News & Information

Apologies for the shortness of this newsletter. Pat, our president and newsletter editor is temporarily indisposed and is unable to produce this month's edition. Hopefully she will be back with a bumper tome in June.

May Day Holiday

In 1978, the government made the first Monday in May a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our neighbours across the border in Scotland had already been enjoying this bank holiday since 1871

It seems that this year we will be getting the weather that we traditionally associate with the May Day holiday - if you have a couple of hours to spare and want some family history things to do here are some ideas.

1. If visiting a relative, take the chance to find out something new about their or their ancestors lives.
2. Take a backup of your computer files. Ideally copy your files to somewhere other than your computer and keep them somewhere else other than with your computer.
3. Have a look through your old photographs and record who is on them whilst you still remember who you are
4. See if you can work out where your parents / grandparents were and what they were doing on VE Day.
5. Catch up with the stories on the WSMFHS Facebook group
6. Take a look at our new website - more of that later!

A Day for Peace – and Wedding Bells!

from Sue Maguire, Editor - WSMFHS Journal (‘Buckets & Spades’)

The date 8 May 1945 was one which the whole world had been awaiting: the day peace in Europe could be declared after years of conflict, death and misery. The second war to end all wars had affected everyone: family members and friends lost, deprivation and fighting just to survive, but that day meant fresh hope - a new beginning and a chance to celebrate.

In Banwell, where five people were killed and many buildings were destroyed by German bombs, that May was a very special time for the Hicks family.

VE Day 8 May was my father Frank Sarkowicz's 26th birthday and Grandpa and Grannie Hicks's 38th wedding anniversary! Then, a couple of weeks later (24 May), my mother Elizabeth (Betty) Hicks, married my father, an American serviceman. Dad looked very smart in his US uniform and Mum wore a lovely two-piece pink suit, made by Grannie. The wedding ceremony was at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Weston-super-Mare.

Afterwards, everyone went to the family home at Cannaways Farm, Banwell, for the reception and this group photo shows Mum and Dad before they travelled to Salisbury for their honeymoon.

Being in the American army, Dad was called back across the Atlantic almost immediately, but Mum had to wait 10 months before she could sail to America and join him in Chicago. Mum arrived in good time for Easter Sunday, 21 April 1946, settled in … and then I was born in February 1947!

‘The Peace’ Rose (Rosa Peace)

Sue Maguire

‘The Peace’ rose was developed (1935 to 1939) by Francis Meilland, a French horticulturist. With Germany’s invasion of France imminent, Meilland decided to protect his new cultivar by sending cuttings to Italy, Turkey, Germany and the USA, and it was propagated in the USA by Conard Pyle Co during the war.

‘The Peace’ is a beautiful Hybrid Tea rose. Its fragrant flowers are light yellow to cream colour with crimson petal edges. Qualities include hardiness, vigour and resistance to disease which makes it a very popular choice with gardeners and florists.

During its lifetime, this rose has been known by several names, including 'Madame A Meilland' (France), ‘Gioia’ (Italy), ‘Gloria Dei’ (Germany) and ‘The Peace’ (USA, Sweden and Norway).

Interestingly, on 29 April 1945, the adoption of the name ‘The Peace’ was publicly announced in the USA by Conard Pyle Co. On this day, Berlin fell and this was a turning point. Later that year, ‘The Peace’ roses were given to each of the delegates at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations (San Francisco), accompanied by notes which read: ‘We hope the ‘Peace’ rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace’.

Over the years, ‘The Peace’ has received many distinguished awards and, in 1976, it was selected as the ‘World's Favourite Rose’ and it was added to the ‘Rose Hall of Fame’.

Perhaps you already enjoy ‘The Peace’ in your garden? … and it would certainly be a lovely gift, or an addition, to anyone’s garden to mark the VE Day 80th Anniversary celebrations.

Who do you think you are?

I don't know if you have been watching the current series - the last two episodes with Andrew Garfield and Mishal Husain have been two of the most interesting ones I can remember seeing so if you have been giving it a miss recently it might be time for another look.

Tuesday 6th May at 9pm (and repeated later in the week) sees the turn of Ross Kemp of Eastenders fame - who according to the advertising  "believes sifting fact from fiction will be the biggest challenge when it comes to his family history". Sounds like there could be a few old stories to sort out.

Our new website

Hopefully you all know by now that our new website is coming ...  We are aiming to switch over on 6th June - if it was good enough for Montgomery and Eisenhower then it is good enough for us (and yes, before you all write in I know that D-Day was supposed to be the 5th!).

You can have a look at what is there now - as can anyone - by going to www.wsmfhs.org (same as the current one - but without the ".uk" at the end).

However if you want to access the restricted areas of the new site you do need to logon - this is a different login to the one from the old site - you normally logon with your e-mail address. Once you login the system will remember you so you don't have to continually need to login.

We will be sending out invites to the new site in the week leading up to the 6th. If you would like access earlier (and you are very welcome to do so) please let us know.

You can find all of the information from the old website on the new one with extra "stuff " including

• Contact with other members via Private Messaging
• Buckets & Spades (current and old issues) readable from the site
• Exchange Journals readable from the site
• Research Forum sortable in different ways
• Parish pages that include direct links to records held on Ancestry and Findmypast
• Milton Road Cemetery Charts
• Extensive War Memorial coverage with 800+ individual profiles of those who died during the Boer War and the First World War
• Close Up Pictures of the Grove Park War Memorial in Weston
• Special Projects including Brick Walls, Parishes at War, Member Pedigrees and of course the Weston Worthies in full technicolor for the first time.

We are still looking for GED files containing members family tree to trial on the Member Pedigree project. We require only

1. A GED file (can be exported from any software program)
2. The name of Person in the tree who the pedigree is centred on
3. A picture to add to the post (does not have to be a portrait).
4. No other graphics/media are needed

The resulting pages are based on on all ancestors of the main individual plus two generations of descendants for each ancestor of the main individual.

Events coming up in May

14 May, 2:30 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall "Unexpected Sources", a talk by Samantha Taylor – those odd sources she encountered whilst researching her family tree
16 May - 18 May at St Martin's Church, Worle Flower Festival: A celebration of Marriage Fri, 16th May 7:00pm  Opening of Flower Festival Sat 17th May 10.00am – 4.00pm Church open for viewing displays and marriage registers Sun 18th May 2.00pm – 4.00pm Church open for viewing displays and marriage registers Sun 18th May 4.30pm  Special Service to conclude Flower Festival
19 May, 10:30 at Weston Library Library Help Session
28th May at 19:30, via Zoom Henry Smith: A Most Notorious, Naughty, False, Lying Fellow: A Global Black Sheep or Maligned Character? Sue Paul gives a light-hearted case study demonstrating how to reconstruct a seventeenth-century life that cannot be found in traditional genealogical records to enhance your ancestral history

And finally ...

10 years ago - from the May 2015 newsletter

(It was reported that Mark Sayers was moving to the Mediterranean and was standing down as chairman)

"We have never had a vice-chairman, a situation which we will have to resolve.  In the meantime, Brian Airey has reluctantly agreed to carry on as both chair and secretary until November – the revised date of the AGM.  If there is a local member who is interested in taking the chair (or can recommend another member who might be approached) please will they let us know so that they can be co-opted on to the committee before any election takes place."

Some things don't change much - we don't have a vice-chairman or a chairman for that matter - we have two co-chairs! - and Brian is still carrying on as Secretary - and we would still welcome anyone who would like to help on the committee - we are quite a friendly lot!

Enjoy the month of May!

And finally (again) ... one last May

My mum's sister was called June, her daughter is called Avril and Mum's & June's stepmother was named May - can anyone beat that?

St Martin's Church, Worle 16th-18th May 2025

Fri, 16th May 7:00pm  Opening of Flower Festival

Sat 17th May 10.00am – 4.00pm Church open for viewing of displays and marriage registers

Sun 18th May 2.00pm – 4.00pm Church open for viewing of displays and marriage registers

Sun 18th May 4.30pm  Special Service to conclude Flower Festival

For more information email stmartinschurchworle1@gmail.com

We are currently aiming for the 6th June to be the switchover day for the new website.

If you would like earlier access to the site (at wsmfhs.org) please fill in the form at Go – Weston-super-Mare & District FHS

As well as the old way of ordering certificates from the General Record Office – paper £12.50 – PDF copy £8.00 – don't forget that you can order a Digital Image* for £3.00.

As well as being cheaper – the results are instant.

*Digital Images are currently only available for Births 1837-1923 and Deaths 1837-1957.

There is a vote at the moment on the new website asking Would you like a guide to ordering and using GRO Digital Images?

To vote please use this link wsmfhs.org/2025/04/06/gro-digital-images/ - You do not need to logon to the new website to vote

I apologise for the lateness of this newsletter – I usually try to get it ready for the start of the month. If you have any additions I would be glad to see them in the comments.

April Fools Day
As this newsletter will be late this month it will be absolutely free of any April Fool Jokes. Family History is difficult enough without the added twists!  However, have you been caught out this year?

Mothering Sunday
The 4^th Sunday in Lent is always Mothering Sunday, so last Sunday people who were able to visit or at least contact their mothers did so. Traditionally this was the only time that people in service had time off to visit perhaps carrying a small gift of flowers or cake. Churches on Mothering Sunday often offer children a small bunch of flowers for them to give to their own mothers or carers.

80 Years Ago
I mentioned my reaction to VE day as a child in a previous newsletter.  In May there will be time to commemorate with services and street parties.  You have time during April to plan your events. To remember those who did not come home and those who did but suffered from the effects of war. Remember also those who served on the Home Front.  Ancestry has a file of Land Army Women.

75 Years Ago
On a very different note – I have been reminded that of April 1^st 1950 my husband received his first car, a Morris 8 tourer, which developed through the years and even entered the Speed trials on the Sea Front in 1960.  By then it was no longer a standard Morris 8.  It became our only car and in the days before regulations about child safety in cars there was room in the back for a carrycot!!  This shows how times have changed and how difficult it can be to imagine how life was in the past.

Free Help Sessions in Weston Library
I received this information from Samatha Taylor and although it is already on the web site, I am including it here for anyone who has missed it.  I know, from experience, how valuable these sessions can be both to the volunteers and to those who attend for help.

Library Help Sessions
Our help sessions at Weston-Super-Mare Library on the first Saturday of the month have been so popular that we have collaborated with the library to offer additional sessions on the third Monday of each month starting 19^th May 2025.  We hope that this will provide a greater opportunity for members and the public to access help with their family history.

If you are a member who enjoys helping others with the challenges of tracing their family history, we would welcome you to join our band of volunteers.  We find it very rewarding and always learn something of interest.  You don’t have to commit to attending every session, or even a whole session, just what you can manage.  If you are interested and would like to give it a go, please contact Samantha Taylor in person at meetings or via the contact tab on the website, wsmfhs.org.uk.

Sessions are held at:

Weston-super-Mare Library

Town Hall

Walliscote Grove Road

Weston-super-Mare

BS23 1UJ

Monthly on:

First      Saturday            2pm to 3.30pm

Third    Monday              10.30am to 1pm (starting 19^th May 2025)

Bitton Churchyard
As some of you may know by now, my paternal side were living in Bitton during the 18^th and early 19^th centuries, and I have often visited the area to discover more about them.  Recently  a survey of the Churchyard has been put online. https://www.bittonhistory.org.uk/churchyard/ You can search by surname or by Grave Number. Image from the excellent survey by the Bitton Parish History Group and others. The page also contains extracts from the Bitton Burial Register.

 I already knew the position of the grave of my 3 x great grandfather, Samuel LONG, 1777-1833, Grave C49 but with this I also found the grave of his eldest son, known to the family as Uncle Saml. 1805-1877 Grave C48.  It can be seen to the right of the standing Headstone with a cross lying  on it. There is a separate entry for it.
 That grave is listed as that of Uncle Saml’s widow, Sarah LONG,1813-1889  and the memorial presumably to him was no longer visible. I am grateful for this newly available resource - it set me off reviewing the history of Uncle Saml, who was the only one of the LONGs to remain in Bitton.  He was quite a character but had no known children. Sometimes researching someone else in the family gives you an insight to the life of your direct ancestors as well.
Uncle Saml’s death was announced in the Bristol Papers giving his home address.

His will and that of his widow, Sarah, were also invaluable in explaining why my father could remember visiting Bitton with his father to collect rents. Wills from 1858 are available from https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate for only £1.50. With everything going up who knows how long they will remain at that level? 

Somerset Archives and Local Studies
The following notice has just been published by the Somerset Archives.

From their Facebook Entry:
It's the end of an era! Our online catalogue no longer lists the archive collections held at Bath Record Office as they have their own, brand new online catalogue that lists their archives & local studies holdings.
It can be consulted here:  collections.batharchives.co.uk/home

This is important for those of you who are researching people who may have lived in Bath.  I have always found the Bath Record Office to be very helpful.

Don’t forget that the National Archives through its Discovery Search Facility also includes some documents held in Local Archives. For example, when researching Edwin LONG RA who was born in Bath, I found a letter he had written about one of his paintings in the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office

Potters from Weston

I should think that Bargain Hunt is not often credited as a resource for Family History Research, but a few weeks ago an item from a Torquay Pottery (Watcombe)  was featured and it reminded me of a connection.  Back in 1998 I was invited to give a talk to the Torquay Branch of the Devon FHS because one of its members had discovered a connection with Weston-super-Mare. The Weston Pottery was a large concern with many employees. The connection turned out to be related to by husband.  Henry BREWER had married Ann Alice HASE at Emmanuel Church in 1856 and on the 1861 census is described as a Moulder in Clay. They moved to Devon and by 1901 their son, William BREWER born in 1871 in Weston was described as a terra cotta worker on his own account. He remained in the Pottery business and in 1921 was working for the Watcombe Pottery.  Of course, in 1998 the 1901, 1911, 1921 censuses were not available and research had been done by that family by passing down stories about their life in Devon. They knew he had been working on his own account and did not know that later he was an employee.

Future Society Events                                                                                                            Next Members’ Meeting Wednesday April 9^th
There has been a change of speaker for the meeting on Wednesday April 9^th at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall, 2.30 pm.  Peter deDulin will present “From Emperor to Workhouse” a story of Emperors, Linens, Lions and Poverty.  This is a fascinating tale of family history research.  

Zoom Workshop
There will NOT be a Workshop on Wed April 23^rd as previously advertised.  This has been postponed until September 24^th when the Latest Updates to Family Tree Maker will be discussed.

The last Workshop held in March on Breaking Down Brickwalls is now available for members under Videos on our Web Site.

Finally
I do hope that you are having a great time researching your ancestors.  Please call out for help of you are stuck.  Use the Free Help Sessions in the Library, especially the additional one during the week when that starts. Or use the Research Forum – on that point if you see a request for help, why not answer it?  You can always join the Facebook Group. A full membership of our Society (which can be a little as £9.00) can give you access to our transcriptions and other informative details including the videos of past talks and Workshops.

Here is a list of unclaimed estates for people who have died in Weston-super-Mare.

Unclaimed estates must be claimed within 30 years of the person’s death. If you think you are eligible to claim, all you need to do is prove it with a family tree!

What a good reason to take up this as a hobby.