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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: benanne on Friday 03 May 13 02:55 BST (UK)
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Any information about George Horatio Weeks born 27 Oct1844 in Rochester, Kent, died 20 Oct 1903 Medway, Kent. would be appreciated.
His father was also George, I think 1820-1881, his mother Elizabeth Rule 1820 - 1892 if I have got the right connection.
George Horatio was an Engineer in the Royal Navy - see attached service record - and was a rear admiral before his death.
George Horatio married Fanny Alison Godwin 1845-1929 & had 7 children. The eldest George Edward Alison Weeks was our ancestor, whose son Basil Courtenay Victor Weeks was my husband's grandfather.
Any further information about any of these ancestors would be wonderful.
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Benanne, If you are not sure if you have the correct parents for George, to ensure that you are tracing the correct family, the best thing would be for you to purchase the marriage certificate of George and Fanny. This will give you names and occupations of both fathers so you know if you are on the right track.
Where did you get the information that George's parents are George and Elizabeth Rule?
Purchasing this certificate should confirm any doubts you have:
Births Dec 1844
Weeks George Horatio
District: Medway
Volume: 5
Page: 387
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Christening is on cityark.medway.gov.uk:
30th March 1845 at St Margaret next Rochester
George Horatio Weeks son of George & Elizabeth of King Street, St Margaret's; Engineer
by Daniel Francis Warner, Vicar of Hoo
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0tt1/
1851 census?
Reference HO107, Piece 1588, Folio 210, Page 12
31 Prospect Row, Woolwich, Kent
Weeks, Elizabeth Head Married F 30 Wife to Chief Engineer RN b Gillingham, Kent
Weeks, George H Son M 6 b Rochester
Weeks, Courtenay A Son M 2 b Woolwich
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Excellent Ken. Unfortunately no maiden name for Elizabeth, but a bit of detective work might sort that out. :)
Are marriages on that site as well do you know? (hoping to find the parent's marriage) I just had a quick look but got a bit lost before I'd started.
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Yes - there are marriages also.
The site isn't easy to navigate!
Click on Parish Registers Online (left-hand side).
Then (after reading "How to use Medway Ancestors"! ;D), scroll down to see the parishes.
I tried 2 other parishes before settling on St Margaret of Antioch!
Then check the results shown - you need to choose the appropriate register.
Then you get a list of list of jpeg's - each corresponds to 2 pages in the register.
I used a "binary chop" technique to find the right page!
Trial and error, finding a page before the event, and a page after the event; then choosing something in the middle; repeat!
P.S. added 1851 census to my previous posting.
P.P.S. Possible marriage?
December qtr 1843
Medway district vol 5, page 547
Weeks, George
+ and on the same page +
Rule, Elizabeth
Kevin
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8th October 1843 at St Margaret next Rochester
George Weeks, of full age, bachelor, Engineer in the Royal Navy
Elizabeth Rule, of full age, spinster
Both of King Street, St Margaret's
His father: George Weeks, Shipwright
Her father: James Rule, Shipwright
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0tt3/
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Hi,
George Weeks of full age, bachelor (Engineer for the Royal Navy) married Elizabeth Rule of full age, spinster at St Margarets, Rochester on 08/10/1843.
Parents were George Weeks (shipwright) and James Rule (shipwright)
Address for both was given as Kings Street
Witnesses Maria? Davison? and James Rule.
Sharon
snap!
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Probable sighting in 1861:
Reference RG09, 637, 118, 40
3 Marlborough Row, Portsea
Jago, Mary A Head Widow F 47 Annuitant b Maker, Cornwall
+ 3 daughters and 1 servant
Weeks, George Boarder M 17 Engineer b Rochester
The rest of the family in 1871:
Reference RG10, 1130, 20, 34
2 Trefuses(?) Row, Queens Road, Portsea
Weeks, George Head M 57 Retired Chief Engineer RN b Deptford, Kent
Weeks, Elizabeth Wife F 50 b Rochester
Weeks, Courtenay Son M 22 Assistant Engineer RN b Woolwich
Weeks, James Son M 12 b Portsea
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Could not find a baptism record for Elizabeth (do you already have it?) but these seem to be siblings.
Both baptised at St Mary Magdalene, Gillingham, Kent to James & Elizabeth Rule.
Eleanor 24/08/1828. James recorded as a carpenter on the H.M.S. Camilla, Abode Gillingham
Mary 17/04/1831. James recorded as a carpenter for the H.M. Navy. Abode Sheerness
Sharon
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1851 Census - Kings Street, Gillingham
James Rule, 57, Head, Shipwright, Gillingham
Elizabeth Rule 57, Wife, (?)
Helena Glasson, 22, daughter, Engineers wife, Sheerness
Lydia Rule, 17, daughter, Sheerness
Rebecca Parvis, 56, Sister in law, Wid, Hertfordshire
Sarah Jessup, 6, Granddaughter, Sheerness
There are also a couple of records in the NA cat that may relate to James:
ADM 45/39/906: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C9945158 (http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C9945158)
ADM 29/6/136 :http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C8962756 (http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C8962756)
The latter is a pension application that should list all his ships and when he served on them, which hopefully will tie in with the bap. details above - assuming it is the same man!
Helena Rule married George Glasson 22 Oct 1846. George was awarded both the Baltic and Crimea Medal (with Sebastopol clasp) for his service on HMS Gladiator.
Martin
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Thanks so much for all that information, everyone, I am amazed at the help you can get on this forum! So interesting to put "flesh on the bones" so to speak!
crimea1854, where did you find out about George's medals? Love to find the official record!
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The medal rolls are available on A******y. As my user name suggests the Crimea, and particularly the Navys involvement is my real area of interest.
Returning to George Weeks Snr, the same medal rolls indicate an Engineer of this name serving on HMS Cyclops being awarded the Naval General Service Medal with the 'Syria 1840' clasp, and again on HMS Simoon in the Crimea, where he was awarded both the Crimea medal with 'Sebastopol' clasp and the Turkish Crimea Medal. I note from the National Archives catalogue that they appear to hold his service record, so his presence on both of these ships would confirm if it is one and the same man.
Martin
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Thanks for that, I am attaching his service record he did indeed serve on those ships - how awesome to find out that he received medals for his service.
Is there any way of knowing exactly where those ships went and what their role in the Crimea war was?
Also, on the record is the "H" Harbour service and "S" sea service?
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The only way to find out what a particular ship did and where it went is to consult the Ship's Log, most of which are held at the National Archives. As a rule these are generally not particularly enlightening, just recording the course, wind direction, ships seen and position at sea i.e Long and Lat., etc.
HMS Simoon was a troop ship, so I would expect a number of trips back and forth to pick up reinforcements.
Many of the medal rolls are now available as free downloads from the NA website (ADM 171 series). You might be interested to know that George's NGS medal is recorded as having been sold at Sothebys in Jan 1898. There is a collector who maintains a datbase of all the known NGS medals, but I'm afraid George's medal is not listed.
Re your reading of the service record, 'H' and 'S' do mean what you think.
Martin
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Funeral Service for George Horatio Weeks held at St. Margaret's Cemetery, Rochester, Kent. "Saturday Afternoon". No date given. 1903.
The Times.
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Thanks for all your help :) :)
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Attached are two photos. The first is Fanny A Weeks. The second (in the striped dress) is Elisabeth Mary Weeks.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, that is awesome! What a pair of majestic looking ladies!!
Thanks again,
Wendy
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More info on Norman Bickerdike Weeks.
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I I understand the son Basil Victor Courtenay weeks born Kent 1897 served as a captain in France in 1917 in the RMLI and received the military cross. His father Revd Dr. george Edward Weeks was the Dean at Nelson Cathedral in 1915 left 1922 coming from Lowestoft.
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Finally found the letter which is why I came along looking for info on the Weeks family.
The Deanery, Nelson, New Zealand. August 16th 1917
My dear Violet
It was a very real pleasure to get your long 'newsy' letter of 28th March. I forget just when it came to hand, but it had taken a long time on its journey, and I was just leaving home - hence delay in reply.
I was starting on some very interesting work - holding special services for students at our four university Colleges - Auckland - Wellington - Christchurch and Dunedin. I have just returned,much encouraged on the whole. University life - indeed all life here is very different from all one knew at home. Class distinctions are practically non-existent and students and professors, officers and men, employers and servants fraternise in a way that seems strange to our more conservative ideas in the old country.
We came out too late in life to take to it quite kindly. Mrs Weeks especially finds it difficult to adjust herself to the strange conditions. It is almost impossible to get any domestic help! We have been fortunate enough to secure a widow woman who is quite capable and does all that 'helps' here are willing to undertake. We have to give 25/- a week (indoors) and so cannot possibly have more than one.
Thought is very free, and people do not hesitate to criticise and pass judgment upon anybody and everybody from the Governor downwards. It is encouraged in the schools: no religious teaching is given, and the new generation is almost heathen. The whole system of education is based upon the one principle of fitting scholars to make money as early as possible in every possible way. I fear grave difficulties await us in the very near future - we are breeding materialists pure and simple.
My work at the Cathedral is extremely happy. I am now Dean, and we are contemplating building a new Cathedral Church as a Memorial to our N.Z. boys who have fallen. We have two Colleges here - one for Boys and one for Girls, and the boarders come to us twice every Sunday. I do love to have them in church: they are keen listeners and preparing for them keeps me fresh.
We have a gorgeous climate here (normally) but this year and last have been abnormally wet and stormy. Just now (our winter) we are getting keen nights and early mornings. With days of brilliant sunshine and skies of cloudless blue. I think we are all the better for coming here - Mrs Weeks is - Eric certainly is; he has quite overcome the bronchitis which compelled us to leave Kensington. Eileen is growing a great girl - almost at the top of the College here, and going in for her matric, this year. Basil is in Francd - now a Captain R.M.L.I. Did you hear he won the Military Cross? My Bishop as asked last week if he could recommend me for a vacant Bishop nie, but he felt with me that I ought to put in a little more time here. He says it will come!
I don't know when this will reach you. We are not allowed to know anything what-ever of the sailing of vessels, and our letters take (sometimes) 3 months to get home!
We all send you and yours our very best wishes. Shall I say for Xmas? This may reach you by then!
Believe me to be
Always yours very fully
G.E. Weeks
Rev Weeks died 1941 age 73, wife who he married 1894 Bromley Marian Frances Sophia nee Simmons.
First child Reginald George William born 16 April 1896 baptised 3'May 1896 died 1898 Wandsworth buried 15 February 1898.
Second child Basil Courtney Victor born 21 May 1897 baptised 10 July 1897 died 7 July 1979 buried Lilydale Cemetery, Victoria. Married Xina Joy Morford -
One child born 1927, another,child born 1931.
Third child Eileen Marian Natalie who died 4 Nov 1984 Exmouth married Kenneth Morford a tea planter, brother of Xina Joy Morford. Kenneth died 1974 Surrey.
Fourth child Eric George Hilton 'Peter' Weeks born 8 July 19044 died 10 April 1939 age 34 married 1933 Mary P Wilson. Peter buried West Buckland, Somerset.
The family regularly travelled abroad, lots of information on Ancestry.
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Hello, I'm looking for information on ancestors of Basil Weeks - he is my great-grandfather.
I'd like to know more about their lives, occupations etc.
The letter from his father George on this post is most interesting.
I have a lot of information about Basil, be glad to make contact with anyone that has information about his ancestors.