RootsChat.Com

Hello Greenrose.  Most interested to know we are linked through Sarah's brother William.
On first glance it seems you have the generations sorted going back with the elder Pickards, but I need to look at this more closely.   What do you think about the coal merchant, who apprenticed his son to Staymaker?  This must be right as it appears in the Apprenticeship Register for Coventry.   Do we have any idea where in France they came from?   Of course they were Protestants fleeing from the Edict of Nantes which persecuted French Protestants.  Some of them were even welcomed in Berlin by Fredrick the Great!   They even had their own French Cathedral in the City.  I am Coventry born myself.  But did not know of the Pickard connection for years.

I am trying to find Cornelius B(ardill) Withers, labourer, born 1859 Dry Doddington, Lincs, in the 1911 Census.  In 1891 He is living in Long Bennington with his mother Mary Withers.  In an earlier Census he was in Stocksbridge, Yorks, where other relatives were in the area.  My guess is that the Christian name has been mis-transcribed by someone who does not know the Biblical name, he sometimes appears as Cornelius B.   I have tried wild card, or just Withers and date of birth with other variations but no success.
There was a family tradition that a Withers from Long Bennington went to be a sheep farmer in Australia but I have always treated this with a query, as my great-aunts were interested in the actress Googie Withers.  Cornelius' father Richard is by this time dead, and also his mother Mary (born Calverton) died 1896.
He himself is unmarried by 1891.  Any help greatly appreciated.

I am also interested and have researched the Cromwell Oliver family though I had no idea at least one had strayed into Lincolnshire.   The Oliver family came from Swanland area in East Yorkshire c. 1800 to Swinton, N. of Rotherham in 1841.  There were Cromwell Olivers among them. Info Mrs Raybould (Gloucestershire Family History Society) now living again in Lincoln. She has Olivers too.  William has died by 1851 Census.  Contractor as occupation on son Miles' marriage certificate in Birmingham in 1859. Miles a witness to sister Emma's marriage (to Charles Cleaver) at St. Martin,Bull Ring, Birmingham 1856.
Baptised at Hook nr Whitkirk, Yorkshire 1833. mentioned in Baptismal record at Brinklow nr Coventry.  1851 Coventry Census.  Miles baptised one of his younger sons (b Birmingham) Cromwell.  The family seem to have been very mobile.  Miles had a trade as Carpenter and chair maker, wife was a french polisher!   Hope your research may link to this family.   Best wishes
Graham

Is anyone else trying to find Miles Oliver (b. Whitkirk, Yorks 1833) and his new wife Charlotte (Brookes) b. South Littleton, Worcs in 1834 in the 1861 Census?
In 1851 Miles is in Gosford St Coventry,a few doors from his sister Emma (Cleaver)s family.
in 1871 he is in Birmingham as visitor in the house of a shoemaker, who has an interesting visitor from Paris, whereas Charlotte is in Stourbridge with the children.   Miles has died by the 1901 Census, but Charlotte appears in 1911 as widow withe eldest daughter Mary Ann.  I tried looking for the children, but as Miles = Charlotte in St Martin, Birmingham in 1859 and Mary Ann born 1863, that did not work.  I also tried parents.  Miles' father William = Eleanor Brown Hayes
(from Brinklow, Warwicks) at Whitkirk 1833. Miles appears in Brinklow baptism register with a note he was baptised in Goole (Hook nr Goole).  Olivers originated in Yorkshire (said to be Swanland with Cromwell Oliver among them) but William father of Miles and Emma is stated 'navigator' in one record presumably  = navvy or road or canal worker,  Miles and Charlotte can be traced throughout the Census but 1861 draws a blank.  Perhaps they were travelling and not listed?  Miles occupation a Cabinet Chair maker in Birmingham with no suggestion he was a journeyman carpenter.