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« on: Sunday 04 March 07 17:26 GMT (UK) »
I have just found this topic whilst I was also carrying out some research on the Oadley/West families and finding all the difficulties you seem to have had. I am the editor of the Platform magazine, the quarterly journal of the Fairground Society. I was preparing an article to accompany some images I have f both Kitchener, Harriet Oadley's Fowler engine, that later became the Iron Maiden, and the Wallis Pride of Merthyr. If anyone is interested in seeing copies please send me a message with e-mail address and I will send them.
As well as Robert Oadley/West who married Samuel Whiting's daughter in 1889, there was also James Oadley/West who died in Nottingham infirmary on 6th July 1929 aged 56, and was buried at Normanton cemetery with his wife, who died 14th August 1912.
James also travelled amusements around the Notts/Derby area.
I have also read that Robert Oadley was born in Kidlington, Oxon, even though he says Bristol on the 1891 census. Perhaps this was a deliberate error to distance himself from the connections with his father?
I have got some more information and will post more when I can put it together in a more readable form.