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
Mystery
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
Mary Alice Stocking (1899-1899): The ‘missing’ child
For years I thought I had traced all 19 of my 2xgreat grandparents' children, including three who died young. Recent (January 2025) research to verify earlier work shows just how wrong I was. I had incorrectly assigned Violet Stocking, born and died in 1899, to the family, but she was my great aunt Emma's illegitimate … Continue reading Mary Alice Stocking (1899-1899): The ‘missing’ child
Tracing Great Grandad Frederick Ephgrave: A puzzle
One of my paternal great-grandfathers was Frederick Ephgrave - or was he? Tracing his birth posed a big puzzle. I thought I knew his name from my grandmother Jessie Ephgrave's vital records, his marriage certificate and censuses. Apparently born in Luton 1872-3, son of 'Jessie' Ephgrave, he had various jobs in the dairy industry, but … Continue reading Tracing Great Grandad Frederick Ephgrave: A puzzle
Catherine Alice Stoney: A gent’s daughter?
My 3xgreat grandmother was born around 1829 in Newington, South London. When she married Saddler Aaron Wales in Waterloo, London, in 1849, her father is named as William Moorhouse Stoney, 'Gentleman'. Intriguing. Did she come from an aristocratic family? If so, they must have fallen on hard times, as their address, Waterloo Road, was not … Continue reading Catherine Alice Stoney: A gent’s daughter?
Albert Stocking: Leather market horse keeper
My 2xgreat grand uncle Albert Stocking spent his life as a Leather Dresser until, perhaps, the labour became too hard, or he needed a more lucrative trade to support his growing family. In his late 30s/40s he became a Carman and Horse Keeper, roles still closely associated with the leather trades. Like his many siblings, … Continue reading Albert Stocking: Leather market horse keeper
The brides of Aylesbury Street: A mystery
While exploring the lives of my 2xgreat grand uncles Frederick James Stocking and George Thomas Stocking, I came across an interesting connection between their two brides, who they married at All Saints Walworth in the early 1880s. Both gave their home addresses as 6 Aylesbury Street, Walworth. When I looked closer at the parish registers, … Continue reading The brides of Aylesbury Street: A mystery
Frederick James Stocking: Naming the Roses?
My 2xgreat grand uncle started life with a slight identity crisis, being baptised Frederick William on 10 March 1861 (exactly a month after his birth), but named as Frederick James Stocking when his birth was registered. Nothing too mysterious there. But I struggled to fully identify the woman who was to be his wife, and … Continue reading Frederick James Stocking: Naming the Roses?
Caroline Jane Stocking: How many children?
My great-great grand aunt Caroline Jane Stocking married Carman Charles Baker in 1878. By 1911, she has been widowed, but states that she had had 11 children, four of whom had died by the census date. I have not been able to find records for more than eight of them. She had a relatively short … Continue reading Caroline Jane Stocking: How many children?
Mary Stocking: Nine kids, or eleven?
My great great grand aunt Mary Ann Susan Stocking was born in 1851, the eldest of 11 children. In her early years, she worked as a Flagmaker. In 1911, she states she and her husband William James Ward had also had 11 children since their marriage in 1873, seven of whom had by then died. … Continue reading Mary Stocking: Nine kids, or eleven?
My Stocking Roots 