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Christmas 1917  At the front.

2nd Lieut Harold Edgar arrived in France early November 1917. He had one period at the front and then went on a machine gun & mortar training course over Xmas. His fellow officers were New Zealanders and British from several different regiments.

This was Xmas Dinner in the snow

From his diary  23/12/1917.
”We are about 20 miles away from the line here & comparatively speaking are very comfortable. There is another N.Z. officer in the same hut with me, called Godfrey, & four Tommy officers, all very decent sorts. We have a fairly warm hut with a stove, real beds with spring mattresses & two washstands with ware complete (a wonderful sight in this benighted land). The only difficulty is that it is hard to get coal but we get over this by going out at night & stealing it. It has commenced to freeze here & though we haven't had any snow yet the cold is intense & it is hard work to keep warm. The ground is like iron & all the trees & hedges are a beautiful sight in the mornings.
   We are about two miles from French town which Fritzy shells from 20 miles away with a naval gun but so far he hasn't commenced shelling this spot & the noise of the guns sounds very remote from here - more like carpet beating than anything else."




Menu front (attached)



Menu back (attached)

NZ
Harold. Edgar 2/Lt NZEF
Hugh. H. Godfrey NZEF
O. A. Andrews 1/Lt NZEF
W. Auckland  [?NZEF]

UK
    Bodwell  Ysh Rgt  2/Lt
T. Booth Lt  1/6/West -------  att 147 T.M.B
M. W. Flower 2/Lt 2/4 E. Lan  R
G. Lloyd-Jones  Lanc Fus.
W. R.Oates  2/Lt  1/8 West Yorks
G. Matthews  1/8 West York R.
A. Paley  2/8 Lancashire Fusiliers

Any corrections to the names and further details of the Regiments would be much appreciated.

Harold's complete diary in the form of letters (irregular but almost weekly) to his wife, father and members of his Law firm from the day he left home, his training in New Zealand, the voyage to England, Brocton and Sling training camps in England and at the front till his return. All have been sorted, typed and prepared for publication. They cover a period from November 1917 to August 1919, as he served in Germany after conflict ceased. He has no living descendants.

Hi.

Do the 1841 records for Longacre, Green Street exist.  Having great trouble in finding a person whom I presume was there but whose name could be mispelled.  If records exist what is the full reference  HO 107........?

Cheers

MalNZ

 Many thanks - misspelled name now traced but family is not the one I'm seeking now that all members are known

MalNZ

Henry Edward Bennett was a baker and confectioner by trade. He was  reputedly to have been associated with MacIntosh Toffees company . 
A family researcher in the 1960's traced his forebears and I believe mistakes were made as to the maiden name of his mother, Harriet, and a few other details which may actually pertain to his wife. Unfortunately the researcher gave no sources.

Some key dates and places need to be sourced again, independently, and these are highlighted below.

Harriet (also Hariott) apparently was born in St Peter's Port, Guernsey in 1805. HER BIRTH, CHRISTENING, MARRIAGE AND DEATH DATES ARE UNKNOWN.  Harriet's husband is Edward , a tailor born about 1806 in England. He died before 1851 (?DATE).

The following are known from official records and the family records concur, except where noted.
1841 Census: 31 Sand Street, St Helier
Harriet         35      (1806)                    not born in census area (but in the Channel Is)
Edward        12      (1829)                    born in census area (St Helier)
Harriet         14       (1827)                   not born in census area (but in the Channel Is)
Susanna       10       (1831)                    born in census area (St Helier)
Thomas         7        (1834)                    born in census area (St Helier)
Maria             3       (1838)                    born in census area (St Helier)
Henry            9m                                   born in census area (St Helier) 
The date of Henry's birth (14/8/1840) fits moderately well with the census  9 months later (6/6/1841).

1851 Census, 16 Roseville Street, St Helier
Harriet     46   (1805) St Helier       born Guernsey, St Peter's Port, widow
Edward    22   (1829) St Helier       born St Helier, blacksmith
Thomas    15   (1836) St Helier       born St Helier, errand boy (NB 2 year discrepancy)
Maria        13  (1838) St Helier       born St Helier, scholar
Henry          9  (1842) St Helier       born St Helier, scholar (NB 2 year discrepancy)
Francis        2  (1849) St Helier       born St Helier (recorded as "grandson" but as "son" in 1861 census.- Susanna's possibly illegitimate son as father is not recorded at his baptism  (St Helier's - 14/7/1859).

Henry Edward Bennett married  Eliza Alice Downing reputedly  on 27/1/1867  by Rev Langtry (NEEDS TO BE CHECKED and any associated details ascertained) at St Saviour's, Jersey. If correct then the known dates of his daughters' (first 2) births suggest they were born out of wedlock and be in conflict with details of her previous marriage.  Family emigrated to NZ in 1875. He died in NZ on 27/9/1942 -  aged 102. A g-granddaughter who remembered him during his last 15 years died also at a great age only a few months ago,170 years after his birth!

Any details or directions to acquire certificates etc would be greatly appreciated. I think I have accessed all relevant online resources. The key thing is to have independent confirmation or otherwise of these details by persons not imbued with all the myths and misconceptions of a family now so distant from the original sources.

Many thanks in anticipation

MalNZ

Hi

This turned up in a local NZ collectible's shop.

I note the family is well documented in An...........