About Our Family History Section

This is a new section, added by popular demand!

More to follow: requests from overseas led to some interesting correspondence and research. Watch this space!

Researching Your Family History

Free search sites

There are many sites which offer search facilities  but at a cost, while a lot of initial research can be carried out without making any payment. The information covering  the census  years 1841 to 1911 is now available using a free search of listings at http://www.1901censusonline.com but access to actual census record requires payment.

http://www.freebmd.org.uk offers a free Births, Marriages and Deaths listings which covers roughly 1800 to about 1950, although transcription is still being carried out, so is not complete. Use the place, listing Volume and Page Number to trace both marriage partners.

If you had an ancestor who emigrated to the U.S. particularly between 1892 and 1924, then they probably shipped to New York and were passed through Ellis Island (home of the Statue of Liberty). Ellis Island how holds the archive of all ships manifests, so it is possible to find the passenger and find the Passenger Record, the original Ship manifest and a picture of the ship. Just set up a free registration with Ellis Island and keep an Ellis Island file. Copies of documents can be purchased. The site also includes information on how to search family history.

Most records have been collected by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints and can be searched for church records additional and before the first census (1841).

If you had an ancestor who emigrated to the US

... particularly between 1892 and 1924, then they probably shipped to New York and were passed through Ellis Island (home of the Statue of Liberty). Ellis Island how holds the archive of all ships manifests, so it is possible to find the passenger and find the Passenger Record, the original Ship manifest and a picture of the ship. Just set up a free registration with Ellis Island and keep an ElLis Island file. Copies of documents can be purchased. The site also includes information on how to search family history.

Most records have been collected by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints and can be searched for church records additional and before the first census (1841)

Subscription sites

Once you have an approximate family tree back to about 1800 the process then requires checking records. The above census site (http://www.1901censusonline.com)

charges £5.00 for 500 credits which last for 7 days, which allows you to access images of original census records for names, addresses and occupations. Other sites such as ancestry.co.uk or genesreunited.co.uk charge a monthly or annual subscription and BE CAREFUL if you give credit/debit card details, check out how you cancel as they may operate an automatic renewal unless you cancel within the required time period.

Don't rush to spend, do as much as you can using free information, on-line and at local libraries and museums, church yards and parish records.

To find your ancestors home

When you find a new address - remember you can always check it out using Google Maps - put in the street name, or zoom in the map then use you mouse to grab the little orange man from the navigation buttons and drop him on the street, then you can move along the street and check out house numbers etc, you may still find the house your ancestors lived in.

Chris Mulliss

Somerset Records Library

(Previously The Somerset Records Library)

This is housed in the new purpose build Somerset Heritage Centre in Brunel Way, off Silk Mills Lane, Norton Fitzwarren, next to Westcountry Feeds.

The Centre holds microfiche copies of the entire UK census records from 1851-1911, along with microfiche records of Somerset parish registers and other Somerset County files. The centre is open Monday: 1 pm-5 pm Tuesday-Friday: 9 am- 5 pm and alternate Saturdays - see website. You will need identification of name and address which will gain you a 4 year pass, otherwise a day visitor pass may be provided. The Centre has an excellent series of leaflet guides covering the different records held at the centre and how to search. The  guides are accessible on-line by going to Research guides navigation. The guide leaflets can also be downloaded as pdf files.

Note:
A visit to the Centre requires pre-planning, as most useful family history records are indexed by parish and not by surname; so make sure you carry out as much research as possible before consulting the records. All information and records held are catalogued on the website. If you require information from records other than those available on microfiche, you will need to make an appointment, giving information about the records you wish to view, as this allows the custodians to retrieve the information from the storage vaults for your visit. Note that the vaults may close up to 1 hour before the closure of the centre.

Laptops may be taken into the records room but bags are not permitted. A free security locker service is provided. Also refreshments can be purchase in the foyer coffee area.

Historic Families of the Allertons

Caple Family - Stone Allerton 1900s

Researcher: Patricia of Liverpool
Descendant of:
Joseph Caple, eldest son of Joseph Caple (snr) and his 3rd wife Georgina (Rosina) Ham, settled in Liverpool.

Joseph Caple (b:1859) and Georgina Ham (married in 1906, registered in Axbridge District) and lived in Rose Villa Stone Allerton in the first half of 1900s. Caples lived in the Rose Villa up to the 1960s, the last member of the family living there was Sam Caple, probably a son of Joseph. Rose Villa was subsequently renamed Wedgewood House and then Tynings, Stone Allerton.

King Family

Researcher: Peter of Melbourne, Victoria,  Australia
Descendant of:
Vowles, King, Durston and Daunton, who lived in the Allertons and the surrounds in the 19th Centuary.

The King family seem to have been fairly large around the AXBRIDGE registration area
The following graves of Peter's family (King) are in the churchyard at Chapel Allerton.

Ann King died December 31 1825, aged 72.
John King died May 12 1839, aged 77.

Their Children:
Sarah, wife of William Watts and daughter of John & Ann King died 11 April 1836 aged 39.
James son of John & Ann King who died 17 December 1850, Aged 60.
Pamela, wife of James King died 30 June 1874, aged 60.

Annie Vowles great granddaughter of James and Pamela King was one of 4 sisters.

Edgar James King who died 14 October 1878 aged 13
Ann, wife of James King, died 4 May 1896 aged 65
James King died 7 February 1917 aged 77.

Search For Billy Bown

Billy Bown - Chapel Allerton c 1900-1914
Researcher: St Mary's Church Wedmore
We are looking for any information about a past Allerton resident - one William George (Billy) Bown. St Mary's Church has a plaque to Lt. WG (Billy) Bown and the church want to bring Billy's history to life for the children of Wedmore.

The Bown family moved from Dorset to Chapel Allerton c. 1902-10 living at The Firs, Chapel Allerton. The parents of Billy were George Frank Bown (1867-1941) and Mary Constance Bown (1867-1948). George and his wife had 6 children: Henry Frank Bown, William (Billy) George Bown, Norah Elizabeth Jane Bown, Constance Ella Bown, Charles Reginald Bown, Edith Florence Bown.

George Bown is believed to have been a farmer and Billy Bown worked as a painter and decorator. Billy married a Jessie Hutchings who lived at Manor Lodge, Wedmore on 1st July 1916. Billy Bown died on 31st July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, part of the Ypres-Passchendaele offensive 1916-1917 .
Billy's Mother, George Bown's widow Mary Constance, remained in the area post-war ñ living in Cheddar with her married sister Evie Durbin (nee Hutchings) and her husband Maurice C. Durbin.

If you have any information send it to us using the website contact form.

We were delighted to receive this:

"I have just been browsing your local web pages and was delighted to see the pictures of Allerton church and all the lovely floral arrangements.

Although I have not attended many services there, I was christened there and my mother and her family were regular attendees when she was growing up at Manor Farm.

There is a small brass plaque in front of the first pew on the left hand side of the church. That is dedicated to the memory of her brother and my uncle, Herbert Teek. He emigrated to Australia when he was only 19 and sadly drowned in a creek when the horse he was riding stumbled and fell. (It must be well over a hundred years ago that he emigrated to Australia.) Of course in those days it would have been impossible for him to be returned to be buried in Allerton churchyard and I do not know what part of Australia he was in.

David, Anne's husband had always expressed a wish to go to Australia to find his grave but this never materialized."

Ruth Thanvi from Florida

The Joe Phillips Memorial Bench

Joe Phillips was evacuated from London to Allerton at the beginning of the war. Like so many of those evacuated to the Allertons he had very happy memories of his childhood here. And he loved our Windmill.

Joe spent the greater part of his life in America in the Aerospace industry. And when he died last year his family presented a bench in his memory, which is now installed at the Windmill.

On Monday 22nd of June three generations of his extended family from both sides of the Atlantic met at the Windmill with a number of Allerton residents who were children here with the evacuees and who remembered the Phillips family – Averil Williams; Joy Morse; Ruby Ham; Josephine Millard; Alan Ham.

Jane Morton, Chairman of Sedgemoor District Council spoke to thank and welcome the Phillips family. Joe Phillips’s daughter Nancy spoke on behalf of the family.

A wonderful day of memories and reminiscences rounded off with excellent tea and cakes in the Old Schoolroom. Old acquaintances renewed. New friends made. One of those special days.

David Dixon

See also the Windmill Page which has additional news about Joe Phillips and this event.