Research Forum

I am researching my Grandfather Francis Henry Durbin born 1883 in Nailsea. In the 1901 census he is aged 17 and listed as a Baker. So I was wondering where he may have worked. I did some research and found that George Yendole was a Baker in the area and was living at Steam Mills East End Terrace Silver Street Nailsea. I did a search in the newspapers and there was a mill located there but this reference was for its sale in 1882. So I am wondering if it was still operating in 1901. Do you have any suggestions as to how I might find out? Or does anyone know of other flour mills and bakeries that would be close by. Many Thanks for any suggestions.

Regards

Sandra Davis

One of my paternal 3 x Great Grandfathers was Jonas/John HOCKEY who was baptised in Horsington, Somerset on 7 January 1792. His first wife was Hannah GRILL(S) (my 3 x Great Grandmother) and they married at Bedminster St John on 18 November 1810. Hannah died in 1832. And John then married Elizabeth SAINSBURY at Bristol St Paul’s on 19 November 1934. Elizabeth died in 1836.

Following Elizabeth’s death John married (or at least formed a lasting relationship with) Joanna sometime around 1838. They had at least 6 children and I have confirmed (either through the GRO online index or through sight of the relevant birth certificate) that Joanna’s maiden name was TAYLOR in each case.

At the time of the 1841 census the family were living in the parish of St Augustine the Less. According to the census record, Joanna was born “in County”. But subsequently her place of birth was shown as

•        1851 - Portugal (c1812)


•        1861 - Portugal, British Subject (c1808)


•        1871 – British Colonies (c1812)


•        1881 – South Cheriton (c1819)


•        1891 – Spain (c1812).

I have struggled to find either a birth record for Joanna TAYLOR or a marriage record for Joanna TAYLOR and John HOCKEY. At the time of the censuses in 1851 (in Castle Cary) and 1861 (Ansford), there were Taylor families close by but, although I haven’t ruled out a connection with them, I haven’t found one either.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

In 2008 I wrote an article for Buckets & Spades which finished with a request for help in finding more about W. E. TAYLOR, who apparently was teaching music at Clarence School in 1895  See  Weston-super-Mare & District Family History Society (wsmfhs.org.uk 

I am now in the process of sending the baton to Canford School in Dorset and still want to know more about W E TAYLOR as I know very little.  The entry in the newspaper at the end is possibly is about a concert in December 1895 at which the baton may have been presented to Mr TAYLOR, but someone else was conducting a concert by the pupils of Clarence School the following year so he may not have stayed very long.

The school thinks he may have been

"W E Taylor FRCO who went on to become the organist at St Thomas Church, Manchester (c1912-1925) before going to St Sidwells Wesleyan Chapel, Exeter and then to St Mary Major, Exeter which he left in 1939. From 1926 he was the secretary of the Exeter Organists Association. He is not the William Edward Taylor FRCO (1867-1911) who was organists at Dunedin Cathedral in New Zealand for many years"

But, they are not sure about this and think that he may have been a  peripatetic music teacher 

The Royal College of Organists have this information about this man:

"William Edwin Taylor

Date of entry: 17 July 1925

Address (at entry?): 6 Clinton Ave, Exeter

Post (at entry?): St Sidwell's Wesleyan Church, Exeter

ARCO: Jan 1935

Resigned: 30 June 1968"

There are more resources online since 2008 so I am hoping that someone can help me identify him this time.

I am toying with the idea that he might be a William TAYLOR born in 1857 in Kidderminster where his father, Samuel TAYLOR was a Musician and music teacher and William is also a musician in Bristol in 1891.  

Any suggestions will be welcome!

My gg grandmother, Lavinia SPERRIN/G was born in 1825 in West Harptree, the d/o John & Ann SPERRING nee OGBORN, John being a shoemaker.  Her mother died when she was about 6 months old.  I believe that her parents were married on the 31st May 1813 at St Peter's Church in Bristol.  As the Church records of St Peter's were damaged during the Blitz this has been taken from the Bishop's Transcripts and a transcription made after the War from the charred records.  Interestingly the surname is entered as SPERING on one and SPIRING on the other.  From the pages of the transcription.

John and Ann's first child was christened at West Harptree in Nov 1813 which  does suggest that the bride might have been pregnant but I have no proof that this was the correct marriage.  Can anyone help clarify?  

John, the shoemaker, was born in about 1778 in West Harptree and his parents were another John & Anne SPERRING but I have yet to identify this Anne, or her death.   John senior died in 1814, aged 65 and was buried in West Harptree.  

I have received this Research Query from member Suzanne Rowley. Can anyone help her?  Suzanne - perhaps you could post the photograph in a comment to this Query?

Hello All,

My dads name - George GILL

Just wondering if anybody can help, my father was a member of the St Johns School football team 1929/30 I have a photo. If anybody has a relative who was a member and would like a copy of the team photo just let me know,

I was also wondering if anybody had a photo or know where I can find a photo of the school before it was demolished

If you know where I can also obtain school records - teachers names etc. I would be very grateful for the help.

Many thanks

Suzanne Rowley

Does anybody know if there are any cremation records for Milton Road Cemetery. I have been unable to find the resting place of my great grandmother who died at the end of 1956. I know Ebdon Road didn't open until 1966, but I've read that the practice was common from 1950's onwards.