From the Mundane to the Sublime
Part 1
My own life to date would be described as 'mundane', nothing exciting ever happens. Oh! in 1968 I did emigrate to Australia with my wife and three young children. So what ? so did hundreds of others. Hardly 'world shattering news' is it ? The event may have made the ' Woburn Reporter ' or ' Bletchley Gazette' Just mundane like my Batham ancestors before me, bricklayers and chimney sweeps.
Great-great grandfather William Batham 1783-1853 may have been a more colourful character, living (and dying) in Notting Hill, an area so bad it was described by Charles Dickens as a most obnoxious slum. William had various occupations, locksmith, bellhanger and pig breeder, the latter being the cause of the obnoxious slum. William, according to my cousin Jack (cousin n x removed) married late in life because he was in the army, 3rd Foot regiment and served at the Battle of Waterloo. A bit of excitement there, but he was one of 23,000 British troops. He is the end of the line till I or someone finds his father.
On my mothers side I've got general labourers, Great grandfather Walter Hussey 1836- 1910 came to Bethnal Green, London from Bridport, Dorsetshire. His father Christopher Hussey 1801-1837 was a seaman and died by accident . He fell from a triangle aboard the schooner 'Safrina' in Bridport harbour. I have yet to find out what a triangle is or was. And again he is the end of the line so far.
The mundane nature of the tree continues with Smiths in Wiltshire who were 'Cordwainers' and Pattendens in Whitechapel, East London who were nothing in particular although one Joseph Medley Pattenden was in the merchant navy. He died in 1769 aboard the Eastindiaman 'Talbot' somewhere between Bengal and England. From here on it's the usual Ag labs.
When I continue my wife's ancestors may provide something more interesting. Roy