I am researching Peggy Edith Norrish Stone who was a Stone in the 1939 census but married in 1950 with the name Brown, she married Percy Teall in WSM

Her father was Edwin J Stone in the 1939 census

Any info would be great regarding which is her surname

Paul

Is anyone researching the Puddy family that seem to have lived in Mark, East Brent and Brent Knoll.  There are so many different branches to the family that I fear I have lost my way.

I have James Puddy born ? died 1803 married to Joan Nash born c. 1765 and buried 1841 at East Brent aged 75.  She remarried after the death of James to Stephen Hole.  James and Joan's last child was born 1802 so feel happy that I have the right death for James in 1803.

I cannot find a baptism for him assuming he was about the same age as Joan so I wonder if the only baptism I have found for a James is son of Grace in 1749 Mark, a love child.  She was baptisd 1725 daughter of Richard and Sarah and buried in 1754.

I had James as the son of Samuel and Jane until I found their marriage in 1770 and realised it could no be right.

Does anyone have Grace in their tree or James for that matter who could put me straight before I delete a lot of Puddy's that may not be part of this branch of the family.

As the document I added to the Newsletter appears to have disappeared I am posting it again here with a request for further information about these schools, their staff and pupils. 

The document is a provisional list of Private Schools with some dates, references and names of Principals which is incomplete and may contain errors.  If you have any information which could be added please let me know.   

I have just noticed that Sir Arthur Eddington, the famous Scientist, Astronomer and Mathematician who lived in Walliscote Road - there is a bronze plaque on his house - was educated at Brynmelyn.

We have Elizabeth HODGES born 1861 in Donyatt, and have traced her as far as 1891 census in Lewisham, when she was a housemaid. Nothing more was found about her until 1939 register when she is living in Ilminster with other members of her family.

We then receive an email from a relative in Australia stating he is in possession of a clock inscribed "Elizbeth Hodges from Mr & Mrs HOWARTH, The Ferns,Beckenham August 1908"

We assume this was presented to her for long service or some such but can not find any more details. Neither Elizabeth nor HOWARTHs have been found in 1901 or 1911 censuses.

Any thoughts please

With the news last week of the closure of the last Private School in Weston - Ashbrooke House - I have started to compile a database of all similar schools in Weston over the years of which there were many. I will collect information from Street Directories, Censuses, newspapers etc and if any of you have found ancestors with connections to any of these or others - I would be pleased to add them to the list.

At the moment initial information about the following schools has been collected: The Schools vary in size, age range and sex of their pupils. Some are Day Schools and some offer Boarding.

Ashbrooke House, Athelstan, Beaconsfield, Beaurivage,  Beausejour, Belle View House, Brambridge House, Brean House, Brynmelyn, Buena Vista, Burton House, Carlton House, Clarence, Coombe Road,  Cottesloe, Dunmarklyn,  Eastern House, Etonhurst,  Eversley, Fairleigh, Greystones, Hazel Croft, Hazelhurst, Holywell House, Hope House, Ingleside, Ivydene, Kendale,Kingsholme, La Retraite, Lancaster House, Lewinsdale, Lewisham, Melrose, Montague House, Petergate, Radford House, Rodney House. Rossholme, Rostherne, Ryeford House, St Andrew's College, St Aubyn's, St Cuthbert's, St Faith's, St Peter's, Stanmore House, Sunnyside, Tarradale, Tavistock House. The College, The Firs, The White House, Tower House. Trefloyne, Westcliff, Westgate, Winchester House, Winthorpe, Woodabay, Wyncroft. 

Now we are well on the way to putting a face to Harry NICHOLS I have another puzzle to solve.

Harry was the 9th of 10 children of Edmund NICHOLS & Eliza HAIN. The 4th child - also called Edmund was born 4 Mar 1872 in Congresbury. He is the one who disappeared!  In 1881 he is with his parents in Puxton, in 1891 (as Edwd NICHOLS) as a farm servant in Wick St Lawrence and in 1901 with his wife and 3 of their children in Bristol as a Lumber Carter.

He married Anna Jane DAVIS about 1895 and they had 5 children in total - they were all baptised on the same day 2 Sep 1906 in the Worle Circuit of the Methodist Church (non-Conformist which is why I probably can't find the marriage). The records state that they were living in Hewish at this point. After this we lose him.

Anna Jane is on her own in the 1911 census but still stated as being "married". Still living in Hewish. In 1921 (yes I paid for it - it's the only one I done so far) she is with her daughter (as Hannah NICHOLS) - still "married" Only in 1939 she is recorded as being widowed.

So what happened to Edmund - anything is possible looking at the family history.

Of the 6 boys the other 5 were in the military at some point. Harry just for WWI. The oldest, George was a Corporal in the Royal Scots Fusiliers before being busted - went to Australia and was found dead after 6 weeks with his throat cut. Twins William & James both joined up in 1895, James died of gangrene in Mhow, India in 1895, William survived his stint in the Grenadier Guards & lived to the age of 76. Another twin, John (there were two sets) also joined up in 1895 and lived to the age of 78 although spent some time in Wells Asylum before WWI.

Of the girls John's twin sister Sarah Ann spent nearly 50 years in Wells Asylum, the 2nd eldest Eliza was a drunk who had 12 children with at least 3 different men (only 2 were husbands). She had quite a few spells in prison with the kids being brought up in the Glamorgan Cottage Homes. Another sister died at the age of 18.

So death, emigration, running off with another woman (or man I suppose), long term jail, asylum, long military service - anything is possible. I cannot find anything for an Edmund or Edward of the right age.

Any thoughts - however radical, gratefully received.

Rob