Newsletter – 13th
January 2023
Last chance to save 21% on Findmypast
subscriptions ENDS SUNDAY
Australia’s treasure
TROVE under threat?
Negative Space SATURDAY 21ST JANUARY
Was Edith Thompson
wrongly executed in 1923?
Which prizes would you
most like to win? DON’T DELAY!
Stands the church
clock at ten to three
The LostCousins
newsletter is usually published 2 or 3 times a month. To access the previous issue
(dated 6th January) click here; to find earlier articles use the customised Google search between
this paragraph and the next (it searches ALL of the newsletters since February 2009,
so you don't need to keep copies):
To go to the main
LostCousins website click the logo at the top of this newsletter. If you're not
already a member, do join - it's FREE, and you'll get an email to alert you
whenever there's a new edition of this newsletter available!
Last chance to save 21% on Findmypast subscriptions ENDS SUNDAY
Findmypast’s
first offer of 2023 was also the first of 1921 – by which I mean that it’s the
first time that they’ve discounted their new Premium subscription, the only
subscription which allows unrestricted access to the 1921 Census of England &
Wales.
You’ve
got just two days to take advantage of the offer – don’t miss out! And, by the
way, you can use the same links to upgrade from an existing Pro subscription
(or even a Plus subscription).
Findmypast.co.uk
– SAVE 21% on PREMIUM, PRO and PLUS subscriptions ENDS
15TH JANUARY
Findmypast.com.au
– SAVE 21% on PREMIUM, PRO and PLUS subscriptions ENDS
15TH JANUARY
Findmypast.ie
– SAVE 21% on PREMIUM, PRO and PLUS subscriptions ENDS
15TH JANUARY
Findmypast.com
– SAVE 21% on PREMIUM, ULTIMATE and ESSENTIAL subscriptions
ENDS 15TH JANUARY
Like
most of the major genealogy sites Findmypast don’t allow early renewals – so if
you already have a Premium subscription you won’t be
able to take advantage of this offer. On the other hand, when you buy a 12 month Findmypast subscription you qualify for a Loyalty
Discount (currently 15%) when it renews, so you may never have to pay full
price.
In
November I told you about LostCousins member William, 103 years old, who has
had the privilege of seeing his own entry on the 1921 England & Wales
census.
Not
to be outdone, ScotlandsPeople recently tweeted
a link to a BBC recording of 104 year-old Helen Palmer being shown her own
entry in the 1921 Scotland census by her daughter.
Did
you know that there’s someone who was recorded in the 1911 Census who’s still around
today? Ethel May Caterham (née Collins) from Ash Vale, Surrey was born in
Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire on 21 August 1909:
© Crown Copyright image reproduced by courtesy of The National
Archives and with the kind permission of Findmypast
That’s
an awful lot of people in a house that, according to the census schedule, had
only three rooms (including the kitchen). It makes you wonder how there can possibly
have been room for a visitor. It must have been jolly cosy!
Australia’s treasure Trove under threat?
According
to an article
in the Sydney Morning Herald, the National Library of Australia is
facing a 21% cut in its budget, with all funding for Trove, the free newspaper archive
coming to an end. (If you have trouble accessing that article, the Guardian has a similar article
here.)
Thanks
to LostCousins member and professional genealogist Judy Webster for telling me
about the article, which allows me to warn readers of this newsletter. Incidentally,
although the newspapers you’ll find at Trove may be Australian, some of the articles
were copied from British newspapers.
I’m
not a great believer in petitions, but if you want to express your concern
about the potential loss of Trove there’s a petition here with just over 5000
signatories at the time of writing (double yesterday’s tally).
I’d
also like this opportunity to recommend Judy Webster’s site for anyone whose
relatives went to Australia. There are over 70,000 names taken from historical
documents held in Australia, including hospital admission registers containing
superb biographical details for patients (these records are often more accurate
than certificates).
This
week an interesting article
about inheritance was posted on the National Archives website – it uses examples
from literature and drama to illustrate some of the conundrums that heirs and Graces
had to contend with.
Negative Space SATURDAY 21ST JANUARY
Next
weekend the Society of Genealogists are hosting an interesting online talk by professional
genealogist Dr Sophie Kay that considers how we can fill in some of the gaps in
our family history. You can find out more here
– it’s open to all, but members of the SoG pay a discounted
rate.
Tip:
if you book in advance a recording of the talk will be available for 14 days
afterwards.
King
Constantine II of Greece, who died this week, was the 2nd cousin of
King Charles III on his father’s side and, according to this obituary
in the Guardian, he was also a 3rd cousin to Queen Elizabeth
II.
He
had only been on the throne for 3 years when there was a military coup, and a
few years later the monarchy was abolished. Before he ascended to the throne he
won a sailing gold medal in the 1960 Olympics, held in Rome (though the sailing
events took place in the Gulf of Naples).
Princess
Anne, also a 2nd cousin of King Constantine, was the first member of
the British Royal Family to compete in the Olympics at Montreal in 1976, and although
she didn’t win a medal she was married at the time to Mark
Phillips, who had won gold in 1972. Subsequently their daughter Zara won Olympic
silver at London 2012. All three were equestrians.
Was Edith Thompson wrongly executed in 1923?
Just
last month I wrote
about the 1922 murder of Percy Thompson, and the subsequent execution in
January 1923 of his wife Edith, and her lover Frederick Bywaters.
Reading
contemporary newspaper accounts in the British
Newspaper Archive I was surprised about the flimsiness of the evidence
against Edith Thompson (née Graydon), which seems to have rested entirely on things
she had said in love letters to Frederick. This week it was revealed that
the Ministry of Justice is reconsidering an application for Edith to be
pardoned.
I
can find Edith Jessie Graydon in the 1911 Census, and I can find her marriage
to Percy Thompson at St Barnabas, Little Ilford, on 15th January
1916 – both of which confirm that she was born in late 1893 or early 1894 (she
was actually born on Christmas Day). But so far I haven’t found the not-so-happy couple in the 1921
Census, and a quick search of the GRO index of births suggests they didn’t have
any children, which is probably just as well in the circumstances.
What
I did discover, however, is that Percy Thompson suffered from heart problems that
led to him being discharged from the army in June 1916, 5 months after the couple
married. One of the medical reports states that he had fainting fits up to the
age of 15, and had always suffered from palpitations
after exertion. Whilst in the army he was unable to march more than a few miles
before dropping out – his medical condition must have had an impact on other physical
activities, which rather undermines Bywaters’
allegation that it was Thompson who attacked him.
At
the time of his discharge Percy Thompson was living at 231 Shakespeare
Crescent, Manor Park – a road I’ve driven down many times – and as Edith’s
parents were there in 1921, it seems that Percy began married life with his in-laws
(as many did, including my own father). Subsequently, according to this BBC article, the
couple bought a house at 41 Kensington Gardens, Ilford – though they weren’t
living there at the time of the 1921 Census, so may possibly have let the house.
In
the same article there are photographs of the three players in the love
triangle; the article also mentions that Edith first got involved with Frederick
Bywaters when she, her husband, and her sister Avis
Graydon went on holiday to the Isle of Wight in June 1921. Bywaters
was much younger than Edith – closer to her younger sister's age. However, whilst Avis is
recorded at a boarding house in Shanklin, Isle of Wight, in the 1921 Census
there’s no sign of Edith, her husband Percy, or Freddie Bywaters.
If
you can find them in the 1921 Census please post a
link in the LostCousins Forum. Who knows, we might make a discovery that’s
relevant to the case!
Which prizes would you most like to win? DON’T DELAY!
There
are hundreds of prizes on offer in my competition, ranging from invitations to exclusive
online talks, to valuable subscriptions, and an invaluable opportunity to knock
down one of your ‘brick walls’.
But
you won’t win anything unless you:
(1)
Add
at least one blood relative or direct ancestor to your My Ancestors page
AND
(2)
Indicate
on your My Prizes which of the many prizes are of most interest to you
The
more relatives you add between now and the end of January, the better your chances
of winning and the greater the chance that you’ll win your most coveted prize.
You might even win more than one prize! (Quite a few people did last year.)
Remember,
the aim of LostCousins is to connect experienced family historians who are
researching YOUR ancestors – and every relative you add to your My Ancestors
page is a potential link to a cousin you’ve never heard of,
someone who shares your interest in family history, as well as your ancestry.
Don’t
worry if your own ancestors left Britain long before 1881 – the most important relatives
to enter are your cousins’ ancestors, not your own.
Here’s
a reminder of the prizes on offer this year:
The
TOP PRIZE this year has been generously donated by Findmypast – it’s a 12 month PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION offering virtually unlimited access
to ALL of Findmypast’s billions of historical records from around the world
(including the 1921 England & Wales census), modern electoral registers for
the UK, and hundreds of millions of newspaper articles.
There
are lots more prizes to be won, including:
STAR
PRIZE – ONE TO ONE ‘BRICK WALLS’ SESSION WITH DR JANET FEW
Janet
Few is an experienced and qualified family, social, and community historian who
has spoken at many 
national and
international genealogical events. She is also a well-known author, several of
whose books have been reviewed in this very newsletter, including Putting
Your Ancestors in Their Place. A founder member of the Society for
One-Place Studies, and a former Chair and Vice-Chair of the organisation, she
is currently Chair of Devon Family History Society.
Whether
you win this prize or not you’ll find it worthwhile reading Janet’s excellent advice
on what to do before you ask for help – you’ll find it here.
STAR
PRIZE – WILL TRANSCRIPTION BY DAVE ANNAL
Wills are a wonderful
source of information, but few family historians have mastered both the handwriting
and the abbreviations.
I’m
delighted that professional genealogist Dave Annal, former Principal Family
History Specialist at The National Archives, and author of numerous books has
offered to transcribe up to 4 pages from 1 or 2 wills submitted by the
prize-winner (provided they are written in English rather than Latin).
Dave
Annal’s blog is a great source of tips, and if you haven’t read his June 2021
post Walls Come Tumbling Down I would thoroughly recommend it – you’ll
find the article here.
STAR
PRIZE – A CHANCE TO REACH OUT TO 70,000 FAMILY HISTORIANS
More
family historians read this newsletter than any other independent genealogy publication,
so just
imagine what might
happen if you were able to reach out to the readership!
Whether
you have an ancestor who disappeared off the face of the earth, someone you can’t
identify in a photograph, or any other family history-related mystery, if you’re
the prize-winner I’ll give you up to a page in the newsletter to explain the
problem and appeal for help solving it.
To
have a chance of winning any of these wonderful prizes, all you need to do is
enter my competition by adding relatives to your My Ancestors page, and indicate which prizes you are most interested in
on your My Prizes page. Forgotten how to log-in to your LostCousins account?
No problem, just click here and
enter your email address (as shown in the text of the email you received
telling you about this newsletter).
STAR
PRIZE – ANCESTRY DNA TEST (UK only)
There
can’t be many people reading this who haven’t tested their DNA, but what about
your cousins? One of the best ways to knock down a ‘brick wall’ using DNA is to
persuade a cousin who shares the same ‘brick wall’ to test. They don’t need to be
interested in family history – though they will need a free Ancestry account in order to register their test (they can then assign the management
of the test to you, as many of my own cousins have done).
I have a spare Ancestry
DNA kit which I will either post to the winner or the person they nominate –
but it must be a UK address, as this is a UK kit. As with all
of the other prizes, you can only win if you enter the competition (by
adding to your My Ancestors page) and indicating your interest in your My
Prizes page.
STAR
PRIZE – ANCESTRY DNA TEST (US only)
LostCousins
member Terri has generously donated this prize, which currently sells for $119 (it’s
the version with traits). It can be posted to the winner or the person they nominate
but it must be a US address.
Thanks
again to Terri for making this test available – what a wonderful gesture!
Other
prizes include opportunities to attend exclusive Zoom presentations, with
limited audiences so that everyone who wants to can ask a question (if you are
on the guest list you will also have the opportunity to
submit a question in advance, if you prefer).
SOURCING
WOMEN ANCESTORS with ELSE CHURCHILL – THE GENEALOGIST AT THE SOCIETY OF
GENEALOGISTS
The
Society of Genealogists (SoG) was founded in 1911, so
to be the genealogist at the Society is arguably the most 
prestigious position imaginable!
Else
Churchill is not only extremely knowledgeable, she is a
wonderful communicator – she spoke at
both of the Genealogy in the Sunshine conferences that I organised in
Portugal (in 2014 and 2015), and I was delighted when she accepted my invitation
to speak to LostCousins members via Zoom. DATE TO BE ARRANGED
MARRIAGE
LAW with PROFESSOR REBECCA PROBERT
The leading expert on
English marriage law and customs over the centuries, Professor Probert is the
author of numerous books – both academic textbooks and easily understood guides
for family historians like you and me.
Her
best known book is the ground-breaking Marriage Law for Genealogists
which debunked many of the myths that have seduced previous generations of
family historians – you can read my review here.
Professor
Probert will give a Zoom presentation followed by a Q&A session, but there
will also be the opportunity to submit questions in advance. The presentation
will commence at 10am (London time) on Saturday 11th February – put the
date in your diary now in case you’re one of the lucky ones!
WENDY
PERCIVAL – interview with the author of the Esme Quentin mysteries
What
I like most about genealogical mysteries is the continuity from one book in a
series to the next – I 
feel that with each
book I get to know a little bit more about the lead character. I can’t say that
I’ve ever identified with Esme Quentin, the hero of Wendy Percival’s highly-popular books, but she’s certainly a convincing amalgam
of some of the researchers I’ve come across since founding LostCousins back in 2004.
I’ll
be interviewing Wendy Percival via Zoom, asking questions that have intrigued me
– and hopefully some that have intrigued you. If you are fortunate enough to be
in the audience you’ll also have a chance to ask questions
– but please don’t expect Wendy to reveal very much about book 5 in the series,
you’ll have to wait until it is released!
The
interview will commence at 7pm (London time) on Monday 6th February –
so make a note on your 2023 calendar.
FORGOTTEN
WOMEN – panel discussion with the team behind ‘A FEW FORGOTTEN WOMEN’
It
might be a new site, but A Few Forgotten Women, which launched earlier
this month, was created by a team with a wealth of experience.
This
event will start with a discussion between the founders of the site, and then
we’ll open it up to the audience, for you to ask questions or tell us about the
women in your tree. It starts at 4pm
(London time) on Saturday 28th January, which is a few days before
the competition ends, and lucky winners of invites to this event will be chosen
notified around a week earlier – so it’s one more reason not to
leave things to the last moment.
Stands the church clock at ten to three
The clock of St Peter’s
church in Evercreech, Somerset has a most interesting
face – as you can see from the photo on the right:
© Copyright Maigheach-gheal and licensed for reuse under
this Creative Commons Licence
Ken
McDonald, secretary of The Hundred Parishes Society (and a keen family
historian), recently wrote in the Stansted Mountfitchet
parish magazine about some interesting church clock faces in Essex. For example,
the clock of St Mary the Virgin at Furneux Pelham
bears the words “TIME FLIES” above the clock and “MIND YOUR BUSINESS” below.
Nobody seems to know why these words appear – the only thing I can tell you
about Furneux Pelham is that it was the home of Rayments Brewery, whose output I once enjoyed.
He
also mentioned the bell tower of St Mary’s at Sheering – which is most
definitely in Essex, although its postal address might lead you to think it was
in Hertfordshire. You can see photos of the clock faces here – one has
the wording “WORK AND PRAY”, the other “TODAY IS YOURS”.
The
words at the head of this article are, of course, taken from Rupert Brooke’s
1912 poem The Old Vicarage, Grantchester. The poet rented rooms in the
Old Vicarage between 1910-12, but since 1979 it has been the home of Jeffrey
Archer, the novelist. If you visit Grantchester in the summer, be sure to visit
the Orchard Tea Garden – it’s one of the most wonderful places on earth.
This is where any major updates and corrections will be
highlighted - if you think you've spotted an error first reload the newsletter
(press Ctrl-F5) then
check again before writing to me, in case someone else has beaten you to
it......
Peter Calver
Founder, LostCousins
© Copyright 2022 Peter Calver
Please do NOT copy or republish any part of this newsletter without permission - which is only granted in the most exceptional circumstances. However, you MAY link to this newsletter or any article in it without asking for permission - though why not invite other family historians to join LostCousins instead, since standard membership (which includes the newsletter), is FREE?
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