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A LITTLE STORY FROM AUSTRALIA
Stemming from James Blatchford 1764

My "families" have been very close for near on 150 years mainly through my Great Grandmother Blatchford and her spouse Harry Smith. Its a bit like the man from St Ives!
They were working class where the males were papermakers and the daughters/wives were rag or paper sorters in the mills across the country. Wherever there was a papermill I have some rellie working there. Many moved to Maidstone. I have found, in my family, that the link families were, I like to think, like the freemason. They all worked together, knew each family well before a marriage occured and often on census's I find someone staying with the family on census night. You see a lot of papermakers were journeyman so they helped each other. In fact I was only telling someone yesterday that my families have been very close since for nearly 150 years and the offspring even now email still each other. Richard D

FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS

From Heather Blatchford

Joseph Blatchford was my husband's great uncle, he was b 1850 and died 1949, and was a blacksmith. He had 2 brothers and 2 sisters. His elder brother was Samuel who was my husband's g. grandfather, and his younger brother was John 1853 - 1948. I believe he owned and ran a Quarry. His older Sister was Anna b1845 - d 1926 I don't know much about her, and then there was Louisa b1848 - m. 1872 to William Counter (policeman) Their parents were James Blatchford (limeburner) b 29.4.1798 (married Mary Henby of Shaldon) I don't know what happened to that marriage and then he married Jane Mogridge of Tiverton in 1844. Her dates are 1812 - 1887 and had his 5 children.
This is a very potted version is there anything else I can help with?
We have the family Bible and my Father - in - law wanted me to keep filling it in but we found that one page had been cut out and we don't know why. Also Dad married for a 2nd time and we spoke to him on the phone one day and he said he was having a clear up - he had found a load of old photos in the loft and had been tearing them up and burning them as his wife had said he didn't need to keep all that old stuff around. But there are plenty of funny goings on in most families as I have recently found in tracing my side! Yes I think it is very important that it is passed down the generations and I am trying to do the same for my children and grandchildren.

It's OK Heather - we all know about this sort of thing - it happens all the time - it's those little family secrets again! JC

Ernest Edgar (Samuel's son) b1878 d 1942 There is a note to say that he was one of twins and that the other died at birth. (from the family Bible)
My Husband who is the great grandson of Samuel - Grandson of Horace Arthur - and son of Stanley Horace. Father in law died in 2000 aged 101yrs. He was one of the veterans who got the Legion d'Honeur and was quite a character.

I have quite a few Blatchfords in my family tree, so far I have two tribes my Devon tribe back to nearly 1600 from my father's mother's side. My G Grandma was Harriet Ada Blatchford, a lovely lady I'm told. The 2nd is on my father's father's side but a bit distant, my GG Grandfather's brother's daughter Hannah married John Blatchford of the Cornwall tribe.
Richard D

John Yeo was my gt gt grandfather. His daughter Mary married Samuel Blatchford, and their daughter Bertha was my grandmother. Janet B

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