RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: nanny jan on Wednesday 11 November 20 12:41 GMT (UK)
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Can you help solve this World War 1 mystery? Help needed to return some precious WW1 medals and other beautiful personal items to their rightful owner! When we moved house recently (Tewkesbury area, Gloucestershire) our removal firm managed to leave a box of things with us that wasn’t ours and inside it 1st and 2nd World War medals, a WW1 Princess Mary gift box (with bullet proof identity tags inside!) and a beautiful pocket watch, all of which belonged to one Charles Stanley Sleeman. Removal firm is being fantastically and unbelievably UNHELPFUL at trying to locate the owner of these items, so wanted to put this out there on social media. Don’t know if this chap is Gloucestershire or where but if the name ‘Sleeman’ rings a bell then please do let me know. Anyone know if the MOD can help and who to contact?
Thought I'd see if Rootschat can help!
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Charles Stanley Sleeman joined the 4th Brigade of the Wessex Royal Field Artillery ( a Territorial Force) in 1912, he was just over 19 years old. His service number was 1205. His home address in 1912 was 6 Barry Cottages, Whitchurch, Devon. He was placed into the regular army (RFA) at the outbreak of WW1 as a Gunner with a new service number of 865592. What remains of his service record shows that he served in India coming back to the UK in 1919. His home address at the point was The Hawthorns, Whitchurch, Devon.
I will see what else I can find about him and post.
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There appears to be 11 ancestry trees on Charles Stanley Sleeman.
Siblings :- RICHARD PERCIVAL SLEEMAN 1891–1961
Born Dec 1891 Whitchurch, Devon, England died 20 Sept 1961 Plymouth, Devon.
First wife -Lily Collins 1890–1924
born March 1890 - Tavistock, Devon. One child born to this couple -
died 11 August 1924 - Tavistock, Devon.
Birth registered December 1923
Sleeman Cicely J Collins Tavistock 5b 486
Marriage - September 1950 -
Sleeman Cicely J Metcalfe Uxbridge 5f 405
Second spouse -Mary Griffiths 1898–1983
born 21 May 1898 died March 1983 - Tavistock, Devon.
A possible male birth registered in March 1936 to Sleeman/Griffiths.
A sister Florence K Sleeman married in 1925 to Alfred J Edwards in Tavistock Devon.
A son "J A' - mother maiden name Sleeman - Tavistock 5b 465 - December 1928 (26 August 1928) -
Sandra
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Can you clarify please.....
Are you saying that the items were left behind in the house by the previous owner, or that the removal company have left you with a box of items which have appeared from somewhere unknown?
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It sounded like the removal firm left the box of things and were being unhelpful tracing the owner of the items.
Could be the type of thing that when boxed up no-one would look for right away. We never opened some boxes with memorabilia for years :-\
Sandra
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Charles married Agnes Randles in 1933, it appears that they had no children.
He had a brother (Richard Percival Sleeman) and two sisters (Florence Kathleen and Lucy Rosamond).
Florence married a Alfred J Edwards in 1925 and they had a son, James A. who married a Wendy S Matthews in 1950 in the Barnstaple area of Devon
Lucy married a Harold W N Harper in 1925 and they had two sons, Alan M. and Roger M. Alan married a Pearl V Howard in 1952 and Roger married a Patricia R Richards in 1955 -- these are probably your best bet to try and find living members of the family.
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It sounded like the removal firm left the box of things and were being unhelpful tracing the owner of the items.
Could be the type of thing that when boxed up no-one would look for right away. We never opened some boxes with memorabilia for years :-\
My thought was that if the box had been left by the previous owners then by far the simplest way of making contact, since it seems to have been a recent move, would be through their solicitors, who would presumably be known to the new owners?
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They appear to have had a daughter born Mar.1934 who married a Hugh Worsley Blake (d.2005) in 1956 (she'd reversed her christian names) - they in turn appear to have had 3 sons in Bristol and she and husband ended up living in Wotton under Edge. Gloucestershire where Hugh died 2005. She appears in electoral rolls until 2014 - cannot see a death entry for her so could well be still alive (perhaps in a care home??).
Annette
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Can you clarify please.....
Are you saying that the items were left behind in the house by the previous owner, or that the removal company have left you with a box of items which have appeared from somewhere unknown?
Not me but by the person who posted an appeal on Facebook; she would like to get them "home".
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Sounds good Annette - could be this one FIND A GRAVE
Hugh Worsley Blake - South Petherton Cemetery
South Petherton, South Somerset District, Somerset.
South Petherton Cemetery
South Petherton, South Somerset District, Somerset.
Sandra
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Can you clarify please.....
Are you saying that the items were left behind in the house by the previous owner, or that the removal company have left you with a box of items which have appeared from somewhere unknown?
Not me but by the person who posted an appeal on Facebook; she would like to get them "home".
It’s still not clear if the items were left in the house from the previous owner? If so it would be a simple matter to make contact through their solicitors.
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I read the request as an unknown box, containing the medals etc., was found once the removal company had left. Possibly left from an earlier removal. :-\
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If indeed still alive and perhaps in care home the items could have become 'misplaced' when she moved to wherever she is now.
Annette
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If you want to contact the person via Facebook just PM me; I have messaged her to let her know Rootschatters are busy searching!
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Had a look at Ancestry; 3 people have HW Blake in their tree (but only one showing a wife as "private). One researching Falkland Islands families so probably not related.
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Unfortunately I have not had a response from the person who posted on Facebook. If she does respond I will off her your collective findings and hope that it helps her.
Thank you for your efforts. :-*