REED, MARFELL, GOODE, Families

Please take a look at my home page it has loads of names related to forest of dean area. would love to hear from anyone connected to it.

http://carpenterfamilytree.rcpromotions.co.uk/

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.. other Forest Marfell's at

http://www.marfell.me.uk/nuke/index.php

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already have the site but thanks anyway.... roger

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Just wanted to say thankyou - Started looking at this website a few months ago, but only just registered for writing on the message boards. My Great Grandfather was a Marfell and this thread really boosted my attempt to carve out a family tree. I just wish other areas had such good sites!

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Roger

Have just had a look at your web site. I have several certificates which you might be interested in. A birth certificate of William Read (sic) dated 6 Dec 1863 to William Read and wife Selena formerly Marfell. Registered Newnham. Parents living at Ruardean. Secondly, a marriage certificate for William Reid (later variants Reed)to Clara Edwards dated 1883, father William Reid. Marriage occurred at St John, East Dean. This line emigrated to Illinois, US. My interest is in Clara Edward's family (parents, siblings emigrated to NSW 1876) but have quite a lot of information on the US Reids thanks to a Linda Moll in the US.

I wondered if father William the brother of your George (1851-1891), especially considering the Marfell connection.

Regards
Chris
Picton, NSW

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would love to see the certs if you could scan and send them to me at roggcar@hotmail.com

Thanks

Roger
http://carpenterfamilytree.rcpromotions.co.uk/

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Hi Chris

As you will have seen from the various certificates that you have, which I have also. The Read family are variously described as Reed, Reid, Read Read Brown and Brown Read, indeed the marriage certificate for William "Read" to Selina Marfell, at District Church of Christ, West Dean 19.3.1859 shows his surname as Brown and his father Richard Brown. I have rationalised these names as "Read" for every instance in my family tree.
William Read was born 1839 to Richard Read (born 1814 Dudley) and Fanny Dubberley b. 27.8.1811, Richard & Fanny married 26.8.1837 Ruardean and had 9 children, including George 1850 (as per your posting)and a daughter Elizabeth born 12.4.1852 who married a John Frederick Whittington b 1851 at Westbury on Severn Register Office 10.6.1875. Elizabeth & John Frederick Whittington had 4 children including Clarence Oliver Whittington born 21.1.1876 The Pludds. This is where it gets interesting : When William Read died, his wife Selina Read nee Marfell born 28.10.1839 married Clarence Oliver Whittington born 21.1.1876. The marriage was at Westbury on Severn Register Office 10.8.1896.
Selina Whittington nee Marfell was buried 17.6.1914 at Ruardean.

In 1901 the age gap appears to have magically reduced :

1901 Census East Dean
Oliver Whittington head 26 Coal Miner Ruardean
Selina wife 31 Ruardean
George Trump g son 21 Coal Miner Ruardean
Rhoda Read g dtr 21 Cook Ruardean
Dora Read 8 mths love child Ruardean

Dora Read is the illegitimate daughter of William Read & Selina Marfells daughter Rachel. It is not surprising that Clarence Oliver uses the name Oliver as he had a brother registered as Clarry Alfred - Birth Reg 2nd qtr 1877 Wx 6a 262. (I have Clarence Oliver's birth certificate, so know his name to be correct).
Clarence Alfred born 1877 married Harriett Ellen Brain 17.9.1900 Drybrook and they emigrated to US 17.4.1907 Ship Carmania and appears on the 1910 & 1920 Census LaSalle IL. USA

I too have communicated with Linda Moll, as you know William Read & Clara Edwards daughter Harriett married Eduard De Maux - name changed on entering US to Ed Moll (as per Ed Moll's Bar photo).

Clara Edwards father as shown on her marriage certificate is Thomas Edwards, and I am unclear as to her mother and siblings, perhaps you could contact me using the Email link and we could compare notes

Jim Ashton

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Hi Jim

Clara Edwards is quite close to my direct line and I would like to discuss further with you. Her mother was Mary Hale (bn 1840-1841 to John Hale and Eliza (nee Smith). Can you please contact me by my email link.
Regards
Chris

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Chris

Following your reply, I have found the marriage in the Forest Church 15.6.1862, also the 1851 Census entries for John Hale :

1851 Census
108
HALE John 35 Coal Miner Sladd well East Dean
Eliza 34 Lydbrook
John 6 Day Scholar East Dean
Moses 2 East Dean
Elizabeth 12 Scholar East Dean
Mary 10 Scholar East Dean
Thomas 3m East Dean
HALE Mary Mother Widow/er 78 Wool Spinner Ruardean
HALE Richard Lodger Widow/er 32 Coal Miner Sladdwell
RUDGE John Lodger 21 Coal Miner Joys Green

Also the 1851 entry for John Edwards :

1851 Census
9
EDWARDS John 41 Collier Stanton
Ellen 35 Hampshire
James 14 Coalpit Labourer Lydbrook
Martha 13 Lydbrook
Thomas 11 Lydbrook
Josiah 9 Lydbrook
John 7 Lydbrook
Elizabeth 4 East Dean
Charles 2 East Dean

My main interest is the Marfell family and whilst I do follow the parents and siblings of spouses, it is sometimes difficult to know where to draw the line.

Jim Ashton

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Hi Jim

Yes, I know what you mean about finding it difficult to know where to draw the line. Clara's is an interesting story though, and when it was finally uncovered, you could have knocked me down with a feather.

As you know Clara's parents were Thomas Edwards and Mary (nee Hale). Mary died about 2 months after Clara's birth in 1867, leaving Thomas with two other little girls, Mary Elizabeth (bn 1863) and Harriett (bn 1864). By 1870 Thomas had remarried a widow by the name of Susan Bourne (nee Howell) who also had a daughter named Helena (bn 1865). They went on to have three more Forest children Lydia (abt 1863) , Emily (abt 1864) and Charles (1876). In 1876 the family emigrated on the "Queen of Nations", initially settling in Queensland but shortly after moving to Minmi, NSW (a coal mining area near Newcastle), where they had another 3 children Thomas (1878), Eveline (1883) and Florence (1886). I am descended from Thomas. They arrived in September 1876 and at that time of year Queensland isn't too bad but December onwards it it becomes hotter and more humid (February is a killer and would have been a major shock for Forest folk).

All of the English children except Clara were on the shipping documents and this is where you don't assume you know what happens next. I thought it was just an oversight on the shipping document and spent years trying to find her in Australia. Of course I never did and thought she had died in Queensland. Thanks to Diane Hale and Linda Moll, I found out that she subsequently remained in the Forest. When her mother Mary died, baby Clara was given to a Hale family member to look after, who became her "adopted" mother. Little Clara / new mother were obviously very close and Thomas must have felt it better for them to stay together.

BTW many thanks for the certificates. If you require further information, please let me know.

Regards
Chris

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Hi Chris,

I am researching the Bourne family of Lydney, John Frederick Bourne was my great grandfather, he was born 1st November 1848 In Lydney. His father was John Borne and Mother Elizabeth nee Jones.
In your post you mention a Susan Bourne(nee Howell) and wonder whether she might be related to my family. Have you any more information regarding Susan.

Regards Ron

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