Latest Posts
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Arthur Charles Baldwin: The Boy Who Killed His Sister
Arthur Charles Baldwin 1898-1950 Miscreant child of Southend on Sea, Essex, and my second cousin, three times removed. Whilst metaphorically leafing through old issues of the Southend Standard on FindMyPast, ever hopeful of finding something new about my ancestors, I chanced… Continue reading
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George Appleton: A Bad Apple
George Appleton 1873-1934 Habitual Criminal of Hadleigh, Essex and Cleveland, Ohio, and my half fourth great uncle Since I have spent so much time researching my mysterious bigamous disappearing ancestory, Angelina/Leanor Appleton/Collins/Moxon, her siblings were a natural point of interest. … Continue reading
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Seaman Cooke Beale: A London Wharfinger
Seaman Cooke Beale, 1742-1789. Wharfinger of London, and my 4th great grandfather. It’s the ancestors closest to home that get neglected. After all, I’ve lived in London all my life. I am very familiar with London Bridge – I used… Continue reading
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George Pillcher Hill: The Disappearing Husband
George Pillcher Hill, 1869-1943 Hairdresser of Bletchley and Southend and the husband of my third great aunt. A common peril for genealogists is falling down a rabbit hole. Not just the literal rabbit holes at Sutton Road cemetery in Southend,… Continue reading
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Leonard and Ada Brent: The Grandparents I Never Knew
Leonard Norman Brent, 1892-1966, Jam Factory Manager and my grandfather. Ada Jane Beale, 1895-1973, his wife and my grandmother. I never knew my paternal grandparents. Leonard died eleven years before I was born and Ada four. In fact, I didn’t… Continue reading
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Eleanor Hope: An 18th Century Single Mum
Eleanor Hope, 1767-1838 Single Mum and Garden Digger, Frittenden, Kent, and my 5th great grandmother I wrote a little about Eleanor Hope when I told you about her son, Thomas Sharp Hope, the ancestor who took my genes to New… Continue reading
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Annie Catherine Downing: Found Mutilated on the Line
Annie Catherine Downing 1877-1899 Domestic Servant of Southend, Essex, and my great great grandmother. My mother actually started tracing the family tree before I did. The person who sparked her interest was her grandfather’s mother. She knew her grandfather, Frederick,… Continue reading
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Ronan Quick Update
Or rather, lack of update, as I seem to have hit another wall! In my last post about my mysterious third-cousin-or-closer, I talked about how “Ronan” and I most likely shared a set of great-great grandparents, or a singular great… Continue reading
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Harry William Downing: Lost at Sea
Harry William Downing 1876-1915 Painter and Sailor of Southend-on-Sea and Bristol, and my third great uncle Harry was the third child of Henry and Harriet Downing, brother to Emily, Joseph and my great great grandmother Annie. He was born in… Continue reading
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Richard Whibley: Green Fingers
While we are on the subject of the Whibley family (no, I still haven’t heard from Ronan Quick), I thought I’d tell you a little bit about my great great grandfather, Richard Whibley, a school gardener. Continue reading
Family Mystery 