#52 Ancestors 52 Weeks 2023

 After a few years grace I will be attempting this challenge again this year. 5 years since my last try and that dropped of in May, lets see if I can do better this year.  First weeks prompt is Like to Meet, so my first blog of the year will follow shortly after I work out which of my ancestors I would like most to meet

#52Ancestors Week 18 "Close Up"

I am ready for my Close Up now.   This is a copy of an engraving of General Sir Alexander Duff (1777-1851), I wonder how long he had to sit/stand for this ?   

General Sir Alexander Duff formally Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Duff was the second son of The Third Earl of Fife and Lady Mary Skene.   I know, you are wondering why is she writing about a Scot, there are no links to Scotland in her tree.  Wrong !  Well most probably wrong.  Alexander Duff served in the 88th regiment of Foot, 'the Connaught Rangers' who had returned from service in India and Egypt in 1802 and were camped close to Icklesham.  Soon after several local girls were having children and were later claiming parish benefits for their basebourne children.  Absolute proof is not available but it looks as if Elizabeth Butchers (Paternal 4th Great Grandmother) was one of these girls because at the age of 19 she gave birth to Alexander Duff Butchers (1804-1891) the father was most probably the commander of the regiment, Alexander Duff.

The parish records show the birth of Alexander Duff Butchers to a single mother Elizabeth Butchers but what is unusual is that the father was never pursued for payment to the parish accounts, which is in contrast to the way a couple of years later when Elizabeth pregnant again with her second son Joseph, (father being Joseph Mann), and two of her sisters who were also 'in the family way', as they were all were taken to court by the parish to swear who  the fathers were. One baby died but for the others the fathers made payment to the parish accounts for many years - even after Elizabeth married, payment continued for Joseph as she left her son  with her parents!

 

I am hoping sy some stage to confirm this connection using DNA to match to a Duff decendant.  One of the decendants being David Cameron., who if correct would be my 5th Cousin Once removed!!

#52Ancestors Week 17 "Cemetery"

I have got a bit behind with my bloggs, with the weather being so good recently I have been up my allotment getting veg in for harvest later this year.  So these new blogs will be a bit shorter than some have been, phew everyone thinks!
So week 17 hint was Cemetery.  My cemetery visits are yet to materialise, hoping to start when I eventually retire, I know that might sound odd for those of you that are not budding genealogists but part of this odd hobby is the desire  to go round churchyards and cemeteries finding ancestors grave sites hoping to find new clues to our ancestors and their families. That being said there are recent websites that have volunteers taking photos of memorials.  One such website is BillionGraves, which is where I found this.

This is the gravestone of William and Rosina Wadey (Great Grandparents)  William died after being involved in an accident on York Place.  The coroners report reads as follows:-  "Wadey William of 7 Circus Street, Brighton, retired chimney sweep; 71; at the Royal Sussex County Hospital; whilst crossing York Place on 30 Nov he was knocked down by a motor car which threw him in front of a tramway car whereby he sustained multiple injuries in consequence of which he died from bronchial pneumonia; accidental death"

The newspaper report at the time seemed to show that his injuries were not as serious as they turned out.

Rosina, William's wife of 45 years died just months after William.
William was the third son of Stephen Edwin Wadey (1829-1904) and Mary Ann Johnson (1830-1876).   Rosina was born Gravett one of 11 children of William George Gravett (1822-1897) and Mary Jeal (1828-1903) Both William and Rosina were born and lived in Brighton

#52Ancestors Week 16 "Storms"

#52Ancestors  Week16  “Storm”

Not sure that there is anyone in my tree that I can link closely to a storm, so this week a little local history with family loosely linked.

It’s Brighton 1850 and after a few days in July where the thermometer has hit 80 a storm is brewing.  This is not any ordinary storm the deluge that came down on Brighton the evening of 17^th July 1850 was put on canvas and lithograph.  The Brighton Herald printed a full report in their weekly publication a few days later.

The full report can be read here Brighton Herald (page 3)

A shortened version is below - with the tenious links to family.

Violent and Destructive Storm

Brighton was visited on Wednesday evening by the most violent storm of thunder, lightning and rain that has occurred here for the last 50 years.

For several days previously the had had been, for this time, excessive – the thermometer standing at 80 degrees, for summer heat, in the shade; and in the Sun its scorching beams were scarcely to be borne.  At night, too the heat was intolerable; nor was there scarcely a breeze, day or night, to cool the atmosphere, which was very heavy and oppressive.

The weather was again very hot and close on Wednesday.  Towards the evening and immense “thunder loft” as it has been poetically termed, rose up heavy and threatening in the east- one skirt resting , as it seemed, on the sea; the other sweeping round to the north-east, dark and ponderous.  In the west, there was also a vast “blue-black” curtain, advancing slowly and heavily towards the town.  The upper edge was nearly straight, so that it has the appearance of an immense curtain being drawn over the heavens.  This collection of clouds extended far over the sea to the south-west and stretching from the ocean t was suspended over the land , reaching to the Dyke hills.   Over-head it was serene, though not clear – thin fleecy clouds floating between earth and sky, as if they did not know what to do with themselves to escape the coming storm.

About half-past six the wind suddenly shifted round from the north-east to the north-west, and as the storm continued, worked more to the west, and at times seemed to blow from the south-west.  Thus sweeping round, it brought with it immense masses of clouds, which came to a junction immediately over this town.  No sooner did the masses meet –apparently from all quarters- than the town was enveloped in a lurid mist, which concealed every object from the sight.  There was one terrific clap of thunder, like the exploding of a bomb, which seemed to shake the town to its foundations, and then the whole atmosphere seemed to descend in vast sheets of water.  It was such a sight as was, we believe, never witnessed by living man on this coast. 

The violence of this storm was confined, we believe, almost exclusively to Brighton.  At the time it was raging here, there was a violent wind at Shoreham, which swept up dust in eddies; but not rain fell.  On the east – at Rottingdean – there was no rain, though the lightning was very vivid.  Even at Black Rock and Kemp Town comparatively but little rain fell; but the Marine-parade and the streets behind it were exposed to the full violence of the storm.  The rain descended in torrents here, and swept down the side streets on to the parade, sweeping over the sea-wall in sheets of water.  To the north, also, the storm does not appear to have extended far inland,Wivlesfield, Hurst, Clayton, &e, that, at the time the rain was falling in torrents at Brighton, no a drop fell in those places.  But at Patcham and thence into Brighton the roads resembled rivers, and in a though places the surface of the roads was torn into gullies by the rush of the water, as impelled from side to side by inequality of the ground.

It was, therefore, within comparatively a small circle that the storm was felt; embracing within it the valley and sides of the hills in and on which Brighton is built. But hers its effects were terrific.  The rain began to descend about 10 minutes to 7. At 10 minutes to 8 its violence had abated, and pedestrians and vehicles could again venture onto the streets.  But the state which they presented in many parts was as if the town had been submerged.   To the north, the Level was like a lake, with large sheets of water in the roads on each side.  Passing St Peters Church, the rain had so covered the large space between the Church and the Northern Enclosures that it was almost impossible for pedestrians to make their way across it.  Down Trafalgar-street on the west, and down Richmond-hill on the east, (GG Grandmother, Mary Ann Johnson is living with her parents in Carlton Row, close to Richmond Hill) the rain had descended in torrents and collected in the roads below, covering their pavement and forming little lakes.  There was no passage along the east side of the Enclosures, by Grand-parade.  The water reached from the coping of the Enclosures to within an inch or two of the cellars of the houses, and in some cases poured down them.  The gratings of the sewers were quite inadequate to carry off the water, which swept over them or filled them up with mud and rubbish.  It was the same at the bottom of Sussex-hill , Carlton-hill, (again close to the Johnson family home) and Edward-street. The Palace grounds were also completely swamped.

But, bad as it was at the north, the state of things was far worse at the southern extremity of the town; towards which there is a natural as well as artificial drainage; and both of these conspired to the destruction of property, for whilst the surface water poured into houses through the doors and windows, - vainly closed to keep it out,- the drains beneath burst in a variety of cases and shot their contents like a jet into kitchens, cellars, &c.

Messers Hannington narrowly escaped severe loss.  The water found its way into their warehouse, at the top of the building the rain found its way through the roof.  Stephen Wadey GG Grandfather was living very close at this time in Clarence Yard, that was situated behind Clarence Hotel and Hanningtons.

Such was the force of the stream in the square [Castle] that a ladder against a house on the south side was taken up and floated down to the York Hotel like a mere straw.  As to the Steyne itself it presented the most extraordinary spectacle.  The whole of the wide roads by which it is surrounded and the spacious pavements were covered with a wide sheet of water.  The currents swept with great force towards the southern end of the Steyne where the Royal York and Royal Albion hotels stand, and where there are several outlets leading into what is called Pool Valley. 

As this was the spot where the destructive effects of the storm were most felt, it may be as well to give some account of it.  Pool Valley receives its name from having been the outlet of a stream or bourne which used formerly to flow through Brighton from Patcham, where it took its rise in a well renowned for its depth.  The stream used to be called Well-bourne, from its fountain head, and, in the course of time, this was corrupted to Whalebone as the legal name of this Hundred.

On Wednesday evening soon after seven the water began to pour in considerable quantities down this several passages [into Pool Valley]  At first it was carried off by two gratings which stand each side of Creeks Baths, as however these became unequal to the task of carrying it off and at half past seven a pool began to form in this old place, without having any outlet for it.  

Mindful of the length of this piece I will leave it there but there is a very long and descriptive report in the Brighton Herald. (link to the paper at the top of the page, details on page 3) As you can see from the etching done at the time, this was not just a normal thunder storm, something I am sure was spoken of for years after.

#52Ancestors Week 15 "Taxes"

William Spilsted 1727-1808 Paternal 6th Great Grandfather

The saying goes that there a only two things certain in life death and taxes. Death duties or Legacy Tax as it was known then became law in 1796.  I have found the details of the Legacy Duties paid by the recipients of William Spilstead  will after his death in 1808.  This was paid by the executors or the legatees.

William's will can be read here Transcript of Will 

William was born in Brede in 1727 the 2nd son of John Spilsted and Ann Brightes.  He married Mercy Selvens 13th June 1751 in Iden (near Rye, Sussex) They had 5 children, William (1752-1838), John (1754-1785), Mercy (1757-? ), Sarah (1759-1760) and Stephen (1762-1833)


Willaim left his daughter Mercy £350 of which she had to pay duty of £3 10s
His son Stephen who was bequeathed £160 had to pay duty of £1 12s
His granddaughters Mary & Ruth the children of his son John (decd) were left £80 each of which they had to pay duty of  £0 16s each

The rest of his goods, chattels and personal estate was left to his eldest son William.

Before 1853 freehold property was exempt from death duty and not all estates were subject to the duty. For example, bequests to close family members up to 1815 were not subject to the tax but from this date only bequests to a spouse were exempt. However by the 1850s most estates worth more than £20 were covered by the regulations.



NB. Mercy French nee Spilsted was my 5th Great Grandmother

#52Ancestors week 14 "The Maiden Aunt"

Elsie Mabel West 1910-1987 Paternal Great Aunt (maiden)

Elsie was the 4th daughter of Henry Charles West and Ellen (Helen) Mary Briggs.  Born in Hastings 29th April 1910.  At the age of 1 she is living at 109 St Georges Road, Hastings which consisted of 5 rooms including the kitchen with her parents and siblings Nellie Eliza (13) Charles Henry (12) Daisy May (10) Lillian Maude (8) Leonard (6) and Horace John (2)

Elsie worked for Sussex's Evening Argus and by 1939 was living at 16 Calvert Road, Hastings with her parents and sister Lillian.  Both girls were volunteers and the start of the war Lillian volunteering as a telephonist in the ARP Control and Elsie worked in the mobile Voluntary Canteen Service run by the WRVS serving Teas to the voluntary workers as well as anyone affected by bombing

Elsie worked for Evening Argus firstly in Hastings as a inter-type operator (see below) and then she was transferred to Brighton by the Argus, family story has it that once had to write (make up) the horoscopes as the normal astrologer was away!

Elsie never married, when she first moved to Brighton she lived with brother and his family in Waldergrave Road.  Her sister Lillian then moved to Brighton with her job working in the insurance business and Elsie and Lillian rented a house in the Five Ways area close to their brother Charles.  The two sisters brought a bungalow in Hassocks and where they lived until Lil marries Fred Horlock in 1971 when the 3 of them share the home in Hassocks.  After Fred's death in 1984 Lil and Elsie move back to Hastings.  Elsie dies at 96 Athlestone Road, Hastings 29th April 1987, Lil passes away 13 years later in February 2000

#52Ancestors Week 13 "The Old Homestead"

108 Hythe Road

Affectionately know as One O Eight by the family this house was home to the Wadey family for 76 years.  Stephen and Clara Wadey brought up seven children in this house, four boys and three girls.  I have fond memories of this house from my childhood, from "sleep-overs" with my brother when my Mum and Dad had evenings out and being looked after by my uncle and aunt to visiting when The Wadey brothers and sisters visited Brighton with their families. I cannot mention these visits without being reminded of Stanmer Park where we used to go for Family Picnics, special times x

From records it would appear that plans for the building of 29 homes 78 to 134 Hythe Road were first submitted 20 July 1899.  There are some large houses in Hythe Road set for demolition

From 1901 to 1904 the old houses still seem to be inhabited.  The first clue we have on the residents of 108 Hythe Road comes in the 1911 census when Ben Heath and his family are showing as living there.  Ben's occupation is a Chimney Sweep!

 

The street directories show Ben continuing to live at 108 in 1914

 

But by 1915 Ben has moved out and his brother George has moved in with his family.  George who in earlier years was a Coachman is showing as a Cartman in 1911.

1917 and all change again the street directory shows Mrs Painter living at 108

With so little information it is impossible to know who this is lady is and a year later the Heath's are back with the 1918 directory showing Mrs Heath.  1920 George is back on the directory and stays showing until 1924 with his death.  Probate shows his address as 108 Hythe Road

1925 shows Mrs Heath as resident.

  

1926 shows Mrs Heath and STEPHEN WADEY.

1926 and the first time that STEPHEN WADEY is shown along with Mrs Heath in the street dirctory. Stephen and Clara married in 1920 and by 1926 both Stephen AL Wadey and Robert Wadey have been born so 1926 the Wadey family shown as occupants along with Mrs Heath.   As Stephen bought the house in 1925 I imagine that Mrs Heath boarded there until she disappears from the street directory for Hythe Road in 1931  I can find no family link with the Heath family, other than the fact that George's brother was also a chimney sweep.  Initially I thought that Mrs Heath was Mrs George Heath, but this is not correct as Mrs George Heath died 1912.  Maybe a family member may be able to recall something?

This is the 1931 register the first time that Stephen Wadey is shown as the only family head.  Next door is Sharman, if memory serves right when I was a child 60's and 70's the lady next door was Bolly (sic) Sharman?  The daughter of Jn David Sharman?
Again any family member with any information this would be gratefully received.













Land registry shows Stephen buying the house on 26th August 1925

In my search for information in the newspaper archives I came across a very strange advert for a miracle cream in several local newspapers throughout the country this cream has been endorsed by a Mrs B Shepherd of 108 Hythe Road, Preston, Brighton, England.  Cannot find any record of this lady at 108 Hythe Road, but makes interesting reading