I'm just catching up on this thread. John Kewell senior (husband of Letitia Bridgeman) is indeed the one who died in 1855. He was buried on 10 July 1855 at St Lawrence, Ecchinswell. His age was given as 46 years. John Kewell senior was born about 1809 in Ecchinswell. It is presumed that he is the son of William KEWELL and his first wife Jane TIDBURY but I have no record of a baptism. Has anyone found one? The MAJORS also link in with the TIDBURYS but I have no record of a Martha MAJOR. Debbie Kennett In a message dated 06/09/2009 21:19:39 GMT Daylight Time, nigel.gerdes@milnet.uk.net writes: I was just following up the Holley siblings and saw the 1873 marriage of Edward Holley and Martha Major on John's website. The witnesses were John and Fanny Kewell. Now the witnesses can be placed in their own family tree. John was, I believe, born ca 1844 (FreeBMD Kingsclere RD 4Q 1844 7 163) at Ecchinswell to John and Letitia Kewell nee Bridgeman. His wife, Fanny Powers, he married in 1872 in Hungerford RD 3Q 2c 347. Perhaps Fanny Powers was related to the William Powers who married Sarah Holley. It looks like John Kewell died in 1913 FreeBMD Kingsclere RD 1Q 2c 318 with a given age of 67 so it must have been his father who died in 1855 (FreeBMD Kingsclere RD 3Q 2c 121) . John has an 1855 burial so it does neatly fit together. The 1851 census shows John had a older brother Charles Kewell who had been born at Greenham, Berks ca 1836. His younger brother Henry we know married a Sarah , It looks like it could be Sarah Richardson in 1872 in Brentford RD. There is already a William Bridgeman = Alice Richardson marriage in 1806 at Newtown, Hants. Regards, Nigel Gerdes

Hello Debbie, Does this information help, for the marriage of Martha MAJOR to Edward HOLLEY Banns read 20th, 27th April & 4th May 1873 St. Mary's Church Kingsclere Married 18 May 1873 Edward age 35 bachelor, labourer and Martha age 36 spinster Domestic Servant both of Kingsclere. witnesses: John & Fanny KEWELL That is the only information I have on Martha MAJOR. Kind regards Barbara Lewis Mallyon Basingstoke, Hants. UK BarbaraMallyon@lewmal.co.uk List Admin ----- Original Message ----- From: <DEBBIEKENNETT@aol.com> To: <eng-hampshire-kingsclere@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 12:03 AM Subject: Re: [King] Holley Family > I'm just catching up on this thread. > > John Kewell senior (husband of Letitia Bridgeman) is indeed the one > who > died in 1855. He was buried on 10 July 1855 at St Lawrence, > Ecchinswell. His > age was given as 46 years. John Kewell senior was born about 1809 > in > Ecchinswell. It is presumed that he is the son of William KEWELL > and his first > wife Jane TIDBURY but I have no record of a baptism. Has anyone > found one? > > The MAJORS also link in with the TIDBURYS but I have no record of a > Martha > MAJOR. > > Debbie Kennett

On Tue, 8 Sep 2009 19:03:26 EDT DEBBIEKENNETT@aol.com wrote: > The MAJORS also link in with the TIDBURYS but I have no record of a > Martha MAJOR. I have just established that she was _not_ the Martha Rose Major baptised at St. Giles Reading on 11 Jun 1837, with parents Thomas & Maria as Martha Rose was married on 14 August 1850, St. Giles, Reading, to Charles John Dowling ca 1831 and had 8 children between then & 1869 Thomas Major was baptised at Southill, Beds on 12 April 1794 and buried London Road Cemetery, Reading on 21 Jun 1863. Maria was buried at St. Giles, Reading on 23 Sep 1849 age 51. I haven't found their marriage 1851 Census, 3 Mana Court, St. Giles, Reading: Charles J Dowling, head, 19, foundry lab, Reading Martha -do-, wife, 17, , Reading 1851 Census, 2 Mana Court, St. Giles Reading: Charlotte -do-, wife, 47, , Reading The Charlotte above was Charles John's mother and she had married a John Dowling ca1806 Faringdon, Berks some time around 1828 but haven't been able to find a marriage on the IGI So we are still left with the mystery as to who Edward Holley actually married. The marriage entry has no father recorded for Martha. She was recorded as a 36 year old spinster, domestic servant of Kingsclere. The 1861 Census has a Martha Major, servant, un-married age 22, born Reading in household of Edward & Maria Wigg, farmer of Basing. This would make her born 1839 and further searching in 1851 Census has her living in Kingsclere 1851 Census, Turnpike Road, Kingsclere George Bartley, head, 28, gen lab, Kingsclere Eliza Bartley, wife, 35, , Aldworth, Berks Martha Majors, dau, 13, scholar, Reading Eliza Bartley, dau, 3, , Reading I have a George Bartley born ca1821, Kingsclere Dell and FreeBMD has this marriage: Dec 1841: BARTLEY George & MAJOR Eliza, Reading 6 413 but no sign of a Martha Major (or Mager) in FreeBMD from Sep 1837-1841 but IGI comes up trumps MARTHA MAGER, Christening: 26 AUG 1838, Aldworth, Berks, Mother: ELIZA MAGER So I think mystery is solved ;-) -- John Lewis Debian & the GeneWeb genealogical data server