Thank you to Liz and Jim. I am checking all the links you gave me. Cheers Helen

Hello All from W Aust. I am on a few Lists and am looking for some info for a friend and don't want to join another List. Do any of you know anything about Barony Glasgow? TIA Helen

Carol Weeks wrote >My great grandmother was Elizabeth Thirlaway born c1878 in Thornley Durham.She married John William Cook. Her father was William Thirlaway, but I haven't managed to find >Elizabeth's birth certificate, so I don't know who her mother was. >Is there any connection with your family? Our possible connection to the Thurlaway family relates to a marriage of Jane Thurlaway to Joseph Robson at Chester le Street on 30th July 1775. I am sorry that we have no information of any Thirlaway family as late as 1878. Thank you, Carol, for your interest. Max Procter

In a message dated 30/06/2007 06:21:50 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Do any of you know anything about Barony Glasgow? ________________________________________________ Hi Helen, See http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/LKS/Barony/index.html Regards Stan Mapstone

OK, this is what I know about my husband's Best connections: Mary Best (my husband's bio mother) was born 5th June 1942 at 7 Long Lane, Littlemore, Oxford (District of Ploughley, ref 3a 2990) The mother was unmarried, and was named on the original birth certificate as Mary Ethel Best. I have seen the original birth certificate and the baby Mary Best's subsequent adoption papers. One evening a long time ago now, probably some time in about 1988 my husband Jim (we were not married then but lived nextdoor to each other in an Oxfordshire village) decided to see if we could find the address where the baby was born, and we found it with ease, but it was unoccupied. However a neighbour came out and asked us what we were doing and we explained that we were looking for the Best family who once lived there. We were given the address of a Miss Best who lived just around the corner, and I wrote her a letter, and she subsequently phoned me... To cut a long story short I was put in touch with Mary Ethel Best's brother's widow who lived somewhere in Cheshire or North Wales and she gave me quite a lot of detail; she told us that she was present at the baby's birth (as the house belonged to her!) and Mary Ethel had subsequently married someone called "Collins" and had died in 1985, so I sent for her death certificate, only to find that she was Ethel Mary Collins, and not Mary Ethel. I simply assumed from this that she probably had swapped the names around on the birth certificate to prevent detection at some later date. Jim's mother disapproved of his relationship with me as I was a single parent and older than he is...and then I discovered that Jim was illegitimate too, (his mother had told him that she was a widow). Believe me, I was not proud of making this discovery (Jim had never seen his full birth certificate and I obtained it..!) and as a consequence she never spoke to me again. Jim was terribly upset by all of this so I felt quite disinclined to continue researching at that time. We moved right away from Oxfordshire, got married here in Wales, and concentrated on bringing up our family - and a grand-daughter now! Recently my own family tree has started to take off again and I decided to have another crack at Jim's. I've just found the marriage of Ethel Mary Best to Thomas Hertbert Collins, (In Buckinghamshire, which I knew about, and where Ethel died) which states Ethel's father as James Herbert Best, and he is also one of the witnesses to the marriage. Ethel's age is given as 29 which makes her born in 1917 if she has given the right age, which is now doubtful - but I can't imagine her father being party to a deception as far as he was concerned there would be no reason for it because he was unaware of Ethel having had a baby...of course, as the marriage took place in Buckinghamshire and not in the North East which is where we knew they came from, anyone could have masqueraded as the father...the possibilities are endless aren't they? Next I tried to find Ethel Mary's birth, which is stated by the informant on her death certificate as 19th November 1916 in Cockfield, Bishop Auckland. I sent for a copy of the certificate, giving that information and the father's name as given on the marriage cert but the GRO could not find it in 1915, 1916, or 1917. The informant on the death cert is Ella Maureen Sanderson Best, described as sister (the relation in Cheshire confirmed to me in our phone conversation in the 80s that there was a sister called Ella). Now I can't find a birth for Ella, either, although I have found an Eleanor, with parents James Best and Ethel Summers, who also had a daughter Ethel born in 1916 (info from Ancestry.com) so either it's the wrong birth or the wrong father's details on the marriage certificate? A birth has also been found for a Mary Best, mother's maiden surname Winter, Dec qr 1916 in Auckland...but I have no way of knowing who I am looking for? If the Winter one is correct then this would be truly ironic, as my family here in Wales, is Winter..... Can anyone help me try to unravel this mystery that has been bugging me for 20 years? Lindsay

I did say that I would write more fully later (haven't had time yet, I'm going to try to do it now all is quiet at home) I have already given quite a bit of personal detail about my husband's bio grandmother Ethel Mary Best and the sad story associated with her. Having also only joined the group today I wanted to make a quick contact to test the response. Is the subject TITLE really THAT important? Surely we are all here for the same reason, that is to trace our Best connections...? Kind of makes any subject heading quite irrelevant, doesn't it? Lindsay

In a message dated 29/06/2007 15:59:18 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Anyone here related to the Best family of Co Durham? Lindsay: Given that Best is not exactly a rare surname - I think it was probably originally Irish and there was a huge amount of Irish immigration into the north-east of England in the 19th century - it is not really a good idea to refer to "THE Best family of Co Durham". Co Durham is a very populous district and I am sure there are several - many, indeed - Best families who are either quite unrelated to each other or whose relationship goes back to an earlier date than that to which it would be traceable. It would be better to refer to "A Best family from Co Durham". To be really meaningful, however, you would be best advised to always refer to a name and date or place where at all possible - eg "Anyone connected with a George Best of Lanchester who married about 1840?". Geoff Nicholson

Hi Lesley I am looking for anyone related to Ethel Mary Best who was my husband's biological grandmother. Her death cert states that she was born on 19th November 1916 in Cockfield, Bishop Auckland but I know this to be incorrect, as the GRO could not find her.. Her sister was the "informant" on the death cert, who for reasons of protecting Ethel told some porkies...! It's quite a sad story really, Ethel had a baby out of wedlock who was subsequently adopted ... (my husband is Ethel's grandson) and very few people knew about the birth. I believe that everyone involved at the time has passed away now and it is my dearest hope not to offend anyone by poking around. I hope everyone may understand my husband's need to find some blood relatives, as he has no blood family that he knows about. Lindsay

Lindsay, It could be that she was not named Ethyl Mary at birth but may have acquired that name later. There is a registration of birth in Auckland for a Mary Best. Mother's maiden name Winter. 1916 Dec ¼ Auckland 10a 357 (or could be 367). Janis

Hello List I have just joined this list. Anyone here related to the Best family of Co Durham? I will write more later Lindsay

Alison - The Thurlaway family that we are investigating is that of Jane Thurlaway who married Joseph Robson on 30th July 1775 at Chester le Street. She may be the daugjhter of Henry Thurlaway and Jane Richardson of Torish Hill , who was baptised at Houghton le Spring on 8th September 1754. We cannot connect this family with yours at present. Stan - Thank you for the map reference. I have located Torish Hill (or Terish Hill on old map) near West Rainton. Max Procter

> There were Thirlaways in Burnhope,near Stanley Durham in the 1940/50's, who were friends of my Grandmother, Mrs Lizzie Turner. Hope this may help. Brenda R. > From: "Max and Floss Procter" <[email protected]> > Date: 2007/06/28 Thu AM 01:58:31 GMT > To: <[email protected]> > Subject: [ENG-DURHAM] Thurlaway and Torish Hill > > Alison - The Thurlaway family that we are investigating is that of Jane Thurlaway who married Joseph Robson on 30th July 1775 at Chester le Street. She may be the daugjhter of Henry Thurlaway and Jane Richardson of Torish Hill , who was baptised at Houghton le Spring on 8th September 1754. We cannot connect this family with yours at present. > > Stan - Thank you for the map reference. I have located Torish Hill (or Terish Hill on old map) near West Rainton. > Max Procter > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ----------------------------------------- Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

The Luke/Harding marriage for 1859 is for Thomas Luke and Eliza Harding. The name Eliza is not a shortened version of Elizabeth. This Harding family found on the same census folio as the Lukes has a sibling Elizabeth. HO107/313/11/ fol 8/ page 9 Coxhoe Jno Harding, 38, Coalminer and Innkeeper, Y Jane Harding, 38, Y Elizabeth Harding , 12, Y Jane Harding, 8, Y Margaret Harding, 6, Y Isabella Harding, 5, Y Eliza Harding, 1, Y Anthony Harding, 15, Y (Anthony crossed out) Kelloe St. Helen baptisms Thomas Luke, of New Thornley, 4 Feb 1839, 1st son of John Luke, Pitman, and Jane Johnson Eliza Harding, of West Hetton, 1 March 1840, 6th daughter of John Harding, Pitman, and Jane Atkinson Isabella Harding, of Crow Trees, 18 March 1837 5th daughter of John Harding, Pitman, and Jane Atkinson John Luke and Jane Johnson were married in Kelloe St Helen 10 Dec 1836 John Harding and Jane Atkinson were married in Penshaw All Saints 5 March 1827 Elizabeth and Jane Harding were baptised in Penshaw 1828 and 1830. Janis

It is actually the Township of Coxhoe in the Parish of Kelloe. Regards Stan Mapstone

In a message dated 27/06/2007 18:46:53 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: 1841 Census, Kelloe, _____________________________ Should be Coxhoe Regards Stan Mapstone

1841 Census, Kelloe, Jane Luke 22 Jno Luke 26 Mark Thos Luke 3 Robe Bell Luke 1 Jos Luke 24 Regards Stan Mapstone

Hello everyone from sunny Manchester! I am trying to locate the family of: Mark Thomas Luke, he married an Elizabeth Harding I think in 1859. Mark T Luke was abt 1838, probably in Coxhoe. I am trying to find more about his parents, who were they, where they were from etc. Can anyone help? I am also trying to find the parents of Elizabeth Harding, also from Coxhoe, born abt 1838, can anyone help here? Also, Margaret Storey, born abt 1865, Castle Eden, she married a Thomas Halsall, but cannot find the marriage, I think Margaret may have been married before. They had children in the Newcastle area, one being Martha Isabella Halsall (1898). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Viv

In a message dated 25/06/2007 15:21:27 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: I deliberately used the word "informed" to take into account the probability that Mary informed "in writing" and not "verbally" ______________________________________________ Hi Michael, My apologies. Regards Stan Mapstone

Stan, I deliberately used the word "informed" to take into account the probability that Mary informed "in writing" and not "verbally" Oxford English Definition of "inform"............. "give facts or information to " Michael Dixon

In a message dated 25/06/2007 08:50:44 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Assuming she informed the 1841 census enumerator that she was 39 yrs of age _______________________________________________________________ To be strictly accurate the enumerator was not 'informed', in 1841 each household was given a schedule to fill in. The Householders were instructed to write in figures the age of every person, opposite to their names, in one of the columns headed 'Age of Males' or 'Age of Females' according to their sex. "For persons aged 15 Years and upwards it is sufficient to state within what period of five years their age is, writing down the lowest number of that period: thus, for persons aged 15 and under 20, write 15- for 20 and under 25, write 20- for 25 and under 30 write 25- for 30 and under 35 write 30-, and so on up to the greatest age; but the exact age may be stated if the person prefers it. For persons under 15, write the number of years; for infants under one year the number of months." Ages reported in the census must be regarded as only a rough approximation of fact, many people had only an approximate idea of their date of birth, and in some cases there may have been temptations to give incorrect information. It has also been reported in one study that there appears to a rather high coincidence between the ages of husband and wife. Regards Stan Mapstone