Saturday 26 February 2011

George Arthur Beard and May Newton - Sepia Saturday

George Arthur Beard and May Newton
My Great Grandparents, parents of Alfred Beard.
I believe this was taken just before they were married in 1913. May has a very tiny waist and after they were married she had 7 children, one every 18 months. So I don't believe it was taken later. Also they are not wearing wedding rings.

George Arthur Beard
Born 7/7/1886 Fort Wayne, Indiana
Died abt 1952 Sydney, Australia 

After Georges father Alfred died of dropsy in Napoleon, Ohio 1891 the family, including his mother Mary Hannah, sisters Ada and Nellie returned to Manchester, England, where both his parents had been born. 
He married May Newton December 1913 and had 7 children including my grandfather Alfred. Around 1952 George, May and 6 of the children emigrated to Sydney, Australia. He died soon after they arrived, although I still have yet to find a death record.

May Newton
Born 1886 Salford, Manchester
Died 13/08/1968 Sydney, Australia

May was the eldest of three children, she had a sister Margaret and brother George James. Her brother George James and cousin Joseph Edwin served during WW1. Joseph died in France 1916. Her father Benjamin was born in Winster, Derbyshire and  have found many relatives in this small village going back many years.

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Friday 18 February 2011

Sepia Saturday - Grandad


1917 - 2005


Here's my entry for Sepia Saturday and a much happier story this week.
Grandad was the best person I have ever known, he was funny, charming, kind, handsome and most importantly brave.
Alfred was born April 1917 in Salford Manchester, he was the third of seven children.
His Dad was American but they never returned to the states and he spent his whole childhood in Manchester.
Alf (as he was known) signed up at the outbreak of WW2, he trained in South Africa and then spent almost seven years in Burma. He never really talked about the war just a few tidbits here, I asked him once what he ate in the jungle, he replied monkeys tasted quite good roasted !! He caught malaria, got shot so close to his ear he remained deaf and was promoted and demoted more times than he could remember.  
Alf married Lily Hendry in 1941, on a visit home, which is when the above photos were taken. 
After the war Alf got a job at Esso and eventually took a job in London. One of the reasons for leaving Manchester, all his brothers, sisters, Mum and Dad had emigrated to Australia during the 50's, so there was no close family left.
After Lily died in 1988, Alf embarked on a tour of the world, he went both ways round the world, visited hundreds of different places, some quite dangerous! and came home with a different 'girlfriend' each time.
When my parents moved to France in 2000, he went with them and sadly he passed five years ago out there. We bought him home to rest with Gran.

a note about last Sepia Saturday
I didn't mean anything by posting the 'bad' stories, its just that's all the memories that were told to me. I certainly don't look at the photo and think evil woman, it takes all sorts and if she wasn't like she was then, then gran wouldn't have been who she was, mum wouldn't be who sh e is and I wouldn't be me and have four fab children :)

Sunday 13 February 2011

Hendry Family Tree

Robert Hendry b.1796 Cambleton, Argyll, Scotland
married 10/05/1821  to Mary Black  b.1801 St Quivox and Newton-on-Ayr, Scotland

Robert Hendry was a Corporal in the Army, he served in the 22nd Foot Regiment between 1813 and 1835. He spent five years in the East Indies and was discharged from the army through illness.He is described as 5'8", brown hair, grey eyes and has a fair complexion. After discharge he lived in the Gorbals in Glasgow,

Children: Robert b.1826, Jean  b.1828, William b.1831, David b.1836, James b.1839, Catherine b.1842

David b.1836 Glasgow, Scotland married 12/06/1857 to Catherine Monaghan b.1837
Catherines parents John Monaghan (deceased by 1837) and Mary Livingstone

Children: David b.1856, Peter Glen b.1861, Frances b.1863, James b.1865 Catherine b.1868, Mary Black b.1871

David b.1865  Glasgow, Scotland died 1912 Manchester, England.
Married Mary Jones 1857 - 1889
Children: Isabella b1878, Fanny and Mary b.1881, David Doak b.1884, Mary Jones b.1887 - d.1888
Second Marriage in 1889, Manchester to Jane Milnes b.1866
Children: Kate b.1894, William b.1897, Nellie b.1900

David Doak born 1884 Manchester, England died 1955 Manchester, England.
Married 24/08/1907 Elizabeth Ann Mercer
Children: Harold b.1911, David b.1914, Lily b.1918, John b.1922

Friday 11 February 2011

Elizabeth Ann Mercer and Elizabeth Morris - Sepia Saturday


These two ladies are my Grans mother (left) and Grandmother (right)
I have no idea when this photo was taken, I'm guessing before Elizabeth was married in 1907.

 I wish I had a sweet story about these two ladies, however Mum remembers her Grandmother as being very horrible! She used to leave her children outside the pub whilst her and husband drank the afternoon away! She lived with my Mum for a few years in the 1950's and would steal all the fireside warmth with a huge chair and tell the kids to sit behind it!


Left: Elizabeth Ann Mercer 1886 - 1968
Born and died in Salford, Manchester
Married David Doak Hendry 24/08/1907
Children: Harold 1911, David 1914, Lily 1918 and John 1922

Right: Elizabeth Morris 1863 - ?
Born Manchester
Married Charles Albert Mercer in 1884
Children: Elizabeth, Charles 1890, Jane 1891, Alice 1894, William 1897, Lily 1898

David Hendry






On my last post I spoke about Grans brother who died during WW2.
This is David Hendry 1914 - 1944
He died in Holland and was buried there.
I'm afraid I haven't done any further research on his war records.
It's on my list to-dos!
He married Frances Worsford 1940
Daughter Jean was born in 1942
His Grandson, my 2nd (?) cousin is the spitting image of him!



Question for everyone
I wanted to list some family trees so if anyone is looking for a connection
its all there. What do you think is the clearest way of recording this on a blog?

Saturday 5 February 2011

Gran - Sepia Saturday




My first post on my family blog and I introduce you to Lily Hendry 1918 - 1988
My Grandmother.
We (my mum and aunt who are helping with the family research) think Gran was around 3 in this photo so places it 1921/2.
Lily was born in Manchester to David and Elizabeth and had three brothers.
Lily married Alfred Beard July 1941 when he was on leave from the army, she was working in a parachute factory. Sadly she lost her brother David during WW2.
Gran lived a few houses down from us and so we would see her most days.
Gran knitted, sewed, cooked and smoked, I have inherited her knack of sewing and cooking. Thankfully not the smoking.