Along with researching my own family, I also enjoy researching other peoples families and particularly like a challenge! I will quite often help other genealogists with specific problem relatives via forum posts, as well as setting my self much larger projects which are listed to the right.
An intriguing piece of detective work was posted on the Bristol & Avon Family History Society’s Facebook page a few days ago by an Australian lady trying to trace the criminal activities of her grandmother Gladys Violet NUTT of Bristol.
I have had in my possession a splendid pile of Victorian family photographs since 1993, originally discovered in the basement of the ground floor flat at 29 Logan Road, Bishopston, Bristol in the early 1970’s by my parents. The flat was rented from one of two spinster sisters called LEE, one of which had been a Botanist. Only two of the photographs had names one, and wondered if I could find out any more.
Alongside the Lee Sisters photograph album were several postcards sent between 1909 and 1916. All but one were sent to their step-father George Gardner STONE at 2 Broadway Road, Bishopston, Bristol.
This page contains all the photographs found in the Lee Sisters family album, organised by decade taken (to the best of my ability). Do you recognise anyone?
This page contains all the photographs with the faces cropped to see if there are any family traits which may help place people into family lines. Do you recognise anyone?
There were eleven different photographers amongst the Lee sisters Cartes de Vista taken in Bristol. Can you help identify anyone?
There were quite a lot of photographs taken around London amongst the Lee sisters Cartes de Vista taken in Somerset. Can you help identify anyone?
There were nine different photographers amongst the Lee sisters Cartes de Vista taken in various places around Somerset. Can you help identify anyone?
There were seven different photographers amongst the Lee sisters Cartes de Vista taken in Wiltshire, and nearly all in Salisbury. Can you help identify anyone?
There were seven different photographers amongst the Lee sisters Cartes de Vista taken in Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Kent and Sussex. Can you help identify anyone?
There were five different photographers amongst the Lee sisters Cartes de Vista taken in Durham and Yorkshire. Can you help identify anyone?
There were two different photographers amongst the Lee sisters Cartes de Vista taken in Nottinghamshire. Can you help identify anyone?
There were four different photographers amongst the Lee sisters Cartes de Vista taken abroad in Australia, France, India and Italy. Can you help identify anyone?
There were a small selection of photographs amongst the Lee sisters Cartes de Vista with no photographers marks. Most appear to be taken in the 1860’s. Can you help identify anyone?
These photos were sold as an album to tourists in Paris, France by photographer Baptiste Guérard in the 1860’s. They each have handwritten notes of the places pictured.
These photos were taken in Rome, Italy. Most have a handwritten description. Were these sold as a pack, or taken by a tourist?
Another piece of detective work sprang up on the Bristol & Avon Family History Society’s Facebook page on Thursday evening, with a lady requesting help tracing the birth record of her great grandmother Lilian May FRY.
I found myself looking into the life of Charles Clement SYMONDS after identifying him in a WWI photograph. I wondered what else I could find out, and discovered a Bristol family marked by several tragic events over the years.
A “little” bit of detective work caught my eye on the Bristol & Avon Family History Society’s Facebook page in mid Jan, regarding a Captain JOSEPH CHARLES NEWTON, possibly of Bristol, who died in Epping, Victoria, Australia in 1903. I wondered what I could find out.
Alfred GINN was born Jan 1872 in St. Neots, Huntingdonshire. He enlisted on 5th Sep 1889 into the 3rd Hussars and fought in the Boer War with the 6th and 2nd Dragoons. He was discharged after 21 years service in 1910 and re-enlisted 25th May 1915 as a 2nd Warrant Officer for the Military Mounted Police Corps. Alfred was killed in action just under 4 months later on 1st Oct 1915 age 43, leaving a wife and three young children.