I am struggling to sort out my Cooper family of Cheddar and am wondering if there are any other sources of information that might give me a clue as to some of them are. I know that one William Cooper born 1807 was a cooper by trade but as he died before 1841 I cannot be sure whether he is the right husband of Lydia. I am taking the burial in 1838 to be this William but the trade of cooper would tie it in. Most of the William Coopers were labourers or farmers. Another one with a birth date of 1811 in 1841 turns up in America by 1851 but his birth year is listed as early as 1794 but the wife and children are the same.
There seems to be a surplus of William Coopers in Cheddar and I cannot tie them all in even though I have all the information from the transcriptions. There are a few gaps in the early baptism records and I think that is where my problem lies.
Are there any General registers that recorded happenings in Cheddar or expenditure that might help?
My daughter is getting me the book Memories of Cheddar by Chris Howell which might help but does anyone know of any others that cover the life of local people.
I have just purchased my 2g grandmother's death certificate, which states that cause of death is "Unknown". She died in Berrow on 18th November 1877 and the informant was James Amesbury who was present at the death. Under "Occupation" it says "Wife of Charles Clapp, labourer"
In the 1871 census Mary Ann Clapp (Nee Coles) is shown as a widow and housekeeper to James Amesbury, a fisherman. This had misled me for a while into thinking that her husband, Charles Clapp, who had also been a fisherman, had died in 1866, but further evidence has since proved that he did not die until 1885.
I can't believe in a small place like Berrow she could have passed herself off as a widow, with her husband living in the same area, so I suppose it was just a mistake on the census. By 1871 Charles Clapp had ceased to be a fisherman and had become an agricultural labourer, and was living in lodgings, so perhaps they had just fallen on hard times and she had taken the housekeeping job for financial reasons. By then their son Albert had become a fisherman and he was the informant on his father's death certificate.
I have bought a few death certificates over the years, but this is the first one to say that cause of death is unknown. Is it worth looking for further information in the newspapers, or have I reached a dead end in my research?
Whilst looking for something else I came across this entry in the online catalogue for the Somerset Heritage Centre
Repository Somerset Heritage Centre
Level Item
Ref No D\B\wsm/24/1/675
AccNo G/984
Title Plan of shed for motor car, rear of Tyn-y-Coed, Hill Road.
Description For W M Appleton [first motor car owner in Weston super Mare]; (H Dare Bryan of Bristol) [2215] Box 6.
Date 1899
Extent 2
Format documents
Access Status Open
Tyn-y-Coed, Hill Road had been the home of Hans Fowler PRICE, the Weston Architect. But does anyone know anything about William APPLETON quoted in the catalogue as "first motor car owner in Weston-super-Mare".
When you find any information about him can you reply as a comment to this query so that everyone can see the answer and that will prevent duplication of effort.
What car did he own? On the 1901 census he is described as a "Mechanical Engineer" Was he interested in any other form of transport?
I'm looking for Frederick Derrick war history. He was a WW1 soldier with the Somerset Light Infantry which later changed. He was wounded and died at home. He did go to France.
James Robert Piper born on the 1st of April 1915 in Bristol, apparently adopted to Frank Piper and Florence Piper. Frank died in a train accident working on the gbr any help would be appreciated.
I am looking for information about Thomas Browning born around 1819 and his family. His wife was Elizabeth Browning born around 1824 and they had at least 5 children including Ellen Ada Browning, my great grandmother.
Thomas Browning was a coal merchant, according to the 1871 census.
He seems to have lived on West Street Banwell in Oromonde Villa?? (hard to read). His neighbours included a retired bank manager and an auctioneer / estate agent. I'm guessing the coal business was doing ok!
In 1891, my grandfather, Charles H B Colman, aged 8, was living in a household with Elizabeth Browning (his grandma) in Clifton, Bristol where he was going to school. (Ellen Browning had married and moved to Tiverton, Devon with my great grandfather Charles Colman before this time).
I'd be really interested in any info or comments about this! Thankyou.
Hi please can anyone help? My great grandfather Henry Lynn and his wife Adelaide Lynn died whilst on holiday at Weston-Super-Mare in Oct 1951, sadly it was due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a b&b.
The inquest was held in Nov however they lived at Castle Bromwich Birmingham and I was told they may have been buried or cremated at Weston please can anyone help?
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