Category: family history
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More than a musical footnote
Joe Gregory, popular accordionist, band leader
Joe Gregory, popular accordionist, band leader Joe Gregory’s name crops up online from time to time, usually as a mention in the history of “the oldest record shop” Spillers Records in Cardiff. An album launch by big name rock band The Pixies at the shop got it (and Joe) page 3 attention in The Guardian (14th September print edition) {1}. There’s not much on the web about Joe, accordionist and band leader originally from Bush Houses, Tonypandy and a first cousin twice removed, so here’s » »
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Picturing the moving home front
A London to and fro in WW2
A London to and fro in WW2 The second world war was a time of upheaval for many, and this was particularly true for Cutlock & Co’s family lines. It became obvious when going through a collection of old postcards and photographs that there was a story to be told visually. Mum and Dad’s notes help to stitch them together. Out of London Being born in 1926, Dad (Arthur) was well into his grammar school life when war broke out and disrupted things. Here’s his description » »
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Rogue elements in Uncle Arthur’s past
A marriage that was never mentioned
A marriage that was never mentioned ‘Uncle Arthur’ was known as a “bit of a rogue” in relation to women, according to Dad. There wasn’t anything much to back this up other than he, Arthur William Howes, seemingly didn’t marry until age 50 {1}, and other relations mentioning wandering hands. Although his name came up occasionally, I didn’t form any impression of him as a child, and if we ever visited uncle Arthur and ‘aunt Bill’ in Ipswich I don’t remember it. A recent visit to » »
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Back on the trail with Bertram
Another Scott relation found on military service
Another Scott relation found on military service A nephew of great granddad Charles Scott made his way to Oz in 1912, returning to Europe with the Australian army a few years later. On the trail As highlighted some time ago in ‘A Major breakthrough in the Scott line‘, some of great grandfather Charles Vickery Scott’s siblings have been rather hard to track down. This time, I skipped a generation and looked at why nephew Bertram had disappeared after 1911 {2} – with his mother’s » »
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Meeting a younger Millie
Even great grans were youthful once
Even great grans were youthful once The fascinating family photos keep on emerging. This time third cousin Alan Croad has found two photos which were in the same style as an earlier discovery for ‘Uncle Bill’ Osborne. One was labelled “aunt Millie”, a name that great gran Amelia Osborne was known by. Born 1878, married late 1895, is this about the time of the wedding perhaps? Or a year or two later? A youthful Amelia Osborne Without that label you would struggle to be certain » »
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Islwyn’s picture puzzles
Rediscovering negatives from the fifties
Rediscovering negatives from the fifties In this article, more a side view on Islwyn Watkins’ art student days (late 1950s) {2} than deep family history. Fellow student Ed Beavis found some photographic negatives taken by Islwyn which had been tucked away, from a trip of theirs which included dropping in on relations. Most likely around/south of Bristol. Which family? These don’t seem to be Watkins faces, so are more likely to be his mother’s Hickman side. Do any of these faces look familiar to anyone? The » »