7 March 2009

Hither & Thither

Hello, sorry for that short gap; let me introduce you to the latest birthday- and wedding-celebrants plucked from my family file.

Firstly, on the 4th, Francis Wiltshire, born in Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, in 1813. He married Elizabeth and they had at least one child. My last sight of them was in the 1851 census in Chatteris.

Staying (sort-of) in that area, we arrive at the wedding of Robert Burrows and Elizabeth Jallen, in Mepal (Cambs) in 1794. I know that together they had seven children and they lived in the nearby village of Manea, but little else. You'd think that with an unusual surname like Jallen I'd be able to trace Elizabeth back through the generations - but no such luck. Just goes to show, doesn't it!

Same day, back to Huntingdonshire, for the birth of Catherine Culpin in St Ives. The daughter of Charles & Catherine (nee Watts), she was christened in the Parish Church and went on to marry George Debney on 18 March 1841. By the census of that year (6 June), she and her new husband are living in the High Street, Buntingford, Herts, moving on to Stevenage by 1851. One of their six children has already had a mention, being the wonderfully named George Washington Debney, so you will doubtless remember that the entire family emigrated to Oz in 1854. Catherine died in Castlemaine, Victoria, on 18 October 1858 and was buried in the Campbell Creek Cemetery.

Now, let's move on a day . . . the wedding of Thomas Langford and Ellen Densone on 5 March 1675 in the small Cambs village of Westwick. By virtue of the fact that this is over 300 years ago, I feel I can legitimately claim virtual ignorance of much else about them! I do have the Stretham Parish Registers on CD and I plainly need to do some more work on them!!

Finally, for now, back to Huntingdonshire again, for the birthday of Millice Culpin, younger brother of Catherine, born in St Ives in 1820. He was plainly quite attached to his older sister as he was staying with her and George in the 1841 census, working as a currier. He married Sarah Squires Barratt (see 24 February) in Little Downham on 27 January 1846 and they settle in Stevenage, where he continued to work, indeed employ other people, as a Currier. By 1861 he has six men on the books and a number of apprentices. He died in West Ham on 30 December 1888, having begat twelve children who included the wonderfully named Benjamin Ephraim Lamartin and, inevitably, yet another Millice. The latter was one of a number of Culpins who decided that life would be better in the sun of the Southern Hemisphere.

Anyway, that's caught up. Hope to be back soon . . . .



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