I’m writing this with many thanks to Rob Clarke and others who contributed to the May Newsletter. I was very grateful for their support last month. As always, any comments and additions by members would be welcome.
June is going to be an eventful month for our Society. We will welcome a new Web Site on June 6th which we hope will make contributions by members easier and enable them to find all the fantastic information which has been contributed by members over the years. Believe me - just try it – you can find so much about researching in this area you will be amazed what was all hiding on the old site!
See later on in this newsletter for a guide to the new site from Rob.
Other Events coming up in June
Sat 7th June – Free Help Session at Weston Library and Monday 17th June
You can get help with researching your family tree from Weston-super-Mare and District Family History Society volunteers. Our free drop-in sessions run on:
first Saturday of the month - 2pm to 3:30pm - Weston Library
third Monday of the month - 10:30am – 1pm - Weston Library
At the drop-in session, you can get access to the family history records website Ancestry and FamilySearch as well as local resources including street directories, parish registers and maps.
Apart from that June is the Jenny and Peter Towey show ...
Wed 11th June at 2:30pm, Our Lady of Lourdes. Jenny and Peter are doing a presentation on how to use the National Archives.
Wed 25th June at 7:30pm via Zoom, Peter is presenting a workshop on Reading old Handwriting.
Thanks to both of them for stepping in at short notice to cover some speaker cancellations.
Family Stories
How many of you have family stories handed down which you have not been able to substantiate? My maternal grandmother told me that she had a great aunt, surname probably JONES, who was a dressmaker to Queen Victoria.
I have never proved this but this site makes for some interesting reading about live as a servant to Queen Victoria.
The most likely possibility is a Louisa JONES d/o William & Elizabeth JONES, who was born in about 1833 in Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Wiltshire. Although several of her siblings attended the Sunday School there her name is not recorded.
Could this be her in 1851 as an 18 year-old lodging in Islington?
This JONES family were Baptists, and I have found it difficult to trace their baptisms etc although there is quite a bit written about the Baptists in that area. My g grandfather was Louisa’s younger brother, David, and he followed his father’s trade as a lath render, eventually settling in Gloucester.
Nempnett Thrubwell
I believe that one of the farthest ancestors I have found, an 8x great grandfather, William OGBOURNE married a Sarah WEDMORE in Nempnett Thrubwell in 1657. Apologies if I have posted this before, but I have found this site very helpful and interesting.
According to this information I share many relations with descendants of the same couple. But as with everything it will all need checking against my own research. With our new website in mind, have any of you got a website devoted to your family history research? Family History and Local History
It has always been my belief that there is a symbiotic relationship between family and local history. It enables a greater understanding of the social aspects of life. Look for Websites of Local History Groups as they often contain transcriptions and information about the area in which your ancestors lived.
The Avon Local History and Archaeology Group
www.alha.org.uk of which this society is a member, publishes a great deal of information about our area and its newsletter is published on our website. Take look at the number of groups involved and what they have to offer.
The new site is nearly live - I will be sending out the invites to become authors on the site in the next couple of days - unless you cannot wait - in which case please let me know at webmaster@wsmfhs.org
Eventually the current address (www.wsmfhs.org.uk) will take you directly to the new site but to start with I'll add a big button to the old site.
Everything on the site can be accessed from the main menu that runs along the top of the screen. This hopefully will make things easier to find.
"The Society" menu gives information about the society, our area, how to contact us, how to join the society, a link to our Facebook group, details pf the committee, Contact with other members via Private Messaging, Help on how to use the website, a link to WordPress (the system that the new site sits on) and a Login option.
You need to be logged in to access some of the features of the site and indeed the menu entries coloured yellow do not appear if you are not logged in.
"Posts" - as a member you can post to the site (if you want to) but can just read other peoples posts if you want. Under this menu is the Events Calendar - special type of posts that create a calendar of (not surprisingly) Events. News - posts normally made by committee members with information about Events, Transcriptions, Information etc. Newsletters - Pat's monthly articles going back to No 1. from January 2012 (this one is No. 162). Other options are Member only posts, Test posts and an easy way to post without having to use WordPress.
"Publications" - access to online versions of Buckets & Spades, links to the ALHA newsletters, online Family History Federation "Really Useful Bulletins", Exchange Journals from Wales, Australia and Canada which you can read online or download, copies of Presentations that have been given to the society or made by members, Videos - recording of society meetings and workshops that maybe you were not able to attend at the time
The "Research" menu provides links to multiple research options. The Places option has a page for each of our parishes, from each page you can access the photo gallery for that place, posts linked to that place, direct links to records held on Ancestry and Findmypast (relevant accounts are required to access), links to the church website (if there is one), directions from google and links to transcriptions from the society. Research Forum - post your own queries and help other members with theirs. Surname Interests - add your own surnames and find people with the same ones in their tree. Information and transcriptions for Axbridge Union Workhouse, Mendip Hospital and Milton Road Cemetery. Memorial inscriptions contains transcriptions and photographs from cemeteries around the area. Extensive War Memorial coverage of the whole area with 800+ individual profiles of those who died during the Boer War and the First World War (only a few WW2 profiles done so far). Research Links provide links to websites of interest.
"Special Projects" - collections of posts including Peter de Dulin's Brick Walls, Casualties of War, Photo Gallery, Parishes at War, Member Pedigrees, Memories of WWI, Milton Road Cemetery plans, Postcard collections and of course Pat's Weston Worthies in full technicolour for the first time
The "Search" option does exactly as it says on the tin. If you are struggling to find something on the site you will find it with Search - if you don't it's probably not there.
If you have trouble accessing anything please let me know - the chances are that other people may be having problems and/or there is probably another way of doing something. We have full control over the site so can change things that aren't working!
One more thing - I have written a "Learn WordPress in 2 Weeks" course (although I have not finished the last 2 days of it yet) - which can show you how to produce more exotic posts on the site. Monica has gone through all of the exercises I have created so far and tells me that she enjoyed doing them. Each of the exercises should only take about 10 minutes and you create real posts from Day 1. "Learn WordPress in 2 Weeks" can be found under "The Society", Help".
And finally ...
Rob Clarke
Holidays are nearly here for some of you - don't forget to check your family trees before you go anywhere in case you can sneak off and do some research. We have just come back from a week in Malta and whilst there I managed to drag the family along to the Malta at War Museum.
There was a display about the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious - a second cousin of Gill's (OK - 2 times removed) was a Marine on the Illustrious and was killed when it was bombed by the Luftwaffe in January 1941 - the ship then had to dock in Malta for repairs. Things always seem more interesting when they are connected to your own family
And ... if anyone is going anywhere near Arras - we are very short of decent photographs of the names of local soldiers recorded on the Arras Memorial - I can provide a list if need be!
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.
If visiting a relative, take the chance to find out something new about their or their ancestors lives.
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.
Have a look through your old photographs and record who is on them whilst you still remember who you are
See if you can work out where your parents / grandparents were and what they were doing on VE Day.
Catch up with the stories on the WSMFHS Facebook group
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
A GED file (can be exported from any software program)
The name of Person in the tree who the pedigree is centred on
A picture to add to the post (does not have to be a portrait).
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?
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 4th 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 1st 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 19th 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:
FirstSaturday2pm to 3.30pm
ThirdMonday10.30am to 1pm (starting 19th May 2025)
Bitton Churchyard As some of you may know by now, my paternal side were living in Bitton during the 18th and early 19th 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 lyingon 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 9th There has been a change of speaker for the meeting on Wednesday April 9th 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 23rd as previously advertised.This has been postponed until September 24th 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.
Well, the shortest month is now over and with March we can look forward to the Spring, warmer weather and perhaps visiting the haunts of our ancestors or at least concentrate on some more research.
Free Help Session Weston Library
On Saturday, March 1st we have our usual monthly Free Help Session in Weston Library between 2.00p.m. and 3.30p.m. Our volunteers will be there to greet you and guide you to the most helpful resources. Although Ancestry and Findmypast are available don’t overlook the resources available in the library. The files of information about People and Places in the area, Street Directories, Electoral Rolls and the film of local newspapers are some records which cannot be found anywhere else.
Society meeting March 12th
Somerset Follies will be the topic for the March Meeting of the Society on Wednesday 12th March at 2.30 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall. The Speaker will be Jonathan Holt who has written books about Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire Follies, their history and meaning.
(Right) Sham Castle, Bath
Zoom Workshop Breaking down Brick walls March 26th
Are you stuck with your family history research? Please submit any problems to Peter de Dulin so that they can be investigated during this Workshop on Wednesday March 26th at 7.30p.m. Members will receive information about how to log on to this meeting just before the date.
My main Brickwall is in Bitton. Robert LONG, my 4 x great grandfather, married Hester PRIGG on the 17th May 1767 but I have no real indication of his birth, parentage or death. There are 92 trees on Ancestry some have him living until he was 108 but none that I can see have proof of his birth. My family history research started with Robert LONG but has not progressed further!
My Grandfather maintained that there was a connection with the Victorian artist Edwin LONG, R.A. but here again I need more proof.
Following the Zoom talk last Wednesday I received a very welcome and thought-provoking email from member Keith Graham. Thank you, Keith. He posed the interesting supposition that the fact that I did not know the history of Frances COLES until I researched it demonstrated that in many cases oral family history can be censored, if deemed to be unsavoury, or possibly exaggerated to paint a more favourable picture as it is passed down. This is so true.
My grandfather, who might have known about Frances, told me many fascinating tales about his paternal family but hardly any of them have proved to be true!
It is possible that Thomas might have ridden into Bristol to watch the Riots in Queens Square not proved – but that did not stop me writing an essay about it while at school! Samuel LONG owned a Sand Pit not a coal mine. According to Grandfather the LONG family were important in the history of Bristol and his grandfather entertained Garibaldi when he visited Bristol. Research has shown the Garibaldi spent 10 minutes on Temple Meads Station as he returned to Italy in 1864 and didn’t get off the train! My grandfather was not born until1874 and was presumably recounting what he had been told.
Grandfather did not mention his maternal line – the COLES family, except to acknowledge that his mother was Rebekah Saunders COLES
Frances COLES mortuary photo – who was murdered in Whitechapel in 1891 was a first cousin to my great grandmother but none of our living family knew anything about her or spoke about her. Perhaps because she was a prostitute she was erased from their memories.
What family stories have been handed down in your family? Have you researched them? Do they match with written documentation?
Research Forum
Keith Graham posted a request for help on our Research Forum in January but unless people have contacted him directly, I can see so comments with information about residents of Hill Road. The history of a single road and its inhabitants can highlight the changing values and conditions of society and can be a valuable asset to family history research.
Just one of its residents – lived at 43 Hill Road image from Weston Library
Mendip Hospital
The Cemetery of Mendip Hospital in Wells will re-open for visits on Wednesday April 2nd from 11 am to 4 pm and then every Wednesday and Sunday until the end of September. Many of us will have relations who were buried there. The new exhibition in the Chapel will show some of the patients, staff and their histories.
John HASE who was born in Cross (or Winscombe) in 1828 was a patient there in 1851. According to his case notes (Name given as HARSE) he was admitted on June 1st, 1850, suffering from ye congenital imbecility His case notes are in Somerset Archives D/H/men/17/1/2. He spent some time there and in other places including Bridgwater and Axbridge Workhouses before his death at Wells in 1902 by which time he was described as blind and a lunatic. The friends of the Mendip Hospital Cemetery were able to locate his grave in Section E Grave 75 and sent me a photo of the spot where he was buried. Do take advantage of a visit to the Cemetery its well worth it.
The fact that John was blind is interesting. His father, a blacksmith. is described as blind on the 1851 census of Cross. A grandson of the blacksmith also became blind, as did a great grandson. Glaucoma has been diagnosed in several male descendants of the Blacksmith. Untreated Glaucoma would have led to blindness. In this case it looks as if Family History can assist in tracing inherited complaints.
Family Heirlooms
One of my favourite heirlooms is a traditional Welsh Bakestone or Griddle given to me by my Welsh Step-Grandmother. It will come into use tomorrow, March 1st to cook some Welsh cakes to celebrate St Davids Day. Served warm with a sprinkling of caster sugar and plenty of butter a friend used to call my Welsh cakes Them hot things.
The griddle can also be used for pizzas although I doubt that its original owner even knew what a pizza was!!
I find it interesting to consider what our ancestors ate through the years. Depending on local and seasonal produce with long slow cooking on an open fire or range. You can read about one persons memories of their food here. https://www.1900s.org.uk/1900s-everyday-meals.htm
New Family History Resources available
What new resources have you found useful recently? Please add any comments which you think would help others in their search for the elusive ancestor.
One thing I proved recently was that it pays to revisit some of the resources as new ones are continually becoming available. Always try to look at the original records because transcriptions can be faulty and look at them in context. Neighbours on censuses reveal similar occupations and the numbers living in each house might indicate the type of neighbourhood.
Good Luck with your Research and don’t forget to let Peter know of your brick walls.
Welcome to the February Newsletter. I hope that you are progressing with your research and gradually breaking down your brickwalls.
Free Help Session Feb 1st Weston Library February will start with a Free Help Session at Weston Library on Saturday Feb 1st from 2.00 p.m. until 3.30p.m. when our volunteers will be present to assist anyone who attends with their research. You do not have to be a member of the Society to come along with your queries.
Members’ Meeting – Feb 12th On the Wednesday afternoon of February 12th the Speaker at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall will be member, Simon Begent, who will talk about the rich and interesting History of Aviation in Weston-super-Mare.The meeting will be from 2.30p.m. until 5.00p.m.
St Valentine's Day - Feb 14th Looking through your family history do you have any marriages which took place on Feb 14th or any children born on that day who were called Valentine?
Zoom Workshop – Feb 26th I will be hosting the Zoom meeting with a talk entitled – “She died in Whitechapel”.This is based on my own family history but has links with the continuing interest in the well documented murders of the late 1880s.Can you believe everything which was in print? This will start at 7.30 p.m. and members will receive notification of the sign in details before the meeting. Holocaust Memorial day On January 27th the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz was recognised by those whose families were involved, on both sides, and by others who see that day as the realisation of man’s inhumanity to man. There is a web site where you can trace the history of the Holocaust https://www.yadvashem.org/holocaust/about.html and add any information you may have about members of your family who suffered at that time. Researching Jewish ancestors If you are researching Jewish ancestors there is a web site to assist you https://www.jewishgen.org/?gad_source=1 I have used this site successfully to identify members who have married into our family having come to this country from Ukraine in around 1900.
Document concerning 158 Moorland Road I came across this document over Christmas along with some papers which had been given me some years ago. It concerns the sale of a house in Moorland Road in Jan 1906
The seller was a James FEAR and the buyer was a Georgina FEAR and the price was £300.It was described as:
All that piece of land with the messuage or dwelling house erected thereon situate in Moorland Road Weston-s-Mare and known as “Stencliffe”
Street directories show that Stencliffe was situated at 158, Moorland Road. This was on thewest side of Moorland Road towards the Devonshire Road end.
Is anyone familiar with the FEAR family? What was the relationship between James FEAR and Georgina FEAR?
In 1911 a Richard FEAR and his wife Nellie were living at 158.
There was a James FEAR who was a Builder who lived at 59 Moorland Road.There was a Georgina FEAR who was the wife of an Ernest FEAR who was living at 40 Moorland Road.Were they connected?
Married from Moorland Road in 1931 Unconnected with the FEAR family - This photograph appeared in the Weston Gazette Pictorial Review of 1931 and was captioned.
“Mr Francis John Harris, only son of Mr & Mr W Harris, Moorland Road. Weston-super-Mare. married to Miss Barbara Mary Hughes at Emmanuel Church”
Using FreeBMD and the GRO Index it was possible to find that the birth of Francis John HARRIS was registered in the Sept qrt of 1907 and that his mother’s maiden name was WHITTOCK.
His parents, Willie HARRIS and Minnie Martha WHITTOCK were married in the June Qrt 1907 when presumably she was already pregnant.Sadly, she died shortly after giving birth, aged just 21. She was buried in Weston Cemetery in Tu 926. Later, Mary Jane HARRIS, grandmother of Francis wasburied in the same plot. His father had married again in 1911 to Alice Emily BAKER and they can be found on the 1921 Census living at 160 Moorland Road – (next door to the FEAR family at 158!) – with a daughter, Doris Evelyn HARRIS, aged 7. Do we have anyone who is researching the HARRIS family?
Family Events in February February is often a dismal month, weatherwise.But this month my husband will celebrate his 92nd birthday so we will have something to celebrate. As he looks back over his life in Weston-super-Mare his memories come flooding back.He was born in Whitecross Road, in the same house as his father had been born, so the family has seen many changes to the town and the way of life here. His family were concerned with transport in Weston.Initially with Donkeys and Donkey chairs and later with horse transport as a Cab Proprietor.
His grandfather, John HASE, a cab proprietor, had moved into a newly builthouse in Whitecross Road in 1885 from the Victoria Hotel Yard. He built stables in Albert Road which backed onto their house.
In December 1907, John's wife had died from breast cancer and this advertisement appeared early in February for a housekeeper to look after the young HASE family.Arthur, my father-in-law, was the youngest, then aged just 2 1/2 years.
Note that John was described as an abstainer. Newspapers can often add to your knowledge of the family. The successful applicant, Susan SANDERS, was to remain with the family until John’s death in 1933.
1911 Census for Weston-super-Mare 19 Whitecross Road, Weston-super-Mare
First name
Last name
Relation-ship
Marital status
Age
Birth year
Occupation
Birth place
John Millard
Hase
Head
Widower
48
1863
Cab proprietor
Weston-s-Mare
Charlie
Hase
Son
-
14
1897
-
Weston-s-Mare
Henry
Hase
Son
-
9
1902
-
Weston-s-Mare
Arthur
Hase
Son
-
5
1906
-
Weston-s-Mare
Susan Mary
Sanders
Servant
-
43
1868
-
Searice Cornwall
Mike's father, my father-in-law, Arthur HASE, later introduced motor cars into the mix, turning their stables in Albert Road into a garage. He also offered overnight off-street parking for visitors.
If you look at the original entry of the 1911 census you will see that the enumerator has deleted the entry that one child of John HASE had died,This was Agnes who was born and died in 1900 from Bronchitis and Pneumonia, aged 7/8 months. It is always a good idea to look at the original entry. As the only girl to be born into this family she was known to the family as “Sissy” for the short time which she was with them.
Having been brought up surrounded with cars it is probably not surprising that these became one of Mike’s main interests – along with his singing. When he retired from teaching, we bought a Rolls Royce and did Wedding Hire for about 12 years. Perhaps some of you may have come across us in those days.We did about 150 weddings and they were all joyous occasions. That is until the Rolls Royce engine blew up - luckily when returning from a Wedding – and we could not afford to have it repaired so had to sell the car!
Perhaps we feature in your family history record?
Each month I ask for contributions to the Newsletter in the form of comments from members who have information which they are able to share with other members and which might help others to continuetheir research. Please consider adding your comments. Thank you.
A Happy, Healthy, Peaceful, Cheerful and successful New Year to you all. Thank you to those who sent cards and messages over the Christmas period. It was great to hear from you especially as I wasn’t feeling particularly well.I wasn’t sure that you would be getting a Newsletter this time but here is a much shorter one than usual which in Blue Peter Style I made earlier.Please add suggestions for research during 2025.
2025 has so much to offer. It is 80 years since VE Day.I remember lying in bed asleep when my mother, who obviously wanted to share the news with everyone – woke me up to come and see the bonfires which had been lit along the railway embankment which ran alongside the Bristol Rovers Ground at Eastville in Bristol. I am told I simply said “ OK, I’ll see them in the morning” And went back to sleep!I was 6.
From YouTube
This shows the Gasometer which is often mentioned in connection with the Rovers. The 13 arches were demolished to make way for the M32.
There was a Street party, but I have no pictures.Every type of dining room chairs with a table covered with white sheets and the favourites if the day.Rabbit moulded jellies and blancmange, egg sandwiches, cakes and coloured drinks – there was probably more!Do any of you have records of such parties?This is the problem of relying on official documentation when so much of our lives are unrecorded, I also remember being fascinated by the streetlights when they came on again – and the arrival of bananas but I don’t think that happened until Dec 1945.
Family Celebrations in 2025
In May 2025 one of my mother’s cousins will be celebrating her 100th birthday.As her mother also reached a century it does seem that there are some long lived genes on that side of the family.Happy Birthday Rita!
January Society Events
Library Help Session On January 4th there should be a session at Weston Library. The last one had to be cancelled due to the weather and the closure of the library.All are welcome - just take along your queries from 2.00p.m. and our valiant volunteers will do their best to set you on the right path. The session finishes at 3,30p.m.
Live Talk to Members on Wednesday, Jan 8th 2.30pm – 5.00 There has been some speculation recently whether an afternoon meeting suits most of our members.Please make a comment about the suitability of the timing for the future.This talk will be by Raye Green, the well known Worle historian. Recently she has been researching the 52 Vicars of Worle since 1325 Raye will share her knowledge about Worle history in this saunter through 900 years of St Martin's Church.
Zoom Workshop on Thursday 23rd January 7. 30pm – 9.30pm This is a change of day for a Workshop from its more usual Wednesday evening to a THURSDAY.It is important that as many of you as possible attend as it will be about our new web site.Your comments are important to its development and Rob Clarke will be taking us through it.You will receive information about how to join the Workshop by email prior to the meeting.
New Resources
Ancestry
The 1921 Census of England and Wales launches on the 7th of January and will show details including where your relatives were living, who they lived with, what industry they worked in, who employed them - you could even see their handwriting. What will you discover? – Here are some more resources on offer.
Don’t forget that Ancestry and Findmypast can be used at Weston Library.
Free Research Sites
I wonder how many of these sites you have used. https://shorturl.at/Le1Sq Were any of them helpful? Let us know which you recommend.
Membership
Your membership to the Weston-super-Mare & District FHS ended on Dec 31st so your renewall will be welcomed by the society. And of course new members are always welcome.
Finally
Wishing you all a successful, Interesting and healthy 2025 and with many thanks to those who contribute to the Society.Happy New Year!
PSReceived this message this morning – can anyone help?
Message: Hello. I am trying to see if Backwell House is still standing. Also to see if anyone know about what happened to owners and their children.
1 Comment 
login
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) 
Unconnected with the FEAR family - This photograph appeared in the Weston Gazette Pictorial Review of 1931 and was captioned.
From BBC
