Why "Little Egypt"?

I know it's not precisely the sort of question for Family Historians, but it just might be.

I've recently been thinking about the perennial question:
Why is Glemsford called "Little Egypt"?

My recent musings were prompted by a fascinating email from Rory Coxhill, and I've taken his ideas and added some more of my own doodles.

We'd be delighted if others wanted to join in the discussion, to argue, or just to feed in more informed opinion - or even examples, quotations, pictures..

As always, feel free. You can "link " to Rory and my ideas from the heading to this entry.

SC

PS I almost forgot: a very Happy 2008 to all our readers and contributors.

Tuffin Family

Mick Newton is just setting out to research his grandfather's family.

Herbert William Tuffin was (probably) born in Glemsford in 1869, to Walter and Matilda, and (probably) married Agnes, and was living in West Ham in 1901 at the time of the Census.

I will be searching the Census and basic registration records to help Mick on the way, but if anyone else knows anything about the Tuffins - there seem to have been quite a few who emanated from Suffolk - please contact me by email (or an identifiable comment here) and I will pass the details to Mick.

SC

More about the Census

Just to answer a couple of subsidiary questions:

1. I have access to all the available Census material
2. I am working on the 1871 transcription at the moment
3. It takes time
4. It tends to send me cross-eyed

but it will appear eventually.

I'll let you know.

S

1901 Census

You should now be able to access my transcript of the 1901 Census for Glemsford (as long as you can get or get into an Excel file) by clicking the link hidden in this heading!

Mead Family

Anthony Mead has approached me for help in looking for the family of Thirza, Flora (Florrie/Florence), Walter and Dennis Mead, who were living with their parents Moses (1837? - 1912) and Charlotte Mead, on Church Gate in 1901.

Thirza appears in the School logbooks as a possible diphtheria case in 1898, later denied, and I have also been able to fill in quite a lot of family detail from the Census, tracking Moses back to his family in Haverhill, but if anyone else has any interest in, or information about this family, please get in touch.

We would, for instance, be interested to know about William Grimwood, who appears as a son of Charlotte and Moses in the 1871 Census, but then sort of disappears. We do know that Charlotte Grimwood was Moses's second wife, after his first, Emma (nee Bird, possibly) died.

All help splendidly acknowledged.

SC

The Angel Inn

I know this is not Family Related at all, but I am delighted to add another reference to Neil Porter's recently-launched Blog devoted to all the goings on in the finest small pub in the known world, The Angel.

Please make sure you pay a virtual visit.

Virtual pints of IPA are quite pleasant too, but not a patch on the real thing.

Mary Ann Ford - more detail

Following up Sandra's request for help with her grandmother's family, Sue of Glemsford has offered a couple of pointers, and using the Census and registration material that is available online I have been able to offer the following digest (surrounded by all sorts of health warnings about not jumping to conclusions, of course):

In the final quarter of 1907, Mary Ann M Ford married Ernest Jarrold in the Thingoe district, which covers a huge area between (and around) Long Melford and Bury St Edmunds and a lot of the surrounding districts.

In 1901, Mary M Ford (sic), aged 15, was living with her parents, Benjamin (47) and Susannah Ford (45), at St Catherine's Road, Long Melford. Mary was a Silk Winder. Benjamin was a Plate Layer on the Great Eastern Railway; Susannah a horse hair weaver. the rest of the family comprised:Rosina, 18, a "half day" domestic servant; James, 20, a Labourer in a factory (what was made is illegible!); Arthur, 17, a painter's apprentice; Nelly, 13, a silk winder; and Laura 9, Ethel, 7, and Kate and Sidney, 5.

In the same year, a 16 year old Earnest Jarrold appears as the son of David and Isabella Jarrold, of Stanton, in the Thingoe district. David was a shepherd, Earnest a "shepherd's page". Other children were: Lily, 22, Annie, 12, Henry, 11, Albert, 9 and Minnie 7. There were actually hordes of Jarrolds/Jarralds in Stanton throughout the perioid for which Censuses are available.

In terms of age and area, I think this Earnest/Ernest is our best bet.

The 1891 Census shows the Fords on Westgate Lane, Melford - on the road to Glemsford. Employment for Benjamin and Susannah and S was the same. All the children, including the oldest, Harry, then 12, were scholars.

The registers for the first quarter of 1886 record the birth of Mary Ann M Ford, in the Sudbury district.

The 1881 Census has Benjamin and Susan (sic) living on Hall St, Melford, the main village street, very near to the Swan Inn. Benjamin was a Malster's Labourer. They had just Harry C, aged 2, and James, 11 months.

Throughout these three censuses, everybody in the family is shown as being born in Melford.

A marriage between Benjamin Ford and Susannah Rison appears in the second quarter of 1878.

In 1871, Benjamin appears as the 17 year old farm labourer, son of James and Maria Ford, living at Bridge St, an outlying hamlet of Melford, where James was a gamekeeper. James was 39, Maria 46. Their other children were: John, 15 , a gamekeeper's assistant; Henry, 14, a Farm labourer, and Emma 11, James 9, Alfred 7, Elizabeth and Maria (both 6), all scholars.

In 1861, James and Maria were at Linhedge (?) Wood Cottage, Bridge St, with Benjamin, John, Henry and Emma. James was already a Gamekeeper.

The 1851 Census does not want to help me at present.

James and Maria married in the first quarter of 1854, Benjamin had appeared by the next quarter!

Maria's maiden name was Newman, and in 1871, a Newman family was living next door to the Fords.

As for Susannah, the 1871 Census shows a Susan Rison visiting the Horrex family on Hall St, Melford, and, in 1861, James (31) - Agricultural Labourer) - and Mary Ann Rising (28) were living near the Cock and Bell with their children Charles, Susannah, Susannah and Harriet (7, 5, 2 and 2 months).

Unfortunately, the surname is very difficult to track because of the possible variations in spelling.

So there doesn't seem to be a straight Glemsford connection, but they are all there or thereabouts!

Now: if anyone else can feed in more detail, we'd love to know!

SC