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I am posting this question here, because, honestly, I didn't know of a better forum for it.

Can someone provide me with the meaning of the phrase "hoisted blue colours"?

I found the phrase in 2 different publications, one from 1762 and one from 1810 relating the activities of British Navy ships. I know "colours" in those phrases means a flag or flags which a British sailing ship would raise to signal to another ship in the fleet or to an enemy ship. But what did the "blue colours" mean?

Thank you in advance.

I have been researching a Spiller family line in my family tree - from Yarcombe, Devon.

I found that 2 daughters of Robert Spiller (1803-1868, Devon) and his wife Thomazin (and other variant spellings) Hoskins Spiller (abt 1809-1864, Devon) married 2 Bromfield brothers who were both millers by trade and who lived/worked in Devon (Stockland and Upottery.) They were the sons of a Richard and Mary Bromfield. I'm assuming Richard Bromfield was a miller because by the 1851 census, his widow, Mary was listed as a miller and a baker at South Mill [Farm], Stockland, Devon.

The 2 Spiller daughters:
- Susanna (and other variant spellings) Spiller, b. abt 1832, Yarcombe, Devon; chr. 22 Apr 1832, Yarcombe, Devon; d. 13 Jul 1913, Honiton, Devon; married in 1859 to Hermon Bromfield, b. 4 Apr 1829, Stockland, Devon; d. 29 Aug 1879, Upottery, Devon; Marriage recorded 1st quarter of 1859 (Jan, Feb, Mar) at Chard, Somerset
- Sarah Spiller, b. abt 1839, Yarcombe, Devon [birth registered at Axminster, Devon in 2nd quarter of 1842 (Apr, May, Jun)]; d. unknown; married 6 Mar 1873 to Gerrard/Gerard Hugo Bromfield, b. abt 1841, Stockland, Devon; d. 1880 [Death registered at Axminster, Devon in the 4th quarter of 1880 (Oct, Nov, Dec)] ; Marriage at St Peter's Church, Walworth, Southwark, London

Right now, I am most interested in Sarah Spiller who married Gerrard/Gerard Hugo Bromfield. I have not found any more information on her after the 1881 census record where she, a widow, was visiting her widowed sister, Susanna/Susannah Bromfield, at Susanna's home, Glenville Cottage, Honiton, Devon.

Did Sarah Spiller Bromfield remarry? When did she pass away and where?

Any information or tips will be appreciated. Thank you.
Jean E. DeLauche
Missouri, USA

I am transcribing the will of an ancestor who had his will drawn up in May 1765 at Honiton, Devon, England. Thankfully, the law clerk who wrote the text of the will used a script that is relatively easy to read, even 250 years later. Most of the words in the will have meanings that are the same as today's wording, with legal terms retaining their meanings in present-day. I've found sources which have explained and defined some of the household items and furniture bequeathed by the deceased and some of the words that didn't seem to mean what they mean today.

So far, I haven't found out what a "brass Choose pan" is/was. Obviously it was some sort of pan made of brass, What does the word "Choose" (capitalized in the handwritten will) mean regarding a pan? Note: The word "Choose" could be a variant spelling. Example: I finally figured out that in the will the "Dust Bed" was a "doust bed" and found that a "doust bed" was a small bed with chaff (doust) filling the mattress.

I've checked the Oxford English Dictionary 2nd ed., a lexicon for provincialisms of Devonshire (1912 publication), and a glossary of terms used in 17th and 18th century wills in England, but none of those sources provided an answer on "brass Choose pan."

If someone can find a good source and find a description of a "choose pan" or direct me to some source with explanations on 18th English household goods, I would appreciate it.

Also, even though that law clerk from 250 years ago has long passed away, I would like to thank him for his fine penmanship and consistent spelling of words throughout the will of Robert Knight, d. 12 May 1765, Honiton, Devon.

Thanks in advance for any help -
Jean, in the USA

Hello -

I am researching an Oldaker family line in England for a friend. Her ancestor: Harriet Lady Oldaker (we think "Lady" is part of her name and not a title) who married a John Hucks Stevens in England. John Hucks Stevens, wife Harriet and their children immigrated to the USA around 1836.

The information my friend has:
Harriet Lady Oldaker - parents: Barnard Oldaker and Nancy Warters (may have really been "Waters")
b. 1 Feb 1816, England
christened 18 Mar 1820 St. Leonards Church, Shoreditch, London, England [Note: The name "Lady" is not given in the baptismal record.]
married 13 Sep 1834, The Hague, Netherlands (where she was living with her parents)

Barnard Oldaker and Nancy Warters (maybe Waters) were married 25 Jun 1810,  St. Olave Hart Street (C of E), City of London.

Other children of Barnard and Nancy Oldaker, all born in England:
Caroline, b. 19 Sep 1813, christened 18 Mar 1820, St. Leonards Church, Shoreditch, London, England
Marianne, b. 9 Oct. 1814, christened 18 Mar 1820, St. Leonards Church, Shoreditch, London, England
Maria Louisa, b. 3 Jul 1818 , christened 18 Mar 1820, St. Leonards Church, Shoreditch, London, England
[Nothing like getting them baptised in a batch. Maybe the family was living outside of England for a while and came back to have the 4 girls baptised – just a speculation.]
Ferdinand Barnard, b. 4 Dec [year is unreadable in baptismal record], christened 14 Sep 1828, St. Olave Hart Street, London, England
   
According to all the baptismal records for the Oldaker children, the father, Barnard Oldaker, was a cabinet maker. The abode listed in the baptismal records for the 4 girls (18 Mar 1820): Walbrook Place, I assume London.The address of his abode was given as Paris for his son Ferdinand's baptismal record.

My friend already has the Ancestry.co.uk records for the Oldaker-Warters (Waters?) marriage and the baptismal records for the children. These are the TinyURL links for the Ancestry.co.uk baptismal records:
Caroline, Marianne, Harriet & Maria Louisa baptisms: http://tinyurl.com/kyeoxfa
Ferdinand baptism: http://tinyurl.com/lddrjym

Thank you in advance for any added information.
Jean E. DeLauche, USA

For those researching Page Doble, b. 8 Aug 1830, Buckland St. Mary, Somerset, son of William and Elizabeth (Betsey) Spark(es), who immigrated to the area of Geelong, Victoria, Australia . . . I stumbled upon his Australia burial information!

The information can be found through the Research tab of the Geelong (Victoria, Australia) Cemeteries Trust: http://www.gct.net.au/
 
He was buried 2 Apr 1870 at Drysdale Cemetery:
Location DRY-COE-1-807-149
Section Church Of England
Row 1
Grave 149

Note: Two of Page Doble's brothers, Adolphus and Northcote (spelled "Narket" in the 1841 census for Somerset) also immigrated to Australia. Their youngest brother, Mark C. Doble, remained in England. Mark C. Doble had a son born in 1870 who was named Page.

I have been trying to verify the 1870 Australia death of Page Doble since I found public member Ancestry.com family trees noting his death in 1870 and then indicating he was alive in 1900. I just didn't believe he was a vampire.