Graham Arthur HARPER 1945 Lydbrook area (General)

by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Friday, March 18, 2011, 07:36 (5006 days ago) @ slowhands

update

Year: 1933
Month: Sep
Day: 23
Grooms_Surname: HARPER
Grooms_Forenames: Arthur Edwin
Grooms_Age: 27
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Collier
Grooms_Residence: Lydbrook
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: HARPER
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Thomas Arthur
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Collier
Brides_Surname: TOWNSEND
Brides_Forenames: Blodwyn Elzabeth
Brides_Age: 22
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Lydbrook
Brides_Fathers_Surname: TOWNSEND
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Tom[?]
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Postman[?]
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both Sign
Witness_1: Harold Thomas Harper
Witness_2: Tom Townsend
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: R W E Robinson Vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes: Grooms father is deceased
Register_Reference: P208 IN 1/6
Page_Number: 18
Parish_Chapel: Lydbrook

Name: Blodwen E Harper
Death Registration Month/Year: 1945
Age at death (estimated): 34
Registration district: Forest of Dean
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 6a
Page: 424

Name: Graham A Harper
Mother's Maiden Surname: Townsend
Date of Registration: Apr May Jun 1945
Registration district: F. of Dean
Registration county: Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire
Volume Number: 6a
Page Number: 520

http://www.forest-and-wye-today.co.uk/Letters.cfm?id=9745&headline=My Forest roots

I CONTACTED you last about October 2010 seeking help in finding lost family for a family history project I have been doing and your readers came up trumps and connected me with my first cousins at Brockhollands. I have since had many conversations with my cousins which has led me back to you once again.

I had heard family tales of but had never met or communicated with my cousins until your readers solved our 50 plus year-old mystery for which we are all so very grateful.

My new cousins, the Price family, contained many well known Forest of Dean folk and a hero among them who helped by retrieving victims during the aftermath of the Severn Bridge explosion and fire.

Brian Price, retired river inspector of Lydney is our family hero and also one of the brothers who hold or held water Skiing records running up and down the Severn and other places. Thanks to one and all who read the story and passed along the story eventually connecting me to long lost kin.

With the positive experience noted above I am hoping you will help me one more time and publish the story about one other long lost cousin.

I am hoping readers can help me connect or find out what happened to my great aunt’s son.

Graham Arthur Harper was born at 1 Ashford Road, Redhill, near Bristol, and his parents were Blodwyn Elsie Harper (nee Townsend) who normally lived in Lydbrook but was with her sister for the birth at address above.

Graham’s father was Arthur E Harper seemingly a Lydbrook or Forest man. I am told that Arthur and Blodwyn were married in about 1933, probably at Lydbrook Baptist Church but the marriage was registered at Monmouth in Sept 1933. Monmouth being the closest registration office in the day.

Sadly the day little Graham Arthur Harper was born his mum passed away due to complications with the birth. As the father was away working at the time we understand Graham was raised for his first two years of life by Blodwyn’s sister Morfydd Eastham (nee Townsend) at the address supplied above.

When Graham’s father had re-married he then took over responsibility for his son with his new wife Gladys and they took Graham back to Lydbrook which is where they then lived and the last time we ever heard from them sadly.

From 1947-8 to 2011 our family have enquired by letter and telephoned many folk trying to trace Graham Arthur Harper but to this day with no luck.

I called many Harpers in the Gloucestershire area and other areas of the UK where I found a Graham or Arthur Harper over the last month or so as well but have drawn a blank so as a last ditch hope I am writing to the kind folk of my native homeland for help once again.

If you know anything about the above family, the Townsends, Price, Dobbs, Hempstalk or Lewis please make contact so I can share family history and stories with you for mutual benefit.

– Jim Patterson

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Possible 2nd marriage ?

Name: Graham A Harper
Spouse : Gillian M Hicks
Date of Registration: Jul 1994
Registration district: Forest of Dean
Registration county (inferred): Gloucestershire
Volume Number: 482
Page Number: 640
Register number: C12
Find Spouse: Find Spouse
Entry Number: 067

HARPER Graham Arthur BRADLEY Gillian Margaret Forest of Dean Coleford St John the Evangelist 1994 13 67
HARPER Graham Arthur HICKS Gillian Margaret Forest of Dean Coleford St John the Evangelist 1994 13 67

Electoral Roll 2002 Hampshire Portsmouth/Winchester area?
Graham A Harper , Gillian M Harper
Other occupants: Helen M Jones

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