Ancestor of the week – George Butcher

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Julie Goucher

My Ancestor of the week post for this week is about my Grandfather George Butcher 1908 – 1974. Born the son of Charles Butcher and Annie Prudence Harris, who is often known in my research notes as APH! George was one of 12 children, of whom only 9 survived into adulthood.


George worked I believe fairly extensively upon the farm where all his brothers worked, Manor Farm at Guildford. For those that know the area, the land is now occupied by the University of Surrey! During the Second World War my Grandfather served in the Army, having joined up in 1940. Now why he did this is a complete mystery. By then he was living with my Grandmother, they having married in November 1939 at the address in Walnut Tree Close mentioned in an earlier post and working for Unigate Dairies. I always wondered if he can be called up, but no his service record reveals that he volunteered to serve his Country and that makes me very, very proud. He could so easily have gone back to the farm and worked alongside his brothers.

I had always wanted to find out more of his Military life. The photo above was taken probably in Africa where he served during the War. On the reverse it simply says “Your loved one, George X” Such a simple photo, yet I know my Grandmother treasured it, as do I now.

My Grandfather returned to Guildford after the war and didn’t discuss his war time efforts. After his death in the 1970s all that remained was a few photos, a square coin in a small leather purse that I had been given as a child, a box housing his four medals and a piece of material with embroidered corners, his efforts to fill any spare time and his pay book.

I still have the coin in the leather purse and about ten years ago I had both the medals and embroidery framed professionally. These both hang in their frames upon my landing where I see and admire them everyday and like so many of us feel very proud.


Then in 2008 I decided that it was time to send off for his service record. I read a post on the WWII Talk Forum which explained how to send off for the record. Here in the UK they are only released to the service personnel themselves or their next of kin. So, I sent off the Ministry of Defence form, and enclosed with it the copies of death certificates for both my Grandparents, the next of kin disclosure form, a cheque for £30 and a copy of the pay book revealing his Army number. I received a letter back advising me of a several month wait. So I sat back and waited. Not very patiently as I am not that patient! I was really delighted when about three weeks later I received the Service Record.
I then decided to try and decipher some of the military abbreviations. A sheet of relevant ones had been sent with the documents, alas, there were some that were clearly localised ones! I am still reading and really must get back to it again, but in the meantime, I have set up a blog page to reflect the Military life of my Grandfather called George’s War and need to update the page and write some additions.

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Ancestor of the week – John King

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Julie Goucher
I have mentioned in other posts, here and here about the King family of Puttenham Surrey. Of the family there was only one boy, John born in 1788 in the parish of Puttenham Surrey and died in 1812 in the Gulf of Persia. That small amount of details doesn’t seem much to show for 24 years of life does it?
A search of the India Office Records revealed that John had died 29 October 1812 whilst on board the ship Duncan in the Gulf of Persia. At the time of his death he was a Lieutenant in the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) of 21 Madras MI.
A quick search for more details of the ship revealed a website featuring the ships of the East India Company. From glancing at the page it would appear that the ship that John King died upon was the Lord Duncan which remained in service until 1813. Was this a coincidence? Had the vessel not been sea worthy? or was it perhaps disease stricken?
A further Google search revealed a really fascinating view of the Duncan via this web page. Page 134 item 717, which reads
“717 RARE SUNDERLAND CREAMWARE BLACK TRANSFERPRINTED, ENAMEL-DECORATED AND PINK LUSTRE PRESENTATION JUG, GARRISON POTTERY, PROBABLY DIXON & CO. PARTNERSHIP, CIRCA 1813-19. Printed on one side with a rare view of the Wear iron bridge, faintly signed “W. Cockburn,” the other with a view of the “NORTHUMBERLAND 74,” marked “Dixon & Co. Sunderland Pottery,” and inscribed in black enamel beneath the spout “G. J. Sanders” above the verse “Forget me not” within a floral wreath, all within pink lustre squiggles. Height 7 ½ inches.

Literature: This particular Wear bridge view is not recorded in Baker. The central ship depicted in this unusual print is named across the stern “L. DUNCAN.” Launched in 1798, the ship “Lord Duncan” was named after Admiral Duncan, hero of Camperdown, 1797. The print also varies from more common examples with the inclusion of buildings with tall chimneys in the background, and by the ship in dry dock on the right side.”

Now, this is a fascinating find as it does give a vague idea of what the ship where my ancestor died upon looked like. I do need to do further research on John King and on the ship.
(note this is the missing post from January 29, 2011)
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Waitangi Day Blog Challenge

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Julie Goucher
Waitangi Day Blog Challenge : Your earliest known ancestor

Recently our Australian cousins have all been encouraged to blog about their earliest piece of research about an Australian ancestor in celebration of Australia Day (see Shelley’s blog at Twigs of Yore). We think this is a terrific idea and have noticed that it has provoked participation from loads of people. Waitangi Day, on February 6, is our national day. Its intent is to celebrate a bringing together of the peoples of New Zealand and it is usually a family day.
Post your contribution here

My connection to New Zealand is a modern one. My Grandfather’s brother Harry Butcher married Ann Lasseter in Guildford in 1942. All that is known about Anne was that she was a Land Girl during the war and I guess that is how she met my Uncle Harry who worked on a farm and was therefore in a reserved occupation. Together, Harry and Anne had two children. After Harry died in 1958 Anne remarried to My Grandmother’s brother Ernest Matthews. What is especially interesting is that prior to marrying Anne, Ernest had been married to Harry’s sister Margery. See how complicated genealogy can get? And that is just the start of it!

Ernest and Anne had one son and at some point Anne’s daughter by Harry migrated to New Zealand. Now Ernest died in 1975 so I guess this is the time frame for the migration, see I did say it was modern! Once the daughter and her family were in New Zealand that strengthened the case for Anne to go which she did.

At some point Anne remarried in New Zealand and remained so until she was widowed in 1992. Anne passed away during the last few years in New Zealand having left her son by my Uncle Harry here in the UK with his family. Her daughter and her family are in New Zealand and her son by my Uncle Ernest is also in New Zealand. Certainly my particular branch of the family has not had any contact with Anne and her family since the late 1950s, which is such a shame. So if you are reading this and this rings any bells, please get in touch.

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52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History – Wk 6 – Radio & Television

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Julie Goucher

Week #6 – Radio & Television
What was your favourite radio or television show from your childhood? What was the program about and who was in it?
Week 6: This challenge runs from Saturday, February 5 through to Friday, February 11 2011

I have never really been much of television fan, preferring to read, that is still the case. As a child we use to have a black and white television, rather than colour as I guess the amount of use it received was minimum. I did use to watch some Blue Peter, which is a well know children’s programme here in the UK. I also used to watch the Muppets, which I recall was on the television at 5.15pm on a Sunday. Why I recall those fine details are anyones guess.

Now, I still prefer to read, but do like mystery type programmes, Morse, Lewis and Midsomer Murders, gentle murder mysteries nothing grim and especially violent! I am also rather partial to watching the Agatha Christie based programmes, such as Miss Marple and Poiret. I also like the BBC Who Do you think you are programmes which are usually broadcast yearly. Now with Sky Television I can watch most of the repeats and have a genealogy fix to my hearts content. I also like watching Antiques Roadshow and often glean snippets of information from that.

Radio, I rarely listen to the radio, when I do I prefer Radio 2 and Gold which are broadcast here in the UK. Gold especially is good as I can listen on my iphone. For news and current affairs I am a bit of a Sky News fan.

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Family History Writing Challenge – Day 5

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Julie Goucher

At various points my Grandfather would often say to my Grandmother, “its the gypsy in you”. As a child I never really gave any thought to just what he meant. Later on as I gathered an interest in my family history I wondered was there any truth in this. My Grandmother’s skin tone was tanned and not from the sun, she actually never really sat out for long periods of time. Was this the case? I am half Italian and my skin tone is lighter than my grandmother’s was, or was it simply the way it was?

As I researched back through the Matthews side of the family, which was my Grandmother’s maiden name, I was researching in Warwickshire. The only bit of my own ancestry, apart from my Italian bit to come from outside of the Surrey, Sussex & Hampshire borders. The Matthews family connected to the family surnames of Pettifer and Drakely. My Great Grandfather, John Matthews (1875 – 1931) was the Great Grandson of William Matthews born 1795 and Bethsheba Drakely born 1797 in Nuneaton.
I was unfamiliar with both the surnames and further general research using Google into the name of Drakely for example proved fascinating and gave food for thought. The name was mainly seem to occur in the Nuneaton area of Warwickshire, there were links to Ribbon weavers. I also came across a reference of Facebook to Whatever became of Drakeleys fairs so was there a grain of truth in the comment? Were the Drakeleys Romany? and my Grandmother’s skin tone a throw back from generations past? Certainly there was a fair called Drakeley’s in the early 1900s, how had they come about? There is a National Fairs Archive at the University of Sheffield and they may have more information.
All of this I have found out from research alone, as my Grandmother knew fairly little of her family history and every now and again a slither of information would be shared. Nothing was really withheld, it was simply a case of in those days you didn’t really ask questions and gain the information. What is true is that, as genealogists with every stone we move we find other snippets which may or may not lead to more questions than answers.
Word count 375
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Family History Writing Challenge – Day 4

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Julie Goucher

A few weeks ago, as part of a Graveyard Rabbits post I commented about the grave of my Great Grandparents who were buried in a joint grave at The Mount Cemetery Guildford. John Matthews who died in 1931 and Mary Elizabeth Matthews nee Elstone who died in 1937.


Here are two photos of the grave, the first in 1937 and the second in 2007.

Grave of John & Mary Matthews

Grave of John Matthews & Mary Elizabeth Matthews nee Elstone

About ten years ago I was emailed by a fellow genealogist, we share several surnames the same, but can not find any connection. Anyway, had I seen the notice about The Mount Cemetery? I replied that I had not and in due course a photo of the sign was emailed across to me. On my next visit to Surrey a few weeks later I went to the Cemetery, located the plot and photographed the grave. The plot had been purchased by my Great Grandmother on a lease for 75 years. That had been what the notice was about. I pondered and upon my return home I contacted the cemetery office and laid claim to the grave and asked that the grave now be placed in my ownership. In doing so, the plot can not be disturbed without my consent and I am responsible for any repairs necessary.

According to my Grandmother, her mothers coffin had been lead lined because she had cancer of the stomach and there were concerns that something might happen post mortem. I have not investigated this further, and at some point plan to send for her death certificate. How dreadful though, to loose your Mother and then to find out the finer details of her burial arrangements. Apparently the weather leading up to the funeral was very bad; snow and ice and Mary Elizabeth’s Cousin with the surname Boxall was unable to make the funeral.

Now that snippet of information, at the point when it was given to me simply raised more questions. The name of Boxall in the Surrey,Sussex and Hampshire borders is common. I do know that Mary Elizabeth was born in Liphook Hampshire and I will again have a further search for a potential candidate, but in reality it is the proverbial needle in a haystack situation.

Word count 368

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Family History Writing Challenge – Day 3

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Julie Goucher

As I said in an earlier post, my Grandmother’s parents died in 1931 and 1937 respectively. This is a photograph of them; John Matthews and Mary Elizabeth Elstone.

John Matthews was born in Rugby Warwickshire in 1875 the only son of John Matthews and Elizabeth Spencer. Elizabeth died in 1877 following the birth of the their youngest daughter Edith Annie leaving father John to care for son John, and daughters Edith and Mary Anne.

John Matthews Senior, was born in 1848 in the parish of Long Lawford near Rugby. He was recorded as a coke dealer and had a business address near the gas works in Rugby. Following the death of Elizabeth, whom he married in 1871 he remarried to Maria Flick who is recorded in the census and on her marriage records as a widow, yet no evidence has been able to prove this fact. She even gives her father as William Flick deceased on her marriage certificate.

John Matthews & Elizabeth Spencer

John Matthews & Maria Flick

My Grandmother knew fairly little about her father’s family history. She certainly knew about the sister Edith and passed along to me a few photos. She always maintained that her parents would visit Rugby each year to visit family and that her father attended Rugby School. I need to further chase the school records but so far no record has been found to confirm this. Whatever happened in Rugby, John and his family moved to Guildford Surrey and resided in the parish of Merrow, having moved there after 1882. We know this from the marriage certificate of John to Maria. Nothing was known of John’s sister Mary Anne, but that is another story.

Word count 272
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Write about a challenge you faced last year……

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Julie Goucher

The blogging prompt for theladybloggers group on Wednesday 5th January had the following prompt:

“Write about a challenge you faced last year. What was the outcome?”

Quite simply the outcome of my biggest challenge was I resigned from my job. Not because the challenge of work was too great, but because I no longer felt that the work I did, the team I led or the experience I had to contribute, was considered to be of value by the business that I worked for. I simply could not carry on.

When things were tough after my father in law’s death last summer and I returned to work, with an obvious backlog caused by being away for a month, I was rewarded by another huge pile of work with deadlines. Being able to prioritise was fine, but the business wanted everything in A1 order NOW! asking for help was fine, the challenge was getting the help. I limbered on from June until the Autumn, when I was unwell. Then a change of line manager, excellent, an individual that might just understand, not only the challenges that I had personally faced, but also the challenges that the business was facing. Did he understand? No.

We had numerous conversations. The business hadn’t failed, I had. There was huge unpleasantness. Not the ranting that you see on the soaps, but genuine honesty from myself to a rather hostile organisation representative – my line manager.

Over the last 3 years, since the company I worked for merged with a bigger, financially struggling one that is well known, I have seen more colleagues leave either through redundancy or simple exhaustion or “I give up”. Once the decision to leave is known, the thumbscrews that have been in overdrive stop and no one talks to you and you are excluded. At that point there should be relief that the thumbscrews have stopped, but instead it is replaced by the constant looking over ones shoulder and wonder what is going to happen next, what will be sprung upon me?

I should say that colleagues that are still in the business have been great, as were the team I managed, the hostile treatment and behaviour doesn’t come from the organisation building, the bricks and mortar, it comes from a deep inset belief that no one could possibly want to leave. You only leave if you are discarded. Which explains the feeling of being not valued.

The business likes to be in control, not just of the business rationale, but also of its staff. I don’t mean running a tight ship, I mean a control that is actually not healthy, that is overbearing and very unpleasant, and I would call it industrial bullying.

I met and worked with some truly wonderful people, and made some great friendships, both with people still working for the business and those who have since moved on, and many of those friendships continue. It is the people that we meet along the way that make our day jobs enjoyable and a pleasure to do.

Regrets?…..my regret is that I didn’t leave sooner.

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Family History Writing Challenge – Day 2

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Julie Goucher

After my Grandmother was forced from the family home she went to live with her sister Elsie and brother in law William Downes called Bill. They lived at Paynes Close in Guildford and I certainly don’t remember this as a child.
Elsie and Bill had three children, all of whom kept in touch with my Grandmother and it has only been in very recent years that we have lost touch with one of the two remaining cousins. The eldest child was a boy called Ron. Incredibly tall and with, as my Grandmother always said Matthews features. The little girl standing is Mollie and the baby is Janet. So this photo dates from circa 1937-1938.
Mollie was always very shy, like her brother she never married and they both continued to live in the family home. After their mother died in 1981 and their father in 1985 they remained their together. They were all very generous with to our family and we would visit them and they us, yet the links that I personally felt was completely different to the links felt to my Grandfathers sisters.
Nonetheless, I was very sad to see that Ron had passed away when I came across his gravestone in the Cemetery at Stoughton Guildford in 2009.

DSCF0335

Although by then, we had moved from Guildford one of last conversations that I had with Mollie was not to loose touch. We moved away in the Autumn of 1996 and sent and received Christmas cards in 1996. In 1997 I sent a card with a letter and did not receive a response. Every year I always sent a card and did not receive one in return then when I saw the headstone the silence was explained. I do still receive Christmas cards from Janet who has taken to signing it Auntie Janet and Uncle Mike and my questions in the cards as to Mollie always go unanswered.
Word count 315
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Family History Writing Challenge – Day 1

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Julie Goucher

I often remember the pain that I saw on my Grandmother face when she talked about the feelings she had for her brothers. It wasn’t just pain, but an anguish and in some ways a disbelief that her own flesh and blood could behave in such a way.

After her parents died, her father in 1931 and her mother in 1937 my Grandmother, as the eldest daughter still living at home kept the family home running for her brothers. Her eldest sister, Elsie whom she was fairly close to was married and living in her own home, perhaps some of the brother were too, I don’t recall my Grandmother saying and I have not checked my files. Anyway, she kept the house running for the boys as she called them and the house was rented I think from Franks the coal merchants who had their yard at the back of Guildford railway station.
One day she came back from shopping in town, remember this was the late 1930s and their were no fridges therefore shopping was done everyday, to find the furniture being loaded onto a coal truck. I am not sure about my Grandmother’s personal effects, but she said when she asked her brothers what they were doing they said they had given the house up and moving out.
When I heard the story I truly felt her pain and anguish. How could they I asked? and her reply was because they cared for no one but themselves. My Grandmother after that time never had a good word to say about her brothers. She lost touch with brother Sid who was one of the youngest, although they did start writing again in later years, and her younger sister Dorothy rushed off to Wales…… I got the impression that the culprits of the furniture incident was the eldest brother Jim. As a result my Grandmother had no heirlooms from her family at all. She didn’t really keep in touch with her brothers, although if she met them, or their families she would “speak to be civil, as not too would be as sinking as low as them” I can hear her saying that as I type.
For me this is a tragic story and piece of my family history and as a result family relationships were negligible and this continues to be the case. All my Uncles and Aunts have now passed away and this story is confined to the family history.
Word count 412.
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