I'd like to comment on the family of my 3x great grandparents Thomas Sharp & Harriet Knight (of Sharps Row in Badsey), in particular about Harriet's brother's line. He was Robert Knight born c1806 in Badsey and married to Mary Dowsil.
Of Robert & Mary's children I am currently looking for the whereabouts of their son William Knight who was born 1846, but my problem being that another William Knight was born the same year which had presented me with a dilema.
My reason for writing is because I have been looking at two persons named William Knight born at the same place & year and I have made a mistake in following my line which is in fact incorrect. I have made a common error in looking at the many trees on Ancestry and taking information without positive proof. I am usually very careful what to include in my tree and check as much as possible but in this case there are many tree's that were just showing incorrectly. Many people are in danger of adding 2 plus 2 and coming up with 5.
I'd like to thank Maureen Spinks & the Badsey Society for helping me with my Knight connections, especially proving that my William Knight was the son of Robert Knight & Mary Dowsil and the fact that this William was the one who emigrated to Ohio.
Many thanks for your kind comments, Graham. As Knight was the commonest surname by far in Badsey for three centuries, it is inevitable that many names were duplicated, so it is a case of looking logically through all the baptism, marriage, burial and census records to confirm the correct line of descent. It is extremely frustrating when we see incorrect family trees published on Ancestry.
A pivotal point regarding your William Knight came when I realised that a significant number of people from Badsey emigrated in the latter half of the 19th century to the small town of Auburn, Ohio, USA. William Knight seemed to have "disappeared" from the UK census so, as other Badsey folks, including several members of the Knight family, had gone to America, I started looking for him in America - and, bingo, there he was in the 1870 census for Auburn!
Thank you for taking the time to write and hope that you continue to enjoy looking at the Badsey website - new articles are being added all the time.
I’ve just come across your site. I’m a Woodall, interested in family history. I’m descended from the youngest of Sir Corbet Woodall’s 10 children (of the Gas, Light and Coke Co). I’m not sure of the exact connection here but would love to know more. Thank you. Alex
Thank you for your comment. The person by the name of Woodall who lived in Wickhamford was Alfred Woodall (1875-1966) who was born in Staffordshire, the son of William and Caroline Woodall. Having checked on Ancestry, William Woodall was born at Shrewsbury in 1843, the son of John and Elizabeth Woodall. John Woodall was born at Shrewsbury in about 1808.
I see that Corbet Woodall was born in Liverpool in 1841, but older siblings were born in Shrewsbury, as was his father, William (born about 1804), so there would appear to be some kind of family connection. It is possible that William Woodall (father of Corbet) and John Woodall (father of William and grandfather of Alfred) may have been brothers. The Shropshire parish records do not appear to be online, so you will need to pay a visit to Shropshire Record Office to check this out. Hope this helps.
Corbett's father, William, was born abt.1795 and married Martha Ann Basson 13 Aug 1829 and had four children. William's father, John, married Martha Harris at Shrewsbury 15 Jan 1805. They had six children, including John Woodall, who was born 25 Jun 1807 in Shrewsbury. This appears to be the connection.
Peter Stewart
Hello. I am another person decended from Joseph Knight (my mother was called Jennifer Knight, and her father grew up around the area). I notice that one of your pages (https://www.badsey.net/past/knight3.htm) refers to a huge family tree of the Knights. I wonder if i can see that information?
Thank you for your email and many apologies for the delay in replying but I have been busy updating and article about the Knight family which I have added to the Top Ten Names section - https://www.badseysociety.uk/top-ten-names. The family tree which you refer to was produced some 17 years ago for a display at the school fete. I’m afraid it no longer exists in print format (from memory it was about 22 sheets of A4 stuck together) as it was getting extremely tatty and, more importantly, corrections and new information needed to be added. I hope that this article on the Knights will help you understand the various family relationships.
A very well laid out website and also interesting. I happened on it when searching about my family history (Broadway/Willersey area) and I can see that a lot of thought and effort has gone into it. I will browse it again in future. Regards, Chris Dalton (nee Andrews)
Thank you for your kind comments - we are glad that you have found the website useful. In 2022 the 1921 census will be available for public viewing, so we shall have a team of volunteers in action doing the transcribing, the results of which will be put on the website. You will thus be able to see who lived at Victoria Cottage then. At the same time, we plan to do a further comprehensive photo survey of the village in 2022.
Good Evening! Firstly I would like to say what a fantastic website! IT has helped me trace my family back to my 8th Great Grandfather Robert Mason who was Church Warden at Wickhamford in 1699! His Direct family line are the Mason family of Birlingham Pershore! The Mason family were staunch Royalists and were granted a coat of Arms by King Charles for their exploits in the Battle of Worcester! After the defeat to Cromwell some the family fled to America and eventually one of the Family George Mason of Gunstan Hall Virginia wrote Americas "BILL OF RIGHTS" He was great friends with George Washington ! This is where I am convinced the Washington family have links to Wickhamford! I hope this proves of interest! A lot of research into my family has been done by Roger Whitworth a local Historian and Genealogist. Kind regards Paul Mason
Hi Paul
It's great you have sent the information on the Mason family and the connection between George Mason and George Washington.
It's almost certain that our forbear Robert Mason who came to Wickhamford some time before 1700 would have known Penelope Washington who resided at Wickhamford Manor and was a distant relative of George Washington.
Keep up the research.
Val
Hi Val as you are aware my search of our families past is a daily ongoing task for me! You are also aware that I use my DNA results to link our family to places and people! So today I have matched a DNA link to the name of SANDYS and the location of Worcestershire and I have a match to a Margaret Sandys Born 1588 Worcestershire!
This is really cementing my research! I just need to uncover the documented sources! I will keep you and the fantastic Badsey website updated as and when!
Hi, not sure if you are based in Worcestershire but if you are, we live in Badsey and are in possession of an original large framed photo of George Mason on his horse. This photo was the property of Celia Barnard (his fiancé) and inherited by Celia’s younger sister. This is now owned by Celia’s nephew. Unfortunately it is too fragile to be sent as a parcel. Kind regards Marion
Hi Marion thanks so much for your reply ! I live near Stourport-on-Severn so not to far away! It would be fantastic to see the picture and maybe obtain a copy of it if possible ? Kindest regards Paul
Hello Marion
Thank you for letting us know about the photo of George Mason on horseback. Am I correct in thinking that it is the same one as is featured in the article “The Mason brothers of Elm Farm – pictorial study” (https://www.badseysociety.uk/world-war-one/the-mason-brothers-elm-farm-…) and also on page 89 of Peace, War & Remembrance: The Great War in Badsey, Aldington & Wickhamford?
I assume you are the daughter-in-law of Cecilia’s sister, Evelyn. The Badsey Society is most definitely based in Worcestershire, in Badsey itself. I was not sure from your comment whether you are offering to donate the framed photo to The Badsey Society archive. If that is your intention, then yes, we would love to receive it. Details and a copy of the item will be placed in our online catalogue (https://www.badseysociety.uk/archive) and the photo will be stored in our Archive at Badsey Remembrance Hall and used from time to time in exhibitions. Please email me directly at history@badsey.net to confirm your intentions.
Kind regards.
Maureen Spinks, Chairman, The Badsey Society
Hi Maureen just for your info I have spoken to Marion this evening and I have arranged to pick up the photo with a view to it going on display in the Worcester Regimental Museum ! I will be contacting the curator tommorow! This I feel should be its home and where it will be of most interest to serving and veterans of the Regiment! Kind Regards Paul Mason
Thanks, Paul, for letting me know your intentions. Just to let you know that the photo of George on horseback was taken in 1915 whilst he was serving with the Worcestershire Yeomanry, but I see that the Mercian Regiment Museum also seems to cover the Yeomanry.
Hi Maureen I am just in the throws of collating all the info on George from the fantastic Badsey website!! I will take this info along with me to the Museum! Yes you are correct that it is now the Mercians which is a result of the disbandment of the Prince of Wales Division ( to my disgust) I served with the Staffordshire Regiment also POW division! I aim to ensure that the photo along with his story takes a place of prominence within their displays! However if I felt that it was going to be tucked away out of sight and mind then the photo will stay in the MASON family and passed down through history! I having served 12 years also as a infantry soldier feel that George would agree my course of action! Once again a very big thank you to all of you who have spent endless hours uncovering the past of Badsey/Wickhamford! I don't think there is a local historical/ factual website to match it!! Kind regards PM
Years ago, I encouraged Michael B. Sladden, descendant of the Badsey bunch, I presume, to contribute a yDNA sample to our surname study of Sladen and Sladden. (He was in New York when first contacted.) The good news is that he did it, the bad news is that he sampled with a British service that has since shut down. He has since moved to London. I never received a printout of his results, this result is the only Sladden male tested that we are aware of. He was under the impression that I would besable to get access to his results online, but since the firm closed and he moved, I have never been able to do so.
I do not seek direct contact information. I do not wish to invade anyone's privacy, and I do not participate in FaceBook or Twitter, where his daughter Chloe was once a company officer. I simply would like for my e-mail info to be forwarded to Mr. Sladden (or his daughter Chloe or son Mark, so that they can contact him regarding this matter.)
He was interested enough to pay for the sampling, so I assume he would like to know how he compares with the other 50 men in the study. Thanks for any attention you might be give to this matter.
Clinton Slayton
admin Slaton Slatton Slayden Family & DNA Project
Thank you for your email. I don't have Michael's email or that of his children, but I am in contact with his sister, Patsy, so I have forwarded to her.
Doris was my grandmother and it was such a thrill to find her photo on this site. I believe her mother, Emily Jane was a Heritage, maybe Hannah Heritage is my great great grandmother?
I am pleased that you have found the Badsey Society website and the lovely photo of your grandmother Doris May Hardiman. There is also a photo of your great grandparents, George Higgins Hardiman and Emily Jane Hardiman nee Heritage. Emily Jane was born in Evesham in 1888 and her parents (your great great grandparents) were Henry and Mary Heritage and on the 1891 census the family were living in the Bengeworth area of Evesham and Emily had two brothers Ernest aged one and Frederick aged one month.
Doris' father George Higgins Hardiman worked as a gardener for George Lees-Milne of Wickhamford Manor and the family lived in a cottage in Wickhamford Lane that belonged to Lees-Milne. In 1924 the George and Emily had moved and were living at 6 Council Cottages (now 15 Pitchers Hill), Wickhamford.
There is quite a lot of information about the Hardiman family on the website and I hope you can navigate your way around the site and find more information about your family.
We are always looking for photos relating to Wickhamford and I wonder if you have any photos relating to the time that your grandmother and great grandparents were living in the village. Your help would be much appreciated.
Regards
Valerie Harman
George Higgins Hardiman & his wife Emily Jane are buried in Bengeworth Cemetery where there is a headstone. He died on September 6, 1952 and she on August 8, 1964.
I have used this site on and off for several years, and have received excellent help by Maureen Spinks. I have been looking again today and have found so much that I have missed in the past. My advice is to keep checking the site and uncover its depths and links. This must be one of the best local history sites in Britain for such a small area. Thank you again.
Many thanks for your kind comments - it was a pleasure to show you round places in Badsey, Aldington, Wickhamford and Honeybourne where your ancestors lived and worshipped. We are continually adding new items to the website so, as you say, keep checking back - Maureen.
Hope you can help I am doing my Uncle Walters family tree - I believe his brother had two daughters Margaret (Peggy) and Avis but I am unable to find Avis on any records - have I got the name wrong or was this her middle name - I believe their Grandparents were Alfred and Rose. Hope you can enlighten me.
You have provided very few details as to the person you are enquiring about. You mention wanting to find out about the family of the brother of your Uncle Walter. Assuming Uncle Walter is Walter Bell (1899-1971), then his only brother, Alfred Bell, had three children, Katie, Martin and Charles. Alfred and Walter were the children of Alfred and Rose (née Boswell) Bell.
I can confirm that there IS someone by the name of Avis but, because of data protection, baptism and school records for people who may still be living have not been uploaded to the website. You can, however, see her sister and parents and sister’s records on the 1939 register on the Badsey website. If you look on Ancestry, you will see that there are at least two mentions of “Avis H Bell”.
Have now pieced together Walter Bell 1899-1977 family tree. Going on a sister site found another branch of the Bell family tree and have now pieced it all together.
Hello from Ohio
I want to express my gratitude to the people of Badsey for this wonderful website.
Thanks to you I was able to locate that my great-grandfather, Fred (Frederick William) Wright, who emigrated from Badsey in 1883 at the age of 12 -- and to identify his mother, Emma Smith.
Prior to this discovery, my Wright cousins, who were working on our family tree, were unable to find the correct Smith family. (It doesn't help to have such common surnames to research.) Their work on genealogical websites had left them stumped. I simply Googled "Badsey" one day, and Voila, there was the link we were looking for.
From reading your history, I'm guessing that the Smiths, Joseph & Sarah, came down to Badsey from Warwickshire because of the opportunities offered by Market Garden ownership. (?) (I picture them as characters from a Flora Thompson story.) How their daughter, Emma, met Adolphus Wright, who grew up Bermondsey, remains a mystery to me, as does their choice of destination when they moved to the US. I am assuming that it was the sale of their 9 acres which financed their family's passage to Auburn, Ohio.
I never met Fred Wright. My grandfather, John Frederick Wright, was the second of his 2 sons. "Grandpa John" was, not surprisingly, a farmer: a man who could build a barn without blueprints, grow absolutely anything, and spend hours reminiscing about the teams of shire horses he once drove across the fields of northern Ohio. (His favorite reading material was The Angus Journal.) He got his family of 6 children through the Great Depression well fed, -- and they all went to university.
My mother, Jayne Wright Kienzle, never forgot her childhood on the farm & was an avid gardener. My sister & I also have "green fingers." I believe the dirt under our fingernails had its had its origins in the market gardens of Badsey.
I am hoping to visit Badsey in the autumn and look forward to meeting your residents, seeing the town, and shopping at the Spar shop, aka my ancestral home.
Lovely to hear from you and thank you very much for your kind comments. I have put up an article about the Wright family on the website in the People section. This should help you when you come to Badsey in the autumn. Did you know that The Wheatsheaf, which your 3x-great-grandmother, Fanny Wright, owned in the 19th century, has rooms? So you would be able to stay in the very house where your family lived! Do you have any photos of Adolphus and Emma Wright and their children? If so, I would be happy to add to the article.
Comments
My Knight & Sharp ancestors
I'd like to comment on the family of my 3x great grandparents Thomas Sharp & Harriet Knight (of Sharps Row in Badsey), in particular about Harriet's brother's line. He was Robert Knight born c1806 in Badsey and married to Mary Dowsil.
Of Robert & Mary's children I am currently looking for the whereabouts of their son William Knight who was born 1846, but my problem being that another William Knight was born the same year which had presented me with a dilema.
My reason for writing is because I have been looking at two persons named William Knight born at the same place & year and I have made a mistake in following my line which is in fact incorrect. I have made a common error in looking at the many trees on Ancestry and taking information without positive proof. I am usually very careful what to include in my tree and check as much as possible but in this case there are many tree's that were just showing incorrectly. Many people are in danger of adding 2 plus 2 and coming up with 5.
I'd like to thank Maureen Spinks & the Badsey Society for helping me with my Knight connections, especially proving that my William Knight was the son of Robert Knight & Mary Dowsil and the fact that this William was the one who emigrated to Ohio.
Re: My Knight & Sharp ancestors
Many thanks for your kind comments, Graham. As Knight was the commonest surname by far in Badsey for three centuries, it is inevitable that many names were duplicated, so it is a case of looking logically through all the baptism, marriage, burial and census records to confirm the correct line of descent. It is extremely frustrating when we see incorrect family trees published on Ancestry.
A pivotal point regarding your William Knight came when I realised that a significant number of people from Badsey emigrated in the latter half of the 19th century to the small town of Auburn, Ohio, USA. William Knight seemed to have "disappeared" from the UK census so, as other Badsey folks, including several members of the Knight family, had gone to America, I started looking for him in America - and, bingo, there he was in the 1870 census for Auburn!
Thank you for taking the time to write and hope that you continue to enjoy looking at the Badsey website - new articles are being added all the time.
Woodall connection
I’ve just come across your site. I’m a Woodall, interested in family history. I’m descended from the youngest of Sir Corbet Woodall’s 10 children (of the Gas, Light and Coke Co). I’m not sure of the exact connection here but would love to know more. Thank you. Alex
Re: Woodall connection
Thank you for your comment. The person by the name of Woodall who lived in Wickhamford was Alfred Woodall (1875-1966) who was born in Staffordshire, the son of William and Caroline Woodall. Having checked on Ancestry, William Woodall was born at Shrewsbury in 1843, the son of John and Elizabeth Woodall. John Woodall was born at Shrewsbury in about 1808.
I see that Corbet Woodall was born in Liverpool in 1841, but older siblings were born in Shrewsbury, as was his father, William (born about 1804), so there would appear to be some kind of family connection. It is possible that William Woodall (father of Corbet) and John Woodall (father of William and grandfather of Alfred) may have been brothers. The Shropshire parish records do not appear to be online, so you will need to pay a visit to Shropshire Record Office to check this out. Hope this helps.
Re: Woodall connection
Corbett's father, William, was born abt.1795 and married Martha Ann Basson 13 Aug 1829 and had four children. William's father, John, married Martha Harris at Shrewsbury 15 Jan 1805. They had six children, including John Woodall, who was born 25 Jun 1807 in Shrewsbury. This appears to be the connection.
Peter Stewart
Knights of Badsey
Hello. I am another person decended from Joseph Knight (my mother was called Jennifer Knight, and her father grew up around the area). I notice that one of your pages (https://www.badsey.net/past/knight3.htm) refers to a huge family tree of the Knights. I wonder if i can see that information?
Re: Knights of Badsey
Thank you for your email and many apologies for the delay in replying but I have been busy updating and article about the Knight family which I have added to the Top Ten Names section - https://www.badseysociety.uk/top-ten-names. The family tree which you refer to was produced some 17 years ago for a display at the school fete. I’m afraid it no longer exists in print format (from memory it was about 22 sheets of A4 stuck together) as it was getting extremely tatty and, more importantly, corrections and new information needed to be added. I hope that this article on the Knights will help you understand the various family relationships.
Website
A very well laid out website and also interesting. I happened on it when searching about my family history (Broadway/Willersey area) and I can see that a lot of thought and effort has gone into it. I will browse it again in future. Regards, Chris Dalton (nee Andrews)
Victoria Cottage
I just bought Victoria Cottage in Station Road and was surprised by it’s history. Thank you for sharing the information about it on this website.
Re: Victoria Cottage
Thank you for your kind comments - we are glad that you have found the website useful. In 2022 the 1921 census will be available for public viewing, so we shall have a team of volunteers in action doing the transcribing, the results of which will be put on the website. You will thus be able to see who lived at Victoria Cottage then. At the same time, we plan to do a further comprehensive photo survey of the village in 2022.
Re: Victoria Cottage
Sounds great.
Thank you for all your efforts in preserving and publishing the history of the villages.
The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Good Evening! Firstly I would like to say what a fantastic website! IT has helped me trace my family back to my 8th Great Grandfather Robert Mason who was Church Warden at Wickhamford in 1699! His Direct family line are the Mason family of Birlingham Pershore! The Mason family were staunch Royalists and were granted a coat of Arms by King Charles for their exploits in the Battle of Worcester! After the defeat to Cromwell some the family fled to America and eventually one of the Family George Mason of Gunstan Hall Virginia wrote Americas "BILL OF RIGHTS" He was great friends with George Washington ! This is where I am convinced the Washington family have links to Wickhamford! I hope this proves of interest! A lot of research into my family has been done by Roger Whitworth a local Historian and Genealogist. Kind regards Paul Mason
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hi Paul
It's great you have sent the information on the Mason family and the connection between George Mason and George Washington.
It's almost certain that our forbear Robert Mason who came to Wickhamford some time before 1700 would have known Penelope Washington who resided at Wickhamford Manor and was a distant relative of George Washington.
Keep up the research.
Val
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hi Val as you are aware my search of our families past is a daily ongoing task for me! You are also aware that I use my DNA results to link our family to places and people! So today I have matched a DNA link to the name of SANDYS and the location of Worcestershire and I have a match to a Margaret Sandys Born 1588 Worcestershire!
This is really cementing my research! I just need to uncover the documented sources! I will keep you and the fantastic Badsey website updated as and when!
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your kind comments about the Badsey Society website. Look forward to you finding the connection to Margaret Sandys.
Val
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hi, not sure if you are based in Worcestershire but if you are, we live in Badsey and are in possession of an original large framed photo of George Mason on his horse. This photo was the property of Celia Barnard (his fiancé) and inherited by Celia’s younger sister. This is now owned by Celia’s nephew. Unfortunately it is too fragile to be sent as a parcel. Kind regards Marion
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hi Marion thanks so much for your reply ! I live near Stourport-on-Severn so not to far away! It would be fantastic to see the picture and maybe obtain a copy of it if possible ? Kindest regards Paul
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hi Paul How do we communicate other than this website to organise for you to view the picture
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hi Marion if you text me your number to 07476 211239 I will contact you later tvanka
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hello Marion
Thank you for letting us know about the photo of George Mason on horseback. Am I correct in thinking that it is the same one as is featured in the article “The Mason brothers of Elm Farm – pictorial study” (https://www.badseysociety.uk/world-war-one/the-mason-brothers-elm-farm-…) and also on page 89 of Peace, War & Remembrance: The Great War in Badsey, Aldington & Wickhamford?
I assume you are the daughter-in-law of Cecilia’s sister, Evelyn. The Badsey Society is most definitely based in Worcestershire, in Badsey itself. I was not sure from your comment whether you are offering to donate the framed photo to The Badsey Society archive. If that is your intention, then yes, we would love to receive it. Details and a copy of the item will be placed in our online catalogue (https://www.badseysociety.uk/archive) and the photo will be stored in our Archive at Badsey Remembrance Hall and used from time to time in exhibitions. Please email me directly at history@badsey.net to confirm your intentions.
Kind regards.
Maureen Spinks, Chairman, The Badsey Society
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hi Maureen just for your info I have spoken to Marion this evening and I have arranged to pick up the photo with a view to it going on display in the Worcester Regimental Museum ! I will be contacting the curator tommorow! This I feel should be its home and where it will be of most interest to serving and veterans of the Regiment! Kind Regards Paul Mason
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Thanks, Paul, for letting me know your intentions. Just to let you know that the photo of George on horseback was taken in 1915 whilst he was serving with the Worcestershire Yeomanry, but I see that the Mercian Regiment Museum also seems to cover the Yeomanry.
Re: The connection of George Washingtons family to Wickhamford
Hi Maureen I am just in the throws of collating all the info on George from the fantastic Badsey website!! I will take this info along with me to the Museum! Yes you are correct that it is now the Mercians which is a result of the disbandment of the Prince of Wales Division ( to my disgust) I served with the Staffordshire Regiment also POW division! I aim to ensure that the photo along with his story takes a place of prominence within their displays! However if I felt that it was going to be tucked away out of sight and mind then the photo will stay in the MASON family and passed down through history! I having served 12 years also as a infantry soldier feel that George would agree my course of action! Once again a very big thank you to all of you who have spent endless hours uncovering the past of Badsey/Wickhamford! I don't think there is a local historical/ factual website to match it!! Kind regards PM
Tricky issue
Years ago, I encouraged Michael B. Sladden, descendant of the Badsey bunch, I presume, to contribute a yDNA sample to our surname study of Sladen and Sladden. (He was in New York when first contacted.) The good news is that he did it, the bad news is that he sampled with a British service that has since shut down. He has since moved to London. I never received a printout of his results, this result is the only Sladden male tested that we are aware of. He was under the impression that I would besable to get access to his results online, but since the firm closed and he moved, I have never been able to do so.
I do not seek direct contact information. I do not wish to invade anyone's privacy, and I do not participate in FaceBook or Twitter, where his daughter Chloe was once a company officer. I simply would like for my e-mail info to be forwarded to Mr. Sladden (or his daughter Chloe or son Mark, so that they can contact him regarding this matter.)
He was interested enough to pay for the sampling, so I assume he would like to know how he compares with the other 50 men in the study. Thanks for any attention you might be give to this matter.
Clinton Slayton
admin Slaton Slatton Slayden Family & DNA Project
Re: Tricky issue
Thank you for your email. I don't have Michael's email or that of his children, but I am in contact with his sister, Patsy, so I have forwarded to her.
Re: Tricky issue
Thanks so much! This was a long-shot, and my e-addresses for Michael and Patsy are 12 years old!
The Holly Bush
Just reading a book which mentions The Holly Bush as being a pub - is there any more information available please.
Re: The Holly Bush
I am not aware of anywhere in Badsey, Aldington or Wickhamford ever having been called "The Holly Bush". Which book is this mentioned in, please?
Doris May Hardiman
Doris was my grandmother and it was such a thrill to find her photo on this site. I believe her mother, Emily Jane was a Heritage, maybe Hannah Heritage is my great great grandmother?
Re: Doris May Hardiman
I am pleased that you have found the Badsey Society website and the lovely photo of your grandmother Doris May Hardiman. There is also a photo of your great grandparents, George Higgins Hardiman and Emily Jane Hardiman nee Heritage. Emily Jane was born in Evesham in 1888 and her parents (your great great grandparents) were Henry and Mary Heritage and on the 1891 census the family were living in the Bengeworth area of Evesham and Emily had two brothers Ernest aged one and Frederick aged one month.
Doris' father George Higgins Hardiman worked as a gardener for George Lees-Milne of Wickhamford Manor and the family lived in a cottage in Wickhamford Lane that belonged to Lees-Milne. In 1924 the George and Emily had moved and were living at 6 Council Cottages (now 15 Pitchers Hill), Wickhamford.
There is quite a lot of information about the Hardiman family on the website and I hope you can navigate your way around the site and find more information about your family.
We are always looking for photos relating to Wickhamford and I wonder if you have any photos relating to the time that your grandmother and great grandparents were living in the village. Your help would be much appreciated.
Regards
Valerie Harman
Re: Doris May Hardiman
George Higgins Hardiman & his wife Emily Jane are buried in Bengeworth Cemetery where there is a headstone. He died on September 6, 1952 and she on August 8, 1964.
Re: Doris May Hardiman
Thank you very much for this information, Peter
An amazingly professional and helpful site.
I have used this site on and off for several years, and have received excellent help by Maureen Spinks. I have been looking again today and have found so much that I have missed in the past. My advice is to keep checking the site and uncover its depths and links. This must be one of the best local history sites in Britain for such a small area. Thank you again.
Re: An amazingly professional and helpful site.
Many thanks for your kind comments - it was a pleasure to show you round places in Badsey, Aldington, Wickhamford and Honeybourne where your ancestors lived and worshipped. We are continually adding new items to the website so, as you say, keep checking back - Maureen.
Walter Bell
Hope you can help I am doing my Uncle Walters family tree - I believe his brother had two daughters Margaret (Peggy) and Avis but I am unable to find Avis on any records - have I got the name wrong or was this her middle name - I believe their Grandparents were Alfred and Rose. Hope you can enlighten me.
Sue Daniels
Re: Walter Bell
You have provided very few details as to the person you are enquiring about. You mention wanting to find out about the family of the brother of your Uncle Walter. Assuming Uncle Walter is Walter Bell (1899-1971), then his only brother, Alfred Bell, had three children, Katie, Martin and Charles. Alfred and Walter were the children of Alfred and Rose (née Boswell) Bell.
I can confirm that there IS someone by the name of Avis but, because of data protection, baptism and school records for people who may still be living have not been uploaded to the website. You can, however, see her sister and parents and sister’s records on the 1939 register on the Badsey website. If you look on Ancestry, you will see that there are at least two mentions of “Avis H Bell”.
Re: Walter Bell
Have now pieced together Walter Bell 1899-1977 family tree. Going on a sister site found another branch of the Bell family tree and have now pieced it all together.
Re: Walter Bell
Excellent! There are plentiful resources around these days on the web - it's just a case of piecing together all the various pieces of the jigsaw.
Family history research
Hello from Ohio
I want to express my gratitude to the people of Badsey for this wonderful website.
Thanks to you I was able to locate that my great-grandfather, Fred (Frederick William) Wright, who emigrated from Badsey in 1883 at the age of 12 -- and to identify his mother, Emma Smith.
Prior to this discovery, my Wright cousins, who were working on our family tree, were unable to find the correct Smith family. (It doesn't help to have such common surnames to research.) Their work on genealogical websites had left them stumped. I simply Googled "Badsey" one day, and Voila, there was the link we were looking for.
From reading your history, I'm guessing that the Smiths, Joseph & Sarah, came down to Badsey from Warwickshire because of the opportunities offered by Market Garden ownership. (?) (I picture them as characters from a Flora Thompson story.) How their daughter, Emma, met Adolphus Wright, who grew up Bermondsey, remains a mystery to me, as does their choice of destination when they moved to the US. I am assuming that it was the sale of their 9 acres which financed their family's passage to Auburn, Ohio.
I never met Fred Wright. My grandfather, John Frederick Wright, was the second of his 2 sons. "Grandpa John" was, not surprisingly, a farmer: a man who could build a barn without blueprints, grow absolutely anything, and spend hours reminiscing about the teams of shire horses he once drove across the fields of northern Ohio. (His favorite reading material was The Angus Journal.) He got his family of 6 children through the Great Depression well fed, -- and they all went to university.
My mother, Jayne Wright Kienzle, never forgot her childhood on the farm & was an avid gardener. My sister & I also have "green fingers." I believe the dirt under our fingernails had its had its origins in the market gardens of Badsey.
I am hoping to visit Badsey in the autumn and look forward to meeting your residents, seeing the town, and shopping at the Spar shop, aka my ancestral home.
Re: Family history research
Lovely to hear from you and thank you very much for your kind comments. I have put up an article about the Wright family on the website in the People section. This should help you when you come to Badsey in the autumn. Did you know that The Wheatsheaf, which your 3x-great-grandmother, Fanny Wright, owned in the 19th century, has rooms? So you would be able to stay in the very house where your family lived! Do you have any photos of Adolphus and Emma Wright and their children? If so, I would be happy to add to the article.
Regards, Maureen Spinks