Research Forum

This is an interesting family.  I don't know how much research you have done but there is a small collection of items relating to Vernon HAYDEN in the Irish Theatre Archive at the Dublin City Archives - see this link for more information.  It does look as if the family was based in Ireland for some time. 

The birthplaces of the first children in the family as shown on the 1911 census does indicate that they travelled around quite a bit and there are advertisements and a review for "The HAYDEN Entertainers" in the Tamworth Herald of Staffordshire in the 1920s (Can be seen in the British Newspaper Archive)  The advertisement mentions Mrs Will HAYDEN who has written one of the plays and a dancer called "Dainty Doreen" - was she one of the daughters?  It also mentions a Miss Litty Teroye - I wonder whether she was also the mother whose stage name apparently was Kitty Leroy (from the introduction in the Dublin City Archives).  

I haven't been able to find any references to them appearing in Weston-super-Mare yet  but perhaps you have some evidence as you say they lived in this area. 

I've just come across the births of two of the HINSLEY children in the Axbridge Registration District.  As there are 38 parishes in the Axbridge district, do you have either of their birth certificates which would give the actual place of birth?

The London Metropolitan Archives on Ancestry has an image of the baptism of a William Robert HINSLEY in 1880 at St Anne's Church Bermondsey, with his birth date given as 29th Aug 1880 and father named as John HINSLEY, school teacher.  On the 1881,1891 and 1901 censuses his father (still a school teacher) is a George HINSLEY, so presumably there is an error in the church register.

However, this can't be the correct William Robert HINSLEY because because your own family tree on Ancestry has William's date of birth as 1876 and his father's name as William - What were your sources for that information - I'm obviously looking in the wrong place!

Thanks for your help. Have all the details of births and family of Will and Kathleen and also can go right back in Kathleen's family as she was born Helen Howard Johnson and her father Thomas Gilpin Johnson was a man of the church. Would like to find out more about the family as players. We believe that will had to change his name from Hinsley to Hayden because the family didn't approve of his profession ( he was also an artist mainly water colors).

i have asked about the difference in birth dates and it has been suggested that when the pension started people made out they were older than they actually were. 

Can't find the ad and review on the Internet do I need to subscribe and pay to see newspaper info? 

Can't find the ad and review on the Internet do I need to subscribe and pay to see newspaper info? 

Yes, there is a payment involved for the Newspaper items.  These newspapers are included on FindmyPast or can be viewed on the site of the British Newspaper Archives. 

It's possible that the family was also mentioned in the local Weston newspapers - which are in Weston Library. 

Perhaps one of the society volunteers who will be in the Library next Saturday will be able to spend some time  looking to see if they can find anything about the HAYDEN entertainers - but as these papers are not indexed it may be difficult and it will depend upon how many people turn up who want help but if we have any time we will look for you.

Thanks so much to those who have helped so far, think I have made the connection of the family with Western Super-mare.

So here goes: Kathleen Howard Hayden was born Helen Howard Johnson. Her parents were Reverend Thomas Gilpin Johnson and Ellen Howard. They had 3 children

Helen born 1881

Dorothy Millicent Howard Johnson born 1891

Thomas Norman Howard Johnson born 1893

Thomas was a Lance Corporal in the Devonshire Regiment and was killed in Flanders October 1917. The British forces war record has his resided  town as Western Super- Mare.

Dorothy is in the 1911 census as a hospital nurse at South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital.

Dorothy and her mother Ellen are the only ones I don't know what happened to wondered if they may have a connection with the town and are and if Dorothy married and had children. I think Ellen may have died before the son as the probate doc. mentions Dorothy

Hope someone has some info thanks 

We were at the Library this afternoon but I'm afraid I have nothing new to report. The parish registers which are available on fiche generally stop at about 1900 so we couldn't find baptisms for the births in 1912 & 1913.   Two parishes in Weston - Emmanuel & St Paul do have some baptisms for that period available but one of our members checked those without success.  The records for the remaining churches - St John's and Christ Church are at the Somerset Heritage Centre in Taunton.  I had hoped to find a christening for Thomas or Vernon which might have listed an address. I'm afraid there wasn't time for anyone to search the newspapers for an entry about the family nor the Street Directories for 1912 and 1913 but another member did search his collection of photographs of Weston Entertainers but again drew a blank.

The Free BMD index lists the deaths of 2 people named Ellen Johnson in Somerset during of just after WW1.  One was registered in Keynsham in 2Q 1917 at the age of 63 and the other in Axbridge in 4Q 1920 at the age of 66.  Both therefore were born in about 1854.

Bearing in mind that the Axbridge registration district covered W-s-M, it may be that the latter of those 2 entries is the correct one.  It would mean that she was alive when Thomas Johnson was killed but had died before the entry in the London Gazette.

Found this in the England and Wales Probate Calander 1916

JOHNSON the reverend Thomas Gilpin of 12 Severn-road Weston-super-Mare clerk died 20 July 1916 at The Rock tavern Loughgall Armagh Ireland Administration London 30 September to Ellen Johnson widow.  Effects  Â£123 0s. 4d.

would love to know what happened to him it was just a couple of months after the 1916 Easter Rising.

Hi just following up, I got the marriage certificate of William Robert Hinsley and his father was indeed George the school master, now have to find out about George s father William and his mother that I haven't found as yet.

On Kathleen's family I think I mentioned that Dorothy had married Gerald Sheehan 1934 Carlisle Cumberland, who along with his father and siblings were doctors, don't know what happened to them or if they had children.

thanks again 

fiona

There are 3 births of children named SHEEHAN with the MMN of JOHNSON in the Carlisle registration district after 1934, listed in the Free BMD database.  They are:-

Margaret C born 1Q 1936

Helen J born 4Q 1937

Patrick born 4Q 1942

In addition, I've found the death of Gerald SHEEHAN in the same district registered in 3Q 1953, aged 54.

Think this is a different Gerald probate record shows widow as Dorothy Mary Halliday Sheehan