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- [S8903] Cowan, Steve, Steve Cowan, 10 Feb 2014>, "Re: Your Williams Family Tree user account has been activated.Re: Your Williams Family Tree user account has been activated.," (Reliability: 3).
Hi Phil,
I have only recently started putting together my family tree but have made some good progress thanks largely to those who have already started theirs and include some relatives of mine.
I came across your family tree whilst researching my great-great-grandparents Thomas & Mary Downer, (nee Middlewick), and their offspring, one of whom was my great grandmother. Her name was Harriett Downer (I remember her well as I was 20ish when she passed away. I haven't ascertained the relationship within the Williams family tree as yet but I note she, her parents and her siblings do feature in it.
For your interest I remember my great-grandmother as a very stern, strict lady with very Victorian morals who believed children should be seen but not heard (too loudly)!! She was however also very proud and fiercely protective of her family. Imagine my surprise when it came to light that she had given birth to twins out of wedlock in 1911?. I was genuinely shocked. My maternal grandmother and her twin sister carried the Downer name whilst their two younger sisters carried their fathers name of Russell. I have some distant memories of my great grandfather but have an added degree of respect for him marrying a woman with two 4 year old twin girls in 1915. I am fortunate that one of my great aunts is still living so I tactfully approached the subject and she reluctantly confirmed what I had found out. To her, they were all just sisters. She couldn't name the father as it was a taboo subject with her mother but she told me that the family rumour was that the father was a former employer - interesting as my great grandmother had been in domestic service. I'm now trying desperately to get hold of any archived tax or employment records etc.
For now, I intend to research my maternal line as the 'mothers' have all displayed great strength and commitment to their children throughout the generations . My 'father' and maternal grandfather in my line were somewhat lacking on that front!
Obviously, not knowing who my great grandfather was has thrown up a block but I'll continue onwards through the Downer and Middlewick families.
Many thanks for access to your extensive tree and research.
kind regards
Steve Cowan
Sent from Windows Mail
From: The Williams Family Tree
Sent: ?Monday?, ?10? ?February? ?2014 ?06?:?39
To: topnames62@yahoo.co.uk
Hi Steve Cowan,
This is an auto-generated email. Thank you for your interest in The Williams Family Tree website! Your user account has been activated. This will allow you to submit corrections and/or report fresh information by putting your comments on the "Suggest" pages (tabs).
I would appreciate an email outlining your connection to and/or interest in the Williams Family Tree so that I might give you extra privileges.
Your login information is:
Username: Krawler
Password: stumpjumper
The Williams Family Tree
http://williamsfamilytree.co.uk/tree/
Hi Phil,
I have only recently started putting together my family tree but have made some good progress thanks largely to those who have already started theirs and include some relatives of mine.
I came across your family tree whilst researching my great-great-grandparents Thomas & Mary Downer, (nee Middlewick), and their offspring, one of whom was my great grandmother. Her name was Harriett Downer (I remember her well as I was 20ish when she passed away. I haven't ascertained the relationship within the Williams family tree as yet but I note she, her parents and her siblings do feature in it.
For your interest I remember my great-grandmother as a very stern, strict lady with very Victorian morals who believed children should be seen but not heard (too loudly)!! She was however also very proud and fiercely protective of her family. Imagine my surprise when it came to light that she had given birth to twins out of wedlock in 1911?. I was genuinely shocked. My maternal grandmother and her twin sister carried the Downer name whilst their two younger sisters carried their fathers name of Russell. I have some distant memories of my great grandfather but have an added degree of respect for him marrying a woman with two 4 year old twin girls in 1915. I am fortunate that one of my great aunts is still living so I tactfully approached the subject and she reluctantly confirmed what I had found out. To her, they were all just sisters. She couldn't name the father as it was a taboo subject with her mother but she told me that the family rumour was that the father was a former employer - interesting as my great grandmother had been in domestic service. I'm now trying desperately to get hold of any archived tax or employment records etc.
For now, I intend to research my maternal line as the 'mothers' have all displayed great strength and commitment to their children throughout the generations . My 'father' and maternal grandfather in my line were somewhat lacking on that front!
Obviously, not knowing who my great grandfather was has thrown up a block but I'll continue onwards through the Downer and Middlewick families.
Many thanks for access to your extensive tree and research.
kind regards
Steve Cowan
- [S8515] FreeBMD, England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915, ((http://freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl)), accessed 11 Feb 2014), Dorothy DOWNER; Mother's maiden surname DOWNER; Sep 1911, Southampton, Hampshire, Volume 2c, Page 69. (Reliability: 3).
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