Betsy Williams, Oldest Resident of Chesterton, -1910

My eye is always drawn to statements of "the oldest resident of" pieces in old newspapers, so Betsy Williams of Chesterton caught my eye this morning.

In 1910 Betsy Williams of Chesterton died and the newspapers announced her death, along with the fact that she was the oldest resident.  I love it when the newspapers give a long obituary/biography - so handy for today's family history researchers. So I had to look her up!

The Cambridge Independent Press reported the occasion as

Death.— The death occurred Tuesday morning of one the oldest inhabitants of Chesterton. Mrs Betsy Grove Williams, widow of the late Mr Benjamin Williams. The deceased lady, who was 90 years of age, was well known and much respected in Chesterton.

Her husband, who was formerly in the employ of Mr Philip Beale, Cambridge, died twenty two years ago, but there are nine children surviving. One served for twenty seven years in the Scotch Royal Rifles, going through the Zulu War. Another, who in twenty one years in the Army Service Corps, saw service in Zululand and in Egypt, and the husband of her eldest daughter served for twenty-two years in the Royal Navy. 

There are about sixty grand-children, while the great grand-children number even more. The funeral takes place to-day, Friday, Old Chesterton.  

Looking at FreeBMD, the death was registered with an age of 89 years.

Betsy was buried on 14 October at St Andrew's Church, Chesterton.  Benjamin Williams had died, aged 69, in 1888 and was buried 6 September at St Andrew's Church, Chesterton.

A quick look through the IGI showed that, from Censuses, Betsy had been born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.  The 1881 Census had Betsy and husband Benjamin living at 10 Albert Street, Chesterton, with two of their children: Albert L Williams aged 19, born in Bury, Suffolk; and Mary L Williams aged 16, born in Cambridge.  Benjamin was listed as an ironmonger's porter and had been born in Lambeth, Surrey, so they were both "incomers" to the village.

I love thinking about the fact that my great-grandmother might have known of Betsy - although she had been living in the St Luke's area of Chesterton, which is about a mile from Old Chesterton where my great-grandmother was bringing up her own family.  She'll have heard the news of Betsy's death and, who knows, maybe watched the funeral from the cemetery wall.  The news will certainly have been the talk of the week.

The social history surrounding ancestors really helps to build up a good local picture of what life was like, people they might've known, events they might've attended - and more!  After a while you even begin to feel you "know" these people!

Sources: FindMyPast, FreeBMD, FamilySearch

Image: FreeBMD

Violet Speed, Chesterton; Violet Culley, Nottinghamshire. 1872-1918

This is one of my "random finds" posts.  I have an interest in the Chesterton, Cambridgeshire area and noticed an ex resident being returned to be buried in 1918, so I figured that was worth noting.  When you're researching family history, anybody that wanders away from home is called a stray - many family history sites keep lists of strays to help people track down where people have ended up, but it's an ad hoc thing and there's no central database.

St Andrew's Church,
Chesterton, Cambridgeshire

So here it is, along with a little more research/background information:

Funeral.—

The funeral took place at St. Andrew's. Old Chesterton, July 18th, of Mrs. Violet Culley, who died at her home at Nottingham at the age of 46.  Mrs. Culley was the fourth daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Speed, of 19, Waterside, Old Chesterton. She leaves a husband and six children to mourn their loss. Two of the sons serving their country, one in Egypt and one in France.

1872	Violet Speed was baptised in Chesterton, Cambridgeshire, on 22 September 1872, daughter of Charles Speed from Barton and Emma Speed from Stow cum Quy. 1
1881	Census. Waterside, Chesterton, daughter, aged 8. With parents/siblings: Charles/Emma and George, Elizabeth Emily, Lilly, Adelaide, James Harry.  1
1891	Census. Chesterton, daughter, aged 18 1
1895	Marries William Culley, from Old Basford, Nottinghamshire, at Chesterton, Cambridgeshire (FreeBMD). CAMDEX Ref 331/RO/CHEST/09/141.
1895	Possible William C Culley born, Cambridge. Camdex. FreeBMD has it listed as William Charles S Culley. 4th qtr
1897	Possible Ivy E Culley born, Cambridge. Camdex. FreeBMD has it listed as Iva Emma EH, 2nd qtr
1899	Possible Bertram T Culley born, Cambridge. Camdex. FreeBMD has it listed as Bertram Tom. 2nd qtr.
1901	Census, St Andrew the Less, Cambridge. With husband and three children: Wm Chas S, Ivy EEH, Bertram T
1911	Census,  With husband and children: William Charles, Ivy, Tom. Will be others, need to see original census as children born in different places 1
1915	Archibald CM Culley born, Nottingham (FreeBMD)
1918	Dies in Nottingham, buried in Chesterton, 18 July. St Andrew's Church, Chesterton.

At the time of her burial, her father was already deceased - he, too, was buried in St Andrew's Chesterton, in 1908.

Violet was living at 27a Kirke White Street, Nottingham when she died, aged 46.²

Violet Culley was buried in St Andrews, Chesterton, on 18 July 1918.

Sources:
<sup>1 Familysearch.org
2 Burials list for church


Image: Robert Edwards</sup>

Mary Ann Edwards, Caldecote, Cambridgeshire

FreeREG's latest update to the parish records of Caldecote finally solved a small doubt in my notes.  I knew that there were two Mary Ann Edwards' deaths registered in the same area and round about the same time.

There they were!  In the latest transcription update to the parish registers for St Michael & All Angels, Caldecote, Cambridge were two Mary Ann Edwards who were buried.  One in 1902, one in 1903.  Now just to check further to work out which one was "mine".

The 1901 Census had Mary Ann Edwards living in Bourn, with her daughter Mary, her son-in-law and her grandchildren.  On that Census it said she'd been born in Kingston, Cambridgeshire (just 1-2 miles up the road - she never went far!).

The FreeREG transcription of the parish registers for St Michael & All Angels had two to choose from - and it was an easy choice:

• Mary Ann Edwards, buried 31 July 1902, aged 38, living in Luton
• Mary Ann Edwards, buried 19 November 1903, aged 84, living in Bourn.

That's the one then! The burial in 1903.  Aged 84, that longevity gene's been passed further down the female line!  I think I might miss out on it though as I've definitely got more of dad's features and characteristics :(

I wonder who the other one was then.  I'll probably find out at some point.... she must be on the tree somewhere with that surname!  My first guess is that she's the Mary Ann Badcock that married Richard Alfred Edwards in 1887, based purely on a name/age/location match.  Off to update the tree with that thought! It looks a good match.