Our help sessions at Weston-Super-Mare Library on the first Saturday of the month have been so popular that we have collaborated with the library to offer additional sessions on the third Monday of each month starting 19th May 2025. We hope that this will provide a greater opportunity for members and the public to access help with their family history.
If you are a member who enjoys helping others with the challenges of tracing their family history we would welcome you to join our band of volunteers. We find it very rewarding and always learn something of interest. You don’t have to commit to attending every session, or even a whole session, just what you can manage. If you are interested and would like to give it a go please contact Samantha Taylor in person at meetings or via the contact tab on the website.
Sessions are held at:
Weston-super-Mare Library
Town Hall
Walliscote Grove Road
Weston-super-Mare
BS23 1UJ
Monthly on:
First Saturday 2pm to 3.30pm
Third Monday 10.30am to 1pm (starting 19th May 2025)
Clare Hayward of the Bristol & Avon Family History Society has sent us this …
I have enclosed a leaflet for a trip to First World War Battlefield sites in France and Belgium on Saturday 20th to Tuesday 23rd September leaving from Weston-super-Mare. I think one or two of your members have done this trip but I wondered if you could publicize it further in case there are any others who would like to go.
It is a rather full on trip but so interesting and the leader Jeremy Banning will research the ancestor and show a member everything he can about where the person was and if he died where he might be laid to rest.
From the beginning of this year, St Martin’s Church has been celebrating 900 years since its foundation by holding monthly events. Obviously, some of the events have already taken place, but there are still more to come - between now and August!
At 7.00 pm on 29 March (Saturday), the Church will be hosting a concert, when the Bristol Ensemble will be showcasing 900 years of music-making. There will also be refreshments.
From 16 - 18 May (Friday - Sunday), a Flower Festival and a Celebration of Weddings and Marriage will be held, with a display about couples who married here. The weekend will conclude with Songs of Praise at 6.00 pm on the Sunday.
On 8 June (Sunday), there will be a Special Birthday Party for the Church, starting at 3 pm, and followed by strawberries and cream.
On 21 June (Saturday), Richard Lennox will provide a Mid-summer Concert at 3 pm, and there will be tea and cake.
In July, the Festival of Bell Ringing will take place.
On 15 and 16 August (Friday and Saturday), there will be an Art Exhibition (10 am – 4 pm), and refreshments will be served 12 noon to 2 pm.
For further details, please see St Martin’s Church website and their Facebook page, and please do consider visiting this lovely church where you will be very warmly welcomed!
Well, the shortest month is now over and with March we can look forward to the Spring, warmer weather and perhaps visiting the haunts of our ancestors or at least concentrate on some more research.
Free Help Session Weston Library
On Saturday, March 1st we have our usual monthly Free Help Session in Weston Library between 2.00p.m. and 3.30p.m. Our volunteers will be there to greet you and guide you to the most helpful resources. Although Ancestry and Findmypast are available don’t overlook the resources available in the library. The files of information about People and Places in the area, Street Directories, Electoral Rolls and the film of local newspapers are some records which cannot be found anywhere else.
Society meeting March 12th
Somerset Follies will be the topic for the March Meeting of the Society on Wednesday 12th March at 2.30 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall. The Speaker will be Jonathan Holt who has written books about Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire Follies, their history and meaning.
(Right) Sham Castle, Bath
Zoom Workshop Breaking down Brick walls March 26th
Are you stuck with your family history research? Please submit any problems to Peter de Dulin so that they can be investigated during this Workshop on Wednesday March 26th at 7.30p.m. Members will receive information about how to log on to this meeting just before the date.
My main Brickwall is in Bitton. Robert LONG, my 4 x great grandfather, married Hester PRIGG on the 17th May 1767 but I have no real indication of his birth, parentage or death. There are 92 trees on Ancestry some have him living until he was 108 but none that I can see have proof of his birth. My family history research started with Robert LONG but has not progressed further!
My Grandfather maintained that there was a connection with the Victorian artist Edwin LONG, R.A. but here again I need more proof.
Following the Zoom talk last Wednesday I received a very welcome and thought-provoking email from member Keith Graham. Thank you, Keith. He posed the interesting supposition that the fact that I did not know the history of Frances COLES until I researched it demonstrated that in many cases oral family history can be censored, if deemed to be unsavoury, or possibly exaggerated to paint a more favourable picture as it is passed down. This is so true.
My grandfather, who might have known about Frances, told me many fascinating tales about his paternal family but hardly any of them have proved to be true!
It is possible that Thomas might have ridden into Bristol to watch the Riots in Queens Square not proved – but that did not stop me writing an essay about it while at school! Samuel LONG owned a Sand Pit not a coal mine. According to Grandfather the LONG family were important in the history of Bristol and his grandfather entertained Garibaldi when he visited Bristol. Research has shown the Garibaldi spent 10 minutes on Temple Meads Station as he returned to Italy in 1864 and didn’t get off the train! My grandfather was not born until1874 and was presumably recounting what he had been told.
Grandfather did not mention his maternal line – the COLES family, except to acknowledge that his mother was Rebekah Saunders COLES
Frances COLES mortuary photo – who was murdered in Whitechapel in 1891 was a first cousin to my great grandmother but none of our living family knew anything about her or spoke about her. Perhaps because she was a prostitute she was erased from their memories.
What family stories have been handed down in your family? Have you researched them? Do they match with written documentation?
Research Forum
Keith Graham posted a request for help on our Research Forum in January but unless people have contacted him directly, I can see so comments with information about residents of Hill Road. The history of a single road and its inhabitants can highlight the changing values and conditions of society and can be a valuable asset to family history research.
Just one of its residents – lived at 43 Hill Road image from Weston Library
Mendip Hospital
The Cemetery of Mendip Hospital in Wells will re-open for visits on Wednesday April 2nd from 11 am to 4 pm and then every Wednesday and Sunday until the end of September. Many of us will have relations who were buried there. The new exhibition in the Chapel will show some of the patients, staff and their histories.
John HASE who was born in Cross (or Winscombe) in 1828 was a patient there in 1851. According to his case notes (Name given as HARSE) he was admitted on June 1st, 1850, suffering from ye congenital imbecility His case notes are in Somerset Archives D/H/men/17/1/2. He spent some time there and in other places including Bridgwater and Axbridge Workhouses before his death at Wells in 1902 by which time he was described as blind and a lunatic. The friends of the Mendip Hospital Cemetery were able to locate his grave in Section E Grave 75 and sent me a photo of the spot where he was buried. Do take advantage of a visit to the Cemetery its well worth it.
The fact that John was blind is interesting. His father, a blacksmith. is described as blind on the 1851 census of Cross. A grandson of the blacksmith also became blind, as did a great grandson. Glaucoma has been diagnosed in several male descendants of the Blacksmith. Untreated Glaucoma would have led to blindness. In this case it looks as if Family History can assist in tracing inherited complaints.
Family Heirlooms
One of my favourite heirlooms is a traditional Welsh Bakestone or Griddle given to me by my Welsh Step-Grandmother. It will come into use tomorrow, March 1st to cook some Welsh cakes to celebrate St Davids Day. Served warm with a sprinkling of caster sugar and plenty of butter a friend used to call my Welsh cakes Them hot things.
The griddle can also be used for pizzas although I doubt that its original owner even knew what a pizza was!!
I find it interesting to consider what our ancestors ate through the years. Depending on local and seasonal produce with long slow cooking on an open fire or range. You can read about one persons memories of their food here. https://www.1900s.org.uk/1900s-everyday-meals.htm
New Family History Resources available
What new resources have you found useful recently? Please add any comments which you think would help others in their search for the elusive ancestor.
One thing I proved recently was that it pays to revisit some of the resources as new ones are continually becoming available. Always try to look at the original records because transcriptions can be faulty and look at them in context. Neighbours on censuses reveal similar occupations and the numbers living in each house might indicate the type of neighbourhood.
Good Luck with your Research and don’t forget to let Peter know of your brick walls.
Membership renewal published by Brian & Pam Airey on Tue, 18/02/2025 - 10:57
Just a reminder to those who have not renewed membership for 2025 that access to the website will be blocked at end of February. I have tried to contact all those on my list who have yet to renew and have quite a few email addresses returned as incorrect. Please ensure when renewing that I have correct contact details.
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