161 septe,ber 2015

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LRFHS Journal 159 March 2015 1

Regular Features Page

The Chairman Peter Cousins 2

Editorial Julie Smith 2

About The Cover Brian Johnson 5

News and Views From The Committee 6

Mick Rawle’s Odds and Ends Mick Rawle 11

As A Matter Of Interest Brian Johnson 18

Kew National Archives Coach Trips 31

Book Review Brian Johnson 32

Useful websites Mrs K. Abraham 42

Information Pages 46

News from the Record Office 47

Computer Bits Mike Ratcliff 51

Query Box 54

Your Letters 56

News from the Groups 58

New Member’s Addresses and

Member’s Extra Interest Addresses 65

Member’s Interests Mike Hutchinson 66

Your Articles

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2015 3

Donations To Pilot House 9

Ted Mavis Battell 10

Help With Writing Your Family History Graham Barker 17

A Hinckley Grocer And His Missing Years David Spencer 19

Trading Stories - Working Lives Graham Barker 12

Flying In My Father’s Footsteps Sue Shore 22

New Parks House Brian Johnson 24

Thomas Blount Of Harby & Kirby Bellars –

Who Do We Think He Was? Beryl Hall 26

Members Search Service 31

Courtly Practices Rob Haywood 33

My “Strange” Direct Line RWH Strange 36

First British Soldier To Die

At Leicester Base Hospital Derek Seaton 43

Family History Found – From A Mistake! Peter Cousins 49

Index of Contents

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The Chairman – Peter Cousins

By the time you receive this journal we will be nearly a quarter of the way through

2015! Where does the time go? As you will read further on the Annual General

Meeting And Open Day for 2015 will take place at a new venue, it will be at the

THE ABINGTON ACADEMY, STATION ROAD, WIGSTON,

LEICESTERSHIRE LE18 2DH. This move has been forced upon us because the

Oadby Beauchamp College will no longer be letting their premises on Sundays. The

Abington Academy should be ideal for our event, with plenty of space and adequate

parking. Details of the Academy with location can be found on their website at

http://abingtonacademy.org. There is also a map link on the AGM page on our

website.

By the time you read this our new revamped website at www.lrfhs.org.uk will be

up and running. Last updated in December 2010, the new site is clearer and less

cluttered on the home page, and as you will see we have introduced several new

features, including a member’s search service direct to our Research Centre.

Editorial – Julie Smith

Welcome to the March edition of the Journal. I am grateful, again, to have some

very interesting submissions to this month’s Journal. I am particularly fascinated by

the history of buildings around Leicester I was pleased to receive several pieces

about buildings at Leicester University and New Parks which I see quite regularly. I

sometimes have a passing thought about such buildings, “that looks like an

interesting “ , but never get any further than that. So I am pleased to have Derek

Seaton and Brian Johnson as regular contributors to fill in the gaps.

Talking of buildings, by the time you read this the banana- shaped buildings, which

were the Leicester City Council offices at New Walk Centre, will have been

demolished. I worked at New Walk centre from the late 1980s to 2002. It will feel

strange when they disappear. They might not have been lovely but I should imagine

they hold a lot of memories for a lot of people, good and bad. The view from the

top floor of A Block of Leicester was excellent. It reminds of the Tower Blocks at

St Matthews, which were demolished a while back. They held memories for me,

too, as my nan and granddad lived on the nineteenth floor of one of the blocks. You

could stand on the concrete balcony and see way across Leicestershire, a view you

could only get now from an aircraft. By contrast, the Victorian terraced house I was

brought up in in Highfields still stands. I think, according to census records, it once

belonged to a tax inspector.

I hope you enjoy this edition of the Journal and keep sending your submissions, they

are very gratefully received.

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2015

The AGM 2015 will take place on

SUNDAY 22 MARCH 2015

IMPORTANT CHANGE OF VENUE:

THE VENUE FOR THE AGM WILL BE:

THE ABINGTON ACADEMY STATION ROAD, WIGSTON, LEICESTERSHIRE LE18 2DH

SEE THE LRFHS AGM WEB PAGE FOR

LINK TO LOCATION MAP

www.lrfhs.org.uk/agm2015.html

Full details on the next page……

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TIMETABLE FOR THE DAY EVENT OPENS AT 10.00AM

11.00 AM TO 12.00PM

FIRST PUBLIC SHOWING OF THE FILM OF ROSEMARY CONLEY’S FAMILY HISTORY PRESENTATION

RESEARCHED AND GIVEN BY BRIAN JOHNSON ON 20 SEPTEMBER 2014 AT THE LRFHS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Filmed and edited by Toni Smith MBE

1.30PM TO 2.00PM

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

3.00PM TILL 4.00PM JOHN TITTERTON

(Member Of The Guild Of One Name Studies) WILLS AND PROBATE

4.30 PM

CLOSE OF THE DAY

EXHIBITORS AT THE AGM INCLUDE: LRFHS CD SALES

LRFHS HELP DESK LEICESTERSHIRE RECORD OFFICE MARK GAMBLE MEDALS EXPERT

BELGRAVE CEMETERY MEMBERSHIP & SURNAME INTERESTS FROM EARL SHILTON TO WATERLOO

HISTORICAL SOCIETY GREATER WIGSTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

WIGSTON CIVIC SOCIETY FRAMEWORK KNITTERS MUSEUM

TEA/COFFEE & SANDWICHES AVAILABLE

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About The Cover Picture

For the cover picture of this journal we are in Factory Road, Hinckley, the post mark

of the post card is 1925, ninety years ago this year. How different to today, no

satellite dishes and no cars – just a motorcycle parked near the factory, and a small

group of people talking. It appears to be perfectly safe to walk along the middle of

the road and for the children to play in the street.

Although the factory has now gone and been replaced by houses, it looks as though

the majority of these original houses remain.

I’ve tried to find the origin of the name of Factory Road but without success.

Possibly named because of the large hosiery factory further along the road on the

right? The road is shown on the 1887 O/S map, with the factory and a few newly

built houses. In the 19th century Hinckley had a number of hosiery factories, in fact

approximately 6,000 people worked in Hinckley’s hosiery trade. Although there is

still some manufacturing in Hinckley many of the factories have now gone or been

converted into flats or apartments.

Probably the largest employer in Hinckley today is the massive Triumph Motorcycle

factory, producing 50,000 motorcycles a year, of which 80% are exported.

Once again many thanks to Arthur Hubbard for the loan of the post card from his

collection.

Brian Johnson

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News and Views

Members Interests and Strays

Members Interests

Not as many new interests this time, although we have had quite a few new members,

remember you can always add interests on the web site at

www.lrfhs.org.uk/surnameinterests.html

You will note several cases where there is no location to go with the surname, if you

have not supplied these details they simply will not appear as I am not a mind reader.

Renewals are well under way, I have just updated about 600 that came in over the

Christmas period, including a large number who renew on line. This is, at times, the

only way I can check changes to e mail addresses of those who have not informed

the society of a change. As usual with those who renew using the form in the Journal

there are still members who cannot grasp the concept of an uncut form.

Missing From The Census

The availability of the census records indexed and on line has been a great help in

tracking families over the years. However it is frustrating at times when whole

families vanish for one census and then reappear.

Sometimes it is just a case of spelling used by the enumerator (Stevens for Stephens).

There are some other problems, I have found on occasions the whole of a workhouse

where just initials are used (Hinckley is one such case in one census) you can make

a guess if you are looking for a Zachriah Young, but usually it is impossible to find

the family, especially as they will be split up into various male and female blocks.

The 1911 census provides another problem in that some female suffragettes refused

to have their details recorded, or were deliberately “away from home” on the night

in question.

Mike Hutchinson

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News From The Secretary - Joan Rowbottom

It was so nice to meet all the volunteers again at the get together at Pilot House on

20th January – a couple of new faces as well. We have decided to move things around

over the next few weeks so I am sorry if you can’t find anything for a while.

The second part of Loughborough Marriage Index is almost complete and I have

spent most of my time this winter finishing an index of soldiers photographs which

appear in the Leicester newspapers between 1914-1919 and it will be available in

the research centre fairly soon.

I am hoping to see the ‘postcard man’ at the AGM on March 22nd and also look

forward to seeing you all there.

My obsession with Aylestone continues – I hope to extract all the photos of the men

on St Andrew’s War Memorial. I have been exploring the building plans and trying

to match them with the maps and census returns.

I am pleased to say that the Atkins bible left at the fair last September has found its

rightful owner. My thanks to Peter Birkett for handing it in and Joyce Calow for

claiming it.

The three history groups are going strong, Aylestone Park meetings are fortnightly

on a Thursday afternoon, Westcotes is monthly on a Friday morning and Braunstone

History Group is on a Tuesday morning –usually at the Brite Centre but on Tuesday

24th March they will be opening the stable block at Braunstone Hall from 10-12.30

– I am hoping the weather is somewhat warmer by then.

Isn’t the new Gilroes CD wonderful – I can’t wait for the Saffron Hill one to be done

– perhaps I’ll find all the lost people of Aylestone.

joanrowbottom@hotmail

Projects Co-ordinator – Gavin Carr

Well, we finally got the second Gilroes Burials CD finished and out. Peter tells me

he has a waiting list for it!

We are hoping to have the Saffron Hill Burials available for the AGM. This will

cover from 1931 when it opened, to 2000 on one CD. When doing the transcribing

for these burials I noticed that the Registrars name was J Lofthouse. When we

transcribed Gilroes the Registrar there was a John Lofthouse as Registrar, who

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appeared in those records on his death in 1914. A little research found that the

Saffron Hill Registrar, James Lofthouse, was his son. In the 1911 census he was

living in Clarendon Park Road and was shown as a gardener. I would think his

knowledge of this and of his fathers work made him a suitable candidate for the

Saffron Hill job.

I have been to Derbyshire Records Office in Matlock to get the details of marriages

from parishes in Derbyshire for the Ashby de la Zouch Registration District index

but there are 3 marriages left that I am having difficulty finding the location of. When

I sort these I will get that CD out. Work is continuing on burials for Welford Road

(from 1950) and Belgrave Cemeteries and when these are completed I hope to start

an index for cremations at Gilroes. Due to the volume of work involved, this will

only be a basic index giving name, date and page reference in the Cremation Books

at the Crematorium, but it is hoped it will be useful for members who cannot find

burials of relatives as post 1947, cremations increased enormously.

I look forward to seeing you at the AGM at our new venue.

Gavin Carr

[email protected] or [email protected]

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The Membership Secretary – Angela Slater

I would like to thank all of you who have renewed on time, especially those who

renewed by 31st December. So far, approximately 82% of members have renewed

– this figure is the same as this time last year.

So far only 14 of you have paid twice by cheque – this is a lot less than this time last

year. Last year 31 members had paid twice, so the message is getting through.

I would also like to remind you that the cost of a replacement membership card is

£2.00 per card. Cheques should be made payable to LRFHS and sent to me (address

inside the front cover of this journal). This includes the cost of postage to UK

members only.

I would also like to remind members that if you expect a reply by post that you

should enclose an SAE with your query.

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Donations To Pilot House

Donations received last two months. All books unless otherwise stated.

Thurmaston and the Great War 1914-1918. Purchased by the Society

The Leicestershire Archaeological Society. 3 Books. Donated by Steve

Harris

Loros Hospice Care for Leics and Rutland.

Rutland Record No. 33

The Face of London. Donated by M. Billing.

Medical Directory 2 Books. Donated by Mrs. Connolly.

Map Of Mountsorrel 1901 Donated by Mary Culley

Wesleyan Meth. Historical Roll Methodist

Leics. 1851 census index Donated by Mrs. S Thorp.

Lafford Deanery Marriages 1700-1753 (Lincolnshire) Micro-Fiche

Lafford Deanery Marriages 1754-1812 Micro-Fiche

Lafford Deanery Burials 1813-1900 Micro-Fiche

Sleaford Burials 1813-1900 Micro-Fiche

Sleaford Petty Sessions Volumes 1-6 Micro-Fiche

By the Foolishness of Preaching.

The Green Room Plaque Donated by Peter Cousins.

The 2013 Medal Year Book.

Sikhs in World War One.

Next six books donated by Sue Shore.

The Leics. and Rutland Village Book by W.I's.

Ratby Photographic Memories (150 Photos) By J.Watson etc.

Syston Past (Vol 1) by Local History group.

Markfield into the Millenium " "

A History Of Shepshed (1086-1969) by A.J. Lacey etc.

Kibworth to Smeeton (memories) by Philip Porter.

The next four books donated by Linda Holmes.

Presthold Church by P. White

Staunton Harold by The National Trust.

Ashfordby Street Police/Fire Staion by K.Phillips (1899-2005)

Rutland Water Challenge Walk by J. Merrill.

A Tribute to Cosby's Fallen 1914-1918 Donated by Andy Strang.

Presthold Church by P.White.

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Ted

Continuing the letters written by Ted to his sweetheart Mary. Ted was in the

Metropolitan Police.

107 Stamford Street, London SE1

My Dear Mary

My dear, your letter was doubly welcome this week and when I saw it I forgot all

my troubles. Now, perhaps, I had better explain! I am doing night duty this week,

that is, sleep at the office, and on Wednesday morning at 8 am I had to meet the

Norwich boat train at Liverpool Street. An Italian woman spy (alleged) was arriving

and I was supposed to follow her. Well, she gave me the slip which was rather

unfortunate. Still, I have been forgiven but I wish I could get my hands on the

woman! We are getting rather busy again but I hope I don’t have to meet any more

people this week, it is a bit too nerve-racking.

Nearly a fortnight since I saw you dear, and it seems like two years! And one more

week before I can see you again. I am due for a day off on the 23rd so if there is a

cheap day trip I will come on that.

Thank you dear for the encouragement but I hope my letters are not too pessimistic.

At times things do not seem to bright and with the prospects of promotion as they

are, it is puzzling to think what will happen. One thing being away at port will mean

£1. 1/- a week more pay.

I have been busy this afternoon washing my ‘smalls’, that is I washed 5 pairs of

socks. I don’t like sending them to the laundry as they shrink them so badly. It is

going to be rather a jot to dry them. Have you been shopping at the ‘sales’? It is a

pity that they come so soon after Christmas because I always seem to be broke and

cannot take advantage of them. Some of them are frauds I am sure, and some articles

seem to go up in price! I have had an obscure offer of shirts for 2/6. There must be

a catch somewhere or perhaps they might be stolen property. Nevertheless, if they

are good I shall have some.

My dear, I seem to be writing all about myself and I want really to ask about you.

Do you remember the things we talked about in my room? I wish you were here and

I could tell you them again, but still, it is a very pleasant memory.

Now my dear I am going to say goodnight and get my supper. So till next week my

dear. All my love Ted

Mavis Battell

Member B0637

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Mick Rawle’s Odds And Ends

Unusual names

In an Inventory dated 1632 at Blackfordby near Ashby de la Zouch :– Cherubin

Swayne.

In a Marriage at Saltby 26 Jun 1743 John Holmes married Sarah Brothel of Croxton

Kerrial

Baptized at Peckleton 20 Sep 1789 – Strange the daughter of Thomas & Ann Wykes.

What amuses me most are the misspellings for some of our villages – here are two

Found in a Guardianship Bond dated 1640 - Kirby Muchless

Found in an Inventory Index dated 1647 - Calton Curlye

Unusual Occupation

Married at Barrow upon Soar 2 Nov 1920 was Jack Smith who married Gertrude

Agnes Clark whose father Samuel Clark was a ‘Turn-cock to the Water Works’

How much?

In the Burial Register of Belton, Rutland it gave the cost of the burials between 1937

and 1940 as follows :

Clerk 2/6

Grave Digging Single Grave 10/-

Double Grave 12/6

Don’t upset the vicar or he will make comments about you – preserved forever!

Barrow upon Soar Marriage 27 Dec 1830 between Henry Branson & Ann Harrison

Henry Branson was foolishly perverse as to leave the Church and take away his wife

without signing the register. The preceding couple being married at the same time

and who witnessed this marriage.

The following two entries were sent to me by John Tomkins who has been

transcribing some Sussex Parish Registers and follow the same lines :

3 Apr 1765 William son of Anne Robarts by God knows who !

2 Jun 1765 Sarah daughter of Elizabeth Tye – who still remains un-Tyed !

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An enquiry into what happened to an original Will

Lincoln Consistory Court Will reference LCC 1830/262 William Watchorn, late of

Swinstead, Farmer. Deceased.

Affidavit made by Edward W Clarke, Schoolmaster of Swinstead, Lincs, and Lucy

Watchorn of Edenham, Widow of deceased.

Regarding a copy of the Will made by William Watchorn who died 22 Jul 1828. The

original Will was accidently thrown off the table where it had been lying, by one of

the children of Lucy Watchorn, and it fell into a pot of boiling water and was boiled

to pieces, mutilated and destroyed before it could be rescued.

Lucy Watchorn X

Copy of said Will

A copy of the said Will signed by William Watchorn and properly witnessed was

proved in the LCC 16 Aug 1830 estate under £450.

Trading Stories, Working Lives

Continuing his series of occupational histories, Graham Barker investigates the

musical career of Len Collis, percussionist and bandleader.

Every now and then in family history research, you have the good fortune to track

down a colourful obituary, one that provides a real insight into your ancestor’s life.

Such was the case when I traced my relative Len Collis, “a well-known Leicester

musician”. Inspired by the snippets in his 1946 obituary in the Leicester Mercury, I

set out to uncover more about his musical career.

Leonard George Collis was born in 1886, the second son of publicans, Martin and

Elizabeth Collis. The obituary sets out his early musical interests:

“Being fascinated by music at an early age, Mr Collis had mastered the

cornet at the age of 10, and two years later started his career by playing this

instrument in an old Leicester Railway Band. Later, he became a member

of the Leicester Imperial Brass Band, the Excelsior Brass Band, and took

part in many band competitions, playing with massed bands at the Crystal

Palace.”

For background on brass bands, I head to Max Wade-Matthews’ book ‘Musical

Leicester’: “In the 1890s the number of brass and reed bands in the town increased

at a vast rate… Big band popularity grew for two main reasons: the advent of the

railways, which made travel easier for the working man, and the improvement in the

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manufacture of brass instruments, which made both fingering and blowing easier…

It was not long before bands began to compete with others in friendly rivalry.”

One of the top combinations was the Highfield Brass Band – later re-named

Leicester Imperial Prize Brass Band – which won first prize at the 1900 Easter

Monday concert at Rugby, and in 1901 the top prize at the Crystal Palace contest.

Whether Len was part of the prize-winning team isn’t clear, but he would certainly

have been a regular performer. Cornet players typically form the mainstay of a brass

band, with ‘front row cornets’ often featuring as soloists.

“By this time he had [also] become an expert player on the timpani, the drums and

the xylophone,” continues his obituary. Our family album includes a portrait of Len,

surrounded by his percussion instruments. Staged in a cobbled back yard, in all

likelihood behind his parents’ Admiral Nelson pub in Humberstone Gate, it presents

an amazing display; as well as timpani, a selection of drums and a xylophone, his kit

includes a keyboard glockenspiel, cymbals, cup chimes, tubular bells, sleigh bells, a

bell tree and hand bell, tambourine, claves, jam blocks, castanets, triangle, whistle,

gong, coconut shells and a taxi horn.

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In the 1911 census Len is listed as ‘Musician at Music Hall’. A flick through trade

directories indicate there were five theatres and music halls in Leicester at that time:

the New Empire Music Hall, Palace Theatre of Varieties, Pavilion (New) Theatre of

Varieties, Royal, and Royal Opera House.

It’s tricky, without further evidence, to be sure where he worked but my hunch is at

the Pavilion on Belgrave Gate; Len’s uncle, William Charles Shipley was ‘Bar

Manager at Music Hall’ (1911 census) and oral family tradition places him at the

Pavilion, or ‘the Pav’ as it was affectionately known.

For those with an interest in theatre and music hall history, the Arthur Lloyd website

(www.arthurlloyd.co.uk) is a goldmine. From 1863 there was a succession of

entertainment venues on the corner of Wilton Street and Belgrave Gate – initially

landlord Billy Paul ran a ‘free and easy’ song-and-supper room at his Old Cheese

pub, then in 1870 it was redeveloped into the Midland Music Hall. After a fire in

1889, the Prince of Wales Theatre of Variety was erected on the site, later renamed

the New Tivoli and ultimately the Pavilion.

The Pavilion hosted a twice-nightly variety show; over the years, audiences were

entertained by escapologist Harry Houdini, strong man Samson, and warbling Gracie

Fields. It had seating for 1,260 in the stalls, circle and gallery, and an orchestra pit

for 20 musicians. With his array of percussion instruments, Len Collis would have

been kept busy creating music and sound effects, as he hopped between drums, bells

and chimes.

As well as light-hearted variety, Len played the timpani, or kettledrums, in more

serious settings. As his obituary continues:

“He was still young when he first joined the old Wesley Hall Orchestra,

which is now known as the De Montfort Symphony Orchestra. Later, he

played all these instruments in symphony concerts in the Midlands, under

the baton of the late Sir Henry Wood and Dr Malcolm Sargent.”

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The Wesley Hall Orchestra – founded in Highfields in 1897 – changed its name to

the De Montfort Orchestra on the opening of the town’s new concert venue in 1913.

In the photograph taken to mark the occasion, Len Collis stands apart at the back,

behind his timpani.

De Montfort Hall was one of the country’s finest concert halls. Situated beside

Victoria Park, amidst flower gardens, it was an enlightened Corporation project.

With a capacity of around 3,000 and a fine concert organ donated by Alfred Corah,

De Montfort Hall became noted for Sunday concerts (under George Tebbs), choral

performances, and visiting international musicians.

Inaugural concert of the De Montfort Orchestra (courtesy of Tebbs family archive

and LSO)

To understand the local orchestral scene at the time, I refer to Sam Dobson of the

LSO (www.leicestersymphonyorchestra.co.uk) and Neil Crutchley’s splendid book,

‘Leicester Symphony Orchestra: The First 90 Years’. The pivotal role played by Dr

Malcolm Sargent shines through.

Malcolm Sargent was charismatic and talented. As organist and choirmaster at St

Mary’s, Melton Mowbray from 1914, Sargent “first learned a skill that was to make

him world famous… namely the ability to inspire people to sing with confidence and

conviction,” explains Neil Crutchley. After conducting a series of concerts at De

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Montfort Hall in 1921, Sargent went on to found the Leicester Symphony Orchestra

the following year. Despite his increasingly demanding schedule, he was to conduct

it for much of the next twenty years.

Sargent’s enthusiasm and positive attitude had a great effect on the orchestra. One

player put it this way, “The first rehearsal was a revelation, it transformed me as a

player and suddenly I felt that I was a real musician. What had been impossible

became possible. What was possible became almost easy.”

Timpani wouldn’t feature in every piece, though they came into their own in

Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique, Haydn’s ‘Drumroll Symphony’ or Holst’s Planets

Suite, for example. Len was undoubtedly an LSO stalwart, with his name featuring

in programmes through the 1920s, 30s and 40s.

His obituary rounds off with a flourish:

“He had been broadcasting from the time wireless was introduced. Another

successful venture by Mr Collis was the founding of the ‘La Veeda’ dance

band, which he led. His daughter Mabel joined the band and became a noted

saxophone player. Father and daughter broadcast together on many

occasions.”

In a family photograph from the late 1920s, we see the band about to strike up its

signature tune. Wax-moustached and wing-collared Len Collis is poised at the

drums, with his xylophone close to hand. Daughter Mabel stands centre stage with

her saxophones and clarinets. A pianist, cellist and violinist complete the troupe.

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La Veeda – a foxtrot composed by John Alden in 1920 – has a gentle, cantering

rhythm and cheery saxophone melody. Perhaps the band would follow on with ‘Tea

for Two’ or a spicier Charleston. In her brief memoir notes, Mabel takes up the story:

“When Boot’s the Chemist opened their new branch in Gallowtree Gate,

my father was Musical Director in their restaurant on the second floor and

had a five-piece band. We were there for six or seven years and it was a

very popular rendezvous for Leicester people… During our years at Boot’s

my father [also] ran a 10-12 piece dance band, playing at the big events.”

Mabel was offered a recording contract with the BBC – she made over 40 broadcasts

during the early 1930s. But that, as they say, is another story.

Unfortunately, early wireless broadcasts were not recorded; virtually every

broadcast was live. However, to get a sense of Len’s musical repertoire I tune into

the dance band encyclopedia that Mike Thomas has compiled at

www.mgthomas.co.uk. It includes hundreds of inter-war recordings by the likes of

Jack Hylton, Billy Cotton and Henry Hall. As I listen, I’m transported for a moment,

tuning in to Uncle Len and his band, an echo of my family history.

Graham Barker

[email protected]

Help With Writing Your Family History

The prospect of writing your family history can seem daunting; it can be difficult to

know where to start and how to bring together elements of your research to form a

compelling narrative. On his new website – www.auntiemabel.org – Graham

Barker will provide step-by-step guidance, writing activities and case studies, as well

as ideas for creatively publishing and sharing your family history with others.

Graham Barker

[email protected]

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As A Matter Of Interest…….

St Mary’s Fields is another house that thousands pass and never see as it is set back

from the road behind trees. Many will be familiar with the old tram shelter that

stands at the old Narborough Road tram terminus, St Mary’s Fields is set back well

behind that. The plans for St Mary’s Fields were approved in 1866 and simply

headed ‘House Leicester - W Bates Esq’. The exact year it was built is uncertain as

it appears William Bates was still living at Newfound Pool in 1870. The fact there

are some slight differences between the plans and the completed house could imply

the plans were changed and re-submitted but four years seems a long time.

The 1871 census shows William Bates and his family had moved into the house and

at this time it was called ‘Narborough Road House’. The first time the name St

Mary’s Fields appears on the O/S maps is 1904. William Henry Bates, and his

brother Alfred Mason Bates, owned W&A Bates India Rubber Works at St Mary’s

Mills, just a short distance behind the house, by the side of the canal, but Alfred died

in 1868 at the early age of 27. They were pioneers of making square cut rubber

thread, and highly thought of employers. A story goes that one day when William

was out in his carriage he rode by a group of strikers outside a factory and when they

saw who was in the carriage they cheered him.

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William had married Augusta Hammond in 1866 and looking at the burials in the

family grave at Welford Road Cemetery there appears to have been two stillborn and

one three month old child interred. They had one daughter, Katie. Augusta died in

1897 aged 52.

William died in 1921 aged 87. The company was sold to Dunlop in 1925 but appears

to have continued to operate as W&A Bates until 1941 when the name changed to

Dunlop.

The house was sold and in 1924 became a school for ‘Mentally Defective’ children,

in 1932 it was described as a school for ‘Maladjusted’ children. The school closed

in 1976. Sadly, during the years as a school most of the original features and

fireplaces were removed.

In 1978 the house opened as The Manor House Neighbourhood Centre. Today, the

entrance to the house is on the west side through what was the pantry window and

through the old pantry, the original front door, on the south side of the house is now

a fire exit.

At the time of her death in 1919 Bella Wright, of the ‘Green Bicycle Murder’ was

working at William Bates’ India Rubber factory at St Mary’s Mills.

Brian Johnson

A Hinckley Grocer And His Missing Years

Joseph Sharp Spencer was born in Weddington on July 23rd 1820, the seventh of

eight surviving children of Francis Spencer a local farmer. His grandfather was

Richard Sharp Spencer a prosperous farmer and landowner from Snarestone. In

October 1842 he married Charlotte Frisby in Loughborough and his occupation was

stated to be “tea dealer”. They started their married life in Hinckley where Joseph

had already established a grocery business. In 1843 he prosecuted a youth for

stealing currants and raisins from him. He seems to have been something of a joker

and took part in a mock “court leat” at Hinckley. The Leicester Mercury described

it as follows: - “This piece of mummery was gone through on Thursday for the

purpose of finding “a mayor” among the good folks of Hinckley. Mr Joseph Spencer

grocer was the one to amuse the company. If anybody can tell us what the duties of

the Mayor of Hinckley are we should be obliged.”

It is clear that Joseph built up a successful business during this period. He had a

second shop in Earl Shilton and also became a tenant farmer at some point with a

farm at Higham. The first reference to his farming activities comes in 1848 when he

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won an award for his sheep at the Hinckley Agricultural Society show. The 1854

Melville ‘s Directory describes his business in these terms: -

HINCKLEY Spencer, Joseph Sharp. Dublin and London stout. East India pale ale

and strong Burton ale. Stores Castle St and Earl Shilton.

Spencer, Joseph Sharp. Grocer Tea dealer Hop merchant and cheese factor. Italian

oil warehouse. Wax and other candles. Castle St and Earl Shilton.

In 1848 his father died and he was the first named

executor. He shared the residue of the estate with his

three brothers. His first child, Joseph Frisby Spencer,

was born in this year to be joined much later in 1857

by Samuel Frisby Spencer. In January 1851 he was

involved in a complex case in the court of chancery

when he sued on behalf of his deceased sister in law

for a share in her father’s estate. He was successful.

This case is still quoted in at least one legal text book.

In 1852 he stood for the post of Church Warden but

was defeated on a show of hands. He insisted on a

formal poll which he lost. Piqued, he then voted

against the setting of the church rate. He was elected

to the Board of Guardians. Thus far Joseph had a career as a successful business

man and a settled family life.

From the mid 1850's there were indications that he was beginning to have some

financial difficulties. He was involved in several court cases where he was chased

for debts or he sued other people for money that he alleged was owing to him.

Employees were also taking him to court to get their wages. A picture of a rather

less reliable character begins to appear. In 1858 his bachelor brother George (of

Normanton Turville, Thurlaston) died intestate. His executors (Joseph’s other two

brothers) received their share of the money but insisted that Joseph's share be put in

trust for his children. It seems they had concerns about his financial affairs. He took

them to court but withdrew the case at the last minute. He continued to farm and to

win awards for showing stock including one prize won at Killarney in Ireland. He

now had another farm at Hartshill, Mancetter, whether he continued to farm at

Higham is not clear. He continued to trade in Hinckley and in the 1861 census was

stated to be living at 6, Hartshill Park, Mancetter with his family and eight

employees, six of whom were living in. There were further small court cases over

financial matters the last of which, a dispute over the sale of potatoes, was in May

1862.

Now suddenly everything changed. In January 1863 he was farming at Bishops

Oxley near Stone in Staffordshire and he successfully prosecuted a butcher for

stealing three sheep from him. We do not know whether his wife and younger son

had made this sudden move with him but we do know that his eldest son Joseph

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Frisby Spencer (now aged 15 years) did. We know this because of a dramatic court

case in the Lent session of the Staffordshire Assizes in 1864. Joseph Sharp sued a

Mr Walters for assaulting and seriously injuring his son whom he had sent to collect

a debt. Mr Walters said that the 15 year old Joseph Frisby Spencer (named as

“Joseph Crispy” in the press report!) had shot his dog or stuck it with a pikel. The

assault was only stopped by Mrs Walters who had said that “the boy has had

enough”. I have not been able to find the verdict in the case which was adjourned.

Soon after this Joseph Sharp borrowed £268 and 16 shillings from his orphaned

niece, for whom he had been co-guardian, on a promissory note. It was probably all

she possessed. At this point Joseph disappeared from the records!

Elizabeth Spencer, the niece, took him to court in Bradford where she was living in

August 1864 and was awarded £316 and 16 shillings to include interest in an

uncontested case. It is likely that Joseph was not there and was not represented. I

doubt if she ever got the money. For over 30 years there are no further references to

him. His wife continued to describe herself as married and lived with various

relatives at different times. Both his sons became successful business men and

upright citizens. Joseph Frisby was a prosperous dairy farmer in Islington and

Samuel Frisby an ironmonger in High Street, Rugby.

However Joseph Sharp Spencer had disappeared. Then, abruptly, 33 years later, he

comes back into view. Litigious as always in 1897 he took a maid to court for

stealing a pound from him while he was staying with another niece Mary Ann Farnell

Stanhope (nee Spencer) in Wibtoft, Claybrooke Parva. In February 1901 he was

found dead in Claybrooke. There was an inquest and the coroner ruled that he had

died as a result of a fall. He was 80 years old. His niece arranged for a handsome

memorial to be erected for him in the Claybrooke graveyard. It is inscribed “in

affectionate memory of Joseph Sharp Spencer formerly of Hinckley”.

Where was he for the missing years? Did he live under an assumed name, perhaps

with another woman? I have not found him in any shipping records, prison records

or any other ones. An elderly member of the Stanhope family, who was kind enough

to meet me, mentioned that the family had talked of a “tramp-like" character called

“Old Joe” who did odd jobs around the farm in Wibtoft in return for assistance from

the house. Her words set me thinking. Could Joseph, escaping from his creditors,

have been a “Gentleman of the Road”?

David Spencer

S0848 [email protected]

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Flying In My Father’s Footsteps

Our plane touched down at Billund Airport in the Jutland region of Denmark (May

2014). I was on a visit with two researcher friends to see where my father’s plane

had been shot down 70 years before.

On 27 August 1944 in the early hours of the morning my father’s Avro Lancaster III

(PB292 – ‘S’ for sugar) was targeted by a Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf110 night

fighter close to Hogsholtgard, near the town of Vejle, Jutland. As part of 83

Squadron (Pathfinders) Bomber Command, they had taken off from RAF Coningsby

in the evening of 26 August, dropped flares and bombed Konisberg near the Prussian

border but were hit on the return journey. Five members of the crew did not survive

and were eventually buried in nearby Randbol churchyard. My father, Warrant

Office, Navigator, Raymond Ernest Page (1922-1996) had parachuted from the

plane and was unhurt. He was found by local police and handed over to the

Luftwaffe. After interrogation at a Dulag –Luft he was a prisoner of war at Stalag

Luft VII Bankau and Stalag IIIA Luckenwalde (another story!). The pilot (Squadron

Leader James Verran) also survived but being badly burned was taken to hospital

for medical treatment, including skin grafting. Ironically the rear gunner had

managed to shoot down the German plane before taking his last breath.

I discovered the five crew members who died were originally buried on the outer

edge of a German Luftwaffe airfield near Vandel village. However, in 1947 the

bodies were exhumed, identified and reburied in the nearby Randbol churchyard.

Local people had paid for the memorial stones and the church council of Randbol

maintains the graves. Every year on the evening of 4th May they hold a service, to

commemorate the liberation of Denmark and to honour the deceased airman buried

there.

In true ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ style, I made contact with a local historian

(good website ‘www.airwaroverdenmark’) who offered to take us to visit the

relevant sites. (This really was a good plan and we were very grateful for the time

given). We stayed at the Billund Airport Hotel (thanks to the close proximity of

Legoland, this Airport has International Status) and so transport problems did not

arise.

We were driven to Hogsholtgard to view the field where most of the plane was

scattered in 1944, a nearby memorial stone commemorates the event. Next, we were

taken to the (now defunct but still undeveloped) Vandel Airfield and were shown the

site of the original burial plot of the five crew members who died though most of the

ground was covered in trees, bushes and weeds. Finally, we arrived at the

churchyard in Randbol to see the grave site and memorials. We took photos and

pondered their fate, my father told me he had changed places with the Flight Sergeant

to navigate the plane home (they had lost navigational aids and radar contact).

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Later that evening we returned to the church for the annual memorial gathering and

met the local Home Guard members who organised the service, witnessed a fly past

from a nearby flying school and heard the local padre speak (in Danish!). I was

asked to join a parade to lay commemorative wreaths at the gravestones. Afterwards

we went to a local village hall for a supper of Danish cake, tea and coffee. Speeches

were made and the padre (who

spoke perfect English) explained

that it was his first 4th May event as

he had just returned from a tour of

Afghanistan. He was surprised and

delighted by the large turnout of the

local population.

In the churchyard I was approached

by a local plane enthusiast, he gave

me an oil temperature pressure

gauge purporting to be from the

plane (including mud attached to it)

and also a photograph of the part in

its original condition. It appeared to

be from the Flight Sergeants flight

deck.

Stop Press (1): As I was writing the

above account, I received an email

stating that my father’s navigators

pocket watch had been discovered

with the help of a metal detector. It

had lain buried in a muddy field for

70 years but was now on its way

home to Leicester.

Stop Press (2): The watch duly arrived before Christmas,

it was discoloured from being in the burning plane and the

glass front and hands were missing. The watch number

and year of issue on the back cover could just about be

read.

Sue Shore

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New Parks House I recently had the pleasure of being asked to talk to the children of Parks Primary

School in Leicester, some members may remember this as the old New Parks Junior

School. The subject of the talk was the history of New Parks and New Parks House,

the old White House Infants School in the 1950s & 60s. I have a particular interest

in this area as this was where I grew up and these were the two schools I attended in

the 1950s before moving on to New Parks Boys School.

New Parks was originally part of Leicester Forest, which was quite separate to the

Charnwood Forest. Leicester Forest was 5,000 acres in area, 14 miles long by 4

miles wide and curved round the western side of the town. The forest was an

important source of wood for the people of Leicester, not only for building but also

for fuel, and they were permitted to go into the Frith area of the forest to collect

wood for their fires, returning along ‘Woodgate’ into the town. It was also a popular

hunting venue for the King and the Earls, there was a forest lodge called Birds Nest

Lodge. Kings Stand Spinney (near Desford Cross Roads at Leicester Forest West)

stands where the King had a clearing where he could stand, perhaps on a raised

platform, and aim at the deer as they were herded past by his men.

The name New Parks first appears after the enclosure act of 1526 and the area was

divided into two. The south-west part was bought by John Mellor, and in 1897 sold

to Leicester Corporation to create Western Park, the large farm house and some of

the farm buildings still remain in the park.

Thomas Stokes, a Leicester Hosier, bought the other half of the estate and built

himself a mansion in 1845 which he called New Parks House.

Thomas was born 6th February 1784 at Kingston on Soar, where his family lived in

the Manor House. He appears to have settled in Leicester about 1809.

Thomas married Mary Joyce, daughter of Thomas Joyce, on 2nd April 1822 at St

Margaret’s Church in Leicester, Thomas was 39 and Mary was 22 years.

Sadly, their happiness was very short lived as Mary died 6th February 1823, age only

23 years. The baptism registers from St Margaret’s Church show their daughter

Mary Joyce was baptised 23rd February so Mary may have died in childbirth.

The 1841 census shows Thomas Stokes ‘Hosier’ living in Welford Road but after

purchasing the North-East portion of the New Parks Estate he built New Parks House

in 1845 in a prominent position on a wooded hill overlooking the River Soar and the

town of Leicester. The front door of the house was on the south-west side of the

house with double doors on the south-east side leading onto the lawn. Stables and a

coach house were adjoining at the rear in an ‘L’ shape to form a three sided

courtyard.

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As there were no roads through the estate access to the house was gained via a

driveway from Groby Road, at the point of the sharp right hand bend (present day

junction of Garland Crescent and Stokes Drive). This drive involved a civil

engineering project as it had to first of all go down and under the Leicester to

Swannington Railway, then the driveway curved up the steep hillside to the house.

A Gate Lodge was built at this entrance, although it doesn’t appear on the O/S maps

until the 1904 edition, but I believe it was built before this date.

Thomas Stokes was twice Mayor of Leicester (1838 & 1841) and High Sheriff in

1850.

The 1851 census describes Thomas as a ‘Magistrate & Retired Manufacturer’.

In 1858 Thomas’s daughter Mary Joyce married Hugh Henry Robertson Aikman at

St James Church Westminster.

In 1861 Thomas is a ‘Farmer of 178 acres employing 11 men and 3 boys’. His

daughter and her husband, Hugh Aikman, and one of their children are also in

residence, along with eight members of the house staff.

Thomas Stokes died at New Parks House, on 12th October 1867, aged 83. He was

described as “respected by a large circle of friends. Of him it has been said that he

manifested great independence, originality of view and sentiment. He read and

thought for himself in reference to all matters”.

He was interred in the family vault in the churchyard at Kingston on Soar.

Thomas’s 31 page Will reveals even more about him, the executors of his will were

Joseph Whetstone of Leicester, Thomas Tertius Paget of Humberstone and the Rev.

Robert Martin of Anstey Pastures.

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A Trust Fund of £30,000 (the equivalent of about £2,348,316 today) had been set up

and as can be expected, his daughter Mary was well provided for with an allowance

of £600 twice per year, this would be about £100,000 per year today. He also

provided for his son-in-law and his brother, as well as his grandchildren and two

nephews. His servant George Collier received a total of £70 (£5,600 today) and

named servants, housemaids, coachman, groom and Waggoner all received £10

(£780 today) each. Even the Sir Thomas White Charity got a mention. As well as

owning New Parks, his will also showed Thomas owned land at Leicester Frith,

Dunton Bassett, Sutton in the Elms, Broughton Astley, Broughton Astley Farm and

the Mill Meadows, Frisby by Gaulby, Billesdon, Laughton and Mowsley as well as

Nuneaton and Stretton Baskerville in Warwickshire. He also left money to educate

the poor children of Dunton Bassett. His daughter and her husband were living at

Dunton Bassett Manor House.

In 1933 New Parks Estate was purchased by Leicester Corporation to provide much

needed housing. After the concrete roads were laid the plans were put on hold due

to the outbreak of World War II. During the war the roads were used to store military

vehicles and equipment in readiness for D-day. Between 1946 and 1959 over 3000

council homes were built on the New Parks Estate. The prefabs were erected first,

using POW labour, then the BISF steel houses, Easiform concrete houses and brick

houses, finally the Aikman Avenue flats.

In 1950 New Parks House became the White House Infants School, today it is used

by the Special Needs Teaching Service

Brian Johnson

Thomas Blount of Harby & Kirby Bellars;

Who Do We Think He Was?

Well I know he was my 3xgreat grandfather.

Thomas was baptized at St Mary's, Harby in 1799, the youngest child of William &

Ann (previously SIMPSON, nee BESTLAND), who were tenant farmers in Hose

Lane. I guess he was part of a fine upstanding family, his mother being from

landowning stock. Land tax and other records show that parcels of land in Beck Field

within the Liberty of Harby had journeyed through Ann’s maternal side to herself

and her sister Susannah, and this was occupied by William from 1803, a fortuitous

marriage I think! Prior to this William worked land belonging to Joseph BLUNT -

until it was advertised for sale in the Leicester Journal in 1801 and again in 1803!

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Three closes of very useful freehold land, with barn and stable in good

repair, on one of them.

Tythe free, lying within the Lordship or Liberty of Harby in the county of

Leicester and in certain part thereof called or known by the name of The

Sands, containing 21 acres or thereabouts, in the occupation of Mr William

BLUNT.

The tenant will show the premises, and to treat for the same, application

may be made to Mr Joseph

BLUNT of Burton on the Wolds, near Loughborough, or Mr John

CRADDOCK of Loughborough.

By the way, if anyone knows of The Sands I would love to be able to pinpoint it on

a map.

I am almost certain that the relationship between Joseph and William was uncle and

nephew, alas only circumstantial evidence exists at this time. I think William was

interested in the sale process as he went on to become an auctioneer working with

Mr GLOVER of Wymeswold, Attorney at Law. He could count upon SHILCOCK

of Hose Hall as a friend and trusted him with the task of being a joint executor of his

will, so yes a fine upstanding family.

But back to Thomas; before his father’s death in 1826, he saw the marriages of his

older siblings William and Susannah and the death of his half brother John, his

father’s first born who was a butcher in Nottingham. Thomas took over the tenancy

of the family farm and in 1827 wed Ann HAYWOOD, the daughter of the local

innkeeper of the White Hart, who provided Thomas with a son and heir Henry – less

than 9 months later….. Sadly Ann died in 1829 aged just 27 and she lay beside her

father in law in Harby churchyard.

Obviously Thomas had a thing about the name Ann as he found himself a second

wife, Ann HOLMES, and married her at Eastwell in 1830. Ann was three years

older than Thomas and aged 34 at the time of their wedding but this didn’t get in the

way of fertility and another son Thomas was born – less than 9 months later! Thomas

and his two Anns looked after his mother Ann until she joined William in the

churchyard in 1834.

The following year some of the land under the tenancy of Thomas was sold but he

remained in Harby until around 1848.

Stamford Mercury 15 May 1835. Sale of Land at HARBY,

Freehold and Tithe Free.

To be SOLD by AUCTION, by Messrs BURTON and CLARK,

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On Monday the 18th day of May 1835 at Mrs HAYWOOD'S the White

Hart Inn, in Harby, in the county of Leicester, at Five o'clock in the

Afternoon, subject to such conditions as will be then produced, either

together or in two or three lots, as may suit purchasers, and be determined

at the time of sale.

All those Two Closes of very rich PASTURE LAND, lying most

advantageously in the lordship of Harby aforesaid, adjoining the road

leading from thence to Hose, containing 14 1/2 Acres, or thereabouts, in the

occupation of Mr Thomas Blount.

For a view of the estate apply to the Tenant; and for further particulars, to

the Auctioneers.

During the 1840s extracts from local papers suggested he was no shrinking violet!

Leicester Chronicle 27 Aug 1842 MELTON MOWBRAY

Thomas Blount, farmer, of Harby, was charged by his servant, John

STARBUCK, with turning him away without paying his wages. Case

dismissed; Starbuck to pay costs,

Leicester Journal in July 1847 reported the petty sessions for Melton

Mowbray;

Thomas had won his case and received costs of 9s against John

HUCKERBY of Goadby Marwood who stood accused of maliciously

injuring a fence!

Meanwhile, on his maternal side (the BESTLANDS), Auntie Susannah of

Brentingby bless her, who was a spinster and therefore had no family of her own,

died in 1846 and bequeathed her fortune to be divided between the children of her

sister Ann, hence her nephews John SIMPSON of Wyfordby (half brother to Thomas

and his mother’s first born), William BLOUNT of Hickling, Thomas BLOUNT of

Harby and her niece Susannah, now the wife of John LEVESLEY a miller and baker

in Melton Mowbray.

This changed Thomas’s life, the land he and his father had known so well was

advertised for sale in December 1847 by the trustees of Susannah’s will, John

SIMPSON of Freeby and J B LEADBEATER of Thorpe Satchville. 9 closes of tythe

free land totalling 62 acres with a substantially built farm house, outbuildings and

a well planted orchard was to be auctioned, again at the White Hart Inn, on 20th

December. Leic Journal 10 Dec 1847

__________________________________________________________________


Following the sale of the family farm Thomas relocated to Kirby Lodge in Kirby

Bellars, a farm of 139 acres. He employed three labourers to work alongside his two

sons, and a pair of general servants Matthew and Mary TUCKWOOD from Ab

Kettleby.1851 census A few years later in 1854 his eldest son (and my 2xgreat

grandfather) Henry married Mary ATTEWELL of Eaton at the Parish church in

Melton Mowbray. Helped financially by his father, he started out on his own in

Ashby Folville, where my great grandfather George Henry was born (safely ten

months later!) followed by his four siblings, two of which died as children.

However Thomas the younger, perhaps sensing his own importance as heir now his

half brother was settled elsewhere, appeared in the newspapers in his own right.

Leicestershire Mercury 4 Aug 1855. Melton Mowbray

Thomas Blount, Junr. of Kirby Bellars, was charged by Emma MOSELEY

with an assault.-Fined £4 including costs, or two calendar months

imprisonment.

Quick find him a wife! A year later in 1856 Thomas married Matilda DIGBY at

Great Dalby, and then a daughter Harriet Ann arrived – less than 9 months later!

Their future was to remain at Kirby Lodge and continue working the farm.

With the children married Thomas the elder’s life was disrupted by an accident

which occurred during the summer of 1859. The incident was reported locally and

in The Times the following March as news from the Spring Assizes, Midland Circuit.

It is too lengthy to include but makes very interesting reading. Here is a shortened

version.

On the 5th July 1859 Thomas (the elder) and his wife Ann were driving to

Melton market in a one horse trap and their only way to the turnpike road

was over four fields belonging to their neighbour William AUSTIN. Aged

60, Thomas was crippled with Rheumatism so his sprightlier wife would

get down from the trap to open the gates for him to drive through. At the

gate to the third field a tup ran out from a hedge causing her to fall and both

bones in her leg were broken; “the bone was sticking through her stocking

and blood was streaming”. The tup butted her twice more before Thomas

could climb down and hit the animal with a stick, driving it into the next

field. He propped Ann up against the fence so he could get some help, but

she didn’t want him to leave her as she thought the tup would come back

and kill her. Fortunately Thomas was able to shout for help and Ann was

taken home and the surgeon called from Melton Mowbray.

She was attended by the surgeon regularly for the rest of the year and a

nurse and her assistant employed to look after Ann. Before the accident

Ann was “a person of active habits and in general good health”, but she had

__________________________________________________________________


had to lie in one position for 13 weeks which caused her back to become

sore. A generous diet and brandy for her support and to rub on her back

was prescribed!!

This was a claim for compensation. The doctor’s bill was 19s and the

nursing care for 28 weeks was 39s, plus Ann’s help around the farm would

have to be covered as she was incapacitated for months and probably

wouldn’t recover full strength. Thomas was awarded 40s in addition to the

60s initially paid into court.

William AUSTIN deeply regretted the accident. The ram was a young one

that had been reared by hand and he hadn’t known of its vicious tendencies.

He destroyed the ram the next day but he questioned whether Thomas

should have allowed his wife to get out of the cart if the ram, being a vicious

one, was in the field! He said he was legally responsible for the ram but no

blame should be attached to him.

1860 was turning into quite a year, tensions must have been high and it is difficult

to say which Thomas was involved.

Tuesday April 10 1860: Thomas Blount, farmer, Kirby Bellars, was

convicted in a penalty of 40s and costs, for assaulting Joseph Smith, on the

28th ult.

October 1860: Richard BEALE, servant, Kirby Bellars, was charged by

Thomas Blount, farmer of the same place, with leaving his house at night

without leave or lawful excuse on the 7th October. Ordered to have 1s

deducted from his wages and 7s 6d costs.

Personally I would think it was 1-1, April to the younger and October to the elder.

The 1861 census shows father and son and their families at the lodge, but the elder

is still the head. The acreage has been rounded up to 140 with only 1 labourer. In

addition Richard STARBUCK from Hickling is employed as a carter and Sarah Ann

SCARBOROUGH of Scalford as house servant.

Wearily Thomas made his last will and testament in May 1861 which was witnessed

by two of his friends Samuel BURTON and John ALLEN, in which he gave all he

owned to his dearly beloved wife and it was his desire that she continued to hold his

farm. Henry was to receive £19 and 19s as a mark of his affection as he had already

provided for him and the remainder on the death of the survivor was to go to his

second son Thomas.

__________________________________________________________________


Thomas died two months later and there is a very well preserved headstone in the

churchyard at Kirby Bellars which has been protected from the elements by a large

bush (or had the last time I saw it). We found it through sheer perseverance!

So who do we think he was? I think he was a litigious man who had strong morals

and who didn’t suffer fools gladly. He built his living through hard work, the good

fortune of an inheritance, and with the support of a loving wife and two sons, though

neither of them made such a success of their lives.

As regards the sons, Henry died of consumption in May 1869 leaving his family in

the capable hands of his wife, who had by 1871 moved the short distance from Ashby

Folville to Barsby to open a shop.1871 census In Thomas’s case, after his mother’s death

later in 1869 he became a shepherd in Great Easton1871 census and thereafter a farm

labourer in Rearsby1881&91 census until his death some time before 1901.

Beryl Hall

Member H0054

KEW NATIONAL ARCHIVES COACH TRIPS

DATES FOR 2015

SATURDAY 9TH MAY 2015

SATURDAY 4TH JULY 2015

SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2015

ALL FUTURE TRIPS WILL PICK UP AT

ONE STOP ONLY

The Premier Inn, Narborough Road,

Leicester At 6.45AM

Book By E-Mail [email protected]

Or By Post Using The Form In The Centre

Pages Of This Journal

__________________________________________________________________


Book Review

One of our members, Andy Strang of Cosby, has recently published an excellent

book entitled ‘A Tribute to Cosby’s Fallen in The Great War’. It covers those men

who died in WW1 and are listed on the Roll of Honour in Cosby’s St Michael and

All Angels parish church, the War Memorial in the churchyard consists of a sundial

with no names listed. The men listed on the WW1 Role of Honour consist of a

mixture of not only those born in the village but also those born outside of Cosby

who had married Cosby girls and those of families from other villages who had

moved into and were living in the village from other areas.The book is A5 size of

about 130 pages and perfect bound with a striking coloured cover of red poppies, it

contains biographies of the 41 men listed on the WW1 Roll of Honour in St Michael

and All Angels church plus the names of a further 14 men whose names should have

been included through being born or having lived in the village. There are also a

number of good quality photographs, both black & white and colour.

Andy has obviously spent a lot of time

researching each of these men’s lives and whilst

reading the book I came across more information

than I originally had regarding a member of a

family I’ve been researching for many years.The

cost is £5 per copy, plus £1.50 for postage and

packing, and can be ordered by contacting Andy

on 01162864641 or [email protected]

All of the money raised from the sale of the book

goes to Cosby Heritage Society’s project

account to finance further publications.

Andy is currently researching Cosby’s WW2

Roll of Honour and hopes to have that ready for publication in time for the 2015

Remembrance Day

Andy has kindly donated a copy of ‘A Tribute to Cosby’s Fallen in The Great War’

to our Research Centre.

Brian Johnson

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Courtly Practices What is it that’s missing from our town and city centres? Shops, I hear you say. Big

stores. Markets. Crowds of shoppers. Well, yes, all of those are true. But there’s

something else that, after 45 yrs of marriage, I realise is also missing. Though it’s

not something we’re badly in need of these days, but we may miss them all the same.

Something that has contributed in no small way to all of our family histories. I know

you think my trolley pole has come off, but please bear with me.

What on earth am I talking about? Clocks!

Being a native Leicester lad, I naturally take a great interest in the various websites

depicting Leicester memories, as well as those of Hull where I’ve resided this past

40 or so years. On reading other folks’ recollections about past city street scenes, on

the likes of FaceBook and similar archives, I’ve realised there’s one factor that a lot

of those memories have in common. Clocks!

Where shall we meet? .. the boy would say. Under Lea’s clock. (there, I’ve got you

now!) Or under the clock on Central Buildings, on the corner of the Market Place

Approach. Then there were the obvious ones, like the Clock Tower itself, or the

Town Hall clock, both of which chimed and still do. Less obvious ones would be

H.Samuel’s, Ratners, Goldsmith’s, or any well-known jewellers, most had a large

clock hanging outside, if not windows full of them.

It was much the same, I suspect, in most large city and some smaller town centres,

where few survivors of those decades can still be seen. Most have gone, and they

always seem to be the ones that held the most romantic memories.

Us Old ‘Uns remember when many were above department stores that had huge shop

windows, protected by sunblinds or awnings, often left down at night, providing

welcome shelter to wait under if it was tipping down with rain. Shops used to leave

their brilliant window displays on, whole streets alight on both sides with neon and

flourescence, often giving the girl something to look at while she waited for her date.

For courting couples, ‘window shopping’ was a cheap pastime, and often resulted in

seeing a bargain that would later be snapped up when the shop was open.

At first glance, there appears to be a very logical female logic to this requirement to

meet her boy ‘under a clock’. I can hear all you girls take a deep breath, but stop a

moment, bear with me, for you know it’s true. The girl would choose to meet under

a prominent clock, not just in my 60’s teenage generation, but in several generations

going back to at least before the Second World War.

__________________________________________________________________


The choice may at first be dictated because it was prominent, on a major street corner

or junction. Somewhere that everyone, even a dippy lad, would know where it was.

And if a major shop, the girl certainly would. Her mother would have seen to that.

But I now perceive there was another more subtle and insidious reason. For lads

were renowned for being late. Not just once, but time and time again, and the girls

seemed to instinctively know this. I think it was their mothers that put them up to it.

“Meet him under so-and-so’s clock,” mother would advise, “then when he’s late, he

can’t argue that it’s not his fault!” Just look up at the clock, and give him one of her

mother’s wilting looks, and that would be enough to bring the poor whelp to heel.

On a first date, that would be the first time he would be wrong, and she would be

right, and thus it was ever so after that.

Trust me. I’ve been there. There was no escape. You arranged to meet at half-past

seven, and that blasted dial up there now said five to eight. Just be another five

minutes late, and if the damned thing chimed like the Town Hall clock, just as you

meet her with a reluctantly received peck on the cheek, it would G-O-N-G, slowly

and loudly, eight times just to echo her point. And echo it did. You knew it was right

(the clock), and you were wrong. And you knew you were done for; no more

argument. That was the very point at which the girl started to assert her authority,

no matter how shy or apparently quiet-natured she was. The boy had to learn. She

was the boss. She who would not again be so kept waiting. Or else. Those clocks

have a lot to answer for.

Of course, the choice of clock would change later in the relationship, when the girl

was feeling more secure, a boy’s punctuality had improved somewhat, and she

perhaps felt more adventurous with one eye on a more settled future accompanied

by the faint ringing of church bells in her ears. Then the clock of choice would often

be H. Samuel’s, Goldsmiths or Ratner’s, or any other prominent jeweller in whose

diamond-lit window the girl had espied just what she was looking for. Choice of said

jeweller being dictated by the size of the boy’s perceived income. Or lack of same.

Of course, from the lad’s point of view, the particular choice of meet location was

simply down to how well known it was, how prominent. Even the most street-wise

lad (not that we called it that then) would be totally unaware as to the path he was

being towed along. Following like sheep, we were. ‘Led,’ ‘Lamb’ and ‘Slaughter’

are some other words that come to mind. Major junctions were just obvious and well-

known choices of place to meet his girl, it was as simple as that to a boy. Simples.

As we were.

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And that’s where the clocks come back in, for most prominent corners in city centres

would be a major shop of some sort, department stores, outfitters, dress and shoe

shops. And most would have a huge clock above their main door, or corner. Clocks

that were stylish in their time, in many different designs, set into stonework of great

architectural merit, and now of course, many long since demolished and but a distant

memory on our streets.

How many clocks can you remember in your town centre? Those huge timepieces

that you could …. well, set your watch by, if you were fortunate enough to own one.

For that’s another story, for until well into the 1970s, most lads didn’t own a watch,

at least not a very reliable one. If they did, as often as not it was a major birthday or

christmas present and not to be worn lightly to risk losing on something as everyday

as a date, unless he were posh or simply showing off. Clocks, all over our town

centres, were a necessary fact of life, one we don’t miss now in our more prosperous

times where just about everyone has a timepiece of some sort, if only on their mobile

phone.

Those huge old clocks were treasured by their owners, meticulously maintained and

generally kept very good time. A shop manager would be expected to open the store

by this very clock, and that would be expected by customers to be ‘right’, not fast,

nor slow. Staff would be expected to arrive by it too, usually fifteen minutes earlier.

Having seen so many old photos depicting some of our best and most magnificent

lost architecture, I’ve realised that they were a visually pleasing and useful part of

our street-scape, and there where lots of them. If you’ve enjoyed the memories this

light-hearted piece has hopefully generated, perhaps they are also just a little

mourned.

But, there is one other good reason for including such a piece here, in a family history

magazine. Clocks! Genealogy? How so? Well, those clocks were all about our late

courting habits. Courting led to engagement, and thence to marriage (generally back

then in that order). Following which would come along the next generation (once

again, back then, generally … ), and so it went on. One generation after another, all

coming along in timely fashion to give us the family histories we’re now at great

pains to rediscover. How did our grandparents meet? Where did they meet? Were

those old clocks evesdropping on their very first words, or first gentle kiss.

Ah, those old clocks, would that they could talk, and were still around to tell us their

story. They could tell us a lot more than just the time. And so it’s time to go now.

As my late dad used to frequently say, showing his RAF service had left him both

educated and cultured, tempus is fugiting again. Doesn’t it just, m’duck ... doesn’t

it just.

Rob Haywood

Member H0789

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My “Strange” Direct Line Ancestry

Part Two

By R W H (Rob) Strange

3. The Stranges of Oadby – 1802 onwards

If the reader of this family history now refers to the actual family tree document

(currently, in 2006, displayed on rolled brown paper, complete with yellow “Post It”

notes for the individual people; NB: now – 2011 – also on Family Tree Maker, a

computer programme for family trees) it will be seen that Joseph Strange, born in

the Town of Leicester in 1776, is the common ancestor of many Stranges in

Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Liverpool, Bristol, Rome and Canada – and probably

far wider! However, for the purposes of this story I will restrict my comments to

our direct line of ancestry. So, to re-cap, Joseph Strange was born on 22 July 1776,

son of John and Penelope Strange, and was baptised at All Saints church in Leicester.

The next reference to Joseph comes on 26 May 1796 when an entry in the Register

of Freemen for Leicester reads, “Joseph Strange, eldest son of John, who was

apprenticed to Richard Cooke, was made a Freeman”. At the age of 20, therefore,

Joseph had carried out his apprenticeship and become a Freeman far quicker than

his father was able to achieve! Joseph appears to have married twice as there is an

entry in the All Saints, Leicester, marriage registers on 27 August 1799 for “Joseph

Strange” who “married Jane Boswell, both of this parish”. Joseph next appears in

the Poll Book in 1800 when it is recorded that “Joseph Strange, framework knitter,

of Sanvey Gate, voted”. However, it seems that Jane died because a burial in the

registers for St Martin’s church on 20 September 1802 records the death of “Jane

Strange, wife of William Strange, age 27 years”. It seems that the names Joseph and

William may have become confused, by the vicar or clerk, and my assumption has

always been that this “William Strange” is, in fact, Joseph Strange who had earlier

married Jane Boswell. Joseph wasted no time in finding a new bride, for the records

of St Nicholas’ church, Leicester, record his next marriage, only five weeks later, on

1 November 1802. The registers record that “Joseph Strange married Mary Rudkin

(nee Voss), both of this parish”. Interestingly, the witnesses’ signatures look like

“Boswell”, thus lending credibility to the theory that Joseph and William were one

and the same person. The Voss surname, and family, originates from Oadby and

Great Glen and this seems to be proven in this case because Joseph and his new

bride, Mary (nee Rudkin, nee Voss) moved from Leicester to the (then) small village

of Oadby, some four miles south of Leicester. We know the approximate size of

Oadby village in 1802 from a book written by G H Coleman of Oadby, in 1931,

which states, “in 1801 Oadby had 126 houses and 129 families”.

Joseph presumably carried on his inherited trade as a framework knitter (he is

recorded in the Apprenticeship Registers for 1809 as being a master to a new

__________________________________________________________________


apprentice) and he and Mary very soon started their large family. Our direct

ancestor, JOHN STRANGE, was the first-born, on 28 November 1804, and he was

soon followed by Simeon (1806), Maria (1807), Joseph (1809), Charles (1812),

Sarah (1813) and William (1816). However, the rapid growth in their family and

the meagre earnings of a framework knitter ran the Strange family into financial

trouble because a Removal Order, made on 25 January 1817 under the prevailing

Poor Law, reads as follows: “Paupers removed – Joseph Strange, Mary his wife and

their seven children (viz) John aged 12 years, Simeon aged 11 years, Maria aged 10

years, Joseph aged 8 years, who have gained no settlements in their own right,

Charles aged 5 years, Sarah aged 2 years and William aged 9 months. Parishes

removing and receiving: Oadby to St Leonard’s, Leicester”. Under the Poor Law, if

the parish of residence was unable to support such a family, the entire family was

“settled” back to the parish of the father’s birth/origin or of where he was

apprenticed. Therefore, Joseph Strange and his family were removed from Oadby

parish to the parish of St Leonard’s in Leicester. However, they must have fairly

swiftly moved back to Oadby because in 1818 another daughter, Millicent, was

baptised but sadly was buried later the same year. Baptisms then followed for

Amelia (1819), another Millicent (1820) and then, finally, Martha in 1822. Three

months after the birth of Martha the burial records record the death and burial of

Mary Strange, on 13 August 1822 – a hard life! Seven years later, on 1 January

1829, their eldest son John Strange married Sarah Willey in Blaby, a village about

five miles to the west of Oadby, and in 1826 this John Strange is recorded in the

Register of Freemen, for Leicester, as “John Strange, eldest son of Joseph Strange

who was the son of John Strange”. John’s brothers, Joseph and William, also

became Freemen and the tradition continued for a further generation with the sons

of both Joseph and William. As a sequel to discovering this official status of our

direct ancestors, as Freemen of Leicester, I was privileged to claim (along with my

cousin John Strange) the Freedom of the City of Leicester, in 1977, as a result of

proving my direct descent from Joseph, son of John, son of John, although it seems

likely that the intervening three generations of male Stranges were completely

unaware of this heritage.

However, our line of descent comes from John Strange, who married Sarah Willey,

in Blaby, in 1829. They, as was usual in those days, had another large family

although their first five sons (Joseph in 1832, Joseph again in 1833, Charles in 1835,

John in 1836, and William in 1837) all died in infancy and their burials are recorded

in the Oadby parish church records. In 1839 they had a daughter, Mary, who lived,

was married, and was mentioned in a Will document as still being alive in 1898. In

1841 the first national Census was taken and the entry for John and Sarah’s family,

in Oadby, was as follows:

London Road: John Strange aged 36

Sarah Strange aged 30

Mary Strange aged 2

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In the same Census, for Oadby, John’s sister Maria, aged 30, was shown at an

address on London Road and his brother Joseph (who had married Anne Brookes)

was also shown on London Road with their children Charles, aged 7, and Mary aged

2. At an address called Barber’s Row their younger brother William, aged 25, was

living with his wife Harriet and their son John. The absence from the Oadby Census

of references to any other of Joseph and Mary’s children leads to speculation that

they may have died, but been unrecorded, or moved away. In 1842 John and Sarah

had a daughter Anne, and she also married and was living in Oadby after 1868. In

1845 they had another Joseph (died the same year) and then a son who (at last!)

lived. His name was also JOHN STRANGE and he was born on 23 April 1847 and

was popularly known as “Jack Strange”. It is this John (Jack) Strange who continued

our direct line of ancestry.

So, when the 1851 Census was taken for Oadby, now including more information

such as occupation and birthplace, we find John (aged 46) and Sarah (aged 42)

Strange, living on Main Street with their (surviving) children Mary, aged 11, Anne,

aged 8, John, aged 3, and Sarah, aged 5 months. John’s occupation was described

as “cattle dealer” and it seems that he had, by now, given up the framework knitting

trade and had set up a grazing and cattle dealing business, still in Oadby, with his

younger brother Joseph. In 1851 Joseph and Anne were also described as cattle

dealers, living on Main Street, and had children Charles, aged 15, Thomas, aged 9,

Jane, aged 7, James, aged 4 and Mary, aged 1. Their younger brother William had

obviously transgressed somewhat for in this (1851) Census he was resident in

Leicester prison whilst his wife, Harriet, and son John (aged 35 and 13) were living

alone in Bettoney’s Yard, in Oadby.

The story now moves on a further ten years to the Census taken in 1861 and we now

find John and Sarah (aged 56 and 52) resident on London Road, and John was

described as a “sheep and cattle dealer”. Their children were Mary, aged 21 and a

glove stitcher, Anne, aged 18 and a dressmaker, John, aged 13 and a scholar, and

Sarah, aged 10 and also a scholar; living with them was a lodger, aged 59, who

appears to have been Sarah’s sister (born in Blaby), with an occupation shown as

“sheep drover”. Again, in 1861, at an address in Oadby known as Clarke’s Court,

Anne Strange was living with her children Thomas, aged 19 and an agricultural

labourer, James, aged 14 and an agricultural labourer, Mary aged 11 and a scholar

and Frederick, also a scholar, aged 8, so it is apparent that John’s brother, Joseph

(Anne’s husband) had died between the two Census dates. Further along London

Road we now find younger brother William Strange and his wife Harriet (both aged

44) living and described as “cattle dealers”.

In 1866, John and Sarah’s only son, John (Jack) Strange, married Elizabeth Voss in

Oadby church. The marriage took place on 16 July 1866 and Elizabeth was one of

the daughters of George Voss, the superintendent of the Methodist Sunday School

__________________________________________________________________


in Oadby. It seems that Jack’s father John Strange (born 1804), died in January 1871

and his gravestone can still be seen to the south side of the main pathway in the

cemetery (not the church yard) in Oadby. Records show that this new cemetery was

only consecrated in 1873 so our ancestor, John Strange, was one of the very first

residents!

By the time of the 1871 Census Sarah Strange (aged 63, a widow, and described as

a “grazier of 53 acres”) was living at 1 London Road with her daughter Sarah

Hawker (nee Strange), son in law Thomas Hawker (brother of the infamous

“Victorian Poacher”, James Hawker, about whom a book was published) and their

four-month-old daughter. Next door at 2 London Road (by now our branch of the

Stranges seem to have settled in what became known in Oadby as Strange’s Row,

on what is now The Parade, roughly where the Oadby library now stands) lived John

(Jack) Strange, aged 24 and a “grazier’s son”, with his wife Elizabeth Strange, aged

26, and their daughters Fanny, aged 2 years, and Sarah, aged one month. Further

along at 2 Clarke’s Court lived Anne Strange, a 57-year-old widow and two of her

children, Mary and Frederick and at 52 London Road lived Thomas Strange, aged

32 and a bricklayer’s labourer, and his wife Eliza, aged 27 and a shopkeeper and

their three small children (it is interesting that, when I was a young boy in the 1950s,

both my parents told me about this shop-keeping Strange family, further down the

village, and insisted that they were not connected with our family at all! My

researches, of course, have shown that they were connected with our line of Stranges

but this story shows how families grow apart with each new generation and,

eventually, become unaware of any relationship with each other).

By the time of the 1881 Census William and Harriet Strange and their son John, now

married, had moved into Leicester (Elton Street and Braunstone Gate) and they

continued trading as “milk dealer” and “cattle drover” respectively. Other members

of the Oadby Stranges, descendants of Joseph and Anne Strange, also moved into

Leicester and from there to Liverpool, Bristol and further afield. In Oadby, the 1881

Census still showed our family as follows; at Main Street lived Sarah Strange (aged

73) the widow of John Strange (born 1804), still described as a “grazier”. Her

granddaughter lived with her. Her daughter Sarah lived nearby with her husband,

Thomas Hawker, and their four young children, and in Strange’s Yard lived John

Strange, aged 33 and a “grazier” with his wife Elizabeth Strange, aged 36. Living

with them were their children Fanny, aged 12 and a scholar, Sydney, aged 7, Charles,

aged 3, and Clara, aged 9 months. All of this family were born in Oadby and Sydney

Strange eventually married and emigrated, in 1910, to farm in Canada and his

descendants still live there. The CHARLES STRANGE at Strange’s Yard, aged 3,

was my grandfather (more about him later) and in the 1881 Census, living not far

away, was the family of Thomas Cope, the Oadby wheelwright; his youngest

daughter, Bertha Cope (then aged one), was later to marry Charles Strange and so

become my grandmother.

__________________________________________________________________


John (Jack) Strange, despite marrying the daughter of the Methodist Sunday School

superintendent, seems to have squandered most of the family wealth that had been

built up through the cattle business by his parents, John and Sarah, and the following

extract from the book by G H Coleman (1931) tells a little more about Jack Strange’s

life:

“Mr John (Jack) Strange was a drover, well known in Oadby and district. Every

Tuesday he brought a large drove of cattle or sheep, numbering several hundreds,

from Kibworth and Market Harborough to Oadby. He used to put them in the two

fields that are now the Ellis Recreation Ground. Every Wednesday morning, very

early, he drove them to Leicester cattle market. He had a cart following the sheep

to bring the cripples and tired sheep in. His helper was Billy Rodwell, a much

younger man than Jack Strange [he was only 39 when he died!] - these men were

very heavy drinkers!”

In the same book, Mr Coleman described Strange’s Row as “a pair of gates, leading

to an orchard, and a garden at the back of the property adjoining the square. This

property, the small house and the double fronted house and the row of small cottages

standing end to the road, was owned by Mr Strange [i.e. my great grandfather] who

occupied the house facing the road”. It seems that a combination of the hard-

working life and his liking for drink lead to the death of John (Jack) Strange, in

Oadby, on 5 December 1886. His widow, Elizabeth Strange (nee Voss), continued

to live in the village until her death in 1925 and her grave can be found in Oadby

cemetery, together with the entire Voss family. In her later years, she was described

as “Grandma Strange” by my father (who was 14 when she died) and she lived at

the Village Hall with the Ward family. Fortunately, before his death, John (Jack)

and Elizabeth had a family, as follows: Price Lewis Strange was born in 1868, but

died. Fanny Alice Strange was born in 1869, married Jack Wall in 1886 and lived

until the 1950s. Sarah Strange was born in 1871 but died in 1872 and Sydney Ernest

Strange was born in 1874, married Ada, and emigrated to Canada in 1910. Lewis

Strange was born in 1876 but died soon after and (thankfully!) Charles George

Strange was born on 21 January 1878 and lived to marry Bertha Eliza Cope on 18

May 1905 at the United Methodist Reform Church, in Oadby. My grandfather,

Charles Strange, died on 26 November 1946 and my grandmother, Bertha Strange,

died on 29 April 1955. John (Jack) and Elizabeth also had Clara Strange, in 1880,

and she married Jack Ward and died in 1950. Their final child was Mabel Strange,

born in 1855, and she married Ben Lawson and was still living in 1975, aged 94.

The “conversion” of our Strange ancestors to Methodism appears to have occurred

early in the 19th Century with John Strange (born 1804) who married Sarah Willey,

of Blaby – perhaps she and her family were Methodists? In 1981 I was contacted by

Eric Orbell, who was writing the history of Oadby Methodist Church to

commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the stone laying ceremony for the new

building in 1931 (I have a picture of this ceremony and Charles George Strange and

__________________________________________________________________


my father, SYDNEY THOMAS WILLIAM (BILL) STRANGE – then aged 20 –

are both on the photograph). Anecdotally, Eric’s researches had ascertained that

John Strange senior (born 1804), as a cattle dealer/grazier, was apparently one of the

most affluent members of the early Methodist community in Oadby – the rest were

mostly agricultural labourers or framework knitters. It seems even more of a pity,

therefore, that his son John (Jack) drank away his parent’s hard-earned wealth, as a

contemporary account describes Jack Strange as having died from “sclerosis of the

liver”. Anyway, back to the 1891 Oadby Census and we find Elizabeth Strange,

aged 46 and a widow, living in Strange’s Yard, Oadby, with her sons Sydney, aged

17 and a shoe clicker, and Charles, aged 13 and a shoe riveter. Hosiery and shoe

factories had now become established in Oadby, and many of the young village

people, including Bertha Cope, were employed in one of these factories. In the same

1891 Census John (Jack) Strange’s mother, Sarah Strange, was still alive and shown,

aged 80, living on Main Road as a “widow living on own means”. She must have

been very saddened and disappointed that her only son, Jack, had died so young.

Charles, described as a shoe riveter in 1891, appears in the 1901 Census still working

as a shoe clicker and Bertha Cope was still living with her family, nearby, and was

employed as a hosiery seamer, no doubt at the same factory. On 18 May 1905

Charles Strange and Bertha Cope were married and they had two sons; Douglas

Ralph (Ralph) Strange was born in 1907 and his younger brother Sydney Thomas

William (Bill) Strange was born in 1911. Ralph left Oadby and went to Sheffield,

eventually becoming a successful stockbroker and marrying Evelyn Winifred

Boone, from Bradford. They had four children and they and their descendants still

live in Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, London and other parts of the UK. Charles

George Strange was apparently, according to my mother’s recollections as a young

girl in Oadby village, generally known as Charlie Strange or “Shadow Strange”, as

a nickname; this was apparently because he was extremely thin and gaunt and he

was often to be seen around the village on an old bicycle! In 1981 I met and

interviewed Norah Robinson, the daughter of Clara Strange and Jack Ward; she was

interested to hear that I still had the Strange Family Bible, complete with Elizabeth

Strange’s carefully written entries, and she spoke very highly of my father, Bill

Strange, and also knew something of the early death of Jack Strange in 1886. She

confirmed that “Charlie” Strange was latterly a “sick and weak man” who suffered

badly from asthma and bronchitis, as borne out by the cause of death on his death

certificate, in 1946.

My father Sydney Thomas William (Bill) Strange became an accountant and

remained a bachelor, living in Oadby and working in Leicester, until 1951. He

married my mother Ethel Hill (nee Hardy) and I, ROBERT WILLIAM HARDY

(ROB) STRANGE, was born on 6 November 1951 at Thurmaston, near Leicester,

completing a new and happy family unit together with my half sisters, Christine and

Rosemary. I married Maureen Joyce Geary, on 22 April 1972, at Trinity Methodist

__________________________________________________________________


Church, Leicester and the Strange family tree continues with our two married

children and four grandchildren.

In conclusion

As I said at the start of this short Strange family history, I did most of my research

work between 1976 and 1981 but I have retained a keen interest in genealogy since

that time and have been able to add new information to the Strange family tree,

particularly with the onset of computers and the World Wide Web. I have written

this short history, in March 2006, partly for my own satisfaction and pleasure but

also so that those generations that follow me may know something about their

paternal ancestry and will understand, hopefully, the many folders of notes and the

paper-based family tree that I have produced over the last thirty years.

It is still my dream that I will one day discover the missing birth or baptism of my

earliest known direct paternal ancestor, Francis Strange, in c1675.

Rob Strange OBE

Member S0305 [email protected]

March 2006. [Edited in December 2008 & December 2011 to exclude reference

to current family members]

Useful Websites

I thought the following information might be useful for readers of the

Journal. Whilst researching an uncle who was killed in WW1 I came across a web

site http://www.europeana1914-1918.eu/en/contributions/3211#prettyPhoto

The site shows an autograph book belonging to a nurse at the Berrington

War Hospital, Shrewsbury. The book has 65 pages and there are also photographs

showing staff and patients at the hospital in June 1917. My uncle was a patient at the

hospital during that time but sadly I was unable to find an autograph of him and even

though he was most likely on the photograph I am not able to identify him. Readers

of the Journal may be more fortunate in finding an ancestor but even if they dont the

autograph book makes a very interesting read, there are some very moving verses

and quotes from the patients at that time. Sadly after his hospital stay my uncle

returned to active service in Belgium and was killed 3 months before the end of the

war.

Mrs K Abraham

Member A0232

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First British Soldier To Die At

Leicester Base Hospital

Saturday, 27 September 2014 marked the centenary of the death of the first British

soldier to die at the 5th Northern General Hospital, Victoria Road (now University

Road) Leicester in the First World War.

L/8319 Private William Hodges, a 31 year old Londoner served in C Company, the

4th Battalion of The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment). At the

outbreak of war he was living with his wife, Laura and young son William James at

4 Prebend Street, Camden Town, London. He was employed as a school caretaker.

Having previously served in the regiment, he was duly recalled to the Colours upon

the commencement of hostilities.

The 4th Middlesex, being a regular unit, was immediately mobilized and became part

of the 8th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division which formed part of the 2nd Army Corps.

The relatively small British Expeditionary Force (BEF) consisted of two corps

initially.

On 13 August 1914, the 4th Middlesex left Davenport by train for Southampton.

They embarked on the SS Mombassa for France where they arrived the following

day at Boulogne.

The “Die-Hards”, as the men of The Middlesex Regiment were nicknamed, then

entrained and marched south-eastwards through France eventually arriving in the

vicinity of the Belgian industrial town of Mons. The BEF proceeded to occupy

defensive positions on the left flank of the retreating French Fifth Army as they faced

the might of General Alexander von Kluck’s German First Army.

On 21 August, two of Private Hodge’s comrades from the 4th Middlesex were sent

to the village of Obourg north-east of Mons. They were reconnaissance cyclists and

their mission was to locate the enemy. Upon encountering a German patrol, one of

the cyclists returned to report back whilst his companion remained to engage the

enemy. This brave young soldier was killed by rifle fire. He was L/14196 Private

John Parr – the first British soldier to die in the First World War. It emerged later

that he had lied about his age on enlistment and was, in fact, just 16 years old.

In readiness for the forthcoming conflict the 4th Middlesex were allocated a sector

along the Mons-Condé Canal between Nimy and Obourg. On the morning of 23

August, infantrymen of the German 31st Infantry Regiment reached the far bank of

the canal and the first battle of the war between the British and German armies

commenced.

__________________________________________________________________


The 4th Middlesex fought magnificently before having to withdraw in the face of

overwhelming odds. A stand was made at Le Cateau, on 26 August, prior to the

retreat to the River Marne.

It was during these early, costly battles that Private Hodges was wounded in one of

his arms. He was brought back to England and was admitted to the 5th Northern

General Hospital on Sunday 20 September. Formerly the Leicestershire and Rutland

Lunatic Asylum, the empty buildings were brought back into use, as a military

hospital, at the outbreak of the war.

The 5th Northern General Hospital

(now the Fielding Johnson building of

the University of Leicester)

Private Hodges was one of 125 wounded soldiers admitted to the Base Hospital that

day having arrived by ambulance from Southampton. Twenty-five men were borne

on stretchers and many, including Private Hodges, were classified as ‘serious cases’.

A crowd numbering “several thousands” gathered to give the men a magnificent

welcome to Leicester.

Surgical treatment was carried out on Private Hodge’s injured arm but sadly he died

from his wound on 27 September. His death certificate gave the cause of death as:

“Tetanus following shrapnel wound during war”.

__________________________________________________________________


His funeral took place at Leicester’s Welford Road Cemetery on 29 September, he

was given full military honours and many local people attended to pay their respects.

Private Hodges was laid to rest in a plot of ground which the Corporation’s Estates

and Burial Grounds Committee: “Had placed at the disposal of the Authorities at

the Military Hospital free of charge”. The plot had been chosen by Alderman George

Vincent for the burial of soldiers.

The Commonwealth War Cemetery,

Welford Road Cemetery, Leicester

The beautiful spot where he lies quickly filled as more servicemen and one

Australian nurse Kathleen Bremman, who had died at the Base Hospital, were

interred there. It is now a Commonwealth War Cemetery, a separate cemetery within

a cemetery, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is a

constant reminder of the enormous sacrifice which was made for the freedom which

we enjoy today.

Article and photography Derek Seaton

****************************

__________________________________________________________________


Information Pages

Buckinghamshire Family History Society Open Day

Saturday 25th July 2015, 10am to 4pm The Grange School, Wendover Way, Aylesbury, HP21 7NH.

Research facilities will include our names database (over five million entries), and

Parish Register, People, and Places libraries. Parish Register transcripts and other

research aids will be on sale. Expert advice will be on hand, with guest societies

from around the country, local heritage groups; suppliers of data CDs, maps,

software, archival materials and much more. Admission is free, with free parking.

Further information, including a full list of organisations attending, can be found at

www.bucksfhs.org.uk.

Absent Voters CDs

Indexes of men and women away from home (and eligible to vote) after World War

1 are now available to buy on CD or can be read on the computers at Pilot House.

The Borough/Town index includes the street or road name plus Electoral District.

The County index includes the street or road name plus the village and Electoral

Division.

NB there are NO personal details recorded on the Borough/Town Electoral Registers

but there ARE Naval and Military personal details on the County Electoral Registers

(in fact too much detail to include on the index). Please see original records at the

Records Office at Wigston, you can also confirm the house number or name and

other voters at the same address etc. If you find these Electoral Registers are

available at the British Library in London or anywhere else, please let us know.

Baptism Indexes

The Market Harborough group CD is now available with over 22,000 baptisms (also

includes Little Bowden, Great Bowden and Lubenham).

Soon to be available Syston, Thurmaston, Barkby/Barkby Thorpe, Birstall and

Wanlip with an estimated 19,000+ baptisms.

In the future will be Wigston Magna, Oadby and South Wigston with Glen Parva

Sue Shore

wlmailhtml:%7b871DE443-C447-4601-A682-42CE69E208A1%7dmid:/00000139/www.bucksfhs.org.uk

wlmailhtml:%7b871DE443-C447-4601-A682-42CE69E208A1%7dmid:/00000139/www.bucksfhs.org.uk

__________________________________________________________________


The Record Office

For Leicestershire

Leicester & Rutland Long Street, Wigston Magna,

Leicester LEI8 2AH Telephone 0116 2571080

We usually find the winter months to be amongst our busiest – as far as visitors are

concerned. I often imagine family historians are either busy with their papers or busy

in the garden. The spring and summer are the outdoor, garden months, and autumn

and winter is the time to delve into ancestry and archives. Of course it isn’t nearly

that simple – a catastrophically wet spring, or (heaven forbid) an outbreak of foot

and mouth disease, can transform a trickle of visitors into a torrent. Not that we mind

(“the more the merrier” we say – so long as no-one goes home dissatisfied and we

don’t lose any records in the rush) and the higher our user numbers the better.

Sometimes though, our statistics make us smile. We have just received the figures

for our ‘outreach’ activities. This means the exhibitions, events, and talks we offer

each year. Now, the root of all happiness is the final column, where the colour-coded

figure appears showing the trend up or down in user, or visitor numbers. Ours are in

‘happy’ green, showing increases in each quarter of 241% , 341% and even 349 %

both for activities on and off-site! It all goes to prove that old saying about ‘lies,

damned lies and statistics’ I agree – but, in truth, we have been putting ourselves

about a bit.

For the first time in years we held an open day (which helped the statistics no end).

We had a series of Great War events too, culminating with groups of school children

and (later that evening) adults singing carols in our reconstructed trench. It is a great

shame we no longer produce a formal annual report; it would certainly show that our

response to straightened times is to work all the harder and to make archives ever

more an essential part of everyone’s life.

Our latest venture received rather a gentle launch. I suppose it was lost, rather, in the

panic before Christmas. Even so, I recommend our current display which

commemorates some of the individuals characters of the 1914-18 war. You will find

heroes and villains, sailors and airmen. You may well know of William Buckingham

VC but have you come across Alick Osborne, whose act of gallantry lives on in the

name of a Royal Artillery unit to this day? What of the two men of the Leicestershire

Regiment shot at dawn? They have since received a full pardon – but what did they

do to merit a firing squad of their own comrades?

__________________________________________________________________


We have relics of a soldier of the Flying Corps and of Jack Tar killed at Jutland. We

haven’t forgotten to women either – or those who refused to fight and who suffered

a cruel fate for their conscience’s sake. Come and have a look and tell us what you

think.

Look out too for future delights. We hope to be celebrating John Nichols’s 200 th

anniversary this year – or rather that of the completion of his monumental History

and Antiquities of the County of Leicester. We are mulling over the Magna Carta

too, with all those opportunities to celebrate our local campaigners for liberty,

suffrage, freedom and equality. Much useful inspiration there, we fancy, for an Open

Day!

Not everything in the garden is rosy however. Do you ever look at ‘e-bay’? We

monitor it as well as we can; just checking that there is nothing we should be bidding

for (or alerting the authorities to). Over Christmas we watched, with mounting

concern, as a wonderful scrapbook , or photograph album – kept by a key figure at

the Base Hospital in Leicester during the Great War – was dismembered and

auctioned off, page by page. Truly it was an act of gross vandalism! I daresay it

reaped someone a fine financial reward but it cost our community a priceless

resource.

It is also time to issue a warning – or to pass on one from the Search room. Our

reprographics charges are likely to rise in April. It is largely to keep pace with the

rising cost of toner (which seems only slightly less expensive than using liquid gold).

Watch this space or see our website, but we hope we will not be increasing prices by

too much. Thank you for your continued support.

Let us conclude with a ‘thank-you’ to our many volunteers and helpers. Where

would we be without our archival auxiliaries? We know many of you family

historians also volunteer with us and we would like to thank you for this. We have

normally had a ‘do’ with tea and cakes in February but this year there will be a slight

delay. The Chairman is keen to meet and thank our volunteers so we are hoping to

plan an event in May. So please accept our thanks in the meantime and we will send

out invitations when the weather is better.

Finally, let us ponder a future bud on our family tree. We are sure you would like to

join us in wishing our Archive Assistant Kasia McCabe all the best when she starts

her maternity leave in April. Her baby is due in May and Kasia will be back with us

in 2016.

www.leics.gov.uk/recordoffice

__________________________________________________________________


Family History Found – From A Mistake!

A couple of weeks before Christmas 2014 an article appeared in the Mr. Leicester

section of the Leicester Mercury regarding the disbanding of the Home Guard in

Leicester in 1944-45. Shown in the article was a picture of the parade through

Victoria Park and a certificate of Home Guard service for James Thornton from

Quorn in Leicestershire.

The Thornton name rang bells as my wife Ann’s

maiden name is Thornton and her Father and

Grandfather were both born in Quorn. After

some discussion and searching through family

data we could not find any reference to a James.

On looking closer at the very small picture of the

certificate I noticed that it was not for James

Thornton at all, it was in fact for Charles Walter

Thornton, my wife’s Grandfather! We knew

nothing about his career in the Home Guard.

We contacted Mr. Leicester, Austin J. Ruddy,

who promptly replied and informed us that it had

been an editorial mistake and indeed it should

have read Charles Walter Thornton. Austin had

published some years earlier his book entitled

“To The Last Round” about the Leicestershire And Rutland Home Guard, which he

told us contains many references to Lieutenant Charles Walter Thornton, Garrison

Commander of the Quorn Home Guard.

Next day we met Austin and obtained of copy of his excellent book, packed with

information and photographs of the Home Guard. On enquiring how he obtained the

information he told us that the Quorn Heritage Group had a large amount of records

about the Home Guard including the personal papers of Charles Walter Thornton.

We made some investigation and eventually contacted Sue Templeman who is a

leading light on Quorn history and heritage.

A couple of weeks later we spent an wonderful Sunday morning with Sue and the

collection of documents regarding the local Home Guard. An amazing collection of

notebooks, papers, details of practice exercises undertaken to set up defences in case

of a German invasion, lists of equipment and armaments they had, and even a

reference to P.E. Thornton, Ann’s Father who also was in the Home Guard in his

early 20’s. There is a transcript of a rousing speech made by C.W.Thornton on his

retirement from the Home Guard which I will transcribe for a future issue of the

__________________________________________________________________


Journal. There is a list of names of the men in the local platoon which even includes

a Private Pike!!

The documents gave us a fascinating insight in to the important role of the Home

Guard and their determination to protect us from invasion. One of the first quotes

inside the front cover Austin’s book is by Lieutenant Charles Walter Thornton CO

No. 13 (Quorn) Platoon, ‘D’ Company, 10th (Charnwood) Battalion Leicestershire

Home June Guard 1943 and it states:

“If, and when, the balloon goes up, we are all in this for one common

and sole purpose, and that is the total destruction of the enemy”

A notebook showing the

duties of the Platoon on 22nd

April 1941, giving details of

the areas to be guarded and the

men’s shift times, mostly 2

hours at a time.

Charles Walter Thornton is 5th from the left on the back row.

Peter Cousins [email protected]

__________________________________________________________________


Computer Bits

Family Historian 6

The release of a new version of a favourite program hopefully brings a raft of new

and useful features - a promise not always fulfilled. The worst culprits for adding the

minimum to a new release are generally the ones that include the year in the

program's name, so it quickly looks past its sell-by date as it sits on the shelf and an

updated version is rushed out, whether it is justified or not. I first wrote about Family

Historian 2 over twelve years ago (there never was a commercial release of FH1)

and we have just arrived at FH6. Each new version has been followed by significant,

and free, updates before asking customers to shell out for a new version. With FH6

I was interested to see whether there were enough new features to add to an already

excellent program to justify moving up from FH5.

If you are not familiar with Family Historian I must quickly run through its existing

features. The program is easy to use. Everything is logically presented and can accept

all the facts, notes, sources and media you can throw at it. Its handling of pictures is

especially good, with the ability to add, say, a group photograph and then drag a box

around each face and link each one to the person concerned. It's also a handy way to

identify people in a group picture as you can hover your mouse pointer over each

one to make their name appear. The charts are the best I have seen in any genealogy

program, with buttons on the toolbar to bring up ancestors, descendants, a

combination of the previous two, and the awesome all-relatives chart of the current

individual. Apart from the usual navigation tools you can roam around a chart, click

on an individual to view or edit their information and then return directly to the chart

with any updated details immediately visible. The chart, or any part of it - can be

exported in PDF format to pass on to a relative or send to a commercial printer for a

potentially huge tree to hang on the wall.

Storing information is one thing, but presenting it in an informative and attractive

manner is another. Family Historian has always been strong on printed reports,

including narrative ones, as well as creating books, websites and family tree CD or

DVD. The last of those is basically a website on a disc that you can share with

relatives without having to publish any information online. Add to all these features

unrivalled support for merge/compare when adding information from another tree

and you have a formidable program. If you are the type who likes to be able to tweak

all the settings to record and display information just the way you want it then Family

Historian is for you. If you prefer to dive in and use a program without bothering to

explore all the possible variations available don't worry, it's the way I usually use it

and it does such a good job I don't feel the need to tweak many things.

Having sung its praises you may wonder what more could be added to make it even

better. The first is automatic online data matching with MyHeritage's 6 billion

__________________________________________________________________


records. Some matches can be viewed for free, while other require a subscription -

though FH users receive a 33 per cent discount.

Also new is the mapping feature that shows all the places and events in your tree on

a worldwide map. Each location is marked with a pin and a click on any of the pins

opens a list of events at that location. There is also an optional timeline that appears

across the bottom of the map with a moveable cursor that sets the starting year for

the event pins. I would have preferred two cursors so I could view all the pins

between two given years, but that option may come with a future update.

As many of us now have larger computer screens FH6 adds the ability to open its

own web browser within the program itself, so you can see online information while

also viewing your own data. Should I mention checking the football scores while

looking up my grandmother's birth date? The facts about marriages have also been

extended so you can record what the program calls 'Witnesses'. Apart from the legal

witnesses that sign the register, these can also include the best man, bridesmaids,

minister or any other role you care to define. While you were at the wedding you

probably took a photograph of the church or venue, if so you will appreciate the new

ability to link photographs and other media to any place in your tree and include

them in your reports.

__________________________________________________________________


There are many more additions present in FH6 than I can mention, but if you are

already a user visit www.family-historian.co.uk and check What's New In Version

6. There you will see them all described in far greater depth than I have space for. If

you haven't yet tried Family Historian the same website offers a guided tour and a

totally free 30-day trial on any PC running Windows Vista, 7 or 8. If you want a

family history program that offers a huge range of features in a package that is easy

to use there is no other that I would recommend above Family Historian 6.

Blurb Books

It's a while since I have created a book using Blurb's free software before uploading

the resulting file to their website and then waiting patiently for the printed book to

be delivered. After agreeing to give a talk to the LRFHS Computer Group about

creating such a book I thought it was time to revisit the software and refresh my

knowledge. Previously I had used their BookSmart program, which I had found easy

to use. When I came to download the program I found there was a new option called

BookWright that was their recommended tool for new books. If you have used the

older program you should soon be comfortable with the new one as most of the tools

are similar, though they have been moved around the page to create more space for

the actual book. The main difference with the new interface is the ability to create

page layouts as you work, without the need to move to a separate screen to create or

modify an existing one. You are supplied with plenty of preset page designs to

choose from - many more arrived via the automatic update when I opened the

program - so most needs are catered for without having to produce your own design.

If you have used BookSmart and want to continue using it you'll be pleased to know

it will continue to be available in parallel with BookWright. Blurb's website

recommends staying with BookSmart if you want page ornaments;

decorative/patterned backgrounds or borders around your images. Apart from those

features there is no reason not to try Bookwright. Whichever you choose I hope you

will give Blurb a try. It's a great way to create a record of your family researches, a

family event or the holiday of a lifetime. With the free software it cost you nothing

to try it for yourself.

Any comments or queries? Please feel free to contact me. Mike Ratcliff [email protected]

__________________________________________________________________


QUERY BOX

Editor – Please keep entries for the Query box

to a minimum of information as the requests are

many, and this gives scope to print more of your

ancestral problems. Always quote your membership

number on all correspondence. –

FREE SERVICE ONLY TO MEMBERS

QUERY BOX NOW ONLINE As well as sending your queries for inclusion in the Journal you can now add them

to our web site. Go to the main web page at www.lrfhs.org.uk and go to the QUERY

BOX link on the left hand side. Send your queries by e-mail and they will be added

to the page.

NEWBERY/NEWBERRY/NEWBURY - ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH

Hi

Can anyone help with this one. I am researching a John Newbery (DOB 1810), from

Ashby De La Zouch. He was married and his wife was called Ann, (Born in Church

Langton.). The 1841 Ashby de la Zouch census gives a birth date for his wife Ann

as 1806. There is a marriage of a John Newbery to an Ann Ison in Birmingham 1831,

I am unsure if this is the right marriage but cannot find a better fit. The marriage

entry for John Newbery and Ann Ison shows marriage by Banns and no indication

that she was under age, so I assume that the 1841 census gives her correct age.

In later census's his wife, Anns', age is given between 1817-1819. I have found her

death registration in 1893 which gives an age of 75 and a birth date of 1818. This

agrees with the 1851 and later census.

Is it possible that John had two wives, both named Ann? The first could be Ann Ison

born 1806, married 1831 and possibly died/disappeared before 1841 census where

Ann suddenly become about 12 years younger for the remainder of her life. It is also

possible that she decided to tell fibs about her age?

I think the way to prove this would be to obtain two of their childrens birth

certificates, one for Sarah b. 1837 and the other for say Amelia b. 1842. This should

give the mothers maiden names and prove the suggestion or otherwise. I haven't as

yet located a suitable death reg for Ann circa 1841 or a new marriage for John, but

then registrations did not always take place in the early years. I haven't located a

birth reg or baptism for Thomas Circa 1841 which may be an indication of family

http://www.lrfhs.org.uk/

__________________________________________________________________


turmoil. The trouble is that even if you had Sarah's and Ameilai's birth certificates

my Great x 2 Grandfather is Thomas, and without any birth information I fear, for

his mother's line at least, the search ends here.

Any help gratefully received Thanks Eric

Eric Aston [email protected]

Thank you to the membership secretary for her prompt reply to my joining the

Society recently which arrived today. Could you put on your members interests the

following:

We have banns for a marriage between John Wilde and Ann Egliston at St Modwens,

Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire or Stretton en le Field, Derbyshire in March 1795

but we cannot find the actual marriage. If anyone has it or could find it, we would

like to know if she was a spinster or widowed and what other details does it have?

We are interested in both families. It may have been spelt as Wylde.

Ana Squire [email protected] membership number S1033.

HUSBANDS BOSWORTH - John Parker's Farm

In 1811 John Parker of Cottesbrook, Northants advertised for sale a farm of 70 acres

in 5 closes with good farmhouse at Husbands Bosworth. It evidently did not sell as

John's son Eli arranged a two day clearing sale of farming assets immediately prior

to his (Eli's) emigration to the US in 1819. The property was then apparently leased

out until John Parker's death in 1838 when it was again offered for sale. At that

time it was in the possession of Thomas Hincks and was described as 69 acres with

9 closes.

Can anyone identify which property at Husband's Bosworth was the one owned by

John Parker? Even better would be the date in which he became the owner and

whether it was obtained by purchase or inheritance.

Alan Jamieson [email protected]

George Miller was seeking details of descendants of Thomas Gilbert and Elizabeth

nee Middleton, who moved to Cornwall in the 1830s.

I think I may have found some possibles in the 1851 Census for St Breock near

Wadebridge Ref: HO107/1905 / Fol 54 / Page 40

I attach a transcript. Hope it helps.

Philip Kitchen

Member K0007

__________________________________________________________________


Your Letters

The Executive Committee Members are happy to receive

letters from anyone, whether delivering a brickbat or bouquet, and these will be

dealt with according to content. However, we cannot give credence to, or print

material that is received anonymously. Any person who wishes to contact the

Chairman or any other committee member in total confidence may do so.

***********************************************************

Dear editor,

Julia Lee's father's account of the bombing, which took place on November 19th

1940, interested me because it was the day I was born. I had been born in the

afternoon, and in the evening my father came to visit my mother and me in Leicester

City General Hospital. While he was there, word came around the wards that

casualties were being brought into the hospital and could visitors report to the

casualty department to help carry stretchers? When my father responded to the call

he was horrified to see several neighbours of his parents, who lived behind Leicester

London Road railway station. His parents were not among them and later that

evening my father found them safe at home, but many of the surrounding buildings

were piles of rubble.

My mother in later years told how, on the night of the raid, the nurses came round

the ward, moving mattresses onto the floor beneath the beds, as, I suppose, providing

better protection against falling debris if the hospital was hit. But every time a bomb

dropped the whole building shook and all agreed that if there were a raid the

following night they would rather die on top of their beds than underneath them!

Irene Houghton

Member H0626

**************

Dear All, A belated happy New Year.

As usual, Mick Rawle's Odds and Ends in the December magazine was interesting

and amusing, though one item seemed to reveal a problem in our ancestries. His

first item dealt with the 18th century Moore family of Nailstone, with four children

being baptised at ages between 39 and 52. The question is, were they baptised or

christened? It seems not to be recognised that these are totally different rites.

__________________________________________________________________


In the only source of the Christian message, the Bible, the word Christen does not

appear, nor does any report of a Christening. However, baptism is mentioned

regularly, and is described as a total immersion in water, as when John the Baptist

baptised people in the River Jordan. The only people to be baptised were adults,

on a full confession of their sins and their belief in God and the Messiah, something

that babies and young children could not do. The immersion signified a washing

away of sins and the start of a new life, and is still practised in a good number of

churches today.

So, if the Nailstone adults were Christened, it was unusual. If they were baptised,

it was in accordance with God's wishes.

Raymond Blakesley.

Subject: William and Robert Storey of Closen in Lestershire

It's probably too far back to be of any use but I found the following while

getting the Carrickfergus Town Records ready for publishing online:

1610 Robert Storye (as by a payer of Indentures dated the first daye of

November 1610 doth appeare) did bynde himselfe as Apprintice to serve

Edward Massone of this towne of Knockfergus Chandler for terme of Seaven

whole yeares from the Date aforesayde, which Robert Storye is sonn unto one

Willm. Story of Closen in Lestershire within the Kingdome of England,

Cutler.

Regards

John Logan

MEMBERS SEARCH SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE ON THE SOCIETY WEBSITE www.lrfhs.org.uk

FROM FEBRUARY 1 2015 THE SOCIETY OPERATES A MEMBERS

ONLY SEARCH SERVICE USING OUR VAST RESOURCES AT THE

RESEARCH CENTRE.

THE SUBMISSIONS ARE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PILOT

HOUSE RESEARCH CENTRE, AND WILL BE PROCESSED BY THE

VOLUNTEER STAFF WHO WILL TRY AND SOLVE YOUR

RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND QUERIES

__________________________________________________________________


News From The Groups

Computer Group Age Concern, Paddock Street, Wigston Magna

7.30pm (plenty of free car parking)

Chairman: Brian Johnson, 2 Gibson Close, Wigston Magna, Leicester, LE18 1AP

Programme Sec: Mrs. Toni Smith, 14 Stackley Road, Great Glen , Leicestershire LE8 9FZ

[email protected]

Forthcoming Meetings

May 27th Lesser Known Genealogical Websites Part 2 - Peter Cousins

July 29th What Do I Do With My Film Clips? Toni Smith

November 2013 Making a Book with Blurb Mike Ratcliff

Have you ever thought how nice your family history would be in a book, but perhaps

put off by the complications of it all? Fear not, using a website like Blurb

(www.blurb.co.uk) any one of us can put our story into book-form. Firstly, Mike

explained how he got into making books and how easy it is to put one together using

Blurb. It’s very easy to download their software, and watch their tutorial if

necessarily (all for free), then follow the guidance step by step to put together your

book. Ideally, to avoid any problems with the quality of your pictures they need to

be scanned at around 150 – 300 dpi. Inserting the pictures is a simple ‘drag and

drop’ into the box. For your cover you can choose soft or hard back, dust cover,

plain, printed, titles, picture or photograph, the choice is yours, although the hard

covers will cost a little more. Your book can be of any subject you wish, family,

holiday, hobby or interest. You can also make a book just as a photo album, many

of us take pictures today with a digital camera and never print them, but making an

album with Blurb (or other) is a really cost effective way of saving your pictures and

an ideal way to show them to family and friends. They can also make unique

presents in an age when everyone seems to already have everything they need. Many

thanks Mike.

Brian Johnson

January 2015 AGM & Q&A

As usual, the first meeting of the year for the Computer Group started with a brief

AGM and in the absence of no nominations for the committee the old committee

was re-elected for a further year. The meeting then continued with a question and

answer session but, unusually, there were not many questions. Fortunately, Peter

Cousins had one or two things up his sleeve – he showed us a preview of the

LRFHS’s revamped website, a preview of the new Windows 10 and the latest

additions to Find My Past’s website. A discussion was also had regarding proposed

mailto:[email protected]

__________________________________________________________________


society coach trips, one to the WDYTYA at Birmingham and possibly the RAF

Museum at Hendon, for further details please watch the website. Despite a lack of

questions it was in fact an interesting evening.

Brian Johnson

**************

Hinckley St. John's Church Centre

351 Coventry Road, Hinckley (near Trinity Marina) LE10 0NF

Open 7 for 7.30 start. Refreshments Available.

Chairman: Deborah Phillpott [email protected]

Programme Sec: Suzanne Mountain Membership Number M216


April 9th Women Of Leicestershire And Rutland Virginia Wright

May 14th Who Do You Think Lived In A House Like This? Brian Johnson

January 2015 The Allan Line ship ‘The Virginian.

This month member Jim Bell told the story of “The Allan Line ship ‘The Virginian’”.

Inspired by a family migration to South Africa in 1932 and a return to the UK in

1945 Jim explained how he set about researching the ‘Drottningholm’, the ship they

travelled on. In a well-illustrated talk Jim started in the early 1900s, showing us

advertisements and passenger lists and explaining how the Allan Line were a major

player in oceanic travel, running the first turbine-driven passenger ships and the first

all-steel vessels. In Edwardian times the Allan Line owned in excess of 100 ships,

for which Jim had brought in a grand display of ephemera and curios.

It was at this time that ‘The Virginian’ was built. using contemporary drawings and

pictures Jim took us on a deck tour of the ship, even including examples of menus

that were available to passengers of the time.

‘The Virginian’ even became attached to the ‘Titanic’ disaster in 1912, although she

was too far away to offer any direct assistance. She then became chartered by

Canadian Pacific to replace a sunken vessel, shortly afterwards being converted to

an armed merchant ship at the outbreak of WW1. Jim related the tale, in September

1914, of the only recorded sea battle between two armed merchant ships when the

German vessel ‘Cap Trafalgar’ was sunk.

Later in 1914 she took part in the transport of 38,000 Canadian troops to Britain,

followed shortly afterwards by involvement in blockade work in the icy waters north

of Scotland. Here Jim introduced the German U-boat menace, which was becoming

__________________________________________________________________


a major factor in the struggle for Britain to survive. In 1917 ‘The Virginian’ became

a victim, badly damaged but able to struggle back to Ireland for repair and refit.

After WW1 the Allan Line was swallowed by the Canadian Pacific Railway

Company. At this point ‘The Virginian’ was sold to a Swedish company and

renamed ‘Drottningholm’. Here she plied the trans-Atlantic cruise routes, serving

throughout WW2 as a repatriation ship. She was sold again in 1948 before finally

being broken up in 1955.

All of this was supported by an excellent display of materials that Jim has

accumulated over more than 25 years of research. A great piece of work!

Ian Phillpott

*******************

Leicester

Age UK Oadby & Wigston

Hawthorn House, 51 Paddock Street, Wigston, Leicester LE18 2AN

Tel: 0116 288 5203

Plenty of free car parking opposite the building

Open from 6.45. Tea and coffee available before meetings.

Chairman: Peter Cousins, 13 Langton Road, Wigston, Leicester LE18 2HT

Vice Chairman: Brian Johnson, 2 Gibson Close, Wigston Magna, Leicester, LE18 1AP

Secretary: Mrs. Gaynor Johnston, 61 Grange Road, Wigston, Leicester LE18 1JL

Forthcoming Meetings: -

April 8th Catherine Crompton’s Diary Stephen Flinders

May 13th More Of Made In Leicester - Brian Johnson

June 10th Dick Turpin - The Real Man And The Legend Bob Massey

January 14th Arming A Knight Jed Jaggard

For the first meeting of the new year we were informed and entertained by Jed

Jaggard who, with his may artifacts he brought along, explained the development of

a knights armour and life from the 1200’s. His vast knowledge and expertise showed

through in his excellent presentation

Peter Cousins

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Jed Jaggard – Arming A Knight

Loughborough Room F012, Foden Building, Radmoor Centre

Loughborough College, Radmoor Road

Loughborough LE11 3BT

Meetings held on Tuesday evenings

The Room is on the 2nd Floor, There is a lift & wheelchair access

Plenty of on-site parking & bus stop outside

Chairman/Secretary: Maggie Heggs, 18 Tamworth Close, Shepshed, Leicester LE12

9NE

Forthcoming Meetings: -

April 14th Best Foot Forward Ian Waller

May 12th Earl Shilton To Waterloo Paul Seaton

June 9th One Name Studies Barbara Griffiths

9th December 2014 meeting “Old Games” with Ernie Miller

We again invited Ernie Miller to give us part two of his highly entertaining talk on

the development of indoor games. After a short talk we were let loose on a selection

of games that he had brought with him. When Ernie came to the group a few years

ago, he proved to be one of our most popular speakers.

The games that we played included board games such as Ludo; string games such as

Cat’s Cradle. He also brought various versions of Ur to play, this is reputed to be the

oldest game in the world at about 4500 years old. Plus a selection of African counter

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games proved very popular. However the most popular and most competitive was a

Dutch form of Shuffle Board, which proved more difficult than it looked.

Apparently some of Ernie’s games can now be seen in the National Trust’s newest

property in Leicestershire – Stoneygate.

Yet again the evening was enjoyed by everyone, and we cannot wait for wait for his

next talk.

Shirley Blyth

January Meeting 2015 “Men of Nanpantan – 1914 -18 - Philip Thorne

One of our own members opened the programme for 2015 with a highly detailed and

extremely interesting talk about his research into the men of Nanpantan who

answered the call during WWI and sadly paid the ultimate price. Their names appear

not only on the war memorial in Nanpantan, but also the memorials at Nanpantan

Church and The Carillon in Queen’s Park in Loughborough.

Philip took us through his research process in trying to identify the 63 men who

names appear on the Roll of Honour in the church. These included appeals in the

local press, parish registers, trips to the Record Office in Wigston, talking to

members of the congregation, trench letters, soldiers wills, Silver War Badge and

Medal index cards plus talking to the relatives of these men.

Since 2010, 60 of the 63 have been identified. When he published his book about

the project in 2012 he gave a copy to the Record Office, The Library in

Loughborough, The Carillon Museum, Pilot House. He also gave a copy to the

Loughborough Group to help our members’ research

Shirley Blyth

Market Harborough The Roman Way Day Centre Conference Room

36, Roman Way, Market Harborough

Meetings Start At 7.30 pm

Chairman John Hammond

Secretary John Hammond

Treasurer Maryan Richardson

Programme Secretary Pam Abbott


April 16th Leicester During World War 2 Vince Holyoak

May 21st Indexing Your Own Family History Records Mick Rawle

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June 18th Walk Round Great Bowden Part 2 Paul Bennett

November – Leicester Photographers

Mark gave us a history lesson about photographic techniques which he described

and showed us via his good collection of family photographs, explaining how to

identify the method. He then spoke about several Leicester photographers including

Thomas Chapman Browne, Roger Fenton and John Burton.

December – The History of Nursery Rhymes: Sandy Leong

While we were enjoying Christmas refreshments we were taken back to our

childhoods as Sandy described well known nursery rhymes and there real disguised

messages, either against the people in power, often royalty, at the time to describe a

historic situation which was happening. They included Jack and Jill and Old Mother

Hubbard. It was surprising the bits of history that are involved with each one, which

are forgotten now.

January 2015 – The Greyfriars Project

Dr King came straight from London to tell us about the project now well known for

finding Richard III under a car park in Leicester. She gave us the family tree leading

up to Richard III. As part of the team there at the team there at the excavations, she

was able to describe how it happened and also explained how, using DNA, it was

proved was proved to actually be him.

Paul Cockerill

(Thank you, Paul for all your write-ups. Best wishes – Ed.)

***************

Rutland Group St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Station Road, Oakham

Meetings Start At 7.30 pm

Chairman: Stuart Temple, 14 Castle Rise, Belmesthorpe, PE9 4JL

Forthcoming meetings

April 13th Little Known Web Sites Peter Cousins

May 11th More Of Made In Leicester - Brian Johnson

June 8 th Life In Tudor Leicester - Felicity Austin

__________________________________________________________________


September Meeting

Brian Johnson gave a talk on “Made In Leicester” covering some of the companies

which started in Leicester and became national. It was astounding how many there

were and how wealthy Leicester was as a city.

It was so good and so interesting Brian was asked to come back in 2015 and continue

with “More Made In Leicester” A highly recommended talk

October Meeting

Sally Henshaw talked about Richard 111. Sally is pro Richard and gave a thorough

description of Richard’s background, the good things he did and how he met his

death. It was, said Sally, a close run thing as between success and failure for Richard

in his final battle.

She then described the dig and discovery of the remains of Richard in Leicester and

how he was identified through DNA analysis from 2 direct descendants . Another

well worth talk.

November Meeting Wim Zwalf

Wim gave a talk based around his name and his ancestors. He has, he thinks, one

of the rarest names -caused by a mistake from a 18th Century enumerator. There

were many details of the Netherlands in WW2, especially his father’s role in the

resistance plus details of other members of his family. A very interesting and

absorbing talk.

Thanks to Wim for standing in following the sad death of Bob Gibson who had been

due to take the November spot.

Leslie Moverley

__________________________________________________________________


NEW MEMBERS

NEW November 2014 to January 2015

Only Members who have accepted the DPA statement are included in this list. E mail addresses can be supplied on request via the e mail address on the first page.

A0358 ADCOCK, Mr. MARTIN, 29 FALCON ROAD, ANSTEY, LEICESTERSHIRE, LE7 7FY B1310 BARNES, Dr. J. M., 25 STREETSBROOK ROAD, SOLIHULL, WEST MIDLANDS,

B90 3PB

B1312 BUTLER, Mr. DANIEL, 157 BENT LANE, LEYLAND, LANCASHIRE, PR25 4HS B1313 BEVIL, ANN, 600 S. RIPPLE CREEK DRIVE, HOUSTON, TX 77057, U.S.A

B1314 BRADLEY, HELEN, 29 BARBARA AVENUE, KIRBY MUXLOE, LEICESTERSHIRE,

LE9 2HE E0211 EAGLE, Mr. COLIN, 1 LEWMAN ROAD, PROBUS, TRURO, CORNWALL, TR2 4LL

F0367 FLUDE, Mr. A. J., 5 MONGOMERY STREET, RICHMOND, VICTORIA 3121, AUSTRALIA

G0566 GEE, Mr. RON & Mrs. MARGARET, 5 COTTESBROOK CLOSE, WIGSTON, LEICESTER,

LE18 3QT

G0567 GALE, Ms. ALISON, 47 MAITLAND AVENUE, LOUGHBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE,

LE12 7DU G0568 GILBERT, VICTORIA, 1 SUNNYHILL GARDENS, SUNNYHILL, BURBAGE,

LEICESTERSHIRE, LE10 2SB

G0569 GRAY, Ms. JANE, 25 VICTORIA STREET, NARBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE, LE19 2DQ

H0983 HOPEWELL, JANET, 3 PANKHURST ROAD, BEAUMONT LEYS, LEICESTER, LE4 1DX

H0984 HAMMERSLEY, Mr. KEITH LIONEL, 14 NARBOROUGH ROAD SOUTH, BRAUNSTON TOWN, LEICESTER, LE3 2FN

H0985 HOLMES, Mr. JOHN, 74 CHESTNUT ROAD, GLENFIELD, LEICESTER, LE3 8DB H0986 HAMMOND, SUE, 5 CORNWALL ROAD, BEDFORD, MK40 3DH

J0282 JORDAN, Mr. ALLAN MICHAEL, THE BYRE, 1 ELLIOTS YARD, COUNTESTHORPE,

LEICESTERSHIRE, LE8 5RG

L0390 LEE, Mr. RUBEN, 914 JENK HILL ROAD, SYLVANIA, GA 30467, U.S.A

M0739 MORRISON, BETTY, 3 CLIFF ROAD, OFF WARF LANE, RADCLIFFE- ON - TRENT,

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, NG12 2AS M0740 MEADOWS, Mr. NORMAN, 6 HUNTERS RISE,KIRBY BELLARS,

MELTON MOWBRAY, LEICESTERSHIRE, LE14 2DT

M0741 MERRYFIELD, ELAINE, 7 HALF MOON CRESCENT, OADBY, LEICESTER, LE2 4HD

N0213 NEAL, Mrs. NORMA RHODES, HIGH MEADOW, WALDRON, HEATHFIELD,

EAST SUSSEX, TN21 0QY P0621 PERKINS, Miss BRENDA, 165 PARK ROAD, LOUGHBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE,

LE11 2HE

P0623 PRICE, Mr. RUSS, 12 STAMPER STREET, SOUTH BRETTON, PETERBOROUGH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, PE3 9JS

R0426 ROBERTS, CAROLYN, EAST VIEW, IRON CROSS, SALFORD PRIORS,

NEAR EVESHAM, PERSHORE, WORCESTERSHIRE, WR11 8SH S1032 SAMUEL, Mr. PETER, COULARD, 2 St COMBS COURT, BANFF, ABERDEENSHIRE,

AB45 1GA

S1033 SQUIRE, Mrs. ANA, 3/26 ELLERSLIE PARK ROAD, ELLERSLIE, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, 1051

W0892 WALDMAN, ANN, 50 STATION ROAD, FULBOURN, CAMBRIDGE, CB21 5ES

W0893 WRIGHT, Mrs. CHRISTINE, 28 HILLSIDE AVENUE, SUTTON ON SEA, INCOLNSHIRE, LN12 2JH

Y0049 YOUNG, Mrs. SUSAN, 10 BARLEY WAY, ROTHLEY, LEICESTERSHIRE, LE7 7RL

__________________________________________________________________


Welcome Back

The following have re-joined the Society

A0347 ALVEY, Mr. JAMES KEITH, 156 GLEN ROAD, OADBY, LEICESTERSHIRE, LE2 4RF

C0541 COPPARD, Mrs. DIANE MARGARET, 15 EYE BROOK CLOSE, LOUGHBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE, LE11 4PS

M0632 MERRY, Mrs. GLADYS JOAN, 10 WINCHENDON CLOSE, LEICESTER, LE5 0NE

Contact addresses for additional Members Surname Interests

This list should be used in conjunction with the New Members Listing.

Only Members who have accepted the DPA statement are included in this list. D0157 NORTON, Mrs. YVONNE, 16 NEW STREET, QUENIBOROUGH, LEICESTER, LE7 3FS

H0938 HARRISON, Mrs. JOY & Mr. KEITH, 27 FISHPOOLS, BRAUNSTON TOWN, LEICESTER, LE3 2UL

M0632 MERRY, Mrs. GLADYS JOAN, 10 WINCHENDON CLOSE, LEICESTER, LE5 0NE

W0889 WILCOX, Mr. STUART, 1 MILTON GARDENS, OADBY, LEICESTER, LE2 5SA

MEMBER’S INTERESTS

Any members who did not sign the DPA statement on their application/renewal form, has not had their interests included in the listing below, or in the address listings Interest area and dates are as received, blanks mean that no location and dates were supplied. Interests only appear once in the journal, minor changes and repeat requests will not be printed, they will only appear on the web site listing. Contact addresses for their interests are listed in the journal.

Contact address for queries can be found inside the front cover of the

journal.

E mail addresses can be supplied on request SURNAME AREA & DATES MEMBER NO:

BRADBURY W0893

BREWIN ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH, LEICESTERSHIRE, 1800+ P0621

BUTLER LUBENHAM, LEICESTERSHIRE, 1600 - 1699 B1312 CARRINGTON BELGRAVE, LEICESTER, 1800 - 1900 M0632

COOPER LEICESTER, PRE 1920 H0984

DEBOARD LEICESTERSHIRE, 1815 W0892 DIX St MARY, LEICESTER, 1750 G0567

EAGLESTON MIDLANDS, 1795 S1033

ECCLESTON MIDLANDS, 1795 S1033 EGLISTON STRETTON LE FIELD, DERBYSHIRE, 1795 S1033

GALE LEICESTESHIRE, 1890 G0567

GEE BLABY, LEICESTERSHIRE, 1830 G0566

GIBBINS LEICESTERSHIRE M0739

GIBBONS M0739

HANCOCK LEICESTER, 1900+ D0157 HUNT St MARY, LEICESTER, 1750 G0567

INCKLE GRETTON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ANY P0623

IRELAND BELGRAVE, LEICESTER, PRE 1900 H0984 KENNEDY LEICESTER, 1900+ D0157

KENNEY WHETSTONE, LEICESTERSHIRE, 1700 - 1800 H0938

LYTHALL MARKET BOSWORTH, LEICESTERSHIRE, 1800 – 1900 M0632

__________________________________________________________________


MEE LEICESTERSHIRE, 1800+ P0621

MEREDITH PETERBOROUGH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, 1898 G0569

NEAL KNIGHTON. LEICESTERSHIRE, 1880+ N0213 PARSONS BRAUNSTON, LEICESTER, PRE 1800 M0632

PERKINS GLOOSTON, LEICESTERSHIRE, 1800+ P0621

POLL WEST BILNEY, NORFOLK, PRE 1770 H0984 PRICE WING, RUTLAND, 1875+ P0623

PRYCE LEIGHTON, MONTGOMERY, PRE 1875 P0623

SAUNDERS W0893 SHOOTER W0893

SMITH St MARY, LEICESTER, 1730 G0567

STONES LEICESTER, 1897 G0566 STRELLEY WEST LANGTON, LEICESTERSHIRE, 1600 - 1699 B1312

WARD LEICESTERSHIRE, 1800+ P0621 WELLS EXETER, DEVON, 1904 G0566

WHITBY LEICESTERSHIRE, 1800+ P0621

WILDE BURTON ON TRENT, STAFFORDSHIRE, 1795 S1033 WRIGHT W0893

WYLDE DUDLEY, WORCESTERSHIRE, 1795 S1033

Correction from last journal listing, the surname PAYNE should have read

PAYN FAVERSHAM, KENT 1800 – 1900 W0889


The AGM 2015 will take place on

SUNDAY 22nd MARCH 2015

IMPORTANT CHANGE OF VENUE:

THE VENUE FOR THE AGM WILL BE:

THE ABINGTON ACADEMY STATION RD, WIGSTON,

LEICESTERSHIRE LE18 2DH

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Back Issues Of The Journal

Available at the following prices each: - Current Year Inland £2 + £1.10 P&P

Overseas Price On Application To Membership Secretary Previous Years Inland £1 + £1.10 P&P

Overseas Price On Application To Membership Secretary (Subject To Availability)

Available From The Membership Secretary Cheques payable to LRFHS please (See address on inside front cover)

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The opinions expressed in this Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editor or the

Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society.

The inclusion of any advertisement in this Journal does not imply any

recommendation by the Editor or the Society ******************

The Editor has the right to include, exclude or alter any material submitted for The Journal

Deadline For Journal No 160– April 30th 2015

Nothing Accepted After This Date. See Advertising Rates above

Cheques please with all adverts made payable to LRFHS

© 2014 All articles published in this Journal are copyright to the LEI and Rutland Family History Society and to the contributors, unless otherwise stated, and may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the prior permission, in writing, of the Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society

161 septe,ber 2015

Documents

Transcript of 161 septe,ber 2015