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:
First Saturday 2pm to 3.30pm
Third Monday 10.30am 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 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 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.
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