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« on: Saturday 28 November 09 19:20 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for the nice long reply... Just a query but who did William marry? Ann xxxx?
Anyway back to your questons... No I had no idea about the family! Just that the name was in the parish register in St Nicholas Church married to a Clulee. Started the Clulee family tree quest in 1987. Always wondered about some family stories told by my grandfather William Henry Clulee.... anyway, i made a mistake. I am actually descended from Thomas Clewly (married Ann Hobbis), our common ancenstor. He was my x5 grandfather. His son James Clewly (married Mary Hyde), had Frederick Clulee. It was around 1820 ish that name became established with the spelling that it is today, Clulee. Isaac Clulee and Frederick were first cousins. Isaac was the registrar of births, deaths and marriages from around 1855 - 1882. Josiah Hands his son-in-law took over the job when he died. Isaac was my x3 gt grandfather.... so I hope that clarifies it all! This info according to FTM! So yes we are distant cousins on the same request from different angles.
Anyway regarding the gravestones.... I visited St Nicholas in 1988/9 all the gravestones were intact! Especially behind the back of the church and there are stone plaques in the church to members of the family. It was later on that I visited (sometime in the late 1990's) and found that the gravestones behind the church had disappeared and queried this with the parish council. They replied that they had removed the gravestones as the graveyard was now hosting the local drug addicts and the stones were being vandalised. To prevent 'accidents' and to deter the druggies the graveyard had been demolished or the stones reassigned. (Now using some of them as path stones to my horror- some of the stones had letters/numbers nailed on in lead like Benjamin Clulee's gravestone - so that will not last and the inscription has probably disappeared). I believe that whatever wonderful volunteers there are recorded the inscriptions of the stones - it has been done but I have not viewed the list yet. I took some photographs on my original visit but they were Clulee's, of which, Isaac and Elizabeth Clulee, if I remember rightly are near the front of the church door, a prime spot I'm told! - although other surnames were known at the time like the Pritchetts, Brant, Neasom, Chinn, Fletcher, Hands etc all married Clulee's I didn't recognise the fornames, so presumed they were distant relatives but of no importance. I do not have much information on these members - call it being a virginal family tree historian. LOL. I had no idea just how small Kings Norton was during the 19th Century. Especially regarding these key families in Kings Norton - I now know better and would have paid more attention! But like many things, opportunities are lost and some you gain. For example I met a lady who was 92 (born 1898) at the time still living in KN. Her mother used to take two of her children to birmingham city on the train every 6 months when they were very young from KN at the turn of the century. It was a real treat! KN is now very much part of Birmingham as you well know.
As regarding the Jewish connection no idea. I have heard some families were transported from Europe for their skills; like the Italians for their gardening skills, located still in the West Country. Generations later they now supply peppers to the supermarket chains having carried down their skills through the generations .... maybe this is why they came across. A hell of a journey from Poland! I never thought about Benjamin as being jewish - but I do know that names were mainly gleaned from 'Royal' Fashion and the Bible - Mary Ann, James, Charles, William, Thomas - they drive me nuts... haven't come across any other names like Solomon, Saul in the family etc.
Isaac Clulee would have been the centre of all gossip and probably knew most of the villagers who attended church. Orchestrating the BMD meant he probably had some hand in the Census for Kings Norton too ... including his contacts for building two churches as well, the parish councellors and church attenders - his grandson Isaac fell out with his father, James Isaac (his son) and he ended up in Bristol where I was born. Although Isaac Clulee (sometimes in documents as James Isaac) died in Los Angeles USA in 1922, abandoning his wife and 4 children in 1907 with allusions of sending for them when he was settlled WW1 clearly didn't help.
Sorry I cannot of be any more help as you have been. I will probably ask you further details as they occur to me. I hope you don't mind. Look forward to hearing from you.
Many thanks for your detailed reply. Please can you give me Ann's surname if you have it.
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