Mrs. Hall was born June 2, 1928, in Neapolis, Ohio, the daughter of Harvey and Hattie Wittes. On October 18, 1947, in Swanton, Ohio, she married Harold R. Hall. They moved to Sherman in 1980 from Whitehouse, Ohio. She was a homemaker and loved to bowl. She was a member of the Women's International Bowling Congress, Royal Neighbors of America and Phythian Sister.

Surviving is her husband, Harold of Sherman; 2 sons, Richard Lee Hall, and wife, Nancy of Hopewell, Virginia, Harold R. Hall II of Sherman; 3 daughters, Jane E. Baker of Mulberry, Florida, Penney L. Dunn and husband, Russell of Conroe, Kay M. Smith and husband, Charley of Sadler; brother, Homer Wittes of Waterville, Ohio; sisters, Mary Longstreet of Waterville, Ohio, Joan Abney of Riverside, CA, Wilma Martin of Waterville, Ohio; 9 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren.

---oOo---

So where does Arna fit into the family? Arna was a descendant of Mary Brangwin, daughter of Edmund Brangwin and Mary Deane. She is the great, great grandaughter of Mary Brangwin and George Barnett. See the July 2001 newsletter for details on this part of the family.

Arna was the daughter of Harvey Wittes and Hattie Barnett. Hattie was the daughter of Henry Barnett and Agnes Heller. Henry was the son of James Barnett and Eliza Collins. James was the son of George Barnett and Mary Brangwin.

Captain Benjamin Brangwin and the East India Company -
a final note
by David Brangwyn

In my last article I outlined the circumstances of Benjamin's unhappy death. A re-examination of some of the correspondence sheds light on his business acumen; his successor reports that Benjamin hid valuable items "in ye bottom of each pott covered over with [wett] preserves & packt them up in 2 chests which are covered over with Canvas…" Benjamin also gave to his successor "ye key of a little warehouse where he kept the cloth" and he had further arranged that the proceeds of these sales should be split so that he received three-quarters of the profits!

In another letter we learn that amongst Benjamin's effects were 24 "baggs of pepper and four bales sugar"; he left instructions that they should not be disposed of unless they would fetch "prime costs with charges". Mr. James Bruce, in a letter of November 1696, says that it was Benjamin's "constant custom to sell all goods that came up… to himself att what prices he pleased & afterwards to sell them in Spahawn or send them else where he pleased a very comicall way of Merchandize to be both buyer & seller himself…"

In the last article I mentioned that Benjamin travelled to Abigarme to seek a cure for his ills; I found the following in the Historical Gazetteer of Iran, volume 1 (1918):

Ab-i-garm - A small and dilapidated village in the Khur [sic] district. It contains 12 inhabitants. The remarkable feature is the spring. The water issues from the ground… at a temperature of 125 degrees and at another spot the temperature is below 60 degrees. The water here, both hot and cold is fresh and good and celebrated for its healing properties.

SOME OF THE DEANE’S OF HAMBLEDEN AND THEIR RELATIVES
(Prepared by Frederic William Deane aka Bill Deane born Farnham Common, Bucks, 24 November 1927)

This is a collection of anecdotes mainly about the families of Deane, Bayley and Webster, all from the parishes of Hambleden, Burnham and Dorney in the south of Buckinghamshire. Also included are the connections to the Brangwin and Barnett families. (See the March 2002 edition for other information about us)

Doctor John Webster was recorded in 1715 at Ferryhill, an area in the city of Aberdeen. The Websters were a little clan near Aberdeen and may have originally been weavers as the name implies. He became attached to Frederick, Prince of Wales, the father of George III, as his personal doctor at the battle at Culloden Moor in Invernesshire on Wednesday, 16 April 1746, which was led by the Duke of Cumberland against the young pretender, Prince Charles Edward Stuart. John offended the rest of the clan by taking the winning side. He followed the Prince to Cliveden at Taplow, Berkshire, after the victory. He planted 3 Hanoverian oaks in the gardens there, which were then called "Websters Oaks". After the Prince's death in 1751, from being hit on the head by a cricket ball, he took up farming at Barge Farm, Taplow.

He married Miss Wappschott much against the wishes of her mother whose family had some landed property in Gloucestershire. The mother was never reconciled to her daughter and no news of her death was sent to the family. Many years after enquiries were made and the estate was found to be in the possession of the descendants of her servants. They had acted honestly, taken the rents to the parish clergyman, but neither they nor he could discover the owners, and it became legally theirs by right of prescription.

John Webster, (1715-1794) son of Dr Webster, settled at Barge Farm, Taplow, Burnham as farmer, seedsman and corn contractor. He made a fortune as one of the contractors who supplied the army with corn during the Peninsular War. He sent the corn by wagons from Burnham to Portsmouth and Burnham was frequently blocked up by his wagons. When peace was proclaimed he contracted to supply all the coaches from London on the Bath Road and several other coaching and hunting establishments and noblemen's stables. This paid so badly that he lost all his money. He was said to be the first person that arrested a peeress for debt, the Countess of Orkney who lived at Clivedon who owed him £800. He waited with a postchaise at Westminster till the Bill, which enabled him to arrest her became law, then chased and overtook her at Dover where she signed a cheque which was duly honoured. This saved him from bankruptcy and enabled him to live in a quiet but very comfortable way. He was a capital judge of horses, always had some of the best dogs in the kingdom, and was very fond of flowers and bees. He was a great favourite of old Lady Grenville of Dropmore. He was said by some to have sat for Sir Joshua Reynolds for his picture of the infant Hercules. It was not he but a much bigger man, John Rolfe of Beaconsfield.

John Webster was a remarkably well made man, of middle size, strong and active, but not so tall as his sons. The men of Burnham were a wonderfully fine set of men, many over six feet and stout in proportion, their yeomanry troop was said to be the tallest and heaviest in the Kingdom.

John Webster (1763-1850) The1839 “Robson Directory of Bucks” listed Webster John - Grass seedsman - Burnham and also listed him as "Farmer Seedsman & Corn Contractor of Burnham".

When John Webster was about 20 years old, the Aberdeen Websters made overtures to the family and wished him to return to the north and be adopted again into the family or clan, with his share of the property, but his mother would not permit it and after that all intercourse ceased between the two branches of the family and has never been renewed.

In politics he followed the man he most respected generally, namely Lord Boston and voted as he advised. His great village crony was Dr. Roberts, their houses were opposite but they never went into each other’s houses. Every day they began chatting, each at his own gate across the street, involuntarily moving nearer until they button-holed each other and so continued until some engagement hurried one off. He always wore a full swallowtailed coat with large brass buttons, large buff waistcoat, buff breeches, stockings or gaiters and low shoes. He was quite bald but always wore a plain brown wig. A decidedly good-looking man and the dress suited him.

Henry Webster (1799-1859) Henry and half brothers Thomas and John all arrived in Australia on 24.11.1839 on the "Palmyria" from Inveresk, Lothian, but Thomas went back to farm at Sheepcot near his brother William who was at Dorney Wood (both just outside Burnham) and John went back in 1854 and settled in Reading. Two of his sons, Robert Bakewell Webster (b 1865 Reading) died Victoria, Aust 1957 and John Stewart Webster (b 1854 Kent) died Melbourne, Aust 1943. Henry who was an accountant, spent 6 years in NSW before returning to England.

According to Shipping Report of the arrival of Barque "Blackfriar" in Port Jackson dated 18 September 1852 ex London on 5 June and Plymouth 11th inst. via Port Phillip, passengers included:

• Henry Webster, wife and 2 sons.
• John Webster
• Laura Webster

(Did Henry come out on the "Palmyra" as reported above or did he and family board the Blackfriar in Melbourne?)

Francis Hoare (1761-1801) married Thomas Bayley in 1776, she was a young bride, and had two sons and a daughter. Thomas died 1787 and she continued to farm the property in trust for the eldest son on condition that she did not remarry before he reached the age of 21. John Edgson, on the neighbouring property, took a fancy to her. In his farm journal, a copy of which I have, you can follow the development of the romance from talking over the fence, accompanying her to church on Sundays, being invited to Sunday lunch, eventually taking over the management of their two farms until the not unexpected birth of a daughter who was known as Emma Bayley. Francis, or Fanny as she was known, subsequently married John Webster in 1796 and had four more children.

Emma Bayley (1790-1884) had a very good upbringing, according to John Edgson’s journal, she attended a good school and he frequently took her by coach to London to the theatre. Later, between February and August 1827 there are reports in the ‘Bath Herald’ and ‘Cheltenham Journal’ of a Mr. Wilson and a Miss Bayley visiting the area, it is possible this is when Emma first met James Wilson, her future husband. Sometime between March 1828 and January 1829 they were married and in January 1829 they visited Vesuvius, probably on their honeymoon. (For more about their life together see James Wilson next following) They didn’t have any children and after their travels abroad they returned to Dunbar, Scotland about 1840 where James subsequently died in December 1851 and left her a small fortune. Sometime after James’ death Emma went south and lived in Russell Street, Reading, Berkshire. She had maintained very friendly links with the Bayley family and was able to finance several of them in various schemes. When she died in 1884 the Probate record shows “Emma Wilson formerly of Belhaven near Dunbar in North Britain……………” Wouldn’t the Scots be furious to see that today?

James Wilson (1779-1853) was a Scottish wine importer. In 1824 James had gone into partnership with Juan Haurie and William Garvie. He had a wine cellar or bodega built into the walls of the old Moorish town of Jerez de la Frontera, a principal centre of the sherry trade in Andalucia, south-west Spain. He and Emma traveled extensively due to his occupation and lived in Jerez in Spain. They had a long holiday between Sept. 1839 and March 1840 touring by private coach in Switzerland and Italy.

William Bayley (1800-1867) was a farmer of Britwell Liberty 1832-1842 according to the Parish Registers. Apparently he was called "Old B Donar" by his workers, which meant ‘Deaf Lord’ in Old English, as William was deaf. He was the last member of the family to speak the old British (Collie) language of South Bucks. In the 1851 Census, Bayleys Farm, Britwell Liberty, 640 acres, employing 20 labourers.

William Bayley (1834-1918) went to Australia during the gold rush in a sailing ship but never reached the workings. He returned to England and farmed Wexham Court. He inherited Britwell Farm from Emma Wilson (nee Bayley), daughter of John Edgson and Fanny Bayley. He sold it circa 1900 but the buildings are still there though no longer as a farm. It ceased to be a farm about 1954. Much of the farmland is now a housing estate. Another part is Burnham Beeches Golf Course. Lower Britwell Farm is part of a prestigious Bridge Club but developed so as to preserve the old barn and farmhouse. Upper Britwell Farm still exists as residential buildings.

Alfred Bayley (1838-1918) went to South Africa during the diamond rush. He subsequently sold his claim to a Barney Bonato. On his return to England he started Slough Electric Light Works. He inherited land at Louth Rise to the south-west of Burnham village. He had a farm-cum market garden, orchards, greenhouses and a few animals and invented three sorts of apple. The orchards are now Louth Rise School (built 1973) and his bungalow serves as the caretaker's house. Alfred was nicknamed 'Tiggy' by the local people and Bayley Crescent, which is named after him, is where he had more orchards and greenhouses called "Tiggy's Jungle". Most of the farmland at Britwell has been built on and forms part of the council housing site called Britwell Estate. The Upper Farm house still stands and is a cottage-type house in the old farmyard which now has small workshops and commercial vehicles. The Lower Farm has in recent years been refurbished and together with an old tythe-barn and other farm buildings been turned into the South Bucks Bridge Club, which together with its restaurant is a quite a prestigious project.

Daniel Deane (1869-1952) was of fair complexion, blue eyes and about 5'6" tall.

His mother, Sarah, died soon after he was born. At a very young age Daniel was sent to his uncle to be taken care of, but the uncle, some time later, and unknown to the family, left the child in an orphanage.

When he was about 12 years of age Daniel ran away from the orphanage, and managed to hide as a stowaway on a boat owned by a German couple who were traveling to San Francisco via Australia. The couple was kind to Daniel and allowed him to work as a cabin boy. After the journey Daniel lived in San Francisco, and from there traveled to British Colombia, Canada, where he worked in the restaurant trade washing dishes and cooking. In 1902 he was in Victoria, but was soon to become the owner of a hotel in the mining town of Phoenix.

Daniel sent to England for a wife. Helen (Nellie) Culley answered and subsequently traveled to Canada. Daniel and Nellie were married on 8th May 1903 in Nelson, BC, Nellie had auburn hair and was a great help in the hotel.

To find his family, Daniel advertised in the Salvation Army newspaper in London. His sister Mary Ann Perry answered. Daniel made the trip to England to meet them, and of course, they were overjoyed to see him and to hear of the adventures he had had. It was not long before several of Daniel's relatives immigrated to Canada.

William Randall married Emma Deane (b.1849). William (known as Will) was regarded as handsome. When Will was about 15 years old, an event occurred which was to decide his occupation. In Windsor Great Park young Prince Edward was playing ball near him when it rolled out of his reach. Will was watching and returned the ball to the young Prince. Queen Victoria had seen the incident and sent word for Will to see her. He did and subsequently was offered employment as a stable boy for Buckingham Palace. Later he became State Coachman for the Queen and after her death continued his employment with King Edward 7th. Will served the royal family from about 1866 until 1904. The queen left him a tea set in her will. In Olive Balabanov’s history (see below) there is a photo of Will holding a horse while the Queen sits in the buggy with John Brown, the ghillie, standing alongside, there is also another photo of him in full ceremonial dress. (Unfortunately the reproduction is not good enough for me to include them here.)

Louis William Frances Deane (1856-1928) was a cousin of Emma Randall (nee Deane) The 1881 Census shows him at Huttons Farm, Hambleden, Bucks. After 1891 he moved to Burro Farm, Hambledon.

In 1903, probably through his cousin’s husband, he was in charge of the King's horses (with the title of Superintendent of the Royal Paddocks) and was entitled to live in one of the houses attached to the Hampton Park Palace. His daughter, Violet, was christened at the Chapel Royal, as he was a tenant on the estate. Later he returned to Hambleden. (Louis was my paternal grandfather)

Frederic Clifton Deane (1887-1935), the son of Louis Deane and my father, went out to South Africa and worked for Witherows, Agricultural Engineers and Military Equipment suppliers from June 1913 to December 1915. He then returned to England where he enlisted in the Royal Navy. In April 1918 he graduated as an Aeroplane and Seaplane Officer in the Royal Flying Corps. In the Royal Air Force List in September 1919 he was shown as graduating as a Flying and Observer Officer. In May 1920 he was listed as a Junior Assistant in the Controller General of Civil Aviation Section. He was checked out on Farman Shorthorns, Farman Longhorns, BE2c , Curtis, FE2b, FE2d, DH4, BE12 and RE8. While in the Civil Aviation Section he spent much of his time as a test pilot. In 1935 he died as a result of a motor vehicle accident.

CONNECTIONS WITH THE BRANGWINS AND BARNETTS

Arthur George Barnett married Kate Webster (b.1854)
Thomas Deane married Anne Barnett (b1791, d.1861)
Edmund Brangwin (b.1705, d.1783) married Sarah Deane (b.1727, d.1814)
Edmund Brangwin (b.1761, d.1830) married Mary Deane (d.1811)

Kate Webster was my maternal grandmother’s sister or my great-aunt.

---oooOOOooo---

Olive Muriel Pipe Balabanov of British Columbia in Canada published a book in 1997 on three connected families, the Pipes, Parburys, Deanes and certain other extended families. I am lucky enough to have a copy of it. She had the same difficulty we all have in getting back beyond the mid 1500s so she used the Coat of Arms of the families to reach back further. We all know that this method is unproven but it makes for interesting reading. As far as the Deanes go using this method she traced us back to Roberto de Dene who was among the Norman nobles of the Court of Edward the Confessor (reigned 1042-1066). His official appointment was “pincerna”, that is cupbearer or butler to the King. This means, if true, we can trace the Deanes back to circa 1000.

[Warning from the editor: Some of the 'facts' stated in this book are speculative. Please ensure that you treat the names, dates, places and relationships with caution as some key ones are definitely wrong! Further, claiming a relationship to any of the 1066 invaders is suspect. Yes, there are people who can trace their ancestory back in an unbroken line to one of William's men, however hoping that there is a connection based on being able to establish that the name existed does not guarantee that such a relationship exists in actuality. While I would be delighted to be able to trace my Deane roots back to the 11th century I will not be claiming Roberto de Dene as my great by many grandfather.

Casa Cuseni
by Margaret Brangwyn

Situated on a hillside near Mount Etna in Sicily and rising above the small town of Taormina is a house built of golden coloured stone. It has been described as the most beautiful house in Taormina. This house, Casa Cuseni, was inherited by Daphne Phelps, who was a psychiatric social worker, spoke almost no Italian and had very little money at the time, in 1947 from her uncle, Robert Hawthorn Kitson, an artist.

In 1900 Kitson arrived in Sicily looking for a place to build a house. Arriving at Taormina he was captivated by its enchanting beauty, with olive trees and almond trees, all in the shadow of the volcano, so he bought a 12,000 square metre site on the hillside for a ridiculously small sum. Local people preferred to live within the town walls and could not understand this “mad Englishman” who wanted to build a house so far out of town - it was fifteen minutes walk to the town centre.

And so, using local workmen, Casa Cuseni was built, taking three years to be completed. The house was mostly of simple classical proportions and built using locally available materials. The only exception to this was the dining room, created by Kitson’s friend, Frank Brangwyn. He designed panelled walls and painted frescoes above the panelling, featuring blue figures with fruit and flowers on a warm, light brown wood background. Brangwyn also designed all the furniture for this room. A round table, high-backed chairs and a sideboard were made, using “Noce Americano,” a lovely rich brown wood of the pecan tree. This wood was also used for the panelling. This room has been described as “the only surviving complete interior designed by Brangwyn at the height of his powers” and as “a major achievement of the Arts and Crafts movement.”

The Brangwyn dining room in Casa Cuseni

When the Second World War came Kitson had to leave Sicily. Casa Cuseni was occupied first by Italian, then German and finally by British soldiers. Some damage was done during these occupations, but fortunately it was not serious. The Brangwyn dining room is still intact today, as these recent photos show. Daphne used to run Casa Cuseni as a “locanda” - a lodging house - and had many well known guests, including Tennessee Williams, Bertrand Russell, Roald Dahl and Caitlin Thomas.

Although now in her 90’s Daphne still lives at Casa Cuseni and if you are ever lucky enough to go to Sicily it is still possible to stay in the beautiful Casa Cuseni.

Another view of the Brangwyn dining room in Casa Cuseni

For the full story of Casa Cuseni read Daphne’s book - “A house in Sicily” published by Virago Press in 1999.

Family Detective
by Lorraine Wuth

From time to time I do a search on the internet for Brangw*n* entries. It does require a bit of filtering to come up with a reasonable number of "hits" to check. Each time I do a search I find someone new. The difficulty is placing the individuals I find.

In May I found two new entries in the Sydney Morning Herald Death Index. This is a wonderful resource for recent deaths in NSW and members of the DPS (Dead Persons Society) are responsible for making it happen. So, two new hits caused a bit of excitement. But who were they?

Firstly, there was Philip Brangwin GREEN who died on August 24, 1996. A death notice was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday August 27, 1996. A trip to the National Library of Australia (NLA) at luchtime (it is only 5 minutes from where I work) and I was able to see the death notice. NLA holds microfilmed copies of a wide range of newspapers, one of which is the Sydney Morning Herald. Here is the death notice for:

GREEN, Dr. Philip Brangwin.

August 24, 1996, suddenly at home, much loved husband of Margaret and loving father of Judy and John, brother of Joan Furze, Margaret Woodman and Douglas Green (deceased) and brother-in-law of Nancy Green.

Aged 78 years.

I found Philip Brangwin Green on the electoral roll at the beginning of 1996 and his wife (Margaret Hewlett Green) was still at that address in February this year. I'll write to her and see what she is able to tell me.

A little to go on. A wife Margaret. Was there a marriage? Were there any other GREEN deaths of note? Yes, there was. Douglas GREEN was deceased. Could I locate him? Yes. He died on June 13, 1992. His death notice also appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald:

GREEN Douglas Brangwin. June 13, 1992, at Melbourne, very dearly loved and loving husband of Nancy, father of Richard, Elizabeth and Virginia. He will be greatly missed.

At home that night I decided to try to find the marriages of the various listed Greens. The NSW marriage index is available online through to 1945. I had searched for the marriage of Philip and Margaret and not found one but I did find a Green marrying a Nancy. It turned out that Douglas was actually Eric Douglas Brangwin Green. He married Nancy Cecilia Best in 1942. I ordered a copy of the marriage registration. A week later it arrived. Excellent service. His father was Eric Brangwin Green, a dentist, and his mother was Hilda Annie Holcombe. Douglas was 22 years old at the time of the marriage which meant that he was born around 1920. His place of birth was given as Hornsby, NSW. 1920 is after the end of the available birth index for NSW. Pity. The marriage entry also told me that Douglas was a Bank Officer and at the time of the marriage, November 28, 1942, he was in the army. Douglas and Nancy had married at the Linfield Presbyterian Church of St David's.

The next step was to order Eric and Hilda's marriage certificate.

A search of the probate index for NSW (also available at the NLA) turned up Eric. He died on September 25, 1958. Death and funeral notices were published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday September 25, 1958:

GREEN, Eric Brangwin - September 24, 1958, at hospital, late of Stanhope Road, Killara, beloved husband of Hilda, and loving father of Joan, Margaret, Philip and Douglas, aged 74 years.

GREEN - The Funeral of the late ERIC BRANGWIN GREEN, of Killara, will leave St Martin's Church, Arnold Street, Killara, This Day (Thursday) after service commencing at 2 p. m. for the Church of England Cemetery, Northern Suburbs.

The marriage details arrived. Eric and Hilda were married on April 2, 1913 at St Johns (C of E), Beecroft, NSW. Eric Brangwin Green was a dentist. His usual residence was Beecroft. He was a bachelor and had been born at Double Bay, Sydney, NSW. He was 28 years old and his father was Melbourne Green, an accountant. His mother was listed as Margaret Kate Palmer. Hilda Annie Holcombe was a 26 year old spinster. She had been born in Randwick, NSW. Her father was Harry Octavius Holcombe, also an accountant. Her mother was Violet Isabel Young. Witnesses: H O Holcombe and Melbourne Green.

Not a Brangwin to be seen amongst the older generation. Just where did the Brangwin label come from?

A search in the indexes (death and probate) turned up an entry for Melbourne Green. He died on August 26, 1928 at Cedar's Hospital in Epping, NSW. A death notice was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday August 27, 1928:

GREEN - August 26, 1928, at Epping, Melbourne Green, formerly of Water and Sewerage Board, and Beecroft, aged 77 years.

Melbourne was not born in NSW. What about England? I found an entry in the General Register Office (GRO) index in the December quarter of 1851. The National Library holds a copy of the GRO index for England and Wales from the start of civil registrations in 1837 through to the early 1980s. While it is a little tedious to check as there are four fiche to check for each year, they are an excellent resource. So now I knew that Melbourne Green had been born in England. What of Margaret Kate Palmer and their children?

Back to the NSW indexes and the children of Melbourne and Kate:

1. Melbourne Outtrim Shirley Green was born in 1882 at Newtown, NSW. He died on March 2, 1899 at Newtown. Death and funeral notices were published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday March 4, 1899.

   GREEN - March 2, Shirley, dearly beloved eldest son of Melbourne and Kate Green, aged 17 years.
   
   GREEN - The Funeral of the late Mr. MELBOURNE O. SHIRLEY GREEN will move from his father's residence, No. 38 Edwin-street, Croydon, THIS (Saturday) MORNING, at 10 o'clock, by road to Gore's Hill Cemetery, St. Leonards, reaching Cemetery at 12 o'clock.

2. Eric Brangwin Green was born in 1884
3. Dorothy Kate Leigh Green was born on June 23, 1886 at South Street, Double Bay (a suburb of Sydney), NSW and died in 1886. She was buried at Gore Hill Cemetery according to another useful index - put out by the Australian Genealogical Society.
4. Neville Palmer Leigh (changed to Charlsley on July 17, 1903 by his father) Green was born on November 29, 1888 also at South Street, Double Bay. A search of the probate index turned up a date of death for him (January 14, 1952 at Epping, NSW). A death notice was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday January 17, 1952:

   GREEN Neville Palmer - January 14, 1952, at Epping. Privately cremated

5. Clarice Heath Palmer Green was born in 1890 in Sydney NSW. She died on December 8, 1899 and was buried at Gore Hill. A death notice published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday December 9, 1899:

   GREEN - December 8, 1899, at her parents residence, Tara, Edwin-street, Croydon, Clarice Heath Palmer, dearly beloved daughter of Melbourne and Margaret Kate Green, aged 9 years. Funeral 9 a.m. Saturday.

6. Gerald L Green was born at Clifton, Bayswater Road in Sydney on February 28, 1891 and died the same year. His birth entry only has his name as Gerald. The L turned up in the burial entry.

A seach of the NSW birth index turned up an entry for Margaret Kate Palmer. She was the daughter of John Benjamin Tanner Palmer and Emma Caroline Outrim and had been born on October 26, 1850. She was baptised on November 21, 1850 at St Lawrence, a Sydney parish. A search of the death index showed that she had died in 1935 and the probate index gave the date: December 6. Next, the death notice, once again found in the Sydney Morning Herald:

GREEN - December 6, 1935, at her residence, Clifton, 15 High-street, Epping, Margaret Kate, widow of the late Melbourne Green, and loved mother of Eric and Neville, aged 85 years.

A check of Kate's details suggested that she was probably not the source of the Brangwin name given to her son Eric and passed further down the line.

When the marriage details arrived for Melbourne and Kate I was bitterly disappointed. The amount of information supplied was pathetic. Most boxes were empty. Here is what was included:

Date of marriage: 16th February 1881
Place: Sydney
Melbourne Green was a widower, clerk of Sydney. [Signed as Melb Green]
Margaret Kate Palmer was a spinster of Sydney. [Signed as M Kate Palmer]

They were married in the Congregational Church, Pitt St

Witnesses: Walker Birshall and M Minnie Cauvin

Oh well, time to order a death certificate for Melbourne with the hope that it is a bit more informative than the marriage one. If that fails then there is always a birth entry from England.

The death certificate finally arrived and provided the following details:

• He died on August 26, 1928 (as we already knew) at the Cedars Private Hospital, Rawson Street, Epping, NSW.
• Occupation: retired accountant
• Sex and age: Male, 76 years
• Cause of death: Cerebral Haemorrhage
• Duration: 3 days
• Medical attendant: W L Kirkwood, Registered
• When last seen: 25th August 1928
• Name and occupation of father: Henry Green, independent means
• Name and maiden surname of mother: Catherine Heath
• Informant: Neville Green, son, Auchenflower, Brisbane (Qld)
• When and where buried: 27th August 1928; Congregational Cemetery, Gore Hill
• Name and religion of minister: W T French, Congregational
• Witnesses: Eric B Green, Neville Green
• Where born and how long in Australasian Colonies or States: Chelsea, England; 75 years NSW, Victoria
• Place of marriage, age, and to whom:
  1. Melbourne, Victoria, 25 years, Mary Louise Calvert [she was actually Mary Lucy Calvert, born in Adelaide, SA, married Melbourne in 1877 and died in St Leonard's NSW also in 1877]
  2. Sydney, NSW, 29 years, Margaret Kate Palmer
• Children of marriage:
  By first marriage no issue
  By second marriage:
  • Eric B 43 years
  • Neville P 39 years
  • 2 males, 2 females deceased

So Melbourne came out to Australia as a very young child. The next step was to check the immigration data. Once again the NLA was the source of the immigration indexes for Victoria. The Green family arrived on the NEPAUL in October 1852. Melbourne was the youngest of quite a large family. The passenger list was probably drawn up when the ship left on July 8, 1852 so the ages relate to July rather than October. Here are the details:

1. Henry, 47, dairyman
2. Catherine, 40
3. William, 16
4. Catherine, 14
5. John, 13
6. Jane, 11
7. Henry, 9
8. Charlotte, 6
9. Rebecca, 4
10. Edith, 3
11. Martha, 2
12. Infant

What could I find on this rather large family? The Victorian indexes turned up some entries. There was the marriage of Melbourne and Mary Lucy Calvert, of course. There was a death for Charlotte in 1855, aged 10 years. Catherine Anne married Henry Hebberwick in 1857 and produced seven children before dying, aged 37, in 1874. Rebecca married her widowed brother-in-law in 1880. She had two children. The Victorian Probate Index gave the dates of death for Rebecca and her husband Henry. Rebecca died on June 10, 1918 aged 71. Henry, a solicitor, died on August 17, 1918. Both died at home - "Goroopna", A'Beckett street, Kew, Vic - according to their death notices published in the Argus, a Melbourne newspaper.

I was still missing a heap of information. None of the Hebberwick children had been labelled Brangwin. Most only got a single name with the exceptions of Henry Heath, the first of the Hebberwick children, David Baldinnie, the last of Catherine's children, and Doretta Mary the second of Rebecca's children. It was time to get the birth certificates for Melbourne's children to determine what the missing names might reveal. At this point I have:

1. Melbourne Outtrim Shirley Green - the Melbourne coming from his father, Outtrim the family name of his maternal grandmother and the Shirley still to be determined.
2. Eric Brangwin Green
3. Dorothy Kate Leigh - the Kate was probably from her mother who was known as Kate. But the Leigh?
4. Neville Palmer Leigh Green - Palmer was his mother's maiden name. What is the Leigh?
5. Clarice Heath Palmer Green - Heath from her paternal grandmother, Palmer from her mother.
6. Gerald L Green - the L is unknown.

In the meantime I had found a volume containing biolgraphies of people buried at the Gore Hill Cemetery. Here is what was in the entry against Melbourne Green:

Green, Melbourne 1851-1928. Congregational.
Green, Mary Lucy 1852 - 1877. Congregational.
Green, Margaret Kate 1850 - 1935. Congregational.

Born in Upper Gloucester Place, Chelsea, London, on 12 September 1851, Melbourne Green was the youngest of 10 children of Henry Green - a corn chandler - and Catherine, nee Heath. The whole family arrived in Melbourne on 20 October 1852 on the ship NEPAUL and they lived in Prahran where Henry Green died in 1857.

In the early 1870s some of the family including Melbourne moved to Sydney. On 21 March 1877, Melbourne Green married Mary Lucy Calvert at St. Peter's Church of England, East Melbourne. Mary Lucy Calvert was born in Adelaide in 1852, the daughter of Samuel - an artist - and Emma Calvert. Mary died of typhoid fever at the age of 25 years, 3 weeks after her wedding.

Melbourne Green worked as a clerk at Lasserter's, a large Sydney ironmongery store where his eldest brother [William] also worked. On 16 February 1881 he married Margaret Kate Palmer (known as Kate), at the Pitt Street Congregational Church. Margaret Kate Palmer was born in Sydney on 26 October 1850, the eldest child of Benjamin Palmer and Emma, nee Outtrim, of Darlinghurst. Benjamin Palmer was a prosperous publican and a long time Alderman of Sydney City Council. He was Mayor 1875-76.

Melbourne and Margaret had 5 children ... Melbourne Shirley 1882-1899, not married ... Eric 1884-1958, married Hilda Holcombe ... Dorothy 1866, lived a few days ... Neville 1888-1952, married Mary Stuart ... Clarice 1890-1988, not married.

Melbourne Green became an accountant and worked at the Sydney Water Board until his retirement. He died at the Cedars Hospital Epping on 26 August 1928 aged 77. Margaret Kate died at 15 High Street Epping on 6 December 1935 aged 85.

What sources did I use in this search? And where did I find them?:

• The Sydney Morning Herald death index is available online on the internet at www.southernx.com.au/dps/shdths01.htm. This was the starting point.
• The actual death and funeral notices published in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Argus (Melbourne). I accessed these at the National Library. It is always worthwhile checking what your local library holds or can readily obtain through inter-library loans.
• The NSW Probate Index - also at the National Library
• The NSW birth, death and marriage index www.bdm.nsw.gov.au
• The Genealogical Index published by the Australian Society of Genealogists. This is on fiche and I used it at the National Library.
• Electoral Rolls. Copies of the rolls are held at vaious locations around the country. Fortunately for me, the National Library holds a very full collection.
• Immigration indexes for Victoria - copy held at the National Library
• Copies of birth, death and marriage entries from the Victorian and NSW Registrars for Births, Deaths and Marriages.
• Printed biographies accessed at the Heraldry and Genealogical Society of Canberra

As can be seen from the above search, and the material included in the last couple of newsletters, a lot of valuable material is readily available if you just know where to look. If you come across anything that is at all related to Brangwins and/or their descendants please pass it on. All input most welcome.

Haddenham, Buckinghamshire

"The parish of Haddenham lies in the Vale of Aylesbury towards its western limit. Its boundaries are formed on all sides, except the east, by the River Thame and its tributaries, the Dad Brook on the north, the Ford Brook on the south, and the Thame on the west. There are two mineral springs in the parish, one at Dadbrook and the other at Manor Farm. The parish is fairly level, lying at an altitude of between 250 ft. and 300 ft. above the Ordnance datum; there is little timber, and the land is in parts bleak and exposed. The subsoil is partly gault and partly Portland beds. There are 1596 1/4 acres of arable land and 1214 1/2 acres of permanent pasture."

To the right is an outline of the county of Buckinghamshire, or Bucks for short. For more information about Bucks see the April 2001 newsletter. Haddenham is the red dot over on the western side of Bucks.

Haddenham was described in 1806 in "Magna Britannia" as follows:

HADDENHAM, in the hundred of Aylesbury and deanery of Wendover, lies about seven miles south-west of Aylesbury, and three from Thame, in Oxfordshire. King William the Conqueror demised the manor of Haddenham during his life, to Archbishop Lanfranc, who gave it to Gundulph, bishop of Rochester. On the donor's death it reverted to the crown, and William Rufus, on his accession, demanded 100 l. for renewing it, a sum so exhorbitant, that the prelates were both astonished, and declared they were not possessed of so large a sum, nor knew how to procure it. Two courtiers, well inclined to all parties, suggested that the manor should be restored to the see, on condition that Gundulph, who was very intelligent and expert in masonry, should, at his own expence, build the castle of Rochester with stone; which proposal was at length accepted on the bishop's being exonerated from further repairs. Ernulph, Gundulph's successor, who is supposed to have been the author of the Textus Roffensis, where this is related, supposed that the cost amount to 60 l. After this transaction, it appears that the manor of Haddenham was granted by William Rufus, to the prior and convent of St. Andrew, at Rochester, to whom it was confirmed by King Henry I. with the manor of Cuddington, as an appendage. In 1294, the monks procured a charter for a market on Thursdays, at this place, but it was discontinued in 1301, in consequence of a law-suit with the bishop of Lincoln, who found that it injured his market at the neighbouring town of Thame: the same charter granted a fair for three days, at the festival of the assumption of the Virgin Mary. After the dissolution of monasteries, this manor continued for some time in the crown: it is now in moities, one of which belongs to Mrs. Anne Herbert, sister and co-heir of Philip Herbert esq. who died in 1749; the remaining moiety, which passed in marriage with the other co-heir to the late Lord Wenman's father, is now, by bequest, the property of Miss Bertie.

The Grenville family had for many generations an estate in this parish, which acquired the name of Grenville's Manor; it was alienated from the family in the early part of Queen Elizabeth's reign, and having within a few years passed through several hands, was purchased jointly in 1569, by Robert Rose, John Ross, and Robert Morse. Grenville-Manor-Place, with a third part of the estate, is still in the descendants of Robert Rose, and Ross's share, we have been informed, still remains in his family.

The parish church is a large Gothic structure, much out of repair, it contains no monuments of note; there are a few memorials for the family of Saunders. Near the church was a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, of which there are no remains. The great tithes belong to the dean and chapter of Rochester, who are patrons of the vicarage.

The name Haddenham derives from the old english Hædan-ham and means 'Hæda's homestead'.

St. Mary the Virgin, Haddenham with pond in front [November 1998]

Nearby places to Haddenham - all in Buckinghamshire.

Thame lies about 4 miles south west of Haddenham, across the county border, in Oxfordshire.

Haddenham plays an important role in the Brangwin family. Indeed, Brangwins were important members of the local community. They were the local Will writers. Many a Will from the Haddenham area that survives to this day was written by a Brangwin.

In November 1998 Trevor and I, along with my sister Jennifer, visited Haddenham. We methodically checked all the stones in the church yard and not a Brangwin monumental inscription was found. Many of the stones were weathered and the original inscriptions impossible to decipher. We were disappointed that we found no grave markings at Haddenham as we knew that quite a few Brangwins had been buried there over the time of the families lengthy association with the parish.

The Will of Richard Brangwin of Haddenham 1651

Following on from last month's Will of John Brangwyn, the Vicar of Kingsey, is that of his son, Richard. This Will had two Codicils to add to the general interest. Once again, it has been translated into modern english. Capitalisation has been retained from the original in most cases. The transcript was supplied by Margaret Brangwyn.

There were actually two copies of the Will, neither of which is the original, both of which can be assumed to be reasonably fathful copies of the original. The first copy was dated 1651 whilst the second appears to have been dated as 1655.

Sheet One, right-hand page

In the name of God Amen, the tenth day of August in the year of our Lord God 1651, I, Richard Brangwin of Haddenham in the County of Bucks., Gentleman, being of good health and of whole mind and memory, Praised be Almighty God, Make and Ordaine this my last will & Testament in manner and form fo1lowing, That is to say,

First, I give & commend my Soul into the hands of Allmighty God, my Maker, and to Jesus Christ. my Redeemer,

And my body to be buried at the discretion of my Executrix and Overseers, hereafter named,

Item, I give and bequeath to the poor of Haddenham, xl s, [11 shillings]

Item, I give and bequeath unto Castle Brangwin, son of Francis Brangwin, Deceased, xij d, I say xij d, if it be Demanded [= asked for],

Item, I give and bequeath unto William Clarey, my Apprentice. xl s, to bee paid him immediatly after he has served his apprenticeship,

Item, I give unto Elizabeth. my now [= present] wife, All my Freehold Lands and Tenements within the Mannor and Fields of Haddenham, with all profits thereunto belongeth or in any wise appertaineth,

And also, One Rent or Rent Charge of Four shillings issuing or growing due out of One Tenement wherein Thomas Clarke the elder & Thomas Clarke the younger now dwelleth, yearly, due & payable at the Feast of St Michael the Archangel [= Michaelmas, 29 September], for & during her natural Life,

paying [i.e. Elizabeth paying] unto Richard Brangwin, son of Edmund Brangwin, deceased, Ten Pounds of Current English money yearly during her natural Life, at the Two most usual Feasts in the year, that is to say, At the Feast of St Michael the Archangel and the Annunciation of our blessed Lady St Mary the Virgin [= 25 March], by equal portions, to begin paying at which of these shall first happen after my decease,

But if my Wife shall make Default in the payment of the said summs half yearly, as aforesaid, or within Twenty days after any of the said Feasts on which it ought to be paid, beinge Lawfully demanded, Then this my gift to be void and of none effect, and the said Richard Brangwin to enter upon the said Lands immediatly after such default made, with the Crop of Corn which shall be growing upon the said Lands.

And my true will and meaning is, That my said Wife shall leave such Corn and grain which shall be then sown & growing upon any of the foresaid Land at the time of her death to him whom I shall hereafter name, without the disturbance of the Executors or Administrators of her, the said Elizabeth, my now wife,

Item, I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth my Wife, all those goods which were hers at the time I married her, now being either at Haddenham or Cuddington,

And all such Linen which she hath made since I married her, to Dispose of them at her pleasure,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said wife, all my said Goods within the house I now dwell in, of what kind or nature soever they be, for term of her Life, with the plough Timber and all implements of husbandry, of what nature or kind soever, with the Malt mill and Vat, with all things else, either in the Malthouse, stables and Cow houses, and backside, or any other houses [= buildings] whatsoever being praiseable [= able to be appraised or valued], shall be apprised by two or more indifferent [= unbiassed] & honest men to be Inventaried, My wife to keep

Sheet Two, left-hand page

one part [i.e. one half] and the said Richard Brangwin the other part, and my said wife to give security by her bond to leave the goods to as good a value as they shall be appraised at

All which goods, I give and bequeath unto Richard Brangwin of Cuddington, after the decease of Elizabeth, my now wife, to remain as standers in the house, to him and his heirs, for ever,

Item, I give and bequeath unto the said Richard, All my Freehold Lands and Tenements within the Mannor of Haddenham, with all profits and Commodities thereunto belonging,

And also, one Rent or Rent-Charge of Four shiliings yearly, due and payable out of the Tenement in Church-end wherein Thomas Clarke the elder and Thomas Clarke the younger now dwelleth, always due & payable at the Feast of St Michael, to him and his heirs, for ever, with the Corn or grain which shall be sown or growing upon the said Land, or any part thereof, at the time of my wife's decease, he not to enter before, Except before Excepted,

Item, I give and bequeath unto the said Richard Brangwin, Thirty pounds of current English money, to be paid to him One year after my decease,

Item, I give and bequeath unto Edmund Brangwin, son of Edmund Brangwin, deceased, Twenty pounds, to be paid within one year after my decease,

Item, I give and bequeath unto Richard Brangwin, son of John Brangwin, Deceased, Five pounds of Current English money, to be paid him when he shall accomplish the age of 21 years [so this Richard was under 21 when the Will was written],

Item, more I give and bequeath unto Edmund Brangwin, Forty pounds of Current English money, to be paid by Richard Brangwin out of the goods and Lands I have bequeathed unto him by this my Last Will and Testament,

Item, I do give and bequeath unto Richard Brangwin, son of John Brangwyn, Ten pounds of Current English money, to be paid by the said Richard out of the goods and Lands I have bequeathed him by this my last will, both [i.e., both sums to be paid] after the Decease of Elizabeth my wife, and within one year after her decease,

Item, more I give unto Richard Brangwin of Cuddington, Threescore [60] pounds of Current English money,

Item, I give and bequeath unto Edmund Brangwin, Fifty pounds of currant English money

Item, I give and bequeath unto Richard Brangwin, son of John, Deceased, Ten pounds,

All these three sums to be paid within six monthes after such time as it shall please God to put it into my wife's heart to Marry and to take another Man to be her husband, and not before,

All the Rest of my worldly Goods unbequeathed, my debts being paid and my Funeral expenses discharged, I give and bequeath to Elizabeth my Loving Wife, whom I make and Ordain to be my whole and sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament,

And I Do desire, nominate and appoint Richard Slater, gentleman, John Lillingston of Kingsey, Clerk, John Adams of Kingsey and William Almond of Haddenham, to be Overseers

Two, right-hand page

of this my Last Will and Testament, and to have for their pains, 2 shillings and six pence a piece

And Likewise my meaning is, and I Desire them, That I any doubts or any ambiguities do arise by reason of the penning of this my Last Will and Testament, or any of the Clauses or sentences of this, my true intent & meaning, That then, for the better explanation & Construction of the said Doubts & ambiguities, I will and desire that my Overseers shall explain, expound and Interpret it, according to their wisdom and good discretion,

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal,

Dated the day & year above written.

Ric(hard) Brangwin,

Sealed & Delivered in the presence of us,

George Franklin, Thomas Chapman,

First Codicil:

Be it known to all men by these present, that Whereas I, Richard Brangwin of Haddenham in the County of Bucks., gentleman, Did make my Last will and Testament in writing, bearing Date the Tenth day of August in the year of our Lord God 1651, That now, For as much as I have changed my mind touching certain things in the said Last will contained, And for & concerning all other things in the said last will mentioned, other than such as I shall not hereby otherwise Dispose of, I Do by this present Codicil, Confirm and Ratify the said Last will Six weeks after my decease [probably meaning that it is to be put into effect after then, when his widow has given her bonds, as below],

And First, whereas by my last will I did give and bequeath unto Richard Brangwin of Cuddington in the county of Bucks., Yeoman, but now of Ixill in the said county, Three score [60] pounds by my Last will, now my will is, and I do give and bequeath unto the said Richard, Forty pounds more, to make up the sum of One Hundred pounds, all which said sum specified in this Codicil and will, my will is that if it please god to put it into my wife's heart to marry & take another man to her husband, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath unto the said Richard, the foresaid sum, and not otherwise, and to give unto the said Richard her Bond for the true performance of it [i.e. Elizabeth is to give Richard a Bond for the payment of this sum],

And likewise, I give and bequeath unto Edmund Brangwin of Haddenham in the county of Bucks., Forty pounds more to make up the Threescore pounds which I gave him by my Last will and Testament, One Hundred pounds, and to be paid by my said wife Elizabeth, whome I make my whole and sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament, within six months after she shall so marry, as aforesaid, and to give her Bond within six weeks after my decease, as aforesaid, for the true payment of the said Two Hundred [sic] unto the said Richard and Edmund Brangwin, as aforesaid,

And whereas I gave unto Elizabeth, my now wife, by my Last will and Testament all the goods she brought me which are now in Haddenham and Cuddington, now my will is she shall not meddle with the wainscott

Sheet One, left-hand page

which was lately set up in my bedchamber and which came from Cuddington,

In witness whereof, I have set my hand this Tenth day of December 1654, I do desire, nominate & appoint George Francklin to be one of my Overseers of this my last will & Testament instead of Richard Slater, gentleman, Deceased,

Ric(hard) Brangwin,

in the presence of,

George Francklin,
Thomas Chapman

Second Codicil

Memorandum, in March 1654 [this would be the early part of the year 1655], I, Richard Brangwin of Haddenham in the County of Bucks., gentleman, Declared to us, whose names are here underwritten, That his Last will & Testament, bearing Date August Tenth 1651, should stand in force, with addition & exception of these things hereafter mentioned,

Firstly, he gave to Richard Brangwin, son of John Brangwin, Deceased, One Feather Bed, one feather bolster, one Feather pillow, one pair of sheets, one Coverlet, two blankets, to be taken out of the goods bequeathed to Richard Brangwin in the will formerly mentioned.

Item, after those goods so taken out, Richard and Edmund Brangwin, sons of Edmund Brangwin, Deceased, shall Divide the Linen, the Pewter and the Brass given in the will to Richard Brangwin, equally between them after the death of his wife [i.e., the Testator’s wife].

Item, he gave his silver Tankard to Collubery [this is an unusual name and we are not sure if this is correct], the wife of George Francklyn, And the silver boul to Elizabeth, the wife of Thomas Chapman,

Item, two silver spoons to George and Marmaduke, the sons of George Francklyn, to either of them, one, and to Thomas, son of Thomas Chapman, Item, one silver spoon, These to be given after the death of his now wife,

And further, he Declared to us that he had appointed his wife to give xx s [20 shillings] to the poor of Kingsey, and Four pounds to certain others that he had appointed her [meaning told her of],

Further, he Declared to us that he gave to Robert Barnard, one of the two year old heifers, which he should choose out of two which he named, And he gave to his Apprentice, One Ewe & Lambe,

in the presence of us,

George Francklyn,
Thom(as) Chapman

Grant of Probate:

On the 23rd day of May 1655, before the Justices for Probate, etc, at London, the Will, with Codicils, of Richard Brangwin, deceased, was proved in common form, And the administration of his goods was granted to Elizabeth Brangwin, the relict and the Executrix named in the same, she having been sworn, etc

Notes:

The spelling of names varies across the documents as 'i's and 'y's are freely interchanged in names. There is no consistency in the spelling.

So who are the people mentioned in this Will and the Codicils? Firstly we have Richard who died without leaving any living children. He mentions three brothers in his will, all of whom had died prior to the writing of his will in 1651: Francis (the father of Castle), Edmund (with sons Richard and Edmund) and John (father of Richard). This will ties the Castle line with the Long Crendon/Hambleden parts of the family as it brings Francis into the same family as the part of the family that went on to Long Crendon and Hambleden. As such, these documents were very important finds.

In March 2002, we saw that the Hambleden and Long Crendon parts of the family were linked through the 1771 Will of Edmund Brangwin of Haddenham. It would appear that all the known modern Brangwins may be descendants of none other than John the Vicar of Kingsey! We will explore this further in the coming months.

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

I would like to thank David, Bill and Margaret for their articles as well as Margaret for her invaluable input yet again.

That's it for this month.

If you have anything you would like to contribute it would be most welcome.

Until then next month

Lorraine