Category Archives: Benger family

Funeral notice and In Memoriam for Caroline Benger

More snippets found whilst using Find My Past and their free newspaper access.

Funeral notice and In Memoriam for Caroline Benger

Portsmouth Evening News 29 May 1913

Portsmouth Evening News 25 May 1922

Transfer of Licences, Hampshire Advertiser, 1875

Find My Past have made their newspaper archives free from 30 May-6 June to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Behind every news story, there’s a family story, including the Queen’s and your own.  Read all about them for free! I found a few useful articles. for example,

Hampshire Advertiser 13 October 1875

Notice of Transfer of Licences, a special sessions for the transfer of licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors was held at the Sessions room for public houses and beer houses:

Willow Tree, Forton from Mr John Whittle to Mr George Benger

1921 census

I’ve spent some money downloading records from the 1921 census and it’s actually really lovely to have some new records to look at.

My paternal great-grandfather George James Benger was a sheet metal worker at the Royal Naval Ordinance, Priddy’s Hard, Gosport. He can be found on the 1921 census along with his wife and daughter Viola Margaret, an officer worker at C Leether & Co, Marins, 1 Highland Road, Southsea. Their address is given as 96 St Augustine Road, Southsea.

Interestingly they have three guests, two are listed as boarders, the other being George Benger’s mother in law. The two boarders are Tom Henson and his daughter Ivy. I have heard about Ivy and actually have a couple of photos of her which had belonged to my grandmother.

Presumably as both George Benger and Tom Henson worked at Priddy’s Hard, they must have known each other through their work.

Baptism record from Portsmouth New Chapel, Green Row, Portsmouth

William Benger was present at the baptism of his first son Thomas Benger at Portsmouth New Chapel in Green Row, Portsmouth. Thomas was born 16th April 1837, baptised 1st May 1837 by Robert Sherwell.

Portsmouth New Chapel in Green Row, Portsmouth

I’m not sure where the Portsmouth New Chapel in Green Row, Portsmouth actually was so I shall have to do some detective work about this place.

The Admiralty Badge

I love this little buttonhole brass badge, found amongst the buttons in my grandmother’s button tin. I have no idea who it belonged to.

On War Service 1914

On War Service badge.JPG

The Admiralty Badge was issued to war workers in shipyards during 1914. In 1916 Admiralty badges were numbered to control their issue amongst the numerous shipyard and related employers.

The 1914 On War Service badge was the first official badge issued during the First World War to identify non-combatant persons whose services were deemed necessary for war work. The badge was issued late 1914 to “workmen whose services are indispensable for the rapid completion of HM Ships and Armaments”.

The issue of this badge to individuals considered essential for war work was left to the shipyards and related employers and if the employee were to cease that employment, the badge had to be handed back.

I think the badge may have belonged to one of my paternal great grandfathers, either George James Benger, who worked in Naval Ordnance in Portsmouth, or Mansel Young who worked as a Dockyard Labourer also in Portsmouth, during the First World War.

George Benger

One of my New Year resolutions was to fill in the gaps in my family tree! Quite a big resolution but with my Ancestry subscription I’m hoping it will be a fun task. This evening I thought I would start with George Benger (1838-1896), my paternal great-great grandfather.

For some reason I had only traced him through a handful of census returns – 1861, 1871 and 1891 were so far missing.

I found him in 1861 census under the name Robert Benger (and I’m pretty sure he didn’t have a brother of that name!).

At the age of 21 his occupation was recorded as ‘Musician Royal Marines’ and he was a visitor at the North Star Tavern, Alverstoke. The pub still exists but is currently known as the Coach and Horses.