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I have just returned from the Forest and took some pictures of gravestones - unfortunately they don't fit in with my family tree but thought they might be of interest to someone else. I'm not sure how to go about it - but please let me know if you are interested soon. I notice that the main website photo area only wants photos 50 years or older, but it is a shame to delete them.

Ruardean:
Adelaide Marfell, James W. Marfell, Thomas James Marfell
Andrew Marfell
Mary Ann Marfell
Enoch Marfell, Elizabeth Marfell
Thomas Marfell, Ann Marfell, Alfred Mafell

Drybrook:
Raymond James Marfell
Cornelius Brain
Also a lovely photo of the church at Drybrook.

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Hi Bev

I have a lot of pictures of gravestones and have possibly got pictures of those you mention, but would it be possible to list the relevant dates. Adelaide is easy to check on - (nee Harding), also Raymond James Marfell but others not so easy, for instance I have 18 Thomas Marfell's. I would also like to know more about Cornelius Brain - I have 10 of those.

Regards

Jim Ashton

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To be honest - didn't want to spend too long posting details if no-one was interested, but seeing as you've asked...

Adelaide, wife of James W. Marfell died May 3rd 1903
Thomas James, Sone of adelaide and James Marfell of Yew Tree House, The Hawthornes June 28th 1900 (edges missing on photo)
James W. Marfell 17th July 1908 Hawthorns aged 75 years

Elizabeth Marfell Oct 30th 1872 58 years

Enoch Marfell Sept 1908 71 years

Thomas Marfell Nov 4th 1873 aged 52
Ann his wife May 29th 1891 aged 52
and their son Alfred Marfell of Norton Bridge Pontyprid Wales July 12th 1893 interred at the Parish Churchyard Llanfaeon.

Andrew Marfell May 6th 1907 61 years of Ruardeal Woodside
his wife Mary Ann Sept 18th 1932 aged 86 years
on ?Osman henry his son March 25th 1886 13 months

Raymond James Marfell 6th December 1963

Cornelius Brain June 15th 1915 aged 67 of Ruardean Woodside

Am happy to e-mail any of the photos as attatchments if you need further clarification.

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Hi Bev

Thank you very much for the information, I do have pictures of all the Marfells you have mentioned as the Marfell family are my main interest. Not wishing to be picky but in case anyone else uses the information you have kindly provided, Elizabeth Marfell died 30th October was actually aged 38 years and her spouse Enoch died in 1909. Digital cameras are great for noting the detail, rather than writing it down, then you can keep the picture on your hard drive anyway. I do wonder what other people in church yards make of this though !!

With regard to Cornelius Brain, I would very much appreciate a copy of this photo. I have two Cornelius Brains in my family tree born in 1848, but do not have a death date for either. One had a first wife Sarah Ann married 9.4.1870, then a second "wife" Maria with whom he had 5 children between 1879 & 1886, in the meantime first wife Sarah Ann nee Baldwin was back with parents Samuel Baldwin & Elizabeth on the 1881 Census shown as Sarah Brain married. The other Cornelius born 1848 was not so complex marrying a Rhoda Parsons 8.10.1870 having 9 children, one of whom married a Marfell. I have added all this info in the hope that slowhands will sort them out for me !!

Jim Ashton

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Jim - If you e-mail me I can add the Cornelius Brain photo as an attatchment. On magnifying image - date for Enoch was 1909 - but very worn, age for Elizabeth definately looks like 58 though. Apologies.

Linda - have tried to e-mail you as requested, attatching the photos but all mail is being returned. I'm not sure why. If you can think of something to try.

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Elizabeth Marfell (Enoch’s wife) is my recently discovered, great, great grandmother who died on 30 Oct 1872 aged 37 years (not 38!), which is confirmed by the PR for her burial and a letter I have.

The letter was written in 1942 from Hain Villa, Ruardean Woodside by her daughter, Elizabeth Amelia MARFELL, to my great aunt where she mentions several other members of her family. The main topic was about age and the letter ends listing birth dates ‘from father’s book’. Sadly the final sentence reads ‘ Mother died in 1872, the last baby went with her’.

So Jim, if you can send me any photos and information about this Marfell family I would really appreciate it. For example, do you know if Enoch and Benjamin were twins or just brothers both baptised on 3 Sep 1837? Does Hain Villa still exist? Also is The Farm, Ruardean an area of land or an actual dwelling?

I realise this post originated several years ago and I hope it’s not too late but I have only just been able to establish exactly who my great grandmother really was and it has been wonderful to find this site with so much good information on it. I have found the advanced search tips have been very useful too. Many thanks to you all.

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previous threads inc

http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=32952#p32954

? (age a few years out)

1871 Census, Glos East Dean

MARFELL

Enoch - 30 Collier, born East Dean
Elzth - 30
Clara - 9
Oliver - 7
Elizabeth A - 7 months

FOD records (as yet can only see Elizabeth's baptism)

FOD records

Marriage at Cinderford St John - 21 February 1863

Enock MARFELL, age 25,Bachelor, Collier, East Dean
father: Thomas MARFELL

married

Elizabeth YEM - age 28, Spinster, residence, East Dean

father: Amos YEM- Collier, by Banns

witnesses: Thomas and Ann MEREDITH

Officiating Minster, Tho(ma)s Gosselin SMYTHIES

----

Baptism at Forest of Dean Bible Christian - 9 November 1870

Elizabeth Amelia MARFELL -

parents Enoch ( Collier) & Elizabeth, Township of East Dean,

---

1881 Census, Westbury on Severn, East Dean

Enock MARFELL - Widower, age 43, Coal Miner, born East Dean
Oliver MARFELL - son - 17
Elizabeth MARFELL - daughter - 10

1861 Census, Ruardean Woodside
Ram Inn Public

MARFELL

George - 48 - Coal Miner, born East Dean
Elizabeth - 46 - born Herefordshire, Lea
George - 27
Andrew - 14
Allin - 12
Mary - 5
Enoch MARFELL, Lodger, unmarried age 22, Collier, born East Dean

-----

probably on a previous thread

1851 Census, Glos East Dean

Ruardean, Woodside

MARFELL -

George - 25, George 7, Elizabeth 25

then next door

YEMM

Amos - married 55 - Coal Miner, East Dean
Winifred - 53
Abiah - 19
Elizabeth - 16
Enos - 12
James - 9

-----

1841 census - both families living near

YEM

Amos - 45
Winfred - 40
William - 10
Thomas - 8
Abia - 6
Elizabeth - 5
//
Amos BRADLEY - 20
Jemmia BRADLEY - 19

//

next door

MARFELL

Thomas, 45, Elizabeth 40, Lydia 15, Abia 10, Miles 8

//

next door

Amos YEM - 20 Collier
Rebecka - 20

few doors away

MARFELL

Levi - 65
Elizabeth - 55

then

MARFELL

George 55, Farmer, Hannah 45, Richard 20, Levi 18, William 16, Lydia 14, Mary 13, Myram 10, George 7, Elizabeth 5, John 3.....

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Thank you for your response. I hadn't realised that quite so many Marfells and Yemms lived in such close proximity. A lot more things are making sense now, I think! Thanks again.

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Ironically I was in the Forest Church and Ruardean Church graveyards yesterday accompanying a fourth cousin & family tree contact on a visit from Australia. I took 85 images but I suspect a lot are for graves I have already photographed. One image I took I will be posting on this site (if it was succesful) is a picture I took of the grave layout for Ruardean church shown to me by a very interesting and helpful official. It will be some time before I even look at the grave images as I am still ploughing through 1400 photos from a recent holiday.

Elizabeth Marfell nee Yemm was baptised 12 April 1835, it could be that she was born the previous year, however the age shown on burial records are not reliable. I have around 1000 certificates and a lot substantiate this.One American Death certificate even had incorrect parents. You have to remember that the information was provided by the informant and years of age depend on a correct calculation which should take into account the months of birth and death, bearing in mind some could not write, this calculation was often far beyond them.

Two of Elizabeth Marfell nee Yemm's siblings married Marfell's. Her parents were Amos Yemm 1796 & Elizabeth Baldwin 1797:

1841 Census East Dean
Amos Yemm 1796
Winifred 1801
William 1831
Thomas 1833
Abia 1835

1851 Census East Dean
YEMM Amos 55 Coal Miner East Dean
Winifred 53 East Dean
Abiah 19 East Dean
Elizabeth 16 East Dean
Enos 12 East Dean
James 9 Scholar East Dean

Benjamin and Enoch Marfell were twins, I don't have birth certificates for them as they were born in 1837,the year registration started, but I have marriage certificates for both and a death certificate for Benjamin. I have posted a picture of Benjamin Marfell & wife Elizabeth Mason on this web site.

I will be happy to email the certificates I have for Benjamin & Enoch to you, plus a short descendancy report from their parents Thomas Marfell & Elizabeth nee Herbert - one of my Great Great Great Grandparents. I will limit the number of generations as a full report would be 54 pages of A4 in Adobe.

In return, I would be interested in your descendancy from Enoch & Elizabeth.

Jim Ashton

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Jim

Thank you for the information you have posted here, it confirms a lot. I had suspected Benjamin and Enoch were twins but did not know how to find the answer. I would really appreciate any information you feel you could email me and by return I would be more than happy to email you my desendency and would be interested to know yours as it appears we have the same great, great, great grandparents (Thomas & Elizabeth Marfell).

I will keep looking at the photo section for the gravestones pictures, no rush! I had already downloaded the Benjamin and Elizabeth Marfell photograph which was a real joy to find as my interest is with Enoch. I presume they may have been identical twins so it gives me an idea of how my great, great grandfather may have looked. I have several photos of ancestors that I am currently trying to identify so it is all getting very interesting.

Copies of certificates would be most appreciated too when you have time as I don't have many yet, having only recently started down this route. Thank you once again.

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The first stage of course is that I will need your email address. I have sent you one via the web site. On receipt you can email me and I can forward the info.

I have hundreds of gravestone pictures, but only post significant ones.

I have in the past communicated with the Marfell web site and provided a lot of grave stone pictures and information. I was then somewhat surprised that these pictures were available for sale on the web site.

Jim Ashton

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Jim

Thank you, I have replied to your email so you should have my email address by now.

I note your comment about gravestone pictures but I am not aware of a Marfell website with any pictures. The only pictures I have managed to find are from the FOD site. If I understand you correctly, it seems unfair for someone else to benefit from your photography. I appreciate your help and will reciprocate in any way if I can.

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Enoch Marfell born 1837 died 1909 is my great great great grandfather. His son Oliver born 1864 died 1951 is my great great grandfather.

Regards

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Hi Donna, Thanks for your reply, it looks like we are related then! If you would like to email me directly I'd be interested to learn more about your line. Do you have any photos at all? I am currently trying to identify some albums I have, there may well be some of your ancestors there if I know who they are! Hope to hear from you soon.

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One image I took I will be posting on this site (if it was succesful) is a picture I took of the grave layout for Ruardean church shown to me by a very interesting and helpful official.

Jim

I have received the grave layout images you sent me and I will have them available on the Web site soon for download.

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