Burghfield War Memorial

The recently published survey of the Burghfield St Mary Memorial Inscriptions (BRK0287) contains lists of the 55 men who were killed in the two world wars. This article describes the techniques used to try and identify the people behind the names not listed, and also records the 31 other people, with connections to Burghfield, who died in these conflicts.

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Alfred Purtons Bible 1874 (courtesy Jane Barrett)
Alfred Purtons Bible 1874 (courtesy Jane Barrett)

Evening Classes at Shaw Farm, Windsor

An aunt showed me a bible belonging to her grandfather Alfred Purton. Inside was an inscription from Queen Victoria ...

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SDiagram of the structure. Books, chapters and sections
Structure

How to Write Up Your Family History

I began writing up my family history about twenty years ago. I wanted to turn my research into a story which included something of what life might have been like for my ancestors. One driver for this was an eager audience within my family who, I suspected, would be quickly bored by a list of dates and places.

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Candy Stores, Shurlock Row, 7th August, 1963
Candy Stores, Shurlock Row, 7th August, 1963

Dating a Photograph – an Unusual Approach!

Mick Henry becomes a detective to date this image. For some years I have had a photograph of a shop my parents worked in and the property they lived in which was attached to it, in Shurlock Row. We think, because of the angle of the shot, it was taken from an upstairs room over the road from the property, maybe Mortimore’s Stores.

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High Holborn and Southampton Row
High Holborn and Southampton Row (Philafrenzy CC-BY-SA-4.0)

A Most Extraordinary Coincidence

David Moseley tells us what can happen when you search the internet. Family history can sometimes throw up some interesting stories and coincidences. One evening in 2017 I came across a notice in the London Gazette which surprised and intrigued me.

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Wedding Photo of W Webber and C Briant
Wedding Photo of W Webber and C Briant

Missing Pieces of the Jigsaw – Second Cousins Once Removed Unite!

Liz Butcher tells how a chance email brought a new relative and answers. Imagine my delight when an e-mail arrived one evening via Ancestry.com asking if I had any information to help with a family tree.charming person who had contacted me – Anne - proved to be my previously unknown second cousin once removed and there followed an exchange of information from which we both benefited.

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Robert, Lord Clive ‘Clive of India’ by Thomas Gainsborough (Wellcome Collection CC-BY-4.0)
Robert, Lord Clive ‘Clive of India’ by Thomas Gainsborough (Wellcome Collection CC-BY-4.0)

A Drake Dynasty or the Richard and Roger Saga

Paul Bryant unveils his confusing lineage: In the September 2018 edition of the Berkshire Family Historian there was an interesting article on the Civil War and its protagonists. Of course, there were many other side events taking place that are of more interest to the family historian.

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Albert in 1905
Albert in 1905

What Happened to Albert?

Lynne Smith tries to unravel a family mystery: Albert James Henry Peever/Cope/Kalvi was the brother of my paternal Grandmother Nellie (nee Cope).

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Cemetery Junction entrance (courtesy of cemtereyjunction.org.uk)
Cemetery Junction entrance (courtesy of cemtereyjunction.org.uk)

The ‘Ghost’ of Reading Cemetery

SHOCKING SUICIDE – A man named Robert Ghost, lodging at a cottage in Brook-street, committed suicide on Tuesday afternoon by cutting this throat. He was a pensioner, and latterly had been in a low desponding way, but it was not anticipated that he would lay violent hands upon himself. He partook of a hearty dinner on the day in question and was left alone in the house about half-past two o’clock

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Edith Blackwell Empire Day Certificate
Edith Blackwell Empire Day Certificate (J Barrett)

What did You do in the Great War?

This phrase was often used to shame men who didn't fight in the Great War, but what of the women and children in those times? I have already researched the exploits of my Berkshire male ancestors in the Great War (BFH vol. 39 December 2015) but when I was recently handed a certificate given to a young girl in 1916, this set me thinking about what children did to help the war effort in those times.

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HM Wallis (Courtesy of Reading Local Studies Illustrations Collection)
HM Wallis (Courtesy of Reading Local Studies Illustrations Collection)

Henry Marriage Wallis – a Reading Benefactor

Henry Marriage Wallis – although a name likely to be unknown to many – had several prominent roles during his time in Reading. Henry died on 10 November 1941 leaving his substantial estate (£27436 11s 9d – equivalent to over £1million in 2018) to his three surviving children.

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