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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Wiltshire => Topic started by: davierj on Thursday 13 April 06 17:33 BST (UK)
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When I'm in Melksham I am willing to try and find graves in the various churches.
Any requests will be answered in the summer - best to go exploring in the better weather.
Cheers Dave
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Hi Dave,
I am not sure of which church in Melksham but am looking for George & Rebecca Jane DAVIS. Rebecca was born 1827 and died Sep Q 1892 aged abt 65. She was a HOOD from Lacock, parents Jacob & Elizabeth.
George Davis also born in 1827 was a builder and still living in Melksham in 1901 as well as a couple of sons, Henry, born 1861 also a builder and Charles Hood, born 1867, a stone mason.
Thank you for any help.
Sandra
Qld
Australia
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Hello Dave
I have a couple of large families who lived most (if not all) of their lives in Melksham in the 19th & early 20th century. I have no idea where they could be buried, but if you see the surnames GORE or MERRETT while exploring, they are probably our ancestors.
John Gore died 1898 and his wife Mary died 1872.
Chilren included Rueben Maria Samuel Lucy Mary Ann Gideon John Levi Sarah Joseph Benjamin Martha Hannah - most of the women didn't marry.
Mary Ann married John Merrrett - children all born after 1870 (most died well into the 20th century) included Christine (d. 1964) Alice (d. 1949) Edith (1911).
many thanks
Trish
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Hi
Currently I'm not in Melksham but will have a look in the next month or so. I think there are 2 Parish Churches and a number of Independents. More modern burials (late 19th and 20th century) will probably be in the Town Cemetery.
Cheers Dave
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Hi Trish
Did the Merrett girls, Christine, Alice and Edith marry? If so what were their married names.
Dave
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Hi David
No, these girls didn't marry. They did have some sisters who married - I haven't checked if they stayed in the Melksham area. Will do that shortly. There were also 2 brothers - one came to Australia the other died in infancy - Marcus John Merrett died 1887.
Mary Ann Merrett died 1915, her husband John 1930 (I haven't checked where for John).
Please don't go to lots of trouble for me - I just thought if you saw the names while exploring it would be wonderful -
thanks
Trish
PS Taking awhile to check (not sure why I didn't do this before) - John Merrrett's death is registered at Brighton (although he lived in Melksham area most of his life & could be buried with his wife). Christine's death registered at Stroud, Alice at Frome but Edith did die in Melksham.
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Hi Trish,
Bit of a mixed bag! I looked in the Melksham Cemetery (close to the Parish church) and there were a number of problems. First a lot of early graves - 19th and early 20th century were either missing, damaged, overgrown with ivy etc or unreadable. The local stone is very soft and over the years the names flake off or are eroded. Anyway this is what I found.......
1. George Merrett died Aug looks like 1908, Elizabeth ? Merrett his wife 26 Jul 1916 age 68.
2. Barney Charles Merrett, 25 Jan 1988 age 84, wife Carolina Merrett 8 Nov 1954 age 47, sons Victor George Merrett 3 Mar 1976 age 48, Frank Gerald Merrett 29 Aug 2000 age 75.
3. Beatrice May Merrett 8 Jul 1975 age 77 and husband Abel john Merrett 20 Dec 1976 age 80.
3. Only mention of a Gore was on Melksham War Memorial for 1914-18 war - F. C. Gore
I'll keep an eye out in my travels for more, cheers Dave
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Hi Sande,
See my comments above, however more luck with your Davis family - the gravestones were remarkably well preserved!
1. Rebecca Jane wife of George Davis died either 9,19 or 29 Aug 1892 age 62, also Elizabeth daughter died 19 Apr 1896 age 43, also sarah died 22 Jan 1899 age 49, also George husband of the above Rebecca Jane Davis died 2 Dec 1910 in his 83rd year.
See photo
2. Henry Davis died 8 Apr 1922 age 60, also son Harry drowned bathing 3 Aug 1935 age 21, also wife Sarah Margaret died 19 Sep 1952 age 82.
3.Ethel May Davis wife of Thomas Davis 4 Oct 1921 age 36.
Hope they help, cheers Dave
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Hi Dave,
Thank you so much for the lovely picture. That is fantastic and all that extra info as well. Rebecca Jane is the sister of my great great grandfather Abel HOOD.
best wishes
Sandra
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Hello Dave
Many thanks from me as well - truly appreciated - I hope it was a nice day out. I haven't come across the names you mention - which is not to say they are not mine as John Merrett had many siblings. I shall check them out. My Gore family had 16 children so the serviceman could well be a descendant. I'll check the CWGC for any details.
many many thanks - and I enjoyed Sandra's picture too.
If you ever want anyone from a Brisbane, Australia cemetery do please ask.
regards
Trish
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Hi Trish,
I live up near Kingaroy so not that far from you. My great grandfather, Stephen HOOD, son of Abel, came to Brisbane, Qld about 1873 on his own, aged 18. He worked up around this area on Nanango & Taabinga Stations which were about the only thing going up here.
I love the picture. Melksham looks very green and lush. It's very dry up here, haven't had any decent rain since Christmas.
Sandra
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Hi Dave.
On your next visit to the churchyard could you see if there is a Ethel M Brittain buried there. She died in Melksham in 1911.
Regards Carol
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Hi Carol, Trish and Sandra,
Sorry not to have replied sooner but I don't seem to be getting notification on this subject. The graveyard is not looking so green now - we've enjoyed temperatures of 30 plus for the past 10 days!
My Aussie rellies arrived in Adelaide on the Reliance in 1851 and settled in Kapunda - Richard Hawke and his wife Jane Renfrey and family.
I also have a cousin in Melbourne and a brother in law somewhere in Queensland !
I'll get my sun hat on, Carol and have a look.
Cheers Dave
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Hi Dave,
Sounds like my kind of weather :) It's too cold here at the moment. I didn't like to ask before but if your going gravestone hunting again I have some more.
James & Mary BOSTON
They probably died about the mid 1800s. Mary was another HOOD from Lacock. They were still living and at Melksham on the 1841 census. James was born about 1780 and Mary 1782 Lacock. Children that I know of are Perrygreen 1812, Alice 1815, John 1818 & Thomas 1821.
James was a Chaisemaker.
I probably have more rellies there, just haven't found them yet. :)
Sandra
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Hi Sandra, I'll have a look.
I didn't think it got cold in Australia :)
Dave
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Hi Dave
I didn't think it got hot in England until I spent an August in London!
It's cold in Oz at the minute!!!! brrrr
Trish
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Sorry to say no luck with your Bostons, Sandra. As you can probably see on the earlier photo the middle section of the graveyard (pre 1930s back to early C19th) is quite untidy. A lot of stones are missing or unreadable etc. The early section, pre about 1840, around the Church, is tidier, as you'd expect, but what stones that remain are badly eroded.
In a few days I'll see if I can find the deaths in the parish records.
If you want the Lacock records etc please post a separate request in the Lookups - like you did with the Goddards ;D
Cheers Dave
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I can't imagine Oz being cold, Trish. I suppose that's because when I was a regular visitor, way back last century :), I mainly went to Darwin, and in the 'suicide season' that was HOT and STICKY. I won't tell you when it was but it was before it was flattened by a hurricane (willie-willie) ;D
Cheers Dave
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Sorry to say it was a similar story with Ethel Brittain, Carol. I was unable to find her grave. It's all a bit hit and miss there pre 1930s. The later section, which is the municipal cemetery now, is maintained by the council and of course surviving relatives look after the place better.
If you want any information on Ethel or her family, please post a request in the Lookup section.
Say hello to Auckland for me, I guess it's changed since I was there. Almost emigrated to NZ, I even had a job more or less lined up at Whenuapi - when the NZAF first bought the C130 Hercules :) Used to go to Whenuapi and Hobsonville a lot. Great place, great country ;D
Cheers Dave
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Hi Dave,
Well thanks looking anyway. I did find a Mary BOSTON died Dec Q 1860 Melksham on the FreeBMD, no sign of a James though. The graveyard does look quite bare around the Davis stone.
Yep! it can get quite cool in peanut country. I live in one of the coldest places in Qld, usually around zero but warms up to a nice sunny day, about 20. But the big news is we had rain yesterday afternoon and last night. :D
Ok, I'll brush up on my Lacock stuff. :)
Sandra
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I can't imagine Oz being cold, Trish. I suppose that's because when I was a regular visitor, way back last century :), I mainly went to Darwin, and in the 'suicide season' that was HOT and STICKY. I won't tell you when it was but it was before it was flattened by a hurricane (willie-willie) ;D
Cheers Dave
Hi Dave
You did pick the hottest coastal town in Australia ;D - and I agree it would rarely be cold. That hurricane - that in Oz we call a cyclone - was quite a few moons ago - I remember it well - we had many evacuees arriving in Brisbane including a few family/friends.