Hello Roger,
Firstly, Seasons Greeting to you ! My name is Kate And I live in NZ. Both my father's and mother's sides of the family emigrated here, my father emigrating here in 1951 and my mother's family emigrated here in 1921. In the early 1990's my parents and I (I was living and working in Manchester in law) went on extended tours of the UK, visiting places of interest to both sides of the family (my father's roots are in Hull Yorkshire and my mother's in the South of England, Fordham, Hastings, Rye and Fairlight). To keep things brief for this introduction, on our return from these trips, my Great Uncle Spencer Chatterton (he was my mother's uncle)brought out an old tin trunk that traveled with his family from the UK to NZ in the early 1920's. A lot of old wills and lists of births, deaths and marriages from family bibles etc came to light and much research at the time was carried out, as the wealth of these documents became apparent. It has been a long time since I have looked at these documents and I don't know what prompted me but I googled Thorpe Fairlight Sussex UK the other day while revisiting these documents, and Roots Chat with your postings came up.It is immediately clear to me that your family and mine have connections to the same family. As I say, I have a folder full of original documents of the family's which I have transcribed and kept as copies with the originals. I would be more than happy to have these documents scanned and the copies sent to you for your information. As an example I set out a part transcript of a long list of the Chatterton- Thorpe connection that was set out in a single document, by whom it is not clear but it is very detailed:-
CHATTERTON Joseph Delves Born at Rye July 261804 supposed bap(tised) at Wersham or Pevensly died August 3 1857. Married
THORPE Harriette Stonham April 12 1814 at Fairlight " (married) Church Fairlight bap at do(same). Died at 15 Frederisco (n) Place Mile End Road on Sunday morning at 1/4 past nine Jany 14th 1872.
Children:-
CHATTERTON James Thorpe Born 3. Oct 1832 Bap Fairlight Church at Rye died 10 Octr 1862.
do Joseph Delves Born 2 Sep 1834 " Rye "
do Edward Stonham Born 22 Sepr 1838 bap Bow "
do Edgar Born 5 July 1840 bap Bow " died 4 Decr 1841
do Spencer Born 24 June 1842 bap Bolvendew(?) named at Bow.
do Harriette Born 27 Octr 1846 Bap at Bow died 20 April 1862.
do Jane supposed b. 9 or 10 Sep 1848 bap at Bow named at Bow at (?) died May 1849
do William Born same week that Aunt Dillow (/) was married at Bow named at (?) dead living about 3 days.
do Peter Born 27 April 1852 Bap at Bow (this is my great grandfather)
Grandfather CHATTERTON Edward died at Rye about 1846 buried at Rye
Grandmother DELVES Mary Born and died at T.W buried at Fairlight Church
Grandfather THORPE James Manser Born 13 April 1777 at Fairlight Married 2 or 3 Feb 1812 Died 10 Sepr 1855 buried at Fairlight.
Grandmother THORPE Harriette Stonham Born 26 Septr 1778 at Beckley Sussex. Died May 1853.Buried at Fairlight.
Children of THORPE-
Harriette as above (that is Harriette Stonham born April 12 1814)
Sarah Mary Born 17 Octr 1815 at Fairlight Bap at Fairlight Married at Fairlight 17 Octr 1835
to John SMALLFIELD Born 12 Aug 1813 at Willersham (?) Kent.
As you can see it is possible to track the family's move from Sussex, to Bow in London, in the mid 1800's. I also noted another poster was interested in the DELVES connection, it is here also. The documents are many, for example there is correspondence between JANE MANSER (nee THORPE) SMALLFIELD and her Aunt MARY THORPE dated Brighton 4th (?) 1829 and Fairlight Sepr 11th 1829. It names several other family members and is a invaluable snapshot of the family interactions and concerns(relating to farming, the Brighton Fair for example) and wider contemporary social events.
I will leave this here and look forward to hearing from you in the New Year. Again I am happy to forward one way or another, any documents you maybe interested in as regards the family connections. I am sure this will find you an enthusiastic (if not surprised!!!) recipient
With regards Kate.
