Research Forum

Family Bibles often have names inserted in them – does this one have anything written in it?

I was wondering whether there was any family connection between the BALLs and the WAYs and the only commonality I can find is that both Millicent BALL and Albert Edward Samuel MAY (the husband of Edith May WAY née RICKETTS)  were born in Yatton.

  Millicent’s mother born Elizabeth YOUNG, married at least 4 times and Millicent had a full brother Percival Henry BALL and several half siblings with the surname COOK.  Other marriages for Elizabeth to JONES and FISHER also took place. 

As Grace said, Albert MAY died in 1961 and given that Millicent BALL was so much older and on a couple of censuses is listed as a nurse I wondered whether she might have been present when he was born.  Perhaps she even became his god mother and gave him the bible in the first place?  That of course is pure speculation.

The names connected with these two families that I’ve come across are RAWLINGS, SNOOK, JONES, COOK, YOUNG, MAY, BALL, FISHER all with links to Yatton. 

Updated. They worked together: Millicent was a cook for Irene Mary Hardy at 2 Greenhills Road, Cheltenham, and Edith was the parlourmaid there (1939 Census). Millicent is advertising for a companion at Sutledge House in October 1947 (p4, Western Daily Press, 24 October 1947). Albert's probate also states his residence at death as Sutledge House. My guess is that Edith moved in as a companion, met Albert, married, and he then moved into the house. The house was divided in 1897 so that various people could occupy different parts. Millicent was born on 9 November 1876, so this was a 90th birthday present from Edith to Millicent. Irene Mary Hardy died 2 January 1975 leaving quite a sum of money for various charities. Her father changed his name from Stolterfoht to Hardy, probably in response to the war (see Deed Poll - Gazette).

There is a fascinating chapter on Sutledge House in "Every House Tells a Story" by Langford History Group (it was once a private school). Unfortunately, it misses out most of the late twentieth century (lack of sources), but still a good read.