Descendants of the Turnbull family of Sparrow Hill, Coleford (General)

by rookancestrybest , United Kingdom, Sunday, September 16, 2018, 14:36 (2267 days ago)

I have a letter from a Mrs I or Mrs J Turnbull who lived at what looks like Sparrow Hill, Coleford and wondered if any of her descendants might be interested in my scanning a copy for them. Though no date is on the letter it will have been written after 1877, but likely to be no later than about 1881. My family were moved by Thomas Mushet along with several others to Sheffield and the letter must have been written just after the whole family had settled there. Mrs Turnbull's letter informs my great, great grandma that she is still tending her son's grave (the son being William Charles Stephen Rook who died in December 1877 aged 2 1/2 years of scarletina). She says in the letter that she tends his grave along with the grave of her own child, "dear little Charley" at Coleford Cemetery. She sounds like a lovely woman and a very loyal friend but her and her family seem stricken by ill health. The only J or I Turnbull I can find on your site is the record of the death of a Jane Turnbull in 1889 aged 43 years which sounds as though it might fit. I am wondering if this could be the same person? In the letter she writes of "little Ellie" who I presume was one of her living children. She also mentions someone called Clara who had recently taken flowers and moss to the graves. When she signs off it's from the Turnbulls and Clara.