Tim Gye’s christening

This photo lets us see two of the better known families in Market Lavington. These are the Gye and the Welch families who were joined in holy matrimony when Tom Gye married Peggy Welch in 1940.

Photo taken after Tim Gye’s christening in 1943

What we see here is a photo taken following the christening of their first born son in 1943.

On the left we have the Gye grandparents of Tim – Joseph and Lucretia (always known as Ethel). The happy parents with Tim are in the middle and on the right we have Tim’s other grandfather, James Welch along with his second wife, Winifred.

This may well have been the last time that collection of people was all together. Tom was on leave from military service and his father, Joseph, died the following year

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The McKinnon boys

This tiny photo, not in good condition, shows two lads.

The McKinnon boys

 

Now that’s not too bad for an original image measuring 5.5 by 4 cms.

The back has a hand written caption.

We’ll amend the spelling a bit and say we have here two McKinnon boys of whom one lives at Northbrook.

Now the one who lived at Northbrook was Thomas McKinnon who was born in 1913. His family had been living in Easterton at the time of the 1911 census. They had two daughters then. Ernest, the other lad was born in 1912 so we surmise we have Ernest on the left and Thomas on the right. The Mckinnons clearly moved about for whilst Ernest’s birth was recorded in the Devizes district, Thomas’s was recorded in Pewsey. Subsequent daughters had births recorded in Devizes with one in Westbury.

Thomas married Vi Hurkett in 1936. They had a son called Malcolm.

This family all lived at Northbrook and are listed there on the 1964 electoral roll.

We know little of Ernest who may have been Frederick Ernest. He lived locally, but does not appear on Market Lavington records.

John and Sarah Clelford

John and Sarah Clelford are buried in the Drove Lane cemetery in Market Lavington.

Grave of John and Sarah Clelford at Drove Lane Cemetery

In loving memory of my dear husband John Clelford who passed away Novr 29^th 1894 aged 48

He is not dead but sleeping

Nothing in my hand I bring

Simply to thy cross I cling

Also of Sarah his wife who fell asleep July 29^th 1930 aged 85

At rest

John Clelford was born on 9^th June 1846 and baptised at Market Lavington on 1^st June 1851. His parents were George and Sarah Clelford.

(The family proved hard to trace due to enumerator errors and transcription errors but we believe the following is correct)

In 1851 the enumerator has given the family the surname Culford but four year old John (written Jn) lived in Easterton with labourer father George and mother Ann. John was the third of the four children at home.

In 1861 John was the scholar son of cordwainer George Clelford and his wife, Sarah. John was the second of four children and the entire family had been born in Easterton. The transcriber on the website we use has the surname as Melford.

Sarah Davis was born around 1845. She was probably the daughter of Richard and Ann. This family can be found on the 1851 census on White Street, Market Lavington where Richard was a labourer. Sarah Jane (as she was called) was the third of six children in the home but I speculate that the older two had a different mother.

In 1861 Sarah was still with her parents at The Hollow, White Street, Market Lavington. She had employment as a washerwoman.

John Clelford married Sarah Davis on 24^th April 1869.

The 1871 census lists a John and Sarah Culver on Parsonage Lane in Market Lavington. John was an agricultural labourer aged 24 born in Easterton. Sarah, his wife was 26 and born Market Lavington. We think this is an enumerator error and these two are John and Sarah Clelford.

In 1881 John and Sarah lived on Windmill Lane, Market Lavington. John was a market gardener, aged 34 who had been born in Easterton. Sarah was 35 and had been born in Market Lavington. Ann Davis, aged 74 and a widow born in Easterton was listed as the step mother of John – a pauper. Also in the house was Rebecca Spiers, aged 8, a niece born in Cheverell.

In 1891 John and Sarah along with niece Rebecca Spiers were still on Windmill Lane in Market Lavington. To confuse things, the transcriber has given them the surname Clifford and also allocated the home to West Lavington.

John Clelford died in 1894.

In 1901 Sarah, a widow of no occupation lived alone on Northbrook, Market Lavington.

In 1902 Sarah married Thomas Spiers and they lived together in Easterton at the time of the 1911 census.

Thomas Spiers, a market gardener, died in 1923.

Sarah lived until she was 85. She died in 1930.

 

 

Agnes Bertha and Emily Sarah Bolter

A Bolter family in Market Lavington

Bolter grave in Market Lavington

In loving memory of Agnes Bertha Bolter who died 14^th March 1950 aged 86 years
I know that my redeemed liveth
Emily Sarah Bolter who died 18^th January 1979 aged 83 years.

Agnes Bolter or Boulter was born on the 4^th January 1864 to John and Sarah Bolter. Agnes was baptised at St Mary’s, Market Lavington on the 27^th March 1864.

In 1871 Agnes lived with her parents, John and Sarah on Church Street, John, her father, was an agricultural labourer.

In 1881 Agnes lived with her parents, John and Sarah on Church Street in Market Lavington. John was an agricultural labourer. Agnes, whose age was given as 17 had been born in Market Lavington and she had three younger siblings at home.

John Bolter died in 1888 and was buried at St Mary’s, Market Lavington on 31^st March of that year, aged 82.

By 1891 Sarah Bolter was a widow and she was receiving parish relief. Agnes and a younger brother were with her on Church Street in Market Lavington.

Emily Sarah Bolter had her birth registered in the Devizes district of Wiltshire during the last quarter of 1895.

The 1901 census gives Agnes’s birthplace as Market Lavington. At this time she was living with her 69 year old, blind mother, Sarah who was described as a charwoman. Agnes’s daughter, Emily also lived with her mother, Agnes, and grandmother, Sarah, on Church Street in Market Lavington.

In 1911 the same three generations of Bolter ladies were living on Church Street in Market Lavington.

Sarah died, aged 80, in 1912. She was buried at St Mary’s, Market Lavington on 31^st October of that year.

Agnes Bolter was buried on 17^th March 1950. Her address was given as Church Street, Market Lavington.

Emily Sarah Bolter joined her mother, being buried by Reverend Norman Miller on 23^rd January 1979 from her address at 29, Church Street, Market Lavington.

 

Thomas Miles and Eleanor Dunford

Let’s start with the name confusion. Thomas Miles Dunford is sometimes Thomas Miles Durnford.

He was born in about 1820 in Market Lavington. Sadly we have no 1841 census for Market Lavington or Easterton but we know that in 1849 Thomas married Eleanor Philpott and in 1851 Thomas was a gardener living in Easterton. Baby John was just 7 months old on census day.

By 1861 the couple had three children. They still lived in Easterton, possibly up on the sands.

At some point the family upped sticks and moved to Llandaff in the Cardiff area of Wales. Thomas was still gardening.

And he remained in Llandaff for the rest of his life. Eleanor died in 1881 but Thomas soldiered on, still gardening until 1899.

The photo here is of an older man so was probably taken in Wales. There is no photographer mark on this CDV sized photo

Thomas Miles Dunford born ca 1820 in Market Lavington

Eleanor also appears in a photo – this one a larger size but with no photographer’s name.

Eleanor Dunford née Philpott – born ca 1822 in Market Lavington

Family History in a short news item

We think it was once believed that names in newspapers sold copies. Certainly, back in 1964, the local paper seemed to like to get as many names in as possible. This is a sad item about the death and funeral of Elsie Cooper. But it is also a grand resource for anyone studying Cooper genealogy.

1964 news item about Elsie Cooper’s death and funeral

The brothers and sisters are all named, albeit mostly just with an initial. Some nephews and nieces are added and even great nephews and nieces. Elsie, herself, had no direct descendants.

We have met wheelchair bound Elsie before on this blog, along with her brother Stan (click here). We have also met Lawrie (click here). Harry has featured as well (click here). Frank Cooper crops up here (click here).

It’s this news cutting that links the family together. Thanks to Tessa for sending it.

Actually it came with a photo in an envelope which said ‘Elsie Cooper’ but the photo is not Elsie.

Nellie the dog?

We think this could be a Cooper family dog from the 1930s called Nellie!

The Reverend Frith

Also some Coleman Family History

We have seen this photo before – or rather this composite photo which shows the Market Lavington Vicar with a wonderful name (The Reverend William Blackstone Cockayne Frith) hovering over St Mary’s church in the village.

The Reverend Frith and Market Lavington Church on a card posted in 1905

It’s a lovely image and we rather expect Alf Burgess enjoyed putting it together.

What makes this card different is the family history contained in the message.

The back of the card

The card was sent to Miss A Coleman and was posted in Chippenham at 10.45 pm on May 27^th 1905. Although posted in Chippenham the writer has given his address as Chapel Gardens, Easterton and he has sent this card to ‘Dear Sister’.

‘Just a line wishing you many happy returns of the Day’

With the speed of postcards in 1905 it’s a fair bet that Miss A Coleman’s birthday was the next day – 28^th May.

After a quick ‘hope you are well’ the card is signed by ‘your loving brother Charlie’

What is effectively a PS then goes on to say that ‘Stephen and Alice had a son this morning.’

 

Alice, Charlie and Stephen are three of the children of William Coleman, a shoe maker and one time Town Crier for Market Lavington. Alice was in service in Kensington, working as a cook. Charlie, as we saw, lived in Easterton where he was a Baker. Stephen was living in Market Lavington where he worked as a groom and gardener. The son born that day was also Stephen – the father of the person who has let us copy the card but understandably, with so much information he wishes to retain the original for the family.

William and Elizabeth Potter

William was born in 1848 in Market Lavington – registered in the first quarter of the year. His father, John Potter, was a butcher, also a Market Lavington man. John’s wife, Martha came from Cricklade. In 1851 the family lived on Church Street, Market Lavington. Our William had an older and a younger sister.

 

Elizabeth Plank was born in Easterton in 1853 – the birth registered in the third quarter of the year. Her parents were James, a farm labourer and Maria who had both been born in Easterton. The 1851 census shows that James and Maria had several children before Elizabeth was born.

In 1861 William was still with his parents. Father John was now an agricultural labourer. William, aged 13, was also classed as an ‘ag lab’. The family lived on Northbrook

Elizabeth, with her parents, had now moved to The Hollow, White Street, Market Lavington by 1861. Seven year old Elizabeth was a scholar. Her father was a farm labourer.

In 1871 William was living with his widowed mother, Martha, on Church Street again. William, now aged 23, was described as an agricultural engine driver. Elizabeth was still with her parents on White Street, described as an agricultural labourer’s daughter.

William Potter married Elizabeth Plank in the spring of 1876. By 1881 they had three sons, Enos, John and Albert. The family lived at number 3 Stobbarts Road (next door to Richard Park). William was an ‘ag lab’.

Between 1881 and 1891 the family grew – Sarah, William and Harry having joined the three older boys, all now living on High Street. Our William has become a groom. Both Enos and John are in employment and no doubt helping the family finances.

In 1901, just the three younger children were at home with William and Elizabeth – now living on White Street.

Elizabeth died on July 21^st 1904 and was buried in Market Lavington churchyard.

Grave of William and Elizabeth Potter in Market Lavington churchyard

The youngest son, Harry, died on March 21^st 1911.

In 1911 William and a daughter lived on White Street in Market Lavington.

William lived a long (for those days) life, passing away on April 17^th 1934.

William McTier Hughes

Today we look at some genealogy information written by a descendant of William McTier Hughes who spent some of his life in Market Lavington and Easterton. The 1911 census, one piece of confirmed documentary evidence, has the family at The Clays, Market Lavington.

William McTier Hughes, who lived at Cornbury Mill & Clays Farm, Easterton

William was born at Heddington (where the main line of my family originate) in 1845, the eldest son of Solomon Hughes and Decima (McTier).

I have just found copy of a letter that I had written to the owners of Clays Farm back in 2005, when I was previously researching this line of the tree so I have used bits from this letter. Spotting the Market Lavington Museum website has rekindled my interest; it’s very good!

William worked in London, where various members of the family had a greengrocers shop, married Emma Bentley in 1867 in Chelsea Registration District. Emma was the daughter of Troop Major Sergeant William Bentley, who survived the Charge of the Light Brigade and there is a display of some of his items donated by his family in the Royal Hussars Museum in Winchester. Emma was working as a governess to Eve & Branwell Booth’s children. (Founder of the Salvation Army). William Bentley strongly disapproved of their marriage.

They later moved to Easterton, where William was a market gardener. I have a letter in which it mentions the family living at Cornbury Mill, Walnut Cottage and Clays Farm. I haven’t been able to locate Walnut Cottage. Daughter Lilian’s diary started in 1894 mentions them living at Cornbury Mill. Also in Lilian’s diary she mentions that her sister Fanny and husband lived in London and it has been suggested that William supplied vegetables and sent them to the shop in London. Fanny later died in Calne. Lilian, later Lilan Trumble was the local district nurse. I have a letter from William thanking his daughter Grace for his birthday present of sweets and tobacco cake, in which he mentions his vegetables, Devizes Market and the war, but it is very difficult to read.

William & Emma’s children were :-

Fanny Decima b 1868 Barnes, Surrey
Albert George b 1870 Barnes, Surrey
Francis William b 1872 Heddington & died at sea off Cape Verde 1896 (in mysterious circumstances, we think he was pushed overboard)!
Lilian Mary b 1875 Battersea.
Walter Ernest b 1877 Easterton, who died aged three.
Annette b 1879 High Street, Easterton .
Grace b 1883 Battersea.
Alfred b 1885 Battersea.

It would appear that family moved backwards and forwards from London & Easterton and that the other Hughes living in Easterton were 2nd cousins once removed.

William died 2/12/1916 at Clays Farm from a fatal syncope. Family rumour says that he dropped down dead working in the fields and was carried home on a wooden litter. He is buried at St Barnabas, but we have been unable to locate a headstone.

Information from Jackie Maclean – descendant

  William Hughes, Emma with their daughter Grace, her husband Jonathan (Jack) Diddams and grandson Arthur Diddams probably at Clays Farm – about 1913

William Hughes as an older man

William and Emma Hughes

Three Davidges

We have met Edwin Davidge before on this blog. He worked at the brick works and lived at a cottage on that site. Today we look at his wife and two of their children. The photo has been given a touch of artistic colour.

Mary Jane, Herbert and Gladys Davidge of Market Lavington

Mary Jane Davidge was born in the parish of West Lavington in about 1869. She had been Miss Mary Jane Hibberd. She married Edwin in 1888. By the time of the 1911 census she had borne Edwin 10 children of which eight were still living. The youngest pair and the pair in this photo were Herbert and Gladys. Herbert was born in around 1906 and Gladys in 1908. The photo could date from about 1918.

Mary Jane stayed a Market Lavington inhabitant from marriage until her death in 1962. She joined her husband, Edwin, who had died in 1930, in the churchyard in Market Lavington. In 1939 she lived at 26 Spin Hill. Gladys was with her. Indeed Gladys was still living there in the 1960s and when she died, in 1990, she was certainly still in the area.

We know less of Herbert. He died in 1970 in the New Forest area.