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     My family and I have been discussing businesses in Winterbourne, and nobody can remember when NatWest Bank took over the property from the old VG Store

     We are wondering if anyone has any idea regarding the year?

     Lorraine Haskins

POCOCK and PHILLIPS family...

James Pocock ?m1835 Maria Phillips of Frampton Cotterell, children Alfred 1836, Offley ?1836, Sarah Ann 1837, James 1841.

Does anybody know James' birth family?

The family with Maria, but without James, lived at Frampton Cotterell according to the early censuses; James was absent -- I don't know whether he died just before the 1841 census, away from home, or what happened to him.

My searching has found many James, but it's hard to tell which is right.

Can anyone help?
David Stone, Cambridge

News update from David, 16 Jan 2011...

A descendent of Sarah Ann has letters written from James Pocock born ~1790 (wife Sarah née Gowing, born ~1792?) to his son the James I asked about, written to him in Demerara, Guyana, where he died ~1840,
working as a carpenter on a sugar plantation, the Hampton Court Estate. The elder James was a hatter and shop keeper in Frampton
Cotterell, I believe.

TUDDENHAM

I have just discovered your website while searching for a Ruth Tuddenham who was a Nursing Sister in World War I. I am researching the Tuddenham family history. I am looking for any information about members of the Tuddenham family. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Shelagh Tuddenham
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 

HOWELLS

 
    Hello. Has anyone access to the Frampton Cotterell baptismal and burial records and are willing to look up a few records. I am looking for the baptism/death of children born to John and Harriet Howells who lived in the parish between 1858 and 1863. I believe that at least two children were born in the parish and another child died, are there any more? I am also interested in who John Howells worked for during this period - he was a groom/coachman. I know a lot about this family except for this period of their lives.

     Thank you . Annette 

HOLMES, Oliver - Policeman

 
On my father's maternal side my great Grandfather, Oliver Holmes, was, I believe a policeman at Winterbourne. I have a picture circa 1910 - 20?. However this is all I know. I don't know if he was a special constable, part time, full time? Do any records exist of policemen in Winterbourne, or I wonder if any visitors to this site have other photographs of the long arm of the law?

Chris MATTHEWS

Left-click photo for full image

EDWARDS & HARCOMBE

   I am trying to follow my maternal grandfathers family and have happily arrived at James Edwards (b. 1798 d. 8 April 1944, Winterbourne) who married Amelia Harcombe (b. 1795 [probably Winterbourne], d. Aug 10th 1868).

   The problem is that while I can push back from Amelia up the Harcombe/Maggs line as far as I chose, I am finding no leads for James Edwards and his parents.

   Any thoughts from anyone using this site would be very welcome.

   Mark Gray

   PLAYER families of Winterbourne areas

 
   Please does anyone who is researching their Player family which may be connected to mine maybe have any records of further back than GEORGE PLAYER, born FRAMPTON 1805 ish. He married ANN LOVELL and their children were JOHN, SARAH ANN, GEORGE, ROBERT, BENJAMIN ANGEL, MARY, HENRY AND ANOTHER HENRY.
   If anyone out there does have access to full info on geneology sites prior to 1805 could they please have a search for me. I have come across a George Wigmore Player married to a Mary Angel Player and I thought maybe there is a connection as my Benjamin above has the middle name of Angel but I think their children's names are different. I also found other George Players born around 1805, especially in Newnham, Forest of Dean but I have born Frampton so I really don't know and I have been all around the web sites etc and have come to a halt.
   Sorry to be a pain but any help very welcome after a year's searching and most of the help has been through Winterbourne Family History and Ray Bulmer. I still owe him a pair of socks!! when I get over in 2012
   Thank you
   Carol Ann Harris (nee Player) South Africa

Tillet and Lawrence Families of Winterbourne

The following interesting message is from Stewart Stronski.

If anyone wishes to write to him, please write to the webmaster and I will put you in touch with Stewart.

Through my Tillett ancestors I have a connection to the parish going back over 400 years to before 1600. And my 4x great-grandfather was Thomas Lawrence who came to the parish in the early part of the 19th Century after being born at Acton Court in 1793. The same house which has recently undergone a transformation as a tourist site. First his father and then he was the tenant of Winterbourne Court Farm. Apparently Thomas Lawrence the elder took over as tenant in about 1806 and then the son took it over after the death of his father. Apparently the younger Thomas was only 23 so that would be about 1816. I don't know the exact details for much of it but at his death in 1880 the Parish Magazine says that he had spent 74 years in the Parish. The Kelly's entry for 1870 has him at Winterbourne Court Farm so he was tenant at the Court Farm for at least 54 years and lived there for 64 years or more. In 1879 he was living at Winterbourne Lodge. He is buried at Iron Acton.

Thomas married Sarah Selman in 1818 in Wapley-Cum-Codrington. Apparently she was born there about 1794. Thomas and Sarah had 6 daughters and 2 sons. Thomas Lawrence was born and died in 1826 and Thomas William was born in 1834. Emma Jane Lawrence was born in 1828 and died in 1878 and Mary Selman Lawrence was born in 1832 and died in 1894. Their sister Elizabeth Lawrence was born in 1821. First Emma Jane Lawrence and then Mary Selman Lawrence married my 3x great-grandfather Joseph Tillett, son of William Tillett and Hannah Bryant. Joseph married Emma Jane in 1854 and he married Mary Selman in 1880. They didn't have any children and that was the only time that Mary Selman married. Elizabeth Lawrence married Robert Jones, son of John Jones, who was a miller at Winterbourne Down in 1891. When they were married in 1846 Robert was living at Frampton Cotterell and he and John Jones were Corn-factors. Unfortunately I don't really know much of anything else about descendants of Thomas Lawrence. Did Elizabeth and Robert Jones have any children? What happened to Thomas William Lawrence? What about their sisters: Sarah, Hannah and Helen Lawrence?

Joseph Tillett was born at Westerleigh, where his mother Hannah Bryant was born, and he was christened at Winterbourne on 18 April 1830. His father was William Tillett and his uncle was George Tillett. William and George had a number of quarries and other properties in the parish. There were Tilletts in the parish all the way back to before 1600. Several spent time at Frampton Cotterell or Mangotsfield and I know Joseph lived in Iron Acton and Whitchurch in Somerset as well as Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne. They are variously described as farmers, yeomen, quarrymen and stone merchants. There is also some connection to the Matthews family I believe, as a couple of Tillets were married to Mathews. I haven't quite figured that part out yet but likely they are not my direct ancestors. Joseph and Emma Jane Lawrence had 5 children but 3 of the 5 died in infancy or childhood. My great great-grandmother Sarah Jane was the eldest born in 1855 and she was the only one not to be baptised at Winterbourne. Her brother William was born in 1865. I know a fair bit about the ancestry of Joseph Tillett and his descendants through Sarah Jane but I would really like to find out what happened to William and his descendants.

Other Winterbourne interests: Victoria Lodge and Winterbourne Lodge. Thomas Lawrence lived in Winterbourne Lodge for at least a couple of years. Joseph Tillett and Family were living at Victoria Lodge in 1871. CHB Ellliot wrote that members of the Tillett family held a "moiety" of Victoria Lodge until 1852. I've been looking for some time for photographs of these 2 houses. Both modern and vintage photos would be very welcome.