Re-reading the history of Miss Sellon, it occurs to me that she may have been suffering from MS.

ROGER PRICE has kindly given me a CD of his magnum opus “Bristol Pipemakers & their families of the 16th-20th Centuries.”

This is a fabulous achievement. How I wish I had a pipemaker ancestor!

The above is my first cousin, Larry (Clarence Henry John) Honour during his National Service days. He died this morning after a long illness.

He lived with my family in Kingswood as an unofficial evacuee during the Second World War and was always held up to me by my mother, Florence Pillinger, as an example of good behaviour. He always said this made him sound like a real goody-goody.

I remember how he showed the local boys (I was an honorary member of the gang) how to make candle lanterns from jam jars but whether this evoked the perennial shout “Get that b…… light out”, I can’t remember. He was a talented engineer and made a bicycle out of spare parts whilst he was still staying at our house. Later he made a motor bike from other bits and pieces which he rode down to Kingswood from Epsom, Surrey.

In “MPH” the Journal Magazine of the Vincent HRD Owners Club (June 2002) he recounted the story of an amazing find:

“My bike is a bit non-standard but I have modified it to suit my own taste. It is known as the Skye Comet because I found what was left of it on a rubbish tip north of Uig Bay on that island. We were on holiday in May 1977, driving around enjoying the scenery, the magnificent Cuillins almost always visible in the background. Suddenly, I saw a pair of handlebars sticking out of a rubbish dump. They turned out to be part of a BSA with the Vincent remains alongside. I wanted to pack my find into the car, but with luggage, etc., there just wasn’t room. Sadly, my wife did not go along with the suggestion that she might have a more comfortable ride if she took the train home!

“In the  autumn, being careful not to mention rubbish tips or motorcycles, I persuaded my wife and son to return to Scotland in a motorised caravan (large). They were expecting to explore the West Coat on the mainland on this holiday and looked puzzled when I insisted on catching the Skye ferry. Not for long though – nods and smiles (at least I hope they were smiles) told me that they had guessed my mission. Fortunately, the remains were still in place which some might find hard to believe.

“Now, some 20 years later, with many hours of work, not to mention the cost of bits and pieces, I find that Old Father Time has caught up with me. I really need a lighter bike, but I thought I would recount the old girl’s history before we eventually part.

“The registration is OSJ 330 – Old Skye Junk?” 

Larry was the son of Harry Honour, my mother’s brother, my favourite uncle and his wife Winnie (Stovell). He knew his wife, Kathleen, nee Bullen from the time they were six! They were childhood sweethearts and were married in 1955. In 1959 twins were born to the couple, but sadly the baby girl, Anne, died shortly after birth. Larry is survived by his wife Kathleen and their only son Patrick and his wife Christine.  

see Post 12.2.2009

It was perhaps not surprising that further information on the above was proving difficult to find. The marriage in 1867 was between Edward John George and Charlotte Drusilla Willmott and not vice versa as I had believed.

The couple appear in the 1871 census in Brighton, described “comedian” and “comedienne” respectively with their two young children.

Immediately afterwards Charlotte, stage name “Lottie Moreton” embarked upon a gruelling theatrical tour, for most of the time as a soubrette in “Mademoiselle Beatrice’s Frou Frou Troupe” which played in weekly engagements throughout the country for the next two years. It made me feel sick with exhaustion even to research. The details may be found in “The Era” now on line through the library link. There was absolutely nothing glamourous about being on The Stage. Aside from the sheer grind of travelling about by train laden with props and boxes, a different place every week, appearing sometimes “twice nightly” in draughty halls, there was the legendary horror of theatrical “digs”. Then there was the problem of keeping yourself and the costumes clean without modern washing and drying facilities. Dancers sweat and those costumes that did not rot, could probably stand up by themselves.  (This fact was graphically brought home to me in a recent Radio 4 programme on Diaghilev’s ballet. )

At last, Lottie parted from Mlle Beatrice’s troupe and jobless and ill, probably consumptive, she began advertising for work in the theatrical papers. She died on June 23rd, 1873. Her obituary reads: “George, Mrs Edward (Lottie Moreton, actress) aged 28 years, wife of Mr George, comedian, Theatre Royal, Hull.”

Her death was registered as Charlotte Drusilla George at St Saviour, Southwark, London in the June Quarter of 1873, but I would still like to know if she was buried there. (The on-line index only goes up to 1856.)

Edward John George married his second wife Emily Margaret Dinsdill at Hull in December 1874. Both “Comedians”, they were living in lodgings at Blackburn in 1881.

I have heard from the auctioneers that the picture was sold but the name of the purchaser is confidential. In any case he/she is unwilling to re-sell.

More of this saga later

Obituaries of Bristol mariners and their families in Bristol Gazette, 1844/45 & Bristol Mercury (BM), 1844

Captain AYSH, died of apoplexy, en route to Dublin, formerly of Africa trade. (19.12.44)

William BODY. chief mate of barque “Congo” en route to Africa, 21st October 1844, aged 27. (14.8.45)

Ellen CUNDY. On June 2nd aged 7 years, Ellen youngest daughter of the Late Mr John CUNDY, master mariner, of this port. (BM 8.6.44)

Captain E. DOBLE of “Ness”, aged 39, twenty years in the service of Baillie and Evans. (19.6.45)

Thomas DUNN, son of Mr Dunn, baker of Bristol, aged 29, died June 6th 1844, due to the upsetting of his ship, “Delphos”, Liverpool on North West Coast. (12.6.45)

Thomas R. GRIFFITHS, mariner, late mate of the ship “George” of this port, died Dec 30th 1843, aged 34. (BM 6.1.44)

Captain George HOLLAND aged 28, of the “John Cabot” died June 5th of consumption, off Africa Coast. (15.8.44)

Captain John JONES, died March 25th en route Mauritius-London, “Anna” of Bristol. (10.7.45)

Sarah JONES. Sarah, wife of J. Jones, mariner, aged 30, most affectionate wife and mother leaving a husband and three children to deplore their loss. (31.7.45)

Maria SMITH, died May 8th aged 23, at Duke Street, of consumption, wife of Captain Thomas SMITH, “Pamona”, Bristol. (May, 1844)

Fanny WAGSTAFFE. Fanny, wife of Captain George Wagstaffe of this port. (30.10.45)

The on-line catalogue of an auction house Whytes of Dublin has a water colour “Landscape with view of City” 21 x 27 cm.

Unfortunately, the auction took place 6.12.2008, so I am a bit late. Erin, who was my husband’s uncle was a scenic artist who worked on British films of the 40s, notably Olivier’s Henry V, and with Powell and Pressburger.

We are anxious to trace any of his work as well as what became of his wife Cecily and adopted son Freddie. Any ideas?

In 1978, shortly after I began researching my family history I was contacted by a gentleman called Bert Gay in response to a newspaper advertisement. Mr Gay lived at Alma Road, Kingswood, which runs into Holly Hill Road

Having discovered that many of my paternal ancestors had earned their living toiling underground in the former mines of the Kingswood district, I was anxious to talk to anyone with first hand experience.

Bert Gay had not worked in the mines himself but his grandfather, Robert King had told him many times of how at the age of seven he had gone down the mine “sitting in a bucket, on a miner’s lap, carrying a candle.”  Bert went to the workshop at the back of the house and returned with a t-shaped iron candlestick that had once belonged to his grandfather.  Bert placed this precious artefact in my hands.

The Kingswood mines were not considered fiery and the men worked by the light of candles held in these candlesticks either in their hat bands or with the pointed end stuck in the wall of the shaft.

The stub of candle was added by me, though now it is also more than 30 years old. I used to give talks with the assistance of my son Kevin, then about eight, dressed as a child miner for many young boys of six and above worked in the mines. When I “lit him up”, the candle stuck in his round hat, an audible gasp would go round the room. But that’s another story.

Robert King worked at Parkfield Colliery, Coalpit Heath and made the daily journey on foot from Holly Hill Road, along the Dram Road  which ran from the Chequer’s Inn on Hanham River to Britton, Warmley, Mangotsfield, Shortwood and Coalpit Heath – a distance of some six miles. The coals were taken by horses from the pits to the river, via the Dram Road where they were loaded on to barges. Robert King was a very strong man, said Bert and he recalled him “tossing around two hundredweight sacks of barley mow as if they were nothing.”

In 1841 Robert King then aged four lived with his father and mother, Samuel and Hester and various siblings in Warmley. His father was, of course, a coalminer. I was able to track Robert’s life through various censuses and addresses in the Kingswood area and his work as a miner, until 1891 by which time he had retired. He married Mary Ann Britton from the numerous local family of that name in 1862. Mary Ann died at the early age of 40 in 1879 leaving him a widower with five daughters and two sons between 17 and six years old. The youngest, Florence would stay with him and when she married Alfred Gay in 1906, Robert lived with them at Holly Hill Road. In the house in 1911 were Florence and Alfred, and Robert aged 73.  You can imagine my joy, for also there, aged 3, was my friend Bert Gay!

On Remembrance Day I went to Holymead Junior School, Wick Road, formerly Wick Road Boys’ School to see the unveiling of the memorial plaque dedicated to those old boys of the school who lost their lives in the First World War.

Two boys read poems they had written and two young trumpeters, a boy and a girl, played a moving Last Post.

The little brass plaque which had been mislaid has been restored and returned to its rightful place. Unfortunately there are no individual names carved on it.

Do you have an ancestor who attended the school who lost his life in the First or Second World Wars?

I was delighted to see that Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday made an official apology to the many children who were robbed of their childhood, by an official migration programme which ended forty years ago. They were taken from the UK to Australia supposedly to give them a better life but the reality for thousands of these children has been described as “hell on earth”.

In my post of 27.3.2009 entitled “A New Start” I referred to a similar band of little children sent from Bristol to Canada.