Familes, Friends and Genealogies

Meeking(s) of Foxearth

noreply@blogger.com (martyng) — Sat, 30 May 2009 22:49:00 +0000

I am trying to find out about the family of Sarah MEEKING, who was born about 1800, and who married an ancestor of mine, William BRYNING, in London in 1823.
I am aware that Charles MEEKING was born in Foxearth in about 1800 - he ended up sireing a wealthy family who took over the Richings Park estate in Buckinghamshire in the 1850s (source 1861 census for Iver, Bucks). Some family (flimsy) evidence has it that Sarah was related to this family.
So was Sarah MEEKING a sister to Charles? Who were Charles Meekings parents? IGI is not very helpful although there is a Sarah Meeking b 1801 to William and Sarah - but in Lowestoft, some way off. Are local Parish records of that time existing which might show Charles Meeking birth/christening and therefore his parents - and any siblings?
Anyone shed any light on this one?

Martyn Guy

Wright and Oakley

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:29:00 +0000

From Jemima Armistead

My husband's g,g grandfather Francis Wright was born
in Pentlow in 1858 to a Alfred Wright and Emma Oakley. They married
in 1855 and had 4 children James, Mary, Francis and William. Emma
Oakley was buried 30 June 1864 , 3 days after her oldest's child
James. Alfred, I believed also died prior to the 1971 census as three
surviving children are living at the Sudbury Work House.

Alfred's 1st wife was Eliza Plumb, they had 2 children George and
Ann. George survived childhood and lived with his mother's father Daniel
Plumb.

The only thing I know about Emma Oakley was born about
1834/5 in Cavendish Suffolk, according to the 1861 census

Posted on behalf of Jemima Armistead

John Wilkin of Foxearth

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:44:00 +0000

I'm researching my great grandmother's family. She was Catherine/Catharine Felton when she died but her first husband was James Cook, postman and her maiden name was Wilkin.
She was born on Corfu.
I have reason to believe her father, John Wilkin came from Foxearth.

Posted on behalf of Andrea Blackburn

Where there's a Willis....

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:21:00 +0000

from Gwyn Bailey

I am trying to find about the above area! My specific question is: has anyone ever heard of a Willis family living there in the late 18th Century? George Willis, who could be my 3x g.grandfather married Elizabeth Osborn in Sible Hedingham in 1798 and gave Belchamp Otten as his home parish. Was he born there or had he just been 'passing through'? He *may* have been a miller, but he may also have been the son of a reasonably wealthy family.

Gibbons, Tarbon, Golding, Mann, Hammond, Butcher

noreply@blogger.com (briansfamily) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:28:00 +0000

The Scurrys did a lot of marrying into local families at Belchamp St Pauls and Belchamp Otten, so have accumulated info about these too. All in 19th century, but originally from Hundon, Suffolk in 1795

briansown@hotmail.co.uk

Scurrys, Cutmores, Deals, Martins

noreply@blogger.com (briansfamily) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:14:00 +0000

I've been researching the above families for a long time, so have accumulated quite a bit of info. If anyone is interested in exchanging info I'd be very happy to do so.
Brian Buxton briansown@hotmail.co.uk

Home Ward bound.

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:21:00 +0000

I've just moved in to Glemsford and discovered that my Great Great Grandmother and my Great Grandmother were both born and raised in the village. I'm assuming that it goes further back too. My Great Great Grandmother was Mary Ann Oakley (b. abt March 1854) her father was Thomas Oakley and he married Sarah Ann Byford about 7.7.1850. My G.G. Grandmother married John Brown and Sarah Jane Brown was born November 1873 in Glemsford, at some time during her childhood the family moved to Diss for work. Sarah Jane then married Arthur Saunders who became very prominent in the Co-Operative Society setting up a brush works in Leeds, Yorkshire, and travelled the world sourcing materials.

It is quite amazing to find myself in the same village that my forebears originated from as my partner and I have lived in very many places in the last few years such as Shropshire and France. We had no idea there was a Suffolk branch of the family!

Many thanks and kind regards

Joanne Ward
(but apparently, sadly, not related to the Wards of the Brewery! Although Wards are still brewing up in Sheffield where another branch of my family are from!)

(posted on behalf of Joanne Ward by Andrew Clarke. The Ward family are spread throughout the border parishes, and appear in mediaeval documents, but seem to have their epicentre around Long Melford. More information would be very much appreciated on the Byfords, Browns and Oakleys too)

Sadler Tribe

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Sadler) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:23:00 +0000

Considerable effort has to date traced my branch of the SADLER tribe back to the uper Stour area.

At present we are stuck with no ancestry for a John Sadler, born ca 1690-1710, who married in Belchamp St Paul a Sarah Marshall 20.10.1731, and later an Elizabeth Osborne 25.12.1738, both times in B St P.

From the second marriage he had 4 children, all born Belchamp St Paul:

Anne 1744 married a James Wells, from whom I have a couple of generations of descendants

Richard 1746 married Mary Parsons 20.10.1766 in Pentlow - this is my line and goes on until the present day through Cavendish and Newmarket

William 1748 married Sarah Goodchild 11.12.1769 in Cavrendish, later a Mary unknown about 1780, again in Cavendish - 5 children

James 1750 married Hannah Harrington 9.8.1770 in Cavendish; four children born in Pentlow.

If anybody has info on a John Sadler born in the area about 1690-1710, I'd be glad to have it. I know there were several Sadler pairs in both Clare and Stoke-by-Clare from 1650 on, but none so far has a John; Stoke -by-Clare records are missing for a period of 10 years just when I need them!

Equally, if i can help anyone working on the name Wells, or who has an odd Sadler in their tree, I would be very happy to do so.

Glemsford, Borley and Foxearth also show up in the tree later on.

Ray Sadlr

The Brown and Wells families

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:17:00 +0000

I am gathering a lot of the history of my family from Pentlow, Cavendish, Glemsford , Borley and Foxearth.

The photo you have in Cavendish of Frederick Brown outside his bakery was my great grandfather; the lady outside is Agnes Brown nee Cook from Glemsford. She was my great grandmother.

In the main photo, 'The photo club 1903', there is a man nearly at the front with a moustache. I think he may be Sidney Wells, farmer, of Pentlow. He farmed from 1902 until 1932 at Pentlow Hall Farm. (now Pentlow House). I have a family photo of the Wells family, late 1800s, and Sidney looks like the man with the moustache. This old photo also shows his mother, Matilda Theobald, from Borley.

I have been researching the Wells family of Cavendish, and the Brown family. I have found them all back to 1700, which includes other families.

My mother was born at Boxed Hall to Charles Wells. Ethel Brown & Sidney Wells bought Hooks Hall and Moores Farm in 1919.

I found the information on your site; it has been very useful

Mary Ethelwood

Mary and Sidney Wells at Pentlow Hall Farm

Charles Wells, Matilda Theobald and family

(posted on behalf of Mary Ethelwood. Any replies will be forwarded. The Wells family are a well-known Cavendish family, and descendents live there still)

from Rupert Mallin

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 22:02:00 +0000

I grew up in Clare and remember undertaking a project about Borley Rectory aged fourteen. I loved being frightened by the place - via Harry's books - but could even then understand rational understanding versus magic!

As the black sheep of my family, I went to Clare Sec Mod, rather than grammar school. Hated the school but somehow got on with pupils and teachers - circa 1967-70. Eventually got myself educated! While 'art & education' is my work, 'history' is my bedrock.

I lived near A.L. Morton's chapel house on Poslingford Corner. Our address was The Royal Oak, Snow Hill, Clare. My dad bought half an old 'malt' pub - that is, they brewed there on site. I know this because, as a child, we opened up a bricked in room there full of old hops and equipment!

Leslie Morton had a brother in Pentlow who used to farm with shire horses leading the plough, probably into the 1970s. My dad Tom was a picture restorer and artist, and then became a writer. He took us kids to Joe Farley's in Pentlow, I remember - and there would be novelist Nigel Balchin and artist Michael Ayrton and others...

Morton's farm was famous! Brother Morton was probably more famous because of his 'The People's History of England." However, his 'history' ends abruptly in 1920. With my one O Level I worked as a cub reporter on the then Haverhill Echo, circa 1970, and interviewed Leslie who was still singing the praises of the Soviet Bloc and his visits there! Strangely, he side stepped Hungary 1956, though, in essence, he was a liberal-Stalinist!! In 1988 I moved here and with my then partner opened a bookshop - and Leslie wrote me a lovely letter celebrating our venture - the last letter he ever wrote...

Nigel Balchin retired to Glemsford. His house had been a pub, 'The Greyhound.' I know this because I helped my father Tom put up such a greyhound sign in his front garden! I was only a boy but there were gatherings at Joe Farley's farm cottage, where Balchin, Ayrton and others visited. Would it have been 'The Larks,' Pentlow? We were also friends with the Bell family who converted their Cavendish riverside house into a restaurant and the Hendersons, who were teachers...

A little further afield I met Edmund Blunden (first world war poet) and still keep in touch with his youngest daughter in Spain.

I presently live in Lowestoft and bumped into local historian Ivan Bunn and told him he must visit your site. He has written extensively about the Lowestoft 'Witches' with an American academic.

My 'historical' regret is that I didn't complete an MPhil on 'independent publishers in Chartist Norwich' in the late 1980s. Yet my artistic work is increasingly bringing me to 'history.' Though the artistic production is always a little cider pressed of historical intention, the research has always been the best part. Most recently I've worked on a project at Dragon Hall in Norwich and a garage worker on the lowly King Street presented me with 200 pages of research about the street!

My next large project is in the offing: to enhance and develop The Burston Strike School, near Diss, as an exciting museum. We've half the funding - fingers crossed! I'll be working with young photographer Adam Shawyer, Sheringham. He worked on the Magnum Agency archives for five years. Adam knew nothing of the "history" yet, but as real life stories unfold, from all angles, his enthusiasm is now absolute.

In my view, history shouldn't just be brought back onto school curriculums, it should be the school curriculum!

All best wishes, Rupert Mallin
http://rupertmallin.info

The Ginns of Belchamp

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 08:12:00 +0000

I would like to find any information about the Ginn Families living in and around Belchamp St. Paul's in the 19th Century. My maternal Grandfather was Stanley William GINN - born Barnet, Herts 1890 to John Herbert GINN and Alice GINN formerly Caplin. (My great grandparents) John Herbert was born Belchamp St. Paul's 1860. His parents were Henry & Sarah GINN. (My great great grandparents) Henry was born c1833 Foxearth. Henry's parents were John GINN (dob c1801) & Hannah GINN (my great great great grandparents).

It seems to me there were at least 3 Ginn families living in the area in the 1800s and I am sure they were all related. I would love to hear from anyone who could provide me further information or indeed a distant relation.

Many thanks,

Brian Robinson

Kent

The good Deals of Foxearth

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 18:49:00 +0000

I wonder if any readers have further details on my ancestors, the Deal family. My great great great grandfather was James Deal, born in Foxearth as was his son, Charles Deal.

JAMES DEAL was born 1778 in Foxearth, and died 1853 in Sudbury.

Children of JAMES DEAL are:

CHARLES DEAL, b. Abt. 1813, Foxearth, Essex; d. 1900, Maldon, Essex. He married MARY ANN ELIMS 24 Dec 1843 in Parish Church, Melford, Suffolk, daughter of ROGER ELIMS and SARAH. She was born Abt. 1822 in Long Melford, Suffolk.

GEORGE3 DEAL, b. Abt. 1852, Great Cornard, Suffolk. (My great grandfather - he was a cabinet maker and moved to north london, his son, my grandfather George Deal was a cabinet maker also)
EMILY DEAL, b. Abt. 1844, Foxearth, Essex.
ISAAC DEAL, b. Abt. 1846, Chilton, Suffolk.
FREDERICK DEAL, b. Abt. 1849, Great Cornard, Suffolk.Occupation: 1881, Gardener
HERBERT DEAL, b. Abt. 1855, Great Cornard, Suffolk.

HENRY DEAL, b. Abt. 1815, Foxearth; Occupation: 1851, Horsekeeper d. 1887, Sudbury; m. (1) RHODA; b. 1853, Glemsford; m. (2) ANN; b. 1820, Foxearth.

Today (3rd October 2006) I visited Foxearth to get a feel of village and its surroundings, it was most enjoyable.

Margaret Hunt (nee Deal)

The Chinnerys of Foxearth

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 13:48:00 +0000

In the photographs there is a picture of the Post Office in 1910. My great grandfather, William Chinnery b.c.1837, was the postmaster at that time, so I am rather hoping that is him in the front.Unfortunately we do not have any photos of his generation.

My family started off as Chenery in Borley c.1700s and then changed to Chinery. They were still the one "n" variety when they moved to Foxearth before 1823.

In the 1891 census they have become Chinnery and we have remained that way since. My grandfather, the postman's eldest son, moved to the Thurrock area before the 1901 census and married an Orsett girl in 1904. His four siblings stayed in the Sudbury area and I think I still have cousins there. The last one I knew was Reg who lived at 12, Claypits Rd., Foxearth until he died in 1998.

I have a snap c.1937 of all our Chinnery family taken in The Street at Foxearth. ( In the war years all the family seemed to live along that road.) Do you think any member of your group would be interested in seeing it ? Also I have hopes that someone might tell me which brother is which, as there are two I cannot identify.

Has anyone any idea when the Victorian school photo was taken?The boy, back row, second from left from the schoolmistress could so easily have been my grandfather as it is the image of my father, when he was young.If so, I think the photo would have been taken c. 1892/4. Also the fair haired chubby faced boy, left, front row, has a Chinnery face!All my imagination I daresay but it would be nice to know.

Thank you for making it possible for others to enjoy your site.

Grace Fauvel

Charlotte Ann Serjeant

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 16:51:00 +0000

From Margaret Hryniuk

What a wonderful Website! I came across it as I was trying to discover the significance of a gravestone in a small rural cemetery in Grenfell, Saskatchewan, Canada. I am writing a book on stone buildings in Saskatchewan, one of which was built for Bertram Serjeant, second son of Rev. James S. Serjeant, vicar of Acton, Suffolk, and born at Southsea, Hampshire in 1861. Bertram, who died in 1921, was married to Charlotte Ann, who died in 1914. Charlotte's gravestone bears a Latin verse, translated by a local Anglican minister as "praise for God." At the bottom of the gravestone is, "Gestingthorpe 1792" Little is known about the Serjeants, so I have been attempting to follow up on the reference to Gestingthorpe, which led me to you. Based on what I have told you, which is all I know -- oh yes, Bertram and Charlotte apparently bought their land south of Grenfell in 1893, and they named the stone house they had built on it "Gestingthorpe" -- have you any suggestions to help me in this search? Gestingthorpe was obviously important to them, so I think it is also important to my chapter on their home. Thank you so much for your time.
Margaret Hryniuk
Regina, Sask
Canada

Zephalonius, a Hoy there.

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 11:11:00 +0000

I'm interested in Hoy(e)s of N Essex.

Over the past 17 years I have traced my ancestors as they made their way around a very small area where Essex, Cambs and Suffolk join, - from Helions Bumpstead to Schudy Camps to Castle Camps (1530-1588) thence to Wixoe and Birdbrook then up to Bradley 1780 then Stetchworth 1820, Cambridge and then to London 1875.

A fairly well defined path and I'm totally at a loss to explain an apparent connection with Gestingthorpe.

In 1592 at Castle Camps and then exactly 50 years later,1642, at Gestingthorpe two boys were baptised Zephalonius Hoye. As far as I can tell these two were the only Zephalonius' ever registered in England!
Yet I believe there was another earlier one - an "illustrious" ancestor who perhaps fought at the defence of Cephalonia about 1485 - after the fall of Byzantium to the Turks. Perhaps he was a mercenary in the service of Venice, who managed to keep control over their trading post, perhaps he earned the nickname Cephalonius Hoye.
What do your contributors think?

The Byfords of Great Maplestead

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 11:08:00 +0000

I wonder if you, or any of your bloggers can help? My family all came from Great Maplestead - five generations from the late 18th century to the middle of the 19th, all agricultural labourers, conventional families will loads of kids and no great surprises. The trouble is, I've traced the entry in the parish register for the marriage for the couple who started the Byfords in Great Maplestead, but I can't discover where they came from!

Joseph Byford (B abt 1764) married Sarah Sibley (b abt 1762) at Great Maplestead church on 20th July 1784 by special licence. The banns had been read the previous 3 sundays. The stayed together until their deaths about 50 years later. In 1841, they were living at New Barns, Great Maplestead. Their children included George, Joseph, James, Mary, Rachael, Robert and Thomas. Richard Deal (Beal?) was a witness to the marriage.

So who were they? How did they get there? Did they need some sort of settlement certificate in those days? If anybody has any ideas I would be very pleased to hear from them.

Posted by Richard Byford

phone number 01296 615111.

Printing photos from the site-The Whittles

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 12:24:00 +0000

I have visited your web site for Foxearth & District Local History many
times. As my nan and grandad lived in Foxearth for many years and are buried in the grave yard at Foxearth. I have searched through the photos of Foxearth on your web site and would like to try and get a copy of the Coronation Supper photo as my grandparents are in this picture. I wondered if you could help.

regards
Linzi Allen

Linzi

I'm glad you visit the site often. It would be nice to know the names of your grandparents. The photo was borrowed only briefly from the owner. All these photos are stored at the maximum resolution that their original quality allowed, so you can actually print them out with a decent printer at full resolution. As far as I am aware, there are no copyright restrictions on any of these photographs as long as they are for personal use. If you tell a digital print shop the URL of the photo (the address at the top of the browser) they'll be able to produce a print that looks pretty good. We use ACD See to print the photos. If you use 'Best' quality at both ends you can get pretty remarkable prints. Beware, though. Although Hewlett Packard say their ink doesn't fade, beleve me it does.

Andrew

My grandparents were Gladys and Bertie Whittle
they lived in Claypits. So I spent much of my childhood in Foxearth

Linzi

The Maxims

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 21:54:00 +0000

I would be very interested to hear about any information you may have on the Maxims I am doing a One Name Study on the name Maxim and am a member of the Guild of One Name Studies. Maxim appears in my husband's ancestry and what started out as just a bit of family history has just growed!

I am sure the Suffolk Maxims must be related to the Essex ones, but as yet, haven't had much success.

I was given the link to your site and think it's absolutely marvellous. I have done a search on the name Maxim and have come up with a lot of newspaper entries. All I've got to do now is fit the people in the news items with the names in my One Name Study. The war time ones were very poignant.

Posted by Tricia Campbell

I would like to comment on the Maxim family.

My great great grandfather was William Maxim, born in Foxearth in 1802. He
found his way to London around 1840 when he and two sons became cab drivers.
He died in St Pancras workhouse in about 1885.

I presume that he was barely literate and probably had a strong dialect
accent because by the time he gets to London his surname has become Maxam
and his place of birth Foxith.

One grandson Harry Maxam became a music hall artiste of at least moderate
ability as the 1901 census shows him in theatrical digs in Manchester.

With regard to the Essex/Suffolk branches, it seems to me that they are one
and the same as they come for the most part from areas that straddle the
county boundaries.

I will be delighted to exchange the rather fuller details I have to anyone
interested and likewise would like to hear other news of the Maxims. In
particular, I would like to know of any emigration to New England and
possible connection to Hiram Maxim born in Sangerville Maine in 1840,
knigted by Queen Victoria for inventing the machine gun, the steam driven
aeroplane, the carbon electric light filament and a patent hair
straightener!

posted by Brian Johnson

A Cook's view

noreply@blogger.com (bcook) — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 14:50:00 +0000

What a welcome addition to the web. Congratulations to all who have put this wonderful site together. It will take me quite a while to read it all but that's the kind of challenge I enjoy. So, I'm Brian Cook, born and partly bred in Foxearth some 57 and a bit years ago. My dad, Henry to locals and family, and Sam to his wife and in-laws, is still going strong at 90 in his adopted home of Balloch, Scotland. My mother, May (McLellan), alas passed away in March 2004. My father was the seventh child of Herbert (Teddy)and and Elizabeth Cook who lived at what's now known as Cook's Cottage across from the brewery. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ted Heathcote's blog on the village and recognized many of the names he mentioned. Dare I say, I can almost put faces to most of them. My wife Susan and I visited the village a few years ago and ran into Kenneth Colby in the lane. That was a treat! I remember the Ham's and used to hang out with Stuart when I visited the grandparents from my new home in Scotland. What truly struck me when we visited - I now live near Boston, Massaachusetts, by the way - was just how unchanged it all seemed. Yes, the brewery was gone, but the old feel of the place and the tranquility just stood out. My wife, who grew up in New Hampshire, USA which has a similar small town, small village appeal, as does neighbouring Vermont, was especially impressed by the area. That's all for now. I shall return to these pages with more updates soon .

The Mayhews of Pentlow Street (by Joy Steward nee Mayhew)

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Clarke) — Thu, 19 May 2005 07:35:00 +0000

Hugh Mayhew: born at Cotton near Stowmarket,Moved to Bradfields,Foxearth;Moved to Pentlow Street on marriage to Mabel Allen circ.1912;Worked as steward on Brands farm.
Mabel Allen: born in Glemsford;Moved to Pentlow Street on marriage to Hugh Mayhew.

Family.

Ida Mayhew: born 1913 went into service at Clacton,then worked at Beaumont Hall Hotel in Clacton until marriage to John Fairclough. Lived in Clacton,during the war returned to Pentlow while John served in the R.A.F.working at Wards Brewery during this time.After the war both returned to Brightlingsea to run an Off licence.
Alan Mayhew.: born 1915 went to school at Pentlow,left at 15 to work on the farm with his father.He married Viola Maxim who also attended Pentlow school at the same time.He courted her when she moved to Clacton to work in an hotel and cycled the 60miles to see her after a hard days work on the farm..They lived at Ropers Farm,Pentlow a tied house before moving to Street Farm where they stayed for 14 years.To obtain a better position for himself and realising that Oliver Brand,having 3 sons meant that a step up the ladder to farm manager and taking over from his father Hugh was unlikely he moved to Sudbourne to further his career.
Lilian Mayhew: born at Pentlow Street.died from T.B. aged 21.
Stan Mayhew: attended Pentlow school, occupation builder served in the army during the war returning to marry and live in Sudbury.Bernard Mayhew born at Pentlow Street,attended Pentlow school, occupation bricklayer,served in the army stationed in Norfolk,then to France,Belgium before being invalided out after injury to return to Pentlow to work on Oliver Brands farm and where he still lives.after retirement.Adrian Mayhew attended Pentlow School, occupation builder, served in the Navy before returning to live at Long Melford after marriage.Eric Mayhew born at Pentlow Street,attended Pentlow school occupation builder served in the army in France returning to marry and live in Cavendish where he still resides after retirement.
Cedric Mayhew: born at Pentlow Street attended Grammar school worked in an office then continued to work on Oliver Brands farm.Married,lived in Pentlow before moving to Glemsford,now living in Sudbury.
Colin Mayhew: born at Pentlow Street attended Earls Colne school as a boarder,worked in an office,then worked as a farm labourer for Oliver Brand at Pentlow.Lived at Pentlow after marriage,moved to Glemsford then to Stansted.

Emma Maxim: lived at Paynes Manor Cottages with husband AlbertEmma worked on the fields stone picking to supplement her income,she also workedat Wards Brewery,Foxearth for a short time.In the event of a local persondying,Emma was called upon to lay them out before they were placed in the coffin forburial.
Albert: worked at Coopers Farm as horseman looking after 10 horses.Albert died from T.B. aged 46 yearsFamily
Alec: attended Pentlow school,worked at Skillets Farm,married,lived at Pentlow,before moving to Billericay to be closer to his wifes family.
Connie: Born in 1914,attended Pentlow school died 1930 aged 16 years from T.B.
Viola: Born in 1916 attended Pentlow school left to go into service at Belchamp St.Paul then moved to work at Beaumont Hall Hotel in Clacton on Sea until marriage when she moved to Ropers Farm,Pentlow
tanley: Born in 1923 attended Pentlow school joined Whitlocks at Yeldham as a trainee engineer.During the war he served in the army being posted to Africa,on his return he married and moved to Mansfield to be close to his wifes family and finding employment working underground in the coal mine.This lasted a few years until he found employment driving the coal lorries.

Plumbs, Argents and Cullingfords

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Young) — Sat, 15 Jan 2005 23:54:00 +0000

Hi Tom
Thought I'd write and let you know what a treasure your website is! I wish more local history societies had one like it. There's a wealth of information giving a real flavour to the social history and how people of all classes lived in the area.
I've recently found out I'm related to the Plumbs and Argents of Sible Headingham and surrounding area, but I've only just scratched the surface so far. My great-grandmother was Alice Plumb born 1859 in Sib Hed and her mother was Mary Ann Argent, her father Isaac Plumb.
Alice married Joseph Cullingford in Sept 1883. He was a footman and then a groom. I know they stayed in Shadow Bush, Poslingford for a while because that is where her son and my grandfather, Claude William Cullingford was born in 1888. Claude had an older brother called Percy who was born in Holton, Suffolk in 1884 and a younger sister called Mabel who was also born in Poslingford, Suffolk in 1894.
The family moved to The Lodge, Sloe House, Halstead, Essex and were still there at least until 1921-22. Claude joined the Cameron Highlanders and moved to Edinburgh (don't know if he moved to Edinburgh first - he was a footman, too). He met my grandmother, Jessie Bonthrone there and they married in 1915. He died in France in 1916, without ever seeing his son, William - my father.
I think Percy, Claude's brother, died in France, too.
My father only met his grandfather once - when my grandmother, Jessie, took him (age 5-6) on the long journey from Fife to Halstead to meet his grandparents. He only remembered Joseph was a groom and he smoked a meerschaum pipe. He could remember the smell of it and the smell of leather in the stables. He was given his own horse to ride during his stay. The horse was called Strawberry! He couldn't remember his grandmother Alice at all, which is a pity.
So it was really interesting for me to read your Newspaper Archives which is the jewel in the crown on your website. What a magnificent achievement to have recorded all that information! Shadow Bush, Poslingford is mentioned two or three times in different reports and the Plumbs and Argents too for other articles. I don't know if I'm related to them all, but no doubt I'll find that out in the fullness of time.
I hope to visit Sible Headingham and Halstead sometime in the future, work permitting, to do some more research and I guess just to walk in my ancestor's footsteps. But for now, I'll log on to your website often. I've even made it one of my Favourites!
Thank you and please thank everyone else involved for making this such a gem of a website.
Regards
Christine Young