Can anyone tell me about the property at this address? I have some correspondence from 1921-1926 from the FOX family (John, wife Elizabeth/Bessie [nee ANDREWS], daughter Betty/Elizabeth[?] and daughter Jessie/Janet[?]). A 1926 letter indicates Betty would probably marry a Percy GANDY that summer and that rental homes were very difficult to find; that problem seemed to be delaying the marriage. Family legend is that Percy was with the British Foreign Service, and that might have been why they were looking for a rental rather than a house to buy. (Further, according to word-of-mouth family history, Betty and Percy ended up in Capetown, So. Africa; the implication is that he was sent there by the BFS.) A Scottish cousin and g. nephew of Bessie, visited the family in the mid 1920s (albeit as a young child of 4 or 5), but his memory is that the house was "rather grand". On one of the letters, up by the return address, there's the notation "Nr. Manchester". I suppose that indicates what end of the road the home is near? Obviously (or maybe it's not so obvious) it's the family in which I'm interested. I can't get past the proverbial brick wall on any of them! Bessie and John were surprisingly found in the 1900 census for Denver, CO, living with Bessie's recently widowed mother; they had been married less than a year and were expecting Betty (up until that sighting we would have sworn none of them had ever set foot in America!) I would guess the earliest this family unit could have resided at 10 Clarendon Road would have been 1901 (does anyone have access to the 1901 census? The 1891 census? 1881?). But at least one of the letters that were written in the twenties indicates that, while they were certainly not poverty stricken, money was tight. For that reason I wonder if John FOX had inherited the house from his parents, or initially moved in with them. And I'm anxious to learn about his family too. John FOX indicated his occupation as "chemist" on the 1900 CO census. In one of his letters he mentions a brother (without mentioning his brother's given name), and in one of Bessie's letters she mentions John's sister by the name of Kate. In the scenario that immediately comes to mind (particularly if John turns out to be the eldest son, which, if he actually did inherit the house, would only seem to be right), "John" would be his father's given name as well. In addition he might have followed in his father's footsteps in regard to occupation. Family legend is that John made a killing through his affiliation with a company that owned asbestos mines in So. Africa. After pursuing that for awhile I noticed that one of his letters was on the stationey of Ashanti Mines (Ashanti is a gold mine [as I found out from a Google search]), and is in West Africa to boot! At this point that avenue of research is more confusing than revealing. Any help, thoughts, ideas of where the key to solving the "mystery" of this family might lie would be greatly appreciated!

10 Clarendon Rd, doesn't exist anymore. The last house on this road is @ no 20. There is a large block of flats called Kemball House, where no 10 should be. Yes the houses were "rather grand" It lies between Wellington Rd and Half Edge Lane, Eccles Here is the 1881 census for this address The surrounding properties were all inhabited by affluent people Hope this helps Nora UK Dwelling: 10 Clarendon Rd Census Place: Barton Upon Irwell, Lancashire, England Source: FHL Film 1341927 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 3881 Folio 46 Page 31 Marr Age Sex Birthplace William HOWIE M 37 M Scotland Rel: Head Occ: Drugt Traveller Christina HOWIE M 27 F Scotland Rel: Wife Ann HOWIE W 71 F Scotland Rel: Mother Sarah PORTER U 22 F Brompton, Cumberland, England Rel: Servant Occ: Gen Serv