Dear List I just wanted to say 'hello'. I subscribed to this list many moons ago and some subscriber's names today are very familiar :-) My main names are as follows: RIDOUT, BEATON, OLLIS, GOULD plus many others. All families lived in the Bath area, particularly in and around Walcot Street and I would love to hear from anyone else who had family there, especially in the late Victorian/early Edwardian era and into the 1920s and 30s. Apart from family history I am also passionate about the local history of Bath. I have been enjoying my family history for about six or seven (I forget!) years now but, as I am retiring this June, I hope to become much more engaged than I have been of late. Regards Karen Francis

Hi Karen, My great great grandfather, John GOULD, became a police officer in Bath in January of 1858. He married Eve DOWLING in December of that year in Bathwick Parish Church. The minutes of the Bath Watch Committee make interesting reading ! In April, he is drunk on duty and "engaged in an affray with a butcher". In June 1859, he is absent from attending a fire that was on his beat. Finally, in December 1859, he was again found to have been drunk on duty and dismissed from the force. Although he briefly finds work as a Carrier's labourer whilst living in Monmouth Street, Walcot, by 1863, he has moved to Bristol, where he lives until his death in 1898. Not an illustrious career, and family tradition has it that he was "a bit of a lad". John's sister, Elizabeth GOULD, had an illegitimate son, named Charles GOULD, whilst living in Trinity Street, Walcot, Bath in 1866. In 1869, she married Charles MORRISH and from that point, her young son was known as Charles MORRISH too. Elizabeth was a stay, or corset, maker. John and Elizabeth's mother, Hannah GOULD (nee CLARKE) was a hospital night nurse living in Trinity Street, Walcot. She died in 1869, the widow of William GOULD, stone mason. Now if I could ever find out where William died, it would end the search that has so far taken me over a decade ! Hope this is of interest. Best wishes, Mike Gould Leicestershire -----Original Message----- From: bristol_and_somerset-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:bristol_and_somerset-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Karen Francis Sent: 14 January 2011 12:18 To: B&S list Subject: [B&S] Introduction and research interests Dear List I just wanted to say 'hello'. I subscribed to this list many moons ago and some subscriber's names today are very familiar :-) My main names are as follows: RIDOUT, BEATON, OLLIS, GOULD plus many others. All families lived in the Bath area, particularly in and around Walcot Street and I would love to hear from anyone else who had family there, especially in the late Victorian/early Edwardian era and into the 1920s and 30s. Apart from family history I am also passionate about the local history of Bath. I have been enjoying my family history for about six or seven (I forget!) years now but, as I am retiring this June, I hope to become much more engaged than I have been of late. Regards Karen Francis