1220 replies to this topic

[maggieT]

Hi, I am new to this forum. I found it while googling my Great Aunt. She is mentioned in thread no 710, where Jim mentions not knowing the grave site of Minnie Yerbury. She died of Influenza on 20th October 1918, in the General Military Hospital, Edmonton. Her mother was with her at the time of death. Her body was taken back to Halstead, Essex, where she was buried with her father, and later her mother in Halstead Cemetary. So she is not missing, mearly "misplaced".  I have seen the grave but my photo's didn't come out properly. I will be returning to Halstead in the next few months and will retake the photographs. There is also a plaque in the parish church dedicated to her which I hope I will be able to photograph also. If the photos will be of help please let me know and I will send them on, when the time comes.
Maggie

[CGM]

Hello Maggie,

Welcome to the forum!

I was searching for Minnie's grave for Jim. I found an entry in the St Andrew's Parish Burial Register so I concentrated my search in the St Andrew's churchyard with no success. Almost every gravestone is so weathered that the inscriptions are unreadable. I accepted that her grave was not possible to identify so your news is very welcome indeed. If you missed why Jim is asking for these photos please have a look HERE.

Minnie is commemorated on the War Memorial in the grounds of St Andrews.

Regards
CGM

[Jim Strawbridge]

rogerpopeye, on 19 June 2012 - 02:33 PM, said:

Hi there Jim,

Noticing your latest list of requirements I notice you have one for Harrogate, if you can send me the details I'll have a look at it for you.

Cheers Roger.

Roger, the Harrogate reference is there through unfinished business and is likely to remain unfinished. The main Harrogate requirements have been fulfilled by you, Peter Bennett, Chris Noble and Chris Ludlam. What I have left is :-

Vivien Isabelle KNAPTON, there is a United Methodist Church Memorial which is lost and Roy Evans has made deep enquiries trying to find it (without success). Believed to have been in the Victoria Park Church this has been demolished around 1953 and the memorials removed elsewhere.

Emily SEDGWICK, munition worker, died in the Barnbow explosion of 5th December 1916. She was from Harrogate but as yet have been unable to find her final resting place. May have been Harrogate, may have been elsewhere.

So you see that there is nothing that I can move on.

[Jim Strawbridge]

maggieT, on 19 June 2012 - 08:09 PM, said:

Hi, I am new to this forum. I found it while googling my Great Aunt. She is mentioned in thread no 710, where Jim mentions not knowing the grave site of Minnie Yerbury. She died of Influenza on 20th October 1918, in the General Military Hospital, Edmonton. Her mother was with her at the time of death. Her body was taken back to Halstead, Essex, where she was buried with her father, and later her mother in Halstead Cemetary. So she is not missing, mearly "misplaced".  I have seen the grave but my photo's didn't come out properly. I will be returning to Halstead in the next few months and will retake the photographs. There is also a plaque in the parish church dedicated to her which I hope I will be able to photograph also. If the photos will be of help please let me know and I will send them on, when the time comes.
Maggie

Maggie, Thank you for your posting. As CGM has said, I really would like to have a photograph of the grave of Minnie to go in my Register commemorating all WW1 serving female casualties. If you have any family photographs of her, too, this would be a tremendous bonus, Jim

[CGM]

I have a suggestion which may explain the confusion over the whereabouts of Minnie's grave.

I have seen a Parish Burial Register in which the Parish Priest listed every burial service performed in the church but marked in the margin 'Ch.Yd' when the burial took place in the churchyard.
An absence of 'Ch.Yd' generally meant that the burial took place elsewhere.

If this Parish Register was used to list all funeral services in the church of St Andrew, wherever the burial was to take place, the apparently duplicated burial is explained.
I have spoken to a very helpful member of Braintree Council who has confirmed the matching entries.

Maggie I was pleased to read that Minnie's mother was with her when she died.

CGM

[Ex-boy]

Ex-boy, on 05 June 2012 - 10:36 AM, said:

Hi Jim,

Back at last from my holiday, and will get back onto chasing Victoria Florence Whiddett as soon as possible. I have a lot on my plate for a week or two, catching up after a month of idleness, but hope to get to Canterbury again within two or three weeks. Will update you as soon as I have anything.

Steve.

I need some advice on how best to tie up some loose ends on Miss Whiddett. I was unable to find her grave but feel that I should find out more about her, even if is only for my own satisfaction. Her father is quoted as saying that he had lost two sons in the war (before Florence I presume) and a bit of digging has led me to believe they were probably 18915 Spr J R Whiddett, killed 02/03/17 and L/8620 Pte George Whiddett (the Buffs) killed 13/10/15.

I am reluctant to buy medal cards, as I don't know what info is on them, and whether it would be of use in my quest. The CWGC data doesn't give an indication of family, so is there any way of tying these two men to Florence? (she is not listed on the census as Victoria for some reason).

Can anyone out there please advise?

[alf mcm]

Sergeant,
  Victoria Florence Whiddett was born in Blean, Kent, in October 1898.She is shown in the 1901 census as Florence C Wheddett [perhaps the census enumerator mis-heard a 'C' for a 'V'?], with brothers George H. Wheddett and John R Wheddett, and 7 other siblings. She was living in Whitstable, Kent, at the time. If your J.R. Whiddett had a forename John, then this would seem to link them all.

Regards,

Alf McM

[Ex-boy]

alf mcm, on 03 July 2012 - 10:08 PM, said:

Sergeant,
  Victoria Florence Whiddett was born in Blean, Kent, in October 1898.She is shown in the 1901 census as Florence C Wheddett [perhaps the census enumerator mis-heard a 'C' for a 'V'?], with brothers George H. Wheddett and John R Wheddett, and 7 other siblings. She was living in Whitstable, Kent, at the time. If your J.R. Whiddett had a forename John, then this would seem to link them all.

Regards,

Alf McM

Thanks Alf. I had found the Whiddett family on the census, which is what led me to believe that George and John R are the relevant brothers. I don't know whether a medal card would give a birth date or age, which would give a better indication of these being the right ones. I know Florence's brother George was born in about 1891 and John R about 1888, so if either of the soldiers fit those dates, then that is fairly conclusive, as there aren't an awful lot of Whiddetts to choose from.

If anyone knows what service records would be available that would definitely give ages/dates of birth I would be willing to purchase them, but I don't want to waste money on the off-chance.

Steve.

[alf mcm]

Steve,
  A medal record card is unlikely to give you birth details. John R. Whiddett is John Robert Whiddet, He was born in Blean in January 1888. He was married in Canterbury in July 1906, not sure of wife's name. Only a copy of his birth certificate will confirm if he is the brother of Victoria, but I think it is very likely.

Regards,

Alf McM

[Jim Strawbridge]

Ex-boy, on 03 July 2012 - 07:37 PM, said:

I need some advice on how best to tie up some loose ends on Miss Whiddett. I was unable to find her grave but feel that I should find out more about her, even if is only for my own satisfaction. Her father is quoted as saying that he had lost two sons in the war (before Florence I presume) and a bit of digging has led me to believe they were probably 18915 Spr J R Whiddett, killed 02/03/17 and L/8620 Pte George Whiddett (the Buffs) killed 13/10/15.

I am reluctant to buy medal cards, as I don't know what info is on them, and whether it would be of use in my quest. The CWGC data doesn't give an indication of family, so is there any way of tying these two men to Florence? (she is not listed on the census as Victoria for some reason).

Can anyone out there please advise?

I had assumed that the brothers were likely to have been 10221 Sjt. Frank Whiddett, 1^st Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment who died on the 8^th June 1917 aged 30 and is buried in Eaton Socon churchyard. He was from Sheerness, Kent and the son of Alfred and Ethel Whiddett. The other is L/8620 Pte. George Whiddett, 6^th Bn., The Buffs (East Kent) Regiment. He died on the 13^th October 1915 and is remembered on the Loos Memorial. He was from Canterbury. But I have yet to look the family up on the Census so you are a step ahead of me and I accept one of the brothers may be J.R. Whiddett.

[Ex-boy]

Jim Strawbridge, on 05 July 2012 - 10:10 AM, said:

I had assumed that the brothers were likely to have been 10221 Sjt. Frank Whiddett, 1^st Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment who died on the 8^th June 1917 aged 30 and is buried in Eaton Socon churchyard. He was from Sheerness, Kent and the son of Alfred and Ethel Whiddett. The other is L/8620 Pte. George Whiddett, 6^th Bn., The Buffs (East Kent) Regiment. He died on the 13^th October 1915 and is remembered on the Loos Memorial. He was from Canterbury. But I have yet to look the family up on the Census so you are a step ahead of me and I accept one of the brothers may be J.R. Whiddett.

I had considered Frank, as Florence had a brother Frank, but her parents were John and Emma, which ruled him out for me. JR is given as married to M Whiddett of 66 Wincheap, Canterbury, which is about a mile from Thanington, all of which convinces me he is the one. However, it is not conclusive, so I'm still open to ideas.

As a point of interest, I think Sjt Frank was probably a cousin of the others, as the casualties' fathers were siblings as far as I can tell.

Perhaps the birth certificate will need to be the way to go.

Thanks again to all for the assistance.

Steve.

[alf mcm]

Steve,
  Another source of family information could be the local newspapers of the time. If both brothers are mentioned, the notes regarding the second one to die may also give the name of the first to die.

  Yet another source would be Kent Family History, they have a member who is researching the Whiddetts of Canterbury. Try this link  www.kfhs-mi.co.uk/ProcessBrowseInterests.php .

Regards,

Alf McM

[Ex-boy]

Thanks again Alf. I had some dealings with KFHS a few months ago and thought they had given up, but if you say one of the group is researching the family (presumably as I asked for info), then I will contact them again to see what they know. That could be really useful, if they can shed some more light.

Thanks once more.

Steve.

[alf mcm]

Hello Jim,
  I have just been on holiday in the borders. I was quite close to Bunkle, and managed to get a few photos of Minnie Mair’s headstone. I have attached copies but will send you higher resolution copies direct.

Regards,

Alf McM  DSCF0030 - Copy.JPG   36.48K   0 downloads  DSCF0029 - Copy COMP.jpg   39.41K   0 downloads

[Jim Strawbridge]

Hello Allan, Photographs safely received, thank you. I am pleased to add her final resting place to my Register. One of the problems with VADs is that, as generally they are not CWGC recorded, the whereabouts of the graves are lost. Last weekend I found one in North Devon who had died in an Exeter Hospital. Detective work on my part, and liberal use of the internet, found that her father had chosen to be buried with his father and the woman concerned had been placed in the same cemetery in readiness. I think that Minnie was buried with her parents but as her father was the rector of the Bunkle church the odds on her being there were pretty good. But she still had to be found so thank you, Jim

[Verrico2009]

Jim,

I see you have Lewisham and Nunhead cemeteries on your original list, but can't find any further reference to them in the thread.  Have they been done?  If not, happy to see what I can do on a future visit.  My maternal grandmother's in Lewisham, so I know it's relatively easy (as long as it's not the communal area).  After my experience last week looking for one of Mr Harley's men, I would anticipate Nunhead being a challenge!

Louise

[Jim Strawbridge]

Verrico2009, on 25 July 2012 - 05:57 AM, said:

Jim,

I see you have Lewisham and Nunhead cemeteries on your original list, but can't find any further reference to them in the thread.  Have they been done?  If not, happy to see what I can do on a future visit.  My maternal grandmother's in Lewisham, so I know it's relatively easy (as long as it's not the communal area).  After my experience last week looking for one of Mr Harley's men, I would anticipate Nunhead being a challenge!

Louise

My last listing is in post #1040 and, as you surmise, both Lewisham and Nunhead are now completed. Nunhead was actually a doddle as it was a CWGC screen wall that I required although the challenge would be to find the actual grave in the cemetery (possibly unmarked, but the cemetery register should help). I should love to have it (May Elizabeth Shaw, WRAF, died 13/3/19). My London/Middlesex requirements are :-
LONDON/MIDDLESEX, Abney Park, Camberwell, Camden (Hampstead), East Ham, East Sheen, Enfield (Freezywater), Greenwich x 2, Kensal Green, Knightsbridge, Norwood x 2, Plaistow, St. Pancras, Tottenham (4), Wandsworth, West Ham, Willesden

[Verrico2009]

Hi Jim - it'll probably be October before I can have a slightly longer weekend and get into the Southwark records, but I'll see if I locate Shaw.  As I've just found, if it's a family plot complete with a square number, there won't be any problem.  The difficulty would be if it's a common plot: because they don't have square numbers, the Council can't locate them on the ground (though clearly the numbers aren't square-reliant, as they're way too high - so the limitation is presumably in the software used).  I see you have Camberwell on the list - are these the inaccessible ones?  Happy to see what I can find in the records.

If no-one can pick up some of the others, happy to move on to places like Norwood and St Pancras in due course

[Phil Evans]

Jim,

Unfortunately (for you) due to work, I have not been able to get to the Greenwich Cemeteries office to clarify the position of Margaret Durno's grave. If there is anyone else in the area that is able to get there when they are open during the week, please feel free to take it over from me.

I did get to the cemetery again the other weekend and I am now 99% sure that the original plot I found was not the correct one. Until they cut the grass in the Autumn though, the area I now think it is in, is no-go.

Who is the second one at Greenwich?

Phil

Attached Files

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[Jim Strawbridge]

Verrico2009, on 25 July 2012 - 08:05 PM, said:

Hi Jim - it'll probably be October before I can have a slightly longer weekend and get into the Southwark records, but I'll see if I locate Shaw.  As I've just found, if it's a family plot complete with a square number, there won't be any problem.  The difficulty would be if it's a common plot: because they don't have square numbers, the Council can't locate them on the ground (though clearly the numbers aren't square-reliant, as they're way too high - so the limitation is presumably in the software used).  I see you have Camberwell on the list - are these the inaccessible ones?  Happy to see what I can find in the records.

If no-one can pick up some of the others, happy to move on to places like Norwood and St Pancras in due course

Camberwell is a case where the CWGC has used a screen wall but the graves are somewhere in the cemetery. Andy Pepper has provided photographs of the screen wall but I have kept Camberwell "open" just to see if the actual graves can be found. My document is searchable and so these are possibles :-

Kathleen HARDING, Aux.Hospitals - death registered 4th quarter 1920 (aged 55).
Annie RUFF, ex QMAAC - died in childbirth in Camberwell Infirmary 5/12/18 (body possibly taken to Shropshire)
Bertha VINTER, TFNS - on screen wall but grave somewhere in cemetery (died 30/5/18, aged 42).
(later - remembered that I contacted CWGC and have plan as to where she is buried. If intending to go please contact and I will send direct as an attachment).
Edith Olive WILLIAMS, WRAF - on screen wall but grave somewhere in cemetery (died 28/10/18, aged 19).

As for Norwood :-

Phyllis Ada Pearse, QAIMNS - her name is on a memorial in St. Mark's Church, South Norwood.
Doris Helen SWANSTON, VAD - died 28th February 1919, aged 21, and obituary states "military funeral at Norwood".

As for St. Pancras :-

Vivyan BURY, Serbian Relief Fund - died 16/8/15 and death registered Pancras.
Beatrice HOLDER, VAD - buried 23/10/15 in plot 528 DD, St. Pancras Cemetery (Camden). photo of grave required
Lily SISSENS, WRAF - death registered 4th quarter 1918 in St. Pancras. Could be buried anywhere.

[Verrico2009]

Got those, thanks Jim.  Wasn't Barbara Vintner one of the ones found to be in the inaccessible section at Camberwell Old Cemetery, where they're preparing to reuse the ground? I can certainly look out the register and see what sort of plan they can provide.

[Jim Strawbridge]

Verrico2009, on 27 July 2012 - 06:14 AM, said:

Got those, thanks Jim.  Wasn't Barbara Vintner one of the ones found to be in the inaccessible section at Camberwell Old Cemetery, where they're preparing to reuse the ground? I can certainly look out the register and see what sort of plan they can provide.

Sorry, I don't know what Camberwell have in mind at the cemetery. The CWGC map that I have shows an area that is designated "All War Graves Commission casualties commemorated in this corner of the cemetery in front of the S/W". This is an area two plots to the right of the entrance from Forest Hill Road and against the road. This infers that the casualties on the screen wall are buried in front of the screen wall. But we know that Barbara Vinter was a local girl and likely to have been buried by the family. The plot number that I have is 101.25354. This implies plot 101, grave 25354. Plot 101 is at 1 o'clock to the entrance, deep into the cemetery and right up against Underhill Road.

[Verrico2009]

I thought it was when I was looking for one of your ladies I found that they've sealed off the communal plots and are depositing extra soil in order to free up more space. The council originally bought surplus land for the purpose, but residents have strongly objected to losing what is now playing fields and a recreation area. However, there's a space crisis which has to be addressed.

Yes, I've seen the screen wall and nearby graves. I'll certainly have a look at square 101 on my next trip.

[WalkEric]

Hi JIm,

If you are still after pics from Freezywater in Enfield  I will be passing through tomorrow and can get them for you if you let me have the details.

Ian

[Jim Strawbridge]

WalkEric, on 27 July 2012 - 10:56 AM, said:

Hi JIm,

If you are still after pics from Freezywater in Enfield  I will be passing through tomorrow and can get them for you if you let me have the details.

Ian

Ian, I suspect that I am too late to take up your offer, but if not, I am after the name of Christine Alice Chattey which I understand is on the war memorial at St. George's Church, reezywater.