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175 entries.
Cindy Anderson wrote on 4 Feb 2021 at 02:52:
I've been researching the Cowley family as it seemed to be a mystery to my husband and his siblings. His grandfather was Fred Cowley brother of Jack Cowley. I beleive they met Fred once. His grandmother was Olive and mother was Joan Lillian. We have discovered Aunts and Uncles we didnt know existed. I'm not sure how the Cowleys fit in here but it gave me some good information.
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Cindy,

Thank you for your kind comments.

Fred and Jack's father, Fred Cowley (1888-1950) was my 2nd cousin's husband's father.

I would be most grateful if you could contact me with a view to filling in some of the gaps in my research.

Best wishes,

Phil Williams.
phil@williamsfamilytree.uk
Roswitha Baeumler from Deining wrote on 23 Jan 2021 at 12:26:
Hi,
I am a german family researcher and I look for information about my father.
He was a germen prisoner of war in 1944-1947 in Hill Camp-Working Camp Westbury and worked in the sawmill "Sawtell" in Trowbridge.
Do you have any information about the family "Sawtell" and the sawmill within the time 1944-1947?
Hope to hear from you.
Greetings form Germany
Roswitha Baeumler
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Roswitha,

Doris Sawtell (b 1905), who married Henry Jack Flay, is the only person I have with that surname. A quick look reveals that she was the daughter of Charles William Sawtell and Jane Dyke. They married in Bradford on Avon in 1903.

I have not, as yet, looked into the rest of the family but you have aroused my interest! According to Ancestry (and not taking incorrect spellings and transcription errors into account) there are only 45 Sawtell births registered in Wiltshire between 1837 and 2007.

If I find anything about the family or the sawmill I will get back to you.

Best wishes,

Phil Williams.
Janet Coyle from Yungaburra, Queensland wrote on 27 Dec 2020 at 08:50:
Hi, I googled Shearing Family in Norfolk and up you popped. My Shearing family were living in York in the mid 1800s with Robert Shearing (x3 gt Gfather)being born in Wreningham, Norfolk in 1812. His father was Valentine Shearing born 1777, (married to Elizabeth Ringwood), his father was Valentine Shearing born 1746 married to Frances Scillet (Fanny), his father was John Shearing born 1721 married to Elizabeth Pitcher. His father was I believe James Shearing born in 1700 but I have not validated this. All came from Norfolk, mainly Wreningham, Docking, Ashwellthorpe, and Hethel. The Pitcher line goes back a few centuries and I noticed you have a Pitcher married to a Shearing and I am trying to see if they are connected to my Pitchers and Shearings. I don't know why my ancestor left Norfolk or if any of the family left with him. He married in York.
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Janet,
Sorry for the delay in responding. Life gets in the way sometimes!

Thank you for your detailed information about your Shearer ancestors. When I get a chance I will take a look to see if any of your Shearers are connected to ours. If I do find anything I will let you know.

Best wishes and stay safe,

Phil.

P.S. I tried emailing you but my message got bounced. Please get in touch.
Trevor Jennings from Bedford wrote on 18 Nov 2020 at 14:41:
I meant to have added that my 6th gt-grandparents:

Peter Downing (1693 - 1754) and Elizabeth Williams(1698 -1767) of the Parish of Paul, Penzance, Cornwall, married there on 6th Oct 1722. I guess that Elizabeth was linked to your Williams family in some way.

Kind regards,

Trevor
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Trevor,

I am aware of the marriage date. As for Elizabeth being related to our Williams family? I think that is pretty remote as my lot were from the Welsh hills in the north not from Cornwall. Unfortunately, Williams is far too common a name to trace reliably, especially as most of my ancestors were named John!

Cheers,

Phil.
Trevor from Jennings wrote on 15 Nov 2020 at 20:26:
Hi Phil,

I came across your site when I was sorting out my early Downing ancestors from Gulval in Cornwall.

Edward Downing(e) (1594 - 1675) was my 9th gt-grandfather.

Your information was very clear and helpful.

Thanks,

Trevor
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Trevor,

Thank you, and you're welcome.

Cheers,

Phil.

P.S. Edward Downing(e) was my niece's husband's 1st cousin twice removed's husband's 6th great-grandfather!!
Robert J Harwood from Wokingham wrote on 4 Nov 2020 at 08:03:
Hi Phil,
You have a Eliza unknown in your tree as being married to Joseph Richbell so can I suggest the following from my tree:-
Eliza Harwood, Born 1828 in Woolwich to Thomas and Mary Harwood.
Married Joseph Richbell 8th Sept 1847 at St Nicholas, Deptford, Kent.
She died in July 1862 in Greenwich.
Regards
Bob Harwood
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Bob,

Many thanks for your message.

Joseph Richbell was my 1st cousin's husband's great aunt's husband's uncle's wife's father! Because of the distant relationship I've not got around to researching this particular branch just yet.

I must look at this family again in greater depth as according to the GRO the mother's maiden name for Eliza, Ann, Louisa, and Joseph is indeed Harwood. However, that for Editha Ellen is Bennett. So, Editha Ellen is incorrect.

I can't seem to find a registration for an Ellen (as mentioned in the census returns) that fits. However, she was baptised in 1850 and she married George At(t)ridge in 1872.

I will now go away and do some updating.

Again, thank you for the information and if there is anything else you would like to add please get in touch.

Best wishes and stay safe,

Phil Williams.
phil@williamsfamilytree.co.uk
Kenneth Pope from St. Austell wrote on 25 Oct 2020 at 15:47:
Hi Phil,
I am glad to have been of assistance, by a strange coincidence James Kelly`s Mothers surname was Williams.
Kind Regards
Ken
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Ken,

Yes, I noticed that! I couldn't help do a little digging ... 🙂

Cheers,

Phil.
Kenneth Pope from St. Austell wrote on 24 Oct 2020 at 14:59:
Hi, I googled Thomas Francis Blatchford and your site came up. you have got the wrong Beatrice Mary Kelly, my mother is Thelma and gran was born 18/6/1895 at Carne Cottage, Carne Cross, Luxulyan and died at 54 Rose Hill, St Blazey 28/11/1972
Her father was James Kelly b1863 d1904 and her mother was Lavinia Bunt b1860 d1939 later married a Charles Parkyn. There was also 2 more children Ernest Owen b1917 d1971 and Doreen Pearl b1922 d 1975. Grandad d 4/7/1947 at 31 Landreath Place, St Blazey. I hope this is some use to you. Kind Regards
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Kenneth,

Many thanks for your detailed message.

It seems that I had the correct Beatrice Mary Kelly, but the wrong husband!

Upon further examination (by me this time!), our Beatrice married Nicholas John Peters in 1900. It appears they had no offspring - at least not up until 1911 and they are on their own in 1939.

Sorry about that but, unless the two Beatrices are related in some way, you are not a member of our extended family.

Now I have some serious updating to do ... 🙂

Again, many thanks for your message. This error may not have been resolved without your intervention.

Best wishes,

Phil Williams
phil@williamsfamilytree.co.uk
Clayton Leonard Ingram from Nanaimo, British Columbia wrote on 21 Oct 2020 at 03:54:
My dad is Leonard Henry Ingram
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Clayton,

Thanks for getting in touch.

If you have anything to add to your side of the family please let me know.

Best wishes,

Phil Williams
phil@williamsfamilytree.co.uk
Richard Tabberer from Loughborough wrote on 16 Oct 2020 at 13:51:
Hi
I am descended from Charles Hoare through his son Sydney (my great grandfather), ive more info on the Hoares, the Maidments and the Galpins if you are interested
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Richard,

Many thanks for your message.

I am always interested in any updates or additions to any branches of the families featured in The Williams Family Tree.

Please feel free to email me at phil@williamsfamilytree.co.uk with any info you care to share.

Best regards,

Phil Williams.
Jo Edwards from Market harborough wrote on 13 Oct 2020 at 17:46:
Hello,
What an amazing amount of work you have done. I connect with your tree through my 3 x ggf David Sutherland who married Marjory Bruce in 1831.
Re their daughter Margaret Sutherland who married William Macgregor in Latheron on 4 April 1851, if you are interested, I have details of possible further children for the couple as well as the date and cause of death of David Macgregor d.Edinburgh 1875 age 23. Thank you.
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Jo,

Many thanks for your message and your kind comments. It's not all my own work though!

The Williams family is only connected by marriage to the Sutherland family. The link is via the Collins family and I was sent a lot of information about that branch by David Collins and Robert Ian Bain. They were kind enough to share their personal research and thus enlarge The Williams Family Tree.

As you can imagine, I am always grateful for any updates and additional information and look forward to hearing more from you.

Best wishes and stay safe,

Phil Williams.
phil@williamsfamilytree.co.uk

P.S. If you are in M.H. I'm not too far away from you. 🙂
Rob Holmes from Indianapolis wrote on 5 Oct 2020 at 03:36:
Wow! Lots of great content here. I am descended from the Williams family of Farley, Wiltshire. My great grandmother was Vashti Louise Williams. I am going to enjoy comparing and contrasting this content with the tree I have developed. Thank you
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Rob,

Welcome.

We have many relatives in Wiltshire, but not necessarily Williams ones. Feel free to take a look around and if there's anything I can help with let me know.

Best wishes,

Phil.
Carol Mack from Ilford essex wrote on 26 Jul 2020 at 16:34:
Hi, my great great grandmother was Ann Purbrick, later married James Akerman, their daughter Caroline Akerman is my great grandmother
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Carol,

Thanks for the info.

Cheers,

Phil.
Karl Smith from Vernon wrote on 21 Jul 2020 at 04:06:
My mother Betty Rosa Sabberton was one of four daughters born to Walter Richard and Gladys Eva Faulkner Sabberton in 1926. She married my father Marshall C Smith and later followed him to the U.S. Having traveled to Wales two years ago and planned to return this past spring I was surprised to see a family connection. How do I find the connection between Williams and Sabberton?? Awesome site Thanks so much
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Karl,

Many thanks for your message.

I'm afraid the connection between the Sabberton and Williams families is by marriage and very remote.

What has probably happened is that someone else's research has lined up with ours. A third person has sent information about their branch of the second person's family. Then a third .... You get the picture.

There are Hunton, Plunkett, Harris, and High families in the link - to name just a few. The actual connection between myself and your grandfather, Walter Richard Sabberton, is that he was my ex-wife's granduncle's wife's 2nd cousin once removed wife's 3rd cousin once removed wife's brother's wife's 1st cousin once removed! I hope this helps!?!

Best wishes and stay safe,

Phil Williams.
Elizabeth Cox from Ballarat wrote on 5 Jul 2020 at 12:12:
Hi I googled my Grandmothers name and came up with your site.
She was Alice Elizabeth Caseley and came to Australia in 1911, she married Douglas Reid Cholmondeley Godschall Johnson.
I would love to know how she fits onto your family.
Regards
Elizabeth
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Elizabeth,

The Williams Family Tree stopped being just about our family many years ago. Many people have been in touch from all over the world and sent information about their respective branches.

The Johnsons are connected to the Collins family. Jane Susannah Cox Pugh married Bryan Lister, John Isaac Nason, and James Carden Collins - not all at the same time. Bryan and Susannah's son, Joseph Herbert Lister, was my grandaunt's husband's niece's husband.

If you would like to add anything to the Tree please get in touch.

Best wishes and stay safe,

Phil.
phil@williamsfamilytree.co.uk
Bob McNair from Johnstone in Scotland wrote on 2 Jul 2020 at 22:07:
I believe that Samuel Blake who died in 1763 may be my ancestor on my mothers side. I have 4% of Nigerian YDNA. My grandmother was Eugenie Emmeline Wells Blake.
Samuel was my 5th great grandfather.
Can you please tell me where the "Samuel Blake. a negro (the only negro)" comes from in Gravesend records as stated on your James Wates history?
I have his ship details and other matters.
Best Wishes and Stay Safe during this virus crisis,
Bob.
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Bob,

The text comes from "The Wates Family Saga" and refers to those people buried in Gravesend who died of the plague in 1666.

If your Samuel Blake died in 1763 this is not the same person.

Good luck in your research and stay safe.

Phil.
Andrea Reilly from Auckland wrote on 26 Jun 2020 at 03:28:
Hi
I have come across your family tree, it looks like we are related through the Beet family.
My father Peter Reilly who died on 12 May 2002 is listed on your tree as having four children. Peter actually only had myself and my brother Thomas, via his first marriage to Glenys Milicich.
Kristin Back and Nicola Back were step daughters to Peter, via his 2nd marriage with Cathy. So no blood relation to Peter Reilly. There were no children produced from Peter's 2nd marriage.

Regards
Andrea
Auckland, NZ
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Andrea,

Many thanks for the information. I have amended my database and the website will be updated in due course.

If you have any further information to add please get in touch.

Best wishes,

Phil.
phil@williamsfamilytree.co.uk
Tracy Edwards from LONDON wrote on 26 May 2020 at 18:53:
Hello, My Gt Gt Grandfather was Lewis Williams (1840 to 1882). His daughter Elizabeth Mary Williams married Edward Edwards (who was a Locomotive Fireman on the Cambrian line) and they had my Grandfather, Lewis Edwards whom I never knew as he died before I was born. I am a round the world sailor and so excited to learn that part of my family are Master Mariners! Best wishes
Tracy
Marta Jones from Crewe wrote on 26 May 2020 at 16:26:
Hello, I was thrilled today to come across your Williams website quite by accident, whilst researching 'Standfield Place', in Sheffield. My ancestor John Watson born 1838 in Sheffield, lived there, a successful brewer. His father, again a John Watson, born 1806 at Eastrington, Yorkshire, was my great great uncle. He too was a brewer in Sheffield. I am interested in how the Watson family ties in with the Williams family and look forward to finding out.
Karen Blasetti from Calgary, AB Canada wrote on 18 May 2020 at 01:01:
Hello,
I am the daughter of Edward Thomas Jenner. We just lost him a few days ago, and I was online looking for some info as I write his eulogy. I noticed that my married surname is spelled incorrectly in your records. Also, I am now divorced. Should that be shown in something like this? My father passed away in Calgary, AB Canada on May 12, 2020, one day before his 83rd birthday. Thank you for compiling all of this info. I am not sure how or if we are related as I do not know any Williams family.
Admin Reply by: Phil
Hi Karen,

Thank you for your message. I am sorry for your loss. It seems harder to bear when a loved one misses a milestone. My own father died just a month before his 90th birthday. I can't believe that was 19 years ago.

I have corrected your surname etc. and I would appreciate any more information on your family that you care to share.

I'm not surprised that you can't see a connection to the Williams family, it is rather convoluted. Your father was my niece's husband's 3rd cousin twice removed's wife's 1st cousin!! You are more closely related to the Powell and Hamer branches of the family.

Best wishes and stay safe,

Phil.
phil@williamsfamilytree.co.uk
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