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Hello all,

Currently researching my Dad's family, the Nelson's. Up until a few years ago I knew little about them and didn't even know about their connections to the Loughborough or Shepshed areas.

It seems that there were a lot of them in the latter village from about the 1840's onwards. My connection is through my GGD George Harry Nelson, who was born in Shepshed in 1885. During WW1 he moved to Nuneaton and served in the Warwickshire Regiment. Then in the early 20's he moved to Leicester with his wife, my Grandad and Grandad's brother.
So the Shepshed connection for my branch of the Nelsons ended around 1915.

Is there anyone out there connected to Shepshed who knows of the Nelson's there?

Many thanks in advance,


John NELSON.

Does anyone know of a munitions factory that was bombed in the Colchester area during WW2?

My Grandma used to tell me she worked in one, and it was bombed when she had a day off. I don't know if this story is true or not though.

Have looked everywhere on Google and apart from raids on Severalls Hospital and St Botolphs Corner, I've not found much else related to a munitions factory.

Thanks,

John.

Hi all,

Back in April a relative passed on to me two photos, which I think were taken in the 1880's or 90's. One was of a gentleman, probably in his 60's and who I think is James Nelson (b. Lambley Nottinghamshire 1821 - d. Shepshed, Leicestershire 1897). He is my 3 x Great Grandfather. The photo was taken by Robert Frost in Loughborough.

The other photo is of a woman in her 40's (at a guess), but I have no idea who she could be. The photo was taken by Victoria Studio, Peveril Street, Alfreton Road in Nottingham.

I have put both photos onto my blog, along with some info about Robert Frost.

Could anyone help me to identify these two relatives please? I know it is a long shot. Oh and who were "Victora Studio"? I've not been able to find any trace of them online.

Many thanks in advance,

John Nelson.

Hello there,

I wonder if I can request a look up for the following marriage:

1884 02 11   Thomas   WILSON   Jane   HOLYLAND     SNEINTON St Matthias

I am mostly interested in Jane Holyland - b. 1843 in Barrow Upon Soar Workhouse, to Frances Holiland and James Norman. She gave birth to a son, father unknown, in the workhouse in 1860 - named Simeon Norman. In 1863 Jane married Fulshaw Holyland, who unofficially adopted Simeon - who then became Simeon Norman Holyland (who is my Great Great Grandfather).

In the 1871 census they are still together in Leicester. But I've found nothing for them in the 1881 census. It seems that Fulshaw went on to have children with someone else in the 1885-1890 period - and at the moment, I think that in the mid to late 1870's Jane left him and ended up in Nottingham in the early 1800's after two stints in the Leicester workhouse in 1881/2. Simeon appears to have stayed with Fulshaw and Frances, the daughter he had with Jane.

So this look up is just to help me confirm that this is the right Jane and that she was in Nottingham.

Your help would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Regards,

John.

My Grandma, Mavis, was born in at 4 Chapel Street, Enderby on the 4th April 1919. Her father was Arthur Forryan Timson - who was born in 1881 at 12 Orchard Street (which doesn't appear on present day maps) in Croft and employed variously as a stone set maker/stone finisher at a quarry. Am assuming he was at Croft Hill quarry, although I have no evidence of this. On Freepages I have found out quite a lot about the Timson family.

The next bit of information I have about Mavis, is from her marriage certificate. She got married at the "Parish Church of Enderby" - which I assume is Saint Johns, to my Grandad Raymond Fisher Nelson on the 23rd March 1940. Her occupation is listed as a Shoe Hand. I've read there was a large shoe factory in Enderby, which later became the civic hall? Could she have been employed here?
At the time she is listed as living at 67 Chapel Street, Enderby - but a quick look on Google Streetview shows me that this number doesn't exist. The fact she was living on Chapel Street at the beginning of WW2 is no doubt right, but I don't know about the number. Could it have been 6 to 7 Chapel Street? Or was it perhaps number 4, where she was born? Something I would be grateful to confirm.

As for Raymond, he was born in Nuneaton (Chilvers Coton) in 1916 (there is another thread elsewhere about his parents on here). In 1940 he was living at 112 Knighton Fields Road East - no doubt with his parents and his brother Victor.
However, I have no idea what he did during WW2. I was told he was a fitter at Braunstone Aerodrome. Although in 1940 he is listed at an "Engineer". Wartime restrictions on information was probably in place.

Postwar, the only address I have for my Grandparents is 5 Stanhope (later Swinford) Avenue, Glen Parva - off Hillsborough Road. I have no idea when they moved to this address, but these were prefabs, which I was told, were built for the employees of Power Jets Limited, Lutterworth. Could Raymond have worked for them? I think by the end of the war Power Jets had moved on to a base elsewhere in the country.
I seem to remember my Dad mentioning that postwar, he worked for Armstrong-Whitworth. A bit of research has also thrown up the names of Hawker Siddeley. But no connection to Raymond. However, both of these seemed to have been based on the site of RAF Bitteswell (which is where the present day Magna Park is situated). I'm assuming that Power Jets must have been around this area and might explain some, as yet, unproved connection to Raymond.

He passed away in 1967, still living at Swinford Avenue. His death certificate records his occupation as an "Aircraft Radio Installation Foreman". My Dad told me that later on in life he worked for Auster Aircraft at Rearsby.

In 1968 Mavis moved to 66 Netherley Road, Hinckley, where sadly she died on the 22 July 1971.

This is about all the info I have, if anyone is able to add to the gaps I would be so grateful.

Many thanks,

John.