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.

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.