William Sharman at Eight Ash Green?

[sherlock1207]

My great grandfather’s brother William Taylor Sharman was born in Swinstead in south Lincolnshire on 18th February 1866. His wife was Elizabeth Ellen (née Styles), and they had three daughters - Hilda, Kathleen (born 1896) and Dorothy (born 1898). Sometime in the 1930s or early 1940s William and his family moved to Essex. We think that he farmed in or near Eight Ash Green near Colchester.  Elizabeth Ellen died in the summer of 1946 aged 88 years. This left Dorothy, the only unmarried daughter, alone with her father. However, we know little more about the life of William Taylor Sharman apart from the contents of a letter dated 1962 from Dorothy at Eight Ash Green. In the letter she referred to her late mother, to Hilda living in London and having three grown-up children and three grandchildren, and to Kathleen living near Sudbury in Suffolk and having two grown-up children but no grandchildren yet. Dorothy was living with and looking after her father, but she stated that William himself was “rather a bent old man” who was capable of walking “only a few steps”. Dorothy wrote of feeling isolated from the rest of our family and wishing both that she had married and that she was “back home”. She referred to William’s ill health with no optimism saying “when you get (to) 96 you cannot expect much”. Dorothy’s fears were indeed justified, as William Taylor Sharman died on 26th April 1962.

Can anyone shed any more light on William Sharman, his life or his family? Does he have a marked grave in the area? All contributions will be most gratefully received.

To see my Sharman Family History please visit http://homepages.tesco.net/~jksharman/sharmanfamhist1.htm .

Thank you.

[sherlock1207]

I've now also put an appeal for information about William's daughter Kathleen on the Suffolk mesage board, but I'm not optimistic!

[Boblima]

  Er Sherlock,

  I don't want to interfere, but why put an appeal in a Suffolk paper ?? Eight Ash Green is by Stanway Colchester, granted Kathleen moved 'somewhere near Sudbury' but their major connections seem Essex baseOf course Eight Ash Green to say Sudbury in Suffolk is relatively near, about a 10 or 15 minute drive perhaps.

Regards,

Boblima

[sherlock1207]

To be honest I'm clutching at straws. Having lived near county boundaries a number of times - indeed, on one from 1959 to 1968 - I thought it worth a try. I'm not familiar with the area, but I reckon there must have been much inter-county moving between Essex and that fringe of Suffolk. Thanks for your interest.

[sherlock1207]

My previous postings seeking information about Eight Ash Green resident William Taylor Sharman (1866 - 1962), my great-grandfather's brother, have yielded no new information. I have also e-mailed and written to people in the area, but not a single reply came back. Therefore I would be grateful if someone in that part of the world could have a look to see if he has a gravestone at Eight Ash Green. All information that his stone carries would be most welcome. Also, he had a daughter named Dorothy (1898 - ?) who never married. Does she have a gravestone; and, if so, what does it say? 

Moderator's Note: merged with existing thread

[t mo]

hi sherlock
have you tried this site www.fordhamchurch.org.uk  only it looks as if theres enough bodies there to go and look round the grave yard it can,t be that huge not the size of those two villages not back when the graveyard would have been in use , if you don,t get any where i,l try and go myself  for you
trevor

[sherlock1207]

Thanks for that, Trevor. I've tried e-mailing the church again this morning. I'll let you know if I get any joy this time.

[sherlock1207]

Well, what do you know? This time within hours of sending my e-mail I got exactly the information I need from a lovely lady there. I'm now minded to look on you Essex folk more positively. Thanks for your interest and suggestions.

[t mo]

hi sherlock
great stuff glad you,ve got it sorted i wont have to send the boys round now or maybe it was the tenner i promised them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! , take care
trevor