Leonard Greathead

For a long time I have struggled to discover what happened to Leonard Greathead.  This week however the mystery was solved.  He changed his name before he married to Leonard Norville.  Thanks to his grandson for alerting me.

Gathering was a success

Over 60 people attended the gathering. Most arrived in time for the photoshoot and one picture taken can be found on the from page of the website. Others arrived and joined us for lunch and a natter, sharing pictures and memories and viewing the three main charts that I took. I think people were quite surprised at just how large the charts were.

Over the next few days I will be creating a page showing more photographs and hoping to update the website tomorrow.

Many thanks for all those who attended and made the day so enjoyable for me. Hope you found it fun too.

As many said, lets hope we can do it again. Is there another Royal wedding impending!!!!!!!

Photographs

Jean kindly sent me some fantastic family photographs, sadly too late to add to the website this time. But they will be there in September. Many thanks Jean

Photographs

Today I have completed scanning many photographs of Jean's family. Jean rang me up out of the blue a week or so ago. I had written to her a while ago and it was lovely to hear from her. She is clearly a very busy lady, but found time to send to me some wonderful family photographs. Many of them will apper on the website at the next update. Walter John Greathead and his siblings will be amongst those appearing. Thank you Jean very much

Photographs of Greatheads

Doris in Los Angeles has sent me some wonderful pictures of her parents, grandparents and great grandparents and her aunt. All have been included in the database and will appear on the website on next update due 31 August. Thank you Doris they are amazing and oh how the menfolk look alike, wait and see what you think

Jane Cartwright Greathead

Gerry a descendant from one of Jane's children very kindly gave me access to this fabulous picture of Jane, her husband and children. I investigated the family more so with the next update not only will these pictures appear but also some more details. Census and GRO taking the families further forward.

Many thanks Gerry I look forward to hearing more from you

Henry and Eliza Greathead

Just received an Email correcting the information I had on the marriage of Henry and Eliza (née Hunt) Greathead. I had them marrying in Australia but of course they married in England
(1889/Q1 Wandsworth Volume 1d Page 762) before they sailed on the Lusitania in April 1889 on an unassisted passage to Victoria. Without the message from Mary-Anne I would not have found this sailing as I thought Henry went earlier. Updates will appear on the next website change at the end of August. Many thanks Mary-Anne, hope to hear more from you very soon

Website updated 31 May 2007

I have just completed an update on the website.

Amongst the updates are many on the family of Robert and Florence (née Greathead) Quinney from information and clues provided by Catherine and her uncle Gordon, any thanks to both.

The mysterious Florence

It is amazing what you discover through a little lateral thinking. I went onto genes reunited and searched for Florence Quinney, I thought née Greathead. I got the wrong Florence married to Robert Quinney but through meeting Catherine, her grandaughter. I now have my records corrected. A photograph of Florence and Robert's wedding and lots more data. Most of which I have been able to verify with GRO indexes. Not that I did not believe Catherine but I like to cross the t's and dot the i's.

With Catherine's help I have also discovered that I had Samuel attached to the wrong parents. I am now, after further investigation, even more sure that Samuel's now brother Isaac (I had him as his father) was not married to Jane (I think Cox) I believe she had two children at least possibly by Isaac but for some reason did not marry him They are listed as man and wife on the census. I am going to have to buy some certificates to try to prove this theory.

The corrected data will be on the website when it is updated on Thursday

Many, many thanks for Catherine, do stay in touch.

London Gazette entries

I discovered among other things while at the National Archives today a notice from the solicitors to the executors for John Thomas Greathead. Change of name for Joan Edith Greathead-Roberts to Joan Edith Greathead-King, and Ronald Greathead to Ronald Gray. Also an entry for my Dad with his regiment Two entries for C T Greathead a propietor for Messrs Greatheads, hosiers of Palmers Green who had a protection order for liabilities (War-time adjustment) act 1941 and its revocation three years later.

George Richard Greathead

Bob contacted me about his family and gave me some wonderful stories about his Dad playing the banjo in the pub and Bob being given lots of crisps and lemonade. I have added the information together with all the data from the many copy certificates that he so kindly sent to me. He also found some funeral cards and pictures. All will be reveiled onthe next website update. Fantastic Bob, thanks and do stay in touch

Philip L Greathead

Serendipity does exist. I was viewing the Nevada Marriage index on Ancestry only a few days ago and found he names Helen Phyllis Greathead and Donald Leroy Burns. But who were they?

Today I found out that Helen was one of Philip's daughters. I now have Philip's wife's name and details of their family bring it up to date. Amazing.

Denice one of Helen's children provided this information and has promised pictures and certificates. How very kind, I can hardy wait. Thanks very much

Edith Ada Greathead

I received a message from Paul who has given me details on Edith and Thomas's children. I still have queries on Kate and Ivy as at the moment I cannot find them on the GRO indexes. I will keep looking. Thanks Paul for your help

Margaret Hill Greathead

Fiona sent me a copy of the death notice of Margaret (née Bilsand) from the Telegraph newspaper. I had found her death on a website but how wonderful to "see" the actual notice. Thank you Fiona.

She emigrated in 1929 from Scotland and married her husband Silas Greathead in New South Wales, Australia in 1932. They appear to have had seven children, all named in the paper and amazingly at Margaret's death six were still alive. There were also 17 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

I would love to know more about this family, gain perhaps some photographs and find out how Silas travelled to Australia.

I found Silas in 1891 census in England, his Dad, also called Silas died later that year and his Mum remarried, I do not know whether they stayed in England. One sister Elizabeth died in 1881, but his other sister Fanny also emigrated and married James Alfred Clifford in Adelaide in 1918. Did they go together?

Can anyone help me please in any way about this family? I would love to hear from you.

Marriage challenges

Belonging to the GOONS (Guild of One-Name Studies) has many advantages not least the fact that some of our members are undertaking marriage challenges. They collect entries submitted by members of marriages from our one name studies where we do not know the spouse, usually between 1837-1911 in a particular registration district. Amazingly after what does not seem to us a very long time they send to us the details usually a typed form in a format similar to a certificate. This is fantastic as we not only then discover the spouse, but the church name, whether by banns, licence or certificate, together with ages if submitted, fathers names and occupations, witnesses and the name of the person who married them. Clues as to their identity can be gleaned from all these pieces of information and it is interesting to see whether they signed their name of not.
We owe a huge thank you to those kind souls performing these challenges. Kirsty sent to me the details of the marriage between John James Greathead and Emily Eliza Root yesterday. I am extremely grateful.

John Henry Greathead

Kevin kindly brought my database uptodate with the children and their descendants of John Henry's first child Jean. They are all living so will not appear on the website but it is great to complete the story. Many thanks Kevin

New South Wales BMD

A very kind gentleman who found my website and gave me a correction for my website also alerted me to the website providing indexes of New South Wales Births 1788-1905, Marriages 1788-1955 and Deaths 1788-1955. Thanks Greg

http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/search.htm

So that is what happened to Silas he went to New South Wales, married Margaret H Bilsand and died in Liverpool, New South Wales in 1972

Elsie Gladys Britton Greathead

I received, at last, the birth certificate of Elsie Gladys Britton Greathead the illigitimate daughter of Sarah Eliza Greathead a dressmaker. Neither Sarah nor Elsie married. I found the possible link while researching on the wills index. I wonder where the "Britton" came from?