Family Timeline... look what I discovered!

[Pamela.Ebrey]

I always do individual timelines for folks I want to do more research on, so that I can see where there might be big gaps that I can fill in. About a month ago I decided to do a family timeline for one of my most well documented families, that of Henry EBREY and Annie MANLEY, originally from Shropshire.

Now I've been looking at this family for years and thought I knew quite a bit about them, but figured that if I listed all of the events that might be important to any family that there might be some new connections that I just hadn't noticed before... but I didn't expect to uncover a dreadful tragedy!

So, I started plugging in the census addresses, births of children, places where Henry worked at various times, then added marriages, the births of grandchildren, etc.. and then I noticed that one of his sons had died at the age of 27, which seemed kind of unusual. This fella, Alfred Joseph, like his father and most of his brothers, worked for the Great Western Railway. He had married in 1906, and had a daughter later that same year. Then in December, 1908, he died.

I also noticed that two of his brothers named their next born sons after him, which I thought was rather sweet.

I was going crazy wondering what had happened to him, so I broke down and sent for the death certificate (not something I usually do for 'sideways' relatives) and I just received the cert a couple of days ago.

It was horrible! Cause of death was "Partial severance of leg and arm, run over by engine. Accidental death". His occupation was listed as a 'shunter', which my Dad says was someone who had to uncouple the train carriages with a long hook.

I am about to pop off over to the Warwickshire board to post the details so I can figure out how to find out more about what happened to poor Alfred.

And even though I thought I 'knew' this family, I somehow missed what was probably one of the worst days they ever experienced. I think I'll be doing more family timelines... but hopefully I won't find too many events like this one. Those poor people.. I just can't stop thinking about them!

Pamela

[Isobelruss]

His employment record is on Ancestry.

[Pamela.Ebrey]

Thanks Isobelruss... I think I had noticed that before but didn't take a good look at it.

[genjan1953]

Yes that is a gruesome discovery to find, poor chap.  A grim discovery of my own was when  I found out that my great great grandmother had died from burns sustained after her dress caught fire in her home.  Having seen this on her death certificate I subsequently searched the local newspaper online and found an article about the incident giving all the details.  So it's worth searching the newspapers of time to see if the incident was reported, if you haven't already done so.

Also, I agree about doing family timelines, they can be really helpful.  Charting an individual's, or a couple's, life chronologically, as you say, clarifies their history and quite often shows up gaps you hadn't noticed before.   

[wrjones]

Of course the Manley family of Annie was not from Shropshire?

Regards
William Russell Jones.

[Pamela.Ebrey]

Hi William,
No, Annie was firmly from Cheshire, b 1856. Her father was Samuel Manley and her mother was Catharine Evans.
I have a copy of a portrait of Annie. She looks like the quintessential grandmother!
Pamela

[lyn22]

I have a sad story that I only just found out about that I cant get out of my head my GGG Grandmother Mary Attewell died in 1856 at Maryborough Victoria on her death cert it says from the DTs she had lost a daughter in 1854. The inquest says she was raped a couple of days before her death she lived in a tent behind the Maryborough hotel. I wonder if there were newspapers at the time I am not sure were to look. Take Care Lynette

[cando]

The Maryborough Advertiser, was established in 1854 the same year the town was surveyed.

Unfortunately the State Library of Vic only has copies from 04 Aug 1857 - 28 Dec 1979 .

I doubt you will find any further information other that you have from the inquest file.  There is a resource which details hospital admissions from 1855 but her name is not on the index.

The township of Maryborough was only surveyed and gazetted in 1854.

I wonder if these groups could help you.
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mbhs/Worsley_Cottage/Research.html
http://www.cgold.com.au/maryboroughfamilyhistory/listofholdings.html

Cando

[lyn22]

Thanks Cando for that information I will have a look at the links. Take Care Lynette