Welcome to the October edition of our family newsletter. This month we will look at more of the family that originated in Long Crendon, Bucks. This follows on from the August and September newsletter.

• A profile of Mary and Gene Williams
• The featured Will is that of Martha Brangwin
• David Brangwyn has supplied an article on William Curtis Brangwin or is it Brangwyn?
• Margaret Brangwyn has supplied an article on Temple Lodge which was the home of Sir Frank for 35 years.
• This month sees the first of a new series: family reunions and gatherings. If your part of the family has a reunion or gathering please feel free to share it with us.
• Some more odds and ends

I hope you enjoy learning more about your extended family.

I would like to thank David and Margaret for their articles. Also, Mary & Gene for their profile.

Our family site continues to be busy. This month has been no exception with more photos added over the past month.

Family history research tends to be a collaborative activity. While I hold a database of all the information that I have gathered in my research much of the effort has been contributed by other researchers. Margaret and I have frequent exchanges of information gleened or being queried. Sarah Dale-Jones was instumental in connecting me to Margaret and it is through Sarah's contribution to World Family Tree that I was able to track her down. Significant pieces of research have been undertaken by others. So, what you see in these newsletters is not just my labour but the reflection of the contribution of many, many people. Please keep searching out family information and passing it on. Every bit helps to complete the jigsaw puzzle.

Contributions to the Newsletter are most welcome. If you find something that you would like to share please send it to me so that it can be included. My email address is lwuth@hups.net

Lorraine Wuth

Editor

Thame is a parish in Oxfordshire that lies a couple of miles south east of Long Crendon and about the same distance south west of Haddenham.

From Margaret Brangwyn

Saturday 22nd September was "Open House Day" in London, when buildings not usually open to the public are open for just one day. David and I made out annual pilgrimage to Temple Lodge in Queen Caroline Street (formerly Queen Street), Hammersmith, to visit this lovely old house which was the home of Sir Frank Brangwyn from 1899 to 1934.

The present house was built around 1819 on the foundations of a much older house, believed to be from the 17th century. It has been suggested that the cellars and corridors beneath the house were part of an earlier building owned by the Knights Templar. (The Knights Templar was a military and religious order founded in 1118 to protect pilgrims from bandits in the Holy Land. It was suppressed in 1312.)

A fellow artist claimed Frank furnished the house by swopping drawings for pieces of furniture and exotic plants for the large garden.

This picture, from "A study of genius" by Philip Macer-Wright, shows Frank and his wife Lucy playing croquet with their guests on a Sunday afternoon on the lawn.

Frank gave one wing of the house for the use of the Chaplain of the Misericorde Sisters. This wing was rebuilt in 1914, the original having dated from 16th century and is now a separate building.

After Frank left Temple Lodge it came into the hands of a builder who drove his lorry through the studio and dumped builders' materials on the garden, destroying the plants Frank had so carefully planted.

The house now belongs to The Christian Community. Frank Brangwyn's massive studio with its perfect northern light is now divided into a place of worship and a vegetarian restaurant, which is open to the public during the week.

It was a most enjoyable afternoon, ending with taking tea in the garden in the autumn sunshine. If ever you are in London in late September, we recommend a visit to this charming house.

According to Lorraine - I understand that my great great grandmother was Mary Brangwin and that she married George Barnett. Their son James went to America from England and settled in Hinckley Township in Medina County, Ohio USA with his wife Eliza Collins (my great grandparents). They lived there for 13 years before heading for northwest Ohio. Their daughter, Mary Barnett, was a twin. She was 12 when the family put all their worldly belongings along in a wagon and along with their livestock trudged the 100 miles in 2 weeks to Providence Township. Well, the men of the family walked, the women travelled by train. Later Mary Barnett married James Pollock (my grandfather) who evidently lived in Providence Township when the Barnett family arrived. They had nine children, one of which was my father (Sidney). All this is my way of figuring out how I am related to the Brangwin family which Lorraine is working on so diligently.

Grandpa Pollock (James) lived with my parents after Grandma died and before I was born. It so happened that he and my second oldest brother Burton died at nearly the same time from a Flu indigestion type illness: Grandpa at the age of 79 and Burton at the age of 17 months.

I was born a few minutes after my twin brother, Merlin, on August 2, 1927. (Both of us are in good health despite our age). Along with Burton we had another older brother, Waldo, who died at the age of 11 from a 'bursted' appendics. I remember it mostly because of a deep feeling of homesickness while staying with our Aunt Ruth (also a Barnett) while Mom and Dad took Waldo to the hospital. I can still picture her carrying me up and down on her porch in the darkness, after all these many years. Not sure what Bud (Merlin) was doing at the time.

Then an amazing part of our young life was when we came home from school at the age of 9 - to find a baby in a crib and to learn that it was our brother, Richard. That is still unbelievable in my mind now - how we did not know this was coming. What a different day and world today!.

We lived on a farm that my Grandpa Noward owned until Dad purchased a farm down (or up) the road from us. The animals were herded down the road since it was only about a half mile away. I never appreciated living on a farm until later years - it having been real family situation - all working together. At that time it seemed like work and no friends next door to play with. I did like working outside better than the household chores I was required to do, and I still do. Some activities that we participated in were such things as riding the bike, hay and/or sleigh rides, playing basketball and baseball - and volley ball (even quite recently) church camp, 4-H - Fairs - roller and ice skating - piano lessons which I begged my mother to quit for a summer and never went back. I do like to play now for fun.

I had thought it would be exciting to live in a busy city situation, but never really learned to know any of the neighbors. At home in Waterville, we knew everyone in town and the surrounding community.

Gene and I were married on May 30th, 1952 (Memorial Day). We chose that day because he was working in his parents grocery store and it was possible to take time since it was a holiday. Gene had gone to TV Repair School in Cleveland and had worked for H&H Video. When his father died suddenly it was necessary to quit to help his mother and sister in the store. We lived in an apartment in outer edge of Toledo the first 3 years of marriage before having children.

Ann(e) Michelle was born on December 27th, 1955 a few months after moving back to Waterville into our new home down the road from Mom and Dad on a chosen corner of Dad’s farm. Gene’s mother had closed their small grocery after supermarkets came into the area. In 1959 Patrick Michael was born and, by this time, Gene was working in the insurance business. I stayed at home until Patrick graduated and went away to Ohio State University. Then we decided I should help at Gene's office (Nationwide Insurance) which was only about 12 miles away.

He (we) retired in 1993 and we soon learned to enjoy doing our own thing. Gene is a sports enthusiast so we spend much at football and basketball games. He plays golf regularly (I like to play also when the weather is just right). We do travel to Arizona (USA) a portion of the winter just to get out of the cold fairly regularly. He spends most mornings at the Health Club exercising, ever since his heart bypass surgery, prostate surgery and a couple blood clots in his legs. He seems to be pretty well repaired - and in good shape now. He does like to read a lot and paint for his own pleasure.

I keep busy with the usual housework - garden and flowers - church work - working in the election booth - help with blood drives and we both help deliver Meals On Wheels and playing on the computer can surprisingly take up a lot of one’s time. Doing silly things like painting the living room three times this summer ‘cause of a dissatisfaction with the color - takes up some of my time. I do like decorating - even tho far, far from an expert. In fact I could use a decorator. I also enjoy playing the piano but - only for my own pleasure. I guess I still have not learned what I want to do when I grow up.

We enjoy our four grandaughters - although they are growing up so fast and no longer need their grandparents that much. We have spent time over the years sitting with Tiffany (18) and Ashley (15) most since they have lived so close over the years. We did not get this opportunity with Meagan (12) and Nicole (8) who live about 3 hours away. We have been attempting to schedule their time with ours to have them visit each week in the summer, which helps to get to know them better. We do have many pictures to help us remember the fun times; and the Christmas and Easter holidays are very special. I have spent many hours playing school with each of them since we have a big chalk board down in our basement. Playing with dolls or just rolling around on the floor with them has been fun over the years.

Patrick and Rhonda had lived away for so many years for his job that it was good to have them move closer before they decided to have children. After college in Columbus, Ohio, they have lived in Kansas, Indiana, Minnesota, and Illinois before coming back to Ohio.

Gene arranged for us all about 15 years ago to travel to North Myrtle Beach down in South Carolina (USA) for a week each year to help the two sets of grandchildren get better acquainted. We have done that most every year since. The girls love the beach and or the pool - in fact Anne and her husband, Dan have bought into a Condo down there and spend as much time as they can (in their busy life) there. The adults love to walk the beaches - collect shells - go out to eat at the many restaurants there - see stage shows and the men play lots of golf at the many, many golf courses there.

We live about 3 miles from the relatively small village of Waterville, Ohio USA on a corner of my parent’s farm (who are now gone). Waterville has grown from about 900 people when I was young to now nearly 5000. They are thinking that soon it will become a city. It includes the usual churches, restaurants, hardware store, gas stations, a flower shop, drug store, and even a MacDonalds which means that it has enough traffic flowing thru to make a go of it. For shopping for clothing etc. you must go approximately 12 miles to the Mall in Toledo or Maumee.

Fallen Timbers Memorial at Waterville, Ohio

For about 10 years now, Waterville has sponsored a festival in September, which is called Roche de beouf (a huge rock in the center of the Maumee River which was named by the Indians, because they thought it looked like a buffalo (I think). General Anthony Wayne had encamped on it a couple days during the Battle of Fallen Timbers. The name of our high school is Anthony Wayne and our Junior Hi is called Fallen Timbers. Anyway this festival is a very special occasion for all, with a parade, lots of crafts, antiques, music and games for the children and lots of good food, even buffalo burgers are served.

This past week we hosted a Hobo dinner with our friends here. It is a time of harvest - when we put chunks of cabbage, sweet corn, potatoes, carrots, and onions along with ham or sausages into a large pot of water and cook it slowly for a couple hours. We usually eat on aluminum pie pans and use red handkerchieves (farmer or fireman type), for napkins. Sometimes we sit on bales of straw.

Our community has been in a slight turmoil this past year awaiting the results from ODOT (Ohio Dept of Transportation) to decide whether they will be building a bypass(highway) across our countryside or if they might widen the present highway. We know that the traffic has become very busy with semi trucks etc. and it is only a double highway that meanders along our Maumee River. The village of Waterville (Smart move) does not appreciate the traffic thru town - and we (Farm-up)can not comprehend what it will do to our farmland. So this has been on our minds for at least a year now. There are many decisions to be made by ODOT- we know - but after many promises - they now say that we should know by January 2002.

Welcome to Amy Rose who was born on September 11th. She is the daughter of Amanda (daughter of Kevin Gibson) and Jason Wakely.

Also a welcome to my great niece Stephanie Ann, daughter of my nephew Gavin Williamson (son of my big sister, Jennifer) and his partner Justine. She arrived on September 27.

Audrey Brangwyn, widow of Frank Philip Brangwyn, passed away on September 10th.

Sandra Barnett, the eldest duaghter of my brother John, has announced her engagement to Welshman Gavin Rowley. The wedding date is set for April 29th next year. The family will get a chance to inspect Gavin next month when Sandra brings him home for sister Pieta's wedding.

This month we pick up a family memeber who was listed in the August article with a note that they would be looked at in coming newsletters.

Thomas Brangwin was born around 1781 in Long Crendon, BKM and has been assumed to be the son of Thomas Brangwin and Hannah Allnutt. He has been attached to John and Hannah on the basis that John was at Perrots and a Thomas was farming at Perrots according to the short history of Long Crendon.

Thomas married Ann Baldwin on November 13, 1817 in Thame, OXF. She was the daughter of William Baldwin and was born about 1796.

Thomas died in 1832 at Long Crendon, aged 51, where he was buried on June 3.

Ann remarried on September 8, 1841

Thomas and Ann had three children:

Generation 2

Thomas Brangwin was born around 1818 in Long Crendon. He was the first child of Thomas Brangwin and Ann Baldwin.

Thomas married Arletta Ing on July 16, 1841 at St Mary the Virgin, Long Crendon. Arletta was the daughter of George Ing and Elizabeth Ball and she had been born in Long Crendon in 1824. They had 5 children:

• The first of their children was Ann. was born in 1843. Ann was baptised on April 2, 1843 at St Mary the Virgin, Long Crendon. Her death was recorded in the second quarter of 1843.
• Next came twins: Jane and Ann, born in 1845. They were baptised at Long Crendon on June 29, 1845. Unfortunately, we have managed to lose track of Jane and Ann. It appears likely that they took on the name of the family who cared for them after the death of their parents.
• Betsy was born in Long Crendon in 1847 and was baptised there on June 19, 1847. She died at the tender age of 7 on June 2, 1854 at the Fulham Union Workhouse, Fulham, MDX. Cause of death was marasmus.
• Thomas was born in 1853 and died on July 31 of that year at 1 Lavinia Terrace, Starch Green, Hammersmith, MDX.
  
  Details from the death registration:
  Thomas Brangwine died 31 July 1853 Aged months
  Place of death: 1 Lavinia Terrace, Starch Green, Hammersmith, Mdx
  son of Thomas BRANGWIN, farmer, deceased.
  Cause of death: Debility since birth: Marasmus, certified.
  Informant: X The mark of Elizabeth ING, present at the death, of 1 Lavinia Terrace, Starch Green, Hammersmith, Mdx.
  Registered: 2-8-1853

Thomas died 1853 in St George Hanover Square, MDX, aged 36.

Arletta died on December 20, 1853 at 1 Lavinia Terrace, Starch Green, Hammersmith, MDX, aged 29.

From the death registration:
Erletta Brangwine died 20 December 1853 Aged 29
Place of death: 1 Lavinia Terrace, Starch Green, Hammersmith, Mdx
Widow of Thomas Brangwine, labourer.
Cause of death: Chronic uterine disease.
Informant: Sarah ING, present at the death, of 1 Lavinia Terrace, Starch Green, Hammersmith, Mdx
Registered: 23-12-1853

So 1853 saw the death of Thomas, the birth and death of his son, also Thomas, and then the death of Arletta. This was followed by the death of Betsy the following year.

Mary Ann Brangwin was the second child of Thomas Brangwin and Ann Baldwin. She was born about 1820 at Long Crendon. She married Edward Dodwell, a 24 year old grocer from Kensington, on May 15, 1845 at Long Crendon. Nothing further is known of Mary Ann.

The third child of Thomas Brangwin and Ann Baldwin was Jane. She was born in 1831 at Long Crendon. In 1851 she was listed in the census as a milliners apprentice. On April 15, 1852 she married John Lambourn Phillips at St Pancras Old Church in London.

The 1881 census records Jane and John at 42 High Street, Thame, OXF. Jane was aged 50 and John 59. His occupation was given as vet surgeon. His place of birth was stated as North Weston, OXF. The family was still living at that address when the 1891 census was taken. John had retired.

St Marys, Thame, OXF

Jane and John are buried at Thame. Their monumental inscription reads:

In loving memory of
John Lambourn Phillips
who died March 20, 1899
aged 77
also of
Jane wife of the above
who passed away July 9, 1896
in her 68 year

It would appear that Jane and John had at least 12 children:

1. Mary Jane Phillips baptised at Thame on November 21, 1854 (and again on March 9, 1855). The most likely explanation for the two baptism entries are that she was expected to die shortly after birth and was baptised at home. She survived and received the full rights along with her twin as recorded in the second entry. Mary Jane died in the second quarter of 1859. The cause of death is unknown at this time. She would have been 4.
2. Frederick John Phillips baptised at Thame on March 9, 1855. His birth does not appear to have been recorded in the birth index. It is likely that Frederick was a twin of Mary. He also died in the second quarter of 1859.
3. Charles Lambourne Phillips was born in Thame in 1855. He, too, died in the second quarter of 1859.
4. Anne Brangwin Phillips was born in 1856 and died in the early 1857.
5. Frances Phillips was born in early 1858 and died later that year.
6. Thomas Richard Phillips was born in 1859 and also died in the second quarter of 1859.
7. Alice Mary Phillips born in 1861 at Thame. In 1881 she was living with her parents and siblings at Thame. Alice died on August 19, 1909 , aged 47 years. She is buried at St Marys, Thame. Her monumental inscription reads:

   Alice Mary
   daughter of
   John Lambourn Phillips
   who entered into rest Aug 19 1909
   aged 47 years
   until the day break and the shadows flee away
   also Sophia Jane
   sister of the above
   who departed this life on August 16 1949
   aged 86 years

8. Sophia Jane Phillips born in 1863 at Thame. She did not marry. She lived to the ripe old age of 86 years, dying on August 16, 1949. She is buried at Thame with her sister Alice.
9. Thomas John Phillips born in 1864 at Thame. In 1891 he was still single and a carpenter by occupation. It appears that he married in 1895. His wife was called Lissie. In 1909 he was listed as a builder in the probate index against the entry for his sister, Alice. Thomas and Lissie are buried at Thame and their monumental inscription reads:

   In living
   and grateful memory of
   my dear parents
   Lissie Phillips
   who died 3rd Dec 1950
   aged 85
   and Thomas John Phillips
   who died 1st march 1954
   in his 90th year

   Thomas and Lissie must have had at least one child as evidenced by the above.
10. Ada Phillips born in 1868 at Thame. In 1891 she was a post office assistant and still single.
11. Agnes Tryphence Phillips born in 1869 at Thame. She was still living with her parents at the time of the 1891 census.
12. Richard Lambourne Phillips born in 1872 at Thame. He married in 1901. In 1909 his occupation was given as bookkeeper.

When I first started to look for the children of Jane and John I was surprised to find that I could not locate any possibilities on the 1881 census born before 1861. Margaret suggested that they may have died. How right she proved to be. Finding birth entries for a relatively common name such as Phillips was not a task I relished. It was made easier by two factors: there were a limited number of Phillips in the Thame registration district and Jane and John generally gave their children two names, not common in the 1850s. I first found the children and the next step was to check for deaths. I was very surprised to find four deaths with consecutive index numbers in the second quarter of 1859. How difficult it must have been for Jane and John. By the middle of 1859 all six children born to them had died.

In the above article you will have noticed that two of the children died of "marasmus". Just what does this mean? here is a Definition.

Malnutrition occurring mainly in infants and young children caused by an insufficient intake of food. It could be a result of neglect or ignorance.

This is starvation rather than disease caused by a specific deficiency in the diet such as insufficient protein or vitamin deficiency. In the past it may have meant

• Failure to thrive
• Wasting illness such as tuberculosis, diarrhoea or cancer

Should he be called William Curtis BRANGWIN or BRANGWYN? Well, it's all down to him that some of us today are I's and some are Y's. He was certainly Brangwin when he was born and when he was baptised, but by the time his first child's birth was registered he had changed his name to Brangwyn. Could it have been because he had met Eleanor Griffiths, who was to be come his wife. She certainly was Welsh, born as she was in Llanstephan, Radnorshire, but William had come from a long line of Buckinghamshire farmers, traceable back to the 1500's - and not a Welshman among them. Maybe if we could go back before parish records began we might find the Brangwins did indeed come originally from Wales.

William Curtis Brangwin's parents, William Brangwin and Mary Curtis were married on 30th March 1837 in Turville, Oxfordshire.

William Curtis Brangwin was born on 10th August the same year, in Long Crendon, BKM, the village of his father's family. He was to be the eldest of seven children.

Despite the Brangwins being founder members of the Baptist Church in Long Crendon (there is no record of William Brangwin's baptism in the Church of England Parish Registers) William Curtis Brangwin was baptised at St Mary the Virgin Long Crendon on 21st November 1837. Maybe that was his mother's influence, or maybe as so often happens William did not want to follow in his father's footsteps and join the Baptist Church. That we shall never know.

The 1841 census does not show little WCB living at home with his parents, who by then had moved to Rotten Row Farm at Hambleden, BKM. They had two more children by then. John Curtis B, born in 1839 (see his picture in our file) and Susannah, born in 1840. This could have just been an oversight on the census enumerator's part as we have been unable to find him elsewhere on the census for that year.

Rotton Row Farm Buildings

Rotton Row Farmhouse

By the time their next child, Philip (his picture is in our photo file) was born in 1842 William and Mary had moved on again, this time to Hurley Mills, Berkshire. The 1851 census finds WCB with his "uncle" Thomas Brangwin at Mill End, Hambleden whilst his parents have moved again to Littlewick Green, White Waltham, BRK.

On 19th June 1864 WCB and Eleanor's first child, Editha Maud was born at 16, Mabledon Place, St Pancras, MDX and it is on her birth certificate that the first official spelling of Brangwyn appears.

When William and Eleanor married at the Roman Catholic Sardinian Chapel in Duke Street, St Giles, Mdx on 24th June 1865, Eleanor was already expecting their second child.

WCB and Eleanor moved to Belgium, taking little Editha Maud with them. WCB was an aspiring church architect and he hoped to find work in Belgium.

20, Steenstraat, Bruges, where WCB lived with his family in 1866

Their next three children were born in Bruges - Hélène Marie Agnès (26 Jan 1866), Guillaume François (12 May 1867) and Phillipe Eduoard (27 May 1869).

WCB found life hard in Belgium and with a wife and four children to support it was difficult to make ends meet. However, he designed St Vedastus' Church in Bergemen and the Town Hall in Kruibeke, both pictured below. He also designed the church of St André in Bruges for which he was awarded a medal.

St Vedastus', Bergemen

The Town Hall in Kruibeke

Returning to England at the beginning of 1875 he continued his work as an architect. The Royal Academy accepted his designs for Hastings (Sussex) Town Hall and the Grocers' Company School, Hackney (then Middlesex) in the same year. In later years his designs for Offices of the Board of Works, Greenwich (Kent) and Yarmouth (Norfolk) Town Hall were also displayed there.

Two more children were born to WCB and Eleanor. Cuthbert Patrick John (photo in our file) was born just after their return, on 6 Feb 1875 and Lawrence Owen (also in our file) on 19 April 1878. The increasing financial burden of supporting so many children put a strain on their marriage and eventually WCB left his wife and family.

He died at 36, Salisbury Road, Cardiff on 19 Nov 1907.

Some of his designs for interior church architecture and memorials are held at the University of Wales, Bangor, as they were amongst the effects which his famous son, Frank, bequeathed to the University.

This article was written by David Brangwyn who also supplied the included images.

In the name of God Amen I Martha BRANGWIN now wife of Edmund BRANGWIN of Haddenham in the County of Bucks Gentleman Do this Twenty fifth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty Eight make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in Manner following Whereas in and by certain Indentures Deeds and Instruments in the Law made and executed by me and my said Husband or one of us certain Powers and Authorities are given and reserved to me Whether I should be sole or married to make my last Will and Testament in Writing and to give and Dispose of certain Freehold Premises hereinafter mentioned and of divers large Sums of Money Now by Virtue of such Powers and Authorities any wise enabling me thereunto I the aid Martha Brangwin do by this my last Will and Testament or Writing Purporting my last Will and Testament by me duly signed sealed published and declared in the Presence of the Persons whose Names are hereunto written as Witnesses thereunto Give Devise Bequeath Direct Limit and Appoint all the Reversion or Remainder which I have of and in the Freehold Part of the Messuage or Tenement Ground Lands Hereditaments Close of Pasture and Premises in Haddenham aforesaid which were lately purchased of John Cox Greenwood to and for the use of the Right Heirs and Assigns of my said Husband Edmund Brangwin Provided and upon Condition that my said Husband shall and will pay unto my Nephew William Walker Twenty Pounds of lawfull Money of Great Britain within Twelve Months next after my Decease but in Case he my said Husband refuses or neglects to pay the same then I Give the said Reversion or Remainder of and in the said Freehold Hereditaments and Premises To my said Nephew William Walker his Heirs and Assigns for ever next I Give Bequeath Direct Limit and Appoint the said several Legacys or Sums of Money hereinafter mentioned to the several Persons next named that is to say to my Honoured Mother the Sum of Five Pounds the sum of One Hundred Pounds to my Nephew George Francklin the Sum of One Hundred Pounds to my Niece Mary Francklin the Sum of One Hundred Pounds to my Niece Elizabeth Francklin Burnham the Sum of Seventy Pounds to my Brother George Francklin the like Sum of Seventy Pounds to my Sister Elizabeth Burnham the Sum of Twenty Pounds to my Sister Ann Francklin the Sum of Five Pounds to my Sister in Law the Wife of my Brother George Francklin One Guinea to my Sister Mary Walker One Guinea to my Niece Johanna Walker and the Sum of Five Pounds to my Husbands Cousin Edmund Brangwin who lives near Henley upon Thames and I do hereby direct and appoint that the several Sums of Money hereinbefore mentioned shall be paid to several Persons to whom the same are respectively given within Twelve Months next after the Decease of my said Husband out of the Sums of Money by him settled to be at my Disposal and in Case any or either the said Persons to whom I have so given Legacys or Sums of Money as aforesaid shall happen to die before his or their Legacy or Money shall become payable Then I do hereby give bequeath direct limit and appoint that the Legacy or Legacys Sum or Sums of Money given to such Person or Persons so dying before the same is or are payable shall go and be paid to the legal Representative or Representatives of him her or them so dying respectively in the Course of Administration or Distribution of Intestates Estates Next as to all the Remainder of the said Sums of Money which I have Power to dispose of I Give and Bequeath to the Sole Disposal of my said Husband his Executors Administrators or Assigns and I do hereby appoint my Nephew George Francklin my Niece Elizabeth Francklin Burnham joint Executor and Executrix of this my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the Day and Year first above written Martha Brangwin Signed and sealed by the above named Martha Brangwin the Testatrix and by her published and declared as and for her last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses thereto in her Presence and at her Request (the several inerlineations being first made)

Ann Greenwood - John Burnham - The Mark of Mary Parker

Martha Francklin married Edmund Brangwin [b1729,d1772] on January 14, 1754 at Dorton, BKM. She was buried at Haddenham, BKM on August 29, 1771. Her will made on September 25, 1768. It would appear that there were no children. Certainly none are mentioned in either Martha's or Edmund's wills although plenty of relatives are named. Edmunds Will appears in the March Newsletter.

Of interest in this Will is the bequest of £5 to "my Husbands Cousin Edmund Brangwin who lives near Henley upon Thames". This Edmund would have been the one married to Sarah Deane and the first of the Brangwins to live at Hambleden.

I can't remember when they began. It just evolved I guess. When we were growing up Christmas was a wonderful time. Once we had started school the end of the school year occurred shortly before Christmas. Our long summer holidays were called the "Christmas Holidays" not the summer ones as they so easily could have been. At the primary school break up Santa Claus was always a welcome guest and the children each received a gift from the red suited one.

While my Mother's parents were alive, the family generally visited them on Christmas Day and we usually ate very non Christmas fare: sandwiches were the order of the day if my memory serves me correctly. I can't remember what we ate on Christmas night but I suspect it was most likely the more traditional Christmas meal of roast meats followed by plum pudding and custard.

As we grew up and married each of us had commitments to our partners families. Somehow the arrangement came about where everyone scattered for Christmas Dinner (in the middle of the day) and we would all gather for a BBQ on Christmas Night at my parents house. Dad would provide the meat and oversee the BBQ. Each family would bring salad and dessert. Presents were exchanged. Extended family members were always welcome.

As the children grew up the rules changed a little. Present exchange continues up until the age of 16. The big people participate in a lucky dip. Each one of us brings a gift worth no more than $5, wrapped of course, and each of us take turns in selecting a gift. One year Michael picked out a fairly large parcel which turned out to be two cans of dog food. Unimpressed, as he doesn't have a dog, his gift last year was a cat worming kit. Sandy, a visitor from Canada, was a bit surprised by her selection! Mostly the gifts are practical or fun or both.

These days we are back to having wee ones at the Christmas gathering. Santa paid us a visit last year although the small ones did not seem to think the bloke in the red suit was someone they wanted anything to do with!

In addition, our gathering is now being held on a day other than Christmas Day. Last year and this year it will be the Sunday immediately before Christmas. This will allow most of the family to be there as well as meet their other family commitments.

I hope you have found this edition of the Brangwin Family Newsletter of interest.

I would like to thank Mary and Gene for their profile. Also, thank you to David and Margaret for their input.

That's it for this month. Next month we will look at another part of the family. There will be another family member in the spotlight. And who knows what else will be featured!

If you have anything you would like to contribute I would like to hear from you.

Until then next month

Lorraine