John Jones 1799-1881 and Martha Bowen 1813-1879

John Jones was born in Mochdre, Montgomeryshire, Wales in 1798 or 1799, and was baptised in All Saints Church, Mochdre on 27 January 1799.  He was the only son of Matthew and Keziah Jones, who were farmers.

On 20 June 1832, John married Martha Bowen at All Saints Church, Mochdre. Martha was a farmer's daughter - born in 1813 in Mochdre, baptised at All Saints on 8 May 1813. Her parents were Thomas Bowen and Jane Turner.

The couple lived in Mochdre for most of their married lives, farming first at Hendre Farm and then at The Hafod. They had several children:

Martha Jones 1832-1886
Mary Ann Jones 1834-1917
Jane Jones 1836-??
Elizabeth Jones 1838-??
John Jones 1841-??
Ann Catherine Jones 1846-1934
Sarah Lavinia Jones 1853-??

By 1871 John had retired from farming and was living in the Hendidly suburb of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, with Martha and their youngest daughter, Sarah.

Martha died on 16 November 1879 of chronic bronchitis, in Welshpool, Montgomeryshire. She was probably staying with daughter Sarah and her husband John Morgan. John moved to live with daughter Elizabeth and her husband Thomas Morris in Llandinam, Montgomeryshire, and was there for the census in 1881. Shortly after the census, in July 1881, John died.

On This Day ... 30 September

1804     Robinson Booth was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Robert Booth and Rebecca Robinson.

1825     Edward Whitehouse was born at Meriden Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Whitehouse.

1827     William Horsley married Mary Robinson at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

On This Day ... 29 September

1858     Silvester Read married Ann Allen (nee Terry) at Yardley Parish Church, Yardley, Worcestershire, England. Silvester was my 3 x great-grandfather.

1885     Harold Hughes was born in St Harmon, Radnorshire, Wales. He was the son of Morgan Hughes and Jane Eliza Powell.

1928     Christopher Thomas Pugh died in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was 49 years old.

Wordless Wednesday - Jess at Ilfracombe

My great-aunt Jessie Darby, on holiday at Ilfracombe, probably late 1920s/early 1930s.

On This Day ... 28 September

1797     Elizabeth Rowntree was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Robert Rowntree and Mary Hood.

1912     Robert Hudson married Daisy Clarke at St Oswald's Church, West Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1921     Richelieu Cleveland Pratt married Elva Mary Trow at Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

On This Day ... 27 September

1829     Esther Maria Onions was born in London, England, the daughter of John and Hannah Onions.

1832     Henry Cochrane was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas Cochrane and Ann Allison.

Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy September 14, 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 serialising them. The last letter was written immediately after liberation on 30 August 1945 and described his time in the internment camp. Following liberation it took several increasingly frustrating weeks to get the internees out of Hong Kong and on the way home.


Manila, Monday 14. 9. 45


Dears
Have been four days and still no signs of sailing. I am fed up with it all, as it is far from comfortable seeing that we are travelling on the Troop Deck in the bowels of the ship away down on E Deck when we have our meals down there, you must undress and only wear a Fanduski or loin cloth even then the sweat pours out of you. Night time I slept on deck on the hard wood with only 2 blankets. They gave us hammocks to sleep in, only half of them have no rope to sling, also on the top deck there is no place to tie them to. The food is good, but any food would be good after 3 1/2 years of rice and Chinese vegetables.


I have so much to say my Dear, I do wish this damned ship would get a move on. I got your Red X letter the other day, so I definitely know that you are in England, so get plenty of coal in, as it is going to be cold for Willie, seeing that the last Christmas I spent in England was 1920. Only thing wrong with this ship is that it is dry - being a troop ship they did not carry any. As usual all the women have the Cabins - most of them being the Black and Tan Brigade, it certainly makes my blood boil, then after all the Military and Naval Officers left us on Thursday evening, their cabins when vacated were given to the aged in some cases, but mostly to the HK Taipans, its about time this class distinction stopped. I hope they don't count this as our leave, as they make us work on board, normally the troops did all the work, being now purely a troop ship, we draw food for our meals, then washing up the pots and pans afterwards, then sweeping out the mess deck. Others more fit do the recreation and reading rooms, at first we had to sweep the decks, but the crew are doing that now.


I listened to a talk on conditions in England last night, and I may say it put the wind up me, the price of things etc etc, think I will go back to HK. Before I left I told Norman I would not be returning, as I am well over pension age, Willoak who is on board with us, told me he would make me A.C.O. as from 1.1.42, but I must wait and see if that is going to be pensionable, if so it's Good Bye to HK.


It's a wonderful sight sitting here, over 600 ships are in the Bay and Harbour, guys here say 800 and 300 sunk here one can see scores of sunken craft, they are lying everywhere, the Yanks or Jap Airmen must have had a holiday here knocking them down. We are not allowed in the Town, from here all big buildings look alright, but they say the walled city is in ruins.


Rumours have it that we are not sailing before Wednesday, if so that means nearly a week here. We are getting lots of Red X stuff, cigs, towels, old dresses for Ladies, boots and slippers, soup, and of course the kids are always getting chocolate and other food. I would like to cut some of their throats, the noise they make, more so as most of them are Black and Tans, little B's.


The Boys who left as Volunteers and Regulars from HK are having a good time ashore. Beer, cigars, but no Dames we have them all here, yet I would sooner wait for you. I write on route, giving you some idea when and where we will land, hope its soon Peg, just dying to hold you in my arms, its been a hell of a situation for all of us, the fears of hell, not knowing what the next day would bring from those little maggots. 


Am putting on weight, and already despite the sweating here I have lost my haggard Stanley look, for 3 1/2 years rice and Chinese Veg, sometimes a little meat or salt fish, often starving, and pleased to eat anybody sour rice they could not eat, bread finished January 1944, then we made rice bread, but no yeast, so please Peg if you want to keep me home, don't give me a rice pudding!


All my love Sweetheart, Peter and Mother 


Always Bill.

On This Day ... 26 September

1768     William Perry married Mary Wincer in Lapley, Staffordshire, England. They were my 5 x great-grandparents.

1815     Alexander Lamb was born in Kelso, Roxburgh, Scotland. He was the son of John Lamb and Elizabeth Munro, and was my 3 x great-grandfather.

1834     Elizabeth Ann Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Henry Hudson and Margaret Sims.

On This Day ... 25 September

1800     Ann Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of William Hudson and Ann Bell.

1810     Matthew Horsley died in Hartlepool, Co Durham. He was 50 years old.

1876     Robert Burland Billinge married Beatrice Blakeney Dixon at St Hillary's Church, Wallasey, Cheshire, England.

On This Day ... 24 September

1794     John Horsley married Margaret Coulson at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1907     Alexander Lamb died at 207 Glen Road, Bloemfontein, Orange River Colony, South Africa. He was 37 years old and was my great-grandfather.

1931     Miriam Pugh, widow of Thomas Pugh and also of Evan Ingram, died in Radnorshire, Wales. She was 86 years old.

Josiah Pugh and Sarah Price 1781-1852

Josiah Pugh was born in the parish of St Harmon in Radnorshire, Wales, in 1781, the third son of Hugh Pugh and Elizabeth Richards. Hugh was a farmer and both he and Josiah spent their entire lives living in the St Harmon area.

In 1805 Josiah married Sarah Price, who was born in St Harmon in 1784. At this time Josiah was working as a blacksmith in the neighbouring parish of Llananno.

By this time the Pugh family had converted to the Baptist Church and I think this is the last time that Josiah crops up in parish registers - makes it difficult to track people in this pre-census/registration era. The records of Baptist chapels haven't been preserved in the same way. Much of my information from here is based on the work of Ted Edwards, a distant cousin who visited farms in the St Harmon area immediately after the second world war, recording information from family Bibles to pull together a family tree of Hugh Pugh's descendants. His work is the basis of a number of family trees on Rootsweb, and is also the basis of much of this post. I've supplemented Ted's work with census, registration and burial records where appropriate.

Josiah and Sarah had 16 children:

Pryce Pugh 1806-1843
Sarah Pugh 1807-1877
Josiah Pugh 1809-1855
Thomas Pugh 1810-1851
Hugh Pugh 1812-1885
Stephen Pugh 1813-1872
Edward Pugh 1815-1855
Mary Pugh 1815-1896
Elizabeth Pugh 1817-1836
Miriam Pugh 1819-1905
Ann Pugh 1821-1892
David Pugh 1821-1887
James Pugh 1823-1901
John Pugh 1826-1893
William Pugh 1829-1852
Jonathan Pugh 1831-1909

By the time of the 1841 census, Josiah was farming at Cnych farm with several of his younger children. In 1851 they were still there, still farming, and now with some grandchildren along with the younger children.

Josiah died on 28 February 1852 at Cnych. Sarah survived him for just 4 days.

On This Day ... 23 September

1833     John Hunter Robinson married Ann Horsley at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. Ann was the daughter of George Horsley and Margaret Herring.

1847     Ophelia Gordon Dixon was born at Field House, Sunderland, Co Durham. She was the daughter of Hugh Dixon and Mary Corser.

1901     Mary Pugh (nee Williams) died at Tynddol Farm, Llanbadarnfynydd, Radnorshire, Wales. She was 80 years old and was my great-great-great grandmother.

On This Day ... 22 September

1803     Thomas Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Lancelot Hudson and Jane Henderson.

1822     Jane Dixon was born in Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham. She was the daughter of William Dixon and Jane Hudson.

1856     Bartholomew Huntridge married Mary Petty at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham.

Wordless Wednesday - Bill Hudson

Bill Hudson - undated picture, but probably late 1920s / early 1930s.

On This Day ... 21 September

1787     John Jones married Mary Powell at St Cynllo's Church, Nantmel, Radnorshire, Wales. Mary was the daughter of John Powell and Mary Lloyd.

1801     Gabriel Wren died at Wolsingham, Co Durham, England. He was 53 years old.

1808     George Gerrard was born in Barry, Angus, Scotland. He was the son of George Gerrard and Jannet Fyffe.

On This Day ... 20 September

1893     Hartland Thomas Pugh was born at Tynddol Farm, Llanbadarnfynydd, Radnorshire, Wales. He was the son of Henry Pugh and Elizabeth Charlotte Hamer.

1875     Ann Davison Pearson was born at Stockton Street, West Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of William Davison Pearson and Elizabeth Hudson.

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.

6.30 pm same day.  I have just returned from the Flag hoisting ceremony.  Admiral Harcourt came out here himself, although he landing at 12 the Japs asked 24 hours to decide, he gave them ½ hour to get out of the Dockyard, he then landed troops with tanks and after firing a few shots took command, I believe the Chinks waiting outside the Yard Gate with bamboos and knocking lumps off them.  Anyway he got here by 5.15 pm, and believe me Peg it was heartbreaking.  The bugle call - hoisting all Allied flags - lowering to half mast for the dead - the hoisting again - yes tears rolled down my cheeks - as it did to hundreds of others.  Later in the evening a Naval Shadwell of HMS Maidstone i/c of submarines gave us a thrilling talk of the doings of his submarines saying the Navy had often watched us through their periscopes.  The Admiral said he was here at record speed - knowing of the incidents that had happened to internees in Borneo and Burma so again we can thank the Lord we are alive, by them arriving in good time.  I understand there was lots of firing in Town last night, so we are just as well out here.  There seems to be some trouble with the Japs in handing over the gaol - marines are coming out to take it by force if necessary - we are standing by.  Still no news of your whereabouts - so I'll send this home - Sweethearts - all my love is yours - just waiting our reunion.  It won't be long Dear.

Ever and always, your Bill

JW Hudson.

On This Day ... 19 September

1824     Thomas Pugh was born in Radnorshire, Wales, the son of Hugh Pugh and Elizabeth Williams. With the rest of his family he emigrated to Canada in the 1840s.

1842     Mary Hudson nee Newton died in Sunderland, Co Durham, England.  She was a 39 year old widow and her death orphaned several small children.

On This Day ... 18 September

1815     Isabella Child was born at Navigation St in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was the daughter of John Child and Susanna Shore and was my 3 x great-grandmother.

1859     Zoe Louisa Hudson was born at The Cedars, in the parish of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Ralph Milbank Hudson and Elizabeth Robson.

1888     On her 29th birthday, Zoe Louisa Hudson married Harry Becher, the son of John Richard Hedges Becher and Lucinda Jane Elizabeth Hull, at St Mary's Church, Easington, Co Durham.

On This Day ... 17 September

1794     Alexander Kerss was born in Gateshead, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Alexander Kerss and Catherine Errington.

1838     George Hughes married Sarah Pugh at St Anno's Church, Llananno, Radnorshire, Wales. Sarah was the daughter of Josiah Kinsey Pugh and Sarah Price.

1970     Dora Coulson died in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at the age of 70. Dora was the daughter of Isabella Lamb and John Joseph Coulson, and emigrated to the US (in 1905) then Canada (in 1910) with her parents.

Sarah Bateman 1795-??

In 1819 Sarah Bateman gave birth to her second illegitimate daughter, Harriet, my great-great-great-grandmother.

Way back when I was new at this genealogy thing, I'm almost certain I saw a reference on a website somewhere to a pregnant Miss Bateman being allowed to settle in the Derbyshire village of Winster in the 1790s - I suspect this is Sarah's mother, as Sarah was born around 1795 in Winster. I didn't know enough at the time to get a screengrab or save the webpage or even make a note, and I've been unable to find it again. I've also not yet found a baptism which would back this up (or not).

Whatever the circumstances of her birth, Sarah lived in a small corner of Derbyshire for all of her life. Her first daughter, Mary Ann, was born in Youlgreave in 1817. Harriet was born in 1819 but I'm not sure where - Harriet consistently reported her birthplace as Darley Dale, but she's not in the baptism register for that parish.

On 30 August 1824, Sarah married Samuel Milner in Youlgreave. Samuel, a widower who was 10 years older than Sarah, lived in the village of Darley Dale. Sarah moved to live with Samuel and they had six children together:

Richard Milner 1825-??
Samuel Milner 1827-??
Henry Milner 1830-??
George Edward Milner 1833-1919
Sarah Milner 1835-??
Elizabeth Milner 1838-??

By 1851 Sarah and Samuel were looking after Harriet's daughter Mary Ann, who later took Samuel's name. Samuel died in 1855. I haven't yet found when Sarah died, but I can't find her on the 1861 census.

If anyone knows anything about the Bateman ladies, I'd be grateful for any information.

On This Day ... 16 September

1797     John Horsley was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of John Horsley and Margaret Coulson.

1816     Robert Heightley Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham. He was the son of Ralph Hudson and Mary Heightley.

1944     Jessie Hephzibah (Effie) Darby nee Pugh died in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was 61 years old and was my great grandmother.

On This Day ... 15 September

1801     Jane Coulson was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Robert Coulson and Isabella Pounder.

1865     William Read was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of Silvester Read and Ann Terry.

1879     Silvester Read died in Birmingham, on his son's 16th birthday. He was 64 years old, and was my great-great-great grandfather.

Wordless Wednesday - College Hockey Team

Jess Darby at Portsmouth Training College - Jess was my great-aunt and the only member of my family who grasped the importance of labelling photographs!

On This Day ... 14 September

1812     Thomas Read married Ann Hill at St Peter's Church, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England.

1830     Ralph Hudson married Hannah Glenwright at Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, Co Durham, England.

1839     Robert Birtley married Margaret Todner at St Mary and St Cuthbert's Church, Chester-le-Street, Co Durham.

On This Day ... 13 September

1788     Jane Hood was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of William Hood and Alice Shepherd.

1836     Elizabeth Pugh died at St Harmon, Radnorshire, Wales. She was the 19 year old daughter of Josiah Kinsey Pugh and Sarah Price.

1837     Sarah Jane Hull was born in Sunderland, Co Durham. She was the daughter of Robert Hull and Jane Hudson.

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

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.

Admiral Harcourt landed today yet we are still here not even a flag flying in Camp, the Japs would not allow it, while over at Shamshui Po they Troops have all the Allied Flags flying, told the Japs to go to Hell.  Yesterday they dropped food and medical supplies by parachutes, it was very exciting, and scores of our Planes are over daily.  We saw the fleet sailing by Weglan this a.m., too far away to cheer - or even see the sailors.  Planes are sweeping the house tops now - what a skill Peg.  I have kept a diary which will be good reading (if you have the time) for you and Peter.  We don't know what is going to happen to us, if we have to stay or go - one thing Dear.  I don't want to return, but I would like to get made Asst Chief - it means another £1.00 a week for pension.  All our possessions have gone, my two big silver cigarette cases were stolen from the Club, the things I took in the gaol they would not return, I believe the Indians - who have been working all the time for the Japs - got them.  My watch and rings I sold for food and smokes.  Dick sent me 20 yen a month, but when I tell you sugar was 1,200 Yen lb, eggs 45 yen each, oil 2,000 yen a caddy, cigs 45 yen a pkt, salt 200 yen lb, egg yolk 2000 Yen lb, you can see how far 20 yen would go.  All those are black market prices, stuff brought in by the guards - we had a canteen but they could not get supplies - even there we have paid 50 yen for 2 ½ ozs of sugar - not white - but the Chinese kind in sticks, how the Chinks lived in Town nobody knows.  Girls I hear had to turn prostitutes to live - including our Darling Flo Ashby who has been outside all the time.  I hear Fordham and Hill had a Battle over Mrs Fordham, Hill has been running her about for years, so with Peace Henry declared War, both have been suspended until we can make our enquiries.


The next page is here.

On This Day ... 12 September

1833     William Van Haansbergen married Jane Ann Jackson at St Stephens' Church, Wolsingham, Co Durham, England.

1877     Esther Hudson Pearson was born in Stockton Street, West Hartlepool, Co Durham. She was the daughter of William Davison Pearson and Elizabeth Hudson.

1911     George Peters was born at 35 James Street, Aston, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of Frederick Robert Peters and Elizabeth Sarah Darby.

On This Day ... 11 September

1794     Cuthbert Coulson was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas Coulson and Isabella Bulmer.

1908     Ellen Darby nee Haywood died at Mott St, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was the widow of Henry Darby and was my 3 x great-grandmother.

1951     David James Pugh married Martha Jane (Pat) Jones at Hay Register Office, Hay-on-Wye, Breconshire, Wales. It was a second marriage for both.

On This Day ... 10 September

1907     Edward Kinsey Jones was born in Abergwynfi, Glamorgan, Wales. He was the son of Thomas Kinsey Jones and Margaret Jones.

John Child and Susanna Shore

John Child and Susanna Shore are my 4 x great grandparents but I know very little about them.

John, according to the 1851 census, was born around 1790 in Birmingham. (At least I think it's him on the census - he was visiting his son in law and is listed as a visitor, but the profession fits and the age matches the 1841 census.)  There are two baptisms in the IGI which fit the bill, and I've yet to work out if either of them are my guy.

Susanna was born around 1784, in Warwickshire per the 1841 census. There are no baptisms in the IGI in the Birmingham area (Warwickshire or Staffordshire) for a Susanna Shore but there are several for Susanna Shaw. Again, I haven't figured out if one of these is mine.

What I do know is that John and Susanna married at St Mary's Church, Handsworth (Handsworth is a part of Birmingham) on 22 March 1812. The couple had four children together:

Isabella Child 1815-1857
Edwin Law Child 1817-1871
Henry Child 1820-??
Sophia Child 1824-??

Susanna died in 1841, following "a fall downstairs" at the age of 57. John outlived her by at least 10 years, as I've found him in the 1851 census, but thereafter he disappears, and I haven't yet found his death record.

Still plenty of work to do here...

On This Day ... 9 September

1797     Benjamin Hood was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas Hood and Mary Robson. 

1802     Matthew Horsley died in Hartlepool. He was just short of his 4th birthday and was the son of Matthew Horsley and Mary Pounder.

On This Day ... 8 September

1799     Robert Mushen died in Wearmouth, Co Durham, England. He was the infant child of John Mushen and Jane Todner.

1802     Jane Yeal was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham. She was the daughter of William Yeal and Mary Horsley.

1842     Jane Pugh was born in Wales (probably Radnorshire). She was the daughter of Edward Pugh and Jane Evans, and spent most of her life in Pickering, Ontario, Canada.

Wordless Wednesday - out shopping

Bill Hudson and Peggy Lamb outside the Dividend Store.

On This Day ... 7 September

1794     Elizabeth Hood was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of William Hood and Alice Shepherd.

1805     William Haddock was born in Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham. He was the son of William Haddock and Mary Hudson.

1883     Delilah Jane Hughes was born at Henhriew Farm, St Harmon, Radnorshire, Wales. She was the daughter of Morgan Hughes and Jane Eliza Powell, and was my great-grandmother.

On This Day ... 6 September

1880     Margaret A Pugh nee Morgan died in Pickering, Ontario, Canada, aged just 31. Her daughter Mary died 61 years later to the day, in 1941, aged 69.

1982     My grandmother Margaret Anne Hudson, nee Lamb, died at Victoria Jubilee Infirmary, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, England. She was 77 years old.

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.

After staying there 6 months, the Japs decided to move the Police Force from the College, and put them in the Indians Qrs, owing to them having raided the Godowns of all the food we had stored there for the siege.  Here we have been living ever since, 5 in a room, Fitz, Hodges, McCutcheon, and McTavish.  Food has been hellish - at the beginning Rice and fish water then they gave us meat - then a slice of bread a day, which was afterwards made to a 5 oz loaf, but since January 1944 we have had no bread 1943 - 44 - 45 very little meat - salt fish - then only Chinese vegetables and rice, at one period I was only 130 lbs, and nearly blind, they gave me glasses to read and walking out - a little extra food - peas and butter - eggs - soya bean milk.  It was terrible Peg, thousands of times I have thanked the Lord you were out of it - safe and sound.  This last week we have been living like fighting cocks - meat every day - good veg - tinned bully - beans, in fact we could not eat it all.  Bagley when last seen on Xmas night 1941 was tight and told people he was going to get back to Stanley, he was in the Dockyard then, his pockets filled with hand grenades, so he must have been killed by the Japs on the way.  Ryan died in Hosp - Bowen Road - Dick who has been over twice to see me already - says tumour on the brain.  Our Foster and Carey of the Police died of Scrub Typhus a kind of typhoid.  Apart from my eyes I have been ok.  Dick was over last Tuesday and again on Monday, they are allowing the troops to visit us.  Taffenden Jamieson Perry and Harrop have also been over.  Dick looked bad last week, but I saw a big improvement in him this week.  He has been in Hosp 6 months asthma again.


The next page is here.

On This Day ... 5 September

1781     Edward Jackson married Ann Wren at St Stephen's Church, Wolsingham, Co Durham, England.

1867     Mary Haddock, nee Hudson, died in Stranraer, Wigtownshire, Scotland. She was 83 years old.

On This Day ... 4 September

1768     Lancelot Hudson was born in Numbers Garth, Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Lancelot Hudson and Elizabeth Wardell.

1862     David Easton married Maria Welthin Hudson at Bishopwearmouth Church, Sunderland, on her 20th birthday. Maria was the daughter of George Winlow Hudson and Elizabeth Hughes.

1899     Alfred George Milbanke Hudson married Amelia Maria Becher in Creagh Church, Creagh, County Cork, Ireland.

On This Day ... 3 September

1823     Alexander Kerss was born in Gateshead, Co Durham, England. He was the son of John Kerss and Grace Logan.

1871     Hugh Pugh died in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He was 32 years old and was the son of Hugh Pugh and Hannah Smith.

1924     Richard Wilson Hudson married Dora Ethel Wood at St Oswald's Church, West Hartlepool, Co Durham. Richard was the son of Robert Hunter Hudson and Margaret Mossom.

Thomas Read and Ann Hill

Thomas Read was the son of Silvester and Sarah Read. He was born in Willenhall, a small town near Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, in 1792 and was baptised at St Giles' Church in Willenhall on 6 July 1792.

On 14 September 1812 Thomas married 17 year old Ann Hill at St Peter's Church in Wolverhampton. I haven't yet found a birth/baptism record for Ann.

The couple settled in Willenhall where they had several children:

Sarah Read 1813-??
Silvester Read 1815-1879
George Read 1817-??
Catherine Read 1820-1899
Priscilla Read 1822-1893
Hannah Read 1825-1828
Elisabeth Read 1827-1828

The family moved to Birmingham sometime after the deaths of Hannah and Elisabeth in 1828. Three of the children - Silvester, Catherine and Priscilla - married in Birmingham churches between 1833 and 1841.

In 1841, the census shows that Thomas and Ann were living at Stone Yard, Deritend, Aston (a suburb of Birmingham) with Silvester and his family. Thomas was listed as an anvil maker.

The next, and last, reference to the couple that I have is the 1851 census. This shows them living in Grosvenor Street, Birmingham (the same street their son Silvester was living in) with Thomas listed as a currycomb maker.

I can't find the couple on the 1861 census, and as they would have been in their late 60s by 1861, I assume that's because they died in the 1850s. However, I've so far not found death records for either of them - that needs to be my next job on this couple.

On This Day ... 2 September

1745     Samuel Bowater married Hester Mason in St Thomas Church, Dudley, Worcestershire, England. They were my 6 x great-grandparents.

1786     William Hunter was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas Hunter and Eleanor Horsley.

1930     Harriet Ingram nee Hughes died in St Harmon, Radnorshire, Wales. She was 78 years old, and was the daughter of Thomas Hughes and Ann Morgan.

On This Day ... 1 September

1905     Marjorie King Farnell was born in Southport, Lancashire, England. She was the daughter of Richard Farnell and Mary Davison Pearson.

1910     Albert E Frederick Pugh married Phigenia Estella Shaw in Chatham, Kent, Ontario, Canada.

1944     Lance Bombardier William Hudson was killed near Florence, Italy. He was the 25 year old son of Robert Hudson and Daisy Clarke.