Lost family - Lovatt/Nesfield/Meldrum in Kent

[cjthorpe]

Hi,
I've hit a brick wall tracing a modern line of the Lovatts who were living in Belvedere, Dartford, Kent around 1907-1909. The family members are very distant relations to me but we hope they can solve a mystery dating back to 1908  involving the whereabouts of my great uncle Stanley Hedley Nesfield. A fellow research suggested the 'Rootschat.com' site is helpful for family history 'brick walls'.

The family of interest is led by Henry Lovatt and Annie Lovatt.  Annie Lovatt's maiden name as Ann Meldrum (b.1877 Hartlepool - the daughter of Elizabeth Nesfield and Robert Meldrum).

Henry Lovatt (b. circa 1874? Occ: engine fitter) and Annie Meldrum married 19 March 1898 in Gateshead, Durham. In fact Annie's older brother, George Robert Meldrum is listed as one of the wedding witnesses on the certificate. The other witness is Maria Robson Lovatt.
 
Annie and Henry Lovatt had a daughter named Irene May Lovatt on 3 Feb 1900 in Gateshead (she's also listed as 1 yr old in the 1901 Census).
 
Then it gets interesting... I was having trouble identifying any further children from the match until I discovered "Vernon Meldrum Lovatt" (I obtained the birth certificate to confirm) born 18 July 1907 in Dartford, Kent. (Obviously the family moved to Kent.)

It appears my gt-grandmother Doris Nesfield went to the home of her cousin Annie Lovatt in Belvedere (far away from the family and nosey neighbours in Sunderland) to have the illegitimate baby boy in 1908. Then in 1912 in the same town (Belvedere, Dartford, Kent) Doris Nesfield married Stanley Hedley ... with Annie and Henry Lovatt as witnesses.

This makes me suspect Annie and Henry Lovatt were the trusted relatives who took in Stanley Hedley Nesfield in 1908. (We know he was given to a relative of aunt to raise). Sadly we think everyone from the period is dead. 
 
There is another birth certificate which may be (?) from the Lovatts a "Thomas Nesfield Lovatt" born 1909 in Dartford Kent in the BMD list who may also be related( but I will have to confirm).

Does anyone know the Lovatt family?  Did Annie Lovatt (Nee Meldrum) remarry after 1912? Did they return to Durham/ Sunderland? What happened to Irene May, Vernon or Thomas Lovatt? Hope you can help as my search ability is restricted from Australia.

Thanks C.J. Thorpe
Canberra, Australia
 


   

[Josephine]

Hi, cjthorpe,

Have you gone through the parish records at City Ark's Medway Ancestors site:

http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/

They have parish registers from Dartford online.

They aren't indexed but they are free.  Perhaps you might be able to find some information there.

Regards,
Josephine

[cjthorpe]

Thanks Josephine, 

Those parish records were comprehensive and really interesting. Hope I can find similar ones in Sunderland.  But unfortunately there are no on-line records for All Saints Church, Belvedere, Dartford (thats where Doris Nesfield was married) ... or a Belvedere branch of the Primative Methodist Church (which the Lovatts were involved with in Gateshead, Durham).

I had a look through the 1907-1909 baptism years for the 4 other churches called "All Saints' (but they were not in the right areas) and produced no results. Is it possible the Belvedere churches are in another council or family history research area now? Does anyone know?

Thanks CJ Thorpe
Canberra, Australia       

[Josephine]

You're welcome, CJ, and I'm sorry you didn't find anything.

I hope some other Rootschatter will have the answer for you about the Methodist Church!

I can't find a listing for a Belvedere on the Genuki page so I'm at a loss:
http://www.fhsc.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/dartford.html

Have you checked the Kent GenWeb site:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~engken/

I can't see Belvedere here, either:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~engken/parisha-d.html

Here's History Kent has this about Dartford:
http://www.hereshistorykent.org.uk/placeTitlePage.cfm?placename=Dartford

Historic Kent:
http://www.historic-kent.co.uk/index.htm

Good luck!

Regards,
Josephine

[Josephine]

CJ,

The National Archives lists the church:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/sidocs.asp?SIR=O107463

All Saints parish, Belvedere
Belvedere, Kent

The repository is the Bexley Local Studies and Archive Centre:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/locresult_details.asp?LR=79

There's a link to their website and email address, too.

Regards,
Josephine

[cjthorpe]

Thanks Josephine,

Thanks, I knew the church existed (Here's a photo)  http://www.nwkfhs.org.uk/belv_c01.htm

But I got the impression that Belvedere was considered part of Erith(?) and has been swallowed by another council juristiction.   

It looks like the Bexley Archives may hold the key! Thanks again.

I'm not sure about the name of the 'Primative Methodist Church' (That's where the Lovatts were married in Sunderland) so I thought there might be a Belvedere branch?  However the town may have been too small in the early 1900's, so they simply joined All Saints.

I'm also chasing some information from Sunderland, Durham about the Hoseasons/ Majors/ Nesfields/ Hedleys so I'll keep an eye out for church registers there - as the City Ark Ancestors website was good. Perhaps there's something similar in Durham.     

Thanks for your help.

Cheers CJ Thorpe.
Canberra, Australia

[Josephine]

CJ,

You're welcome.  I'll take a look at the photo; thanks for the link.  I sure hope the Bexley Archives are able to help you out!

Regards,
Josephine

[villeneuve27]

hi CJ,

I am also researching Stanley Nesfield.  My information is that he was raised by members of my family (Morley) in the Durham/Sunderland area and later served in India with the British Army, returning to live in Murton Co. Durham.  Let me know if you are still interested as I have some family photos etc that I could send.

P

[cjthorpe]

Hello Villeneuve27, 
Thanks for replying. I got in touch with the Morley family descendents last year in Murton, UK. It was wonderful to find out what had happened to Stanley Hedley Nesfield after researching for so many years. I'll send you a personal message so my reply is not on a public forum. Cheers CJ