (sic) (10), nephew, had been living with Henry Palmer (42) Butler domestic and Elizabeth F Palmer (54) from Withycombe, Devon, at Hencroft Street, Upton with Chalvey, Eton, Buckinghamshire.
On 17 Dec 1895, Edward John Bicknell, listed originally as aged 14 years, 11 months (although the 14 appears to have been over-written as 15 on the 2nd page), from Withycombe [Withycombe Raleigh], Exmouth, Devon, formerly a Telegraph Messenger, had enlisted for Long Service in the Royal Artillery, at Slough, Bucks. The name and address of his next of kin was given as Mrs F E Palmer, 18 Hencroft Street, Sough, Bucks. In 1901, Elizabeth F Palmer (60) Tailoress, from Withycombe, Devon, was listed at that address.
Records show that Henry Palmer had married Elizabeth Fanny Bicknell, at St Margaret's, Westminster, London, in 1873. In 1881, they had been living at Church End, Tempsford, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, where Henry was Under butler. Elizabeth Bicknell (bap. 5 Jan 1834), listed in Withycombe Rawleigh in 1841 and 1851, certainly had a brother named Edward, born in 1830. However, he had died in 1870, so could not have been the boy's father. In fact, there were very many people named Edward Bicknell, in Withycombe, going right back to the 17th Century. Not one of them were farmers.
There is no birth, nor baptism for an Edward John Bicknell, around 1880/1. The most likely record is of an illegitimate birth of an Edward Bicknell in St Thomas, Devon (under which Withycombe would fall), in 1879. That child, born 19 Nov 1879, in the Village, Withycombe Raleigh, was the son of Rose Creasley Bicknell, Domestic Servant, Cook. His birth was registered by his mother, on 9 Dec 1879 and the name of the deputy registrar on the certificate was Edward John Carter. Is that where the Edward John came from?
There was a Rose Cressly Bicknell b. 1859 M Quarter in TOTNES Volume 05B Page 173 and baptised on 2 Jan 1859 at St Saviour's Church, Dartmouth, Devon, the base child of Elizabeth Bicknell (and a bloke named Cressly, I wouldn't be surprised). Edward John was described as Elizabeth's nephew, but I think it possible that she was actually his grandmother.
That and naming their son after Marcella's father and uncle and not after his father, leads me to think Bicknell had no idea who his father was and, as is so often done, just made one up for appearances on the marriage certificate.
Fort Rowner-Gosport cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Colin Babb - geograph.org.uk/p/704877 |
When he enlisted in 1895, Edward John was 5' 1⅝' tall, weighed 98lbs, had a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. He was then sent to Fort Rowner, Gosport on 21 Dec 1895. Initially passed as fit, he spent 29 days in hospital from 5 Feb 1896 to 4 Mar 1896, suffering from an illness referred to only by the initials V.D.H. (valvular disease of the heart and implies some organic disease or heart malfunction), of unknown cause and was discharged on 7 Mar 1896, as "Not being likely to become an efficient soldier."
On 19 Sep 1900, in London, at 18 years and 9 months, Edward John Bicknell, once again enlisted in the Royal Artillery. The record, again, says he was from Withycombe, Exmouth, Devon. Was he cured of his previous condition, or hopeful nobody would tie the two together (which they don't seem to do)?
In 1901, Edward John Bicknell (19) Gunner Royal Artillery, was listed on the census at Leith Fort North Fort Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Part of Tigné Barracks, now incorporated in The Point Shopping Mall, Sliema, Malta. |
In 1911, Sergeant Edward John Bicknell (29), from Exmouth, Devon, was listed on the census of Overseas Establishments with 96th Company RGA (Royal Garrison Artillery) at Fort Tigné, Malta. Also listed there at that time were wife, Marcella Bicknell (26) and son, David Nicholas Bicknell (2) (96th Company, I believe, remained in Malta for the duration of World War I.)
34, Castle Road, Southsea, alleged address of these shocking adulterers. |
Marcella Babb of 1 Festing Grove, Southsea, died on 9 Oct 1963, at 80.
Henry Babb, also of 1 Festing Grove, Southsea, died on 19 Nov 1967.
David Nicholas Bicknell never married. He died of a cardiac arrest on 22 Jan 1987, two days after his 78th birthday. The retired production controller still lived at 1 Festing Grove, Southsea. His place of birth on his death certificate was India. The records show that he was, in fact, born in Southsea, so I wonder if his father spent time in India while he was growing up, or did David only think it was India, being just a small child in the heat of Malta?
Festing Grove, Southsea cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Kate Jewell - geograph.org.uk/p/3319369 |
Sunday 10 December 2023
John Windell and Mary Tubb
Church of St Mary's, Portsea cc-by-sa/2.0 - © N Chadwick - geograph.org.uk/p/6667290 |
John Windell (b. 29 Jun 1805), son of John Windel and Mary Smith, first married Sarah Exell (bap. 22 Apr 1804), daughter of Joseph Exell and Jane Hawks, at St Mary's Church, Portsea, on 6 Feb 1831.
- Sarah Anne Windell bap. 21 Aug 1831
- Mary Jane Windell bap. 13 Apr 1834. Died at 3M on 8 Jul 1834, buried 13 Jul 1834, of John & Sarah Windell of Spring Gardens, Landport
- Mary Ann Fleming b. 6 Nov 1832, obviously, her father's posthumous child, bap. 15 May 1836 at St Mary's, Portsea
- John William Windell bap. 15 May 1836 at St Mary's, Portsea
- Eliza Emma Windell b. 1838 J Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 07 Page 124
- Henry Alfred Windell b. 1842 M Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 07 Page 144
- Ellen Windell b. 1844 J Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 07 Page 141
- Louisa Elizabeth Windell b. 1846 J Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 07 152. Died, aged 6 in 1852 S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 02B Page 241 and buried on 8 Aug 1852 at St Mary's
- Amelia Windell b. 1848 M Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 07 Page 149. Died aged 8M, in 1848 D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 07 Page 110 and was buried on 17 Oct 1848 at St Mary's, Portsea
- Thomas Edward Windell b. 1850 M Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 07 153. Died at 2M in 1850 M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 07 Page 118 and was buried on 17 Feb 1850 at St Mary's, Portsea
- Edward Charles Windell reg. 1855 M Qtr in PORTSEA Vol 02B 388.
- Youngest son, Edward Windell, joined the Royal Navy as a stoker on 7 Apr 1873, giving his date of birth as 25 Dec 1851, making himself three years older than he was. He was assigned to HMS Asia (1824) then and on several other occasions throughout his career. In 1881, Edward Windell (29) Leading Stoker, Royal Navy At Sea, Ships and Overseas Establishments was with HMS London (1840) in Zanzibar, East Indies. He was with HMS London from 1 Sep 1880 to 22 Jan 1883, during which time she was involved in the suppression of the slave trade in the area. The London Evening Standard on Sat, 6 Sep 1884 reported, "The Lords Commissioners for the Admiralty have awarded medals for long service and good conduct to the following men:- Edward Windell leading stoker of the Asia ..." Edward was shore pensioned in 1891 and discharged in 1893. In 1891, Edward Windell (36) Brass moulder, was living with his sister, Ellen Rees at 125, Wingfield Street, Portsea. Edward Windell, aged 48, died on 21 Feb 1903 and was buried from St Mary's, Portsea on 26 Feb 1903, having never married.