Kate, the eighth child of my great grandparents, grew up with her many siblings in South London. Before marrying Tramways Engineer Charles Hall in 1908, she worked as a Shirt Machinist. They stayed together through two world wars, moving from London to Buckinghamshire to run The Crown Inn at Tingewick. But their family stories illustrate … Continue reading Catherine Alice (Kate) Stocking (1885-1967): Tingewick and turbulence of War [Updated]
Catford
Posts which mention Catford in South East London
Aaron Archibald Stocking (1883-1917): Military Medal [Updated]
My great great uncle Aaron Stocking was 34 years old when he was killed in action at Bourlon Wood, France on 1 December 1917. His wife of two years was pregnant with a son he would never see. He was awarded the Military Medal; I hunted for years for a citation but a letter he … Continue reading Aaron Archibald Stocking (1883-1917): Military Medal [Updated]
John Arthur Stocking (1882-1957): Telephone Engineer
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
Family at War: V2 rocket attack 1945
The Stocking and Hill families suffered losses in WW1. The last months of WW2 were to bring even more. My great grandfather Jim Stocking died at the beginning of the conflict; the family of his widow, Susan, were later caught in one of the worst V2 rocket attacks on London, an impact which must have … Continue reading Family at War: V2 rocket attack 1945
Was John Hill (b1836) alive when his wife/widow remarried?
It took me a while to trace my 2xgreat grandparents John Hill and Elizabeth Sarah Windebank in later censuses, as his age and her birthplace were inconsistently recorded. Tracing him in earlier censuses revealed a previous, mystery marriage. Elizabeth remarried in 1895, but I have failed to find a reliable death record for him. So … Continue reading Was John Hill (b1836) alive when his wife/widow remarried?
He married his deceased wife’s sister … was that legal?
At some point after the death aged 49, in 1907, of my 2xgreat grandmother Alice Mary (née Wales), her widower and their youngest children moved from their home at Herman Road, Camberwell, to Beechfield Road, Catford in South East London. They had been married for 32-3 years and had raised 19 children together. In 1919, … Continue reading He married his deceased wife’s sister … was that legal?
They who served: Stockings in WW1
At the outbreak of WW1, my 2xgreat grandparents had had 19 children, born between 1874 and 1902. By 1914, seven of their eight sons were still alive, and five joined the army. Two were awarded the Military Medal, and one was killed in action. I have found many records about their service online, but there … Continue reading They who served: Stockings in WW1
James and Susan Stocking: Later lives, Kings & Queens
My great grandparents James Aaron Stocking and Susan Caroline Hill were born in mid-1870s London, around the time Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. By the time they married on 3 June 1900, the old Queen had been dead for nearly six months. Their early married life played out under two new monarchs. By … Continue reading James and Susan Stocking: Later lives, Kings & Queens
Building Stocking heritage: A 20th century family business
My paternal grandfather James Aaron Stocking was born just after the turn of the 20th century into a family where most of the menfolk worked in the building trades, as brickies, builders, house decorators, plumbers, gas fitters, foremen and so on. He himself did many of these jobs through the housing booms of the 1920s-1930s, … Continue reading Building Stocking heritage: A 20th century family business
My Stocking Roots 