RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Wiltshire => Topic started by: McDaffy on Thursday 20 March 08 13:59 GMT (UK)
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New to this site but thought I would post details of what I'm starting to research as I'd be grateful for any help/advice.
I am researching the Lawrence Family, primarily innkeepers in Wooton Basset. GGrandma left a diary which is a great insight into life in an Inn at the turn of the 20th Century.
I'd be grateful for advice on how to trace someone serving in the Army in the 1890's. I know he was stationed in Ireland at the time as that's when/where GGrandma was born but have no idea what regiment/corps etc he was serving in and don't know where to start.
Cheers
McDaffy
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For the army request you may wish to consider putting a post in the Armed Forces section of Rootschat. There are many knowledgeable people there who may be able to answer your question.
Cheers Dave
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Hi McDaffy:
I, too, have family links to Wootton Bassett in the late 1890s-1910s and found the local museum to be very helpful. Open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings only, it is mentioned on various web pages but I don't think they are on e-mail, so here is the contact information in case writing/telephoning is more use:
"Wootton Bassett Museum
High Street
Wootton Bassett
WILTSHIRE
SN4 8AB
Tel: +44 01793 537489
Situated in the half timbered 17thC Town Hall. It contains an extensive photographic record of Wootton Bassett life in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Items include a ducking stool dated 1686, stocks & whipping post and geological specimens."
By the way, does your GGrandma Lawrence's diary mention any dealings with a wines and spirits merchant called H J Stevens? (You never know ..!)
Rachel
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hello
My Great Granparents are the lawrence family who lived at the cross keys in Bassett. I would love to see the details you have on them. I have a copy of My Ggrandfathers enlistment papers and can email you a copy of that. They are partially burnt but very readable
Love to hear from you
Jacqui
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Hi there Jacqui
It’s been a while since I visited this site – got distracted by my mothers Scottish side!
I’m intrigued about the Cross Keys – that is the pub that GGG Grandpa Henry Lawrence (b. Abt 1851, Swindon)had at one point. He and his wife were originally Inn Keepers – he was also a Blacksmith & shoeing smith) at the Curriers Inn (“in the High Street, opposite the Church”).
Anyway, they had 3 children, the eldest of which was Henry Samuel (b. 1871/3). It was Henry Samuels eldest daughter, Mary (b.1895, Co. Antrim, Ireland), who left the diary.
It seems that GGG Grandpa Henry was married 3 times and had 17 children from these 3 marriages. According to the diary, 3 girls are in New Zealand.
Again, according to the diary, by 1897, GGG Grandpa Henry was getting itchy feet and wanted to move up the High Street to the Cross Keys Hotel which had a wine & spirit licence. He bought William Samuel out of the Army and, in May 1897, he took over the Curriers Arms whilst his father, Henry, moved up to the Cross Keys.
Most of the rest of the diary sheds light on life in the Curriers Arms (eg the blacksmithing & shoeing, the price of beer, the brewery agent, the Gambling Den) and also what happened to Mary when she left home, returned and met G Grandpa Albert(Little).
I don't know if any of that was of any interest to you but I'd love to hear a bit more about who your G Grandparents were and see where I can fit them in. I'm not sure how to message privately but am happy to give you my personal email address if that is permitted.
Hope to hear from you again
Regards
McDaffy
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Hi, under Jacqui19,s name you will see a black circle with what looks like a page of writing in it. If you click on this you can PM Jacqui19. Although Jacqui19 will probably need to make another 2 posts before they can receive PMs
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Hi Again
So nice to hear back from you. My Great grandparents that ran the Cross keys are Henry and Caroline (nee Russ) their daughter Lily Georgina was my Grandmother. There was only one Lawrence family that ran the cross keys so we must be talking about the same family.
I tried to pm you but could not find a link to do so.
If it is allowed my email is
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I have looked at the family tree and William and Mary are both there and 3 wives .I only started my tree this year so not sure I have all the details correct at this time.
Jacqui
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Posting your email address here is not allowed, nor is it a good idea. It would be a good idea to remove it as soon as possible. If you read my previous post you will see how to go about sending a PM.
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Thanks Youngtug - hadn't noticed the little symbols (trained observer that I am)! Your guidance to us newbies is most welcome.
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Hi, Here is a link to the Swindon Library Flickr site, including some poll book pages as shown. Also I must say that I have enjoyed the odd pint in the pubs mentioned. http://www.flickr.com/photos/swindonlocal/5181240353/in/set-72157622099851117/
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Thanks youngtug - I bet you didn't pay tuppence a pint or 3p (old pence I hasten to add) for Best Bitter but I'm glad you enjoyed it!!
Thanks for the link to Swindon Library - I maybe should offer see if I can get a copy of the photo Dad has of the pub and see if they want to add it to their collection.
I'm now in touch with Jacqui privately thanks to your advice so hopefully we can help each other fill in the gaps.
Once again, thanks for your guidance......& patience!
Regards
McDaffy
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We are always happy to receive any contributions to our Flickr gallery - you can contact us here: localstudies[at]swindon.gov.uk
(by the way we always like to know as much about the back of a photos the front - esp. photographer/copyright details if known).
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New to this site but thought I would post details of what I'm starting to research as I'd be grateful for any help/advice.
I am researching the Lawrence Family, primarily innkeepers in Wooton Basset. GGrandma left a diary which is a great insight into life in an Inn at the turn of the 20th Century.
I'd be grateful for advice on how to trace someone serving in the Army in the 1890's. I know he was stationed in Ireland at the time as that's when/where GGrandma was born but have no idea what regiment/corps etc he was serving in and don't know where to start.
Cheers
McDaffy
Hi Henry is also my great great grandad, I have a pic of him on his cart :), any how, he went on to marry Annie & have 10 children with her, only 8 survived, one being my great gran, Gladys.
I'm struggling finding info on Annie, does anyone know anything about her?
What a huge family this is turning out to be!!!
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My family comes from Wootton Basset My father James Lawrence was born in 1899 Mount Pleasant Wootton Basset his father James was a railway engine driver his mothers name was Annie Louisa Lawrence formally Roberts.
Iam new here so any information or pointers will be appreciated thank you
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Hi there Jacqui
It’s been a while since I visited this site – got distracted by my mothers Scottish side!
I’m intrigued about the Cross Keys – that is the pub that GGG Grandpa Henry Lawrence (b. Abt 1851, Swindon)had at one point. He and his wife were originally Inn Keepers – he was also a Blacksmith & shoeing smith) at the Curriers Inn (“in the High Street, opposite the Church”).
Anyway, they had 3 children, the eldest of which was Henry Samuel (b. 1871/3). It was Henry Samuels eldest daughter, Mary (b.1895, Co. Antrim, Ireland), who left the diary.
It seems that GGG Grandpa Henry was married 3 times and had 17 children from these 3 marriages. According to the diary, 3 girls are in New Zealand.
Again, according to the diary, by 1897, GGG Grandpa Henry was getting itchy feet and wanted to move up the High Street to the Cross Keys Hotel which had a wine & spirit licence. He bought William Samuel out of the Army and, in May 1897, he took over the Curriers Arms whilst his father, Henry, moved up to the Cross Keys.
Most of the rest of the diary sheds light on life in the Curriers Arms (eg the blacksmithing & shoeing, the price of beer, the brewery agent, the Gambling Den) and also what happened to Mary when she left home, returned and met G Grandpa Albert(Little).
I don't know if any of that was of any interest to you but I'd love to hear a bit more about who your G Grandparents were and see where I can fit them in. I'm not sure how to message privately but am happy to give you my personal email address if that is permitted.
Hope to hear from you again
Regards
McDaffy
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Hi there Jacqui
It’s been a while since I visited this site – got distracted by my mothers Scottish side!
I’m intrigued about the Cross Keys – that is the pub that GGG Grandpa Henry Lawrence (b. Abt 1851, Swindon)had at one point. He and his wife were originally Inn Keepers – he was also a Blacksmith & shoeing smith) at the Curriers Inn (“in the High Street, opposite the Church”).
Anyway, they had 3 children, the eldest of which was Henry Samuel (b. 1871/3). It was Henry Samuels eldest daughter, Mary (b.1895, Co. Antrim, Ireland), who left the diary.
It seems that GGG Grandpa Henry was married 3 times and had 17 children from these 3 marriages. According to the diary, 3 girls are in New Zealand.
Again, according to the diary, by 1897, GGG Grandpa Henry was getting itchy feet and wanted to move up the High Street to the Cross Keys Hotel which had a wine & spirit licence. He bought William Samuel out of the Army and, in May 1897, he took over the Curriers Arms whilst his father, Henry, moved up to the Cross Keys.
Most of the rest of the diary sheds light on life in the Curriers Arms (eg the blacksmithing & shoeing, the price of beer, the brewery agent, the Gambling Den) and also what happened to Mary when she left home, returned and met G Grandpa Albert(Little).
I don't know if any of that was of any interest to you but I'd love to hear a bit more about who your G Grandparents were and see where I can fit them in. I'm not sure how to message privately but am happy to give you my personal email address if that is permitted.
Hope to hear from you again
Regards
McDaffy
Hi there, I have just discovered this site and am very interested in the Lawrence family as my mother Emily Rose Harris, nee Lawrence, was born in the Curriers Arms at Wotton Bassett.
There were seven children from the marriage of Sam & Clara, Annie later Little, my mother, Ivy later Boyce, Albert, Fred who died on active service in the first world war,Vera later Wallis and finally Amy later Tuck. So you wil gather from this that Albert & Annie Little were my Aunt & Uncle and lived in Ford St Swindon. They had three children, Fred Ted and Mary who were my cousins. My eldest sister Margaret Ivy James nee Harris was also born in the Curriers Arms on July 1st 1923. She is still alive aged 90 yrs. My other sister Mari Rose died a few years ago aged 76. I am the youngest of the Harris family, John Edward, aged 80 and now live in Cheltenham. several of my cousins from the Lawrence family are still alive and living in and around Swindon. I know that Grampy Sam was also a blacksmith and his forge was behind the Curriers where he also bred a few hounds for the Duke of Beaufort. Hope we can exchange more family info as time goes by.
Regards John E Harris
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Hi
Unfortunately the Cross Keys has recently had a substantial fire and now awaits, hopefully, a full rebuild.
Royal Wootton Bassett has a Community magazine and the latest edition has a short article on the pub on page 5 along with a B&W photograph of Bert Lawrence, blacksmith, shoeing a pony in the pub yard. No date, but apparently the smithy at the pub finished in the 1950s. Article also mentions a Dr Brinkworth who apparently lived next door.
It may be of interest to you and you can contact the editor, Stella Taylor on stella.taylor@tesco.net
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Hi. I am Henry Lawrence's granddaughter Sue. I don't have a lot of info about him, a few photos, and I would be interested to know more about him. Please can you share what you have.
Hope to hear from anyone soon.
Regards
Sue
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Hello all, I believe Henry Lawrence (about 1849) could be my 3rd Great Grandfather. Hopefully it is the same person from my research, his son Alfred Henry James Lawrence of Wiltshire (1880 - 1957) is my great great grandfather (confirmed) I have found evidence of this Henry being an Innkeeper of the "Cross Keys Inn" In Wiltshire.
Here is an interesting website I found on the pub: http://pubshistory.com/Wiltshire/WoottonBassett/CrossKeysInn.shtml
Mary Scott is my 3rd great aunt and Thomas Scott is her husband, so it's very likely this is the same person.
I have a huge box of old photos belonging to my grandmother. They have no names or labels on and she recently passed so I can't tell who anyone is. If anyone still uses this website and has confirmed photos of Henry, please could you post one so I can identify Henry possibly in these photos? I am happy to share mine too.
If anyone would like any information on Alfred's family then please message me, I'm glad to help.
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Hi. I am Henry Lawrence's granddaughter Sue. I don't have a lot of info about him, a few photos, and I would be interested to know more about him. Please can you share what you have.
Hope to hear from anyone soon.
Regards
Sue
Hello, is there any chance you could post these images? I would be very grateful. Thank you!
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I would like you to e mail me but not sure if I am suppose to be adding my address here or if someone from Roots Chat will forward it on to you. I'm hoping the latter is the case.
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If you make one more post you will be able to use the personal message [PM] facillity, you can then send your email address securely to the chosen person.
Although I have noticed that several other posters on this thread have not made the requisit amount of posts to send and receive PMs
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Hi there,
I am recently doing a family tree and I have found out that Henry is also my Great Granddad, I was just wondering if it would be possible to send me any of the pictures you have of him? It would be nice to have some around this side of the family and also My Nan would very much like to see her Granddad.
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Hi,
I am also a descendant of Henry Lawrence 1849 married to Sarah Ann Smith (one descendant of very many!). Descended through the youngest son of his first marriage (Henry Jnr 1874-1933). Are you a descendant of his elder brother William Samuel (1872-1937) who married Clara Norris (1873-1955)? If so, I believe William was in the Dorset regiment (no. 3798), you might want to validate that. I have a copy of Mary's entry of marriage to Albert Little in 1915. I know Wootton Bassett well as I spent many a holiday visiting my Nana in Bassett which involved many trips to tidy graves in the cemetery and visiting very elderly great aunts and uncles! I'd love to know more about Mary's diary.
Josie