Comments

I'm 74 and remember wearing a knitted swimsuit (which my mother knitted - she made most of my clothes...) - boy, did that costume sag once wet!!

I'm appalled at the chap who said "maps were before his time" - he needs to get out more!!  Even a map on your phone is still a map.

The 1939 Register is like the 1921 census in that some people are not in the place you would expect...the 1921 census was delayed to June due to industrial strikes and, consequently, some people were on holiday.  For the 1939 Register men of military age were often not recorded or in a different part of the country than usual and some women and children had been evacuated as you mentioned.

Please contact me if you'd like to take on the role of Programme Manager and if you have any books for the second hand bookstall.

Jenny,  Thanks for your response - much appreciate.  I didn't know about that one name research group, so I shall contact Alan Tutton as you suggest.  Best wishes.  Chris

Graham,  thank you so much. That is very helpful and I have success!  Funnily enough I had previously checked on the monumental inscriptions file for Bleadon and didn't find it.  I have now learned the lesson of checking throughly - I had scrolled through about 60 pages of headstones etc in the graveyard (which were typically burials from the Victorian era onwards) so had assumed I wouldn't find anything from 1771.  Following your prompt I have now scrolled through to page 66 in the document and there is a list of the internal monuments and, sure enough, there is the memorial that reads  “In Memory Of Mary The Wife Of Samuel Tutton Gent. Of This Parish Who Died April 19 1769 In The 67 Year Of Her Age, Leaving Him Almost Disconsolate; As The Last Testimony Of His High Esteem Of Her Conjugal And Domestic Virtues Which Made Him Happy 21 Years, Erected This Monument”.  I can't see any record of a monument for Samuel himself, but at least I now have details for his wife.  There is an attached photo IMG9448.  This is a little fuzzy, so if you do have a copy to send, that would be much appreciated.

There is a Tutton one-name study.  Contact Alan Tutton at tutton@one-name.org

There is a one-name study of Sperring and variants: contact Dr Maurice Gleeson at spearin@one-name.org

We have transcripts and photographs for Bleadon Church memorials which you can find under research aids & transcripts.

Let me know if you require a copy of any of the photographs.