While making arrangements for Mum's funeral, I had to go into Cardiff City Library to access an attachment to an e-mail I'd received (it was PowerPoint which I can't currently open on my PC). Since I'd booked the computer for an hour, I thought I'd use the time to use 'findmypast.com' which I don't have a subscription for but you can access in most libraries. Findmypast and Ancestry have different resources so it's often a question of subscribing to one rather than both (at least for those of us on a budget)
Anyway, findmypast have Parish Burial Records and as a reader of this blog may remember, I've had trouble finding my ggg grandfather, Timothy Jones, the first of my blacksmithing Joneses. And there he was in the records for St Llonio, Llandinam (Montgomeryshire):
Timothy Jones, abode Kerry, buried 28 Jan 1824 aged 35
Which of course begs a few questions! Why was he buried in Llandinam when his abode was Kerry? Was he visiting Llandinam - there's a smithy there, was he working there? Did he die in Llandinam? Why didn't they take him home to Kerry?
One mystery solved, another takes its place
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Bereavement
I've been quiet for a while as I've come to terms with the loss of my Mum; she passed away on 22 March. At some point, I'll bring myself to complete her dates on Ancestry but in the meantime, it's rather nice to still see her as 'living'.
Hers was the death certificate I least wanted to receive and on my family tree - the basic one that just includes the blood line - I'm the only one left living. And oddly (or not, perhaps someone else can comment on this) since I've just written a new tree out to sit on the wall near my desk, the vast majority of that direct line died in the first half of the year (February, March and April are particularly bad months for Family Russell-Jones). Is that reversed in the southern hemisphere I wonder?
At least now there's a new opportunity to get the family headstone restored and updated; Mam's ashes are being interred with her parents (and there'll still be room for me when I'm gone) so we can make sure they're properly identified and commemorated.
Sad times.
Hers was the death certificate I least wanted to receive and on my family tree - the basic one that just includes the blood line - I'm the only one left living. And oddly (or not, perhaps someone else can comment on this) since I've just written a new tree out to sit on the wall near my desk, the vast majority of that direct line died in the first half of the year (February, March and April are particularly bad months for Family Russell-Jones). Is that reversed in the southern hemisphere I wonder?
At least now there's a new opportunity to get the family headstone restored and updated; Mam's ashes are being interred with her parents (and there'll still be room for me when I'm gone) so we can make sure they're properly identified and commemorated.
Sad times.
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
GRO Certificates
Every so often you need to confirm what you think you know and ordering a certificate from the General Register Office is a good means of doing so. It's not cheap - each certificate costs £9.25 these days but the system is easy and straightforward so it's often worth it. If you get the details right to start with!!
Today, the postman has delivered 3 certificates.
1. Death certificate for Frederick Woolley, my gg grandfather. Frederick died on 20th March 1913 at Bryn Street, Newtown (in the old county of Montgomeryshire). His occupation is given as house plumber and painter. The cause of death is given as 'Fatty degeneration of heart' & 'cardiac failure'. The informant is son Fred living in Cross Street, Newtown.
2. Death certificate of Eliza Woolley, the widow of Frederick who died 27 June 1922, again in Bryn Street. cause of death here is 'cerebral haemorrhage'.
Perhaps it's a bit morbid to order death certificates but they could prove useful to pick up on any recurring causes of death which we today ought to know about.
3. The third certificate is a marriage certificate; Luigi James Bellisario and Emma Lowe. I ordered this to check whether it was the same branch of Bellisarios as Gabriel in Cardiff and indeed it is. It looks as though Luigi James was born around 1865, but where? The 1881 census has him living in Cardiff but born in Italy and under the name of Bellmaris rather than Bellisario (a mistranscription error) so not always easy to follow.
Anyway, things to work on thanks to today's certificates
Today, the postman has delivered 3 certificates.
1. Death certificate for Frederick Woolley, my gg grandfather. Frederick died on 20th March 1913 at Bryn Street, Newtown (in the old county of Montgomeryshire). His occupation is given as house plumber and painter. The cause of death is given as 'Fatty degeneration of heart' & 'cardiac failure'. The informant is son Fred living in Cross Street, Newtown.
2. Death certificate of Eliza Woolley, the widow of Frederick who died 27 June 1922, again in Bryn Street. cause of death here is 'cerebral haemorrhage'.
Perhaps it's a bit morbid to order death certificates but they could prove useful to pick up on any recurring causes of death which we today ought to know about.
3. The third certificate is a marriage certificate; Luigi James Bellisario and Emma Lowe. I ordered this to check whether it was the same branch of Bellisarios as Gabriel in Cardiff and indeed it is. It looks as though Luigi James was born around 1865, but where? The 1881 census has him living in Cardiff but born in Italy and under the name of Bellmaris rather than Bellisario (a mistranscription error) so not always easy to follow.
Anyway, things to work on thanks to today's certificates
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Coming soon....
I'm expecting certificates from the GRO (General Register Office) tomorrow; one marriage certificate and two death certificates which I intend to open as I blog....these may answer queries or open new cans of worms...oh how I love family history!!
Monday, 18 February 2013
Gabriel
I think Gabriel Bellisario was born in Rome around 1840; he first shows up in British records in 1859 when he married Mary Ann Agnes Hogan in Bristol; a son, Luigi Garibaldi Bellisario was born in 1860.
In 1861 he was recorded in the census in Sheffield (rented accommodation I think) with Mary Ann and Luigi; his profession being 'Professor of Music'. Young Luigi didn't last long, he died in 1861, Mary Ann died in 1870. At some point, Gabriel moved to Cardiff and by the 1871 census, he's in Chrichton Street Cardiff with 'wife' Amelia; his profession is now 'photographer'.
In 1871 Gabriel is living in Tudor Street (that's where I go now to catch a bus when the city centre is closed off for rugby internationals) although his photographic studio is 226 Bute Street (over a chemist shop) which sadly no longer exists.
Gabriel and Amelia married in Cardiff's registry office in April 1874. Gabriel's father is Luigi Bellisario, profession - author. Google hasn't produced anything to verify this, so if anyone knows anything different...
In 1881, everything changes, there's new information! Gabriel is head of the household with Amelia as his wife...but!! Here's also James, son aged 16, born Italy, profession 'embosser'; Joseph, son aged 14, born Bristol, mechanic and Ernesto, aged 2. Amelia's mother, Fanny Littleton is also part of the household and is described as 'paralytic'. Fanny died in 1885 and is buried in Cathay's cemetery in Cardiff.
James and Joseph - what happened to them? Do I look for James and Joseph or the Italian equivalents?
In 1891 we're still in Tudor Street (with the studio in Bute Street) but by 1901, Gabriel and Amelia had moved to Beauchamp St and Ernesto had moved out. In 1901, at the age of 23, Ernesto was in Liverpool and married to Frances Georgina Russell. Of which, more later)
In the 1911 census, Gabriel is listed as photographer and musician; I'm following up on local newspaper items where it looks as though he was playing the double bass at various concerts (how many signor Bellisarios were there in Cardiff anyway?)
Gabriel died in Cardiff on 26 Feb 1916 and is buried with his mother-in-law Fanny in Cathays cemetery (I was able to place flowers on their grave last Palm Sunday - a Welsh tradition); Amelia died in 1935 but is not with Gabriel and her mother; she's in a different part of Cathays in a common grave. I'm not sure why or how this happened but I did place flowers on her grave too last Palm Sunday)
In 1861 he was recorded in the census in Sheffield (rented accommodation I think) with Mary Ann and Luigi; his profession being 'Professor of Music'. Young Luigi didn't last long, he died in 1861, Mary Ann died in 1870. At some point, Gabriel moved to Cardiff and by the 1871 census, he's in Chrichton Street Cardiff with 'wife' Amelia; his profession is now 'photographer'.
In 1871 Gabriel is living in Tudor Street (that's where I go now to catch a bus when the city centre is closed off for rugby internationals) although his photographic studio is 226 Bute Street (over a chemist shop) which sadly no longer exists.
Gabriel and Amelia married in Cardiff's registry office in April 1874. Gabriel's father is Luigi Bellisario, profession - author. Google hasn't produced anything to verify this, so if anyone knows anything different...
In 1881, everything changes, there's new information! Gabriel is head of the household with Amelia as his wife...but!! Here's also James, son aged 16, born Italy, profession 'embosser'; Joseph, son aged 14, born Bristol, mechanic and Ernesto, aged 2. Amelia's mother, Fanny Littleton is also part of the household and is described as 'paralytic'. Fanny died in 1885 and is buried in Cathay's cemetery in Cardiff.
James and Joseph - what happened to them? Do I look for James and Joseph or the Italian equivalents?
In 1891 we're still in Tudor Street (with the studio in Bute Street) but by 1901, Gabriel and Amelia had moved to Beauchamp St and Ernesto had moved out. In 1901, at the age of 23, Ernesto was in Liverpool and married to Frances Georgina Russell. Of which, more later)
In the 1911 census, Gabriel is listed as photographer and musician; I'm following up on local newspaper items where it looks as though he was playing the double bass at various concerts (how many signor Bellisarios were there in Cardiff anyway?)
Gabriel died in Cardiff on 26 Feb 1916 and is buried with his mother-in-law Fanny in Cathays cemetery (I was able to place flowers on their grave last Palm Sunday - a Welsh tradition); Amelia died in 1935 but is not with Gabriel and her mother; she's in a different part of Cathays in a common grave. I'm not sure why or how this happened but I did place flowers on her grave too last Palm Sunday)
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Bellisario
Sometimes, researching your family history throws up some absolute gems. My family names include Jones, Brown, Morris, Lewis and Little. So when a name like Bellisario pops up you really pay attention!!
I'm originally from North Yorkshire; Middlesbrough (note the spelling) to be exact. I currently live in Cardiff and I had thought that my only connection to the city was my sister-in-law who was born here. Not so.
Thanks to Ancestry I discovered something about my great grandfather (John Russell)'s elder brother, Richard. Richard served in the army (more about him in a future post I promise) between 1858 and 1881; he was demobbed in Monmouth and (probably, I can't find a marriage certificate) there married one Elizabeth Jenkins. The whole Jenkins family moved to Stockton-on-Tees and there was born Frances Georgina Russell.
Apparently, Elizabeth Jenkins was a music hall performer and Richard and Frances followed her in to the profession (as did Elizabeth's other relatives).
On 11 April 1901, Frances married Ernesto Luigi Gabriele Bellisario, a native of...Cardiff! Ernesto (Ernie)'s father was Gabriele Bellisario, a photographer. I shared this with my sister-in-law; 'Bellisario - that rings a bell' she said. Sure enough, she had some photo portraits of some of her Cardiff family (Chedzoy/Talbot) taken by Gabriel Bellisario - what are the chances?
More to come on the Bellisario connection!
I'm originally from North Yorkshire; Middlesbrough (note the spelling) to be exact. I currently live in Cardiff and I had thought that my only connection to the city was my sister-in-law who was born here. Not so.
Thanks to Ancestry I discovered something about my great grandfather (John Russell)'s elder brother, Richard. Richard served in the army (more about him in a future post I promise) between 1858 and 1881; he was demobbed in Monmouth and (probably, I can't find a marriage certificate) there married one Elizabeth Jenkins. The whole Jenkins family moved to Stockton-on-Tees and there was born Frances Georgina Russell.
Apparently, Elizabeth Jenkins was a music hall performer and Richard and Frances followed her in to the profession (as did Elizabeth's other relatives).
On 11 April 1901, Frances married Ernesto Luigi Gabriele Bellisario, a native of...Cardiff! Ernesto (Ernie)'s father was Gabriele Bellisario, a photographer. I shared this with my sister-in-law; 'Bellisario - that rings a bell' she said. Sure enough, she had some photo portraits of some of her Cardiff family (Chedzoy/Talbot) taken by Gabriel Bellisario - what are the chances?
More to come on the Bellisario connection!
Sunday, 27 January 2013
My kinda town...Chicago
As a teenager, I was a fan of the band Chicago and loved their music; loved their album covers!! Now I discover a link...
Great great uncle, George Thomas Morris apparently moved there in 1907/8. I'd seen links on Ancestry and wondered if it really was him (too many American family history researchers see a Jones from Wales and think there's a link; Wales is small but there are more Joneses than you can shake a fist at) but I couldn't see any evidence. Now I have an annual Ancestry Worldwide Membership and can see emigration documents, I can confirm the details. On the passenger listing for the SS Mauretania (no less!!) George and his family arrived in New York (en route for Chicago) on 26 Nov 1909. Mrs Morris of Ladywell Street, Newtown (Montgomeryshire. Wales) was named as 'nearest living relative in country whence alien came'.
I can follow the family up to the 1940 US census in Cook County, Chicago and would like to learn more about son (George William ) Marshall Morris as there's an uncanny sort of link to my maternal side where Marshall is used as a given name in the Stonehouse family (a branch of which also went to America)
Great great uncle, George Thomas Morris apparently moved there in 1907/8. I'd seen links on Ancestry and wondered if it really was him (too many American family history researchers see a Jones from Wales and think there's a link; Wales is small but there are more Joneses than you can shake a fist at) but I couldn't see any evidence. Now I have an annual Ancestry Worldwide Membership and can see emigration documents, I can confirm the details. On the passenger listing for the SS Mauretania (no less!!) George and his family arrived in New York (en route for Chicago) on 26 Nov 1909. Mrs Morris of Ladywell Street, Newtown (Montgomeryshire. Wales) was named as 'nearest living relative in country whence alien came'.
I can follow the family up to the 1940 US census in Cook County, Chicago and would like to learn more about son (George William ) Marshall Morris as there's an uncanny sort of link to my maternal side where Marshall is used as a given name in the Stonehouse family (a branch of which also went to America)
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