In search of the family

PERRY FAMILY PHOTO Having completed the 52 Ancestors challenge in 2021, many of the stories within those themes show how I identified many of my ancestors and those I have yet to authenticate the identity. So for this weeks theme I thought I would talk about the first photograph I received of my paternal family taken around 1931/2. As the photograph has been passed amongst the family so names have been  agreed and suggested. Looking at other family photo's, some other names can be guessed at and through knowledge of family deaths and relationships other may be attributed but not necessarily correctly. So working from left to right, on the back row, of 5 men, I can identify:- ?Percival David Perry ?Ernest Perry My Grandfather Maurice Frederick Perry Hubert Jay Leslie Mark Perry not visible on this copy of the photo but on another there is possibly Edward Perry and why Percy and Ernest may also be in this photo. The middle row of women and children:- Dorothy Jay nee Perry My Grandmot...

CONSEQUENCES OF  SUNSTROKE!    I have written about this within a biography of my Great Grandfather, but amongst many of his great Grandchildren, this story still brings a wry smile and amongst those not so interested in the family history this is a story that sticks in the memory. When I asked my cousin if I could refer to her story in the 'Out of Place' theme her immediate response was 'don't forget the relative who got married (again) whilst suffering from sunstroke.' Well, on that occassion, I felt her story took preference, but when I saw this weeks theme, OOPS, I just couldn't resist retelling this story as a stand alone. My Great Grandfather, George Arthur Perry 1855-1935 married Jessie Pope, his (as I believe at this time) 2nd wife on 3rd January 1881 at the John Knox Presbytarian Church, Newcastle upon Tyne. Meanwhile on a trip to the London area, to find accommadation for his new wife and himself, George found himself marrying again, bigamously, under ...

  JOAN EDITH PERRY  1932-1999 Joan Edith Perry was the middle daughter, of three, born to Percival David Perry and Milly (Millicent Lillian) nee Daines, on the 4th Dec 1932. She is the niece of my Grandfather. Joan is one of those spinster women, who's story intrigues me, whilst I have found some documented evidence of her story, I know, from family stories, she was a lady that was much travelled. I believe she was part of the Girl Guide movement during the 1940's/50's and trained as a primary school teacher in countries such as India and Afghanistan. The first evidence of Joan's travel adventures is when she appears on the ship manifest of the Empress of France (Canadian Pacific line), on the 8th Jun 1956 sailing from Liverpool to Montreal, Canada. At this time her occupation was a laboratory assistant.   www.liverpoolships.org Her cabin would have been similar to this:   www.liverpoolships.org Tourist class 2 berth cabin. The next documented evidence is not until 1...

  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 ...

Travel in the late 19th century Paddlesteamers Whilst aware of train and horsedrawn travel in this era, I had forgotten the large number of paddle steamers working in the UK. Living in Ilfracombe for several years, I was well aware of the paddle steamers that plied the route between South Wales (Swansea) and Ilfracombe, but I hadn't realised how many other area's were accessed by this form of travel. I have previously sourced my Great Uncle's journal for a section written about his memories of being a child member of the Salvation Army and the conflict associated with The Skeleton Army. This week I am again sourcing a paragraph from this journal. George Arthur Perry 1851-1934 was a Sanitary Inspector, working for Paddington Council. Working in London, he was living in St John's Wood, his wife Jessie nee Pope, died in March 1891, it would appear that very soon after this he began a relationship with Jessie's nurse, Edith, who was now employed as Nanny to Arthur and ...

 What was my Grandfather doing in FREETOWN: SIERRA LEONE in 1938/39? Another family mystery! MAURICE FREDERICK PERRY 1901-1978 Part II I am most fortunate to have a family that have led eventful lives, but sometimes it feels like I am forever having to put on my 'Nancy Drew' hat to try and uncover yet another mystery. I left my Grandfather Maurice Frederick Perry , in a previous blog, having been medically retired from the RAF in the 1920's and having had a medical review where there was concern that there may be an underlying Mental Health problem that needed to be monitored. Maurice Frederick Perry 1901 - 1978: MILITARY (mypynthdev.blogspot.com) Maurice married my Grandmother, Alice Esther Emma Pitts at Cudham church in 1924. My father was born a few years later and Maurice had several different businesses during those early years, including a motor mechanic garage and a coal merchant, it is believed that these did not go well financially. In the 1930's the family mov...

 MEMORIES OF THE SKELETON ARMY  Last week for the theme, Groups, I considered writing about my ancestors association with the Salvation Army. However looking at the upcoming themes, I noted this one related to conflict and remembered my Great Uncle, John Arthur Perry, writing about his memories of The Skeleton Army, within his auto biographical journal. As his mother died in 1891, the following incident would have occurred in the late 1880's My parent's formerly adherents of a Primitive Methodist Chapel in Charlotte Street Kings Cross, were now members of the Salvation Army. In my possession is a 'Warrant Officers Commission' signed by Alexander Nichol D.O. certifying that "Jessie Perry is a Sergeant of No 1003 Corps." At the same time my father was "Convert Sergeant Major." In those early days this organisation met with violent opposition from 'gangs of roughs,' known as The Skeleton Army. I recall the gallant procession of Salvationists mar...

MEDICINE AND MY FAMILY. When I read this weeks theme of groups, I thought I would explore the incidence of medics within my family and ancestry. It has been quite and enlightening project as the incidence was perhaps less than I initially had thought within my direct ancestry, however if I could find a spreadsheet large enough amongst the wider family, then the results would show a significant number of other family members having some form of medical background. Why should this be? Well I think it is safe to say that if your father is himself a surgeon, the chances of a child meeting with others from a medical background is likely to be higher than the general population. So in the case of John Randolph surgeon's family, 2 of his daughters married surgeons themselves. The idea of using a coloured symbol family tree evolved from a fellow forum member hilighting another bloggers exercise in depicting a colour coded tree relating to birth counties and how families may have moved ar...

       VIVIAN H D PERRY 1928-2005                                          My Dad  It is difficult to believe that if Dad had been still alive, he would have been 93 in a couple of weeks time. So what can I write about my Dad, like most Dad's he was special, kind, funny, patient and quiet. He worked hard to make sure we, as a family, had a 'good' life. He was born in 1928 in Purley, Surrey, the son of Maurice and Alice Perry nee Pitts. His wasn't the happiest of childhoods, his parent's splitting up before the war, although never actually divorcing.                                                             photo taken circa 1932 One of the happier times he spoke of was when living in St Jean de Luz, Fran...

  THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME I have been fortunate in my life to have travelled to many countries around the globe and there are a handful that I would be happy to live, but I am doubly fortunate to live in a part of the UK that I happily return to after each adventure. So what has this to do with family history, you may ask? Well, the answer is that in discovering my cousins and receiving old photographs of my ancestors I have discovered that this area has been a constant draw to my paternal family since the 1920's/30's. My Great Grandfather and my Grandfather's siblings all lived in and around the North of, South Western area of London and surrounding counties. I was bought up in a small village in Berkshire, an area now within a stones throw of the M25, (London orbital road), places such as Harlow, Willesden, Wembley, Bedfont are frequent addresses associated with the wider family.  However my own small offshoot of the family moved to the North Devon coast in the ear...