The world has progressed, women now have the right to vote; women can hold high status positions; and women are no longer expected to stay at home with the children.  My place, while my children are still young, is at home with them, but what about when my children grow up?
It is with this in mind that I have taken my next step… starting from October, I will (as long as everything falls into place) be going back to study with the Open University.  The end result will be, should everything go to plan, a BA (hons) in History with my primary focus being on Heritage Studies.  My time will be precious from October, but the baby starts Nursery in January leaving me with 2.5 hours each day to study!

Leah Attewell was baptized on the 16th Oct 1859 in Shirenewton, Monmouthshire. She lived in Shirenewton, Monmouthshire in 1861. By 1891, she had moved to Roath, Cardiff where she remained until her death.

William Dunn and Leah Attewell had the following children:

• William Tom Dunn was born in 1881 in Cardiff, Glamorgan. He died in 1934 in Pontypridd, Glamorgan. He married Susan Beatrice Locke in 1904 in Cardiff, Glamorgan.
• Albert Charles A Dunn was born in 1885 in Cardiff, Glamorgan.
• Martin Dunn was born in 1887 in Cardiff, Glamorgan. He died on 30th Nov 1955 in Cottingham, Yorkshire. He married Alice May Johnson in 1913 in Cardiff, Glamorgan.
• Alfred John Dunn was born in 1889 in Cardiff, Glamorgan.
• Lilian May Dunn was born in 1892 in Cardiff, Glamorgan.
• Reginald George Dunn was born in 1895 in Cardiff, Glamorgan.
• Victoria Winifred Dunn was born in 1901 in Cardiff, Glamorgan.
• Wilfred Allan Dunn was born in 1902 in Cardiff, Glamorgan.

Charles Attewell was baptized on 16 Oct 1859 in Shirenewton, Monmouthshire. He lived in Shirenewton, Monmouthshire until the 1870′s.  In 1881 he possibly lived in Cardiff, Glamorgan. He lived in Bristol, Gloucestershire in 1901 and was the landlord of the Masons Arms, Temple Street.

Charles Attewell and Mary Jane Hancox Parkes had the following children:

• Charles Thomas Attewell was born 11 Apr 1899 in Bristol, Gloucestershire. He died 06 Mar 1942 in Blandford St Mary, Dorset. He married Hilda Evelyn Jones in the 3rd quarter of 1930 in Chepstow, Monmouthshire.

When she was 25, She married Joseph Blakesley on 9th Nov 1798 in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire.

Joseph Blakesley and Ann Almey had the following known children:

• John Blakesley was born around 1803 in Wigston, Leicestershire, England. He died on 4th Mar 1864 in Leicestershire, England. He married Ann Willett on the 10th Aug 1824 in Thornton, Leicestershire, England.
• Benjamin Blakesley was born around 1808 in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire, England.
• Elizabeth Blakesley was born around 1800 in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire, England.
• Samuel Blakesley was born around 1805.

Elizabeth remained in Wivenhoe, Essex her whole life bringing up her children while her husband, George, worked at home and abroad as a Mariner.

George Hazell and Elizabeth Aldridge had the following children:

1. George Joseph Hazell was born in 1846 in Wivenhoe, Essex. He died 21 Sep 1923 in Wivenhoe, Essex.
2. Henry George Hazell was born on 23 Mar 1838 in Wivenhoe, Essex.
3. Mary Ann Hazell was born in 1840 in Wivenhoe, Essex.
4. Elizabeth Ann Hazell was born in 1849 in Wivenhoe, Essex. She died in 1924 in Tendring, Essex, England.
5. Sarah Ann Hazell was born in 1852 in Wivenhoe, Essex.
6. James John Hazell was born in 1854 in Wivenhoe, Essex.
7. John Hazell was born in 1857 in Wivenhoe, Essex.

James Sutherland was born in Boharm, Banffshire in 1858.  The illegitimate son of Margaret Sutherland, he was orphaned aged just 13 months.
His father, James Davidson, has been harder to track down.  Shortly after her sons birth, it is recorded that the Boharm Kirk Sessions took notice of Margaret Sutherland and her son by attempting to get the alleged father to appear before them.
They located James, a Carter, living with Widow Brown in Keith, Banffshire.  He accepted responsibility for the child but denied paternity.  He refused to appear before the Boharm Kirk Sessions.
On Margaret’s death, the case was dismissed because James could not be found.

Two months after his mother’s death, James, now know by Davidson, was admitted to the Register of Poor in Boharm and his father was reported to be in Banff Jail. In December 1862, some 3 years after Margaret’s death, father and son were in Aberdeen together.

The younger James married in July 1878 and stated his father was James Davidson, a deceased Clerk.  Seven years on, at the time of his second marriage, he had promoted his father to a deceased Station Agent.  The same father was further promoted in 1934, when James married for the 3rd time.
These occupations could be entirely fictitious and it could be that James simply didn’t know anything about his father.

Every snippet of information on the senior James Davidson is circumstantial.  It is possible to track him down I am sure but at the moment I lack the resources.  For the time being I will have to be content with what I already know.

I know that James Davidson was born in the first half of the 19th Century.  I would hazard a guess that his birth is between 1820 and 1840.  He would have met Margaret Sutherland before October 1857 and it would have been in Boharm or Keith.  He could have been a Carter, Clerk, Station Agent or Master but also may have been none of these.  He spent time living in Boharm, Keith, Elgin and Aberdeen and may well have had family in any or all of these places.  He also served a prison sentence in Banff Jail around August 1859.  He probably died between 1863 and 1878.

I hope that one day, I’ll solve the riddle of his life but that won’t happen until Scotland’s People start offering subscriptions. 

George Henry Hazell died in 1939 in Newport.  His death was registered as George H. Hazell in the 3^rd quarter of 1939.  His age at the registration was given as 64 years, giving a birth year of 1875.

George married Elizabeth Ann Comley in 1903 in Newport, Monmouthshire.  By 1911, the couple had three children, Caroline Alma May, Alice Mary and Herman Lewis.  Elizabeth and the children are living on Blewitt Street, Newport but George is nowhere to be seen.
This, coupled with the regular age gaps between the children, suggested that he may have been a military man or seaman.  Newport had a thriving sea based industry in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries and many of the distant relatives of Elizabeth were seamen.

The registered death of George Henry points to a birth around 1875.  The only George Henry with Hazell spelt as I would expect was one whose birth was registered in Lexden, Essex during the March quarter of 1875.
Researching George’s family has brought up many interesting points as has the information discovered through members of the Family Tree Forum.

In 1881, George Henry is living with his Mother, Alma Elizabeth and 2 siblings, Mary Elizabeth and Alma Eliza.
The 26 year old Alma Elizabeth is recorded as the wife of a Mariner.  They are living on Mill Road, Wivenhoe, where the children were born.  (I’ve been told that Wivenhoe was notorious for smuggling in the 19^th Century.)

I haven’t located George Henry on the 1891 census which suggests to me that the 16 year old had already followed in his father’s footsteps.

The connection of my George Henry Hazell to the Hazell’s of Wivenhoe has been confirmed through the Army pension records of a younger brother.
George Henry’s mother, Alma Elizabeth Stapleton, married George Joseph Hazell in Wandsworth, London in 1873.  They had 10 children including George Henry, 1 was born and died between census years, the other 8 were Mary Elizabeth (1878), Alma Eliza (1881), Rosa Grace (1883), Harman Samuel (1886), May Mildred (1888), Lewis James (1890), George (1893) and Gladys Florence (1895).

It was the youngest George, born in 1893, who provided the link.  George signed up to the Army in September 1914, he was discharged just 22 days later on the grounds that he was “not likely to become an efficient soldier”.
George was stated as a 23 year old with blue eyes and light brown hair standing at 5ft 8.5inches tall, with “1 thistle left forearm”.
On his papers his next of kin are given as his father, George Hazell and mother, Alma of Wivenhoe, Essex and brother, Harry Hazell of 13 Blewitt Street, Newport, Mon.

Given that the younger George’s older brother’s family was living on Blewitt Street in 1911, it would be more than a coincidence for this to be a different family.

The story of the Hazell family is coming to light piece by piece, I wonder what else there is to discover.

The earliest Comley I have researched is John Comley, husband of Sarah, who died in 1743 in Great Somerford, Wiltshire.  Sarah, died in Great Somerford, 14 years earlier.
John and Sarah welcomed 7 children into the world namely Jeffrey, Thomas, Theophilius, Elizabeth, John, Joseph and William.

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Jeffrey Comley married Dinah Porter in the early 18^th century.    They had several children, John, Mary, Florence, William, Elizabeth, Ann and Theophilius.
Jeffrey died in August 1750 in Great Somerford along with his wife, Dinah.

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Theophilius Comley was baptised on the 10^th January 1724 in Great Somerford.  On 30^th September 1749, Theophilius married Mary Geater.  The couple had 12 children in Great Somerford called Joseph, Ann, John, Elizabeth, William, Thomas, Elizabeth, Mary, John, Jacob, Mary and Jacob.
Theophilius died in 1782 aged 58 in Great Somerford, Wiltshire.

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Joseph Comley was baptised on 21^st June 1752 in Great Somerford.  On 3^rd November 1776, Joseph married Mary Park, from Chippenham, in Great Somerford.  The couple had 6 children but moved to Somerford Major, Wiltshire before the birth of their 6^th child.  Their children were Maria, Jacob, John, Lot, Patience and Joseph.

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Joseph Comley was baptised on 26^th October 1794 in Somerford Major, Wiltshire.  He married Mary Marsh on 3^rd December 1816 in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.  There were possibly 3 children to this marriage; John, James and Jacob.  The three boys were born in Corston, Wiltshire.
Mary died in 1822 in Corston and Joseph went on to live with Ann Beechey.  As far as I can tell they never married but had 5 children together called Mary Beech, Jonah Henry Beech, Ada Maria, Josiah Beech and Martha.
By 1843 Joseph was living in Bridgend, Glamorgan.  The family moved around South Wales, living in Trevethin, Monmouthshire; Crickhowell, Brecknockshire; Crumlin, Monmouthshire and Christchurch, Monmouthshire between 1843 and 1858.
Joseph died in January 1878 in Cardiff Workhouse, Ann continued to live in Bridgend and died on 10^th April 1893.

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John Comley was born around 1817 in Corston, Wiltshire.  He spent his youth moving around the country but by 1841 was living in Coedkernew, Monmouthshire with his future wife and her family and working as a farm labourer.  Later in his life he worked as a Gardener.
He married Caroline Steel Parsons on 12^th February 1842 in Coedkernew and lived there for the remainder of his life.
John and Caroline had 11 children together; Henry, Elizabeth, James, John, Ivor, John, Edgar, Caroline, Charles, Albert and Priscilla.  Four of their children died in Infancy.
John died on 5^th December 1891 in Coedkernew, followed by his wife on the 21^st April 1893.

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Albert Comley was born around June 1859 in Newport, Monmouthshire.  He grew up in the St Woolos area of Newport.  He was a carpenter by trade and by 1891 was blind in one eye.
Albert married Mary Ann Christopher in 1881 and the family lived in Christchurch.  They had at least 6 children; Elizabeth Ann, Edgar William, Lavinia, Alfred John, Emily and James.
Albert died in 1937 in Newport outliving his wife by 18 years.

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Elizabeth Ann Comley sees the end of the Comley name in the family tree.  She was born around March 1882 in Newport.  She married George Henry Hazell in 1903.  She died in Newport in 1953 after having 8 children, Caroline Alma May, Alice Mary, Herman Lewis, George A, Ruby Iris L, Doris I, James Henry and Gladys V B.

My tree mostly consists of the traceable direct ancestors and their siblings so far, however, with 1279 individuals following each person from birth to death seems like quite a challenge at the moment.  This task not only involves adding spouses and children of my direct ancestor’s siblings but includes events (eg wills, census, and occupations) and addresses of each individual within the tree.  Where do you stop?  Is there a point where you say “I’m not researching that family”?

My quandary is, do I continue researching every name on my tree and end up with hundreds, if not thousands of people only related to my ancestors by marriage?
There is always the opportunity to research them and theirs at later dates.

Would you stick to blood relatives first?  Then move on to married in relatives?  Or do them all at once?

Kate Bown, the daughter of Henry Pagett Bown and Ann Blakesley, married a Scottish tailor, James Davidson, on 25th October 1885 at St Matthew’s Church in Leicester.

The couple had 4 children; Wallace Henry, Stuart James, Maggie and Dorothy in the following 8 years. After this, Kate had appeared to simply disappear.  Family stories suggested that she had been committed to an asylum and locating her would always have been a challenge.

The latest development suggests this may not have been the case.

While perusing the Black Sheep Index, I came across 2 entries in the index for James Davidson, a tailor in Wolverhampton. I decided to check the British Newspaper Archive and came up trumps, several times.  The most informative article was one from The Dundee Courier dated 23rd March 1894, headlined “Sensational Charge of Bigamy”.  From the article I’ve managed to piece together a rather sketchy timeline.

• James was born in Scotland around 1858*.  His early life is still a bit of a spider’s web that is still being untangled.
• On 9^th July 1878, James married Charlotte Joss.  The marriage took place in the home of her father, 14 Uphill Lane, Peterhead.  There were four children born to the marriage of James and Charlotte.*
• At some time in 1882, James left Charlotte (and I’m assuming the four children) and moved to Worcester and later Leicester.*
• 25^th October 1885, and James “went through the ceremony of marriage” to our Kate.  There were four children to this marriage also.*
• Roughly around 1888, the family moved to Staffordshire due to a number of debts.
• In July 1893, a deed of separation was drawn up between James and Kate and the children were put into the charge of James.*
• By October 1893 Kate knew that there was another wife.*
• Finally, in March 1894, our Kate gave evidence when James was charged with Bigamy. *

In my previous post, I raised several questions, some of which I can now answer.

1. Is it possible that Kate’s ‘madness’ could have actually been Puerperal Insanity?  I highly doubt it.  In March 1894, she gave evidence at her “husband’s” court hearing.
2. On the subject of why James waited until 1934 to marry his ‘third’ wife, was it simply that James didn’t want to be a bigamist and waited until Kate died?  I would imagine that it was that he didn’t want to get charged with bigamy again and loved her enough to wait that long. I would also imagine it would have been his first wife who died.
3. What happened to Kate? Why are there no records of her?  – This leads onto a whole new set of questions… Did she change her identity? Did she ever remarry?  Did she simply just disappear off the face of the earth?

While I feel as if I am getting closer to solving the mystery surrounding Kate, I am still so very far away.

*The Dundee Courier, 23^rd March 1894, as published on www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk