MACHEN Family and SMITH Family Letter 1873-1889 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, September 10, 2016, 03:36 (2990 days ago) @ jevans

Hi Janet,
wow, that makes interesting reading. Here's my twopennyworth, hope it helps;

1. I'm no expert but it seems possible that the Mils does actually means Miss, especially if written by a well-educated and maybe old-fashioned person ?. The "l" actually being a "long" s, so looks like an "f" with a tail, see here
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-the-title-Mifs

2. Ref the various Machen names, I think these PRs relate to names in the letter (altho there are a few Sophias), they fit your 1870s timeframe. The PRs show that the names Sophia and Lucy were traditional family names so perhaps required differentiating-apart(?) in the letter, hence the "long" S style ?.

Record_ID: 17115
Entry_Number: 2935
Year: 1893
Month: May
Day: 15
Surname: MACHEN
Forenames: Sophia
Residence: Bicknor Court
Age_at_death: 67
Officiating_Minister: George Hustler
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death: )
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: from 1813
Page_No: 177
Parish_Chapel: English Bicknor
Soundex: M250

---

Record_ID: 42400
Entry_Number: 715
Year: 1848
Month: Aug
Day: 13
Parents_Surname: MACHEN
Child_Forenames: Lucy
Fathers_Forenames: Edward
Mothers_Forenames: Sophia
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Mitchel Dean
Occupation: Clerk
Officiating_Minister: E. Machen Rector
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 220 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 90
Parish_Chapel: Mitcheldean
Soundex: M250

and

Record_ID: 109554
Entry_Number: 409
Year: 1874
Month: May
Day: 2
Surname: MACHEN
Forenames: Lucy
Residence: Staunton
Age_at_death: 25 years
Officiating_Minister: John Senior & John Clifford Off[iciatin]g Min[isters]
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: PFC310 1/11
Page_No: 52
Parish_Chapel: Staunton
Soundex: M250

Annoyingly I cannot find the family on the 1881 Census !?, but here they are in 1891 and 1871.

1891 Bicknor Court, English Bicknor.
Edward Machen Head Male Clerk? in Holy Orders 73 1818 West Dean Gloucestershire England
Sophia Machen Wife Female 64 1827 Rodmarton Gloucestershire England
Arthur Machen Son Male 39 1852 Mitcheldean Gloucestershire England
Edith Machen Daughter Female 37 1854 Mitcheldean Gloucestershire England
Annie Machen Daughter Female 28 1863 Staunton Gloucestershire England
Florence Machen Daughter Female 24 1867 Staunton Gloucestershire England
Richard D Machen Son Student of theology Male 22 1869 Staunton Gloucestershire England
Catharine Edy Servant Cook Female 47 1844 Mordiford Herefordshire England
Elizabeth F Proctor Servant Parlormaid Female 21 1870 Sevenhampton Gloucestershire England
Clara Bevan Servant Housemaid Female 18 1873 Lydbrook Herefordshire England
Thomas Bottom Servant Stableboy Male 16 1875 Dilwyn Herefordshire England

1871 The Rectory, Staunton.
Given Name Surname Relationship Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth City Birth County Birth Country
Edward Machen Head 53 1818 Male Rector of Staunton Dean Forest Gloucestershire England
Sophia Machen Wife 44 1827 Female Rodmarton Gloucestershire England
Edith Machen Daughter 17 1854 Female Mitcheldean Gloucestershire England
Alice Machen Daughter 14 1857 Female Mitcheldean Gloucestershire England
Henrietta Machen Daughter 12 1859 Female Bicknor Gloucestershire England
Annie Machen Daughter 8 1863 Female Staunton Gloucestershire England
Margaret Machen Daughter 6 1865 Female Staunton Gloucestershire England
Florence Machen Daughter 4 1867 Female Staunton Gloucestershire England
Richard D Machen Daughter 2 1869 Staunton Gloucestershire England
Eleanor Dancer Serv Governess 36 1835 Female Fullham London England
Ann Ravenhill Serv Cook 30 1841 Female Monmouthshire Wales
Henry A White Serv Nurse 29 1842 Male Cambridgeshire Gloucestershire England
Lucy Lock Serv Parlormaid 22 1849 Female Bicknor Gloucestershire England
Elizabeth Davis Serv Under Nurse 22 1849 Female Hay Brecknockshire Wales

The 1861 Census also has the family and five staff at Staunton Church, Edward was "Rector, born at Whitemead, Glos". This is at Parkend, see this prior thread.
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=37705

Oddly, I'm unable to find a Machen Marriage that fits anywhere near the c1870s timeframe ? Perhaps the old newspapers sites can help clarify things ?

Curiouser and curiouser..