In search of the family

  FLORENCE STEWART PERRY nee ANDREWS 1882-1957 Kindly shared by JP If you have read any of my previous posts you will have perhaps noticed, I write a lot about the women in my tree. In the most part this is because many focus on the males in their tree, their occupations, their military service etc, but there are often 'strong' women beside them, caring for their children, managing on what money may or may not be coming in and often undertaking sideline home work which was so badly paid. One of those women was my Great Grandmother Eliza Pitts, but I have already written about her under the theme, 'Loss'. So today I am writing about another lady, the wife of my half Grand-Uncle, Florence Stewart Perry nee Andrews wife of John Arthur Perry. When writing his autobiographical journal, 'By Devious Paths' John A. makes this dedication:-  Dedicated to the constant and faithful companion on my Pilgrimage, 'By Devious Paths MY WIFE. Writing this I am well aware that

THANKFUL This has been another theme that I have struggled to write something new about. I could rehash my thanks to all the people who have helped me in my family history journey, but I have already done this periodically within other posts. I should also count my blessings that I was born, when I was and in a country and culture, which has offerred a good life with many opportunities, not always available to my ancestors or for others living today.  But out of nowhere a childhood memory of a prayer that we would recite at the end of the schoolday, which does fit with this weeks theme. I attended the local village primary school in Wraysbury on the River Thames back in the late 1960's. It was in Mrs Wallace's class, Class 8, that at the end of the schoolday we all put our hands together and recited this childs prayer/hymn, before we could all rush out of class and clamour for our coats to make our way home. I still remember the first lines:- Now the day is over,               

  BIRTHDAYS As a family we are not big on birthdays, we give cards and presents but we do not really go in for parties. Having said that I have spent some of my birthdays in far flung lands, India, Egypt and Argentina just being a few.  So what can I write about for this weeks theme? My initial response to the title was remembering Victoria Wood ( a UK comedienne) talking about  children's parties and 'potted meat sandwiches'! My own memories are of jelly and blancmanche and games such as pass the parcel, musical chairs and pin the tale on the donkey. So this week after a struggle as what to write, I thought I would introduce you all to George. George was gifted to me on my 2nd birthday by my paternal Grandfather. He may be a little faded now but I remember opening the box he arrived in, to see him lying within tissue paper, snow white, blue eyed and red paws with a large blue satin ribbon. Over the years he has been well loved, as a child I used him to rest my head rather

 LOIS SOANES 1828-1917   Smoking the herring. Lowestoft www.taleoftheherring.com I was intending to write Lois' story under the theme of 'Steps.' However this was not to be, but I hope that you will agree that 'stormy weather' certainly features within her story as much as the various 'step' relationships. Lois was born in Corton, a village neighbouring the port of Lowestoft in Norfolk the 2nd surviving daughter of Robert Taylor Soanes and his wife Esther, nee Youell. By the 1841 census, a widowed Esther is a shopkeeper in Corton. I have previously written about Lois' brother, John Soanes, who in later life became caretaker of Lowestoft yacht pond, now it is his sister, Lois' turn to take the spotlight.   Map of the coast from Lowestoft and Yarmouth including Gorleston and Corton. In 1846 Lois married local fisherman of Corton, George Charles Hannant,  at St Batholomew Church, Corton, on 19th Jul. Three months later, their first child, a son, was bap

  DOROTHY MARY JAY 1884-1959 with kind permission of the owner of this image. O.D. (Ancestry) Dorothy Mary Jay was the eldest daughter and child of the Reverend William (Willie) Parkinson Jay and his wife Priscilla Amelia nee Sterry born on the 27th June 1884. cropped from image above. The Reverend Willie Parkinson Jay was the brother of the Rev Arthur Osborne Montgomery Jay, who I have previously written about. Unlike his more flamboyant brother the Reverend Willie P Jay was less controversial in his ministry, although he and his wife were both innovative in their ministry at Christ Church, Watney Street in the East End of London.  It was at this church that the Rev Jay baptised his own daughter in 1884 on Aug 6th.                                                                        crown copyright Over the next couple of years, Dorothy's sisters Gladys and Hilda and Olive were born, but in 1888 tragedy struck the youngest sibling, Olive who died aged approx 7 months. Whilst the