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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Cornwall => Topic started by: cheshcat on Sunday 24 October 04 19:40 BST (UK)
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I would be interested in making contact with anyone who is researching the CLIFT family of Cornwall. My ancestor John CLIFT was born at Marhamchurch in 1802. His parents were John Clift and Jane Lark married at Marhamchurch in 1798. They also had a son called Thomas and a daughter called Susanna at Marhamchurch. I have been trying to get back further but without any definate success. I have looked at a lot of CLIFT records for Marhamchurch and nearby areas but just haven't been able to make the link back.
Someone with an interest in the CLIFT name for that period may just be able to help.
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Hi i am also researching the clifts from Marhamchurch. I have a john Clift married to a MArtha. Had a son James in 1810. He went on to marry a mary Pethickin Jan 1833. At the moment im not sure if i have the right John and MArtha as i can find two couples with the same names. How many clifts have you researched. I have been working backwards from my gr gr grandfather Samuel Clift born in 1840 and joined the navy so he was easy to trace but as for the rest...... Hope to talk to you soon. YOurs Lorraine
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Dear Lorraine
I have only just seen your post on Rootschat.com about the Clift family of Marhamchurch. Another lady has got in touch whose Clift family goes back to Marhamchurch too. Please get in touch soon. Carol
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Hi,
My name is Stephen Bridges (50) I have recently found out that I was adopted. My real father was born in St Austell, William George Clift (b.1912) he worked as a waggoner and in his last years as a handyman and gardener in Boscastle, he died in Boscastle on Marine Way? He died in 1957 of a burst ulcer!! His father was also called William George and his mothee was Elizabeth Hannah Clift (nee Mills).
I would appreciate any news, no matter how small. I may have cousins or other relations in the area. It is known that he has previously been married as his marriage cert to my mother its states 'widower'.
Can anybody help??
Best Rgds
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Dear Stephen -
Thanks for getting in touch.
Do you know anything else about your parents or grandparents ?
I have checked out the freeBMD site and have found a marriage at St. Austell in the December quarter 1904 of a William Clift and a Elizabeth Ann Mills vol 5c page 244. I have also found a number of Clift births in St Austell from 1904 to 1911 - but I did not find your father's birth on BMD in 1912 perhaps because they have not subscribed 1912 and onwards yet. Information is still being added I believe.
Most of the St Austell births from that period were girls who could possibly be sisters or relatives of your father Wm G b. 1912. I did find a Leonard Percival Clift b. March quarter 1909 in St Austell - is there a chance he may have been Wm G's elder brother ? The only way to find out is to get LPs birth certificate vol 5c page 84 and see if he had the same parents as Wm G.
There is also a marriage in 1902 of a William Clift and would you believe it a Mary Anna Mills ! Truro 5c 236 March qtr. (But there are also quite a number of Clift children being born in Truro over the next 10 years or so - (perhaps to different Clift's).
However, in March qtr 1903 a Mary Clift died in St Austell aged 31.
I have found Mary Anna Clift on the 1881 census born in St Mewan Cornwall in 1871 living at home in St Mewan a parish of St Austell with her parents William Mills aged 39, wife Catherine aged 40, children William aged 16. Mary A aged 10, Richard aged 8 and wait for it ! Elizabeth A Mills aged 6 and John 9 months.
Is it possible that William George first married Mary Anna Mills in 1902. Mary A died in 1903 and in 1904 he married her sister Elizabeth Ann Mills ? Just a hunch !
In1891 Mary Anna was still living at home with her parents Wm & Catherine and was employed as a dressmaker. It looks like Elizabeth A Mills had left home in 1891 as she is not listed at home then. In 1901 Mary Anna was living as a servant chambermaid in a house in Truro. This would perhaps explain why she and William Clift married in Truro.
I have not been able to find Elizabeth A Mills on the 1891 or the 1901 census.
I have had no luck finding your grand father William G Clift on the 1901 or 1891 census. If he did marry initially in 1902 then most people were roughly 20 years or so old at time of marriage - so he may have been born around 1882 but this is just a guess. He could have been older or younger at time of marriage. If you obtained the two marriage certificates I have mentioned above then they should give the groom's occupation and his father's name and occupation at time of marriage so this may be a way of finding your grandfather William G by looking for a Wm G on the census in 1901 or earlier censii and cross referring the occupation given. You may even find your great grandfather this way.
It is difficult as Wm G got married after 1901. If he had married before 1901 then you may have found him by cross referring his wife's name and age.
I can not say if there is any connection with your Clift family and my Clift family but I do tend to feel that is an unusual enough surname and there will probably be a connection somewhere.
Do you have a copy of your father's death certificate as this may give some clues as it may give the name of a relative who registered the death ?
If I can help at all in any way please let me know.
If you are new to all this just let me know and I can point you in the right direction. Or if you have other info I would be pleased to share it with you.
Take care as the only real way to prove anything is to get the certificates - but a good helping of common sense also goes a long way !
Carol
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Hi Carol,
Thanks for the information, its all very interesting and i'm sure there is a link somewhere. To be honest i don't know too much about my father, I never really knew him as I was two when he died. He met my mother during WW11 in his journeys to Liverpool. My mother was 18 when she married William, then 32. They married in Liverpool on 22nd December 1944, they must have been married 12 years as i was born in 1955. William (my dad) died in sad circumstances, he had cancer, I think he was a drinker because he was found in Boscastle,near the quay side with a burst ulcer and died of blood loss!! I have his birth and death certs, thats how I know his parents names. There is on the birth cert 'Lower Stewalees or Stemalees or similar',his birth was registered on 15th Dec 1915??? the registrar was john Stephens entry 109. But strangely there is a second date and name 31 may 1912, registrar s?c ? Michell.
My father name was William and his father (my grandfather) was William, Williams mother (my gran) was definitely Elizabeth Hannah (nee Mills). i've looked on the 1901 census but no luck because I cannot get the link with William (1912), I gues it mite be a visit to Cornwall to try and look at 1871,1881 and 1891 records.
Thanks Carol, I mite get some news evetually.
Rgds. Steve
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Hi Carol,
No clues on death cert, William was found by the minister and ' Boscastle Forrabury or Torrabury'???, he was 44 years old and the death was registered in the sub district of Camelford, entry 172 by Annie L Randle registrar.
Rgds, Steve
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Dear Steve
There is an area perhaps even a road called Stenalees in the Ecclesiastical District of Treverbyn (St PetersChurch) in the civil Parish of St Austell - Treverbyn
The Ward of Treverbyn covers an area to the North of St Austell see this site for a map showing Stenalees :- http://www.restormel.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4247 Governed by Restormal Borough Council.
so that must be the place on the birth certificate. I found Stenalees just by entering it in the main search engine. It looks as if although born in 1912 your father's birth may not have been registered until 1915 which is very strange and also illegal as parents have 3 months to register a birth. Could the second date be when a copy of the certicate was obtained ? I can't find William and his wife on the 1901 as it may well be that they married after 1901 anyway.
Do you use the FreeBMD website ? That is very helpful but I have looked at it and could not find William's birth on there in 1912 or 1915 but they are adding further records all of the time.
http://www.freebmd.org.uk
I think I would be looking very closely at other children born in St Austell at that time to see if they had the same parents as William particularly the Leonard Percival Clift I mentioned. As he is male if he was your father's brother he may still have decendants named Clift. I think the link I found between the two Mills sisters is very interesting - let me know if you ever prove it.
best wishes
Carol
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Dear Stephen
I also use www.ancestry.co.uk but the cost for this is about £60 a year to access the 1901 back to the 1851 - I find it very good value for money and as the records are transcribed you can search on surname and or place. However I have really drawn a blank with your father's birth and also a blank in finding his father William on the 1901 or before. It's certainly a tricky one - Carol
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Dear Stephen
Just another thought - maybe your father's death was reported on in the local press and if so may have given some kind of account of his life if known
Carol
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Hi Carol,
Yhanks for all the info, its brilliant!!! can't get logged on to the freebmd site???????? not sure why but I'll hang in there.
Rgds Steve
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Hi Carol,
Bit more info!! at the time my mum and dad got married he was a driver in the RASC No T1617725, his address was given as Higher Beeny Farm, St Juliout, Boscastle, his full time job was 'factory worker'.
Rgds Steve
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Dear Stephen
You should be able to get onto FreeBMD no problem - here is the address again
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
when the website appears
Click on the search box which is shown in red ink down the page a little on the left. Their search form will then open where you can input ancestors names etc
Carol