Bird side of the family tree

Bird Family Tree

Emily Bird

Father was William Bird and married Katherine (Kate) Irwin

(following discussions with various members of the Lang Family there is some confusion as to who her mother is - on various records it says Kate but on others it  says Anne French and the Birth date is totally different too - something to look into!

According to the 1901 census 

Kate Bird (head of household) b. c1868

Living in Dublin, Widowed, working at Civil Service Cleaner office

Religion: Roman Catholic

Children

Emily       14    b 1887c

Kathleen    6    b 1895c

Rose          9    b 1892c

Eleanor    13    b 1886c

Denzille Street, Trinity, Dublin 

Emily May Bird Birth Record (at bottom of list) 

Ethel Ceciia (Ettie) Lang

Ethel Cecilia (Ettie) Lang

Ethel was born on the 19^th July 1891 in India and was the daughter of James Matthew and Mary Ellen Lang. She married twice – 1^st of all to Eric Vypan Whish and then Henry Thomas Hume-Spry. She died on the 13^th September 1968 in Port Sheptstone, South Africa.

She was Christened on the 2^nd August 1891, Karachi, Maharashra, India – ref. C730569/1891 2523867 v66

She didn’t have any children with either of her husbands but from the photos we have of her she definitely had lots of dogs! 

Eric Whish died during the war – Apr-Jun 1943 64 Blandford 5a 221  - and then she lived at PO Anerley, South Coast, Natal, South Africa.

Query – from St Philomenas I think – 8^th May 1908 – started 17^th September 1923. Guarian  was Major Anderson G90 India Medical Services – is this the same person – could be related to Dorothy.

Captain Eric Whish – death certificate says he died on the 7^th May 1943 at the Mount, Wimborne Road, Ferndown, Dorset – 64 years of age ( so was born in 1879 and was a retired Captain of the Royal Australian? Navy – died of coronary thrombrosis. Informant was A C Whish (brother of Farnham Common). Date of 13^th May 1943. Corrected by Registrar on the 9^th October 1943 col. 4 age)

Eric Vypan Whish – born 31^st August 1978, 137 West Malton Street, St Giles, Oxford.

Father was Albert Edward ‘whish and mother Mary Whish (nee Vipan) – Occupation Cleric (Holy orders)  and registered 26^th September 1878.

Ettie’s 2^nd husband was called Henry Thomas Hume-Spry who was born in Regina, Saskatchewan on the 16^th February 1893.

I had an email from a Frank Blewitt (from FIBIS) who says that St Johns was a red brick building near Clive Road and Strachey Road, Allahabad.

I also got an email from Peter Hume-Spry (a relation) who says that the Rev. Arthur Browne Spry was a chaplin at Allahabad at the time of the Indian Mutiny. His wife died at sea in the Bay of Bengal on the ship Alfred (something else to check up on). En route to England in 1859. He had a memorial plaque erected in her memory in St John’s Church.

Also had an email from him saying that the Venerable John Spry married Jane Hume on 6^th January 1727 thus linking both names together. The first known use of the hyphenated surname of Hume-Spry was in 1875. George Frederick Hume Spry advised the War Office that he wisdhed to be known as Hume-Spry. Around 1900 his grandfather, his brother William and a cousin were persuaded to have their name changed by  deed poll from Spry to Hume-Spry. This lead to an amusing situation where one of William’s daughters who had been given the name Hume as a Christian name then became Violet Olive Hume Hume-Spry.

There are still some Sprys around who have Hume as their last name.

Peter and his two sons were the only living Hume-Sprys around – need to check that up.

Notes from the Last Will and Testament of Henry Thomas Hume Spry  (Ethel’s husband) – dated 26^th July 1955. Nominated her as main beneficiary (whole estate) and for her to be executrix and guardian of his daughter by his first marriage (Ethel Rosemary Spry) – if Ettie predeceased him then it would go to Ethel Rosemary (if of age but died before him then the money would go to his brother Arthur James Spry;. If Ettie died before him then the estate would go to the Standard Bank for the purpose of setting up a trust for her.

There is a further potted history of the Spry’s in the certificates folder which goes far back.

See also:-  

Brothers - Percival (Percy) Lang  Walter Lang  James (Jim) Lang and Thomas (Tom) Lang jnr 

Sisters - Norah Lang (Dodo) Ann Lang (Angel) Ethel Lang (Ettie)  Marie Lang (Sr. Anne Josephine)

Oona Lang (and her twin Denise Fleur) 1921-2001

Oona Lang 1921-2001

Oona Lang was my mum and the following are just "facts" - I will come on to her relationships with both her family and her children later on (it is quite hard to write). 

 She was born in Karachi, India (as it was then) on the 31^st July 1921. She also had a twin sister called Denise Fleur who died when young (apparently she was three and a half) in Henjam – I have a photograph of the desert where she was apparently buried. I can’t imagine how terrible it must have been for Emily and Percy to lose one of their children – we think she may have died from a disease called leishmaniasis (to find out)  - this also caused Oona to have part of her nose eaten away which meant that she had to have various skin grafts throughout her early life.

I can always remember how self-conscious she was about it and always had to make sure she was fully made up before seeing anyone.

Both she and her twin were baptised on the 23^rd August 1921 (have certificates) – Parochial Register of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Karachi 1915/1927 No. 1 130 – Denise’s godparents were James Moore of Kensington and Cissie Burns from Richmond (who were they). Oona’s were John Burns (probably Cissie’s husband) and Maureen O’Farrell (who was she?).

** Baptismal certificate – Bombay Vol 126 Vol 45 7614 No. 6 1921 No. 129

She was sent to Boarding School at the really young age of 3 – apparently according to a letter I have seen, white children were threatened with kidnapping so I suppose Percy and Emily wanted to make sure they were safe – (especially in the Khyber Pass which is one area they worked in). She went to one in North London I think which from the tales she told us was a very strict one – with her being regularly beaten with a hair brush (so much for nuns being kind people)!!! - St Mary's Priory, London, N15

She finally went to St Philomena’s on the 19^th September 1932 and left on the 22^nd July 1938 for a commercial career – she also at some point went to study music at a school in Manchester (Mattay School of Music which is now the Northern School of Music) - music was always her first love and we nearly always had a piano in the house and even when she could no longer play herself due to her Arthritis, she continued to have one so that we could play.

She enlisted on the 16^th July 1941 when she was nearly 20 in Croydon (W/168503) – she was described as being 5’ 3 ¾” with green eyes and fair hair. She became a cine operator and left the army on the 23^rd August 1945.

During the war, she married her 1^st husband, Leslie Dunston Remmett Peay (I think because she wanted to escape life at Langholme) – they married on the 17^th July 1940 (she was only 19) at the Holy Cross Church, North Street, Carshalton, Surrey – with the witnesses Charles Joseph Oulton and Michael P O’Reilly.  The priest was Father Anthony Kavanagh.

She wanted to leave Leslie and had to undergo a series of horrendous examinations to prove it hadn’t been consummated 19.12.1946 and it was finally annulled on the 24^th February 1947 – According to the records by court for his refusal to consummate their marriage –  she was told by him that he wanted to be a priest and she should be a nun (also told other stories to Stephanie).***

She married my father, Boyd Percy Fuller on the 20^th September 1952 at Morden Registry Office as they couldn’t marry in church as both were divorced/annulled – it was my mum’s biggest regret I think that she could never go to church or receive Communion as she was divorced and could only go once my dad had died.

It states that he was the Divorced Husband of Marjorie Beryl Fuller (nee Hanbury) and was an Engineering salesman of equipment and installations. She was a spinster and a shorthand typist. The witnesses were Maud E Hamman (?) and Marie N P Berentemfal (her 1^st husband who was part of the Phillips Electronics family.

It says that his father was Hubert Charles Fuller (deceased) and that he was a Company Director – it is still unbelievable that even in the 1950’s (and still to this day) that the mother wasn’t included and it really upsets me to think that I am not on Stephanie and Dave’s marriage certificate even though I brought her up single handed (with no help at all from her father).

They lived at 64 Lillie Road, Fulham, SW6, then 4 Albert Palace Mansions, Lurline Gardens, SW11 in 1960.

·        Oona lived at 56 Stafford Road, Sidcup, Kent (why and who with) 5.10.49 (was she with Leslie)

·        136 Earlshall Road, SE9 10.12.49

·        37 Alma Road, Carshalton, Surrey – 12 April 1950

WWhat it looks like in 2020 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/37+Alma+Rd,+Carshalton+SM5+2PQ/@51.364533,-0.1718046,3a,78.2y,301.07h,96.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_RgyQNnecOBodAxKBW1zrw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x487607e904aa60d9:0x30826536447e5d31!8m2!3d51.3645978!4d-0.1720216

·        24 Coulsdon Road, Coulsdon – 4^th September 1951

·        8 Wharfedale St, SW10 – 11.8.1951 (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/8+Wharfedale+St,+Kensington,+London+SW10+9AL/@51.4883482,-0.1916184,3a,41.8y,346.48h,72.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOMmKJTOUjgzqEDC2F2Kw2g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x48760f896331de79:0x9100fe1ebaadd39c!8m2!3d51.4883577!4d-0.1916017 )

·        Moved with BF on 1^st November 1957(with the children) from 11a to Caterham and then to 50 Dorset Road, SW19 on the 28^th July 1960.

Her death certificate states she died on the 13^th December 2001 of Old age, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Asthma – Grant was the informant and the Dr was Dr Kolendo.

***Leslie Dunston Remmet Peay – born 20^th December 1913 (so was about 8 years older than mum) – he first of all married my mum at the Holy Cross Church, North Street, Carshalton . His father was Charles Howard Peay who was a chartered surveyor (born 1885). Leslie then married Sheila Gladys Hull in 1956. It says that she was 26 which made her nearly half his age!

Records show that he was a College Secretary living at 5 Earls Court Mansions, London, SW2. Sheila was a clerk at the Bank of England and lived at 3 Richmond House, Earls Court Road, London, SW5. Her father was Albert Sydney Hull (Dermatologist) – Leslie’s mother was Poppy Mabel Peay who lived at Oakengates, Pine Walk, Carshalton Beeches in 1940.

 

Ann Clare (Angel) Lang

Angel as she was more commonly known was born on the 6^th June (or 10^th August depending on records) 1889 (C646322). She was baptised/christened on the 15^th August 1889 in Karachi, Maharashta.

She married to Edward (Todd) Carter on the 18^th April 1914 and died on the 21^st Feb or 3^rd Mar 1974 again depending on records – Bedford 4a 46 or 3a 2446. From my mother’s diaries, she had a stroke on the 18^th February 1974 and died 3 days later.

Looking at the photo above (Photographer by Swaine, New Bond Street and Southsea 1919-38) She appeared to be a really beautiful woman – and it seems that she did look quite like Percy her brother (I haven’t got any photos of Walter, Jim or Tom when older so can’t really compare them!

She had 3 children – Mary, Desmond and Maureen – all of whom I met at some point and seem to recollect that Grant and I stayed with Maureen and her children when I was about 15 in North Wales.

I think Sir John Carter** was Todd’s father.

Their children were:

a)   Mary Ellie who was born on the 22^nd February 1915, she married Geoffrey Hugh Percival John on the 17^th March 1940 SW Surrey. (he was born 29^th March 1915). They lived at 157 Scalford Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicester.

b)   Maureen was born on the 6^th March, 1920 in Alexandria, Egypt – she married Major William Austin Maynard  not sure when – and lived at 42a Cheriston Gardens London – either W8 or N11

c)   Desmond Anthony Edward Carter – born 7^th June 1918 in Sutton, Surrey (Epsom) – He married 1^st of all Kathleen Dorothy Murray and then Serena Sylvia Hyde and died in 1982.

Edward G W (Todd) Carter RGA

He was born on the 30^th October 1882 West Ham, 4a 43 Oct-Dec 1882 and married on the 15^th April 1914.He died on the 6^th January 1964 ref Jan-Mar 1964 and buried 10^th Jan 1964. He was the eldest son of Maj Gen Sir John Thomas Carter, KCMG.

I have found a record of a Desmond Patrick Webb Carter who was born in 1887 and died on the 12^th December 1916 when he was only 19yrs old – Royal Engineers – L Grave IVE 29 – CWGC Dernancourt (The Somme) (http://www.somme-battlefields.com/memory-place/dernancourt-0) Commonwealth  Cemetery extension  - he as a LT, 1^st Field Companny – native of Bedforde and son of Major General Sir John Carter and Lady Carter (Malahide, Co. Dublin) – think this must have been a relation of Desmond’s….

He apparently entered RMA Woolwich in about 1898 and was commissioned about 1900 into Royal Garrison Artillery as a 2^nd Lieutenant. Served  with Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa from April 1904 to March 1905. Embarked for the Boer War but war ended before he arrived. Went to India in RGA in 1903 and married Angel in 1914. Promoted to Captain, RGA on 18^th August 1913. Remained in India until 1916. Brought 9 Bty back as Bty Commander. Formed Ross and Cromarty Mountain Artillery Brigade. Served in Palestine and India. Axed under Geddes Axe in 1923. In WW2 too old for army so joined RAF and served in UK. Known as Todd and Pappa. Promoted to Major, RGA on 30^th December 1915. Served in Egypt from 15 Jan to 18 Mar 1916 and with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from 19^th Mar to 6^th Aug 1917 and from 14^th Sept 1917 to 31 Oct 1918. Served in the Balkan States from 6^th August 1916 to 15^th Feb 1917. Awarded the DSO in 1919. Mentioned in despatches in the London Gazette of 22^nd Jan 1919 and 5^th Jun 1919. In 1931 was living at Dulce Domum in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

Desmond Anthony Edward Carter – their son was born on 7^th June 1918 in Sutton, Surrey – he married twice – Serena Sylvia Hyde and Kathleen Dorothy Murray. The latter was born on the 6^th June 1916 in Aldershot and died on the 5^th November 1981 and was buried on the 10^th November 1981 in Winchester. They had 5 children – Edward Charles Digby Carter (Lt.Col) born on the 23^rd April 1943 in Fleet, Surrey and married Patricia Hayes on the 2^nd April 1966 in Shoeburyness, Essex. 2^nd child was Rosanne Mary Carter – born 18^th Sept 1945 in Guildford, Surrey – married 1) John Stuart Dennis Reid 2nfd Feb 1969 and then 2) Michael Pickford 15^th Aug 1988 in Tilshead, Wilts and 3) John Arthur Lawrence 18^th July 1997 in Salisbury, Wilts. 3^rd child was Desmond Patrick Carter (Maj) who was born on the 22^nd Feb 1947 in Fleet and married Rebecca Kay Johnson on the 13^th Aug 1977 in Portland, Oregon. 4^th child was Georgina Dorothy Carter who was born on the 15^th June 1949 in Athens, Greece – she married Edmund Patrick Thomas Cookson (Maj) on the 3^rd Aug 1974. 5^th child was Kathleen Nichola Carter who was born on the 26^th October 1954 in RAFH Wroughton, Wilts and she married Francis Xavier Roberts (MajGen) on the 8^th Aug 1979.

Sir John Carter** - married Ella Louise Crossley on the 5^th April Desmond Patrick. John Hastings, Brian Wolsey, Edward George Webb, Ernest Abba John and Louis Alfred Latimer. Ella died on the 1^st February 1957.

See also:-  

Brothers - Percival (Percy) Lang  Walter Lang  James (Jim) Lang and Thomas (Tom) Lang jnr 

Sisters - Norah Lang (Dodo) Ann Lang (Angel) Ethel Lang (Ettie)  Marie Lang (Sr. Anne Josephine)

Robson (Swinyard) family tree

Robson (Swinyard) Family History

Bartholomew and Emily Robson, Lifford Lodge 1912

BARTHOLOMEW ROBSON SWINYARD - 1846 - 1928

Bartholomew and Emily Robson – I had heard their names from both my mother and my grandmother but who on earth were they? I also have got their photos – now ageing so it is time for them to be “immortalised”.

For ages I couldn’t find any information about them but then made the discovery that Bartholomew was in fact born Bartholomew Robson Swinyard in Horsham, West Sussex, England. This was such as coincidence as I was actually working in Horsham at the time and walked past the end of the road he was born in every morning!

So who was this Bartholomew and why did my Grandma end up being so close to them (apart from the fact that Emily Robson was in fact Emily’s Great Aunt?

Bartholomew was born on the 10^th June 1846 (registered on the 24^th June) and was Christened on 3^rd January 1947  in North Street or Station Road, Horsham to a Clay pipe maker called William and his wife Martha. After a while he went to live with his uncle (also called Bartholomew Robson who was a schoolmaster in Jamaica Row in the East End of London and who also gave public lectures on poetry to the poor of Rotherhithe and Bermondsey.

He was already trading as a bookseller when he married his wife Emily (nee Bird) whose father was an Essex cowman and she was a housemaid.. She was born in 1849 (1848) in Elsenham, Essex

It is interesting to see how well they did after that – he became an established bookseller with shops in the heart of London – including Hanover Street and Cranbourn Street. When I started doing my family history, I also found out that he was quite the purveyor of “erotic” literature and have since found many links to confirm that he was – more of that to follow.

After a few years of bookselling, he became a partner of a bookseller called Frank Kerslake who appears to have been a bit of a oddball.There were two brothers – Frank and Arthur Kerslake (in the 1871 Census – Frank was 18 and Arthur 19 – so born 1853 and 1852. Lived at 8 Arthur Road, St Pancras, London as a boarder.

The bookshops were at 43 Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square, London, W1. (from Business Directory of London, 1884. This is now Fiori cafe

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Centro/@51.5112792,-0.1285685,3a,75y,196.33h,111.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slHAsdquxvioCLQ38FiJEfA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x487604cd8b189c41:0x445ee487583763b!2s42-43+Cranbourn+St,+Charing+Cross,+London+WC2H+7AN!3b1!8m2!3d51.5111403!4d-0.1286399!3m4!1s0x487605f3f84f7055:0x5b3e38f9d3810de0!8m2!3d51.5111527!4d-0.1285371?hl=en

Also 25 Coventry Street, Haymarket (now apparently TGI Fridays)

and also Hanover Square, London (needs confirming).

Bartholomew and Emily also lived at Vanburgh Fields, Maisfield Lodge, Charlton in 1899. Also Blackheath, SE3 in 1897 and Greenwich East in 1881.-

Frank was born in 1851 Birmingham and was a shopman – and was a boarder living at 8 Arthur Street, St Pancras, London. – Birmingham XV1 398 Jul-Sep 1851.

Arthur was born in 1853 again in Birmingham and was a commercial traveller – Birmingham, 6D 116 Jan-Mar 1853

Bartholomew and Emily (Bird) so she was Emily Lang’s Aunt – got married at the Parish Church of St Martin’s in the Fields in London on the 9th June 1872.  He lived at 15 Castle Street, Leicester Square  in London. Emily Bird’s father was a coachman and was called James Bird (he must have been William Bird’s brother). Frank and Emily Kerslake were witnesses at their wedding. So why was Emily Bird (Lang) over in Ireland? Had James Bird come over from Ireland or had William gone to Ireland which seems a bit unlikely as the Potato Famine was raging. So it is more likely that James had come over to England.

** I have since found out that James Bird was possibly married to Charlotte Papworth in Huntingdonshire (as it was called then) and got married on 17th October 1841 in Northumberland - which ties in to Bartholomew Robson too as our ancestors possibly lived there too (as Master Mariners). Charlotte's father was James Papworth

Martha Swinyard (his mother) maiden name was Anderson.

Bartholomew (the uncle) was born in 1801 in Bermondsey? who was a schoolmaster died on the 8^th November 1866 (same date as my dad) of old age (decay of nature) (funny how it doesn’t appear old now) – informant was Mary ? of 9 Prospect Place, Union Road, Rotherhithe. He married Susanna Anderson  (a dress maker) (she was born in 1804 in Spitalfields - on the 15^th November 1839 at St Saviour, Southwark – his father’s name was also Bartholomew and was a Mariner – her father was John Anderson, also a Mariner. Bartholomew (both of them) lived at 13 Jamaica Row, Bermondsey (1862) and she at 46 Paradise Street, Rotherhithe. Witnesses were John Anderson and Caroline Marie Made?

Bartholomew Robson (I think his uncle was originally born in 25^th April 1819 in Lamesley, Tyne and Wear *Durham – his father was William and his mother Judith)

I have some death certificates of daughters from Charles Swinyard (I think Williams brother) – diphtheria was the main cause.

Emily died on the 29^th May 1936.at 3 Tavistock Road, UD – of cancer,. The death was reported by her cousin S Jackson of 111 Waddon New Road, Croydon. She made her will on the 11^th Nov 1932 – with Barclays Bank being the Executor and Trustee. She left some money to John Percy Shewring (a pecuniary legacy) and also to Mary Blyth (who were they) – who married Alexander Beaton on 9^th November 1932 – Emily approved accounts on the 20^th January 1938.

William Swinyard married Martha Anderson (is this a relation of Susanna Anderson who married Bartholomew? In Shalford – John Anderson is named as the father – I can’t work out what his occupation is on the certificate. But William snr was also a pipemaker.

Lang Family History - an update

Lang Family History 

Percy and Emily Lang on their wedding day April 1912

Following some discussions with various members of the Lang Clan - I thought it would be useful if I set up this blog so that we have a starting point.

I know various members of the family have already found out a lot of information so that we can add material to this blog as we discover it...

The fact that so many of our family were born in either Ireland or over on the Sub-continent, does make it quite hard to get corroborative evidence and (this really bugs me) that so many women were just not included in any of the records - lots of men but very few women (almost as if we didn't count) which is ironic as the Lang family has, and still is to an extent a very matriarchal one!

I thought we could include:-

• Family Tree - should we just start with our respective Lang parents and then work backwards?
• Lang line
• Bird Line
• Irwin line
• Robson/Swinyard line

Has anyone used one of the Family History websites or software to set up a family tree - I have started one but need to add to it...

I can invite various people to be co-authors of this blog and it would be good to know if anyone else would be interested in adding to it?