This photograph has been posted on our Facebook Group and I'm curious about Walter Charles WISEMAN and his family.
"Dead Man's Penny" of Walter Charles Wiseman of Weston-super-Mare. Killed in action 25th May 1918. These unique items were issued to the next of kin of each person killed in The First World War. Very, very heavy heavy bronze memorial plaque.
I have tried to find out more about Walter Charles WISEMAN 1893-1918. He was in the 2nd Bat Essex Regiment and is not on the Grove Park Memorial. Although born in Weston it seems that his parents travelled around quite a bit and his father had different occupations. His father is listed as:
Lecturer when he married in 1889 in Swansea,
Various Entertainer in 1891 in Swindon
Musician in 1894 in Farnham, Hampshire
Photographer in 1901 & 1911 in Bexley Heath, Kent
Don't think his family were in Weston for very long!
What were they doing in Weston-super-Mare?
Do you have one commemorating a member of your family?
The late Pat Jenkins did some tremendous work in identifying some of the patients at this hospital - just known locally as "Wells Asylum". It opened in 1848 as the "County Asylum for Pauper Lunatics", using the terminology of the time.
Pat extracted the patients on the censuses from the 1851 census and later who came from North Somerset. Although the patients were entered using only their initials she checked them against the Case Notes.
I am attaching a copy of her findings for 1851 - It includes a John HARSE who was actually John HASE so be aware of spelling variations on surnames. Are you researching any of these names?
The 3rd Weston-super-Mare (St Paul's) Scout group is researching those members of their group who served and were lost during WW2. 11 ex-scouts are listed on their War Memorial and if anyone can help with information about how they lost their lives, the group would be very grateful. They have the CWGC information but the names are: Ronald Sidney FEAR, John Leonard GRIFFITHS, Arthur Russell LANGFORD, Leslie Walter LING, Harold Edward Minifie LONG, Brian Stuart George MAUNDRELL, Donald MINOR, Douglas John Cairns PHILP, Oswald Kenneth SLY, Reginald Henry TROTMAN and Roland James WHEWAY. With the exception of Douglas PHILP they were all from the Weston-super-Mare area.
The group is looking for suggestions about how the current Scouts can find out more about these young men. Thank you.
Charles GREGORY published by Pat Hase on Sun, 11/10/2020 - 11:34
Can anyone find what happened to Charles GREGORY? He was christened at St John's in Weston-super-Mare in 1820 (son of John GREGORY - one of the Weston Worthies) and married Harriet BRYANT in Bristol in 1842. In 1851 he was living with his wife in the Royal Crescent in Weston but in 1861 he is staying with his mother in Vale Cottage, Bristol Road, while Harriet is with her mother in Park House, Park Place. In 1871 Harriet states that she is a widow. Thanks.
This is a longshot but I know members have a wealth of knowledge!
Whilst going through one of Graham Payne's excellent church transcripts (Easton in Gordano to be exact) I could not help noticing that the same people seemed to be witnesses at weddings time and time again. In fact one gentleman witnessed some 64 weddings in 20 years. May be Graham Payne has noticed this too when transcribing. Just wondering if churches 'kept' people to witness weddings - or may be they were the ones who could write their name!! Just wondered if anyone had observed this before or had any knowledge about these regular witnesses?
Admin: Submitted by RosieW on Mon, 05/10/2020 - 19:39
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