Barring floods and famine I intend to visit the above Church on Saturday 8th July, to look for ancestors graves.
If anyone would like me to look for any of their family in the Churchyard please let me know, and I will do my best.

dear Bertha

Saw your notice. Do you think you could see if there are any gravestones relating to William Russell or Mary Norris (my great great grandparents), George Meek or Martha Russell or James Powell and Martha Meek. I do not have any dates for them but it would be going back to about 1830 for William russell.

Many thanks

Eddy

Eddy,
Is the George Meek you are interested in the one born about 1802 in Ruardean and with a wife Sarah?
Dewey

Yes Eddy I'll certainly have a look for those for you and let you know what I find

Dewey

If you look at at previous thread you will see it is George MEEK who married Martha Russell in 1869.
Link to: http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=3142#p3142

William RUSSELL was buried at Ruardean 12 Apr 1895

Mary NORRIS was buried at Ruardean on 5 Sep 1896

Take a look at the following web page where you will see full details of these
people and also two generatins further back on the Russell line to Nathaniel
RUSSELL born at Bromsberrow Gloucestershire in 1746.

http://david.watkins.org.au/cgi-bin/perlged.cgi?method=get&action=display&selec...

and here :-

http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=3142#p3150

sorry Admin we were posting around the same time :-)

Hi Bertha

Don't go looking especially - particularly if this heatwave is still with us - but if you happen to see any Pewtner graves and can note the inscriptions, I'd be most grateful.

Thanks

Joss

My wife and I did the same trip a few weeks ago.You will be better off with a grass strimmer than anything else as the old grave area was very overgrown. We spent several hours on our quest but discovered very little. However it was worth the trip to get a flavour of the area and see where the ancestors are laid to rest.
We had far more luck in Drybrook and the church was open . Make sure you have a note book,pen and camera . It was quite an emotional experience especially to be in the church where my g grandfather was baptised so many years ago. Have a great trip.
Nigel

I must be luckier than you Nigel.
I visited the church last year and found all my ancestors. As I now have more names I am going again.
I never go anywhere without my camera notebook and pen!
I just hope the rain/heatwave holds off!

Joss I'll look for your Pewtner ancestors as well

Regards
B

B

It was our first time so any tips would be great as we are planning another trip next month.There were as many gravestones lined up around the church yards as still standing.
There are records of marriages and christenings and Slowhands has been superb in helping my research however little detail on burials.If they were paupers or on poor relief when they died it may explain why.No chance of finding a hidden family fortune then!
Nigel

Well the rain and heatwave held off so I went to the above church as planned.

Eddy, I'm afraid I didn't find any of the ancestors you were looking for.

Joss, I found one Pewtner grave with three people on it, let me know if you want me to post the information here or if you'd like me to email it to you. I also took a photograph let me know if you want that.

Tanith, I'll email you the inscription of William Vaughan as you asked, let me know if you want the photograph as well.

Barbara, I have the inscription and photograph of the headstone of William Vaughan (William Henrys father) let me know if you want this.

Nigel, the gods must have smiled on me, all the grass was freshly mown, no need for a portable strimmer!

Thanks so much, email on the way but it might be a good idea to post Pewtner information here as well in case it is of use to anyone else.

Joss

Pewtner Gravestone found at St John the Baptist Church Ruardean

'In memory of William Pewtner who died December 20th 1880 aged 60 years
also of Elizabeth Mary daughter of the above died June 1864 aged 3 years
also Esaias son of the above who died Nov 28th 1884 aged 27 years'

The inscription was quite difficult to read the stone was fairly weathered this is the best I could make out

'Oh we miss the ? how sadly bleeding hearts alone can tell earth has lost thee heaven has found thee Jesus doeth all things well'

If you check the Parish Records on this site you'll see that all 3 of the above are listed. Esaias is listed as Isaiah, Elizabeth Mary is listed as being 33 when she died. I think this may be an error on the part of the transcriber, it may be worth asking if they could check the records for you to make sure. I'm fairly certain she is listed as being 3 on the gravestone.

I'll send a photograph of the gravestone to you for you to check yourself
Hope this is of some help

Dear Bertha

Thank you for your kind offer regarding William Henry Vaughan

Yes Please I would like the information.

What a super message this board is!!

Thanks ever so much for that Bertha, it seems Barbara and I are chasing the same trail! I'd really like a photo (morbid as it may seem!)

Barbara,
I've found Caroline - Fanny's sister b Monmouth Jun1896, she's down on BMD website as Caroline Mary A Vaughan, which would follow as William Henry Vaughans mother was Mary A Vaughan. I'm waiting on the certificate so I'll let you know if there's any more info on Eva

Tanith

Thanks Bertha for this.
I have identified these as follows:
Father William Pewtner (born in Whitchurch, Herefordshire, along with numerous siblings including my ggg grandfather) was married to Elizabeth Wilce (m 9 Jun 1857).
Elizabeth Mary was 3 and not 33 according to BMD entry for her (Ross 6a p 442 Jun ¼ 1861). Without the grave info I wouldn't have known she belonged to this family.
Esaias appears on censuses as a coal miner b 1858 according to BMD. I wonder what he died of - was there an accident of some sort?
There was at least one other brother, George William b approx 1863, also a miner, appears on 1871 and 1881 in Ruardean with variant spellings (Putvin & Pewtur) and if I’ve got it right is on the Essex census for 1891.
I’m sure there must have been other children as everyone had lots in those days, but so far they haven’t come out of the woodwork. And I wonder why mother Elizabeth wasn’t buried with them? She could be the EP in the Ruardean burials for 1889, although her age doesn’t quite fit census info.

Re the inscription, I can’t make it out so far either on the photo you kindly sent (though will see if the wonders of Photoshop can help!).
Tried googling it and the nearest is a hymn by Fanny (Frances) Jane Crosby, 1820-1915 which goes:
All the way my saviour leads me; What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who thro' life has been my guide?
Heav'nly peace divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

Joss