Wayne
It's good to hear from you too.....thanks for the additional information. The family is obviously huge!
My great grandfather Samuel John (Jack) was born in 1898 and was a farmer. He and Gladys Mary (b 1896) resided above Thornbury Post Office where she worked. I know that Jack served in World War I and as a result suffered from severe shell shock for the rest of his life. Talking of post offices, I think that William Gliddon also held the title of local postmaster as well as being a blacksmith.
Jack's father, also a farmer and rates collector, was called Samuel but he was known as Walter. He was born in 1876 and his wife was called Lydia May. They had three other children:
Fredrick (b 1900), Albert (b 1910) and Amy (b 1920). I believe there was also another sibling who died in infancy. Fredrick and Albert were smallholders.
At the end of 2004 I made contact with and visited my Mum's second cousin Arthur (grandson of Fredrick) who still lives in Thornbury and is a farmer....although not on the original family farm Forda which was sold quite a while back (see
www.fordafarm.co.uk).
He provided me with details of the Hutchings family back to 1620. Obviously it is far too much to relate here but if you have access to Genes Reunited you are quite welcome to request and view it.
As for Hazel (my grandmother), well I've drawn a blank really. My Mum Sandra was born out of wedlock when Hazel was 18 (above the Wonnacott dairy in Lansdown Road Bude). I don't even know if Freddy Marshall was the father.....in fact I have been told that he wasn't and it was a friend of one of Hazel's uncles who was a medical student. Anyway, at the time of the birth my Nan was working with the district nurse in Bude, vaguely knew the family and adopted my Mum through Stratton Law Courts (after confirming it was OK with my grandad who was away fighting). She then brought my Mum back to the family home in Plymouth. Hazel did communicate with my Nan for a few years but then the letters stopped and contact was lost.
I did discover that Freddy Marshall came from Bideford and married Hazel at Marylebone Register Office. They lived in Exeter and had two boys and a girl before emigrating to Australia where they had another three children.
I have a photograph of Hazel in later life and know that she is now dead, however, that is it. I think her ashes may have been brought back to the church at Thornbury although I'm not sure.
It seems the older members of the family (and most of Thornbury!) knew about my Mum's existence, however, it was something that wasn't discussed openly. Arthur confronted his Aunty Amy about my Mum, however, she would not talk about it nor would she pass on any details regarding the family in Australia who Arthur hasn't kept in contact with. As there are no other older family members still alive I am now stuck!
Please keep in contact. It would be great to hear more from you.
Angela