Category Archives: wedding

Little black book

Kathleen Hacker and Robert Winchcombe were my maternal grandparents. My grandmother was one of ten children and there was nothing I liked more than sitting with her and looking through her black and white photographs and listening to her stories. One of my favourites was how she met my grandfather and how Hitler tried to upstage their wedding.

In 1936 Robert Winchcombe was unemployed after his apprenticeship had come to an end at the Great Western Railway Works in Swindon. He earned some money playing clarinet and 1st or 2nd Alto Saxophone in local dance bands, including the Harry Smith Band, the Moderniques, St. John’s Dance Band, and the New Georgians, who played all over Wiltshire and Berkshire.

Around this time he met my grandmother at the St Barnabas Church Badminton Club. He was an altar server at St Barnabas, sang in the choir and was also a member of the Youth Group.

After his death I inherited a small black engagement book for 1937-38 where he had meticulously recorded all his musical engagements as well as dates with his future wife.

Their first official date occurred on the 17th of December 1937 where Robert has written ‘1st engagement with K.H.‘ It must have gone well as there’s a small ‘K‘ pencilled in on Christmas Day, as well as ‘Went to tea at K’s brothers‘ the day after. They see each other several times each week, play badminton together, attend concerts, go on church outings and visit relatives.

In March Robert was given a couple of weeks work back in the Great Western Railway before they gave him 2 weeks notice during the middle of May. His engagement book then records a succession of interviews – ‘24th May Gloucester for work unsuccessfully‘, ‘28th June South Cerney unsuccessful application for work‘ and ‘21st July Colbournes unsuccessfully, Baines’ ditto‘.

The engagement book ends on the 4th of September 1938. Fortunately I’m able to fill in the gaps which give the story a happy ending. Robert Winchcombe eventually got a job at the Gloster Aircraft Factory in Gloucester, presumably soon after September 1938, and he and Kathleen Hacker were able to get engaged. They were married four days after war was declared, their wedding plans hurriedly changed as the church hall was requisitioned, and started married life in Churchdown, Gloucester.

[This was an exercise for my Creative Writing course which I hope will be of interest]

 

Poor spelling!

I am always really grateful whenever I find transcriptions online. I feel really sorry for any volunteer that gives their time to read old records.

I came across a transcription of marriages in Elson, Gosport which included that of my grand-parents:

page 46 no 92 September 14 1929 Hery Harper YOUNG 32 Bachelor Salesman Fort House Elson & Kate Margaret BEGER 24 Spister Fort House Elson married after banns fathers Mansel YOUNG  Retired & George James BENGER Mechanic  in the presece of G J BENGER & W ANDERSON

My grandfather’s name was Henry Harper Young and my grandmother was Viola Margaret Benger and was a spinster. I think I would have used my judgement to change spister to spinster!

Wedding Wednesday – Winchcombe/Day 1945

This is a lovely tinted photograph of William (Bill) Winchcombe and Frances Day on their wedding day 25th August 1945. He was the younger brother of my grandfather, Robert Winchcombe.

Winchcombe_Day

I presume this was taken at St Barnabus Church, Swindon.

How googling is great for family history

Although I started my family history research years ago I’m amazed how often I find new results from a quick google of an evening. Sometimes I’ll look at my MacFamilyTree programme to spot any missing entries for marriages or deaths.

Sometimes I think I have all the facts  when there are actually glaring omissions I really should have established at the beginning of my research.

I have a son of a Baronet who was also a member of the Royal Navy in my tree who I can often find information about – Thomas Mansel (1783-1869). However I just realised I had never discovered the date of his marriage to Selina Fleming Leigh.

I turned to google this evening and after trawling through a couple of pages of results I found an entry for Thomas Mansel and Selina Leigh at St James, Birdham, Sussex on the 28th June 1827. I never knew they had a connection to Birdham so that was interesting to discover. The information came from a transcription of the Birdham St James Marriage Register (page 17, entry 49). There weren’t as many details as usually found on a marriage certificate but there was the following:

Thomas Mansel bachelor living in Birdham

Selena Flemming Leigh spinster living in Birdham

Conducted by William Miller

Type Licence

no details for name or occupation of either father

Witnesses William Lush and Catherine Elizabeth Mansel

A trip to Portsmouth

A trip to Portsmouth in 2005. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to blog about these photographs. I suppose with the advent of google maps you can look up addresses in the comfort of your own home but I think it’s better to get out and about if you can.

Bath Street, Southsea

121 Bath Road, Southsea was the home of George and Eleanor Benger when they registered the birth of their daughter Viola (my paternal grandmother) in 1905.

 

St Augustine Road, SouthseaThey later moved to 98 St Augustine’s Road, Southsea according to the 1911 census.

St Mary's Church, PortseaSt Mary’s Church, Portsea – where George Caswell married Louisa Leigh on 15th December 1834.

Woodland Street, Milton, PortsmouthAddress of Mansel and Kate Young and their two children Alfred and Henry (my paternal grandfather) at the time of the 1901 census – 2 Woodland Cottage, Woodland St, Portsmouth.

Wedding Wednesday – Cole/Young 1880

I seem to be running out of wedding photos already! I’m sure I must have a lot more that need scanning. Instead I thought I’d show a photo of St Peter and St Paul’s, Fareham which I visited back in 2005 with my husband.

St Peter and St Pauls Church, Fareham

This is the church in which William St Clair Cole and Blanche Elizabeth Young got married on December 23rd 1880. It was witnessed by Mansel Young and Grace Amy Young, the father and sister of Blanche.