Records show that my 2xgreat grandfather William Joseph James Gibson was at least the third generation in his family to carve fancy mirror frames for a living. The looking glass frames that he carved were luxury goods, but he and his wife Phoebe, nee Wakefield, raised their family of seven in cramped conditions in Victorian … Continue reading William and Phoebe Gibson: Tough times for a frame carver
London
George Ephgrave (1885-1935): Milk sterilizer engineer
My great great uncle George was one of several in his family to leave rural Hertfordshire for a life in London. There he worked, like his brothers Frederick and William, for a large dairy company. He became an electrical engineer involved in milk sterilization. He and his wife had two daughters. He died at the … Continue reading George Ephgrave (1885-1935): Milk sterilizer engineer
William Ephgrave (1878-1949): Lifelong milkman, intriguing in-laws
Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, William spent his adult life in London, where he worked as a milkman in the same dairy business as my great grandfather, his brother. William's marriage to Annie Looker led me to research her intriguing, much-married father, a coffee house keeper of London and later a publican. I believe William … Continue reading William Ephgrave (1878-1949): Lifelong milkman, intriguing in-laws
Arthur Ephgrave (1876-1943): Family puzzles
The fourth of my great grandparents' 13 children, Arthur grew up in St Alban's but raised his own much smaller family in Luton following a brief stay in London. He worked in two of Luton's major industries before and after WW1 service, but finished his working life at Vauxhall's Motor Works. Intriguingly, his wife appears … Continue reading Arthur Ephgrave (1876-1943): Family puzzles
Edward Thomas Ephgrave (1873-1932): A minor brush with the law
Ted was the second of my 2xgreat grandparents' 13 children, one of nine to survive. Unlike some of his siblings, he stayed close to his family and life seems to have followed a traditional pattern. A reported teenage misdemeanour, the impact of war and a description of his dilapidated rural home give a glimpse of … Continue reading Edward Thomas Ephgrave (1873-1932): A minor brush with the law
Benjamin Looker (1831-1906): An intriguing side-shoot
I am often distracted from my research by people tangential to my family history. One such is Benjamin Looker, father-in-law of my great grand uncle William Ephgrave. He was a much-married London coffee house keeper, Hertfordshire publican and son of a London 'ruby hole maker' (watch jeweller). I became rather obsessed with trying to fill … Continue reading Benjamin Looker (1831-1906): An intriguing side-shoot
Phoebe Caroline Ephgrave: Later life in photos
I inherited a large number of family photos from my paternal grandmother Jessie Stocking (nee Ephgrave). Her mother Phoebe features in many of them along with other family members. Some are of special occasions such as weddings, others are more informal. What can they show us about 1930s-1950s life? A short summary of Phoebe's life … Continue reading Phoebe Caroline Ephgrave: Later life in photos
Stocking homes: Bowles Road & Herman Road, Camberwell
My Stocking, Wales and Hill family lines converged in these two London streets on and off for more than two decades from the 1880s onwards. The street names seemed interchangeable and their history was apparently steeped in scandal. But what were the houses, the neighbours and the area like? Do family and other photos show … Continue reading Stocking homes: Bowles Road & Herman Road, Camberwell
James Thomas Stocking (1853-1939): A Labourer’s life
My 2xgreat grandfather came from a line of Rope Mat Makers of Bermondsey. He spent most of his working life as a Labourer in south London, sometimes for bricklayers or builders. Many of his sons, grandsons and great grandsons learnt specific building or associated trades, but what would life have been like for Jim? Large … Continue reading James Thomas Stocking (1853-1939): A Labourer’s life
My great grandmother’s four surviving siblings
My great grandmother Susan Caroline Hill had seven siblings, but only four survived beyond their third birthdays. Research into the surviving four reveals stories of further loss and survival, changing circumstances, military and civilian war casualties and emigration. Some of them are told here. Loss and survival My 2xgreat grandparents, Elsted-born Labourer John Hill and … Continue reading My great grandmother’s four surviving siblings
My Stocking Roots 