Hello Listers I'm trying to unravel this piece of 'Up Shute' hearsay. Almost there, but a few loose ends . . . does anything ring a bell with anyone? The following hearsay came from Douglas ARNOLD (postman): ". . . a very old lady who lived in Steepledown Road (Upper Ventnor) had a daughter Gladys (?) who married a Mr COTTON . . ." COTTON, Lionel, F, U ARNOLD, Gladys, M, H 1939 All Saints, Godshill ???? " . . . they had a son who was a telegraph boy called William 'Bill' COTTON . . ." " . . . Arthur 'Art' ARNOLD had a wife called Ada (?), who was Reg's (Reginald James ARNOLD b. 1907) cousin, lived near the dairy and bakers in Newport Road (Upper Ventnor), and they had a daughter Dorothy 'Dot' ARNOLD who married a Mr CARSLOW . . ." Annie MEADER and William ARNOLD (grandparents of Reginald) had a grandson Arthur ARNOLD staying with them in 1901 . . . 1901 Census 1 Downside Cottages, Newport Road, Ventnor William ARNOLD, Head, marr, 53, Gas Works Labourer, born Wroxall Annie ARNOLD, Wife, marr, 53, born Bury St Edmund's Suffolk William ARNOLD, Son, single, 23, born Wroxall Charles ARNOLD, Son, single, 15, Cab Driver, born Wroxall Beatrice ARNOLD, Dau, 9, born Wroxall Charles GIBBS, Gr Son, 5, born Ventnor Arthur ARNOLD, Gr Son, 10m, born Ventnor Ernest GRANT, Lodger, single, 20, General Labourer, born Ventnor The Information I have so far suggests that this Arthur is an illegit son of one of their daughters/sons, or the son of a son I don't have info on. The other grandson was daughter Maria's son . . . GIBBS, Charles ARNOLD, Maria, A* 1898 Register Office * Maria Anne ARNOLD (daughter of Annie MEADER and William ARNOLD) Brothers William and Charles weren't yet married . . . ARNOLD, Charles, M* HALL, Georgina, E 1904 St Catherine, Ventnor *Charles Meader ARNOLD (son of Annie MEADER and William ARNOLD) ". . . 'Granny' FOSS lived with her son Jim at 1 Downside Cottages (72 Newport Road, Upper Ventnor) . . . Mrs FOSS was a cleaner at Ventnor Post Office . . ." 1901 Census Old Toll Gate Cottage, Newport Road, Ventnor James FOSS, Head, 42, Carter on Farm, born Beaulieu Mary FOSS, Wife, 42, Charwoman, born St Marylebone London James G M FOSS, Son, 2, born Ventnor Mary 'Granny' FOSS was originally Mary HURLEY who married Dennis SULLIVAN in 1875 in Marylebone, Middlesex. Her daughter Catherine married . . . ARNOLD, Arthur, J* SULLIVAN, Catherine 1903 All Saints, Godshill *Arthur James ARNOLD (son of Annie MEADER and William ARNOLD) Mary was a widow, of Gladstone Terrace, South Street, Ventnor when she married, in 1898, James FOSS, a Carter, of Rue Villa, Newport Road, Ventnor, son of Isaac FOSS, a Shepherd. 1881 Census No 1 Wroxall Farm Cottages, Newchurch Isaac FOSS, Head, 52, Shepherd, born Beaulieu, Hampshire Elizabeth FOSS, Wife, 61, born Eling, Hampshire Amongst some old papers: James FOSS, half brother of Mrs Annie BULL (nee SULLIVAN), lived at 6 Heath Road, Lake, Sandown. " . . . Auntie 'Wren' (Mrs CULLEN) who lived in Newport Road, Ventnor . . ." CULLEN, George, H ARNOLD, Miranda, L* 1910 All Saints, Godshill * Miranda ARNOLD (daughter of Annie MEADER and William ARNOLD) " . . . and Auntie Liz (Mrs GRANT) who lived in York Road, possibly 1 or 4 Highcliff Cottages, Ventnor . . ." GRANT, Ernest, G ARNOLD, Emily, E* 1904 St Catherine, Ventnor *Elizabeth Emily ARNOLD (daughter of Annie MEADER and William ARNOLD) Ernest G GRANT was a lodger in 1901 at 1 Downside Cottages, Newport Road, Upper Ventnor, and also turns up as a witness to Arthur James ARNOLD's marriage, as is sister Elizabeth Emily ARNOLD. 1881 Census Lowther Road, Ventnor George GRANT, Head, marr, 37, Marine Store Dealer, born Newport Annie GRANT, Wife, marr, 35, born Newport George GRANT, Son, 13, Scholar, born Newport Frederick GRANT, Son, 12, Scholar, born Newport Emily A. GRANT, Dau, 10, Scholar, born Ventnor Annie GRANT, Dau, 9, Scholar, born Ventnor Frank GRANT, Son, 7, Scholar, born Ventnor Arthur GRANT, Son, 3, born Ventnor William GRANT, Son 2, born Ventnor Ernest GRANT, Son, 8m, born Ventnor Emma J. CHAMBERS, Widow, 47, Laundress, born Yarmouth Any suggestions or observations gratefully received! Best Wishes Suzanne (Maitland-Wood) Researching: ARNOLD & BUTCHER (Newchurch/Godshill) MEADER & COOK (St Helens/Ryde) SULLIVAN & HURLEY (Marylebone/Soho) GRIGG & MOYLE (Mawgan/Constantine) MATTHEWS & HOWE (Barnard Castle/Stepney) FISHER & COMMERFORD (Huntingdon/Gosport) WESTMORE & BAGGS (Carisbrooke/Arreton) HAYLES & PAUL (Carisbrooke/Newport) GREENHAM & NIBLETT (Powerstock/Brighstone) HOLLIER & JONES (Shalfleet/Calbourne) KING & RAYNER (Newchurch/Whitwell) ENRIGHT & RYAN (Castleconnell) . . . _____________________________________