In my search to find who the father of my great-grandfather Joseph WATKINS I am including a few details here of the BLATCHFORD and MEEK families though I have no documented proof that they are directly connected I hope that additional information may come forward.

I believe that Mary A. the wife of William BLATCHFORD is Mary A. WATKINS a grand-daughter of John WATKINS.

Henrietta BLATCHFORD maried William MEEK and known children are Elizabeth and Phylis. My father Harold WATKINS (b.1923) lived with this family in Ruardean for about 5 years while the rest of the WATKINS family moved to Manchester. Harold moved to Machester to rejoin the family when he was about 10 years of age.

1881 Census (living next door to some of the WATKINS family)

William BLATCHFORD Head M Male 28 Kilmerston Somerset England Coal Miner
Mary A. BLATCHFORD Wife M Female 29 East Dean Gloucester England
Clarence BLATCHFORD Son Male 4 East Dean Gloucester England
Henrieta BLATCHFORD Daur Female 2 East Dean Gloucester England

Source Information:
Dwelling Newham Bottom
Census Place Westbury On Severn - East Dean Gloucester England
Family History Library Film 1341609
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 2522 / 20
Page Number 1

All children of William and Henrietta BLATCHFORD (information obtined from a member of the Meek family)
Elizabeth
Ursula
Lois
Clarence
Henrietta
Sidney

Joseph WATKINS married Elizabeth MILLS at Clifton Bristol Ive always wondered how Joseph a coal miner from Ruardeam met Elizabeth from Clifton.

Photo of Harold Watkins with Henrietta and Elizabeth Meek outside Holly Cottage Ruardean.
http://forest-of-dean.net/gallery/watkins_ruardean/pages/page_19.html

I ordered the Marriage Certificate of William BLATCHFORD / Mary WATKINS with the hope that they match up should have that in about a week.

It will be very interesting to see if Mary has a father listed. There was many illegitimate children born in the area at that time including my great-grandfather Joseph Watkins and on the certificates the fathers name is left blank which makes it very hard for us to find our ancestors.

DNA testing is a way of determining if males share a common male ancestor as every father passes on his Y-chromosome to his sons. Our surnames usually pass that way also but not always as most of us are aware.

I've been DNA teasted and hope others from the Forest will do so in the future this way we may find out a lot more.

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1861 Census entry :-

RG9 / 1755
Township of East Dean Ecclesiastical District of Holy Trinity
Schedule no. 3
Address : Huntley

John Watkins Head Mar 51 Coalminer Born Herefordshire
Comfort Watkins Wife Mar 51 Monmouthshire
Esther Watkins Dau Unmar 21 Dressmaker Parish of Ruardean
James Watkins G.son 9 Parish of Ruardean
Mary Watkins G.dau 8 Parish of Ruardean
Henry Watkins G.son 6 Parish of Ruardean
Josiah Watkins G.son 2 East Dean
George Watkins G.son 2 East Dean

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Gloucestershire Records Office

1871 Census
East Dean
Holy Trinity

WATKINS:
John Head 60 M Collier Ruardean
Comfort Wife 62 M Bicknor Mons
James Grandson 19 U Collier East Dean
Mary Daughter 18 U East Dean
Henry Grandson 14 U East Dean
Job Grandson 4 U East Dean

Job (Joseph) is my great-grandfather

More information you can see on the FOD Message Board
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=113

I believe that Mary A. the wife of William BLATCHFORD is Mary A. WATKINS a grand-daughter of John WATKINS.

Confirmed by the marriage certificate that the wife of William BLATCFORD is Mary WATKINS.

It appears that Mary WATKINS was born illegitimate abt 1853 and I am now looking for further clues of who the parents were. All I know of her is that she is the grandaughter of John WATKINS from earlier census information. On the marriage certificate she gives her fathers name as John WATKINS but I believe that name was entered for convenience.

If anybody has access to the 1891 and or 1901 Census I would be pleased if you could find any information on William and Mary BLATCHFORD who would be living at or near Ruardean.

I also suspect that that Mary WATKINS could possibly be the mother of my great-grandfather Joseph WATKINS born about 1867 East Dean. This is only a guess as Mary would only have been about 15 or 16 at the time but it is a possibility.

Thanks

1891
Blatchford, Willian abt 1851 Radstock, Somerset, England Head East Dean Gloucestershire
Blatchford, Mary abt 1852 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife East Dean Gloucestershire
Blatchford, Clarence abt 1877 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Blatchford, Elizth abt 1885 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Blatchford, Henrietta abt 1879 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Blatchford, Sidney abt 1882 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Blatchford, Sula abt 1889 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire

1901 Ruardean Hill
William Blatchford abt 1850 Kilmersdon, Somerset, England Head East Dean Gloucestershire
Mary Blatchford abt 1851 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife East Dean Gloucestershire
Clara Blatchford abt 1896 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Clarence Blatchford abt 1877 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Blatchford abt 1886 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Sidney Blatchford abt 1882 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Ursula Blatchford abt 1890 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire

1911
BLATCHFORD WILLIAM M 1852 59 Westbury on Severn Gloucestershire
BLATCHFORD MARY F 1853 58 Westbury on Severn Gloucestershire

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

1851 East Dean

WATKINS John 40 Coal Miner Ruardean
Comfort 43 Bicknor
Sarah 17 Ruardean
Esther 13 Ruardean
John 11 Coal Miner Ruardean
Eve 7 Scholar Ruardean
Jane 5 Scholar Ruardean

wife is Comfort Cole Welsh Bicknor

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>