Years ago, in conversation with my Dad about his family, he recalled his 'Uncle John' who used to play the piano whenever Dad visited their Beechfield Road home in Catford. 'Uncle John' was actually his father's uncle; it's strange to think that, when I hold Dad's hand, there's a personal connection back to my great … Continue reading John Arthur Stocking (1882-1957): Telephone Engineer
World War II
William Henry Stocking (1880-1966): Master Builder
Building trades are very much part of my Stocking ancestry. My Dad worked for his father's firm of J Stocks & Sons in the 1950s. His great uncle William Henry Stocking built up the firm of W Stocks & Sons, creating an earlier dynasty of builders and decorators in the 1900s, one for which several … Continue reading William Henry Stocking (1880-1966): Master Builder
Harriett Elizabeth Stocking (1879-1945): A large family
Harriett was the fourth of my 2xgreat grandparents' 19 children and had her own large family of ten with her husband Alfred Edmund Ilott Bishop. They lived their lives in Camberwell and then Norwood in London, dying in the final throws of WW2. They gave a home to her widowed sister and their ten children … Continue reading Harriett Elizabeth Stocking (1879-1945): A large family
Alice Caroline Stocking (1874-1928): A tragic end
Alice was the eldest of my 2xgreat grandparents' children and appears to have had a steady childhood, albeit one of 19 children. After leaving school, she worked as a needlewoman, making shirts and hat trimmings. Her home life after she married was also straightforward, although she only had two children, a small family for the … Continue reading Alice Caroline Stocking (1874-1928): A tragic end
Susie and Dot Fage: Sisters of Sandy
My maternal grandmother was one of eight children, four girls and four boys. Her three surviving brothers worked in market gardens before and after their service in WW1. Her three sisters were still alive when I was young, and both she and her sister Vera lived to be over 100, but I knew little about … Continue reading Susie and Dot Fage: Sisters of Sandy
Beth and Vera: Centenarian Fage sisters
My Mum's family were fairly long-lived and indeed, both her own mother and one of her aunts reached their centenaries. Both celebrated their golden weddings with their husbands and, indeed, my Nana Brown was married for 70 years. They lived through two world wars and much much more; how were their milestones celebrated? Elizabeth Sarah … Continue reading Beth and Vera: Centenarian Fage sisters
William John Fage (1872-1940): Death in the Blackout
My maternal great grandmother Alice Fage died at home in Sandy on 12 February 1940. Two weeks later, on 26 February, her widower was involved in a fatal accident. Reports of the inquest heard of his state of mind at the time, and reveal witness statements from some of the family. This is his final, … Continue reading William John Fage (1872-1940): Death in the Blackout
William Fage and Alice Cade: A long residence in Sandy
After solving the minor mysteries of William's name change and Alice's peripatetic childhood, it was fairly easy to trace my maternal great grandparents' married lives and growing family. I had a couple of family photos of them in old age and was pleased to find that their family home at Longfield Road, Sandy, was still … Continue reading William Fage and Alice Cade: A long residence in Sandy
Lavinia Brown: A long life and loss in Sandy
My maternal great grandmother Lavinia Brown, nee Seaby, lived a long life much characterised by struggle and loss. Two children died in infancy, her husband Charley Brown died of cancer and her eldest son Walter Charles Brown was killed in action in WW1. Her later life is less well-recorded, but she was clearly loved and … Continue reading Lavinia Brown: A long life and loss in Sandy
Horace & Elizabeth Brown: Beds to London via Essex
My maternal grandparents married in Sandy, Bedfordshire in 1923. There were no photos of the wedding, but a local paper described the happy event. Family photos and newspapers also provide insights into family life with nine children before they set up a hardware shop in South London. What kind of a picture do they show? … Continue reading Horace & Elizabeth Brown: Beds to London via Essex
My Stocking Roots 