| Help needed,
please! |
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Here are just a few examples of where we would like to discover a
little more. In some cases we may have perhaps hit a dead end with
our research or we may have an unresolved question that you may know
the answer to. The queries are sorted alphabetically by the surnames
(shown in capitals) in the question. Please email us if you know the
answer.
Queries relate to the following surnames:
CLAY | DARKE | EXELL
| FRANKLIN | HARD(E)Y | HATTON
| HAYWARD
SMITHIES | SWAIN | WALKER
Links to other sites mentioned on this page
|
 The Prison Disciplinist
and other members of the CLAY family |
- Reverend John CLAY (1796-1858), who could be described as a
philanthropist, was the prison chaplain at Preston Goal for many
years. He was very involved with prison reform and believed in
separating prisoners so that young, first timers would not be
influenced by more hardened criminals. He also was instrumental
in improving conditions within Preston House of Correction. He
was immensely talented as he was able to speak several languages
and was a highly accomplished amateur artist. He invented the
Clay chair for people "suffering from spinal complaints"
and "an improved bow and arrow which long bore his name".
(Dictionary of National Biography).
His son was Alfred Borron CLAY (1831-68), the painter, whose picture
of 'Charles IX and the French court at the massacre of St Bartholemew'
is in the collection of the Walker Gallery, Liverpool. It is currently
on loan to Croxteth Hall, Liverpool.
If you have any information on the two men, their works or inventions,
or if you are a descendant, Ann would be really pleased to learn
more - Please email
- Frederick Lord CLAY (bap.30 Mar 1813 in Bishopwearmouth, DUR),
a distant relative, went to Australia. He was a Solicitor in Port
Phillip in the mid nineteenth century and was listed as a passenger
on The True Briton in 1868. Are you linked to him? Fred CLAY married
first at Gretna Green and then married his wife again about a
month later in his home parish church. - Please
email
 More on Gretna Marriages
below
See links to Port Philip
below
- Descendants of Robert CLAY of Philadelphia, PA, USA, who died
at sea in 1716, include Slater CLAY and Curtis CLAY. The family also lived in Newcastle, DE,
USA. Some family members died in the American Civil War.
Please email Ann if those names feature
amongst your ancestors.
|
| 1881 census puzzle |
- Where was Thomas Rolle DARKE, born Barnstaple, DEV on 11 Feb
1865, on the night of the 1881 Census? His family are listed in
Barnstaple and we know he arrived in the Reading, BRK area shortly
after then. Even the LDS CD has not helped locate him and Andy
has tried variants in spelling as well as checking the census
films for anyone he thought was a possibility. Can anyone shed
light on the DARKE, please, or was he simply missed out? Please
email
|
| Missionary to China and
a Tailor |
- It is believed that one of Andy's EXELL relatives became a
missionary in China, possibly at the end of the nineteenth century.
We have found someone with this surname who was a Wesleyan Minister,
but not a missionary. Is anyone aware of lists, publications etc
that provide background on early missionaries to the Far East?
- Reading born William and Louisa Jane EXELL (nee PAGE) were both
in Binfield, BRK in 1861 but we cannot find them after this. William
was a tailor by trade.
Please email about both queries
|
| Chuff Chuff Chuff |
- A family story is that one of Andy's Great Grandfathers, Henry
FRANKLIN (1844 - 1925), drove a Royal Train at some point. He
was certainly an engine driver on "God's Wonderful Railway"
(or GWR) and it is possible that he drove the train that carried
Queen Victoria's body in 1901, following her death. Henry retired
in 1903 for health reasons. Is there a GWR buff out there who
can shed some light on Henry or the funeral event?
- Henry's mother Elizabeth was born in Bisley, GLS and her father
was Thomas FRANKLIN, a mason. From Thomas backwards we have drawn
a blank.
Please email about either queries
|
| The HARD(E)Y's of Ashley,
CHS |
- John Timperley HARD(E)Y, born in 1813 in Dunham Massey, CHS,
was a farmer in the small village of Ashley. The population in
1851 was only 379. He married Sarah CALDERBANK, who was b. Bowdon
in 1813, on 16 Jul 1833 in Manchester Cathedral. The couple had
14 known children, all born in Ashley, the eldest of whom was
Ann's 2x great grandfather James and the youngest was called Marlborough.
We have located most of them in 1901 but where did they all go
after then? One of the girls is supposed to have gone to Canada.
- There were at least three HARD(E)Y
males who were given the first name of Marlborough.
Please email about either queries
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| "A soldier, believed
dead or overseas." |
- In the baptism register for 1809 in Bishops Tawton, near Barnstaple,
DEV the parents of Mary HAYWOOD are recorded as follows: the mother's
name is given as Mary but her father, James HAYWOOD, is described
with the words above. Can we dragoon anyone into giving Andy information
on regiments based in the Barnstaple area in the immediate preceding
years and where did they go on active service? Please
email
|
| Smithies |
- Joseph SMITHIES was born in 1800, but because Ann has so far
failed to locate him where he and his family should have been
in 1851, she doesn't know where that was. The family should have
been in the Stockport / Heaton Norris area of CHS and LAN. Ann
would be very grateful for any further information, especially
any references for the SMITHIES surname in 1851 census indexes.
- Edwin SMITHIES was born in Pendleton in 1894, the son of Joseph
and Mary. What happened to him after 1924?
- Please email about either queries
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| Gretna Green Marriages |
- Great great aunt Anne Fanny SWAIN (nee DAWSON), the wife of
Edward SWAIN, lived in her later years next door to the famous
blacksmith's at Gretna Green, Scotland - where many eloping couples
from England were able to marry without parental consent. She
helped with many of the weddings over the anvil and her signature
is in the registers that the blacksmith's shop still hold. Great
Aunt Fanny was there when Richard Rennison was an anvil priest
and remained there until at least 1930. Does anyone know anything
more about her time at Gretna? She died, aged 93, at Castle Carrock
in Cumberland during the Second World War. - Please
email
Fanny was born in Wellington, SAL and Edward was born in Newtown,
MGY, WLS.
Links to Gretna
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| The French Connection |
- One of Ann's WALKER ancestors married a girl who, according
to family legend, came from somewhere on the French/Belgian border.
There may be a connection with the Huguenots. She probably married
in the Bradford area before 1810 but we cannot be more precise.
If anyone has found a Mr WALKER marrying a French girl we would
like to hear from them.
- Ann's great uncle, Edgar Seymour WALKER, emigrated to the USA
or Canada, probably to New York although we haven't found anything
in the Social Security information. He was born in Bonsall, DBY
in 1888 and was still alive in the 1950's as his sisters were
corresponding with him. Can anyone help with any more information?
- Randolph WALKER married twice and by his first wife, Harriett
ORME, had a daughter called Annie
who was born in 1873. She and Harriett lived in Little Horton,
Bradford. Does anyone know what happened to Annie WALKER?
Kellys
1891 Directory of Bonsall, DBY, where Randolph lived for some
years
Please email about these queries
|
| Where is the Family Bible? |
- In 1907 Thomas HATTON of Derby, Ann's 2x g grandfather, left
his mother's family Bible to his daughter Agnes Ann GASKIN, then
living in Derby. The whereabout of this Bible is unknown, but
it may contain details of the both the HATTONs and the HAYS family.
Please email if you know the answer
|
Elsewhere on the Internet
Gretna
Green Blacksmith's Shop
The
anvil at Gretna
Richard
Rennison, one of the anvil priests
The
Port Phillip Almanac and Directory 1847
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