Wordless Wednesday - Dad fixing trike

Bill Hudson working on his son Peter's trike, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia 1941.

On This Day ... 31 August

1869     George Hudson died in Middleton, West Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was 59 years old and was my great-great-grandfather.

1872     James Lamb was born in Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England. He was the son of John Lamb and Margaret Gerrard, and was the first of his siblings to emigrate to Canada.

1969     Robert Hudson died in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England. He was 79 years old, and died on the anniversary of his grandfather George's death.

On This Day ... 30 August

1824     Samuel Milner married Sarah Bateman at St Helen's Church, Darleydale, Derbyshire, England. Sarah was my 4 x great-grandmother.

1879     Mary J Gibson died in West Weber, Weber, Utah, USA. She was the 12 year old daughter of Wheatley Gibson and Selena England.

Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy August 30, 1945

My grandfather Bill Hudson worked as a prison officer in Hong Kong from 1921 to 1941. He was still in Hong Kong in December of 1941 when the Japanese invaded and occupied the colony. My grandmother Peg and my father Peter had been evacuated to Australia in July 1940. Peg kept the last couple of letters Bill wrote from Hong Kong prior to the Japanese invasion, along with the letters he wrote immediately after liberation.

Most of the letters are long, so I'm going to serialise them over the next few weeks.

This is the letter written by Bill on the day Stanley Internment Camp was liberated by the British Navy.

Page 1 is here

At 5 am, I found Pearce, Joyce, and Crofton, Fitz and the others had been sent down the Bank at the other side of the road.  Daybreak came, a Jap plane bombed us but I could not find Pearce, Joyce or Crofton.  I walked or climbed to the top of the hill, still no luck, it was then that Willie Stoker who married Moss daughter told me that Fitz had gone back to the Fort.  It was now 10am, and by the time I got to Fort, 11am.  There I found Fitz and the others, and on mustering found missing Gowland, Carr, McLeod, Cottrell, Forster, Stevens, Maltby and Crossan missing, Winterton was in Hosp, at the Fort.  We got on the back Verandah of the Fort Barracks – sleeping like dogs on the floor, tired out, all this time they were shelling the Fort, but as we had been in the thick of it, they put us as HD Qrs guard.  […] came in saying we had surrendered at 4pm that afternoon, yet we were fighting until 7.30 pm people being killed, as owing to no telephones - we did not know.  Afraid sleep that night was little – my thoughts of you and Peter, what our future was in the hands of the Japs – felt like suicide Peg.  Anyway, we stayed at the Fort until Dec 27^th, there I saw Skinner, Dicks, Shearlaw and others all well, but now I am afraid all dead, having gone down on the Lisbon Maru in Sept 1942.  We were allowed to return to the Gaol, leaving our Khaki, and getting into Gaol uniforms.  We stayed until January 23^rd, being allowed out to our Qrs from time to time, taking most of my things into the Gaol as they were all packed when I went to the V.R.P.  In the mean time they made the Gaol Qrs the Internment Camp, along with the College and all 6 bungalows.  By the time we got out the College and our Married Qrs were full, so we were dumped into the Indians Qrs, they had moved those Black swines to the Village. 


The next page is here.

On This Day ... 29 August

1758     George Coulson married Ann Punder in St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1806     Thomas Haddock died at Low Hetherington, Penshaw, Co Durham.

1930     Richard Vaughan Ingram died in St Harmon, Radnorshire, Wales. He was 85 years old.

On This Day ... 28 August

1796     George Gerrard married Jannet Fyffe at Barry, Angus, Scotland. They were my 4 x great-grandparents.

1827     Richard Hudson was born at Spring Gardens, Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Richard Hudson and Maria Ann Butterfint.

1877     William James Darby married Elizabeth Read at St Martin's Church, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. They were my great-great-grandparents.

On This Day ... 27 August

1792     Robert Yeal married Dinah Hood at St Hilda's CHurch, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1828     Robert Hull married Jane Hudson at Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, Co Durham.

1906     John Cameron married Jane Ann Straughan at St Mary the Virgin Church, Longframlington, Northumberland, England.

William Haywood and Ellen Perry

William Haywood was born around 1782 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, and baptised at St Peter's Church on 12 Feb 1783. He was the son of William Haywood and Mary Wenlock.

On 23 December 1802 William married Ann Ward at St Peter's Church. The couple had a daughter, Ann Wenlock Haywood, in late 1803, but shortly after the birth of baby Ann, mother Ann died. Left with a small baby to care for, William remarried quickly.

Ellen Perry was born in the parish of Wheaton Aston in Staffordshire in 1782, the daughter of William Perry and Mary Wincer. By 1804 she was living in the village of Wombourne, just outside Wolverhampton.

On 8 July 1804, William Haywood married Ellen Perry at Wombourne. The couple settled in Wolverhampton where William worked as a currier. They had several children in Wolverhampton:

William Perry Haywood 1805-1822
Samuel Haywood 1808-1873
Elizabeth Haywood 1809-??
Thomas Haywood 1811-??
Charles Haywood 1813-??
Harriet Haywood 1815-1818

Sometime after during Harriet's life the family moved to Birmingham, Warwickshire. Harriet was buried at St Mary's Church on Whittall Street in Birmingham, along with her brother William.

The couple had one further child in Birmingham:

Ellen Haywood 1822-1908

In 1828, at only 47 years old, William Haywood died, and was buried with his children at St Mary's Church. Ellen outlived him by nearly 40 years. According to census information she spent at least some of this time living with various children - she was with Ellen and her family in 1851, and with Samuel in 1861. By the time of her death in 1864, Ellen was again living with her daughter Ellen, in Aston, a suburb of Birmingham.

On This Day ... 26 August

1782     John Moor married Hannah Wren at St Michael and All Angels Church, Warden, Northumberland, England. They were my 4 x great-grandparents.

1793     Robert Rowntree married Mary Hood at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1844     Catherine Kerss nee Errington died at Church Walk, Gateshead, Co Durham. She was the widow of Alexander Kerss and was my 4 x great-grandmother.

On This Day ... 25 August

1819     Elizabeth Kerss was born in Monkwearmouth Shore, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Robert Kerss and Frances Hunter.

1829     Charlotte Elizabeth Pugh was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was the first daughter of John Pugh and Charlotte Harrison.

1854     James Pugh married Mary Ann Jones at All Saints Church, Mochdre, Montgomeryshire, Wales.  They were my 3 x great-grandparents.

Wordless Wednesday - Phyllis Pugh

On This Day ... 24 August

1628     George Sewell married Judith Brand at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1866     Mary Brown nee Hall died at Coxhoe, Co Durham. She was the widow of Ralph Brown and was my 3 x great-grandmother.

1900     David Easton married Grace Muir at the Royal Hotel, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.

On This Day ... 23 August

1819     Hugh Dixon was born in Derwent St, Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham, England. He was the son of William Dixon and Jane Hudson.

1872     Isabella Gerrard, nee Marshall, died at 24 Water Street, Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England. She was the widow of James Gerrard, and was my 3 x great-grandmother.

1885     Kate Lilian Darby was born at 396 Ladypool Road, Balsall Heath, Worcestershire, England. She was the daughter of William James Darby and Elizabeth Read.

Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy August 30, 1945

My grandfather Bill Hudson worked as a prison officer in Hong Kong from 1921 to 1941. He was still in Hong Kong in December of 1941 when the Japanese invaded and occupied the colony. My grandmother Peg and my father Peter had been evacuated to Australia in July 1940. Peg kept the last couple of letters Bill wrote from Hong Kong prior to the Japanese invasion, along with the letters he wrote immediately after liberation.

Most of the letters are long, so I'm going to serialise them over the next few weeks.

This is the letter written by Bill on the day Stanley Internment Camp was liberated by the British Navy.

Page 1 is here

First we went to Johnnie Purves old bungalow belonging to the College, then on Dec 21st we moved to the village, just opposite the Police Station and the school on the little hill.  For 4 days up Dec 24th life was not too bad, we were shelled and bombed a little, Lyle and McErdle being wounded.  Then the nightmare came at 8.50pm on Xmas Eve.  They attacked the Village with small tanks, and thousands of troops, it was hell let loose, machine guns every, some of the Volunteers defended the left of the Village and the Mary Knoll, but the attack came direct for us from the Beach and Lower Beach Road for 3 ½ hours we fought so, with lulls between, then they would come on again screaming their heads off, just to be mowed down.  By this time we had lost McLeod-Carr-Gowland with Foster, Cottrell and Stevens missing.  Major Forsyth i/c had been killed, so Fitz-Gerald was i/c, I told him we had better fall back to the first Bungalow overlooking the Village, as we could hear firing and hand grenades bursting back by the Prison, they had managed to break thru along the Beach and pass some Godowns they had built there, Pearce, Crighton and Crofton who were down by the Beach must have left their post, as they never saw any Japs pass them.  This was 12.30 am so joining the Middlesex Regt in front of the Bungalow, we stayed there until 2.30am. Firing was getting intense behind us, so to save being cut off, we fell back over the College Football field to the Fort Road outside the Prep School.  I mustered and still found Foster, Stevens and Cottrell missing - Winterton right hand was shattered, since cut off.  It was impossible to get back to the Club, so with other Troops we got up the Fort Road by the Pumping Station on the Hill overlooking the Gaol, this was 4.30 am Xmas Day, it was there we lost Murphy and Crossan.


The next page is here.

On This Day ... 22 August

1804     Thomas Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Richard Hudson and Patience Todner.

1812     Margaret Hudson was born in Sunderland, the daughter of William Hudson and Ann Bell.

1843     Mary Ann Bateman was born in Darley Dale, Derbyshire, England. She was the illegitimate daughter of Harriet Bateman, and was my great-great-grandmother.

On This Day ... 21 August

1806     William Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Richard Hudson and Patience Todner. 

1876     Laura Ethelda Pugh was born in Ontario, Canada. She was the daughter of Thomas Pugh and Ann Evans.

On This Day ... 20 August

1807     William Horsley was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of George Horsley and Margaret Herring.

1872     James Smith married Mary Heightley Hudson at Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, Co Durham, England.

1903     William James Darby died at 54 Fazeley Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.  He was 46 years old and died of tuberculosis. He was my great-great-grandfather.

Edward Darby 1768-1847 and Ann Hobdey 1779-1852

When Edward Darby married Ann Whitehouse on 25 July 1814 at St Phillip's Church, Birmingham, Warwickshire, my genealogy problems began. It was, I think, my first genealogy trip - I'd visited archives close to home, but this was the first time I'd travelled any distance and I was trying to get through as many parish register entries as I could in the time I had. I'd found the marriage in the IGI and it fitted nicely with the births of the couple's children. I'd even found a likely baptism for Ann Whitehouse. Then I looked for the marriage in the parish register.

The register stated that both bride and groom were widowed - a fact not stated in the index, which is why you should always check the original. In this case, the original sent me back to the drawing board for Ann, and gave me a problem I still haven't solved for Edward.

Having studied census records along with parish registers and the IGI, I think I've got Ann figured out: she was born Ann Hobdey in Dudley, Worcestershire in 1779, the daughter of John Hobdey and Catherine Bowater. The family moved to Birmingham, where on 26 December 1800 Ann married Joseph Whitehouse (actually at St Peter and St Paul's Church, Aston). Ann and Joseph had 5 children:

Jemima Whitehouse 1801-??
Christiana Whitehouse 1803-??
Ann Whitehouse 1805-1807
Thomas Joseph Whitehouse 1806-??
John Whitehouse 1808-??

Joseph died in August 1811, and was buried at St Mary Whittall Street, Birmingham.

Three years later, Ann married Edward Darby. They had 5 children:

Henry Darby 1815-1815
Henry Darby 1816-1893
Edward Darby 1818-1819
Joseph Darby 1820-??
Edward Darby 1822-??

The couple lived in Birmingham, with Edward working as a locksmith and handcuff maker.

But having found out all of this, I still had no idea where Edward came from. My first clue about his life before his marriage to Ann came when I got a copy of his death certificate. Edward died on 7 June 1847, and on his death certificate he was described as being a pensioner of the 45th Regt Foot. I was able to find a record of Edward's military service thanks to The National Archives' online index and the ability to order documents online. The pension records showed that Edward had joined the army on Christmas Day 1795, officially joining the Regiment in the West Indies. He served for 15 years, the first 4 in the West Indies (for which he was awarded extra credit - the pension was calculated based on years served, and years in the West Indies counted double because it was such a horrible disease-ridden place!) The records also showed that he was "born in the parish of Rowly in, or near, the Town of Birmingham," and that he was 29 when he joined the army.

Armed with this information, I've looked for a baptism and a first marriage for Edward, but so far, I've found nothing. Rowly is most likely Rowley Regis, now a town just outside Birmingham in the West Midlands. There are loads of Darbys in the parish registers for Rowley, but no Edward born around 1765-1770. I've not found a marriage for Edward in either Rowley or Birmingham.  I've also looked for a marriage or the birth of children in Ireland, as the regiment was garrisoned there for some of the time Edward was serving with it, but again, so far I've found nothing. The only hint I have found is another Darby family in Birmingham - William Darby born around 1805 in Ireland (at a time when the 45th Foot was based in Ireland), working as a handcuff maker. If only I could link them to Edward.... (any suggestions gratefully accepted).

On This Day ... 19 August

1866     Wilson Mossom married Margaret Horsley at Hartlepool Register Office, in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. They were my great-great-grandparents.

1893     Thomas Hughes died at Upper Dolelfe Farm, St Harmon, Radnorshire, Wales. He was 79 years old and was my 3 x great-grandfather.

1911     Henry Clark married Martha Anne (Pattison) Lamb at the United Methodist Church on Howard St, North Shields, Northumberland, England. Martha was my great-grandmother.

On This Day ... 18 August

1809     Mary Ann Dawson was born at Fatfield, Chester le Street, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Henry Dawson and Ann Todner.

1822     Thomas Wilkinson married Elizabeth Robson at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham.

1847     Eliza Alice Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham. She was the daughter of George Winlow Hudson and Elizabeth Hughes.

Wordless Wednesday - Seaside Holiday

Phyllis, Colvin and Delilah Pugh, early 1930s on holiday in Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Wales.

On This Day ... 17 August

1634     James Raughton married Alis Williamson at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. Folliwing James's death, Alis married John Sewell - Alis and John were my 9 x great-grandparents.

1810     George Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Richard Hudson and Patience Todner and was my great-great-grandfather.

1847     Evan Ingram died in St Harmon, Radnorshire, Wales. He was the baby son of Evan Ingram (who died before he was born) and Miriam Pugh.

On This Day ... 16 August

1857     John Hood married Alice Pounder at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1887     Elsie May Darby was born at 87 Herbert Road, Aston, Warwickshire, England. She was the daughter of William James Darby and Elizabeth Read.

Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy August 30, 1945

My grandfather Bill Hudson worked as a prison officer in Hong Kong from 1921 to 1941. He was still in Hong Kong in December of 1941 when the Japanese invaded and occupied the colony. My grandmother Peg and my father Peter had been evacuated to Australia in July 1940. Peg kept the last couple of letters Bill wrote from Hong Kong prior to the Japanese invasion, along with the letters he wrote immediately after liberation.

Most of the letters are long, so I'm going to serialise them over the next few weeks.

This is the letter written by Bill on the day Stanley Internment Camp was liberated by the British Navy.

Prison Dept

Stanley

30.8.45

My Darlings,

            I don’t know how to start this letter, I have so much to say – and I want to say it all at once.  Well my Sweethearts – thank the Lord we have pulled through successfully.  I never for one moment thought we would lose the War, but I had a horrid feeling they would do something to us.  

First I must start from the beginning in 1941.  When War came I was in HK at the V.R.P., returning here on the 9th December – just in time to enjoy 9 Jap bombs being dropped over our Qrs, one hit the Doctors house up the Hill, two others fell behind the Hill side, 6 others fell from K Block to the Indian Qrs, luckily nobody was killed, only one coolie hurt.  I returned to HK at 12 M.Night of the 11th Dec, staying there until Sat 13th Dec.  By that time Kowloon had been captured, and the Machine and rifle fire was terrific at times.  Every day we had Jap planes over bombing, our only 4 planes had been put out of action when they bombed Kai Tak on Monday the 8th Dec, so the Japs had the sky to themselves, doing as they liked.  On the evening of the 18th Dec, they landed at Taikoo Docks, no opposition, not a shot fired and by the morning of the 19th they had landed guns – mules and waggons – with thousands of men.  It was then we were called up in the Volunteers, although Begley, Ryan, Spoors *, LeTissier *, Harrop, Taffenden, Jamieson, Perry, not fat Perry, Bond *, Drewsey *, Doxford *, McCursach *, went to Battle HQrs on Monday 8th December. (* In Japan as prisoners of War).  

The letter continues here.

On This Day ... 15 August

1813     Mills Robson married Mary Horsley at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1874     Louisa C Annis was born in Ontario, Canada.

1903     Fanny Dorothy Pugh Gwyn Thomas was born in Bryngwyn, Radnorshire, Wales. She was the daughter of William Thomas, Rector of Bryngwyn, and Sarah Jane Pugh.

On This Day ... 14 August

1786     Ralph Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas Hudson and Mary Todner.

1817     Catherine Kerss was born in Monkwearmouth Shore, Co Durham.  She was the daughter of Robert Kerss and Frances Hunter and was my great-great grandmother.

1889     Henry Owen Dabridgecourt Becher was born in Houghton-le-Spring, Co Durham. He was the son of Harry Becher and Zoe Louisa Hudson.

On This Day ... 13 August

1782     Weltkin Winlow was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of George Winlow and Weltkin Gladden.

1854     George Travill married Rosabella Pugh at St Phillips Church, Birmingham, Warwickshire. Rosabella was the daughter of John Pugh and Charlotte Harrison.

1855     Richard Haddock died at 5 Lambton Street, Sunderland, Co Durham. He was 35 years old.

John Brown 1775-1850 and Martha Robinson 1773-1839

John and Martha were the parents of Ralph Brown.  Most of what I know about them was gleaned from the baptism records of Ralph and his brother William at Bankside Chapel, North Shields, Northumberland, England.

Ralph was baptised on 17 April 1806 and the baptism record reads:

1806: Ralph son of John Brown, joiner, Hoydon Dock, parish of Wallsend, Ct N. by his wife Martha was born the 13th March and baptised the 17 April.


Witnesses: present John Bolam and Elisabeth Shotten both of Hoyden Dock.

William's baptism record was more helpful:

1803: William, son of John Brown, joiner, Hoyden Dock by his wife Marrion was born on the 18th August and baptised on the 12th September.


The father was born in the Parish of Alnwick and the mother in the parish of Wooler, her maiden name was Robison.


Witnesses present when the child was baptised John Bolam, ship carpenter and Robt Chaddock both of Hoyden Dock.

Although the mother's name is different, I'm confident that this is the same couple - there's no other John Brown in the Bankside Registers, and there is a marriage between John Brown and Martha Robinson in Alnwick (Northumberland) in 1799.

So far I've not found a baptism for either John or Martha/Marrion - as you might imagine there are quite a few John Browns and I haven't sorted through them yet.

Besides William and Ralph I've found no baptism records for children, but John is on the 1841 census with two young women living with him:

Mary aged 25
Martha aged 15

In the 1841 census no information is given about the relationships between people in a household, and ages are rounded down to the nearest 5 years. The older woman could be a child of the couple, it seems unlikely that the younger one is - Martha would have been between 48 and 53 when the younger Martha was born.

Ralph married in Houghton-le-Spring, Co Durham, England in 1830 and this clue enabled me to find his father on the 1841 census in Easington Lane, part of the old parish of Houghton-le-Spring. I was also able to find their burials at Hetton-le-Hole Church (Hetton parish was carved out of Houghton in 1838, and Easington Lane was in the new Hetton parish). Martha died in October 1839 at the age of 66.  John died in May 1850 and his burial record states he was 75 years old.

On This Day ... 12 August

1824     Richard Hudson Wilkinson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Emerson Wilkinson and Jane Hudson.

1849     John Heighington died at Church Row, in Darlington, Co Durham.  He was 83 years old and was my 3 x great-grandfather.

1873     Margaret Horsley, nee Hood, died at Wells Yard, in Hartlepool, Co Durham.  She was 65 years old and was my 3 x great-grandmother.

On This Day ... 11 August

1799     Mary Todner was born in Washington, Co Durham, England.  She was the daughter of Ralph Todner and Mary Dand.

1854     Richard Robson was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham. He was the son of Mills Robson and Elizabeth Leeming.

1857     Isabella Read nee Child died at 12 Grosvenor Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was 41 years old and was my 3 x great-grandmother.

Wordless Wednesday - Norman Darby

Photograph from mid to late 1930s of Norman Darby.

On This Day ... 10 August

1809     George Horsley died in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was 82 years old.

1830     Thomas Revely Halliday died in Sunderland, Co Durham. He was the 11 year old son of John Halliday and Jane Hudson.

1994     Dora Ethel Hudson nee Wood died in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She was 96 years old and was the widow of Richard Wilson Hudson.

On This Day ... 9 August

1799     Elizabeth Hudson nee Wardell died in Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham, England. She was my 4 x great-grandmother.

1807     Mary Coulson (nee Coulson) died in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1824     Emerson Wilkinson married Jane Hudson at Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, Co Durham. Jane was the daughter of Richard Hudson and Patience Todner.

Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy November 28th 1941

My grandfather Bill Hudson worked as a prison officer in Hong Kong from 1921 to 1941. He was still in Hong Kong in December of 1941 when the Japanese invaded and occupied the colony. My grandmother Peg and my father Peter had been evacuated to Australia in July 1940. Peg kept the last couple of letters Bill wrote from Hong Kong prior to the Japanese invasion, along with the letters he wrote immediately after liberation.

Most of the letters are long, so I'm going to serialise them over the next few weeks.

This is the third letter - the first starts here and the second here - and was written on 28 November 1941, less than two weeks before the Japanese invaded. I think this is the last letter Peggy received from Bill until Hong Kong was liberated.

28.11.41

Sweetheart.

A few lines before the mail goes, to show you I still love you.

I find I can post much later here, as I can send a messenger down with this any time before 3.30 pm. It's such a unsociable day, fine drizzle and cold also.

I am moving my kit today, I expect the old Chamfor Wood box to come in today some time. Now this bitch does not want to leave Stanley, she says Jillard Amal will cause too much trouble. as the old Wash amal that used to be at Stanley, you remember, the trouble of putting the Brooms out.

If she insists on not coming here, I'll have no alternative but give her the push.

I am liking the work here very well, a warder Bud wants to come back to it again if I had not been drawing acting pay, I would fight to stay here, the only snag are those damned old Qrs, which I am afraid will drive me mad, no curtains, four chair covers, grass matting, anyway I'll get over it.

Will be very busy paying out the staff in a few minutes time, hope I don't pay out too much. 

Kiss me now, all my love, Always and Ever, Bill xxxxx

On This Day ... 8 August

1845     George Gray was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of Sarah Gray.

1918     Harold Edgar Hudson was killed in action in France. He was the 20 year old son of Thomas Edgar and Frances Anne Hudson of Birmingham.

On This Day ... 7 August

1792     Thomas Coulson was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas Coulson and Isabella Bulmer.

1806     Thomas Joseph Whitehouse was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of Joseph Whitehouse and Ann Hobdey.

1811     Two week old Jeremiah Hudson died. He was the son of Lancelot Hudson and Jane Henderson.

On This Day ... 6 August

1792     John Kerss was born in Gateshead, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Alexander Kerss and Catherine Errington.

1798     Thomas Wren died in Wolsingham, Co Durham. He was 65 years old.

John Moor 1759-1810 and Hannah Wren

John Moor was born in 1759 in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, England.  By 1782 he had moved to Newbrough, a few miles to the east in Northumberland. He married Hannah Wren at St Michael's and All Angels Church in nearby Warden on 26 August 1782.

Hannah was born in 1756 at Dean Raw, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland. Her family had also moved to Newbrough during the 1770s, and both John and the Wren family were living at Allerwash Redhouse in the chapelry of Newbrough.

The couple had several children, the first three born at Newbrough:

George Moor b1783
John Moor b1786
Isabel Moor b1788

and a further three born in Whickham parish, Co Durham, England:

Elizabeth Moor b1792
William Moor b1796
Hannah Moor 1799-1883

Sometime after the birth of Hannah, the family moved again, to Oxclose in the parish of Washington, Co Durham. By this time, John was working as a coal miner - there's no record prior to Oxclose of John's occupation.

John died in Oxclose on 10 March 1810, and was buried at Holy Trinity Church, Washington, on 11 March 1810.

I haven't been able to find out when or where Hannah died, although it seems likely that the family remained in Washington parish as daughter Hannah married there in 1819.

On This Day ... 5 August

1805     George Hudson was born in Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas Hudson and Mary Todner.

1850     Robert Hood married Sarah Gibbons at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham.

1878     Albert E Pugh was born in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada. He was the son of Edward W Pugh and Ann Linton.

On This Day ... 4 August

1790     Mary Kerss was born in Gateshead, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Alexander Kerss and Catherine Errington.

1841     Susanna Child (nee Shore) died at 12 Court, 1 House, Navigation Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, following a fall downstairs. She was the wife of John Child and was 57 years old.

1852     Harry Becher was born in Cork, Ireland. He was the son of John Richard Hedges Becher and Lucinda Jane Elizabeth Hull.

1873     Hugh Pugh died in Claremont, Ontario, Canada. He was 96 years old.

Wordless Wednesday - A day at the beach

DJ Pugh, his wife Delilah and children Phyllis and Colvin on the beach at Aberystwyth.

On This Day ... 3 August

1790     Dinah Hood was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Thomas Hood and Mary Robson.

1910     Alfred Woodham married Mabel Chapman at Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada.

On This Day ... 2 August

1804     Hannah Hudson died at William Street, Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham, England. She was only 1 year old, and was the daughter of Thomas Hudson and Mary Todner.

1806     Isabella Coulson (nee Pounder) died in Hartlepool, Co Durham. She was the wife of Robert Coulson, and died of consumption at only 31 years old.

1864     Thomas Rodie Hudson Dalrymple married Jane Hill Whyte Todd at Auchleach, Stonykirk, Wigtownshire, Scotland.

Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy November 26th, 1941

My grandfather Bill Hudson worked as a prison officer in Hong Kong from 1921 to 1941. He was still in Hong Kong in December of 1941 when the Japanese invaded and occupied the colony. My grandmother Peg and my father Peter had been evacuated to Australia in July 1940. Peg kept the last couple of letters Bill wrote from Hong Kong prior to the Japanese invasion, along with the letters he wrote immediately after liberation.

Most of the letters are long, so I'm going to serialise them over the next few weeks.

This is the second letter - the first starts here - and was written on 26 November 1941, less than two weeks before the Japanese invaded.

Page 1 is here
Page 2 is here
Page 3 is here

Page 4

Well here is page 4, wish me luck in filling it. The trouble this way is still very [unreadable], I wish things would quieten down, we may have a chance of getting you back then, but not in these troubled times. I have got the telephone fixed up, only you see what they are doing with me, send me away from it.

Please you received the peticoat, and nothing to pay, it should be good at $12, Kiss me now.

What's wrong with Peter, tell him he must eat otherwise he will not grow to be a big Man.

A young Revenue Officer has just come inside, 15 months for demanding money, Scott by name, I don't know him, his wife is down in Australia. A big shock for his wife. Another P.O.D. head has just died, only 42, Bishop by name, the evacuation is the cause of a lot of this.

I can't write what I think in this letter, about the one who lives with you, I'll have to wait until you are safely back from Port Augusta, you do not say how long you are going for, will it be a fortnight. I'll try and write on Sunday, I'll see how things go on, I may come out here on Sunday afternoon, this furniture here reminds me so much of you, unlike the ? place I am going to and it's surroundings.

Good night Sweetheart, I do miss you more than words can express, if only I had you back I would not care. Nice double bed weather, any hopes Peg.

All my love Dear, kiss Peter for his Daddy, and tell him to eat more.

Always and Ever,

your Bill xxxxx

On This Day ... 1 August

1819     Joseph Hood married Elizabeth Bradley at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1842     Christopher Thomas Pugh was born at Hospital Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of John Pugh and Charlotte Harrison.

1917     Sidney James Darby married Emily Wilson at St Mary the Virgin Church, Ashford, Kent, England. Sidney was the son of William James Darby and Elizabeth Read.