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Messages - mnmilt

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19
Sussex / Re: Verrall - Sussex
« on: Monday 19 October 09 04:07 BST (UK)  »
Hi Cait,
From taking a look around other message boards it may seem that you have the marriage certificate for William T Verrall and Alice Morley.  If so, who was listed as William's father and who were the witnesses at the wedding?  Also, it would appear from these message board postings that William Verrall was married previously and widowed the year before he married Alice Morley.  You had mentioned that William and Alice had one son, although a search of the BMD did not list a Verrall child with a mother's maiden name of Morley.  I have just taken a look at the 1911 census and can find a William T Verrall in Brighton living with Jane C Verrall (age 44) and George R Verrall (age 9).  It could be that William and Alice's son was George R Verrall (i.e. William's natural son and Alice's stepson).  William T Verrall is noted as being born in 1869 in Brighton.

Am I on the right line?  If so, I should be able to provide you with some more information.

Regards

Mark

20
Sussex / Re: Bodle family
« on: Saturday 10 October 09 03:29 BST (UK)  »
Hi Fairydust,

Moses Bodle (chr 7 Oct 1798, Willingdon; died 31 Mar 1875, Worthing) married Elizabeth Elphick (chr 22 Apr 1800, Maresfield) on 19 Apr 1821 in Maresfield.

They had the following children:

Charlotte (chr 25 Dec 1821, Hailsham)
John (chr 29 Jun 1823, Hailsham) m Charlotte Wood
Elizabeth (chr 1 May 1825, Hailsham)
Thomas (chr 12 Aug 1827, Hailsham) m Mary Ann Elphick
Mary (chr 24 May 1829, Hailsham)
Caroline (chr 1 May 1831, Hailsham)
Hannah (b 1835) m George Elphick
Charles (b 1837, Lewes) m  Harriet Stanford
Frances (b 1840, Lewes) m Charles Lelliott
Harriett (b 1842, Lewes) m Edward Elphick
George (b 1845, Lewes)

Moses Bodle was the son of Edward Bodle and Elizabeth Stretton.

Moses was my ggg greatuncle.

Regards

Mark

21
Sussex / Re: Mary Wall Hassall,Greys Lodge, Eastbourne Jly 1930
« on: Friday 16 January 09 16:01 GMT (UK)  »
Kay,
I have the 1930 Kelly's Directory on CD.  I took a look for Greys Lodge but was unable to find it in the directory.  One challenge with the Kelly's is that they often contain alphabetical lists of people throughout the county.  It can be difficult to look for a specific place.

Regards

Mark

22
Sussex / Re: The Wish Tower,Eastbourne
« on: Sunday 11 January 09 00:50 GMT (UK)  »
Omega,
I'm not sure whether you have these of not, but the following are listed in burials for St Mary's, Eastbourne:

RIDDLE, Alex, 77, South Street.  Buried Dec 18 1833
RIDDLE, Mary, 49, Wish.  Buried May 10 1837

I'm not sure who Mary is, but it is interesting that she is listed as living at "Wish".

There are two books written by George Chambers that give some insight into the derivation of the name "Wish."  The first is
HANDBOOK FOR EAST-BOURNE, PEVENSEY & HERSTMONCEUX CASTLES, "WILMINGTON PRIORY, MICHELHAM PRIORY, BEACHY HEAD, HAILSHAM, AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. ALPHABETICAL DIRECTORY OF PRIVATE RESIDENTS AND BOOK OF REFERENCE FOR EVERYBODY.

This is available through Google Books.  The "Wish" is mentioned several times throughout the book but two mentions are worth showing here:

This word is said to be a corruption of "Wash," and to signify a "wet place." If so, it is very appropriate, for there are evident indications that at no very distant period there was an inlet of the sea here. Perhaps it ought to be said that there used to be "evident indications," for these are almost obliterated now in consequence of the equilisation of the levels here, brought about in connection with the Duke of Devonshire's building operations. There was formerly a stagnant rush-grown pool, which the late Mr. D. Gilbert thought might be the remains of a Roman navala, or wet dock, formed artificially by that enterprising people, a natural harbour being wanting. (Suss. Arch. Coll., is.., 156.) "At low water in front of the Wish, large piles are standing, which tradition ascribes for the support of a pier head in former times, to guard the ships which were at anchor in the Wish or harbour." (Sir W. Burrg/l.) The drain now to be seen here is not a sewer, but the inlet to the Baths.

A visitor writing to a local Newspaper in 1861, said:—"I venture to think that this supposition is a mistake, and that the ' Wish ' is probably a corruption of ' Gnichet,' a wicket or passage in the main entrance, and which bears allusion to Guiche, and finally corrupted to ' Wish/ Now, looking around the country, and seeing the number of villages, seats, &c., with Norman-French names, I think there can be no doubt of the origin of the 'Wish' being the Norman-French 'Guichet;' if so its name would harmonise better with the lovely scenery than the 'Wash.'"

The second book is: Eastbourne Memories Of The Victorian Period 1845 To 1901
And Some Other Things Of Interest, Divers. By George F Chambers F.R.A.S.
Published By V. T. Sumfield Station Street Eastbourne. Circa 1910

It is available at
http://www.sussexhistory.co.uk/eastbourne-memories/eastbourne-history.html

and through the Internet Archive (and also at openlibrary.org)

This book gives a description of the "Wish"

I do not know that it is worth while to say much about footpaths and narrow occupation roads now either discarded or swallowed up in modern roads, but from a point just opposite No. 8 The Terrace, the roadway, now a mere back road for the convenience of the houses at the back of Cornfield Terrace, once marked the line of the " Shomer Dyke," a drain draining the South Street houses and having its outlet near the Wish. Eventually the dyke (ditch) was filled in and the narrow road formed which still exists robbed of its Mid-Victorian name of " Shomerdyke Road." Previously to this The Wish was reached by a narrow road starting from South Street and following nearly or quite the line of what is now College Road. Here a branch to the E. led to the sea-shore near the Wish Tower, and a branch to the W. past some farm buildings known as " Hollands Barn " to " Prentice Street " and up to Meads.

There is also an illustration of the Wish Tower in 1840 that will give some idea of the surrounding area
http://www.sussexhistory.co.uk/eastbourne-memories/eastbourne-memories%20-%200031.htm

Regards

Mark


23
Sussex / Re: The Wish Tower,Eastbourne
« on: Saturday 10 January 09 22:08 GMT (UK)  »
There are two Martello towers in Eastbourne, the Wish Tower and the Redoubt.  The Wish Tower is close to the beginning of the chalk cliffs on the west end of the seafront.  The Redoubt is on the east end of the seafront, nearer to the Crumbles.  Beyond the Crumbles you will come to the marshes (Pevensey area).  The ground that the Wish Tower is on was not marshland, although there was marshland nearby,  The following is form the website that kerry mentioned:

Known as 'The Wish Tower', No.73 is easily the most well-known (and documented) of all the south coast Martellos, its name coming from the 'wish', 'wash' or marshland nearby, fed by a stream known as Shomer Dyke. Twiss himself first referred to it as the "Whish Tower" or "Wish Tower" in some of his early progress reports.

A shingle bank separated the wish from the sea. Sited on a natural hill overlooking the surrounding marsh, the Wish Tower has been the subject of many prints and postcards of Eastbourne over the years. A house on the hill was demolished and the hill enlarged with the spoil excavated from the moat.


Mark

24
Sussex Lookup Requests / Re: 1901 census for Sussex.
« on: Friday 02 January 09 15:02 GMT (UK)  »
Geckogirl,
George's WWI Pension records are available on ancestry.com.  The file contains a wealth of information that proves that George was the daughter of Sophia Verrall (she is listed as NOK in one place).  It also shows that he was in South Africa at the time of the 1901 census.  He left England on 19 Sep 1899 and spent 158 days in Malta.  He arrived in South Africa on 19.2.00 and departed for India on 28.2.02 where he spent 1 yr and 56 days before returning home.
There are many other interesting things that can be gleaned from his records, including the fact that he spent 38 days in hospital in Chichester in 1905 when he injured his left clavicle - a horse kicked him.
He was discharged from the army after serving approximately 20 years and was called up to the reserves in 1914.  When he was called up from the reserves they decided that he was too old for military service and discharged him.  There was also mention of a problem with his eyes.

The mentioned of the eye problem was interesting since George had a sister Harriett who was blind (or at least partially sighted) since birth.  She was with the family in the 1881 census; in The Eastern Road Orphanage in 1891 and boarding in Lindfield in 1901.  Interestingly, she seems to have been a "Tea Agent" at the time of the 1901 census.

Assuming that we have pieced everything together correctly, it would appear that your husband is my third cousin once removed.

Regards

Mark

 

25
Sussex Lookup Requests / Re: 1901 census for Sussex.
« on: Thursday 01 January 09 20:00 GMT (UK)  »
Geckogirl,
From looking at the 1871 census records it appears that the William Verrall who married Sophia Turrell was born in Eastbourne in about 1841.  It is quite likely that this William Verrall is my great great greatuncle.  I hadn't done any research on him until your message inspired me to look a bit further.  Naturally, things aren't straightforward.

William Verrall is in the 1861 census with his family.  He isn't there in 1881, but Sophia is listed as married.  In 1891, Sophia is listed as a widow.  I haven't yet found a death certificate for William Verrall but will keep on looking.  There is a registration of a death in 1911 in Brighton District for a William Verrall b 1841 but it is highly unlikely that this the William that married Sophia.

The George Verrall who was born in Battersea (according to the 1881 census) is a mystery.  I'll look into this further.

I would have to discount the George Henry William Verrall whose birth was registered in 1863 from being the one that you are looking for.  The birth was in the same quarter as the marriage of William and Sophia (not that is strong evidence that he isn't the correct person).  However, there is a George HW Verrall b 1863 listed in the 1871 census but he is living with parents Charles C and Marion Verrall.  If I had to pick a birth to look into it would be George Harry Verrall (Brighton District, Sep Q 1864).

I am not surprised that you have been unable to find George in the 1901 census.  I have also had the same problem with a great uncle (Edgar Milton) who was in the Royal Sussex Regiment at the time of the 1901 census.


Out of curiosity, who were the witnesses on George's marriage certificate and what was William's occupation?

Regards

Mark

26
Sussex / Re: Eastbourne Bombing
« on: Sunday 05 October 08 01:15 BST (UK)  »
Do you know where in Wales your mother was evacuated to and where in London she came from?  That may help nail down the timeframe and pinpoint the family that you are looking for.  I just came across this information at http://llandeilo.org/catholic3.php.



The Second World War witnessed a significant increase in the Catholic population of Llandeilo. In June 1940 staff and pupils from Coloma Convent School Croydon were evacuated to Llandeilo. A local paper announced their arrival.

"The evacuees arrived on Sunday at 6.40 p.m. They numbered above 200, and the arrangements were carried without a hitch. They were taken from the station to the County School for tea and medical examination. The evacuees included a superior lot of girls who were in the Secondary Schools of the London County Council. They were accompanied by their teachers and sisters of the R.C. The children from Bootle are expected on Thursday".

Sister Mary Clare, one of the sisters involved has recalled her time in this area. Her account is reproduced here:

"In August 1939 about 500 pupils with approximately 20 staff including the Head Mistress, Mother Winifride and four Sisters evacuated their school Coloma, Croydon and set out, for what was then an unknown destination.

All wore labels and carried gas masks. Tearful parents watched the exodus, as well as those left behind for whom other plans were made.

The unknown destination proved to be Eastbourne but six months later danger loomed from across the Channel and once more there was an exodus this time, to a little known town called Llandeilo in South Wales, about fifteen miles from Carmarthen.

There is also a diary written by Mrs M Dineen that can be found at the Imperial War Museum

Ms diary in 4 volumes covering her experiences as an LCC (London County Council) helper with a group of Streatham schoolchildren (one of them her son) during their evacuation to Eastbourne, September 1939 - June 1940 and Llansadwin, South Wales, June 1940 - May 1945 with useful details of her life as an evacuee, her welfare work and involvement with fundraising activities and salvage operations, her billets, rationing and civilian conditions generally as a well as references to war news, Welsh customs, contact with locally based American forces, her strong religious convictions and thoughts on being separated from her husband, a London ARP Warden; also a photograph album and various loose prints, postcards and presscuttings associated with her two periods of evacuation.


My guess would be that the timeframe that you will be looking for is the second half of 1940.

Regards

Mark

27
Sussex / Re: Eastbourne Bombing
« on: Sunday 05 October 08 00:40 BST (UK)  »
There is a list of WWII casualties in Eastbourne on another part of the website that Kerry had mentioned (http://www.btinternet.com/~williamenigma/eb2ww0.htm).

In addition to the book that Roy G mentioned, there is another book, "Eastbourne at War" that was also published by George Humphrey.  This book was published in 1998 by SB Publications (ISBN 1-85770-158-5).  It also contains a list of those who died in Eastbourne.

However, the information may not be 100% accurate or complete.  The post inspired me to look into the bombing that destroyed some cottages in Firle Road.  The cottages were a few houses away from my maternal grandparents’ shop, so I guess that they had a close call.

According to the website that Kerry mentioned, the raid took place on 11 October 1940 and that Moses Ripley and William Glen were killed at 14 Firle Road. 

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website includes entries for William Glen (died 14 Sep 1940 at 14 Firle Road) and a Moses Ripley (died 14 Sep 1940 at 14 Firle Road).  The website lists Moses Ripley as being the son of Mark Ripley.

The book, “Eastbourne at War” that I mentioned above, describes a raid taking place on October 11, 1940 and that an UXB was dropped at the rear of 15 Firle Road.  There is an entry for a raid on 14 Sep 1940 that states that 4 bombs were dropped in the Firle Road area amongst other areas that day.  Among the dead for that day were a William Glen and a Mark Ripley.

As can be seen, the information that is available may not be totally accurate.

Regards

Mark

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