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Hoping I might get some help once again with my Newbury family.  I had a lot of help some years ago but have come up with a new question as the only records online are transcripts it’s hard to be sure.

My ancestor John Grubb was born in Newbury in 1783 to Thomas and Martha Grubb … we believe Martha was Martha Grey.  Recently dna has shown a connection to an Elizabeth Grubb who could be John’s sister or half sister as I don’t have her baptism record.  But it appears that Thomas may have been married to another Martha … Martha Woodley in 1777.  Then married Martha Grey in 1782 but it doesn’t give Thomas Grubb’s marital status on the transcript so I don’t know for sure if it’s the same Thomas that married Martha Woodley.  I’ve found a baptism for a Thomas son of Thomas and Martha in 1780  …so that could be the first Martha (Woodley) then there is a baptism in 1778 but no first name just Grubb and parents names.  There is also a death in 1787 for Martha Grubb daughter of Thomas.  On the the 1815 Toomers census I was told that Thomas along with his wife Martha also has an Ann Stillman living with them and she I believe is the daughter of Elizabeth the possible sister of my John as she married James Stillman in 1799 and they have a daughter Ann.

Hope that makes an ounce of sense.  So if anyone has access to any of these records I would appreciate the help as I’m in Australia :-)

Hope I’m posting this in the right section I’m just trying to work out the uniform in this picture.  I did get help once before on the Victorian War forum where off memory it was suggested it was a Scottish voluntary force uniform.  But the forum has been shut down so all that information has been lost. The picture is of my ancestor William Urquhart (seated) with two of his brothers Edward and Robert.  The family migrated to Australia over a period of time the earliest a sister Agnes in 1853, one brother arrived in 1859 the others after 1861.  One descendant believed the uniform was that of the volunteer force scotch infantry Adelaide South Australia.  So we are trying to determine by the uniform might be correct?  Any guesses would be helpful.

Regards
Deb

Hi all I’ve been going round in circles with this one so thought maybe someone else might see what I’m missing.

I was going over my DNA matches which I do from time to time and there was a new one which now makes 3 I have to a particular branch that I just can’t quite join the dots.

So these matches are from a Henry and Harriet Newmeier née Stevens.  My ancestor was a Charles Stevens son of James and Elizabeth Stevens.  The Stevens family seem to have homes both in Horton Buckinghamshire and London.  James Stevens from Horton was a farmer and left a will which I have a transcription of and it seems some of his children fared better than others.  It seems the London based Stevens ran a soap and candle business and going by the marriages of Charles children he was at least employed there and is listed as a chandler.  He died in 1837 Whitechapel (I think)

When looking I’ve found a tree that says they have Harriet Stevens birth certificate and names her parents as James and Harriet Stevens née Scott.  She was born in Cable St Whitechapel 1871.  I then found the marriage between James and Harriet Scott and James father is listed as Thomas Stevens soap boiler.  So I feel this is where our family connection is but as yet can’t place this particular Thomas Stevens. 

So just need some fresh eyes.  It’s possible I’ve missed a Thomas.  I have 4 sons from James senior, William, Charles Thomas and Henry.  And there a few Thomas’ but none of them quite fit as father to James.

Regards
Deb

Hi,
I’m helping my brother in law with his family tree.  I’m working on the Williss branch in his tree his ancestor being John Williss.  The only census he appears on is 1841 along with his wife Elizabeth.  He’s listed as a publican and farmer and the address says near the churches.  I also find him on the poll book and electoral registers under Rugeley it says house and occupier Talbot Inn and Farm. I’m fairly sure I have his death as 1849 and his wife Elizabeth is a widow on the 1851 census and she is listed as Innkeeper/farmer 92 acres.  Later on I find her son John as innkeeper and when he dies his widow Eliza as Innkeeper of the Mosley Inn.

What I’m trying to find out is there two Talbot Inn’s.  One seems to remain today but there is also seems to be another one that was the scene of a murder by the Rugeley poisoner but that one had a name change to the Shrew.  I’m just trying to work out which one John Williss senior might have been Innkeeper of in the 1840’s.  As most of the baptism and marriage records are only transcripts they don’t help much.

Any help would be appreciated.
Blessings
Deb

I’m hoping maybe some fresh eyes on this might help me solve a family mystery.

My paternal Great Grandparents were both illegitimate and therefore we don’t know who their fathers were.  My dad, myself and several of dads cousins have all done DNA in the hopes someone might pop up as a potential ancestor.

We all have a match to a lady called Dianne and I’ve been in touch with her daughter for some time now as she managers her mothers DNA.  Dianne matches to all of us only we can’t work out how so we feel this is where one of our missing ancestors might be only trouble is I think Dianne’s grandfather is also illegitimate and Dianne’s daughter recently found some documents her mother had which confirms this I believe, so if I can work out more of who Dianne’s grandfather is it might help solve the mystery.

The only thing our family and Dianne’s seem to have in common is a military family and India.  My Great Grandmother Daisy Wade was the illegitimate daughter of Isabella Wade she was born in Maida Vale London in 1890 the address on her birth certificate is where her great uncle resided and where Isabella was sent during her pregnancy.  Isabella was born in India to Frederick and Harriet Wade ... Frederick being a colour sergeant with the 60th Royal Rifles. We don’t know if Daisy knew her father’s identity or not but when asked she said he was a soldier or she mentions a connection with India.

Dianne’s Grandfather was Alfred Saunders Francis and he married Ellen Woolner in 1898 in India he was with the Army Ordinance but died in India just after the birth of his son Albert Saunders Francis (Dianne’s father) in 1900 problem is I can’t find any surviving military records that give us any clues to Alfred, on his marriage to Ellen he gives father as Albert Francis which I don’t think is true.  My thoughts were he was the illegitimate son of Eliza Francis born 1868 in Leiden and this is the birth record Dianne had among the papers (no father listed)she has along with a death certificate for a Felix Francis.  At first I though oh maybe Felix is Eliza’s father but I found him on the census and according to his will he was unmarried and had no children.  I also believe Eliza had a second son born in 1867 called Alfred Saunders Francis and I have his baptism record.  I’ve looked and looked at this and I can not find Eliza and her boys on any census records so I’m starting to wonder if perhaps she lied about her surname.  What I also noticed was on the 1871 census record for Felix Francis in Colchester Essex is just up from him as a cook is an Elizabeth Saunders ... so my head started to wonder if she was the boys mother and gave her name as Francis so her boys would have a surname of their potential father.  Only thing is where are the boys in 1871 I can’t find either of them. 

I know it all sounds rather confusing but I can’t work out where these boys are or for sure who Eliza Francis is if indeed she is Eliza Francis ... if I can figure this out it might help Dianne and I work out how we are related.  Originally I thought her grandfather could be Daisy’s dad but I saw a DNA genealogist and she felt it wasn’t quite enough DNA shared so could be a sibling or another relative close to her grandfather we are looking for.   I made a Francis family tree so I could explore all the possibilities which is on ancestry as well as my own. 

I just need some fresh eyes to see who Eliza Francis is how she might be attached to Felix Francis and where were they during the census.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Deb