On This Day ... 31 July

1802     Jane Leeming was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of John Leeming and Mary Huntridge.

1846     Emma Darby was born in Freeman St, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She was the daughter of Henry Darby and Ellen Haywood.

On This Day ... 30 July

1801     Ann Wren was born in Simonburn, Northumberland, England. She was the daughter of William Wren and Ann Sisterson.

1836     Jane Jones was born in Mochdre, Montgomeryshire, Wales. She was the daughter of John Jones and Martha Bowen.

Thomas Pattison and Elizabeth Burrell

Thomas Pattison was born in 1756 in at Penny Fine in Lamesley parish, Co Durham, England. He was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Lamesley on 17 October 1756.

On 20 December 1788 Thomas married Elizabeth Burrell at St Andrew's Church.

Thomas and Elizabeth had several children:

Hannah Pattison b1790
John Pattison b1791
Thomas Pattison 1793-1793
Thomas Pattison 1795-1866
Sarah Pattison 1796-1796
(possibly) William Pattison 1798-1798

Thomas and Elizabeth lived initially at Penny Fine, and later at Cow Close, both in the parish of Lamesley. Both areas on old maps appear to be agricultural, so it's possible that Thomas worked in farming, but I've found no reference to any occupation.

So far, I've found no reference to any further children, or to the deaths of Thomas or Elizabeth. I've also not yet found any record of the birth of Elizabeth.

On This Day ... 29 July

1832     Martha Jones was born in Mochdre, Montgomeryshire, Wales. She was the daughter of John Jones and Martha Bowen.

1849     Ralph Milbank Hudson was born in West Boldon, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Ralph Milbank Hudson and Elizabeth Robson.

1908     James Lamb married Margaret Burdis in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. James was the son of John Lamb and Margaret Gerrard.

On This Day ... 28 July

1752     John Powell married Mary Lloyd at St Cynllo's Church, Nantmel, Radnorshire, Wales. They were my 5 x great-grandparents.

1799     Richard Hunter was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas Hunter and Eleanor Horsley.

1874     Frederick Dawson married Catherine Edith Hudson at St Mary's Church, Easington, Co Durham, England.

Wordless Wednesday - Schoolfriends

These young ladies were schoolfriends of Phyllis Pugh.

On This Day ... 27 July

1809     Thornton Bulmer was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Francis Bulmer and Alice Harding.

1811     Roland Gray Coulson was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. He was the son of Thomas Coulson and Isabella Bulmer.

1881     John Jones died at Lodge Farm, Llandinam, Montgomeryshire, Wales. He was 82 years old and was my 4 x great-grandfather.

On This Day ... 26 July

1795     William Huntridge married Mary Soulsby at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.

1880     James Patterson married Ann Bulmer at St Mary's Church, Easington, Co Durham.

1905     James Judson Ward married Alice L Linton in York Co, Ontario, Canada.

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

Page 4 is here

Gowland is out of Hospital, but no leave was recommended. Did you know that Parry is only getting 16 weeks, a shame I think, seeing how sick he has been.

I am so glad Nelly gave you a Chinese Chow, you will have to show him big M.G. expect he will be after a job from him when he gets down, as he says he will have to find work when he settles down. Anyway they are going to live in a street, true to their form as they are Dreadnoughts! never mind Dear, I wish them all the luck possible.

You seem to have been the busy Housefrau that Sunday morning, how I wish I could have been there to help Cream and Fish certainly go together, get what I mean. By all means Peg, if Ada can put you up, go with them, how I wish I could come down, and enjoy the company of all of you, will have to see what I can do next year, in the way of my heart and B.P.!

So Sweetie Pie has a sore toe, well I hope it's better now, my face is nearly healed up now, I told the Old Man I fell, when alighting from a bus, Cdr!

I haven't been to the flicks for over a week, maybe when my face heals up, I have to go to the bank on Friday cos I draw the pay for the staff, will have to pull my cap well over my eyes, or else send Stuart down, I hate to be seen in public, showing scars. Yes it's my own fault Dear, and I don't ask for sympathy!

On This Day ... 25 July

1877     David Pugh died at Tynddol Farm, Llanbadarnfynydd, Radnorshire, Wales at the age of 71.  He was my 3 x great-grandfather.

1814     Edward Darby married Ann Whitehouse (nee Hobdey) at St Philips Church, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. They are my 4 x great-grandparents.

1831     John Wren Vipond Jackson married Agnes Hodgson at St Stephen's Church, Wolsingham, Co Durham, England.

On This Day ... 24 July

1793     Ann Yeal was born in Hartlepool, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of Robert Yeal and Dinah Hood.

1897     Alice Victoria Darby was born at 55 Fazely St, Birmingham, Warwickshire. She was the daughter of William James Darby and Elizabeth Read.

1905     Edward Bernard Gwyn Thomas was born in Bryngwyn, Radnorshire, Wales. He was the son of local rector William Thomas and Sarah Jane Pugh.

On This Day ... 23 July

1642     Cuthbert Burnop married Ann Smith at St Giles's Church, Durham, Co Durham, England. They are my 8 x great-grandparents.

George Gerrard and Janet Fyffe

Just a short one this week, as I don't know much about this couple.

George Gerrard married Jannet Fyffe at Barry Church, Barry, in the county of Forfar (now Angus), Scotland on 28 August 1796. George was a miller, working at Barry Mill. The couple settled in Barry, and had seven children there.

Margaret  1797-??
William 1799-??
David 1801-??
James 1803-1863
Mary 1806-??
George 1808-??
Janet 1815-??


George died in November 1837, having retired from working in the mill. Janet died a few months later, in March 1838. Both were buried at Barry Church.

I haven't yet managed to identify the baptisms of George or Janet, and neither burial gives an age at death to help narrow down the year of birth to make this task easier, so for the time being this is the end of the line for the Gerrards.

On This Day ... 22 July

1811     Jane Halliday was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England. She was the daughter of John Halliday and Jane Hudson.

1821     Richard Coulson married Ann Horsley at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham.

1911     Frederick Charles Sanders married Kate Lillian Darby at St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Long Acre, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Kate was the daughter of William James Darby and Elizabeth Read.

On This Day ... 21 July

1802     Ralph Haddock was born in Penshaw, Co Durham, England.  He was the son of Thomas Haddock and Anne Todner.

1827     Ann Barkwell was born in Spring Gardens, Sunderland, Co Durham. She was the daughter of Robert Barkwell and Ann Hudson.

1970     Richard Wilson Hudson died at Concord Repatriation Hospital, near Sydney, New South Wales, England. Dick was the son of Robert Hunter Hudson and Margaret Mossom, and emigrated to Australia after many years living and working in Hong Kong.

Wordless Wednesday - Gone Fishing

D J Pugh, sometime in the 1920s. Love the suit and tie!

On This Day ... 20 July

1697     Thomas Davison married Jeane Jackson at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.  They are my 7 x great-grandparents.

1807     Ralph Todner was born in Washington, Co Durham. He was the son of Ralph Todner and Mary Dand.

1907     Harry Hudson was born at 49 Crimdon St in West Hartlepool, Co Durham. He was the son of Robert Hunter Hudson and Margaret Mossom.

On This Day ... 19 July

1774     George Herring married Margaret Hastings at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, Co Durham, England.  They are my 5 x great-grandparents.

1807     John Halliday married Jane Hudson at St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, Co Durham.

1812     Thomas Coulson married Margaret Colling at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool.

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:

Page 3 is here
Page 4 is here

He was boasting about how he had worked his leave, of how he had the Government by the way he had applied, but little does he know that Bud had told how he had typed all of Cockeye's applications even to him drawing a month's pay in advance, so how Vi thinks she is going to get a lot of money out of him, God alone knows.  He boasted that he owed no money to anybody, but when I asked him for the 1.60 I had paid for his Taxi fare, he got a shock, and did not like it, anyhow, I got it from him. He could have cut my throat, he even shows his nastiness.

I beat it to catch the last bus at 10.30, so I got away sober, the others went on till late, and how Cockeye got back, I don't know or care. Anyway Peg, you have my full permission to leave, only I hope you have left some arrangements about Ada collecting your mail, cos i would hate them to fall into others hands. I do hope you managed a nice holiday chez Mrs Laing, I am dying to hear of your news, and journey.

Your letter came too late concerning the allotment, as I had already made £3.0.0 a month to your Mother, which I have been informed has been approved, so your Mother will get her first pay in February 1942.

From time to time I will try send Australian pounds, only they are very hard to get, and they are now $12.60 to the pound, and when I went on leave they were only $11.00, anyway I'll do my best to help my Sweetheart out. I have not seen Spoors for over a fortnight, so our friendship ends, he was very trying at times, and since he is acting P.O., he thinks nobody should speak to him, also I got fed up with him talking about the Committee! if I had not have taken my leave he would have never have got there, only you can't tell him.

On This Day ... 18 July

1801     David Gerrard was born in Barry, Angus, Scotland. He was the brother of James Gerrard.

1841     Thomas Lane Lilley married Catherine Read at St Phillips Church, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.  Catherine was the sister of Silvester Read.

Twenty five years later, on 18 July 1866, their daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Allen in Gillingham, Kent, England.