Brangwin Family Newsletter: September 2003
Welcome to the September 2003 edition of our family newsletter.
This month sees the first of the Swallow articles. There are loose ends so look out for updates in the months to come.
In this edition of the newsletter we look at:
I hope you enjoy learning more about your extended family.
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 in a newsletter or post it on the family web site. My email address is lwuth@hups.net
Lorraine Wuth
Editor
Richard Dale "Dick" Dimick: 20 October 1926 to 4 August, 2003
Toledo Blade: August 6, 2003
Richard D. "Dick" Dimick, 76, of Perrysburg Township, died Monday, August 4, 2003, at his home surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Bowling Green, Ohio on October 20, 1926, to Leland and Martha (Urban) Dimick. On July 13, 1949, in Bowling Green, he married Helen M. (Barnett) Dimick.
For over twenty-seven years, Richard worked as a shipping clerk for Perrysburg Machine and Tool, retiring in 1991. He was active in his community and was a member of the Perrysburg Township Fire Department for twenty-eight years, serving as Assistant Fire Chief, an Arson Investigator who was a charter member of the Northwest Ohio Arson Seminar and was a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators. He enjoyed woodworking and gave many of his works to family and friends.
He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Helen; children, Susan (Dennis) Dauer of Perrysburg Township, Michael (Mary Rose) Dimick of Perrysburg Township, Lester (Debra) Dimick of Lambertville, MI, Brenda (Doug) Wagoner of Perrysburg Township; grandchildren, Rachael, Douglas, Lyndsay, Dale and Matthew Dimick; two stepgrandchildren, Duane and Scott Dauer; sisters, Margaret (Karl) Miller of Perrysburg Township, Elaine Finney-Smith of San Jose, CA and Barbara Miller of Santa Cruz, CA. His brother, Norman Dimick preceded him in death.
Memorial services including Perrysburg Township Volunteer Fire Department Fireman Services will be held at Zoar Lutheran Church, 314 East Indiana Avenue in Perrysburg at 11 a.m. on Friday, August 8, 2003, with Pastor Timothy Philabaum officiating, followed by burial in Highland Memory Gardens. There will be no visitation. Memorials may be made in Richard's name to Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg Township Fire Department, or to Zoar Lutheran Church. Arrangements were entrusted to Witzler-Shank Funeral Home, Perrysburg (419-874-3133).
Other News
On September 7, 2003, Phyllis Louise Brangwin (nee Webb) died. According to her death notice, Phyllis was the mother of Jane, Richard, Christine and Charles.
Kevin Gibson alerted me to the death of Frederick James Dyall. For your records, Fred passed away at 2am on August 13 at the nursing home in Cranbourne, VIC. His funeral service was at Bunerong at 3.30 pm on August 18. A number of death notices were published in the Herald Sun, Melbourne.
DYALL - Frederick James
Aug 22, 1907 - Aug 13, 2003
Peacefully at Cranbourne
Dearly loved husband of Ivy, loved father of John and Allison (both dec.), fond father-in-law of
Barry and Joan. Loving Grandpa of Michael, Colin, Kerry (dec.), Helen, Graeme and Yvonne and
Great Grandpa of Rebecca, Amanda and Stephanie, Catherine, Reece and Thomas, Emily and
Daniel, Murray.
Loving Memories
DYALL - Fred
Loved Grandpa of Yvonne, Graeme and John. Great Grandpa of Emily, Daniel, father-in-law of
Margaret.
Grandpa we will miss you and your humour.
Reunited with Dad
Memories forever
DYALL - Frederick. Much loved Grandpa of Colin and Yvonne. Great Grandpa of Catherine, Reece and Thomas.
Thank you
For some great memories
In God's Care
[Fred was married to Ivy Gibson. Ivy is the daughter of Hilda Victoria Barnett and Alfred Hewett Gibson. Hilda and Alfred were both great grandchildren of Mary Brangwin and George Barnett. See the March 2003 newsletter for a story about Fred and Ivy's daughter, Allison, and granddaughter, Kerry.]
Frank Brangwyn and Chipping Campden
from Margaret A. Brangwyn
Once again our holiday this year took us on the trail of things Brangwyn. In the huge file of letters from Frank Brangwyn to his friend Alex Walker, FB frequently mentioned a mutual acquaintance, F L Griggs. Griggs himself trained as an architect, but was also an etcher, illustrator and designer, who bought "Dover's House" in Chipping Campden. He later had a new house built there - "Dover's Court." When FB heard that Griggs was selling his house it started him thinking that perhaps he should move away from the bombs and the dangers of invasion on the south coast to a safer part of England. Chipping Campden being in the Cotswolds - in Gloucestershire - it would be a much safer place to be. Griggs died in 1938 and it worried FB that he had not been able to help a fellow artist who was in need. In 1940 FB eventually buys Griggs' house, planning to move there as soon as possible, but Lizzie would not go. FB was reluctant to leave behind his devoted servant of many years standing, but at the same time anxious to move to a quieter, safer place.
Gradually more and more art works were moved to the house in Chipping Campden to be stored for safety and FB became impatient to move there himself, but still Lizzie would not move, and FB would not move without Lizzie. In 1941, FB managed to get to the house in Chipping Campden for a week and it appears that was the only time he spent there. By September 1942 FB had realised he would never be able to go and live in Chipping Campden and in January 1944 he decided to sell the house. He was finding the upkeep of two large houses financially difficult, so it was duly sold. What became of the artworks stored there he doesn't say.
| Dover's House |
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When we went to Chipping Campden we found "Dover's House" in the High Street, but although it was a large old house - the front looked to be 18th in style - it certainly didn't have any wings. FB mentioned in a letter that "Mrs Griggs, her kids and several friends" were living in a separate wing of the house. With some help from the local library we found a book "The book of Chipping Campden" by Geoffrey Powell, which contained a map showing "Dover's House" and "Dover's Court." The found "Dover's Court" - a very impressive house in a private road, set in its own grounds. Despite FB saying he had bought "Dover's House" we felt "Dover's Court was a much more likely candidate. We have written to the Gloucestershire Record Office to see if this can be clarified, but they will take four weeks to reply, so we hope by the time the next newsletter comes out we will be able to say for certain which house FB bought. In the meantime, here are pictures of both houses.
It was FB's plan to leave this house to the nation as a museum, but sadly this did not happen. Lizzie has a lot to answer for!
Extracts from FB's letters to Alex Walker. FB's spelling, grammar and punctuation were not the best and whilst it gives his letters a more personal touch, the computer doesn't find them endearing, so I have therefore corrected his mistakes. (Forgive me, FB for daring to think I could improve on something from your ownhand!)
119, undated. I see Griggs is selling his house what does he ask for it. I fear I shall have to leave here the noise of the cars is getting to [sic] much for me and laying in bed it has been trying. We will talk about it when we meet.
123, 29 Dec 1937. I am glad to hear that Griggs is well and that he wrote you. where is he living now. Did he say if he had sold his house?
128, 15 May 1938. By the way, is there no way that one can give poor Griggs a bit of help? I do not know him well enough to send him a few pounds, but one might buy something for say 20 pounds or so let me know what you suggest.
129, 11 Jun 1938. Our poor friend [Griggs] has passed on. I am sorry that you did not do as I suggested to you some time ago, giving him a bit of help. I fear that he was much worried, you knew him well so I hope you will see how things are as we may be able to do some thing for her.
141, 17 Aug 1940. What about that house of Griggs is it still for sale - and is it in a safe area. These are all matters very difficult to [142] think about. A word of advice from you would be of great value. I have also the offer of a nice little house at Hawkshead in the Lake District, but it is so far. If Griggs house is still empty what about taking it together you and I, and storing our pictures etc., or some place in the heart of the Cotswolds? But I fear one place is as bad as another.
P. T. O. If Mrs Griggs has not sold the house and is still living there she might let us some part of it to store things. What do you think? It seems a good idea and it is not far from you. Let me know what you think and if it is possible.
217, undated. Do I understand that the £4,500 you mention for the Griggs house covers everything or is the mortgage to be added? If so it is impossible. If the price of 4,500 covers everything it is good. Can you get me a set of photographs of it and ask the solicitors to send them to me? If it is possible to do a deal for the Griggs place it would be alright for her to stay there. I should think that Chipping Campden is better than here.
143, 31 Aug 1940. Many thanks for your letter and the booklet, which I will return to you shortly. It is a fine house and will stand bombs & fire? It would be a grand place to store the drawings and paintings, and also the Walthamstow things, but I do not know if I can afford it. I am seeing my accountant early next week and will at once let you know should one be able to buy it. Do you think Mrs Griggs could stop there and look after one, not much just to give me a meal. You know her so well that I should hate to turn her out in the event of ones having it. In any case she could have two rooms for herself rent free. will write you more fully. You will have to join me in the event of a move. I should think that Chipping Campden is about as safe as any where, which is not saying much. There are several fine houses to be sold there I see, which is a bit fishy. If you write to Mrs Griggs ask her about the air.
P.S. Is Stroud near to Campden?
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144, 15 Sep 1940. My accountant has gone to look at the House at Chipping Campden I wish I had known of it, a year ago, but the price was high then. If I buy it - it will bust up all my savings, but one cannot live much longer and it is an investment. What do you think? Of course, Mrs Griggs will stay on as long as she likes. The difficulty will be, will Lizzie get on with her? I will write you the result of the accountants visit. It will be at least a good place to store the stuff. I shall hope to get the Walthamstow people to store all the things, if they still exist. Hammersmith I believe was bombed badly and all may be lost. What a time! It all comes when one is old and cannot do much. I fear if I move it will lay me over anyway. I will let you know, in a day or so if all is well. I sincerely hope you and your wife are well.
145, 19 Sep 1940. I have bought the house at Chipping Campden, that is if no one else has got it. It is a grand place to store things and will be a haven of refuge if one has to flee from here. Lizzie does not like the idea of breaking up ones home, but I fear it may become necessary. Any way, for the moment it is a store place and I am trying to get Walthamstow to send all the museum things. Mrs Griggs will have her own wing. and kindly has offered to keep her eye on things. So far all is well. I shall live in the hope of seeing you & Mrs Walker there. It is not far from you.
146, 29 Sep 1940. Excuse pencil we have had a devil of a night planes & bombs all around all night, but thank God this village got clear, so I feel a bit shaky. This is to say that I have bought the house, but fear that I am not well enough or that something [will] stop me having the great pleasure of going there. Anyway I am trying to fix up so that Mrs Griggs will be safe for the years to come. I hope all being well to leave it as a museum. this would keep the memory of Griggs green and if she has enough of his work a room could be devoted to it. It would look fine as one could get 30 or 40 works of his easily in a large room. Has she enough for this? If not perhaps you & your brother could give some. I hope this dream will come true. Lizzie is causing me a lot of trouble. She will not realise the danger and is not at all willing to move. Anyway, we hang on as long as possible. I cannot leave her behind. A devoted servant of 40 years service is part of ones self. In about 10 days if the show still stands, I am sending a lot of old furniture and the paints book and paintings by road. it will help to furnish it so that it will be possible to live there, if one is fortunate enough to get there. What makes it so difficult alas for me is that I can hardly move for rheumatism etc - anyway as the poet sings "let us be Joyful."
| Dover's Court |
148, 14 Oct 1940. We got off two large vans of stuff in between the gales and bombs all got into the house safely. Stiles at the same time brought two van loads of the Walthamstow things and was there to see to things, so all went well. It was most difficult for me as I have to keep this house going. So many things I should have liked to send had to remain, but I think there will be enough, in the event of ones going, to make a home. Mrs Griggs has kindly offered to look after things which is splendid and it makes one happy. So the only expense will be the heating and the gardener. Shall I ever get there and shall I ever have the great joy of seeing you there? Lizzie will not move until the last moment and then it may be too late.
151, 9 Dec 1940. I have just written a line to Short to suggest if he has not removed his paintings and drawings that he can store them at Chipping Campden. As you know Griggs had two fine safes built in the wall and I told Short that he can have one of them and keep the key. What about your own stuff? I hope you have removed the best of it. If you like you can have part of the loft at Chipping. It is steam heated and Mrs Griggs will look after it. I have the works from the Walthamstow Museum and many things belonging to friends, Stiles took last Friday. Also 40 portraits out the Inns of Court. Greys Inn has been bombed, so I hope they will not bomb the place.
152, 7 Jan 1941. I got a nice long letter from Shorts girl. he seems to have been ill poor old chap. I wish I could see him and have a crack. I suggested to him that he should send some of his stuff to Chipping Campden, but he seems like a lot of us, not to care much what happens to his possessions.
153, 26 Jan 1941. I had a letter from Shorts daughter she tells me he is very feeble, I trust you will pull up in the spring. I got him to send some of his stuff to Chipping Campden & Mrs Griggs will take charge of it. Otherwise we shall get mixed up with all the different things there. I fear the invasion, in that case we shall be in the thick of it and will not be able to move. If I had any sense I should move to Chipping - but Lizzie will not leave what she calls her home, so I must stand by, not that I am any good.
160, 7 May 1941. I long to see you and live in the hope that, as I have said before, we may be able to meet at Chipping Campden. What a treat if this could come off.
161, 15 May 1941. I think we shall be sending to Chipping Campden a lot of the pictures out of the Hull Art Gallery, which has been bombed, so there will be a lot of stuff there, and I hope it will survive the war. I have written Mrs Griggs re the matter. She tells me she is keeping a flock of geese and I hope that we may all meet there and have a Grand Michaelmas dinner. What a treat this would be. I shall live in the hope that it may come off.
162, 25 May 1941. I heard from Chipping Campden that the potatoes had got the frost. I sincerely hope your lot is alright. So far ours have not got above the ground.
163, 13 Jul 1941. We got the Hull pictures down to Chipping Campden. I hope nothing happened to the house as it is full up of good things. I trust I may be able to go there shortly for a few days, but all is difficult for an old man.
164, 15 Aug 1941. I was most happy to get your cheerful letter. What a pity I did not let you know about Chipping Campden. I was there a week. I could have put you up as there are several spare beds. Mrs Griggs & her kids and, I fear, several of her friends live in the separate wing, so they do not much interfere. The house is rather unfinished inside but warm & comfortable being steam heated. It is very well done. Griggs was a careful and conscientious man so all that was done, was done well. We have the pictures from Hull. I think I told you that the gallery has been bombed. I hope The Dover's House will survive this d----d upheaval.
I must write to Short. He is well off with his girl to look after him. All his stuff at Chipping is alright so far. There is still more room to store things. There seems to be a lot of Griggs work. I suppose she could not sell it now. He was a very careful artist and his drawings of landscape are most beautiful, reminiscent of S. Palmer - but still Griggs. Mrs Griggs was not at all like what I expected her to be, from what you told me I thought she would be more in style of Miss Short.
165, 31 Aug 1941. What a pity it was that I did not let you know I was at Campden. Perhaps it may be possible later on. I hope so.
166, 15 Oct 1941. Most of my things I sent to Campden and find it difficult owing to lack of material. I hope to produce something for you. So far what I have done is poor stuff, but very shortly all being well you will have your bit.
167, 5 Jan 1942. I got your nice pencil drawing of the Dover house it is most carefully done. I wish I could do such work. I am finding the upkeep of the Dover house a bit too much for me. Tons of coal, taxes etc., every day it gets worse. I hope we shall be able to run it along. I heard the other day that Mrs Griggs gets about £700 a year. Is this true do you think?
By the way, you told me some time ago that your brother had bought up most of Griggs etchings. There is one I should like for the museum. It is called Priory Farm. I give a rough idea of it overleaf. If he has a spare copy and likes, I will make a swap.
169, 30 Mar 1942. If I can get to Chipping Campden you might be able to join me.
170, 29 Apr 1942. No doubt you pass your time looking through your collections and get some fun this way. Unfortunately I sent most of my stuff to Chipping Campden so have not much to look at and it is too cold to go out in the garden except for a short spell.
172, 29 Jul 1942. One cannot go to Chipping Campden, as one can get no car.
173, 31 Jul 1942. I see poor old Birmingham got it. I trust the museum was not bombed. We must now expect more of this devils work, and the result will be that little in the way of art will be left. I hope Chipping did not get any bombs.
174, 25 Aug 1942. I was going this week to Chipping Campden, but it is now I am told impossible to get a car, so I fear that I shall not see the place again in this life. Anyway, one hopes that it may be possible.
175, 11 Sep 1942. It is now impossible for me to go to Chipping Campden, much to my sorrow.
186, 6 Jan 1944. The bother is that one cannot get a car, and this was so, and I found it impossible to go to Chipping. I thought best to sell the house, I hated to do it, both for the sake of Mrs Griggs and also for the memory of Griggs. It was always my hope to make it into a home for old artists and so keep it for ever in the hands of artists. I am not well enough and getting old, so want to try and get rid of some of my [word illegible].
187, 20 Feb 1944. I think I told you that I had sold Dover House and that Mrs Griggs had gone to live in Oxford.
191, 23 Oct 1944. I spoke to Short's daughter, and she said that she could not put her hand on her Fathers work as most of it was at Chipping Campden in The Dover House.
212, Thursday. I am giving all my prints to the Walthamstow people: but I find I want a few others to make a nice show. Have you a Griggs?
227, undated. Re the Griggs it is a jolly little drawing, but I want an etching. What will he charge me for one?
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Griggs, F(rederick) L(andseer Maur)
(b Hitchin, Herts, 30 Oct 1876; d Campden, Glos, 7 June 1938). English etcher, illustrator and designer. Originally trained as an architect, he remained fascinated by ruins, and these formed his principal subject-matter. His first exhibited work at the Royal Academy, in 1897, was an architectural perspective. His first illustrated book was an edition of Tennyson’s In Memoriam (1900). From 1902 he worked for Macmillan Publishers, illustrating their Highways and Byways series, completing nine volumes and thirty-nine drawings for the Essex volume (on which he was working when he died).
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P.S. I found out that the house FB bought in Chipping Campden was "Dover's Court" - the large, detached one Frederick Griggs had built. David brought home Pevsner's guide to Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds and in the introduction it says "Griggs built his own house in the traditional Cotswold manner. It was later built by Sir Frank Brangwyn." Although FB refers in his letters to "Dover's House" he did really mean "Dover's Court."
Stone Rubbing
Michael John Neill published by MyFamily.com
Note: pictures of the stones and rubbings discussed this week can be viewed at: www.rootdig.com/tombstones/.
My family and I created several tombstone rubbings in what started out as a part of a 4H project. One of the adults involved got a little carried away. (And no genealogical genies came popping out to grant us three wishes.) Our cemetery work was not limited to creating rubbings. We also took pictures of a large number of tombstones using a digital camera. This combination of approaches worked particularly well.
Our experiences with tombstone rubbings were mixed. This was partially because we did not have years of rubbing experience under our belts. The comments and suggestions discussed here are based on our experience at several cemeteries in Iowa and Illinois involving various types of stones ranging in age from one hundred and thirty years to twenty years. I encourage readers to do several things before making any tombstone rubbings at ancestral cemeteries:
The consensus we arrived at was that one particular rubbing technique does not work equally well on all stones. The stones that were a part of my daughter's project were all set within the last fifty years and were chosen because they were on secure mountings and could easily be rubbed with crayons (not nearly as messy as charcoal). The stones my wife and I rubbed were older, including one from the 1870s and one from the 1890s.
Modern Stones
Modern stones, especially those with inscriptions cut into the stones (as opposed to a raised inscription), are the easiest ones from which good rubbings can be obtained. While creating rubbings of modern stones is an excellent way to preserve the information on the stone or even make a nice wall hanging, the rubbing is not typically necessary to read the stone initially. Unwrapped crayons worked particularly well on stones of this era. More recent stones are good for the novice (or children) to use as practice. Parents, though, should always check a stone's mountings to make certain the stone is securely in place before letting any child create a rubbing. They must also be careful not to let children wonder alone through any cemetery. The rubbings my daughter created were all done under supervision and only after a parent had made certain the stone was not going to topple.
Stones Initially Put in the Ground
The majority of the more recent stones we rubbed were "above ground" stones and presented no major rubbing difficulties. However, there were two stones in our project that were "in ground" stones with raised inscriptions. Rubbings made from these stones were slightly more difficult to make with crayon given the nature of the inscription. We found that crayon did not work as well with raised inscriptions, so we used charcoal (or another soft media) on stones of this type.
What We Forgot
A ladder. We were unable to create a rubbing of the inscription at a mausoleum in Rock Island, Illinois. I had forgotten they were entombed on the highest row-a row I could not even reach with my fingertips, let alone rub. However, we were able to get a picture with no problem-another great reason to bring a camera along.
Older Stones
The challenge of rubbing tombstones comes when the original inscription is difficult to read. There were two older stones my wife and I rubbed in an attempt to read the inscription. There were several others we simply did not have time to create rubbings for. These initial attempts at tombstone rubbing left me with two conclusions: practice before you do the "real thing," and take pictures of the stones.
Old Stone Number One
The first stone we rubbed was at Holy Family Cemetery in Davenport, Iowa. This stone for Elizabeth and Kaspar Wachter had a raised inscription created in the 1890s or in the early 1900s. We used charcoal to create our rubbing. We also took a picture of the stone. Readability problems were partially due to the weathering of the stone and the color of the stone, which made the inscription difficult to distinguish from the background. Since there was no "inscription" there were no crevices for shadows to fall into. This inscription was on the north side of the stone and had more green discoloration than did the other sides of the stones, further aggravating our attempts to read it. If we had brought a mirror or had come at a different time of day the picture might have been more legible. A photograph of the west side of the stone with an inscription likely cut at approximately the same time was fairly legible.
Old Stone Number Two
The second stone we rubbed was that of Sophia Trautvetter at the church cemetery in rural Tioga, Illinois. This stone was cut sometime after 1877 and was quite soft. While I wanted to clean the lichen off this stone, I did not do so because I was concerned that I would further deteriorate what was legible of the inscription. We created two rubbings of this stone, one with crayon and one with charcoal. The crayon rubbing did not work as well (in my opinion). Newer stones get "hotter" than older stones of this type, causing the crayon to melt slightly. Even though the temperature was in the high eighties, this stone was not as hot as the nearby stones of a more recent vintage. Given the soft nature of the stone and the weathering, the charcoal seemed to create a slightly better rubbing.
A Combination of Problems
The weathering and stone type was only part of the problem. This stone had an inscription that was partially raised from the stone and partially cut into the stone. This presented an additional difficulty. The first name (the raised part of the inscription) came across in the rubbings, but not in the photographs. The years of birth and death (carved into the stone) are easier to see from the photographs. The third and fourth lines of this inscription apparently provide information on Sophia's husband and are extremely difficult to read.
Our pictures of this stone, taken at two different angles, were also very helpful in reading the stone. The second picture of Sophia's stone, taken from a larger distance, was actually taken to show the relative position of her stone to that of her son and granddaughter. Pictures from a broader perspective showing the relative position of several stones are always a good idea, as they preserve information about how the stones are placed. In our case, it also helped us to read the stone.
Manipulating the Pictures
There are many things one can do to manipulate digital images of tombstones. Even the novice can resize the image and convert the image to only shades of gray. In some cases, just employing these techniques caused the image to become significantly more legible.
Wrapping It Up
We will continue to make tombstone rubbings and hopefully get better along the way. Tombstone rubbing really is an art that is not easily learned. There is more to it than getting a piece of paper, a box of crayons and heading out-especially with soft stones whose transcriptions are weathered.
Don't Delay
Stones continue to weather every day. Our trip to Tioga, Illinois, caused us to pass several cemeteries where I have ancestors buried. I was amazed at how much some of the stones had weathered since my last visit, particularly those made of the softer stone like Sophia's. High on my priority list is a visit to three additional cemeteries where I know ancestors have "soft stones" so I can make an additional attempt to read them, and get photographs and possibly make rubbings. Visiting Sophia's stone did not give me any new information, but I was glad we had made the trip to visit her grave and made an additional attempt to preserve the information it contained. One never knows how long these stones will last.
How to do Gravestone Rubbings at SavingGraves.org www.savinggraves.org/education/print/rubbings.htm
Michael's Tip
The summer finds me traveling hither and yon from one genealogical experience to another-hopefully locating ancestors along the way. To help me keep up with the Ancestry Daily News while on the road, I visit www.ancestry.com/dailynews/. This URL lets me check the current edition of the Daily News quickly and easily from any Internet connection. I still get the email version, but checking the online site keeps me up-to-date with new databases-especially the 1870 census indexes for which I'm anxiously waiting!
Copyright 2003, MyFamily.com. Michael John Neill is the Course I Coordinator at the Genealogical Institute of Mid America (GIMA) held annually in Springfield, Illinois, and is also on the faculty of Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Illinois. Michael is the Web columnist for the FGS FORUM and is on the editorial board of the Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly. He conducts seminars and lectures on a wide variety of genealogical and computer topics and contributes to several genealogical publications, including Ancestry and Genealogical Computing. You can email him at: mjnrootdig@myfamily.com or visit his website at: www.rootdig.com/ , but he regrets that he is unable to assist with personal research.
The Swallow Connection
Daniel Barnett, my great, great grandfather, the son of George Barnett and Mary Brangwin, married Elizabeth Dreweatt. While I have not been able to connect Elizabeth to the Dreweatts of Welford, the family who married a number of Brangwin men, I would not be surprised that there is a connection. Elizabeth's parents were John Dreweatt and Sarah Ann Swallow. Sarah Ann was a Henley lass and her connection to other Swallows in the area is highly probable. Her Swallows had been in the Henley area for a number of generations before her birth in 1800. So, here I have another connection of Dreweatt, Swallow and Brangwin. And there are more!
In a number of early newsletter there are references to Edmund Brangwin (son of Edmund Brangwin and Sarah Deane) of Hambleden. Edmund married his cousin Mary Deane and they went on to have 10 children. They are listed in the February 2001 newsletter. Edmund and Mary's fifth child, Letitia, married James Swallow, whilst their youngest child, Sarah, married Richard Swallow, brother of James. This month we look at Letitia and her family.
Letitia Brangwin was born in 1794 in Hambleden, BKM, where she was baptised on May 18 of that year. She was the fifth child and third daughter of Edmund Brangwin and Mary Deane. She married James Swallow on June 19, 1817. They married at Hambleden by licence. Both were single. James was from Maidenhead, BRK. Both signed. The witnesses were Edmund Brangwin, Louisa Swallow and Maria Swallow.
James Swallow was the son of Richard Swallow and Maria Poulton. He was born in 1795 in Cookham, BRK, and died in 1857.
At the time of the 1851 census Letitia and James were living in Bridge St, Maidenhead, BRK. Letitia was 56 and James, a corn and coal dealer, was 55.
Letitia died on June 14, 1865 in South Grove, Highgate, MDX. Probate was proved at the Principal Registry [London] on October 6, 1865 by Joseph Wilson Owen of Hendhamvale Harpurhey, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Corn Factor, the sole Executor. His relationship to Letitia is unknown and he is simply referred to as "a friend" by Letitia in her Will. Her effects were valued at under £300. Letitia's Will was dated August 10, 1861 and includes mention of her daughters Mary, Lucy and Eliza.
Letita and James had 10 children:
Eliza Swallow / born January 15 1828 / died January 1 1879 / Richard Swallow / born August 21, 1829 / died March 28, 1837 / Henry Martyn Swallow / born July 18, 1838 / died March 15, 1839 //Richard had been baptised at the Maidenhead Independent - New Chapel on October 4, 1829 and buried at Cookham on April 1, 1837.
Generation 2
Maria Swallow was the third child and daughter of Letitia Brangwin and James Swallow. She was born on July 28, 1821 in Cookham, BRK. Like her many siblings she was baptised at the Maidenhead Independent - New Chapel.
Maria married George William Conder in 1847 Cookham.
Maria and George had 6 children:
George died on November 8, 1874, aged 52. According to the probate index he was formerly of Burley in the Parish of Leeds in the County of York but late of the Hermitage Forest Hill in the County of Kent at the time of his death and he was a Minister of the Gospel. Maria was the sole executrix. His effects were under £1,500.
At the time of the 1881 and 1891 census Maria was living at The Hermitage, Westwood Park, Lewisham, Kent. She remained a widow.
Maria died on November 29, 1905, aged 84. Her address was given as "Penhurst" Tankerville-road, Streatham, Surrey. Her effects were listed as £109 5s 0d and her son Eustace was appointed her executor.
Thirza Swallow was the tenth and youngest child of Letitia Brangwin and James Swallow. She was born in Cookham and baptised on September 22, 1833 at the Maidenhead Independent - New Chapel.
Thirza married Horatio Stephens in Manchester in 1858. In 1881 they were living at Loats Rd New Grange, Clapham, Surrey. By 1901 they had moved to 25 Palace Rd, Streatham.
Horatio Stephens was born in West Cowes, Isle of Wight about 1829. He was a paraffin refiner (oil miller) in 1881 and a sugar merchant in 1901. He died on October 30, 1910.
Thirza died on December 22, 1916. She was living at "Charisholme", 25 Palace-road, Streatham Hill, Surrey, at the time of her death. Probate was granted to son Edgar Percy Stephens and solicitor Algernon Crook. Her effects amounted to £5150 14s 5d.
Thirza and Horatio had at least 3 children:
I hope you have found this edition of the Brangwin Family Newsletter of interest.
I would like to thank Margaret once again for her considerable contribution to the newsletter.
That's it for this month.
If you have anything you would like to contribute to the newsletter it would be most welcome.
Until then next time
Lorraine