HASLAM forebearsDafydd Whiteside Thomas has uncovered a lot of information regarding his HASLAM forebears. According to the 1816 will of Thomas SKYE of Plas yn Pentre, Llangollen, John Haslam married Ann SKY/SKYE/SKEY. A family tree held at Denbighshire Record Office shows Thomas Skye as the son of Rev John Skye (Younger) who married Mary HANMER in 1756. Rev Skye had a sister named Katherine. John Skye and Katherine were the children of Rev John Skye (d 1763) and Jane, his wife (d 1752). It appears that the Skye family was living at Shrewsbury. The Plas yn Pentre estate in Llangollen was bequeathed to Rev John Skye (Elder) from the ROE family.
Another document refers to the sale of land in Llansilin near Oswestry in 1844. The parties selling the land were members of the POOLE family of Berw Hall, Angelsey and John Haslam (no address given). In 1795 Richard Poole of Beaumaris granted an annuity to his son, Owen Anthony Poole, of £6 per annum from lands in Llansilin parish and a house called the Unicorn in Oswestry. Richard Poole’s second wife was Anne (d 1815), daughter of Mr Griffith, Oswestry, and “relict of Skey”.
Owen Anthony Poole was the solicitor in Caernarvon who handled the sale of Bodrual mill and Glangwna estate, Llanrug parish. These properties were bought by Thomas LLOYD of Shrewsbury and John Haslam became papermaker at Bodrual.
Further documents indicate some connection with the Drayton area. Names on documents signed by John Haslam include John BUTTERTON of Drayton in Hales, Thomas TAYLOR of Ellerton Hall, Cheswardine, and William MINOR of Longford, Moreton Sea (sic).
Dafydd would be pleased to hear from anybody who has any information regarding the above names, especially the Sky/Skye/Skey family of Shrewsbury.
You can contact him at “Bron y Nant”, Llanrug, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 4BA.
Travelling Assistant Surgeon
After a couple of years of effort Mrs M B P Matthews (5679) has recently managed to trace her family in the Broseley census returns, thanks to the help of a friend. Richard MERIGOLD was the son of Joseph Merigold who was shown as "assistant surgeon" in 1851. Joseph was born c1812, and his wife - Elizabeth, was born c1815. Both were born in Broseley. Richard was 3 years old in 1851, with two older brothers - Joseph and Frederick - and an older sister - Ann Amelia.
By 1861 they had moved to Farnworth, Lancs and Joseph Snr was a "Life Assurance Agent". Richard, aged 14, was a "duffer in a cotton factory", Ann was a "paper maker" and Frederick a "Spindle fly turner". Joseph Jnr had either died or left home.
Has anyone any knowledge of what an "assistant surgeon" would have been doing? (Collecting dirty bandages comes to mind!!) Why would he have left the industrial area of Shropshire for similar in Lancashire?
It is interesting to note that in each later census Richard is listed as an "Iron Moulder", living in the cotton town of Accrington. He produced eight children - one of whom was Mrs Matthews’ maternal grandmother.
It is believed that the family were probably Baptists. Would this be the reason why Richard is not to be found in birth registrations indexes?
If you have any thoughts re these matters, please contact Mrs Matthews:
e-mail: mbp34 @ surefish.co.uk - Remove spaces to use
Wem FORGHAMs
Is there a local historian in our society who can help John Forgham (1276) complete his family history from a time before Parish Registers were kept?
John was able to establish that there were FORGHAMs living at the Well House in Wem who were Tanners and Shoemakers, as mentioned by Garbett in his history of Wem. His researches have taken him back to 1591, but he would like to know if there is an earlier mention of Forghams, particularly in the Wem area, before this date.
Can anyone add to his information? If so John can be contacted at - 122, Poplar Avenue, Hove, Sussex BN3 8PS
HOME Relatives
Gerald James is trying to locate any relatives of Selina Ruth HOME born 1858 and married to George Edwards 15 March 1881. The 1901 Census shows George and Selina Ruth living at Horseshoe Bridges, Ratlinghope. Children were Mary Elizabeth (16), John (15), George (12), and Albert (10). Last known contact was c1938, when they may have been living at the Priory, located in a row of houses directly behind the church in Church Stretton.
Gerald is the grandson of Selina’s sister Margaret Sophia, who married Alfred JAMES.
He can be contacted by email: gjjames @ shaw.ca - Remove spaces to use
William Foster Jones
Robert Manley is searching for his direct ancestor, William Foster JONES, born circa 1821 "somewhere" in Shropshire,. He was a son of William Edward JONES and Sarah [HICKS ?], who also had a daughter: Mary Jones, wife of a Dr REYNOLDS.
William F Jones, went to the USA where he worked as an engineer on the railroads, before moving on to Australia in the early 1850s. He became the progenitor of a large JONES clan, of whom Robert has prodigious records, which he is willing to share with any interested SFHS members.
Robert has been unable to find any records of the birth of William Foster Jones, or of his parents' marriage, or indeed of the marriage of his sister. Without any such a starting point, his research is blocked.
Can anybody help him? If so, you can contact him by email: manleyr @ optusnet.com.au - Remove spaces to use
Ironbridge ONIONS
Charles A Owens (5973) is the grandson of Enoch CHEW (b 1854), who changed his name from ALDRED for business reasons. His father was Henry ALDRED (b 1837) of Coalbrookdale. Henry married Mary Ann CHEW in 1854. Charles says that it was often said in his youth that the family went back to Daniel & John ONION, who were closely associated with the construction of the Iron Bridge. He has considerable information about the family post 1837, but would be intrigued to learn of any previous history, leading back to the Onions.
Charles can be contacted by email: charles @ chas-owens.demon.co.uk - Remove spaces to use
North County problems
Lynda G Jones (3521) says that her 2 x great grandfather, Richard Thomas WILLIAMS, was born 30 May 1858 in Watergate Street, Ellesmere. His parents - Humphrey Williams and Sarah THOMAS - were married 25 Dec 1857. Humphrey was a widower and Sarah a spinster. Their ages were not given. Humphrey’s father, also named Humphrey Williams, was a smith. Sarah’s father, Richard Thomas, was a farrier. Witnesses to the marriage were Thomas and Emma BAKER.
Lynda has traced Richard in the following censuses: 1861 - living with an uncle and aunt, Thomas and Emma BAKER (maiden name PRICE), in the parish of Elson and Greenhill. 1871 - living as a servant at Dudleston Hall. 1881 - living at Dudleston Heath with an uncle and aunt Peter and Martha BARLOW (maiden name Thomas).
Both Sarah Williams and Martha Barlow had a father named Richard Thomas so possibly were sisters. Lynda has been unable to find any trace of Humphrey and Sarah in any census as she has neither ages nor birth places. She also has not been able to find any connection between either Humphrey or Sarah and Thomas and Emma Baker or Peter and Martha Barlow.
Lynda would be most grateful for any assistance re this research.
Her email address is: lgjones @ seascape-swansea.freeserve.co.uk - Remove spaces to use
Delphine VIOLLET at the HERBERTs
Ann Jeffrey (5876) is seeking information about Delphine VIOLLET, born Geneva c1844/5. She married Thomas Henry LEE (1842-1880) at Wrockwardine in 1866. Thomas had been born at Loppington. In the 1861 census Thomas was employed by the HERBERT family in Lydbury North. Three members of the Herbert family witnessed Thomas & Delphine’s marriage, although by then Thomas was working in Childwall, Liverpool.
Ann cannot trace Delphine on the 1861 census, but notes that the Herbert household included a servant - Louisa Paccard - from Lausanne. Did the Herberts employ their domestic staff through a European agency of some kind?
She would be very grateful if anybody can tell her (1) Anything about the Herbert family. (2) Whether the Herbert family had moved to Arleton, Wrockwardine by 1866. This was where Delphine was resident, as a domestic servant. Of course, she may never have worked for the Herberts, but if that was so why were the Herberts witnesses at her marriage? Was it normal for employers to witness the marriages of their servants?
Can anybody tell Ann about Arleton and Wrockwardine, and especially Loppington? Maybe you know of a good book about these areas?
Her email is: a.stewart3 @ freeuk.com - Remove spaces to use
