Comments

Hello - I was very sorry to miss the Wrington Zoom meeting- I was interested as I have traced some extended family there in earlier centuries ! Simply I forgot - the message from WFHS came thro on  8th Oct and I did not put in in my calendar ! Any chances of reminders nearer the date ? Just the one notification - people can miss .

Recently I have been researching a Master mariner based in the Bristol Channel and whilst waiting to visit Greenwich Maritime Mus - I have found the following sites of use/interesting - wondered if they might be of help to others .

As regards churchyards - my main comment is that  due to "health and safety"  some have laid the memorial stones flat on the ground  with the inscriptions face down - -you cannot lift them to read ! ! In the case of Congresbury you might find its Congresbury Parish Council who are responsible for upkeep.

Local history & maritime digital archive (southampton.gov.uk)

Maritime Memorials | Commemorating seafarers and victims of maritime disasters (rmg.co.uk)

and https/crewlist.org.uk   - its called CLIP

Edwin Chaplin (1190) wrote

I read with interest the casualty list from the bombing raids on Weston Super Mare recently posted on our website, more through curiosity as anything else as although lots of Aunts, Uncles and cousins on both sides of the family lived in WSM during the war I was not aware of any of our extended family being killed or wounded during these raids. It would appear however, that I was mistaken as an Uncle, by marriage, Frederic Charles BATH, a L/Cpl in the RASC was killed on the night of the 27/28 June 1942. Unfortunately I'm not a direct descendant nor did I ever met the gentleman as I was not born until 1944, but I well remember subsequent visits to his widow, Auntie Annie (one of my mothers sisters) who lived in Bath Road in the 1950's although he was never mentioned at family gatherings.

He will be remembered from now on however when I attend our local Remberance Day Service.

Thank you, Pat, for an interesting and informative newsletter. Your initial comment about graveyards being frequented by family historians struck a chord. Many of my paternal family lie in St. Andrews, Congresbury graveyard, and one grave commemorating ten relatives is visited by those of us who are left. However, the state of the graveyard has become hazardous due to infrequent grass cutting and brambles engulfing graves. According to the Church the responsibility lies with North Somerset Council, but so far we have been unable to ascertain why the upkeep has not been continued. Has anyone else experienced similar problems? It seems like an accident waiting to happen. So family historians, Beware if you intend visiting graveyards.

A [Victor] George Chinn married Ellen Sibbring, only daughter of James Sibbring of Barton Hill, on 9 August 1884 at St John’s church, Bedminster. (p. 8, Western Daily Press  13 August 1884). Victor is described as George Chinn (sugar boiler/confectioner) in the marriage register whose father was Richard Chinn. I think this is the Richard George Chinn and I can only think that the newspaper notice is a typo or not transcribed correctly by the printer. He was born George Chinn and the Richard got added when he was baptised.

The Richard Chinn who married Mary Scribbins has a father called John Chinn and a profession of dairyman. The interesting thing about this Richard Chinn is that he deserted from HMS Impregnable on 23 May 1883. (p. 3, Liverpool Daily Post 13 March 1885). They are probably related through their fathers in some way.

Thank you very much Richard for your research - it was very helpful and exactly what was wanted - Thank you also to Ann who mentioned her grandfather, and to those who responded through the Facebook Group.
I can now tell you that the Royal British Legion has decided to hold a Memorial Service in June 2024 for "All those Who lost their Lives in the Weston Blitz" which was why they wanted to collect details of people who had connections with the casualties.  Please could other members look again at the list and see how they can help?  There are still a lot to identify so that they can be told of this event.

Hi Pat,

Did you receive my email on the research I completed for Philip Herbert MASTERS?

Thank you,

Richard