Suddenly, without warning or provocation, the room was filled with men dressed in strange costumes who began to dance around the room bashing each other with sticks and waving white hankies in the air in some sort of choreographed madness. At first we thought it must be an attack of sugar plum fairies as each of the men was attired in short pants with white leggings, pumpkin coloured vests, hats with ribbons, and footwear adorned in jingly bells that rang out with every step they took. Doubling the occupancy of the room in seconds, they began and were quite literally dancing between the tables. Here is one of several videos I shot from our table. (Note: The first ten seconds of the video are black as I struggled to get my camera out of its bag and onto the unfolding scene.)

Watch this video on YouTube.

The group provided their own musical accompaniment and it was clear above the turmoil of the presentation, that this strange act was based on some sort of long established tradition. Turns out we had stumbled upon the Benfieldside Morris and Sword Dancers (perhaps it is more accurate to say that they stumbled upon us) and were about to meet Keith Gregson, one of the members of the group.

After the men had finished their first set and had sat down to enjoy some of the fantastic fare on offer, Keith told us that in addition to being a Morris dancer, he was an educator, historian and author and was in the process of preparing a book of “Interesting Ancestors”.

I told him about a couple of mine and was later contacted by him to give him details of my relationship with Mary Dyer, “The Quaker Martyr”. This appears in Chapter 35 entitled, “Hanged For Being A Quaker”.

This entry is just one of 47 tales which make up this compendium of off beat and colourful characters found by family researchers upon the branches of their own family trees. Each story in the book is followed by Gregson’s comments about what the story has to teach us as family historians about the records, the methodologies used, and the pitfalls of family research. I quite enjoyed the book and would recommend it for anyone who has an interest in family research.

The book provides encouragement to the family historian by illustrating stories of research that worked and the various paths people took to discover their interesting family roots.

The book is available from Amazon.ca and Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Search for Keith Gregson as the title alternates between Interesting Ancestors and A Viking in the Family depending on the website location.

Here are a couple of shots from the gathering: (click images to view larger)

Additional images from the reunion can be viewed at www.leonardslipp.info.

By all accounts, extensive planning by descendants Lynn Godwin and Doug McQuinn made the event a complete success. A future (even bigger) event is already under consideration.

Delbert Connell & wife Ethel May (Richards) with daughter Della Jean Connell (my mother age 14) in front of the Richards House. Family photo taken on Sept 1, 1930.

The gravestone at Bell’s Cemetery is situated almost directly across from the family’s home at Lot 15 Con 10 in Elizabethtown Township.

This is just a stones throw west of the Peer Homestead we visited recently at Bells Crossing, where Lucy Adeline Peer  (Ethel May Richard’s mother) grew up. Lucy married William Henry Richards, the Richards’ eldest son who inherited the property twenty years after his father’s death.

Land Record (Lot 15 Con 10 Elizabethtown)
Thanks to the land records for Lot 15 Con 10, we now know quite a few details of this inheritance. Because the children were all so young when their father died, William had to wait until he was of age before he could legally inherit the property on behalf of his younger siblings. This was complicated by the fact that the children’s mother Eliza had died, perhaps in childbirth to youngest son Edward in 1872 and that Richard had died intestate (without a will).

What surprised me was that the land transaction took place with the help of Richard’s brother John and with Richard’s “second wife” Caroline who I knew nothing about prior to examining this record as the grantor.

Instrument 23-2346 (B&S) dated Feb 13, 1874 and registered Dec 24, 1874 lists grantors “Caroline Richards (widow of Richard Richards) (William H. Richards, Margaret E. Richards, & Edward Richards infant children heirs & heiress at law of Richard Richards) (Names ruled thru in red are grantees only W.J.E.) to grantees William H. Richards, Margaret E. Richards & Edward Richards, infant children, heirs to Richard Richards”. The transaction was subject to the “condition for payment of $400 by one John Richards”.

As far as I know, John was Richard’s brother (a Pump Maker, age 51 in the 1881 Canada census living with the Widow Mary Richards and Edward Richards age 9) who I take it paid Caroline the $400 on behalf of the children.

A second instrument, 25-4686 (Grant) dated and registered Feb 10, 1894 exists between grantors “Margaret E. Garvin & husband & Edward Richards (unmarried) two of the three only lawful children & heirs of Richard Richards (an intestate) to grantee William H. Richards (the other of such children & heirs) for $800. Could this be William taking full ownership of the land and re-paying his uncle John for his part in the transaction? It seems likely.

But who was Caroline Richards, I wondered? I had never heard her mentioned by the family before, but then this generation was a little beyond the living memory of my immediate family growing up and the story has so many tragic elements to it that it is not surprising that it was forgotten in the mists of time.

Richards – Gorland Marriage – 1873
Ruth and I searched on Ancestry for a marriage between Caroline and Richard and found it with no trouble. They were married at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Smith Falls on August 6th, 1873 (co-incidentally today’s date) . Her name is listed as Caroline Gorland age 32, spinster of Wolford. Her parents were Thomas Gorland and Eliza Impey. He is listed as Richard Richards age 35, widower and yeoman of Elizabethtown. His parents are listed as Edward Richards and Mary Tackaberry. This is the first piece of paper that I personally have found that identifies Richard’s mother Mary (aka The Widow Richards) as being a Tackaberry, and confirms everything we had heard from other Tackaberry researchers.

Garvin – Richards Marriage – 1892
The other genealogical gem that comes out of this land record is the inferred marriage of Margaret E to someone named Garvin. Sure enough, we find the marriage and discover James Garvin, a 27 year old Spinner from Almonte, Born North Elmsley of parents George Garvin and Catherine McKay has married Margaret Eliza Richards, a 22 years old spinster from Rockspring, Born Elizabethtown of parents Richard Richards and Eliza Hinton. Witnesses were Addie Reynolds and George Reynolds. May 24, 1892 in Merrickville by Licence.

So far so good. Time for so more searching:

Death Certificate for Etta
It occurred to me that there might also be a death certificate for Etta, the child listed on the gravestone above. Sure enough, it too was easy to find. Contrary to the headstone which says she died in 1874, Etta’s death certificate says she died at 6 1/2 years of age on April 23, 1873, less than 4 months before Richard’s marriage to Caroline. Her full name was Charetta Jane Richards. Cause of death was listed as consumption (pulmonary tuberculosis) after 18 days of illness. It is likely that Etta was named after her maternal grandmother Charetta Shaw (aka Charity Hinton) and Aunt Jane Hinton. Perhaps this also references another Jane back in Ireland.

The gravestone above is also from Bells Cemetery across the road from the Richards House and next door to the old school house where my Grandfather Delbert Connell told me he went to school. Him, and many other relatives I would imagine.

Edward Richards Family – 1911
Edward Richards, the youngest child of Richard and Eliza can be found on the 1911 Canada Census at Lot 19 Con 11, Elizabethtown as the owner of a cheese factory born in 1872, the year his mother Eliza died. While I could not find a death record for Eliza, it seems plausible that she died in childbirth or from complications related to the birth of Edward. In 1911, Edward age 39 is living with his wife Mary A. age 26, daughters Stella age 14, Eva S. age 3, and nephew Howard Richards, also age 26 and a cheese maker in Edward’s factory.

The House Today

Taken during our recent field trip to Bells Crossing. I tried to shoot this from the same angle as the photo above with just my memory to go on. Click on this to enlarge and then click on photo again (left hand side only) to move back to the old shot.

The churchyard today is in pretty rough shape. It is largely overgrown with many stinging nettles but was dominated during out visit with these pretty little yellow buttercup type flowers. The ground is very uneven with many of the graves fallen in upon themselves. Many of the stones are damaged, leaning badly or knocked over so we knew our work was cut out for us. What chance had we of finding a marker for Helen Charlton?

All we had to go on was a photo I once saw of the burial site. I remembered from the photo that has long since disappeared that the grave was beside a wrought iron fence. Still, so much time had past. The burial and the photo were from 1919. There was no guarantee that the fence would still be there, or the stone for that matter. The only thing to do was comb the entire churchyard. We knew it would take some time.

We were also looking out for My great grandparents who we knew were also buried in the churchyard.

The steps from the north road lead directly into the churchyard and a short pathway up to the church entrance in the next photo.

This was not my great grandparents church, but this is where they came when they died. They were Wesleyan Methodists but the Parish Church was the official burying ground for all.

An excerpt from my great grandfather’s obit:

THE INTERNMENT
TRIBUTE BY WESLEYAN MINISTER

The internment took place on Wednesday at St. Cuthbert’s Church, Durham where there was a large gathering representative of the varied trade union activities in the coalfield. Kindred bodies of mine workers were all numerously represented as well as City Council and the Magistracy and Wesleyan Methodism.

It was a great tribute to one who in many ways played a notable part in the life of the county in which he had spent the whole of his life. Three gentlemen present — Mr William Willis, Mr William Green (Langley Moor) and Mr S. Galbraith (Durham) — were associated with him in the first meeting of Brandon Urban Council.

Prior to the internment an impressive service took place in the Old Elvet Wesleyan Methodist Church, with which Mr Charlton had long been associated. The church was completely filled. Mr W. H. B. Harrison presented at the organ and played “O Rest in the Lord” as the coffin was borne into the sacred edifice.

The Rev. R. H. Ashley, superintendent minister, officiated, and the Rev. T. Harrison Burnett, now of Newcastle, gave an address in which he referred to the life’s work of Mr Charlton. The Rev. J.T. Waddy and the Rev. H. V. Sproson also took part. The cortege was preceded by a posse of police under the direction of Inspector Derry.

Mr. Ashby read the 23rd Psalm. “The Lord is my Shepherd,” and the hymns were “O Worship the King,” When I Survey” and “For all the Saints.”

St. Cuthbert’s Churchyard is in Rough Shape

The general state of the churchyard at St. Cuthberts is quite poor. Few stones stand fully upright, many have been knocked over and everywhere there is long grass and stinging nettles interspersed with buttercups and daisies. Many of the graves have collapsed and the ground is so uneven that walking about is at times treacherous. Still, it is a place of great peace and tranquility not far from the modern bustle of Durham city. We took our time and searched the entire graveyard before Ruth found my ancestors stones at the lower left of the view in this photo.

Gravestones Found

While I checked around the perimenter of the churchyard, Ruth looked around the middle searching for dates close to the ones of my ancestors. When my grandfather returned to England in 1953 a few years before his death, he was frustrated at being unable to locate his wife’s and parents graves. We decided that we would give it a try.

After considerable searching, Ruth discovered an area that had stones of the right age in an area which seemed to be set off from the rest of the churchyard. Likely this is where the Methodists were buried. We felt we were getting close.

I had seen a photo of the gravesite taken at the time and remembered a wrought iron fence beside a walkway. A walkway did run alongside these gravestones although the wrought iron fence was no longer there.

Again, the search was narrowed down by the dates on the stones until finally, Ruth called me over to see one stone in particular.

Digging away at vegetation which was hiding the stone from view, we uncovered the first stone. It was Mary Charlton, my great gandmother.

The stone seemed to be split in two and while I continued to uncover Mary’s stone, Ruth turned her attention to a stone of a similar colour that lay close by, face down in the grass. She turned the stone over. It was my grandmother Helen Charlton who had died earlier that same year.

We had done it. We had found Robert Charlton’s first wife’s stone along with his mothers.

We both found this an incredibly moving experience and it was a few tears in our eyes, that we turned Helen’s stone upright and returned it to its proper place.

Whatever else our vacation to England held for us, the trip could now be deemed successful. For two people with lifelong interests in genealogy, this was a huge moment.

We continued our search for W. B. Charlton but to no avail. This is not entirley surprissing as the fortunes of the Enginemen’s Association had wained and the glory days of the Union had passed. W. B. Charlton it seemed was not to have a stone but is likely buried alongside his wife and daughter-in-law.

Inscriptions

Helen Lottie
Dearly Beloved Wife Of
Rev Robert Charlton
Of Lemberg, Sask.
Canada
Died 15 Mar 1920
Aged 30 Years
In Peace

In Loving Memory Of
Mary
Dearly Beloved Wife Of
W. B. Charlton
Died 3rd June 1920
Aged 64 Years
At Rest

A rare photo (perhaps the only one) of my mother’s first and second husbands. Bill (left) and Wendell met each other at Palm Plaza in Daytona Beach. Photograph by Della Charlton.