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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: CelticAnnie on Wednesday 01 June 11 22:01 BST (UK)
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I've inherited a Victorian portrait photo album of my ancestors (and friends?!). Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing who in the family was its original owner -- which might help with identifying some of the folk in it. (No helpful names written on the backs of photos, of course!) Identifications are proving very difficult! :-\
The photos include about a dozen of different individuals taken at different portrait photographers' studios in Cardiff. Yet I do not know of any connection between my London/Hereford-based family and ANYONE in Cardiff, so this is a real puzzle! ???
On the back of one photo in the album of one of my "main players", Hereford-based Tom, is written Tom's address, gently crossed through, and then "please return this, being one of a pair" (also gently crossed through) and then: Mr Minley (just possibly "Munley"), 47 Grange Gardens, Grange, Cardiff -- a Cardiff address; hurrah! And the matching pair photo of his wife, Eliza (also taken in Hereford) has written on the back: M Skye, 34 Corporation Road, Lower Grange, Cardiff -- another Cardiff address! I would of course like to try to find out more about these two individuals as they provide a possible Cardiff connection; but having no forenames and no knowledge of their family relationships, and being a relative newbie to genealogy, I have no clue where to start! Can anyone advise me, please? Tom & Eliza were married in 1879 and died around 1910. Unfortunately, I live in Texas and so can only research on line.
Many thanks for reading this far!
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hi,,,you say tom and eliza were married in 1879,,,can you tell us who tom and eliza are,,or at least thier surnames and years of birth...or the marriage reference? ;)
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I do know some about Tom Smith and wife Eliza Owen -- as I say, this couple are one of my "main players". They were married in Islington, Middlesex on 21st June 1879. In the 1881 and 1891 censuses, they are Head Attendant & Housekeeper respectively at the Hereford Country Lunatic Asylum. :o But by 1901 they are living at the Hereford address given on the back of Tom's photo; and Tom's profession is described as "retired head attendant" (no profession given for Eliza, being 'merely' his wife!). They had no children. Eliza had two siblings, but I know of no Cardiff connection through them and their extensive families; and I have not been able to trace any siblings for Thomas. :( Stuck!
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this chap and family are living at 41 corporation road,Cardiff in 1901?
SKYE, Michael Head Married M 38 1863 Egg Merchant
Greece (Foreign Subject)
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could the surname you mentioned regarding mr minley or munley be MURLEY?
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or MANLEY - lots of those in Cardiff
It appears that the families of Thomas and Eliza are from Wales and Scotland, so no obvious link to cardiff, although llantwit major, where Thomas was born isn't far away, so not beyond the realms of knowing people there (and prior to his work in the asylum Thomas worked for a barrister in Cowbridge, again not far away)
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Just re-read my post, being from Wales does not discount Cardiff which is of course the capital of Wales, what I meant was they seem to have stayed in llantwit Major, not moving to Cardiff city itself.
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michael skye married married emily MURLEY....That is why i asked about the MINLEY/MUNLEY name ;)
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wow -- thank you both so much -- this is BRILLIANT stuff! (Gortonboy, where on earth did you look up this information about Mr Skye?! Are you a magician?!!)
I've re-examined the signature (Victorian handwriting isn't easy, is it?!!) -- it certainly could be "Murley"........oh, wow, you keep posting new info, you're so fast I can't keep up! I think Manley is less likely.
NadT, how on earth did you find Thomas in Cowbridge? I haven't "got" that -- I have him as a footman (aged 25) in what I take to be a 'big house' Hereford (a touch of "upstairs, downstairs"!) but that and his birth and parents are all I have of him before his marriage!
And how do you both do this so quickly?!!
Anyway, thank you both so, so much for all your trouble. I feel a lot less stuck, now -- there's definitely more to pursue here! Bless you both; and thank you for your time. :-*
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Ahh, clever you - I think you've probably got it :)
Grange gardens now appears to be an area in Grangetown as opposed to an actual street, but there's still a Grange place and it's just off Corporation Road!
I had a quick peek at the census stuff and Emily's father Abraham (if I've got the right one) is a police man at Grangetown police station in 1891, although he appears to have remarried and moved to Southampton in 1901.
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Abraham married a Margaret Smith ????
Civil Registration event: Marriage
MarriageFinder: Abraham Murley married Margaret Smith
Name: MURLEY, Abraham
Registration District: Bridgend
County: Glamorganshire
Year of Registration: 1859
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Spouse's last name: Not available before 1912
Volume No: 11A
Page No: 489
Name: SMITH, Margaret
Registration District: Bridgend
County: Glamorganshire
Year of Registration: 1859
Month of Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Volume No: 11A
Page No: 489
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and Margaret was born in llantwit major,,,,where was Thomas born?
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CelticAnnie,
in 1871 your Thomas is a footman for Henry Hawkins, Magistrate of the County of Monmouth and landowner, living at 22 Moorfield Place, leominster, hereford
Go back 10 years, he is 14, is at Llysworney (listed reg dist Cowbridge) and is an under gardener for what looks like R Cook Carne Esq, sorry i can't read the address but he is a barrister, proprieter, magistrate not in practice, landed - the handwriting on this one is awful - perhaps some kind soul on here could look at it and make something else out for you
in 1851 he is with dad John and mum Ann in West Street, Llantwit Major, John is a Farm Labourer
Glad to be of help
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so Tom was born Llantwit major? so could the link be that Margaret and Thomas are siblings....or related somehow? ;)
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NadT and gortonboy, you are both just totally amazing! 8) I'm completely in awe!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!
Yippee -- so much progress!