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Hi,  Does anyone know whether there are monumental inscriptions available for the Capel Uchaf Calvinistic Methodist burial ground in Clynnog Fawr. 

Many thanks,
KESTON.

Hi,

I have found a Merchant Seaman record which may be for a forebear of mine.  t is for James Rugg, b. 1831 Somersetshire on Findmypast.  He is listed as being on what looks like the ship Canning, which left London on 10 / 14 or 19 March 1855.

I have found this ship in the Lloyds Lists for 1855.  It says it was built by Somes Bros. at a place called "Molmn" in 1854 and was destined for a London India voyage. 

I have the British Newspaper archive but can't find details of any departures of this ship.  This may be because I am not searching properly though. 

I have also searched around for details on Somes Bros. but although I can see them referred to I can't see any details of them, even when I look on ships List websites.

I have searched to see if there crew's lists on National Archives, but it doesn't look as if they exist for this ship, which I know is not unusual. 

Could anyone please suggest where I might look to find details on the Canning and also Somes Bros.

Many thanks for all your help,
KESTON.

Hi,

I would like to source records for a relative who we served a nurse in the Second World War.

I understand that records for this period are held at the MOD.  On this site though they say that you need a service number to request records.

Can anyone help with where this could be found or how records can be sourced if you don’t have a service number.

Many thanks,
Keston.

Hi,

Thanks to those who have included informative posts on this board about researching in South Africa.  I have done quite a bit of research in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand on various branches of my family, but am now looking at a line which lived for a while in South Africa, so for a researcher without local background they have been greatly appreciated!

My search is for any information I can find on Harold Smith (b. abt. 1879, Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire, d. 4 Mar 1919, Durban).

Harold was a bricklayer and family information is that he and some or all of his brothers Leonard (b. 1880), Sydney (b. 1884), and Fred (b. 1893), who were all bricklayers spent time working in Natal.  Family information is that through the firm Smith & Booth, they were responsible for building many of the houses in Pietermaritzburg.  Whilst the other brothers returned to the UK, Harold died on his way back to the UK in 1919.

The family story is that he died on the boat of diphtheria and was returned to Durban, where he is buried.  He left a family, including three small children in England.

Thanks to suggestions on this board, I have now found a Death record and will for Harold on the Family Search website.  This provides the interesting information that he actually died in Room 13, Belgrave Hotel, Durban, and that he committed suicide.  Although we know he was working in Pietermaritzburg in 1915, at the time of his death he was or had been working at the Reynold Bros Sugar Mill, Sezela on the south Natal coast.

For me this clearly raises all sorts of interesting questions.  The first of which is whether there would be any newspaper record of his death.  I have found good write-ups in Australian papers for example of similar events for other family members.

Also, where was Belgrave Hotel and is it still there, and which Durban cemetery is he buried in.

I would also be keen to track down any information at all that may exist on Smith & Booth in Pietermaritzburg.

I have done a lot of searching on the web, and have found the transcriptions that have been done of some Durban cemeteries and have not found him included.  I have also seen the EGGSA website which seems to include transcriptions of some local papers.

I am keen to understand whether there are any other sources of newspaper or burial records and whether anyone can shed any light on the other small bits of information coming from the family or the death record.

Any suggestions on this would be most gratefully accepted!

Many thanks,
KESTON.



 

Hello,

Can anyone please suggest where I could look to find information on the history of Anderton Mills in the Mawdesley area of Lancashire, and in particular which Andertons were originally responsible for building / owning it.

Many thanks for your help,
KESTON RUXTON.