Harriett Kate Hawker

[groom]

Same address where he died. Worth trying to contact, could be son or grandson still running it.

[ankerdine]

Wow! Thanks everyone.

Groom, I'm not sure about the marriage as there is a Frances Sanders on the 1939 Register living with a John Sanders and 2 others at Pershore, whereas we have James Levi and his father living at Birmingham on the 1939 Register. What do you think?

Judy

[groom]

Probably not the marriage then, he doesn't give a second name on that and he does seem to use it every other time.

[ankerdine]

Dear Groom and others.

Today my husband and I went to find the boatyard and we struck lucky. We met a friendly man who had known James Sanders and he gave us a lot of information about his life post WW2, which was very interesting. The River Avon at Wyre Piddle and Pershore is beautiful and we were able to take photos and see the actual river tugboat which he had partly financed and fitted out. "Engine Fitter" he was definitely.

There was a lot more but I couldn't have done it without all of you.  It's a great feeling to break through a brickwall.

Judy

Just a few more mysteries to solve...

[groom]

Thank you for updating us - what a bit of luck that you met someone who knew him. It does make you wonder sometimes if our ancestors are there giving that little push doesn't it? A few hours later and that man may not have been around when you were asking!

[A Sanders]

My daughter has alerted me to this post. James Levi Sanders was my father in law. He and his wife, Winifred had a boatyard in Pershore. They had  two children, one of whom was my late husband, Peter, who died in 1993. There are a few family members around, still, though sadly the boatyard is no longer in Sanders' hands. Please email me if you would like to know more.

[ankerdine]

Good evening. I have only just come across this post to my thread. Thank you for your comments which are very welcome.
Judy

[A Sanders]

Hello. I am glad you saw my post in the end. I would be very interested to know who it was you met when you went to the boatyard. The  boatyard had already been sold by then. I was living in the bungalow my husband and I had had built in 1982 on the boatyard land until 2011. Anyone living at the boatyard would not have known James Sanders.

James' father, Jesse, moved to Eckington from Birmingham after his son moved to Pershore. Jesse and Harriet had two children - James and Doris. James also had two children - Janet and Peter. Doris had no children. Janet's daughter, her younger child, was named Catherine Harriet. She is now known as Katy.

I have three children, who all have the name of Sanders. My daughters did not change their names on marriage. They each have two children - so the line goes on!