On This Day ... 31 October

1803     Thomas Johnson was born in Wolsingham, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Ralph Johnson and Hannah Wren.

1826     Lancelot Dixon was born in Derwent St, Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham, England. He was the son of William Dixon and Jane Hudson.

1852     Ann Darby, nee Hobdey, died at 17 Freeman St, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was 75 years old and was my 4 x great-grandmother.

On This Day ... 30 October

1795     James Johnson was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of James Johnson and Ann Coulson.

1852     Francis Turner Colling died, aged 3 months, at Bank Street, Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of William Colling and Jane Turner.

1922     Jane Eliza Hughes nee Powell died at The Neuddu Temperance Hotel, Builth Wells, Breconshire, Wales. She was 68 years old and was my great-great-grandmother.

On This Day ... 29 October

1824     Alexander Kerss was born at Monkwearmouth Shore, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Robert Kerss and Frances Hunter.

1836     Ann Whitehouse was born in Sherlock St, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Whitehouse.

1884     Ellen Rathie Lamb was born at 256 Parker St, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England. She was the daughter of John Lamb and Margaret Gerrard.

John Powell and Jane Owens

John Powell was born in 1762 in the village of Nantmel, Radnorshire, Wales. He was baptised in St Cynllo's Church, Nantmel on 4 May 1762.

In 1784, John's father (also John Powell) died, and John, as the only son, inherited half of his father's estate, which presumably included the farm business. The other half was inherited by his mother.

On 18 June 1792 he married Jane Owens at St Cynllo's Church. Jane was born in 1772 at Doledod farm in the parish of St Harmon, and baptised at St Garmon's Church in St Harmon, Radnorshire, Wales on 21 June 1772.

The couple had 7 children, all born in Nantmel:

John Powell 1793 - ??

Elizabeth Powell 1795 - ??

Thomas Powell 1797 - 1831

Meredith Powell 1799 - 1882

Edward Powell 1800 - 1874

Gwen Powell 1802 - 1870

David Powell 1810 - 1886

John died in May 1837, at the age of 75 and was buried at St Cynllo's Church in Nantmel. His will provided for his widow and children, while leaving the bulk of the property to the three youngest sons who were still living with the family.

Jane survived her husband by several years. On the 1841 and 1851 censuses she is shown living at Gilfach farm, Nantmel, with her sons Meredith and David Powell. She eventually died at age 80 on 3 April 1852, and was buried with her husband at St Cynllo's Church.

On This Day ... 28 October

1823     Richard Hudson Halliday was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of John Halliday and Jane Hudson.

1839     George Hudson married Catherine Kerss at Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, Co Durham, England. They were my great-great-grandparents.

1920     Morgan Hughes died at The Neuddu Temperance Hotel in Builth Wells, Breconshire, Wales. He was 67 years old and was my great-great-grandfather.

On This Day ... 27 October

1861     Elizabeth Annie Dixon was born in Heaton, Cheshire, England. She was the daughter of William Dixon and Lucy Jane Banks.

1866     Charles Darby died of phthisis (tuberculosis) in Aston, Warwickshire, England. He was the 23 year old son of Henry Darby and Ellen Haywood.

1884     Edwin Walter Evans married Amelia Gerow at Claremont, Ontario, Canada.  Edwin was the son of James Evans and Sarah Pugh.

Wordless Wednesday - Phyllis Pugh

Phyllis Pugh, picture from early 1930s.

On This Day ... 26 October

1815     Ralph Hudson married Mary Heightley at Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, Co Durham, England. Ralph was the son of Richard Hudson and Patience Todner.

On This Day ... 25 October

1800     William Young married Margaret Hudson at St Michael and All Angels Church, Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham, England.

1824     William Onions was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of John Onions and Hannah Cooper.

1882     Morgan Hughes married Jane Eliza Powell at the Maes Chapel in Rhayader, Radnorshire, Wales. They are my great-great-grandparents.

On This Day ... 24 October

1681     Thomas Wren married Rebekah Wilson at St Mary and St Stephen's Church, Wolsingham, Co Durham, England. They were my 7 x great-grandparents.

1798     Matthew Horsley was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Matthew Horsley and Mary Pounder.

1928     Clement Lamb died in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was 47 years old, and was the son of John Lamb and Margaret Gerrard.

On This Day ... 23 October

1762     Robert Errington married Mary Barras at St Andrew's Church, Lamesley, Co Durham, England. They were my 5 x great-grandparents.

1812     John Robson died in Hartlepool, Co Durham.  He was 75 years old and was my 5 x great-grandfather.

1879     Ellen Isabella Darby was born at 226 Cooksey Road, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was the daughter of William James Darby and Elizabeth Read.

On This Day ... 22 October

1811     Eleanor Leeming was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of John Leeming and Mary Huntridge.

1901     John E Hawkings married Laura Ethelda Pugh at Pickering, Ontario, Canada.

1826     Thomas Horsley married Jane Hunter at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool.

1935      My father, Peter Hudson, was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England.

Morgan Morgan and Catherine Rees

Morgan Morgan was born in around 1782, probably in Cardiganshire, Wales.  On 31 May 1805 he married Catherine Rees, also born around 1782, at Eglwys Newydd in Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, Cardiganshire, Wales.

The couple had six children that I know of:

Mary Morgan b1808
Thomas Morgan b1811
John Morgan b1813
Ann Morgan 1815-1904
Elinor Morgan b1819
Morgan Morgan b1822

All the children were born at Tynybryn Farm in Llanfihangel y Creuddyn and baptised at Eglwys Newydd.

Morgan died at age 55, in March 1837, and was buried at Eglwys Newydd. His widow survived him by 8 years, dying in June 1845.

On This Day ... 21 October

1797     Margaret Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Lancelot Hudson and Jane Henderson.

1828     John Pugh married Charlotte Harrison at St Philip's Church, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.  They were my 3 x great-grandparents.

1857     Dent Wallace married Mary Jane Atkinson at St Michael's Church, Sunderland, Co Durham. Dent was the son of Margaret Hudson (above) and Dent Wallace.

On This Day ... 20 October

1822     Robert Horsley married his second cousin Elizabeth Herring Horsley at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.  Elizabeth was the daughter of George Horsley and Margaret Herring.

1831     Alfred Onions was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of Joseph Onions and Jane Green.

1841     George Winlow Hudson married Elizabeth Hughes at St Peter and St Paul's Church, Milton by Gravesend, Kent, England.

Wordless Wednesday - the Lamb family

Alexander Lamb married Martha Pattison on 19 October 1896. This photo is from about 9 years later with their only daughter Margaret.

On This Day ... 19 October

1803     Elizabeth Young was born in Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of William Young and Margaret Hudson.

1892     George Winlow Lindars Hudson married Fanny Bathurst at St John's Church, Hampstead, London, England.

1896     Alexander Lamb married Martha Ann Pattison at Brinkburn Priory, Northumberland, England.  They were my great-grandparents.


and a happy birthday to my nephew Niall.

On This Day ... 18 October

1640     John Sewell married Elizabeth Gudgon at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. John was my 9 x great-grandfather.

1832     Margaret Isabella Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham.  She was the daughter of Henry Hudson and Margaret Sims.

1861     John Pugh married Elizabeth Hughes at St Garmon's Church, St Harmon, Radnorshire, Wales. Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas Hughes and Ann Morgan.

Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy October 14th 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.

The last letter was mailed from Aden, one of several ports of call after leaving Hong Kong. Following liberation it took several increasingly frustrating weeks to get the internees out of Hong Kong and on the way home. This letter was written in Aden but posted 4 days later from Marseilles.



Passenger for SS Empress of Australia


Bill Hudson, 
Chateau D'if
Marseilles
France




Oct 10, 45
Aden


Sweethearts,


Wasting time here, we don't seem to be taking on anything, in the way of oil or water, all I have seen come on board since we arrived at 11 am, are ranks of all services and a few civilians, but the amount of launches with Navy, Air Force and Army personnel, has been one long stream all the time. Young Frith late of Billzy Point came on board, now a Squadron Leader, Air Force, his sister Irene is on board on her way Home to England.


I suppose and hope after the Red Sea it will get cooler, its not too bad on the deck here, but its terrible where we get our food on D Deck, its just like a furnace at times, with all Portholes closed.


The food here at first was wonderful to us, no fancy dishes, just soup, roast and sweet, but now it appears to taste all the same and everybody complaining it was only last week they put sauce and pickle (a little of each a week) on the table, and they are between 10 of us.


I understand we are getting double ration coupons when we land. I am also buying soap on board, I hear you can't get it back home, both washing and toilet, so I hope they don't make me pay duty on it, it will be too bad if I have to. I sent you 2 lbs of tea home from Colombo, duty will have to be paid on that, yet it won't arrive until after I do, I also have 1 lb with me, and we were told in Colombo that another lb was sent to the ship for every P of W and Internee and as I am allowed 2 lbs duty free, we are sure of a cup of good tea when I do get Home "Cooker Police"


They say we get Winter clothing at Port Said, wonder what it will be. I would look nice in Battle Dress and Bowler Hat. Don't envy me Peg, when measured the other day, chest 38", waist 31", how is that for slimming around the waist line, rice diet is fine to get ones weight down, of course you must leave out red meat, a little salt fish and Chinese vegetables, water spinach mostly. 


Everybody seems to be out sailing at present, small sailing boats with Europeans, &c are everywhere. Sitting in shade of one of the Ack Ack guns on the Boat Deck writing this, its quiet, and out of bounds to women and kids, they swarm the Promenade Deck like Bees, half castes, chinese and whites, all one big happy family, I don't think. Looks as though we are not sailing before tomorrow, Thursday seems to be our favourite day for sailing, as we left Manila, Singapore and Colombo on Thursday. This dammed old tub is only doing about 350 a day, yesterday at noon it was only 319. They say one of its Boilers has gone fute, I think they all have, by the speed we are doing. The Ship that arrived in Southampton the other day, had roast beef and yorkshire puddings well I expect I will be home in time to get some Xmas pudding, don't care much for Turkey!


All my love Dears, another 14 days should bring me nearer to you, and after 3 years and 8 months it is not long is it?


Love to Mother and Peter, hoping you can give him a swell birthday. Will post this at Port Said


All Love


Ever your


Bill
xxx

Bill finally arrived back in England on 27 October 1945, almost two months after liberation. 

On This Day ... 17 October

1799     Margaret Liddle was born in Felton, Northumberland, England. She was the daughter of Thomas Liddle and Jane Todner.

1827     Jane Ann Elliott was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of John Elliott and Elizabeth Hudson.

1869     Alexander Lamb was born at 42 Water Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. He was the son of John Lamb and Margaret Gerrard, and was my great-grandfather.

The Ancestors Geneameme

Geniaus has published a new Geneameme.


Things I have already done or found: bold face type
Things I would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things I haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

Here's my list:


Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents
Can name over 50 direct ancestors (246 at last count)
Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents
Have an ancestor who was married more than three times - I've found one ancestor (Robert Kerss) with 3 marriages, none with more.
Have an ancestor who was a bigamist - not that I'm aware of
Met all four of my grandparents - yes, but my grandfather died before my second birthday, so I don't remember him.
Met one or more of my great-grandparents - no, they all died before I was born.
Named a child after an ancestor
Bear an ancestor's given name/s
Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland - virtually all of them
Have an ancestor from Asia
Have an ancestor from Continental Europe
Have an ancestor from Africa - my grandmother was born in South Africa, of English parents, and came to England at 2 years old. Technically from Africa, but not African.
Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer
Have an ancestor who had large land holdings - depends on your definition of large, but some of my farming ancestors owned land.
Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi.  Not a direct ancestor, but a g-g-g-g-uncle was a Baptist minister who founded a chapel in Wales, on land gifted by his nephew
Have an ancestor who was a midwife - not to my knowledge.
Have an ancestor who was an author - not to my knowledge.
Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones - plenty of Jones ancestors, and one Smith
Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng
Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X
Have an ancestor with a forename beginning with Z - not an ancestor but a distant cousin Zoe Louisa Hudson (1859-1930)
Have an ancestor born on 25th December - again a distant cousin, Dorothy Christine Denton was born Christmas Day 1899.
Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day - no, but William Henry Darby was born New Year's Eve.
Have blue blood in your family lines - not that I've found so far
Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth - no, both parents born in England like me.
Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth - Margaret Lamb was born in South Africa, Norman Darby was born in Chicago, USA.
Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century
Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier - several to seventeenth, and one line to sixteenth.
Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents
Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X
Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university - not university, but Margaret Lamb graduated from a Teacher Training College. No other direct ancestors before my dad.
Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence - not that I've found
Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime - not that I've found
Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine (Tell us where) Lots on this blog.
Have published a family history online or in print (Details please) - only if this blog counts.
Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries - found some nineteenth century Welsh farmhouses, but only visited the outside.
Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family - not sure. I think some of the Welsh farms are still in family hands
Have a  family bible from the 19th Century - sort of. Margaret Lamb's step-father Henry Clark bought a very large two volume bible in 1877 (it's got a leather plate inside) and it's now in my possession. It includes a note of the births of Henry, his wife Martha, Margaret and her descendants.
Have a pre-19th century family bible

On This Day ... 16 October

1917     John Ernest Meredith died of wounds inflicted during World War One. He was the 28 year old son of William Ernest Meredith and Elizabeth Davies.

On This Day ... 15 October

1826     Robert Kerss married Elizabeth Ridley (nee Bonner) at St Hilda's Church, South Shields, Co Durham, England. Robert was my g-g-g-grandfather, and this was his second marriage.

1836     Elizabeth Johnson was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of John Johnson and Margaret Horsley.

1889     Stephen Hugh Pugh married Caroline Louisa Gerrow at Uxbridge Township, Ontario, Canada.

Elizabeth Williams 1790-1845

Elizabeth Williams was born somewhere in Radnorshire, Wales in around 1790. I haven't yet been able to track down a record of her birth or baptism, so I don't know where she was born or who her parents were.

Elizabeth was unmarried and living as a servant at Pencomin Farm in Llanbedr Painscastle parish, Radnorshire when she had her first child, Mary Williams, in late 1821.

On April 1, 1823, Elizabeth married Thomas Jones at Llanbedr Painscastle Church. He was twenty-five years older than her, and also born in Radnorshire, and was a farmer at Llanbedr Hall, in Llanbedr Painscastle.

The couple had four children together:

Rice Jones b1824
Eliza Jones b1826
Peter Jones b1828
Emma Jones 1830-1831

By 1841 the family had moved to Lower Pengarth Farm, still in Llanbedr. The census showed Thomas and Elizabeth with four children (including Elizabeth's daughter Mary, now known as Mary Jones).

Elizabeth died at Lower Pengarth farm in November 1845, and was buried at Llanbedr Church on 29 November. She was only 55 years old. Her husband Thomas survived her for six years, before his death at the age of 88 in March 1851.

On This Day ... 14 October

1764     William Coulson married Mary Coulson in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1790     Robert Coulson was born in Hartlepool. He was the son of Robert Coulson and Barbara Smelt.

1891     Ralph Palliser Milbanke Hudson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Ralph Milbank Hudson and Eliza Westropp Palliser.

On This Day ... 13 October

1800     Mary Wealand was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Thomas Wealand and Isabella Todner.

1912     Hannah Wideman, nee Pugh, died in Markham Township, Ontario, Canada. She was the wife of Christian Wideman.

Wordless Wednesday - a boy with his dog

My dad, Peter Hudson, with the first of many pet dogs

On This Day ... 12 October

1788     William Hood married Alice Shepherd at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1812     Bella and George Sterling were born at Hayden Bridge in Northumberland, England, the twin children of George Sterling and Isabella Makepeace. Both survived infancy.

1889     Mary Louise Darby was born in Hoxton Old Town, London, England. She was the daughter of William James Darby and Elizabeth Read.

On This Day ... 11 October

1820     Elizabeth Mary Dixon was born at Derwent St, Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of William Dixon and Jane Hudson.

1880     Sarah Louise Middleton was born in Ontario Co, Ontario, Canada. She was the daughter of Charles Middleton and Margaret Ann Pugh.

1916     Edgar Taylor Austin married Alice Beatrice Turner at Whitevale, Ontario, Canada.

Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy October 8th 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.

The last letter was mailed from Singapore, the second port of call after leaving Hong Kong. Following liberation it took several increasingly frustrating weeks to get the internees out of Hong Kong and on the way home. This letter was posted from Aden.


JW Hudson
Ex Internee, Stanley
Hong Kong
Passenger for SS Empress of Australia


At Sea, Oct 8th, Monday 1945


Darlings,


Aden is not far away, maybe tomorrow or maybe Wednesday, you never know what this damned old ship will do next, we actually  passed another ship this morning, and as Johnnie Purvis said at the time, "She must be nackered!" I believe she was. Weather is beautiful today, sea like glass, altho yesterday it was cold and miserable, fog and drizzle, but it cleared up during the afternoon, so I was glad to get on the boat deck, and get the sun. Last night Radio announced that the P & O S S Corfu was about to Dock in Southampton with the first P of W from the Far East, and to think she left Singapore about the same time as we left HK. 


Another ship left HK after us, a Glen Boat, and is well ahead of us, with little hopes of us ever catching up with her. Fitz and a crowd of others 250 in all, left HK 11 days after us, travelling on an Aircraft Carrier, they were in Colombo to greet us, all staying with private families, and having a wonderful. They will catch the next ship Home, so they may beat us. They wanted me to stay in Colombo to go thru an operation for Hernia, but the Home pull was too great, so I will have to have it seen to at Home. Was weighed yesterday, and only 143 lbs, I'm pitifully thin Peg, the fever I had at Singapore took it out of me, anyhow I am hoping to fill out a little by the time I see you. Hope you have received my letters to you, addressed to Australia, I had a cable from "PULLIN" saying you had left in April. How is Mother... and Peter, it won't be long now Dear, so cheer up.


Afraid I won't be able to get Home for Peter's birthday, and I don't think this ship is allowed to send any messages out, so please give him Daddy's fondest love with a big hug, I am and always have been thinking of you Dears, during hard times, they could not take my thoughts of you away.


I hear Barrett and Jillott are back in HK, Puggle refused to go, I also hear that Merriman is on his way back. Pig Harrison is on board, he has yet to speak to me, but that does not worry me, because I have seen the last of him as a Boss.


Willcocks is also on board, he often has a chat, asking after the others. Your piano was still in the Gaol, also some of your carpets, but all badly burnt with Cigarettes, the Nips have no respect for anything belonging to us, I am surprised at the Piano being in such good condition.  Believe we get winter clothing at Port Said - that's a help. Don't know yet which Port we will disembark at, but it looks like Southampton is Lena still there? Sharks swimming by, there fins being quite distinct. A fellow was killed at Tweed Bay Beach by one, after we left. Ship can't go fast enough Peg, 


Love to all


Bill xxxxx

On This Day ... 10 October

1731     Ralph Coulson married Mary Shepherd in St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. They were my 6 x great-grandparents.

1782     Silvester Read married Sarah Read in St Peter's Church, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England.  They were my 5 x great-grandparents.

On This Day ... 9 October

1824     Francis Turner married Sarah Hudson at St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, Co Durham, England.

1854     Jane Eliza Powell was born at Gilfach Farm, Nantmel, Radnorshire, Wales. She was the daughter of David Powell and Jane Thomas and was my great-great-grandmother.

1883     Ralph Milbank Hudson married Eliza Westropp Palliser at Christ Church, Sunderland, Co Durham, England.

On This Day ... 8 October

1799     Thomas Rowntree was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Robert Rowntree and Mary Hood.

1837     George Coulson married Elizabeth Cambridge at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool.

1849     Mary Coulson, nee Robson, died of cholera in Hartlepool. She was 81 years old and was my 4 x great-grandmother.

On This Day ... 7 October

1760     John Redhead married Ann Wren at St Stephen's Church, Wolsingham, Co Durham, England.

1810     Thomas Bowen married Jane Turner at All Saints Church, Mochdre, Montgomeryshire, Wales. They were my 5 x great-grandparents.

1903     John Bembridge married Hannah Cunningham at North Gwillimbury, Ontario, Canada. Hannah was the daughter of John Cunningham and Sarah Pugh.

On This Day ... 6 October

1846     William Gledden Hudson died at 28 Frederick St, Bishopwearmouth, Co Durham, England. He was the son of George Winlow Hudson and Elizabeth Hughes and was only a few months old.

1923     Thomas Hudson married Alice Pierce at All Saints Church, West Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. Thomas was the son of Robert Hunter Hudson and Margaret Mossom.

Henry Pugh 1775-1862 and Gwenllian Griffiths 1775-1836

Henry Pugh was born into a family of farmers in Llanbedr Painscastle in Radnorshire, Wales in May of 1775, and baptised at the local church on 26 May 1775.

He was only twenty when he married Gwenllian Griffiths in early May 1796. She was born in Llandilo Graban, the neighbouring parish to Llanbedr, in late 1775.

The couple were married for forty years, and spent that time farming in the parish of Llandilo Graban. They had a total of fifteen children together:

Henry Pugh  1797-1865
William Pugh 1798-1829
John Pugh 1799-1855
Thomas Pugh 1802-??
James Pugh 1803-1853
Mary Pugh 1804-??
David Pugh 1806-1877
Samuel Pugh 1809-1886
Ann Pugh 1810-??
Gwenny Pugh 1811-1829
Benjamin Pugh 1813-1813
Catherine Pugh 1815-??
Benjamin Pugh 1816-1818
Margaret Pugh 1818-??
Benjamin Pugh 1822-1822

Gwenllian died in August 1836, at the age of 61. She was buried with her infant children in St Teilo's Churchyard, Llandilo Graban. Henry survived her by over 25 years, before he eventually died at 87 years old at Penwern Farm, Llandilo Graban.

Wordless Wednesday - Trade Hall

Trade Hall, Rhayader, Radnorshire, about 1915. The shop was owned by DJ Pugh, and the flat above was the birthplace of three of his children.

On This Day ... 5 October

1816     Henry Darby was born in Meriden St, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He was the son of Edward Darby and Ann Hobdey, and was my 3 x great-grandfather.

1846     Mary Elizabeth Hudson was born at 14 Tavistock Place, Sunderland, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Ralph Milbank Hudson and Elizabeth Robson.

1874     Ellen Mossom, nee Wilson, died in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was my 3 x great-grandmother.

On This Day ... 4 October

1788     Mary Coulson was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Robert Coulson and Barbara Smelt.

1876     Ida Jane Pugh was born in Milverton, Ontario, Canada. She was the daughter of David Pugh and Mary E Meredith.

1898     William Thomas and Sarah Jane Pugh were married in St Padarn's Church, Llanbadarnfynydd, Radnorshire, Wales. Sarah was the daughter of James Pugh and Mary Ann Jones.

Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy September 22, 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.

The last letter was written from Manila, the first port of call after leaving Hong Kong. Following liberation it took several increasingly frustrating weeks to get the internees out of Hong Kong and on the way home. This letter was posted from Singapore.



JW Hudson
Passenger
Empress of Australia


At Sea 20.9.45


My Dears,


As last we have left Manila, after being there 9 days - the longest I have ever spent - waiting every day to sail fact being is that nobody knew anything about us and did not want to. We took over 1000 P of W Troops on, all who had been stationed in HK before the War, both regulars and volunteers, and I must say they are a fine body of men, they certainly don't look as if they have been starved, they say they have been working on the docks at Kobe, and stole all the food they wanted, then again they have had a wonderful time in Manila with the Yanks, wanting for nothing, even to have having been issued with all new clothing, all new, and when they came on board they looked more like Americans than British of course you only had to hear them talk to know who they were.


I am getting impatient Peg, this ship can't go fast enough, and comfort is nil, horrid hot troop decks in which one can't breathe, luckily we are allowed to sleep up on deck at nights, only trouble is that you must cart your bedding below every morning, still sweetheart I am coming Home. Apart from the Hospital Ships, we are the first batch to leave HK, but by all this stopping, we look like being the last Home, so roll on England and all that goes with it.


One of the Officers of Ship gave a talk on conditions in England, really My Dear it put the wind up me, so I do hope that things are getting back to normal, as I don't wish to return East again, I want to lay back and have a rest, first to talk alone with you, Mother and Peter, I don't think I could face a lot of friends calling every day, I want to be quiet, 3 1/2 years and now this Ship living in such close confinement with others, makes me hate my fellow Men, that's just how I feel l now, I could scream at times, Men talking, kids arguing, not a minute to oneselves. I am fed up with company. 


How is your Mother, I hope well, Peg, she has had a very trying time with all this worry. Troops are everywhere, they were given the Port side Promenade deck, yet they must come to the starboard side several times they have been ordered off, only to return, they are Bolshie and in a nasty mood, one would think that they carried all the burdens of the war, so we must leave it like that. I will add to this as are near Singapore. Have you had my other letters from Manila?


Saturday 22 Sept.


Afraid I am not in a very good mood this morning, what with the noise and the kids, added by a sore tummy you can imagine my feeling just weak. 


I only hope and pray that they drop us off at Singapore, this rabble here has killed all desire to hurry home, its bedlam with the lid off. Weather still holds well, I wish it would be rough, it might a crowd of these Wanchai Birds to their bunks - thus relieving the Troops from hanging around their necks. Last night our escort Deshayes left us, so we are on our own now. This is the first time this route has been used since the War. Due in Singapore tomorrow night - so I wonder what waits me there.


Get a nice hot bath ready, have not had that luxury since 1941. After a bath I am going to sleep for a week, I need rest. 


Expect you will be getting news of our whereabouts in the papers or over the wireless - it won't be long now Peg.


All love to all


Lovingly, Bill xxx

On This Day ... 3 October

1882     Jessie Hephzibah (Effie) Pugh was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was the daughter of Christopher Thomas Pugh and Mary Ann Bateman, and was my great-grandmother.

1918     Ralph Palliser Milbanke Hudson married Annie Charleston Goninan at Hobkirk, Roxburgh, Scotland.

On This Day ... 2 October

1770     George Haswell married Ann Pringle at St Hilda's Church, South Shields, Co Durham, England. They were my 5 x great-grandparents.

1808     Henry Dawson married Anne Haddock nee Todner at St Cuthbert and St Mary, Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, England.

1928     Albert Pugh died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was 69 years old.

On This Day ... 1 October

1803     John Hood died in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the three year old son of Thomas Hood and Mary Robson. 

1832     Clara Rebecca Hobday was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was the daughter of John Hobday and Letitia Odams.

1880     David J Weir was born in Ontario, Canada. He was the son of Mungo Weir and Jane Pugh.