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Topics - Fanflame

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1
The Common Room / The Cross Keys Pub, Horn Hill, Rickmansworth
« on: Thursday 23 November 23 10:22 GMT (UK)  »
Hello everyone,


It's been a while since I have posted on here., but today I have a conundrum. In my late father's estate I have found a very old and badly contrasted photo of my Great Grandfather (Wilfred Cyril Holloway) and his parents (George and Elizabeth Holloway) on a horse drawn carriage outside the The Cross Keys Public House, Horn Hill, in Rickmansworth - or that is what is written on the photo. However, I cannot find any information on it. I should imagine that it has now gone or been turned into a residential property.


The only website that I could find any reference to it has no real information on it except referencing who lived there in the last 3 census records of the 1800's plus my great great grandfather with his children in 1901.


If anyone has any information on this quaint old pub, I would be interested to know.

All the best,

Fanflame

2
The Common Room / Anyone heard of the town of 'Cab', Kent
« on: Thursday 20 October 22 11:55 BST (UK)  »
Hello everyone,

I haven't posted for quite a while now but wondered if anyone knew where the town of Cab, was/is in Kent.  ???


I am researching my family line and recently visited our ancestral family Cemetery in Wickhambrook, Suffolk (UK) where I photographed all the memorials of my ancestors - all 37 gravestones (the only legible ones). Through research I have ascertained that one gravestone remembering James and Emma Edgeley, was that of a distant 2nd cousin James Edgley (b.1872) and his wife Emma who were married in late 1909. The marriage entry shows her maiden name as Emma Maria Pettitt.

Adding Emma into my RootsMagic database I find that the 1911 Census reveals she was born in Cab, Kent?
url: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7GF-N92

I'd never heard of it and a quick search on Google either brought up Taxi services in Kent or a list of Kent Citizens Advice Bureaus'.

Thanks for any local knowledge of Kent ! All the best

Fanflame

3
The Common Room / Chr. Calcutta
« on: Friday 17 April 20 06:51 BST (UK)  »
Hi All,

I have come across a couple of ancestors who in the 1800's went abroad to Chr. Calcutta. I should imagine that Chr. is an abbreviation for Christian, but a search of the internet only brings up people born in Chr. Calcutta.

Can anyone explain why it was referred to as Chr. Calcutta and not just Calcutta?

Thank you.

Fanflame.

4
The Common Room / Michael John O'Brien (1915-1940)
« on: Monday 31 August 15 15:53 BST (UK)  »
I thought I would start an investigation or a little research into my great uncle Michael John O'Brien who died tragically during the Second World War.

Michael John O'Brien originally from Ireland, moved to Clacton in the UK during the 1920/30's with his parents. Whilst there he joined the Merchant Navy and sailed the seven Seas! During the 1930's he met my great Aunt, Elsie Dwight and they married in 1939 in Mile End, London. These were the early days of the WWII and they only had a short time together before Michael was off again this time called upon by the Admiralty to board the Canadian vessel SS Beaverford to transport much needed cargo from Canada to England.

On 5th November 1940, the fateful convoy known as HX.84 (the 84th Convoy between Halifax and London) the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer attacked the ships. The Merchant Cruiser (and only real protection) HMS Jervis Bay attacked the Scheer hoping to allow the convoy to scatter and escape. HMS Jervis Bay only survived 20 minutes of fighting and was struck numerous times by the Admiral Scheers' artillery. She sank with the loss of 190 of her crew. Nevertheless, their sacrifice allowed the convoy to begin to scatter. The Captain of the Beaverford decided to turn and face the enemy and armed with only two small guns must have known that they would survive only a short time but also knowing that by engaging the Admiral Scheer they could allow other ships to escape. In a cat and mouse gunnery duel that lasted for five hours Beaverford evaded the Pocket Battle Ship and never herself got within distance to fire her guns eventually she was mortally wounded and sunk with the loss of all hands.

My Great Aunt, never really got over this great loss and never remarried. She died in 2005 and I have many fond memories of her from my youth and from when my children where young. I have lots of photos and paperwork from those early days although my father, her executor, laid all the letters that  Michael had written to her, many written in a flowing poetical and lovers prose in the coffin with her when she was laid to rest: he tied them with a red ribbon and placed them in her hands over her heart. Very touching and emotional I know...

However, I know really nothing about Michael John O'Brien. Who he was and where was he actually born? Why did his parents move from Ireland to Clacton.

If you know anything more then please reply to this thread.

Many thanks...

5
London & Middlesex Lookup Requests / Coleman, Winnifred (1905) adopted daughter to Frank and Emma Edgeley
« on: Sunday 15 September 13 09:22 BST (UK)  »
Hi There,

Does anyone know anything about Winnifred Coleman (1905) possibly born in the Mile End Old Town area? She is mentioned in my great Grandfathers (Frank Edgeley) 1911 census record as an Adopted Daughter.

My Father told me that his father (Frank Clifford Edgeley) never mentioned that he had an Adopted Sister and WInnifred Coleman is a name he is unfamiliar with.

I have searched the FreeBMD index but cannot find an accurate description for Winnifred in the Mile End Old Town or London area from 1904/1905 although two others were born in the West Ham area: Winnifred Amy and Winnifred Ethel. I have no information about her at all other than the line in the 1911 Census which states that she is an Adopted Daughter.

My Great Grandfather was: Frank Edgeley (1886 Hund0n)
My Great Grandmother was: Emma Elizabeth Edgeley (nee Dutton - 1881 Wickhambrook)
My Grandfather was: Frank Clifford Edgeley (1907 Leytonstone)

If anyone can help with the missing information I would appreciate it.

Many thanks

Fanflame


6
London & Middlesex Lookup Requests / Dwight, William John (1901)
« on: Sunday 15 September 13 09:00 BST (UK)  »
Hi There,

I wonder if anyone can shed some light on a family conundrum:

William John Dwight was born in 1901 to Frances Millicent Phillips (1879) and William James Dwight (1876) in the Mile End Old Town District. William John is said to have enlisted in the army during the very later part of WWI (which would have meant that he enlisted before the age of 18) but it is not known if he fought at all. After the end of the war it is also said that he was in a large army camp in the Midlands somewhere living under canvas. Nothing else is known about him except that the family never spoke about him. My Father would like to know what happened to him.

I have searched the FreeBMD index and found that a William J Dwight died in 1921 (http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=wTdzyfbCOEkonIxe2MZWcQ&scan=1) However, It is also known that his father who would also be a William J Dwight died between 1916 and 1921 of Influenza. So I am not sure who died then father or son.

I also realise that the Spanish Flu pandemic was rife between 1918 and 1921 so both may have succumed to that.

Has anyone else researched this arm of the family records? I thought I would pose the question in case an answer saved me hours of research.

Many thanks

Fanflame

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