Glemsford Family History

Jabez Copsey: a Glemsford fire-raiser

2011-12-12T10:45:00.000Z

In March 2010, Eric Drake provided some fascinating material about an "incendiary" from Glemsford, Jabez Copsey, who was transported to Australlia for his crimes.

Eric has now got back in touch with even more detail, gleaned from the British Library, which I am delighted to publish here.

This is taken from the Essex Standard of 2 February 1844:

In our account of the two incendiary fires last week, at Glemsford, we mentioned that a man was in custody on suspicion of being concerned in them: he underwent a second examination on Tuesday last, at the Bell Inn, Melford, before the Rev. Dr. Colville and Robert Mapletoft, Esq, when he made a full confession of his guilt, and on his information his accomplice, Stephen Boreham, was also arrested.
Javis Copsey, the man first taken, is a bricklayer’s labourer, aged 22, and Stephen Boreham, a farming labourer, only 18 years of age. Copsey said that he and Boreham set fire to Mr. Shepherd’s premises about six weeks ago; he was in his own house when Boreham came and gave a signal whistle; Copsey’s mother and sister objected to his going, and said he was after no good, but he came out and went up Shepherd’s Lane to the back of the barn, where Boreham set fire to the thatch in two or three places; they then ran off in the direction of Fair Green.
Three or four days after Boreham asked him “to have another flare up,” and they then planned to set fire to Mr. Mann’s premises, but something occurred to prevent their meeting on the night proposed. They subsequently agreed to set fire to Mr Bigg’s stacks. Boreham went in first and called him (Copsey) to assist; they had seven lucifer matches, and tried six without being able to obtain a light; the seventh ignited, and they fired the stack. The matches were stolen from Mr. Albin’s blacksmith’s shop; Mr. Albin’s apprentice missed the matches, and mentioned it to his master the next morning.
Copsey then proceeded to state that after Boreham had fired Mr. Bigg’s stack they got over the wall and ran across “Grescroft,” where Boreham’s grandfather lived, and where he stopped till he heard the cry of fire, when they went and assisted; they afterwards repaired to the Crown Inn, and and took the beer which was allowed them for helping at the fire. They then went to the Cock public-house, where he gave Boreham a halfpenny to get a pipe of tobacco; after he had lighted his pipe they walked to Mr Allen’s barn, when Boreham asked him to have “another flare up.” He then tore a piece of the lining out of Boreham’s coat, into which they emptied the burning tobacco, and wrapped it up, put it into the barn through a hole in the wall, and pulling some straw over it, ran away; as they were running they met two men, and after that another, named Thomas Chatter, who said to them “There’s another fire yonder,” and they went back with him and helped to extinguish it.
Copsey further stated that Boreham was always after him, and persuading him to join him in firing these premises; he did not know that they had any animosity against any of the parties; he did not know why they did it. It appears that some time back Copsey had obtained some beer by means of a forged order in Mr Shepherd’s name, and was discharged from his work in consequence of it; Boreham had also been out of employ about ten days.
They were both committed to the County Gaol to take their trial at the ensuing assize. Great credit is due to Mr. Freestone, of Glemsford, for his indefatigable exertions in causing the apprehension of these incendiaries. The frequent fires which have taken place in that parish have filled the whole village with alarm, and the satisfaction of the inhabitants at discovering the perpatrators of these diabolical deeds may be easily conceived. Boreham conducted himself at the examination with the greatest effrontery, and when about starting for gaol called out, “Good bye, gentlemen.”

Fascinating material, and again I am indebted to Eric.
SC

The Duff Family

2011-10-12T12:33:00.000+01:00

Another plea from Australia, this time from Ros:

As with so many others I am delving into my past and have discovered that my mother’s paternal line stems from Alexander Duff snr from Glemsford.

He had a son Alexander who married a Caroline Deacon.

At that time he was part of his father’s Silk Manufacturing business but their relationship seems to have failed after Caroline’s death.

He remarried shortly after and Alexander snr. seems to have changed the business name from “Duff and Son” to Duff and Peacock”.

I have managed to find a lot of documented information on the son and his children, Alex jnr died in Queensland after emigrating with his daughter Emma and her husband and kids.

This was after what appears to be a history of bankruptcy and petty theft charges with his second wife.

As I said his father appears to have cut him off.

I have also managed to find a lot on the business side of Alexander snr’s life but nothing on his wife, Easther Busby except marriage entries and the baptism entry for their son.

I found Alexander snr with Andrew Peacock in the Spital Square house owned by Duff in 1841 which gave me a rough date of birth and the Foxearth site gave me his death.

I don’t know if they had more than the one child or their parents names and places of birth.

I suppose what I am really hoping is that someone there knows something. I have noticed that you DO get postings from a Jill Duff and I guess I am clutching at any straws that come my way.

Also if anyone would like anything from me I am more than willing to share.

Any contacts via me as usual.

Watkinson - a familiar Glemsford name

2011-10-12T11:09:00.001+01:00

I really love getting emails like this that arrived from Australlia earlier this week, and am posting it in its entirety.
Thanks, Andrew.
SC

Hi,
I was just passing through the site as my Dad is visiting Glemsford around now while on holiday but I saw you had a growing list of things for the Watkinson line which we're part of.
Its a little sketchy if this helps, but what we know is:

Enoch Watkinson (mar) Mary Ann Betts - I think Enoch was also from a large family .
4 Children: Arthur, Heber, Flora or Florence & Eliza. I'm told Angel St was where they lived - but that's sketchy.

Arthur had children: Raymond, Auria, David & Martin; Heber died young-ish but without children; Flora is not known ( aside from that she worked as a lady in waiting for the viceroy of India, so unlikely had any children)
and Eliza married Cecil Claude Fenn.

Eliza & Cecil Claude had two children: Nina Mary & Jack (no middle name). They moved to Western Australia early 20th century, although Nina was born 1919 in the UK and was a toddler on the boat (Cecil had previously moved to Australia).

Nina has no children but married Leslie Alfred Hart
Jack married Violet Marjory Jones and had two children - Peter John & Leonie Anne

The interest comes from a line on the blog from Sue Yannakopoulos (http://glemsfordfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Watkinson#5742260034904382251) who mentioned her grandmother Florence who went to India around 1919, it might always be a different Florence, but the Florence/Flora from our line went to India at that time. If its a connection, we are descended from Flora's sister Eliza - Flora is a big black hole in the info we have.

It might be nothing but we are interested in any info about the family line for the Watkinsons - Nina is the last living link we have to that family (shes 92) and Jack died a few years back. Peter John & Leonie Anne are 50/60's in age.

You can pass on our details if there is any interest, although we don't have that much info save a photo album and a 92 year old relative with a memory thats fading fast.

Kind Regards

Andrew Fenn
Kalamunda Shire
Western Australia.

So: if anyone has more to offer, please contact me at the usual address: admin@glemsford.org.uk
SC

Byford Family

2011-08-12T11:05:00.000+01:00

I have received this enquiry from Jill Minter, and have already pointed her in the direction of the Hempsteads, but if other people wish to get in touch with Jill, please let me know.
SC

My name is Jill Minter and I have recently found your website as I have been researching a line of Byfords at Glemsford. I am fairly new to this and have little experience as yet, but I noticed that it was mentioned that the Byford family have a long history at Glemsford, but there is nothing else mentioned. Is it just that I am missing something or there is no more information on your site.

I've also mentioned the Google search box on the "front page" of www.glemsford.org.uk. which can come in handy on occasions like this - particularly given how messy these pages can become over the years!

Why Bells Lane?

2011-07-28T11:57:00.000+01:00

Last year, in an article on the main Glemsford History Website, I posed a question about the naming of Bells Lane.

Proving that the internet is still fulfilling its original intended function, Jenny Wear has been in touch with the following additions to our collective knowledge:

During my searches at the Bury Record Office, over the past couple of years, I have come across The Six Bells, Glemsford.

The period is mainly 1752-1776 and the Public House also crops up in the Ipswich Journal between 1761 and 1776 (thanks to the Foxearth LHS).

I'm pretty sure the place was named after the six bells of St Mary's and the lane then after the pub/hostelry.

It must have occupied a good plot as horse and sheep fairs were held there regularly; unfortunately it was too early for the Tithe map and there is a dearth of other maps for that period.

Thanks, Jenny. Another question with a possible answer, and more questions to be looked at - all at the same time. Now, about those horse and sheep fairs ...

Chatters and Scott families

2011-07-28T11:47:00.000+01:00

Clive Scott has contacted me from Texas:
(with apologies for a delay in posting)

I am looking for any information about Emily Selina Chatters and her husband William Henry Scott.
Emily was born in Glemsford on December 29, 1891 and married William in Wandsworth London on 25 Nov, 1916.
She died in Glemsford in 1965 at 47 Brook Street. She also lived in Chequers Lane, and may have worked at the silk works when younger.
William was born in London in October 1895.
Scotts did live next door to Emily in Chequers Lane, were these relatives of William?
Emily's father was Leonard and her mother Jane Brown.
William's family appear to have come from the Channel Islands were the trail goes cold.

If anyone can help Clive with his search, please get in touch via me - admin@glemsford.org.uk

Hambling family

2011-03-14T10:02:00.002Z

Mavis Douglas has contacted me:

I have been researching my paternal family history for some years.

Recently I discovered a Jonathan Hambling born 1624 - just recorded - of Suffolk. Researching even further I have come across a Johannes Hambling Christened 21.12.1624 at Glemsford, Suffolk.

Is it possible there is someone out there who might have some knowledge of the Hambling clan and what part they played within the village?

I have discovered variations of the surname dating back to the 11th Century living in Essex; and there is even a Sir, but so far have no knowledge as to whether all the Hamblings of East Anglia are actually related. A future project I suspect!

As always, if anyone can help Mavis, please get in touch via admin@glemsford.org.uk

SC

Park Farm

2011-03-14T09:57:00.002Z

Mya Holmes (contactable through me at admin@glemsford.org.uk) has asked:

"... if you have any information on the history of Park Farm in Glemsford.

I would like to know the names of the families who lived there from 1500 onward if possible and if you know of any deaths?"

If any researchers are looking at Park Farm, please do get in touch.

SC

Oakley Family

2011-02-19T14:36:00.003Z

The Oakley Family is one of the more frequently-mentioned Glemsford names when people ask about their ancestors.

I am delighted to be able to assist those enquirers by adding this link to Ben Oakley's detailed research into the name he bears:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~oakleyfamilytree/

Ben is more than happy to help with any Oakley-related queries you may have; equally, I shall maintain references on here as and when I can, so that the maximum amount of information is available to those who need it.

SC

Glemsford and Lancaster

2011-02-02T21:41:00.002Z

I'm in the process of researching further the unexpected link between Glemsford and the matmaking industry of Lancaster.

This first came to light with the work we did about the Brown family, but it has recently become apparent that the presence of Glemsford-born people in Lancaster lasted longer, and was more widespread, than I suspected.

If anyone has any prior knowledge or suspicions about this link, I'd love to know about your ideas.

Contact me in the usual way.

SC

Oakley and Chatters families

2011-02-02T21:34:00.002Z

I've had an enquiry from someone researching these families, and particularly the marriage of Ada Clarke (nee Chatters) to Tom Oakley, both born (probably) in the late 1870s.

If anyone has any thoughts, particularly about the latter, because he seems very elusive in the Censuses, we'd love to hear from you via the "response" mechanism, or direct to my email.

Ta ever so.

SC

A New Page

2010-12-17T12:45:00.002Z

I have just added a new page to the main site.

It is a description of the village in the early 1900s, borrowed from a favourite little book of mine.

Reach it by following the link in the title, above.

SC

Reader Marriage

2010-11-17T18:12:00.003Z

Ann Roberts, who posted the original question about the Reader marriage, would very much like to contact Tony Reader who posted the follow up comment.

If he could let me have his email address via admin@glemsford.org.uk, I shall pass it on to Ann so they can talk to each other!

SC

Smart and Slater

2010-11-10T11:22:00.001Z

A new comment has just been added to the entry originally made in 2007; it should be of interest to quite a few correspondents:

http://glemsfordfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2007/01/smart-and-slater.html

SC

Chatters, Skeemers and Theobalds

2010-10-25T09:46:00.003+01:00

"Gillian" has contacted me with this request:

My great-great grandmother was Caroline Chatters, she married Thomas Skeemer (my grandmother's grandfather).

My grandfather was a Theobald from a long line of Borley Theobalds who originally came from Lavenham and Cavendish.

Will share information on these families if anyone is interested.

Gillian

Email me if you wish to contact Gillian.
SC

Ince, Oakley and Jarmin families

2010-10-25T09:42:00.002+01:00

Jack Ince has been in touch:
I moved to Thetford 6 years ago and started researching my ancestors 2 years ago at the age of 78.

I was sursprised to find that my roots on my father`s side were in Clare, going back to John Inch 1660 and Glemsford.

In Glemsford my ancestors go back to Jarmin Oakley 1773-1847 via his daughter Elizabeth1817-1881

Through Jarmin his father Samual 1742 who married Elizabeth the Jarmins..
Looking at the web I came across your web site.

I wonder if there are any Oakleys or Jarmins still living in Glemsford? I have about 300 on my tree but I come to a dead end around 1900.
Any information about your society any the Oakleys and Jarmins in particular will be most welcome.

As usual, if you can help Jack, please get in touch via me.
SC

A Reader Marriage

2010-10-24T15:02:00.003+01:00

Ann Roberts has contacted me:

Does anyone know of the marriage of a Susan or Susanna (born Glemsford circa 1791, maiden name unknown) who married Francis Reader (born Isleham, Cambs circa 1790), probably around 1809?

There’s no record of the marriage in the Isleham PR’s and I can’t find it on the IGI – although that’s obviously not to be relied on! Francis and Susan(na) settled in Fordham, Cambs and had 11 children there.

If anyone stumbles across this marriage or has it on their tree, I’d be thrilled to hear from you and happy to share information..

If anyone can help, I will pass on details.

More about Jabez Copsey

2010-09-17T09:24:00.003+01:00

Libby Donelan has just added another couple of fascinating pieces of information about the transportation of Jabez Copsey to Eric's original post.
Thanks again for all your interest.

SC

http://glemsfordfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html

Albon Family

2010-07-23T14:58:00.003+01:00

"Easterross97" has just added a new note to the 2007 entry about the Albon family:

http://glemsfordfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2007/03/albon-family-search.html

SC

More about Jabez Copsey

2010-07-08T09:42:00.003+01:00

I have just added a further comment about the transportation of Jabez Copsey sent me by Eric Drake. It appears under my name because I pressed "OK" too soon. ...

Ho hum.

SC

Oakley, Ambrose, Jarmin family

2010-07-01T18:40:00.001+01:00

Robert has left this comment on the original entry; I'm republishing it here to see if anyone can help.

SC

Can someone answer a question for me?

During research into my Jarmin family history I have identified an ancestor that is recorded on ancestry.co.uk as "Johes Jarmin, son of Sir Ambrose who married Alice Elliot".
I have no documentary proof that Johes is the father of my ancestor other than the numerous entries on many online family trees.

I have tried to find 3rd party confirmation of the lineage and have checked the Jarmin entry in "The baronetage of England by William Betham" published in 1803. However, it makes no mention of a Johes as a son of Sir Ambrose but it does mention a John who married a Margaret Stanley and it also says that John died without children.

I know that poor entries on ancestry.co.uk can be replicated at speed and soon become 'fact' and I wondered if this mysterious Johes is one such entry.

Can anyone shed any light?

New Comments Added

2010-06-21T12:02:00.002+01:00

One of the problems with this page as it gets longer is that new comments - all of which are welcome - tend to get lost in the mists of time, especially if they refer to original postings made sometime ago.

I'm trying to alert readers by adding additional cross-referencing here.

In which regard, these two entries have had comments added recently:

The Maxim family.

and

The Transportation of Jabez Copsey

I hope this will help searchers.

SC

Oakley, Ambrose, Jarmin family

2010-06-18T19:05:00.001+01:00

Just a brief note to point people at some fascinating comments about these families:
http://glemsfordfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

Well worth the look.

SC

2010-05-28T09:56:00.002+01:00

Sue Potter writes the nicest things:

Hi,
Have discovered your site for the first time this evening. Makes for fascinating
reading!
I am related to the Campan Family of Shimpling.
During the course of tracing my
family tree I discovered that my gt gt grandmother worked at the horsehair
factory in Glemsford.
Susannah Girling b.approx 1847 was married to John Campan.
Would be interested to know if anyone else finds themselves related to Susannah.

If anybody has any links to Sue's work, please let me know and I will forward details.
SC

Hubbard, Gridley, Hartley and Brown.

2010-05-24T11:15:00.002+01:00

Nick Millar has posed the following questions:

Please can you help me? I am looking for the parents of Caroline Hubbard, born Glemsford abt 1837, she married James Hartley in Glemsford, Sept. 1/4, 1856.

Also the birth details of Thomas Brown, father of Susan Brown, born Glemsford 17/08/1817. I know his wife was Hannah Gridley born 12/06/1796 in Glemsford, and they married on 07/08/1817 in Glemsford, but I cannot find his birth.

As always, you can contact Nick through me if you can help.
SC

Suttle family

2010-05-24T11:10:00.003+01:00

Rose Sillett has approached me with a new query; if anyone can help her, please let me know and I shall forward your replies:

I am looking for a Suttle relative which I seem to be stuck on, perhaps somebody has him/them in their family tree.

John Suttle (Settle) 1806-1879 Foxearth.married to Charlotte 1799-1886, Ipswich,Suffolk.(1851/1861.114,Egremont St, Glemsford).

I am looking for John's father and Mother. John.F. Suttle(Settle)1781-1847 married to Hannah (Buckley)1799.

Has anybody any other information on these last two people?

Replies here or through me. Thanks. SC

Clark(e) family (but not mine)

2010-05-20T09:41:00.003+01:00

Charlene Kearnes has sent me an email:

I was just emailing to find out if you had any info in regards to the Clark(e) family consisting of John Clark who married Dinah (Diana) Jolly in 1805 and had about 8 children in the Glemsford-Poslingford area.
The children were Eliz. b.1807, Mary 1808, Hannah 1810, Elias 1812, William 1813, Abraham 1816, Ann and John abt 1819.
They left for Australia, William and Abraham were transported as convicts to Tasmania.
Would like to trace the family further back or learn more about John and Dinah.
Any information would be great.
Thanks.

As usual, if anyone can help, let me know and I'll put you in touch.
SC

Smith Family

2010-05-17T09:11:00.004+01:00

Jim Oliver has approached me with this plea for help. As someone who also has "Smith" in my family tree, I can sympathise with the size of his task.
If anyone can help Jim, contact me in the usual way (by email) and I'll put you in touch with Jim.

SC

I just came across your interesting site on Glemsford and would like to request any help that might be available to my family research.

My g-g-g grandfather Benjamin Smith, was born in Glemsford about 1783 and died between 1871-81. He married Elizabeth Wakeling (Playle) in 1819 in Stanstead. I believe they only had three children...Isabella, Elizabeth, and Alfred Henry.
It appears that both had previous marriages, so it's possible Benjamin had other children. I have a possible father, John Smith born in Glemsford about 1755.
The census for 1841-51-61 show them living in Great Yeldham.
I'm descended from Alfred, born at Stanstead in 1826, and Eliza Bigg through their son Edwin, born 1858. Edwin emigrated to Canada in 1883.

Alfred and Eliza's other children were Anna, Alfred, Oliver, and William. His wife Eliza was also born in Glemsford in 1824, daughter of Charles Bigg and Elizabeth.
Charles is probably the individual mentioned in your March post about the Jabez Copsey fire.

I'm searching for information on Benjamin's ancestors and would welcome contact from others researching the Smith and Bigg families.

Mackmurdie

2010-04-28T14:26:00.002+01:00

Alan Worsfold has approached me:

I have been a researcher for some 50 years, mainly in the southern counties.

I have now retired to Cavendish and while on a walk around Glemsford we came across a tomb stone with the name of my mother's family name, Mackmurdie. As they are a London area family back to the 1700s I tried to find out more by asking around but no such luck.

It's a father and daughter and I think her name was Rose. Without looking at my records I cannot be sure.

The stone was at the back of the church near the path.

I would be very grateful if anybody could help as this is not an area they came from .

If anyone can help Alan with any other links to Mackmurdies in Glemsford, I'll be more than happy to pass on any replies.

SC

A tale of Transportation: Jabez Copsey

2010-03-08T10:07:00.004Z

Eric Drake has contacted me with this fascinating account and query. As always, if anyone can help him, please contact me and I will put you in touch with Eric.

SC

My mother’s mother was a Copsey and although she was born in south London earlier generations of her family, many of them, were in Glemsford. In tracing them I came across a reference to a Glemsford Copsey, first name Jabez, who was transported for life in 1844. I have been able to find a good deal of information about him but not how he fits into the Copsey family tree or what happened to him in the end. Can anyone help?

Eric Drake

Here is what I have established about Jabez Copsey. The starting point was two pieces from the Sudbury Post (helpfully made available on line at http://foxearth.org.uk/1836-1859SudburyPost.html). This is what they say:

January 31^st 1844

`An incendiary is at work in Glemsford, a fire was discovered in the stackyard of Mr Charles Bigg of Churchgate farm at about 7 in the evening, engines from Melford and Hartest arrived and damage was confined to one stack.

`A fresh alert was given about 1 in the morning when fire broke out in the barn belonging to Mr Allen the wheelright, the barn was consumed with a lot of seasoned ash plank, there has now been 4 fires in the village in 2 months.

`We have now heard, a man named Copsey has been taken up.’

April 10^th 1844

`Jabez Copsey and Stephen Boreham of Glemsford were charged with setting fire to Mr James Allen's barn in Glemsford. Walter Bullock said he saw the prisoners in the Cock Inn and they went off together.

`Charles Hartley said "prisoners left the Cock before me, later I saw them coming over the hedge from Allen's barn", Frederick Shadbolt said he was a prisoner in Bury gaol and he had asked Boreham if he did set fire to the barn and Boreham said he did, in answer to a question witness said he had also given evidence the day before on a similar charge saying a man named Barley had also admitted setting fire to a stack and he did not give evidence for a reward. Transportation for life. ‘

Most of the key players in this drama can be identified in 1841 census entries for Glemsford. There is Charles Bigg, farmer, age 50; and James Allen, age 40 and a carpenter rather than a wheelwright (but a carpenter seems more likely than a wheelwright to need `a lot of seasoned ash plank’). And there is Stephen Boreham, age 15, living with his 17-year old brother, Walter, agricultural labourer, and 13-year old sister, Emily. They seem to have been parentless although James and Martha Boreham (age 80 and 75) lived nearby and may have been grandparents. But as far as I can establish there was no Jabez Copsey recorded in Glemsford or anywhere else.

So I wondered whether the Sudbury Post had got the name wrong. But the County of Suffolk register of all persons charged with indictable offences at the assizes and sessions held within the county in the year 1844 records that at the County Assizes on 30 March 1844 Jabez Copsey, age 19, was charged with `Arson setting fire to a barn’, found guilty and given a life sentence. Stephen Boreham, 18, was found guilty of the same offence and received the same sentence. Three other men received life sentences for arson offences at the same assize: John Double, 21; William Gill, 31; and Leach Barley, 37 (the `man named Barley’ of the Sudbury Post piece). All of them except Barley are recorded as being transported to Australia on the same ship, the Agincourt.

The Agincourt was a 541 ton barque. She began loading at Woolwich on 21 May 1844, sailed on 8 July with 224 male convicts on board and arrived at Norfolk Island on 9 November. A contemporary Australian newspaper reported that she spent three days there unloading 220 convicts, four having died on the voyage and one escaped at the Cape of Good Hope.

Norfolk Island, 1000 kilometres out in the Pacific from Australia and with an area of 34 square kilometres (probably not much bigger than Glemsford parish), was then administered as part of the colony of Van Diemen’s Land – modern Tasmania. From 1843 convicts shipped to Van Diemen’s Land and sentenced to more than 15 years were first detained on Norfolk Island before being moved to Van Diemen’s Land itself. The regime on Norfolk Island was notoriously harsh: it was described by someone who visited around 1845 as `marked by utter incompetence and debased cruelties’.

The Archives Office of Tasmania holds an original register with detailed information about convicts who arrived on the Agincourt. It can be accessed online at: http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/default.aspx?detail=1&type=I&id=CON33/1/83. (Jabez Copsey is on page 57.)

The register confirms that he was transported for life for arson (`setting fire to some stacks tried with Stephen Boreham on board), which is said to be his second offence. The register includes a detailed physical description of each convict to be used in `wanted’ notices if they escaped. From this we know that Jabez was a kitchen gardener, height 5/5^1/₂, age 21 (two years older than the age given in the court records), complexion fresh, head and visage oval, hair and eyebrows dark, no whiskers, forehead, nose, mouth and chin all medium, eyes grey, no distinguishing marks.

He spent three years on Norfolk Island. While there, in January and April 1846, he was punished for offences of insolence and `misconduct in leaving the fields before being mustered’ and for the second offence was given `hard labour in chains the month’. By 1849 he had been moved to Van Diemen’s Land and between then and 1852 is recorded as being in three different locations, all in the south-east of the island. The last entry in the register reads `Absc^d Gaz 4/5/52’ which I think means he had absconded and that a wanted notice about him was posted in the Hobart Town Gazette of 4 May 1852.

And that is the last definite record I have been able to find. But there is one further intriguing entry in the Tasmanian archives. The colonial authorities were careful about recording ships coming and going and who was on them. On 9 March 1853 a ship called the Sarah Ann sailed from Launceston in the north of Van Diemen’s Land to London with a crew member called James Copsey. Just coincidence, or perhaps Jabez making good his escape?

And a final footnote. In 1876 James and Eliza Copsey of Glemsford chose Jabez as the name for their 7^th child. Again, just coincidence, or did they know of an earlier Jabez in the family?

Allen family

2010-02-25T10:21:00.003Z

I have recently published more details of the Allen family (descended through Henry and Alfred) that used to live on Egremont Street, around (and sometimes in) Angel House.

You can access it by clicking on the title of this item.

My grateful thanks to Bernie (Bernal) Allen in New Zealand for all the details he has sent me.

SC

Watkinson family

2010-02-25T10:17:00.001Z

I have received this from Pat Watkinson:

"I have traced my husband's family back to possible1608 baptism but there are many queries and irregularities pre 19th century. The name is Watkinson and I wonder if anyone is researching this name. My line left Suffolk for Essex c1790 but I have 4 generations in Glemsford."

Pat Watkinson

If anyone can help Pat, contact can be made through me.
SC

Henry Gridley - a plea for Valerie Bloss

2010-01-22T14:47:00.001Z

If Valerie Bloss still visits these pages, could she get in touch with me?

I have a correspondent who may have useful information about Henry Gridley.

SC

Charles Bigg and Mary Kedington

2010-01-22T14:33:00.003Z

Tom Woodhouse has written to me:

I am delving into the Cawston side of my family who are linked to the Bigg and Kedington families also.
I have got back as far as Charles Bigg and Mary Kedington's marriage in 1763 in Stansfield, can you point me in the direction of some further information please?

As usual, if anyone canhelp, please let me know in the first instance and I will put Tom in touch with you.

SC

Wright and Whiterod

2010-01-22T14:24:00.002Z

I have been approached by Chris Starr, who says:

I would very much appreciate ... help in tracing the Wright family.
Elizabeth Wright married Westley Whiterod at Glemsford on 28 October 1773 and I would be particularly pleased to know the names of Elizabth's parents, I believe her mother may have been a member of the Olley family of Denston.

I have no direct means to help Chris, but if anyone has any thoughts, please do the usual and contact me, so that I can put you in touch with Chris.

SC

Hartley Family

2009-12-04T11:54:00.002Z

With apologies for the delay in getting this posted, I received this note from Alan Daly in Watford:

We've been looking at your web site with great interest as my wife is
descended from the Hartleys of Glemsford (on her mother's side). Her
GGGF was James Hartley, a Wheelwright, who married Caroline Hubbard at Cavendish, 23.8.1856.

We have found entries relating to Hartleys in Glemsford going back to
1674! But not sure if we have the right ones in our list.
If there is anyone who has some authentic details of the family going back through
the centuries, we'd be very interested to make contact!

I have Alan's email details - please let me know if you wish to make contact.

SC

Garwood and Ive

2009-12-04T11:42:00.002Z

Colin Garwood has written to me:

Among your 2004-2005 enquires I noted that Ann Lindsay in France enquired about William Garwood, Bathsheba Ive , James Garwood and Robert Garwood.

William and Bathsheba were my Great Great Grand Parents.
Are you able to relay to Ann that I can give her some information, and photographs of Bathsheba and James and Robert?

Ann's enquiry was 01/11/2004, so I hope I am not to late to make contact.

Unfortunately, I no longer have a working email address for Ann - so if anyone out there can reconnect us, please let me know.

SC

King Family

2009-12-04T11:28:00.002Z

David King of Windsor, Ontario has contacted me:

I am researching Thomas King born 1720 in Glemsford who married Sarah Mortlock Sept 13 1744 in Glemsford.
They had 8 children.
I am a descendant of Thomas and if anyone could give me more information on the both of them I would greatly appreciate it.

If anyone can help, please contact me and I will let you have David's email address.

SC
admin@glemsford.org.uk

Elliston family

2009-11-05T12:54:00.002Z

Something of a plea, really.

If Lisa Young, Perth, WA, who was in touch with me several years ago concerning Maud and Ada Elliston, is still watching, could you let me have an up to date email address (via admin@glemsford.org.uk) so that I can let you have a couple more new snippets?

Ta

Steve

Glemsford's War Dead

2009-11-04T15:14:00.013Z

Now that the 1911 Census is available online, I have been able to complete an update of my work which looks at the men from Glemsford who died in the Great War. It seemed to be the right time.

I know there are gaps still, and probably some mistakes - so I would welcome feedback, comments additions etc., either here or directly to me by email: admin@glemsford.org.uk

SC

Allen Family

2009-08-19T12:33:00.003+01:00

I have nearly completed my survey of the Allen family in 19th Century Glemsford - accessible by clicking on the title to this posting.
I am particularly fascinated by the material that Bernie Allen has sent me which focuses on the memories of his father Wilfred, who was born in Glemsford in 1881, but I hope the trawling of the Censuses proves worthwhile too.
Please, please let me know if you spot any errors, or can extend the search and its findings.

SC

Changes (and improvements?)

2009-07-26T12:44:00.002+01:00

If you haven't visited the main site recently, I've just carried out a sort of overhaul, tidy-up, modernisation, whatever you like to call it.

Let me know if you hit problems with it.

This feature continues, unaffected and oblivious.

SC

Alarming Fire in Glemsford

2009-07-26T12:38:00.002+01:00

For your interest and delectation, I just added the first part of a new feature about Glemsford's Allen family. The feature begins with a newspaper article about an "Alarming Fire".
There is more to come.

SC

Plume Family

2009-07-26T12:32:00.003+01:00

John Bastow writes:

Hi. I am researching the Plume family. My paternal grandmother was Delilah Plume, born Glemsford Jan 1868. I have taken her line back to Edmund Plume, born about 1717 in Glemsford.

I am now trying to establish a link between Plumes in Glemsford and Plumes in North London. Do you know of any family migration patterns?

Regards,

John Bastow

I haven't any detail, just general ideas, but I'm sure there are other Plume researchers out there. I've also suggested looking at Plums and Plumbs.

The Bigg Family

2009-07-26T12:25:00.002+01:00

Merv Aitken has contacted me from New Zealand:

During my browsing I came across the Glemsford Family History website edited in
2005 by Steve Clarke. I am currently researching a part of the BIGG family from the
1600-1700 period, and was interested to see that Julie Pierson had several entries
asking for information re this family.

Unfortunately there was no email address on any of her entries. Would it be possible
for you to provide me with a current address? -- or even a suggestion as to how I could
contact her.

I would also be most interested to make contact with anyone else in your group,
who has an interest in the BIGG family.

Unfortunately, because of changes in my system ("Wot system?" I hear you cry), I do not have an up-to-date address for Julie. If you can help, contact me and I'll forward details to Merv.

SC

Fair's Fair

2009-07-22T14:04:00.005+01:00

A little while back now (January 2008, actually) there was some discussion here about Glemsford's Fair, and I published a few references to the event (you can find them by clicking on the Title/Headline of this item).

A bit of idle surfing this morning on the excellent Foxearth site produced this further reference to what was obviously a regular event:

June 29 1880 Glemsford.
The midsummer fair which held on Friday and Saturday last was well patronised by the travelling stalls and the green was quite full, there were stalls were erected at the Lion also at the Plough, everything passed off orderly.

As if it wouldn't!

SC

Oakley, Ambrose, Jarmin family

2009-07-21T08:33:00.004+01:00

Janet Jarmin has added another comment to the Oakley, Ambrose, Jarmin thread.

It should be available by clicking on the link in the title line, above.

Thanks again, Janet

SC

New comment published

2009-06-11T08:58:00.003+01:00

Rory has added a fascinating comment to the Oakley, Ambrose, Jarmin family thread.

He also refers to an earlier comment he made about the origins of Little Egypt. I've included that on a page of its own, which you can find at this address.

SC

Additional Comment: Craske family

2009-05-28T09:51:00.002+01:00

I have just published a new comment to the September 2006 notes about the Craske family (and others), from Cathy Bryant.

SC

Toy Company in Glemsford: a query

2009-02-15T10:46:00.002Z

Kevin Frazer is looking for information on the makers and/or sellers of Annetta Soft Toys.

"I have a large hand-sewn soft toy (bulldog) standing 51" high. It was made (or rather sold) by Annetta Soft Toys of Egremont Street, Glemsford, Sudbury, Suffolk. The label is overstamped Haverhill Suffolk, so I presume the cottage industy moved.

Is this business known still in the area? I am told the dog "teddy" is around 50 years old plus or minus 10 years."

I have no immediate information about this company, but can anyone out there help?
Replies through me, please.
SC

Oakley, Ambrose, Jarmin family

2009-02-15T10:26:00.002Z

Jane Davey is looking for info on these families:

"My granny was Elizabeth Oakley (1891) and her mum was Eliza Jane Jarmin (1864) , daughter of Jane Jarmin (1845). I can't find any record of Jane's marriage to anyone. Jane's parents were William Jarmin (1792) and Martha Boreham (1802). My great grandad was Henry Oakley (1831) who married Emma Ambrose (1840), but I've come to a halt with Emma's family. Any info would be great.

I'm also interested in a particular christian name that keeps appearing in the census and family info - Mahala. Several of my female ancestors had this name and it's reallly unusual even today - if anyone knows why this name was so popular in Glemsford I'd love to know too!"

As always, if anyone can help, please make your initial contact through me.

SC

Glemsford in the Great War

2008-12-18T11:30:00.002Z

I've mentioned some of this before, but I am still fascinated and would welcome any fresh thoughts on the these issues.

While assisting with other searches, I've found several intriguing but tantalising references to Glemsford in relation to the Great War:

Documents in the National Archive make a very brief reference to there having been a Prisoner of War camp in Glemsford, certainly towards the end of the Great War. Does anyone know anything about this?
Similar documents refer to government "involvement" in the development of the flax factory/factories. This is less surprising, but does anyone have more details?
Elizabeth Simmonds has heard of munitions work being done in the area during that conflict. Again: tantalising - does anyone have any more detailed knowledge?

All answers via me, please! You know you can do it!

Osman Game

2008-12-18T11:05:00.002Z

Elizabeth Simmonds search for the Game and Adams family (qv) included a particular quest to try to trace the singularly-named "Osman Game". You'd think, wouldn't you, that such a name would be easy meat for even an average internet search engine?

But dear old Google and Yahoo have really struggled, as has Ancestry and all the other proprietory genealogical programmes.

This is what Elizabeth has found, and the little that I have been able to add:

In 1881, Ezra Game - Silk Weaver - and his family were at 65 Melford Road, Sudbury.
Apart from Mary Ann, the family consisted of Virginia C. E. (4), Mabel H. (3) and Esma D. (1) The first two children had been born in Glemsford, but Esma in Sudbury.

A birth: March 1/4, 1882, Sudbury district - the names are given as "Osmond Otho" Game.

By 1891, the family was back in Glemsford, on Hunts Hill, but had probably moved back sometime before, as son Osman, 9, is shown as born in Glemsford.

In 1901, Osman Game was living in Braintree with his uncle Charles Game and Aunt Ruth. Charles was an Engineer in the Silk Factory, Osman was a "Jacquard ?Maker? Card Cutter" - part of the silk manufacturing process.

Apart from the Census, the only vague reference I have found is in the online registers of marriages.

In the March 1/4 of 1918, an Osman Game married someone called Marie M Pallett-Bricknells (or Bricknelle), in Godstone in Surrey. The name being so "individual", we assume this is our Game.

Elizabeth has been told that he had been a school master, but where and when and is this true –who knows. He was in the Dorset Regiment during WW1, in fact he came home from South America to enlist - what was he doing in South America? He married when he was a 2nd Lt. in the Dorset Regiment.

So: if anyone else can help, we'd be really grateful.

SC

Game and Adams Families

2008-12-18T10:38:00.004Z

In an earlier entry, Elizabeth Simmonds was asking for any information about the background to the Game and Adams families, in particular Virginia Game who was married to Alfred Poole Adams, and the family, in general, of Ezra Game. The name of Osman Game was of particular interest.

I am pleased to be able to report some success with this search.

We can now track the Game family back to the 1841 Census, when Charles and Ann Game and their family were living on Fair Green. Charles was a Silk Weaver. Also in the same household was an 80 year old James Game (probably Charles's father) - so with a click of the mouse button we have a possible trace back to 1761-ish.
Throughout the 19th Century, this Game family and its branches seem to have moved between Glemsford, Colchester and Sudbury, but always with a link to the Silk industry.

A specific answer to Elizabeth's question emerged: in the June ¼ of 1896, Virginia Clementine Elizabeth Game (daughter of Ezra) married Alfred Poole Adams.
In 1901, they lived at 1 St Leonards Rd, Colchester, with their children, Virginia E., Esma D. and Mabel H. (4, 2 and 3 months). The latter two had been born in Colchester, while the young Virginia was born in Glemsford. Alfred was a "Journeyman Carpenter".

I couldn't find the Adams family for certain in 1841, but in 1851 Thomas (60) and Hannah (59) Adams were living on Chequers Lane, with their children Susannah (18) and Thomas (16), and their grandson Alfred (6). Thomas was a "Master Carpenter, employing two men". Hannah was a "Bread baker". Both were Glemford-born. Susannah was a "hand loom weaver" and Thomas (jr) "carpenter's son".

Immediately next door lived George and Sophia Adams, with Ellen, Lavinia, Andrew and Emma - 8, 5, 3 and 1. George was a "Journeyman Carpenter". I wonder if Alfred was George and Sophia's son, shipped next door to create space!

After 1851, the Adams family is relatively easy to trace, and remained, for the most part, in Glemsford with strong links to Carpentry.

This is very much a digest of what Elizabeth knew and what I have been able to add, but if anyone else has an interest in these family groups, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Meanwhile, if anyone knows anything about one Osman Game, we shall be particularly interested!

SC

Hempstead, Byford families

2008-12-16T18:54:00.002Z

"Barry" writes:

I am researching the Hempstead family, and have just discovered the wonderful local history society 'A Glemsford family in the 19th Century' four part article by Sheila Willmoth.

I am descended from the William Hempstead and Kezia Byford part of the family, and would welcome help from anyone to go back beyond 1800.

Also I intend to visit Glemsford in 2009, and try to view the parish registers - How do I do this?

Thanks for your comment, Barry. Most of the Glemsford registers and related material are in the County Record Office in Bury St Edmunds.

SC

James Blair and the Silk Factory

2008-12-16T18:45:00.002Z

Colin Young has approached me with this request:

My family is connected with James Blair who was manager at Glemsford Silk Mill, certainly by 1914. The purpose of this note is simply to ask if your Local History Society can furnish me with any details you may have in your records, regarding James Blair and, family members of his. Perhaps there is mention of him in old newspapers or, local trade directories etc?

I am trying to establish when he arrived in the area from Scotland, whereabouts he came from in Scotland and, what became of the family.

Any help you can give me will be most welcomed.

I have been able to find Mr Blair on the 1901 Census, when he was a single man of 31, living at the Silk Factory and employed as a Silk Throwster, but if anyone else can provide more information, I (and Colin) would be very grateful.

SC

Jarmin, Everitt families

2008-12-06T11:52:00.001Z

I am looking for info on the Jarmin & Everitt families from Glemsford.

I have recently discovered this family name in our tree & notice that for many generations they lived there.

Some names are: Thomas Everitt B 1755, Elizabeth Everitt B 1784, Dorcas Jarmin b 1725, Thomas Jarmin b 1702.

Anything would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

Val Schirru
Canada

Anybody with ideas can leave a comment or contact Val via me.

SC

What's In A Name?

2008-12-03T11:24:00.004Z

I've just been doing some Census-trawling for someone with a family question and, in passing, reminded myself of a couple of odd spellings of familiar place names in the village.

In the 1881 Census, Chequers Lane is recorded as "Chickall Lane", and in the 1871 Census, Fern Hill was "the Farnall".

The 1851 Census refers to Tye Green as "Tithe Green" - I'd always understood there was some dispute about this origin for the name.

The useages are not constant, but it intrigues me to know whether these versions were the original - and if so, where did they come from? - or just a case of the enumerator having trouble writing down the Glemsford accent.

Any thoughts?

SC

Game and Adams Families

2008-12-01T12:00:00.003Z

I am looking for information re. the Game and Adams families, in particular Virginia Game who was married to Alfred Poole Adams.

Who lived in a third part of the Old House in Chequers Lane.

I believe Ezra Game, father of Virginia, worked at the Silk Mill and later became the landlord of The Plough public house.

Also is anything known of Osman Game, brother of Virginia?

Elizabeth

Any information gratefully received, as usual!

SC

Wiseman Family, again

2008-12-01T11:37:00.004Z

Peter Rogers has contacted me with some further thoughts and information concerning Sandra's search for the Wiseman family. This is what he said:

Steve,

Read you info ... re: Wiseman family in that region.
I have information on my mother's side (née Wiseman) from an 1881 census. There seems to be some connection.

A John Wiseman, my GG Grand Father was born in Glemsford in 1830 (horse hair curler), married Amelia ?? (b. 1836 Whitechapel London).

They had 7 sons all born in Melford: Charles John, b.1861( Bread Baker), Walter b.1863 (horse hair curler), G William b.1867 (Labourer in factory), Thomas b.1869 (my great grandfather and lived mainly in London?? and married Annie Lewis b. 1869), Arthur b. 1871, James b. 1875, Joseph b. 1878.

John Wiseman may have been a son of Richard, and a twin of James - dates fit??
In 1881 they were living in Cock and Bell Lane, Long Melford.

I have yet to go back to earlier census info to track down more.

Peter Rogers
Canberra, Australia

Yet again, I am delighted, if not amazed, at the power of this medium. Thanks to you all.
If any one else has more to contribute, please let me know. Obviously, I have email addresses for most of my contacts, although I won't, as a rule, publish them here.

SC

Glemsford Brass Band

2008-11-15T12:14:00.003Z

The Glemsford Brass Band does not occur very often in the written annals of the village's History, but those references that do occur provide fascinating glimpses:

Richard Deeks has a picture of the Band in 1893 in the Introduction to "Glorious Glemsford";
in "The Matmaker and the Magistrate", Richard describes the Band leading the marchers as they set off to Melford;
he also describes the Band greeting Henry Cook back to the village after his trial;
and, again, Henry Cook is described as inviting the Band to play outside his house at Christmas - http://www.glemsford.org.uk/2008_03_01_lhsarchive.html;
in the correspondence between Minnie Brown and Mrs Savage, the Band is shown as not being universally welcomed (!);
there is an oblique reference to the Perseverance Brass Band in the Board School Minutes;
and there are references to the Band in the newspaper extracts held on the Foxearth site.

Now I have been approached by David Cawdell, of the Lexden History Group, who says:

I am a brass band historian and am researching the histories of 'lost' village brass bands in Suffolk.

In the 1900's there estimated to be around 20,000 brass bands in the UK; nearly every village had one, towns had several, cities had dozens. Today there are only about 2,000, so somewhere there must be an awful lot of instruments, and memories, tucked away in attics and cupboards.

The village brass band was an important element in the social and religious life of the village, playing at fetes, harvest festivals, Christmas carolling etc. and it is an aspect that, I feel, should be recorded in print for future generations of historians.

I have recently finished researching the histories of the 'lost' village bands in North Essex and have written up their history in a book entitled "Grandad played the Cornet". I would now like to do the same for village bands in Suffolk.

I believe that your village had a brass band ... . Any further details or photographs or the name of a local resident who could help in my research would be greatly appreciated.

I have already sent him details of what I know, but if anyone has any other information, however small or seemingly unimportant, perhaps you could let me know, and I will forward it to David.

Lest we forget

2008-11-10T10:54:00.002Z

At this time of year, it seems apt to remind visitors of Glemsford's own contribution to the two World Wars.

The village war memorial acts as a constant pointer, and I hope the notes here are appreciated too: I am updating them as I receive more information.

SC

110 Years Ago - a snapshot

2008-11-10T09:49:00.006Z

Pursuing, yet again, the lives of ordinary Glemsford people, doing ordinary things, in ordinary ways, I ran across another set of entries in the Glemsford Infants School Logbook, for October/November 1898:

31st October
Of the three girls from the Girls' School, who were appointed "on trial" at the last Board Meeting, Laura Copsey only took up the duties for one week, not wishing to return; Pollie Playle has done fairly, and Constance Reeve well. The latter shows both aptitude and liking for the work, so far.

Nov 7/98 School Inspected

[signed] HWClaughton

Nov. 8. 1898 School visited during H. M. Inspector's visit yesterday, by Rev. H.Hall.
Constance Reeve was appointed on Nov. 1 (at the Board Meeting) Monitress, with a view to becoming probationer at the commencement of the next school year.

Nov. 11. 1898 The customary half holiday after the Head Inspector's visit, was granted for this, Friday afternoon. School was therefore closed at 12 o'clock, noon.

In those days, Schools could expect annual inspections, normally from the same Inspector year on year, and the financial security of the School and Head Teacher could depend on the outcome.

All three of the girls "on trial" as would-be teachers appear in the Census of 1901, and their entries make interesting reading compared with these career ambitions 3 years earlier!

Laura Copsey, who only stuck at it for a week, was the younger daughter of Cornelius and Hannah Copsey, who lived on Tye Green. In 1901, Laura's occupation is not mentioned, but her age is given as 16 - so: she was 13 at most when she decided teaching was not for her! Not that the work was unusual for the family. Her older sister Bessie was a "pupil teacher" in 1901, and Cornelius was "Attendant [sic] Officer and Caretaker".

Pollie Playle ("Polly" on the Census) lived, in 1901, on Fair Green, when she was 15. Having done "fairly" at the time of the 1898 Inspection, she seems not to have pursued the career either - no occupation is listed. She was living with her parents, William, a "Horse Hair Curler", and Sarah. Also at home were her brothers Walter (28) and Wallace (18) - a "School Teacher".

Wallace Playle is named on Glemsford's War Memorial. Although I have no precise details (nor absolute proof) at present, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site lists a Corporal Wallace Edward George Playle, of the London regiment (First Surrey Rifles) as one of the many without a known grave, having died 8 October 1916, and commemorated on the memorial at Thiepval. Since the birth registers for 1883 record the birth of Wallace Edward G. Playle in the Sudbury district, I strongly suspect this is Polly's brother. The Somme accounted for so many.

Constance Reeve was the daughter of Police inspector Robert Reeve and his wife Rachel. She had a sister Hilda and brothers Albert and Leslie. The family lived in the Police House on Fair Green. In line with what one might expect from such work, the family seem to have moved around. Robert was born in Blythburgh, his wife in Hengrave and the children in Whepstead. I find it particularly interesting that, in 1901, Constance was only 15, but was a School Teacher - Pupil.
So, when she'd been assessed as having aptitude for teaching, in 1898, she would not have been much more than 12 years old!

Ordinary people, ordinary lives, but fascinating.

Further details of Glemsford's Infant School are available here: http://www.glemsford.org.uk/school1.html

Steve Clarke, November 2008

Glemsford Station

2008-10-29T15:28:00.002Z

Celia Hall has sent some more work about life in the Station Master's house at Glemsford Station.

Yet again, it is fascinating stuff, emphasising (to me at least) just how important it is to record everday life for posterity. So much has changed in such a short time.

Thanks again, Celia.

Wiseman Family #2

2008-10-27T10:27:00.004Z

Sandra is very grateful for Sue's suggestions (see Comments to the previous post).

If anyone has further information, please do not hestitate to get in touch.

Very tentatively, I'm wondering if there may be a connection to the Hampstead/Pearman genealogy - but I rush to add that this pure unhistorical speculation!

SC

Wiseman Family

2008-10-24T12:27:00.004+01:00

Sandra has approached me for help with some of the detail for her family:

My great, great, great grand father was RICHARD WISEMAN, born c1795.

He married ISABELLA CLARKE at GLEMSFORD CHURCH on 20 March 1820.

They had possibly 6/7 children, church records show most of them as baptised at the church:
LEONARD GOTTO 1820
WALTER 1822 RICHARD'S TRADE molster?
ARTHUR 1824 RICHARD'S TRADE miller
SUSANNAH 1826
JOHN 1828 my great, great grandfather
JAMES 1830
GEORGE C1832 died 1832 aged 7? buried at the church

When Arthur married, at Long Melford in 1851, the marriage certificate stated that his father, RICHARD WISEMAN was deceased; a miller.

I have been able to trace some of the siblings of RICHARD and ISABELLA to Long Melford, some I believe stayed in Glemsford: e.g. the 1901 Census shows a son of the above John (1828), Walter, living with his wife, Mary and their children in Brook Street.

I would very much like to continue back to trace RICHARD'S history, where he was born, his father, whether he an Isabella stayed in Glemsford.

Sandra knows there was some connection with the Horse Hair Industry.

If anyone can help, please use the usual channels.

Steve Clarke

Ost/Orst/Aust

2008-10-24T11:56:00.002+01:00

Noel Shaw has contacted me with this query about his family:

I'm up in Yorkshire and my 2 x Grandfather on my mother's side was Mark Hirst (b. 1833).

His name was corrupted upon arrival up here from your varied versions of Ost/Orst/Aust/etc., which caused problems trying to track any more relations down.

Glemsford, Somerton and Brockley appear to feature in their roots.

Presently I'm now stuck on his father Jeremiah Orst (b.1785, d.1848), who I believe first married Mahala Seeley, who died in 1824 with all her children, and then married Ann Seeley, also widowed, nee Malt, who also had Samuel (b. 1787).

There would appear to be several possibilities as to Jeremiah's parents and I'd appreciate a definitive answer, if anyone can help, please contact me direct.

The LDS site has only confused me even more!

Jeremiah's family seem to have been in Somerton, certainly in 1841 and 1851. If anyone can help Noel, please let me know, via the usual routes.

Steve Clarke

Brown and Savage Families

2008-10-22T11:12:00.003+01:00

I have said many times how much interest and satisfaction I get from people being able to use these pages to help with their own interests.

A couple of years ago now, three of us put in a lot of very enjoyable work researching the link between the Savages of Cavendish (and their hotel "empire") and the Brown family of Glemsford, particularly Araminta, Martha, Gershom and Alva. That material starts (and becomes quite complex) here:
http://www.glemsford.org.uk/05brown.html

I was delighted therefore to receive this email from Debbie Watts in Bedfordshire:

I have recently started reseach on my family tree and discovered many from my mother's side came from the Cavendish/Glemsford area. So looking on the internet I discovered your website and noticed the section on the Browns and the Savages, in this article many of my ancestors were being mentioned and information I had found was being confirmed and elaborated.

This was an exciting find. My G-G-grandmother was the Mrs Elsey that is mentioned in the will of George Savage, George Savage was her next elder brother.

Mrs Elsey, Mary Ann Savage, had 7 children. Amelia and Beatrice (twins, B died at birth), Ernest, Sidney (my g-grandfather), George, Ida and Alexander that I have been able to trace.

Sidney and Ernest went into the Hotel business too and in the 1901 census they are listed as running a coffee house in Waterloo Rd. This was where my grandmother was born.

My grandmother in turn went on to work in the Hotel trade at the Savoy in London. Here she met my grandfather, Louis Saulnier, who was head chef at Frascatis Hotel, he wrote the book "Le Repertoire de la Cuisine" famed as the chef's bible.

... A big thankyou to the person/people who put in the hard work researching the Savages, it has certainly helped me to dot i's and cross t's!

Thanks, Debbie.

Debbie would be happy to hear from anyone with similar family research interests. As always, you can contact her by leaving a comment here, or by emailing me direct. I will pass on any contacts.

Steve Clarke

Glemsford Station

2008-09-12T10:20:00.004+01:00

Yet again, I am delighted to announce the arrival, on the main website, of some more village history in the shape of Celia Hall's memories of life at Glemsford Railway Station from 1943 to the end of the 1940s.

Apart from some fascinating insights into Glemsford life 65 years ago, Celia has produced a beautifully-written human story and has been kind enough to let me use a family photograph to illustrate it.

This link should take you to the story.

Steve C.

Sorry for the silence

2008-09-12T10:15:00.003+01:00

A thousand apologies for the lack of additions and updates over the last few months.

Suffice to say, it has been one of those summers.

Unless the fairies are still listening, things should now get a little more like normal, so feel free to get in touch.

Steve Clarke

Meanwhile ...

2008-06-08T11:02:00.001+01:00

Roger Emmins has sent this request:

Just had a look at the Glemsford site and wondered if there is anyone else looking into the above named [Game and Creaton] families. They are both ancestor families.

Regards

Roger Emmins

Obviously, I'll let him know of the contacts I have, but if anyone has anything to add ... I have Roger's contact details.

Henry and Harriet Cook

2008-06-08T10:32:00.005+01:00

Following on from earlier questions about Henry Cook and his career in Glemsford, arising from contact with Sylvia Osborne in Australia, "Suffolk Sue" in Glemsford has been kind enough to send me these photos of their grave in Cavendish churchyard.

Many thanks, Sue: it's always good to be able to add some detail to these investigations.

Mann and Boggis

2008-03-19T08:59:00.002Z

Pauline Cooper, from Sydney, has added a comment to the original posting about the Mann family.

Landlords of the Angel

2008-03-16T20:33:00.003Z

Now: we all know that the Angel Inn, Glemsford, is the finest hostelry around, and we do know something about the recent landlords, but can anyone help Chris Faircloth? He wrote:

My father, William George Faircloth was born in Colchester in 1911, the youngest of six children. His father, Willie Samuel Faircloth was born at Hardy's Green near Birch in Essex in 1866.

Willie Samuel had a sister, Kate Faircloth who married a Walter Taylor.

According to info we have, they lived at the Angel Inn at Glemsford in the early years of the 20th century. They had children who would have been first cousins to my dad and his sisters, yet for some reason, my dad never seemed to have had any contact with them.

Are you aware of any Talyors in the village who trace their family back to Kate and Walter?

There are a whole group of Faircloth descendants who would love to know.

So: there's the question. Over to you lot ...

The 1901 Census, by the way, shows Walter and Kate running the Angel in that year, with children William (11) and Arthur (1). Arthur is recorded as having been born in Glemsford, the others, as Chris says, in Essex.
There were other Taylors living on Egremont St, Fair Green and at Lay's Farm.
SC

More Suttles

2008-03-13T09:50:00.003Z

Rose Sillett has been in touch from Australia with more details about her search for the Suttles, and has included this fascinating picture.

She writes:

I am sending this photo I found by chance.

It shows my family tree members. My grandfather Willfred Suttle. b.1898.Pump Lane, Glemsford. He is 2nd from left back row.

I believe the lady in the large hat on right is his mother,Susan Suttle. b. 1863. don't know her maiden name ?

The others (not the younger children ) are his brothers and sisters.Florence Kate.1882. Martha 1884. Ada 1886 Mary.1890 ? Albert.1893.

The man with the moustache ? David Suttle ??1863...

Can any other person researching or related to the Suttles, shed any light on who's who.

And who are the children?

Florence Kate m.John Arthur Barnes, and had children.

Gertie m. E. Barnes: are they their childen?

Thank you all.

So: if you can help, please get in touch with me.

Henry Cook: a question ... and some answers

2008-03-10T11:50:00.004Z

As I keep saying, I am amazed at the succession of fascinating topics that are thrown up by people who are interested in their family's past in and around Glemsford.

It is genuinely exciting to be able to point people in the right direction (I hope!) or to put people in contact with others with similar lines of research.

But given my passion for Glemsford's radical and working past, I was abolutely delighted and astonished to receive this email from Sylvia Osborne in Western Australia:

My Cook family were all born in Glemsford starting with Charles born 1867, Ernest 1869, Florence 1871, Frederick 1873, William 1875, Eleanor 1878, Beatrice 1879, Stanley 1881, Archibald 1884 and with the parents Henry and Harriett dying in 1908 and 1896 respectively and ( I Think) being buried in Glemsford.

I am loooking for any conections to the family or any other information about them.

If someone in the soceity could find the grave of Henry and Harriet and send me a photo I would be only too pleased to re-imburse them any costs incured.

Thankyou for a geat site.

Yours
Sylvia Osborne, 1 Leslie Street, Cannington, 6107, Perth, Western Australia

It didn't take me very long at all to find my copy of Richard Deeks's "The Matmaker and the Magistrate", Chapter 6 of which is dedicated to Henry Cook who, of course, played such a major part in the events leading up to the election of December 1885, and the so-called Melford Riot.

In his book, Richard wrote:

Who was Henry Cook? Well, he was certainly no "rabble rouser", revolutionary or a "damn Radical" but a "peace loving man, who was nevertheless anxious to stand up for what he considered the rights of the people", perhaps a reformer would be a fairer description as this was a time of some drawing together of the "classes"; the widening of the franchise allowing working men for the first time to take part, and naturally he was proud to participate in the first big chance to celebrate the enforcement of the Act.

He was a comparatively small and gentle man, always well dressed, with a dark green threequarter length coat, knee boots, "Sugar Loaf" hat complete with his Lloyd George hair style. One of his contemporaries who knew him in later life summed him up as a "genuine ol' man", a man who made sure he never caught the boys he ran after, when they were seen pinching his walnuts; who every year invited the Glemsford Brass Band in at Christmas Eve to play a selection of music on his lawn; he would send a message by one or two boys to the Headmaster (Jack Fitch performed this task many times as a small boy) inviting him and other leading villagers as guests. A number of senior boys were armed with flaming torches, which enabled the Bandsmen to see their music and which helped to create a festive atmosphere. ...

Henry Cook was born in St. Lukes, Middlesex, in 1840, one of a large family. He met his wife, Harriet who was born in 1844, at her place of birth while he was working there at Bethnal Green, in the East End of London. His first son, Henry, was born in 1866 in Hoxton in the borough of Shoreditch, London. Hoxton was the centre of the cabinet making industry of which he had some experience In1867 his second son Charles was also born there.

Ernest who was born in 1869 was the first of his eight children to be born in Glemsford. He moved to Glemsford in the same year and was immediately appointed Factory Foreman by Mr. Horton of Messrs. Kolle & Sons of London. Following Ernest, Florence was born in 1871, Frederick 1873, Eleanor 1875, William 1878, Beatrice 1880, Stanley 1881 and finally Archibald in 1883. Most of them grew up to become ordinary mundane citizens; Charles and Eleanor taught at Glemsford Board School as young teachers. Frederick and Stanley after serving in the Boer War (1898-1902) persuaded their father to stake them for their return to South Africa, the object being diamond prospecting which proved fruitless, they returned broke and unable to repay their father.

The book goes on to explain that Henry was buried in Cavendish:

In his later years he and his family could be seen travelling to Cavendlsh Congregational Church "in a pony and trap, all immaculately dressed in their Sunday best".

Within five years of attending the chapel at Cavendlsh he was made a "Deacon" which office requires time as well as money to perform. He would appoint preachers and be responsible for general administration of the church.

Cook was very much revered by the members of the church, so much so that they erected a plaque in his memory, this being the only memorial in the chapel; Congregationalists seldom spent money on plaques or the like; only for exceptional people or special cases. A collection quickly realized the money for a brass plaque to be erected and engraved as follows:

In Grateful and loving Memory of Henry Cook who for 40 years as member and upwards of 35 years as deacon of this church served with faithfulness and devotion his Lord and Master Jesus Christ he entered into rest 18th January, 1908 aged 68 years, also Harriet his wife and faithful helper in home and church who was called hence 26th May, 1896, aged 52 years.

...

His passing was much lamented, and a large number of people attended his funeral, and again it was covered by the local newspaper reporter and appeared in print on the 29th January, 1908.

Cavendish
Funeral of Mr. Cook

On Thursday last the remains of the late Mr. H. Cook of Glemsford were laid to rest in the cemetery. The service was conducted by the Rev. D. L. Jones in the Congregational Chapel where a large congregation gathered to pay their last tribute to the memory of the departed who had for 40 years been connected with that place of worship. Following the bier were Mrs. Cook (widow), Mr. Herbert Cook (son), Mr. Charles Cook (son), Mr. E. Cook (son), Mrs. Day (daughter), Mrs. Chas. Cook (daughter-in-law), Mr. J. Day (son-in-law), Mr. Crofts (son-in-law), Mr. & Mrs. Edmunds, Mr. Edmunds jnr. and Miss Smith.

Among the procession which numbered almost 200 were Mr. W. Downs, N.P., Mr. E. Underwood, Mr. Bigg, Mr. Chas. Pettit, Mr. Blair, Mr. Taylor all of Glemsford .

Numerous wreaths were sent from many friends of the deceased.

(extracts from "The Matmaker and the Magistrate" - Richard Deeks - 1980)

Of course, I have sent Sylvia more from Richard's book, but isn't it great to be able to make this sort of connection across continents and decades?

If anyone else has anything to add, please add it here as a comment, or email me and I will pass it on.

Given Sylvia's request, I would be especially grateful if anyone could photograph the plaque and the grave (if they are still identifiable). As well as sending a copy to Sylvia, perhaps we could include the pictures here.

Brown Family and the Mysterious Mrs Frost

2008-03-07T09:23:00.005Z

I have received this fascinating email and picture from Len Summerfield. If anyone can help, let me know and I will pass on contact details to Len.

I have attached a photo taken 1912 in Sudbury of:

Miss E. Wellington - born 1907 ... she became Mrs Ethel Summerfield, my mum.

Mrs F. Wellington - that is Flora Wellington nee Flora Gertrude Brown b. 1875 in Glemsford, married 1903 in Sherborne to William Thomas Wellington

Mrs S. Brown - Susan Brown nee Susan Ann Middleditch b. 1849 in Hawkedon. married in 1872 in Sudbury to Walter James Brown

Mrs Frost - I cannot work out who this person is ???????

The note on the back of the photo also says 'four eldest daughters'

I see from your note of 23 Nov 2006 that you are aware of Walter Brown and his family and their move from Glemsford to Sherborne and that Angela Russell is researching Walter James Brown's family.

Susan Middleditch's mother was Hannah Crack, father Henry Middleditch, so not her.

Walter's father was Charles Brown b c1822 and his mother was Sarah .....b. c1823 in Little Tey, Essex, so it may be her, but why would she have reverted back to 'Mrs. Frost'.

Any information or inspiration on identifying how Mrs Frost fits in would be much appreciated as I've run out of ideas.

Regards,

Len Summerfield

Nelsons in Glemsford

2008-02-27T10:34:00.003Z

Richard Moss, who lives in Tyne and Wear and therefore has difficulty visiting the area for hands-on research, has approached me with this query.

My mother's maiden name is Nelson and I have, I hope, traced her family back
from (i) Greenwich, London to (ii) Glemsford, Suffolk.
However, I've now got stuck at a John Nelson (b 1797) and although I have a possible parents for him - (father William, born abt 1764 and mother Sarah Copsey born about 1767, both of
Glemsford) I'm not sure that is correct.

There I hit a brick wall.

Any help or pointers to circumnavigate that wall will be gratefully received (through me, as usual).
(There is an earlier reference to the Nelsons on this page - link via the title line, above).

SC

Arthur Rutter - Roll of Honour

2008-02-25T09:17:00.003Z

Carol Hindle has contacted me:

Hi.

Does anybody have information on the Arthur Rutter shown on Roll of Honour killed in action 16th Sept 1916?

Is he the 2nd husband of Esther Ford nee Brown, can anybody tell me - married to her 6th November 1905?

Regards Carol

There were three Rutter families in Glemsford at the 1901 Census, on Angel Lane, Egremont Street and Chequers Lane, but Arthur does not appear in any of them.

If anyone has any clues for Carol, leave a comment here, or you can email them to my address and I will forward them.

SC

Biggs and Tweed families

2008-02-18T10:36:00.005Z

For the last year I have been researching part-time the Big/ Bigg/Biggs/Bygges families from around Glemsford, Stanstead, BSE, Lavenham, Preston, Nayland amongst a few Villages.

I already had about 800 Descendents from my Bigg =Tweed Tree, then I found about 900 on Ray Long's Cosford Database.

I have collated the IGI entries, Ancestry's Parish and Probate Records, Boyds Marriage Indexes and the NBI. I have also trawled the web for info and contacted just about every Bigg researcher on Genes Reunited and Rootsweb World Connect Project.

Lots of people have added to the info I have and I have been able to add more from the Censuses and able to make quite a few new links.

However there are still lots of loose ends.

So if anyone has any Bigg connections I would be happy to hear from them

I also wish to ask if you know of any way of finding out a persons 'Trade' before 1800. I have a Samuel Bigg Born Abt 1761 Stanstead and two of his sons, Ambrose and William Bigg(s) were ' Cutlers' and it would be nice to find that this was the trade of the father.

- Clif ( London )

(Contact Clif in the usual way via me, or add a comment here.)
SC

Mat-making: the village industry

2008-01-28T15:42:00.001Z

As a contribution to the further understanding of the lives of our predecessors, I have published a short examination of the mat-making industry of the 19th Century.

The page can be found by following the link in the title of this entry, and I gratefully acknowledge the work of Richard Deeks, on which my contribution heavily depends.

As always, I would welcome more contributions in a similar vein.

SC

Glemsford Fair - a little more detail

2008-01-11T13:50:00.001Z

As often happens, one post or question leads to another, or prompts another look at available information.

Rory's recent promptings about the Glemsford nickname provoked questions about Glemsford Fair, which in turn led me back to some earlier pages from Glemsford Local History Society, where Gillman Game raised some points about the Fair.

They, along with a few additonal points from Yours Truly, can be accessed by clicking on the heading to this entry.

SC

"Them Egyptians"

2008-01-10T15:36:00.001Z

The church may be a clue!

Rory Coxhill as left another fascinating addition to the "Little Egypt"question: follow the link from the title above.

Rory is toying with the idea of visits by Fairs to the village as possible links with the Romany community.

The school log book refers to (at least) two visits by circuses, in 1896 and 1899:

September 1896:

"9th
Attendance very good in the morning, but not as good in the afternoon, owing probably to the presence of a circus troupe in the village"

September 1899:

"15
A half holiday was granted this afternoon, owing to the presence of a travelling circus in the village, with an afternoon performance for children."

And then, of course, there is "Fair Green".

Any more thoughts?

Allen Family

2008-01-04T19:21:00.001Z

I have been researching my Allen family history for some time mainly from Braiseworth and Yaxley Suffolk.

Would anyone have any information of Elizabeth Allen who died Glemsford March 1857 aged 88.

Many thanks,

P.Wilkinson (nee Allen)

Contact as usual, via me or leave a follow up message.

SC

Little Egypt ... more evidence

2008-01-03T16:02:00.000Z

Alasdair North has reminded me of this account of the Melford Riot that appears on the Foxearth site.

Note how it suggests very strongly that the epithet "Egyptian" for men of Glemsford predates the riot.

Glemsford at that time was a stronghold of liberalism while Melford was very largely tory, and the antagonism between the villages was strong and often bitter. The men of Melford jeered at the Glemsford men, calling them Egyptians, and said they were outsiders. The words Egypt and Glemsford were so synonymous that the confusion spilled over into our geography lessons; and when a Sunday school teacher asked where the baby Jesus was taken when Herod threatened to kill all the babies, the answer came promptly: Glemsford!

Thanks, Alasdair

You can access the whole article from which the extract is taken by clicking on the title of this entry.

Why "Little Egypt"?

2007-12-31T12:47:00.000Z

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

2007-12-20T21:08:00.001Z

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

2007-12-18T19:06:00.000Z

Just to answer a couple of subsidiary questions:

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

but it will appear eventually.

I'll let you know.

1901 Census

2007-12-09T17:38:00.000Z

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

2007-12-07T12:56:00.001Z

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

2007-12-05T09:28:00.000Z

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

2007-12-02T18:08:00.001Z

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

Looking for Mary Ann Ford

2007-11-29T11:16:00.001Z

Sandra has sent me this request:

Hi there.

I am looking for any information on the Ford family from Glemsford.
My Great Grandmother Mary Ann Ford was born there in 1886.

At the moment, I'm having problems locating the child in either the 1891 or 1901 Censuses. There is a child of that name born and living in Long Melford in 1891, but Glemsford doesn't seem to want to tell me.

Any help gratefully received and acknowledged.

SC

Local History Society Newsletter

2007-11-23T16:13:00.000Z

The latest online edition of Glemsford Local History Society's Newletter is now available at this address:

http://www.glemsford.org.uk/07lhsnews3.html

It includes the final part of the "Happy Vaccy" story, with more detail about life in wartime Glemsford, as well as other items, including work on the Byford/Hempstead families by Sheila Wilmoth.

SC

Not a good time to be a child: Glemsford 110 Years Ago

2007-11-18T18:30:00.000Z

It is always salutary to reflect on the lives of those we like to study.

I have written elsewhere about the health problems faced by the pupils of Glemsford School.

110 years ago, between October and December 1897, the School was hit by a severe outbreak of Measles.

This, word for word, is how Eleanor Bowrey, Head Teacher, recorded events in the School Log Book:

October 25th Lavinia Green who was sent home only a fortnight ago, sickening for Measles, was sent to school this morning, and was not allowed to remain on account of the period of infection not having elapsed. One other case of measles, (Cecilia Middleditch) is reported to-day by the Attendance Officer.

29th Tested Register & Found Correct <[signed] ??? Downs>

29th Mr Downs visited the school this morning, granting a half holiday in the afternoon.

Average for the week = 123

Criticism lessons on "Spiders" and "The Goat", given by A.M.Payton, and E.J.Playle, during the week.

Nov. 5th School visited on Tuesday morning by Mr R.J.Clarke. Several fresh cases of Measles are reported.

9th Sixteen cases of Measles are known to be in the village this morning. School visited before close of morning school by Rev. H.Hall.

12th E.Playle has had an hour each day for private study during school hours this week, excepting Friday. Lessons on "The Carpenter" and "Helping Mother" given this week. The attendance is still very poor owing to the prevalence of the Measles.

19th There are 25 cases of Measles known among the little ones now, and one of Infectious Skin Disease. Willie Bennett who is only just 5 and very backward on account of his extreme delicacy, is not to attend school for some time to come, a medical certificate to that effect being dated 11th Nov. Owing to the numerous cases of sickness the attendance has been very poor, the average for the week being only 96.8.

22nd E.Playle relieved from teaching from 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. today, for private Study.

25th E.Playle has had 1 1/2 hours on each of these three days for private Study, and her criticism lessons will be omitted during the next three weeks in order to allow of her devoting her whole time to her own studies out of school hours.

Another case of Measles - Alfred Smith, was reported by the Attendance Officer on Tuesday, - it is supposed to be a week since the child was taken ill.

27th Received the report on Examination of Pupil -Teachers; which is as follows:

A.M.Payton, 3rd Year, has passed "Well".+ B.M.Copsey, Art.35, has passed, but has Geography marked *.

(copied) E.Bowrey

29th Owing to the very inclement weather, the attendance was terribly poor all day. The classes were therefore grouped, Miss Plume taking charge of classes I & II in the morning, the Babies and Fives being also grouped, so that A.M.Payton spent the morning in private study, and E.Playle worked at her studies under the supervision of Mistress. School visited by Rev. H.Hall. In the afternoon E.Playle studied again.

30th Attendance still very poor. A.M.Payton studied from 9.30 to 10 a.m. and E.F.Playle from 10 to 10.30 a.m. Charles Copsey returned to school to-day after being absent through Measles for 6 weeks.

Dec. 2nd School Inspected

<[>signed]H.W.Claughton

NB The seats on the gallery should be fitted with backs

3rd School visited during HMI's stay on Thursday afternoon by Rev. H.Hall, and Mr R.J.Clarke.

A half holiday was granted on Friday afternoon in consequence of the visit by H.M. Inspector.

December 6th 1897 E.F.Playle absent all morning owing to severe cold. School visited this morning by Rev. H.Hall.

7th E.F.Playle still absent, - Mr R.J.Clarke visited the school this morning.

8th E.F.Playle present to-day and had an hour for private study.

10th Rev. H.Hall came in yesterday afternoon, and E.Playle had an hour for Private study. Owing to the prevalence of sickness & the bad weather, the average for this week is only 89.0.

13th E.F.Playle will be absent the whole of this week as she is attending the "Queen's Scholarship" examination.

14th Mr R.J.Clarke visited the school this morning.

17th Attendance a little improved this week, three or four children who have had Measles being allowed to return. Arthur Craske, aged 3 years was admitted yesterday afternoon.

Dec 21st Tested Registers - results correct <[>signed] Herbert Hall

21st E.Playle returned to her school duties to-day having been absent yesterday by permission.

Attendance is a little improved this week.

23rd Average for the week 92.7.

School closed at 4 p.m. for the Christmas holidays: two weeks.

And so it went on. In fact, this was no means the worst outbreak, but it emphasises just how difficult life could be, such a relatively short time ago.

SC

The Glemsford Diaspora - more detail

2007-11-18T10:36:00.002Z

The quest for the Argent family, and others who left Glemsford to find work, continues.

Following this entry:

http://www.glemsford.org.uk/2007/11/glemsford-diaspora-argent-ambrose.html

I have received several more contacts, as well as published comments. Thanks to Barabara, Brian and Nicole for their contributions.

Meanwhile, if any one else has more to offer, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

SC

Kate Hartley - a Glemsford child

2007-11-18T10:17:00.001Z

In a new comment on the Deeks and Hartley family:
http://www.glemsford.org.uk/2006/12/deeks-and-hartley-families.html

Alison Carroll has written:

I have picked up a book from a carboot sale that was awarded to a Kate Hartley in 1903 whilst attending the Glemsford Board School. Do you know any more about this Kate Hartley?

So far, I have been able to offer these little snippets of conjecture:

Hartley is a very familiar Glemsford name - my website includes the reminiscences of life in the village in the 1920s by Ted Hartley, part of a family of wheelwrights that lived and worked in the village for generations.

However, I suspect that your Kate was probably the daughter of Joseph and Kate Hartley of Brook Street. Joseph was a "Cocoanut Mat Maker" - a very common Glemsford occupation. In the 1901 Census, Katie had 3 brothers - Eliazer, Lambert and Colin, aged 15, 13 and 10 respectively, and 3 sisters, Hilda, Edie and Madge (5, 3 and 1). Katie was 8 in 1901. Joseph was born in Cavendish, Kate in Boxted and all the children, including Katie, in Glemsford.

Just a little extra human detail.

If my assumption is right - and this Katie is the only child of (anything approaching) that name! - there are one or two other points to make.

Katie is mentioned in the School log book for September 1896, thus:

"21st School visited by Mr Game this afternoon. Received notice that Kate Hartley and Alice Malyon each 3 years of age, will remain at home until the winter is past."

so she seems to have started school young! Again, this was quite typical in Glemsford.

More sadly, her brother Eliazer features on the Glemsford War Memorial, and also at http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Suffolk/Glemsford.html:

HARTLEY Eliazer Private 17440, 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.
Killed in action Thursday 28th March 1918 in France & Flanders. Age 33.
Born Glemsford, Suffolk, enlisted Sudbury.
Son of Joseph Porter Hartley and Kate Hartley, of 8, Pump Square, Lavenham; husband of Mercy Adelaide Hartley, of 21, Bolton St., Lavenham, Suffolk.
Commemorated ARRAS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 4

As usual, if anyone else can contribute more to yet another very human story, Allison and I would be delighted to hear from you.

SC

A Glemsford Diaspora? - Argent, Ambrose, Boreham ...

2007-11-08T15:53:00.001Z

Barbara Barrett recently left this message as a comment about Nicole Nathan's search for the Argent family:

I have just discovered your very interesting site.I am researching our family tree and find that my husbands maternal grandfather was born in Glemsford -Walter Argent 1883 - Father James Argent 1847 - 11 Children, Sarah, Althea, Laura, Emma, Elizabeth, Kate, John, Mary, Willie, Nellie and Walter. They moved to live in Keighley, West Yorkshire. Is there anyone who can give me more information about Ray's family. He knows very little about his family history.Looking forward to hearing if anyone can help me put some "flesh on the bones" of my knowledge.

The moment I started looking at Barbara's Argent family on the Census, several familiar bells started ringing, all related to what I am convinced was a general movement of Glemsford families away from the village in the last quarter of the 19th Century.

1) Keighley: that was where Araminta Brown, who features so prominently in Sandra Poole and Tracey Foulds's story of the Brown and Savage family, settled and married.

2) The 1891 Census shows that James Argent and his family - including Walter - must have moved to Keighley between 1884 and 1886. My earlier work on the Glemsford School Log Books shows how depressed industry was in the village at the time.

3) James moved to Keighley as a Mat Weaver, although by 1901 he worked in a Machine Tool factory. Glemsford seems to have exported Mat Weavers to all parts of the country. I have located Browns, Argents and others in Skerton, Lancaster, Games and Brewsters in east London and now this group of Argents in Keighley.

But that's not all. The 1891 Census for 5 Cherry St., Keighley, shows the Argent family.
7 Cherry Street was occupied in the same Census by James and Ann Boreham. James was a Green Grocer.
Guess where he and Ann were born.
Give up?

Glemsford.

But all three of their children were born in Keighley. Eliza, the oldest, was 8 in 1891.
The 1901 Census shows James Boreham as a Coal dealer.
So we have another family of Glemsford emigres.

But it doesn't stop there.
A further exploration of Cherry Street in 1891 reveals that, at no. 38, lived the family of James and Harriet Ambrose (57 & 52). Both were born in Glemsford. James is recorded as a "Bobbin Sorter", presumably in Keighley's woollen industry, but in 1881 he had been a Mat Weaver on Egremont Street in Glemsford.
The ages and places of birth of their children suggests that James and Harriet also moved north round about 1885/6.

The Glemsford connection doesn't finish there, either. Also in 1891, at 8 Timber Street, lived Charles Ambrose (54), a general labourer, his wife Eliza (55), and three daughters - Lottie (20), Kate (17) and Emma (15).
Only Emma was Yorkshire-born: the rest of the family were born in Glemsford.
The 1881 Census also shows this family in Timber Street, with older children: Ann M (then 20), Susannah (16), Emily (14) and Walter (12), as well as a youngest child Eliza (3) who doesn't appear in 1891, since her death is recorded in Keighley in the June quarter of 1881.

Significantly, in 1881, Charles and Eliza had a boarder: James Boreham, an unmarried labourer in the Iron Works, born in Glemsford.
The Marriage registers for Keighley in the last quarter of 1881 show a marriage between James Boreham and Maria Ambrose.
Since Charles and Eliza's daughter Ann appears in the Census on two occasions as "Ann M.", I am making the obvious assumption. The name Boreham, of course, appears elsewhere in these pages, also in terms of a move northwards.

In 1871, Charles ("Cocoa Mat weaver") and Eliza were still in Glemsford, on Egremont Street, with their first five children, including Ann M..

And immediately next door lived James and Harriet Ambrose, with three of their children.

At the same time, James Boreham (15 - "Cocoa Nut Fibre Warper") was living with his parents, Benjamin and Susan, and siblings: Louisa, Jacob, Esau, Arthur, Dorcus, Mahala and Isaac, nephew Charles and niece Bertha, out at Seldom Field (sic).

I haven't yet been able to track James Ambrose in 1861, but Charles was, at the time of that Census, living with his parents, Samuel and Maria, and two sisters, Sophia and Emily. Interestingly, Maria and Sophia are both recorded as "Worsted Weavers".

The 1851 Census confirms matters, as both James (an agricultural labourer) and Charles (a labourer in a factory) were living at home on Skates Hill, with Samuel and Maria, their sisters and cousin, Maria Cooper.

Also in 1861, James Boreham was with his large family at Seldom Waiver. Ten years before, his father Benjamin, Susan, the early stages of their family, and Benjamin's mother Sarah were living on Egremont Street.

But what of the Keighley Argents?
We know where James and his family were in 1891 and 1901 - and incidentally, in 1901, Jame and Eliza had a boarder - Felix Chatters, a Gas Works labourer - from Cavendish!

The 1881 Census for Glemsford shows James Argent, a Mat Maker, aged 34, living with Eliza (34) on New Cut. With them were their children, Sarah, Aletha, Laura, Emma, Elizabeth, Kate, and John.

The 1871 Census is a little confusing in that James is referred to as "John J.", but I am confident this is our James with wife Eliza, and daughters Anna (5), Sarah (3) and Alethea (1). Eliza, Anna and Sarah were all born in Cavendish, and the 1881 Cavendish Census shows a 15 year old Cavendish-born Anne Argent working as a servant in the household of a butcher by the name of ... Edgar Ambrose.

The 1861 Census is proving a little unproductive at times, but the 1851 Census for Glemsford reveals John James Argent, the 4 year old son of John, a Hand Loom Silk Weaver, and Sarah, living next to the Silk Throwing Mill.

And so it goes ...

Yet again, therefore, there is a story of movement away from Glemsford at a time when life probably became hard. But how did they know where to go? How were jobs advertised? How did they travel?

Of course, if anyone has anything to add, please do not hesitate to get in touch. I think the Story of the Glemsford Diaspora is there to be written.

Oakley-Jackson-Gridley-Mortlock

2007-11-03T17:05:00.001Z

Susan Catudal, in Montreal (via London), has been in touch about her family, part of which emerged from Glemsford. I have been able to offer some general assistance, but would like to see what people have to offer about these points:

One missing link in my family tree is with an ancestor named Emma Mortlock.
Born in Glemsford in 1849 to Caroline Mortlock( 1820). No father is named on Emma's birth cert, so she was given her mother's surname.
Emma married Abraham Oakley Jackson in 1869 and the following year my Grandfather, Harry Jackson was born.
I would like to find relatives of his 2 brothers -Johnny Jackson(1876) and Percy(1884) - all born in Glemsford.
Harry eventually came to London after the Boer War.

Another 'mystery' is that Abraham Oakley Jackson seems also to be named after his mother, Amelia Jackson(1832).
I did, curiously enough, find one Abraham Oakley(1836) who I assume was with Amelia Jackson, but maybe never married her.

I found on a census a brother for Abraham Oakley Jackson being born in 1854 , being raised by an Abraham Oakley! I would like to know if A Oakley was indeed the father and why the children were surnamed Jackson!

If anyone can help, Susan's email address is:
susancatudal AT videotron.ca

(if you're a real person rather than one of those infernal Spam machines, you'll be able to replace the AT with an @ - and no spaces!)

or, of course, you can contact me!

Lorna Pickworth

2007-11-01T14:53:00.001Z

I am very anxious that we should continue to develop the story of Glemsford's more recent past, as seen in the work of Tom Brown, Ted Hartley and Roy Porter, to name but three.

So I was very pleased to receive this request/contact from Gail:

My mother was very excited when I told her about your site.

She is Lorna Pickworth (she married an officer during the war and became Smith) and was born in Glemsford in 1919.

Her father George was the village dentist, and they lived at Holmlyn in Hunts Hill.

She and her sister Mansie went to school in Glemsford, before going to the High School in Sudbury.

Mum wonders if there's anyone who remembers them, as she'd love to share some memories with them?

Many thanks.

Kind regards
Gail Smith

Gail has given her permission to include her email address, but to help avoid the Evil of Spam, you will have to replace your own "@" sign and dot:

gspukgailathotmaildotcom

(no spaces - it's a Hotmail address!)

SC