RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: Carol20 on Friday 03 April 15 14:05 BST (UK)
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I am researching the complex history of a relative who was born in St Abbs Street, part of the East Wickham Hutments, Bexley. I have the information provided by London Borough of Bexley about the hutments but would like to see if his family or the family they lodged with appear on the electoral register from 1928 to 1931 when the family became split up. I have tried to find this area using the Ancestry site but found surrounding streets and road but not the hutment area. Any help to point me in the right direction would be appreciate either with an internet site or the correct record office to contact.
With thanks
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Could you give the names of the people to help us search?
Added:
These appear to be the street names:
Apple Avenue Ashkirk Avenue Berwick Road Bruce Road Cherry Road Clover Road Commondale Road
Cramond Avenue Crocus Road Daffodil Road Douglas Road Firth Street Gordon Avenue Kay Street
Kirklea Street Largo Avenue Rustic Avenue St. Abb's Street Snowdrop Road Stuart Road
Teviot Road
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I could only see Wickham East, Bexley, in Ancestry for 1963 and 1964. My mistake?
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Thank you for the response, its unfortunate that Ancestry does not have these records, as after they leave St Abbs Street I have found my husbands grandfather (estranged from the rest of the family) from 1932 till his death in 1959 on the London electoral Rolls on this site. My husbands Aunt remembers living at 193 St Abbs St as a very young girl in 1928/29, she thinks they lodged with a Mrs Dixie or something similar, its that name and the possibility that her father W J E Cowling registered to vote that are my targets in this time frame, W J E Cowling stayed in the area for the rest of his life while the rest of the family returned to Yorkshire. The 93 year old but very aware Aunt is interested in rediscovering her past hence the interest in the Hutments.
Thanks again
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Hello Carol and any others, re The East Wickham hutments. I have only just come across the 2015 'Roots Chat' entries. I was born in Commondale Rd in the 'hutments' area. I contacted the London Borough of Bexley a few months ago for further information about them and got some through a librarian, including pictures.
I have included here a link to a paper about the hutments and their origin, I hope it remains of some interest.
https://www.bexley.gov.uk/sites/bexley-cms/files/East-Wickham-hutments.pdf
Try contacting:- Bexley Local Studies & Archive Centre
Libraries, Heritage and Archive Service
Central Library
Townley Road
Bexleyheath
Kent
DA6 7HJ
Tel: 020 3045 3369
Facebook: Bexley Archives
Twitter: @BexleyArchives
kateyas
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Welcome to rootschat, kateyas
Just putting the death that I think is referred to:
William J E Cowling died age 64 in March quarter 1959 in Sidcup, Kent.
(But I cannot see his birth - perhaps he swapped the initials around)
Possible marriage:
William J E Cowling married Maud Hargreaves in September quarter 1921 in Huddersfield.
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Thank you for the renewed interest. I was able to do further research into the Hutments, WJE Cowling left his wife Maud and children for another married women from this area, who although I have never found a marriage record (he was never divorced), she lived the rest of her life as Edith Cowling including registering as his wife in the 1939. They both ended their days in Chislehurst and had their ashes placed in Eltham, there were no children and her death was registered by a neighbour but who Edith was remains a mystery. The elderly relative now aged 95 still has memories of this short time she spent in the Hutments, the people they lodged with, the local cinema burning down and her father abandoning them but she would still like to know who this Edith was I have tried but failed.
Thanks for the link
Carol
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What was her date of birth from the 1939 census or the death certificate?
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In the 1958 ER's for Chislehurst are William J E Cowling with Edith, both living at Arnside, Willow Grove.
Is this the correct pair?
If so they also have Serle people living at Arnside - do you know if it was a split dwelling?
In 1959, no William (he has died, presumably) but there is a Ernest W Cowling there. Unless William is calling himself Ernest??
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Hi
Edith's DOB on the 1939 reg was 28 Feb 1885. Although she called herself Edith Cowling there was no one of that name born at that time. Her age at death was 83 on death cert so that fits. WJE Cowling lied about his age in 1939, he was younger than the age he gave, which might have helped him avoid service during the war... he did have a history of dishonesty and failed to pay maintenance to wife and two children in Yorkshire. He did use the name Ernest and there is another William John Ernest Cowling who lived with an Edith Rosina Cowling nee Wilson/Dossett around at the time which has led to a false trail, possibly related, he originated from Truro Cornwall born 1894. I have ER's from 1932 - 1939 Woolwich they then turn up as housekeepers in Chislehurst 1946 - 1959, after his death Edith returns to Woolwich till her death in 1969. The elderly relative thinks she was a married women with children before she ran off with my WJE and there are a lot of Edith's born in the 1885 quarter, if she did live in the hutments she could have been local or one of the many who came to work in the area like WJE Cowling. Any incite or suggestions would be appreciated or she may remain the women of mystery.
thanks Carol
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Sorry for being stupid, but I cannot see a death for an Edith Cowling age 83 in 1969 - what am I doing wrong?
Presumably you have asked if Bexley have ER's for the Hutments?
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You mention 2 children, but there was a third Cowling/Hargreaves birth in 1929, is that related?
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Yes but he died I 1928
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How can he die in 1928 if he was born in 1929?
Oh, Brian born 1927 died in 1928.
Edith's death in 1969?
Do you think Edith was actually born in Woolwich, or elsewhere?
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Hello everyone.
Now the Aussie mad season is more-or-less over [I've lived in the antipodes since 1967] I have rediscovered the photos and map that the Bexley Historical Archivist sent me but cannot attach as the file becomes too large. If anyone is interested in them I can try and find a way to post them - unless someone out there has a quick answer to that.
Although my ties to The Hutments has long gone [Mum died in 1991], I have been very interested in the little history that's been told by you all on this page. My parents seemed to speak fondly of the area, and there was never any hesitation in telling me that I was born at home in Commondale Rd [in 1937].
Thank you all for putting it out there, and if there are others whose oral or written histories include snippets about The Hutments, I would love to hear about it.
Thanks.
kateyas
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Hi again, If I do have more time for research on this thread and get anything new about the Hutments I will post it. As for the mysterious Edith the fact that after WJE Cowling death in 1959 she continued to work for Ms Serle for a short time she then moved in to 3 Philipots (Blunts Road), Eltham Woolwich into what was an Alms house, makes me consider that that might be the area she was from and some connection to be able to get an Alms house. She must have been placed in a nursing home prior to death as that is where she died on the death cert, which was registers by someone else living in a nearby almshouse, This same neighbor organised her cremation. To find her identity might be a job of elimination that would take a lot of time, somewhere there was an Edith, if she used her first name born in 1885 if she used her correct dob that ended up with WJE Cowling
Thanks all Carol
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If the date of birth is correct and and place of birth was Woolwich she would have been registered in the first or second quarters of 1885 there. If she was Edith with no other names, then free bmd only shows 7 girls with no second christian names.
Births Mar 1885
Baker Edith Woolwich
Bond Edith Woolwich
Births Jun 1885
Green Edith Woolwich
Harting Edith Woolwich
Hartury Edith Woolwich
Percival Edith Woolwich
White Edith Woolwich
Contact them to ask about specifying a birth date to obtain a birth certificate?
Added:
Edith Percival born, I think, February 1st (baptised 18th March at St Michael and All Angels, Woolwich)
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Thanks chempat for the list , the reg office is now Greenwich and they advice on their site to use the GRO for certificates, does not look like a helpful office like some I have used. I will use your list and see if I can eliminate any names before I apply for certificates or it could be a costly business.