Some times the internet scares me. I was having an idle google of some of my family names and found a search result for Selina Cleopatra Ann Caswell. This lady had an unusual name so always sticks in my mind. Her father was a Captain in the Royal Navy and the last ship he had served on was the Cleopatra around the time his only daughter was born, hence the name.
I will add a separate post about the details of her life but I must post the results of today’s search:
From: Paul Cutmore
Subject: Shalfleet Registers
Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 01:00 +0100 (BST)
I was recently poring over a microfilm of the Shalfleet Registers when
unusually I came across a letter. It starts:
"Sir, Will you kindly tell me the fees for searching your register of
baptism in your parish?"
So I immediately thought that here was someone involved in Family History
research!
The letter was written on 2 Nov 1886 by Miss Selina Cleopatra Ann CASWELL
in Bitterne?, Southampton. It carries on:
"I fancy the register of baptism of my Grandfather the late Commander
Benjamin LEIGH, R.N. may be found in your church as Bouldner is in the
Parish of Shalfleet. He was the 2nd son of Benjamin LEIGH Esq. of Thorley,
by his 2nd wife Miss DRAPER. The register of Thorley has been searched
unsuccessfully. My grandfather died in the month of February 1846, age 74
which would give for date of birth 1772".
Funnily enough I tentatively have Benjamin LEIGH b. 1773 Shalfleet in my
family tree, although I have his father's (Benjamin) second wife as Sarah
STRICKLAND.
Ring any bells for anybody?
I wonder if Rootsweb will preserve this message for 100+ years!
Paul Cutmore in Cambridge
Not only is this my relative but it seems she was researching her own family tree when she was in her 40s. She never married and I couldn’t find any Will so I wonder what happened to her research.
