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Hi folks

Just dipping a toe in the water to see what your reaction is, as part of searching for a relative Iris Sheldon b: 1925 at Long Eaton, Derbyshire that I believe maybe married in Loughborough in 1949 to a Nelson Varney, I have been scanning the above Electoral Roll which is now out of copyright. (The 50 year rule)

I have scanned the pages with a handheld scanner and I'm using OCR software to first put it into an Excel spreadsheet and then a SQL database so its fully searchable.

This will be completed by the end of February, would anyone be interested on here in wanting me to search for recent relatives and telling your where they were living during the years 1959-1960.  There are some really interesting and unusual surnames that I have so far come across.

The only other info available is:

The Elector is a Service Voter.
The Elector is NOT entitled to vote in respect of that entry at Parliamentary Elections.
The Elector is NOT entitled to vote in respect of that entry at Elections of County Councillors.
The Elector is NOT entitled to vote in respect of that entry at Elections of Rural District Council.
The Elector will be entitled to vote only at Elections held after 1st October, 1959.
The Electors liability for service as Juror.

Mike

Hi Martin

My Great, Great, Great Uncle Thomas Sheldon was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire in 1795.  He was at Waterloo in 1815 in the Royal Horse Artillery as a Gunner & Driver.

My attention to his possible involvement in the battle was drawn to research when I discovered in the transcription of his burial the comment ‘Waterloo Man’, which was confirmed when I looked at the scan of the original document at the Nottingham records office.  Later I also discovered at the National Archives at Kew his discharge papers and requested a copy which confirmed he served at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.  He also served in France for 3 years 6 months which would of been possibly before but certainly after the battle and also in England and Ireland.  He was medically discharged from the army in 1840 with an ‘exemplary’ record and then worked at the Royal Ordnance Hospital in Woolwich and is showing in the 1841 census as the Driver for the Director General of the Hospital a Capt Webb.  His wife Elizabeth Sheldon was also working at the hospital as an Office Keeper together with their children William, Elizabeth, Robert and Sarah (William and Robert I have reason to believe joined the military together with their oldest son Thomas Sheldon who joined the Royal Horse Artillery as well).  In the 1851 census they are still showing as working at the hospital and Thomas is the driver for the then retired Director General of the hospital Capt Webb the children are not on the census record with them.  In the 1861 Census they have by then moved back to Nottingham and are living in Scont Lane, Arnold, Nottingham and he is listed as a Chelsea Pensioner.  He died and was buried on 18/11/1875 at St Mary’s Church in Arnold, Nottingham but there was no memorial erected by his widow, I have yet to discover the area in the graveyard where he was buried, but have found two articles in the newspapers of the time about his life, his death and funeral.

I have discovered that in the actual roll call taken after the battle when the names were recorded his name was taken and looks like Thomas Shelder.  His name is entered under the list of the ‘Officers & Privates of the Royal Horse & Foot Artillery’ under Lieutenant Coln  A. Dickson’s Troop on page 18 as a Driver at number 813 of the roll call.

I have been in touch with David Milner, a historian for the Association of Friends of the Waterloo Committee.  The president is His Grace The Duke of Wellington KG,LVO,OBE,MC,DL; The Prince of Waterloo. David has the job of compiling any information about the men who fought in the battle and what happened to them afterwards, and as important is discovering where they are buried.  I have given him the most information that he currently has about any of the ordinary soldiers that took part in the battle and also about his life afterwards.

Michael Sheldon


 

Hi

During the 70's we had to go to do either junior or senior Brecon for our NCO training. We also did some FIBUA (Fighting In Built Up Areas) and DIBUA (Defense In Built Up Areas) training in the mock German village in the middle of the training area.

Brings back alot of memories thinking about that lot.

Mike

Gary

I have found these in the 1851 census:

Address: 2, Great Coram Street, Saint George Bloomsbury, Finsbury

SURGEY, John Bailey     Head,  Unmarried, age: 35,  born: 1816 Clapton, Middx, Profession: Artist
SURGEY, William P       Brother, Unmarried, age: 33, born: 1818 Clapton, Profession: Ship & Insurance Broker
FRANKLIN, Elizabeth    Servant, Unmarried, age: 30, born: 1821 Kensington, Profession: General Servant
HAYCROFT, Elizabeth   Servant, Unmarried, age: 27, born: 1824 Hampton, Profession: General Servant

The 1851 census was taken on 31/03/1851.

in the 1861 census.

Address: 6, Cobham Terrace, Swanscombe, Kent

SURGEY, William Palmer  Head Married  43 1818 Hackney, Middlesex
SURGEY, Mary Charlotte  Wife Married   39 1822 London
SURGEY, William               Son                 8  1853 Scholar Hackney, Middlesex
SURGEY, Thomas              Son                 6  1855 Scholar Hackney, Middlesex
SURGEY, Alfred Palmer      Son                 5  1856 Scholar Hackney, Middlesex
SURGEY, Mary Anna       Daughter           4  1857 Scholar Hackney, Middlesex
SURGEY, Norman Manner  Son                2  1859              Hackney, Middlesex
SURGEY, Edwin Barley       Son               1   1860              Hackney, Middlesex
INFANT, Infant                   Son              0(11Days) 1861  Kent
MOORE, Ann                    Widow            49 1812 Monthly Nurse Tetney, Gloucestershire
LITTLECHILD, Mary Little Servant           29 1832 Cook  Epping, Essex
HOLLAND, Charlotte        Servant           17 1844 Housemaid North Cray, Kent

The 1861 census was taken on 07/04/1861.

The marriage record shows:

Male Name: SURGEY, William Palmer
Female Name:  GAISFORD, Mary Charlotte
Registration District:  Hackney
County:  London
Year of Registration:  1851
Quarter of Registration:  Jul-Aug-Sep
Volume No:  3
Page No:  173

The marriage cert will show you their fathers name + the name of witnesses.
Birth certs are not available before September 1837 you can only find the parents names from parish records.

From the census records they seem to be consistent with the spelling of their name so it may be that the parents surname was the same but you can't assume anything in this game.

Hope this helps.
Mike