Family Stories
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Monday, 21 April 2025

William George S Broome and Louisa Adcock Soppit

Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © N Chadwick - geograph.org.uk/p/6466193
English Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square. There has been a church on the site since at least the medieval period. It was at that time located in the farmlands and fields.

William George Sommers Broome (b. 1884), Marine Engineer, son of William Sommers Broome and Mary Ann Dunbar, married Louisa Adcock Soppit (b. 26 Oct 1887 in Bromley, Kent), daughter of John Soppit and Louisa Tompson at the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, on 21 Apr 1913. Witnesses were John Soppit, bride's father and Mary Ann Broome, presumably groom's mother.

William and Louisa had two children:
  1. Margaret Broome b. 1914 M Quarter in LEWISHAM Vol 1D Page 2122 (Died aged 1, in 1915 D Quarter in LAMBETH Vol 01D Page 509)
  2. John Sommers Broome b. 19 Nov 1915 D Quarter in LEWISHAM Volume 01D Page 1946
In 1921, William Broome (37) Laundry Proprietor from West Norwood, London; Louisa Broom (33), John Broome (5) and Mary Broome (71) William's mother, were living at 57, Ladywell Road, Lewisham.

William George Sommers Broome died, aged just 38, on 19 Mar 1923 (1923 M Quarter in LEWISHAM Volume 01D Page 1098). Probate was granted to his widow, Louisa Adcock Broome, on 25 Jul 1924.

In 1939, Louisa A Broome, Laundry Director, Widow, was still living at 57 Ladywell Road, Ladywell, Lewisham. Living with her was her sister-in-law, Rachel Soppit (widow of Joseph Daniel Soppit) and her three children.

Louisa Adcock Broome died, aged 76, in December 1963 and was buried on 24 Dec 1963 at Ladywell Cemetery.

(Son John Sommers Broom died on 18 Jul 2004, aged 89.)

Sunday, 20 April 2025

Robert Stokes and Susanna Judd

St Mary, Great Canfield - East end
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/5059305

Robert Stokes (b. ~1765 no clues yet as to where he was from) married Susanna Judd (bap. 24 Jun 1764 in Great Canfield), daughter of John and Susanna Judd, on 20 Apr 1784 at her parish of St Mary, Great Canfield

Robert and Susanna Stokes had five children:
  1. Jane Stokes bap. 29 Aug 1784 in Great Canfield
  2. John Stokes bap. 5 Nov 1786 in Great Canfield
  3. William Stokes bap. 8 Nov 1789 in Great Canfield
  4. Joseph Stokes bap. 25 Sep 1792 in Great Canfield
  5. James Stokes bap. 28 Aug 1796 in Little Canfield
Robert Stokes died, aged around 75, in 1840 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 12 Page 52, and was buried on 11 Aug 1840 in Great Dunmow.

In 1841, the widowed Susan Stokes (78) was living with her son-in-law and daughter, John and Jane Byatt, in Hickeys Lane, Little Canfield. 

Susan Stokes died in 1852 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 218 was buried, on 1 Mar 1852, at All Saints, Little Canfield. The GRO death registration over estimated her age to 94, but she'll have been 88.