RootsChat.Com

Dear Mike,
How fascinating that you should find me. We are indeed cousins, but not so distant. My father is the grandson of Fanny Smith (Wood), who, by my reckonning, was your great aunt! Fanny married Alfred Wood, and they migrated to Australia in 1887. They had five surviving children, Geoffrey (my father's father), Marjorie, Edith, Ronald and Helen. My father (John Graham Wood - note family middle name; I'm Christopher Graham Wood) was an only child, but had two sons, my brother and I. My younger brother David Stephenson (!) Wood, is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Curtain University, Western Australia, and I am founder-director of an Australian educational study tour company, Australians Studying Abroad (www.asatours.com.au).
But now to the interesting stuff. My great aunts (Marjorie, Edith, Helen) were spinsters. They left a considerable family archive, including three tantalising photo albums, with a number of photographs of your family in them. There are also letters. I shall try to scan as many as possible and either send them to you by e-mail, or put them up on my flickr site.
As to George Stephenson. Fascinating how family myths develop! That two branches of a family should share the myth. Since my last post, by cross referencing photographs, letters, and census information, I've worked out who the Stephensons were. George Stephenson was a pianoforte maker (we have a French harmonium of 1855 that he obviously owned) who moved south from the Newcastle area (hence the connection with the George Stephenson of Rocket fame - they must have lived nearby), and his daughter, Elizabeth Stephenson our mutual matriarch!!), was born in London, in either 1819 (1851 census) or 1821 (1841 census - RG No. HO107, Piece 685 Book/Foli 15/30, p.55). At the time of the 1841 census, George and Ann, and their children Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Jane, Robert, Thomas, Ann and Fanny were living in Hampden Street, St Pancras, Marylbone. In the 1851 census Elizabeth (now aged 30 or 32) was actually with her mother and father in London. George Smith, husband of Elizabeth and our mutual patriarch, and their first daughter, Elizabeth, were at the Parkhurst Barracks Canteen, Carisbrooke, Hampshire - (occupation: Innkeeper). In 1861 Census, George, Elizabeth and their living children Nathaniel Graham, John Anderson (grandpa), George Christopher (who migrated to New Zealand) Isabella S, and Fanny Jane (my great grandmother), were living at Lugley Street, Newport, Isle of White.
This is written in great haste, there's lots more, including a photograph of Cyril as a boy with toy boats. I 'phoned my father. He's tickled pink, and sends his regards!
Chris Wood

Hi Everyone,
I wonder if anyone can help (or if what I say helps anyone). I'm trying to trace family connection to George Stephenson. There is a family tradition handed down from my Great Grandmother (Fanny Wood, ne Smith) that we are related to GS. Fanny's mother was one Elizabeth Stephenson who married a George Smith (Grocer and leader in Catholic Apostolic Church) on the Isle of Wight (evidence: Birth Certificate). Elizabeth Stephenson was born in 1818/19 (Evidence: We have an original sampler stitched by Elizabeth Stephenson with the inscription: 'Elizabeth Stephenson Aged 12 Years 1831' & Fanny Smith's Birthday Book with entry 'Mother, 1819. The Northumberland and Durham Baptism record lists only one Elizabeth Stephenson born in these years. Elizabeth Stephenson, 30 Nov 1818 Father's forenames: George / Mother's forenames Elizabeth. The Stephenson Locomotive Society has a chart of the Stephenson family (3 generations: http://www.stephensonloco.org.uk/SLSgeorge.htm) which names three Elizabeths - daughters of George's brothers, James, Robert and John. But then the trail goes cold. I have some ideas about this, but, they need rigorous research. By the way, I also have two family albums with about forty images of the family. If anyone is interested, I'll scan and put on my flickr site.
Best
Chris