RootsChat.Com

Glad to hear you are enjoying finding out about your family. Sorry for the delay in replying as I have been away and am about to go away again. Thank you for posting the picture of Pleasant and Nathan. I have seen this before but thanks anyway. Pleasant was my great aunt and I was born not far from Chesham. I do have quite a lot of information about the family and have been in touch with other family members in Canada for some time who I was able to locate through Pleasant's obituary. It would be useful to know what information you would like to find out about, as I can see you already have information from the Canadian side of the family, and don't want to duplicate what you already have. Pleasant was one of seven children. My father was George William Wells b 24th May 1900 and died on 9th June 1984. His father was Frederick Wells born on 18th Feb 1876 and died in 1957 in Northchurch. He was a cobbler, and was Pleasant's brother.

I picked up two studio photos at the car boot sale today so it would be good to re unite them with their family.

John Thomas Whitehead was born in 1864 in Oldham and became a cotton waste agent. His wife was Mary Anne.
In 1901 he was living at 41 Glen Eldon Road, St Anne's on Sea.
1n 1911 he was at Highlands House, Shaw, near Oldham
If you think he belongs to you, please send me a message and I will forward on the photos to you.

My 3x great grandmother Mary Ann Porter was born in 1819 in Langtoft in Lincolnshire, and died in 1850. She married Christopher Clark (aka William Clark) in 1841 and lived in Stamford, Lincolnshire. She was buried at All Saints, Stamford on 9th August 1850, age 31.
The  burial record on Find My Past says 'From St George's Hospital, London' so guess that her body was brought back to Stamford for burial. I would like to get her death certificate, and have found a possible entry:
Mary Ann Clark Q3 1850 St George in the East, London  Vol2 p49

I am wondering whether there was a St George's Hospital in this area at that time, and hope someone with a bit more local knowledge can tell me.

I wonder whether Alfred was not free to marry earlier on, or perhaps as both her sisters had died, she was lonely. I did wonder Alfred could be her first cousin, though have so far been unable to prove this one way or another, and Thomas is not the easiest name to research! She did have a cousin called Alfred Thomas b Crumlin, Monmouthshire in 1871, who was a postman. All rather circumstantial. I wonder if you know any more about him. You have recorded him as Alfred J Thomas, so I am wondering where the J comes from? I have a few possibilities for his death but nothing conclusive so far. Any ideas?
A few bits about Caroline Amelia Shinton. She was, like several of the Shinton women employed in the Post Office. She seems to have achieved a high level of competency as we see her several times in the Gazette for different Civil Service awards.
In the Edinburgh Gazette of June 23rd 1891 she is recorded as a skilled telegraphist.
In another edition, February 21st 1922, she is a recipient of the Imperial Service Medal
Whitehall, 11th February 1922.
His Majesty the KING has been pleased to -award the Imperial Service Medal to the following Officers :— 
Shinton, Caroline Amelia, Counter Clerk and Telegraphist, London Postal Service.
More interestingly perhaps is a mention of not only Caroline Amelia, but also her two sisters in a fraud case at the Old Bailey.
You can find this at
Proceedings of the Central Criminal Court, 28th April 1908, page 68
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org

Gill

Many thanks to you all for your helpful contributions. It sounds as if there may someone to pass this photo on to. Taking your advice, I am contacting a genealogical society to see if they can be of any help. I also wondered what might be the most appropriate newspaper in the area for me  to place an enquiry?