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Hello all,

My grandfather, Arthur Geoffrey Ashforth, was a Private in the York and Lancaster Regiment (1st and 6th battalion apparently).
My family know very little about his time in World War II, apart from that he served in Algiers (Algeria, Northern Africa) and Naples (Italy).

My father has mentioned that my Grandad Arthur was a post runner, and I have found documents that suggest he was in the Base Army Post Office. I can find little information about '15 BAPO' and even less about post runners in World War II.

So I was wondering if anyone here has any knowledge about BAPO and/or post runners in World War II, and/or any places I can look for information. I will attach two documents that mention the Base Army Post Office, just in case they contain information that I have missed (at the moment they are too large to post).

Many thanks for any help you can offer,
Holly

Hello all,
I'm helping a friend research his family tree, and his grandfather was Chinese. Apart from knowing his mother's name, there is little that they know about the family, and I really don't know where to start to look into the Chinese side of his family. I have tried contacting DNA relatives but either they didn't reply or didn't know anything about their Chinese ancestry.

Here's all the information that I have:
- Ah Choi Wong (British name), his Chinese name was Wong Tin Wo we believe. He was born (we think) on 7th December 1938 in Sha Tau Kok, near Hong Kong. We do not know if this date is correct as he did use someone else's passport to get into England after WW2, but he was definitely from Sha Tau Kok as he told stories about growing up there. His mother's name (we think this is a fake name from her passport) was Kiu Lee/Lee Kiu Wong. She wasn't married to Ah Choi's father - he said he would marry her and then ran off to Panama! So we don't even know Ah Choi's father's name, as he never spoke of him.

Ah Choi was married in Horncastle, Lincolnshire in 1962, England, to my friend's grandmother. He lived in Lincolnshire until he died on 20th March 2010. Family rumours said he was the first Chinese Free Mason in England.
His mother, Kiu Lee, also came over to England (we think about 1964), and she died in Grimsby in 1985. On her gravestone, it says that she was born 27th February 1911, and we think she was from mainland China (as opposed to Hong Kong).


To Note: these following men are said to be Ah Choi's cousins on his father's side.
- Benedicto 'Ben' Wong (went to Panama and started a business named after him - I did try to contact him via his company but got no reply. He is still alive and has 2 children in Panama)
- Florencio Wong (according to UK records, he was born 3rd June 1928 in China, and he died in Lincolnshire on 26th June 2004 - he married and had 3 children in England, but kept a house in Hong Kong).
- Vincent (maybe Victor) Wong (supposedly went to Panama in the 1950's).

There are also photos of a 'family reunion' at the family temple (that Benedicto had built) in (I believe) Sha Tau Kok, which pictures Ah Choi, his cousin Benedicto, and 27 others.

So I would really appreciate help with finding Ah Choi's family, and finding more out about his life - I don't even know where to start looking. I appreciate that it is going to be really difficult because of the fake names and passports. I would just really like pointers in the right direction.

Thank you for any help you can offer,
Holly

Hello all,

My 8x great grandfather was Matthew Ogden (born approx 1693, died 1783). He was a besom (broom) maker of Birdwell, and married Mary Wood on 18th May 1725 at Wentworth (where he is said to be of the parish of Darfield).
They had 9 children together (all baptised at Worsbrough);
- Anthony (1725-1804) - my ancestor, also a besom maker.
- Matthew (1727-1728)
- Mary (b.1728)
- Sarah (1730-1732)
- Joseph (1732-1733)
- Martha (1734-1735)
- Anne (1736-1737)
- Charles (1738-1739)
- Peter (1740-1763)

Matthew Ogden then married Ann Wharam when his first wife died. They had the children;
- Hannah (b.1745)
- William (b.1747)
- Matthew (b.1748)

Matthew Ogden died, aged 90, in October 1783 in Worsbrough. He was buried 19th Oct 1783.

I cannot find Matthew Ogden's birth or baptism, and therefore his parents or siblings. I would really like to trace this family further back as they seem to have had an interesting occupation and heritage.
I found a picture of their home, Besom Cottage, online. And a local history page said that the Ogden family had the use of a swampy woodland called Rickley Wood, just behind Besom Cottage, where they harvested wood for making brooms. It is also noted that Besom Cottage 'showed signs of 18th century improvements as a measure of improving status and life-style', and says that the Ogden family had an association with the church.

Any help with finding more information, especially the baptism and parents, of Matthew Ogden would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
Holly

I'm going to research Charlotte Piggot/Pigot/Pygot's ancestry now, to see if a Richard Hague/Haigh appears anywhere - to see if the questions asked about the children's families at their baptisms were misunderstood.

Starting with Charlotte Piggot, bap 6th April 1763 at Conisbrough, daughter of William 'Pygot' and his wife Anne.

It appears that Charlotte may have had these siblings, although there may be more than one William Pigot here, as some baptisms are at Conisbrough (where Charlotte was baptised) and others are nearby at Doncaster.

- Wm 'Pigot' bap 4 July 1756 in Conisbrough.
- Elizabeth 'Pygot' bap 6 April 1763, Conisbrough.
- Sarah 'Pyegot' bap 24th February 1760, Conisbrough.
- Hollis Robert 'Pigot' bap 10 April 1758, Doncaster.
- Elizabeth 'Pygot', bap 9th April 1759, Doncaster.
- Wm Brooke 'Pigot', bap 27th February 1757, Doncaster.
- Wm 'Pigot' bap 24th March 1760, Doncaster.

~~~~~~~~---------------

EDIT: It looks like there were two William Piggot's - one at Doncaster and one at Conisbrough/Wadworth by Doncaster.
- William 'PYKIT' (aged 28) m. Anne Bolton (aged 21), 12th or 13th July 1755, St Mary's, Wadworth. Both of Wadworth, by license. Witnesses: John Guest and Emmanuel Martin.
- William 'PIGOT' m. Eliz. Brooke, 20th April 1756, St George's, Doncaster.

So since Charlotte Pigot's parents were William and Anne, this seems to match with the first marriage - between William 'Pykit' and Anne Bolton, in 1755, 8 years before Charlotte's baptism.
So it appears that the Conisbrough baptisms belong to this couple, and the Doncaster baptisms likely belong to another William Pigot and his wife Elizabeth Brooke.

So this leaves in my family:

William Pygot, who married Anne Bolton of Wadworth on 13th July 1755, St Mary's, Wadworth.
And the couple had the following children; William (bap 4 July 1756), Sarah (bap 24th Feb 1760), Elizabeth (bap 6 April 1763), and Charlotte (bap 6 April 1763).

I can't find a possible baptism for Wm Pygot, but there are two possibilities for Anne Bolton. She was born about 1734 as she was 21 at her marriage to Wm in 1755.

- Anne Bolton, daughter of Richard Bolton. Bap 9 Jul 1735 at Conisbrough.
- Anne Bolton, daughter of Thomas Bolton. Bap 22 Apr 1733 at Conisbrough.

William (the younger) born 1792 (son of William who married either Charlotte Pigot or Haigh), had the following children;

- Maria (1824-1858), bap. 2 Jan 1825, dau of William and Hannah.
- Joseph (b.1827), bap.4th March 1827, son of William and Hannah.
- Sarah (b.1829), bap. 17th May 1829, dau of William and Hannah.
- William (1831-1885), bap. 9th Oct 1831, son of William and Hannah.

So all the parents' names are given for these children, but not their grandparents' names (which could've helped with their grandmother's maiden name - either Haigh or Piggot). I found all these in transcripts on Genuki - and all the baptisms are at Wentworth, Yorkshire. But I believe the Dade registers came to an end in 1812, so I didn't expect to find grandparent's names on these baptisms.

I'm not sure where to look next to find out what Charlotte's maiden name was