CARVER Ramblings

[janan]

Very exciting for you bev 

Jan

[becu46]

Hi everyone,
Re Bev's Carvers, I found a reference to one Abraham Carver - Bedford Borough Quarter Sessions dated 15 July 1816:

"Michaelmas Sessions.  Recognizances: Abraham Carver, basket maker, to keep the peace especially towards - Mingay, saddler, and toward the driver and guard of his majesty's mail coaches passing through the town"   

Wonder what he actually did!

There was also another reference on a2a website -  Nationwide Building Society Bedford Deeds re 47 and 49 High St. Bedford stating that the buildings had formerly been in the occupation of Abraham Carver.

Barbara
Barbara

[janan]

Hi Barbara
Intriguing
Abraham is son of Thomas the baker, son of John the preacher - Thomas went bankrupt and had very little to leave his family despite a substantial sum being left to him by his father.

Jan

[Nick Carver]

I have a line like that. Landed gentry with monuments in Nafferton Church in E Yorks allowing me to trace them back to a birth in 1521, yet within a generation, my branch of the family had lost everything. Just about sums up my luck and reassuring to see that others are in a similar position.

[janan]

Hi Nick
Still haven't worked out whether I'm in anyway linked to the Southill Carvers but ending up with nothing fits my lot - the wheelwright business was gone by 1901, James was a general labourer on the census and died in Luton workhouse in 1910, his son Robert my g grandad drank himself to death and expired of softening of the brain in 1915 in Three Counties Asylum. My poor gran spent her childhood never knowing if the family would still be at the home she left in the morning when she returned from school - frequently they packed and ran to avoid paying the rent. Hard life.

Jan

[Nick Carver]

My lot did it slightly differently and much worse for family history purposes. They just didn't talk about things! My great grandfather was a sailmaker and (it transpires) a legendary boozer. After his death, the rest of the family didn't talk about him so I still haven't found a record of his death. I know where he was buried (in an unmarked grave) because my dad's cousin saw it as a little boy. But when he told his dad where he had been. he got into trouble. Similarly, until the day he died, my dad didn't know that he had an uncle who died in WWI and I am sure he didn't know about 3 uncles and 2 aunts who died in infancy. What a bunch to have to trace.

[janan]

All the above has come out since I started delving into family history - my mum knew about my gran's childhood and about Robert's drinking but never said a word. I think she probably doesn't know where her grandad died (and her grandmother who also liked a tipple) - not sure how to broach the subject with her or even if I should, so I suppose the not talking about things continues.
Families
Jan

[MaggieLou915]

I know my grandfather George Thomas whose name is really Thomas George, or so the certificate says, pretty well lied about everything he ever said about himself.  He said he was born in Yorkshire but he was born in Norfolk. 
He wrote about himself in a biographical book.  He "became an accomplished accountant" through the London Chamber of Commerce, "did creditable work at the Leeds Infirmary. '  He passed the examination when he was 20.  Why then 2 years later when he married was he a night porter?  He  told of when he came to Canada and all the wonderful things he accomplished.  He  said when grandmother came to Canada with the children he omitted the last child.  Uncle Leslie said he rememberd coming here because he threw his shoes out of the window of the train in Montreal. 
I can only verify the fact that he worked at a hospital here in Victoria, with a pay record.  He said he was "the secretary".  If he was so wonderful why did he only get paid the same amount as a nurse.  Not to mention the fact, that he quit his job and left the country with a nurse from the same hospital when he was still married to grandmother (unable to locate any documentation that there was a divorce).  Meanwhile grandmother was left with 6 children and no income.  I am sure she took in boarders and did laundry to survive. 
I can certainly understand why no one wanted to talk about him.
Actually very little is known about him.  I think I have the one and only picture of him.  He looks miserable and arrogant.

Marg

[Nick Carver]

Can I propose a very rough and ready test to see if there are any links between the various strands of the family by posting photos of our Carvers? Here is my great grandfather William (1856 - ?) the boozer referred to earlier. This must have been taken around the turn of the 20th century. Also included is Arthur Carver, my great uncle, to whom my father bore a strong resemblence in his youth. There is an olive skin that appears regularly - I have it as did my father and one of my sons does likewise. This will not prove that we are related, but if similarities exist, perhaps we will feel like we are all headed for the same point (even if the paths diverged such a long time ago we will never find out for certain).