Category: family history
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Squaring the circle
Connecting from Cummins to Watkins
Connecting from Cummins to Watkins One of those “It really is a small world” moments – discovering a distant in-law cousin on my dad’s side is connected to a close cousin on mum’s. Cutlock & Co has been researching the family tree for a second cousin’s spouse for quite a while. Roy’s line goes back to William Cummins, a ‘tide waiter’ (customs officer) and later ‘Chief Collector of Customs’, born 1835 in Portsmouth. William came from a humble background, his mother Jane the housekeeper (and perhaps » »
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Bottling it in Besthorpe
Giving the Howes line a home
Giving the Howes line a home Of all the ancestral home towns and villages, that of the direct Howes line, namely Besthorpe in Norfolk, has been the most neglected to date. This stands alongside the minimal details held on the last known family member to spend all his life there, 3x great grandfather James Howes. The direct line can be quite easily traced back to him, born in the village at the turn of the 19th century {1}. This article seeks to establish a greater » »
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A tribute to Islwyn
His contribution to Knighton and beyond
His contribution to Knighton and beyond Your editor recently met Ken Harris at Malvern U3A’s family history group, after a presentation by me which mentioned in passing cousin Islwyn Watkins. Here is the resulting tribute from Ken to his old friend. A fellow South Walesian Islwyn and I were friends virtually from the time I arrived in Knighton in 1985. Both being from South Wales, we immediately struck a rapport and later, when his father arrived to live with Dwynwen, he and I struck up a » »
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Bardic furniture poses a question or two
Has the family a poet, and doesn’t know it?
Has the family a poet, and doesn’t know it? The will of great aunt Emma Jane Evans nee Scott has emerged out of the ether {1, 3}. This confirmed that cousin Joseph Gregory was indeed its named executor in 1961, even if he was described in the probate record as an ironmonger rather than in his more well-known musical role. There are a number of other reasons why this document is of interest. Who’s bardic chair (and desk)? Clause 5 of the will contains this: » »
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A fraud of a husband
Court appearance throws light on family history
Court appearance throws light on family history On first glance the attached newspaper article, about a fraud allegedly undertaken by William Walters, would seem to be just a background piece to the main family history. William was at one stage married to great aunt Phyl – Phyllis Amelia Scott. Article 21 Sep 1934 By reading through to the end, however, three distinct lines of inquiry emerge which have a broader impact. The cutting is from The West London Star, Friday 21st September 1934, under the » »
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Newspapers ablaze with minor family insights
Passing educational references, and an indepth story
Passing educational references, and an indepth story After some time without, getting access to the British Newspaper Archive – part of a (half price) FindMyPast Pro subscription – raises the dilemma of where to start researching. Perhaps firstly with those individuals in the tree most likely to appear in the news, and then close relatives to see if any notices, in the absence of news items, might add another angle. The approach has already led to shining some contrasting light on youthful grandparents plus an interesting » »