SSH and environs

Gale is a very common name in my parts of Somerset and Dorset. George Claremont Gale was my second cousin, coming from my great aunt Emma's family after emigration. He came from Canada to serve in the second world war and was posted as missing in action. He is commemorated on the Air Force Memorial at Runnymede.

The name just visible on this stone at Bourton, near the Somerset/Wiltshire border is George Gideon Gale. He is from another part of my tree. This George was the son of Gideon and brother of Igdaliah. Igdaliah married Rosina Chant, daughter of Dan Chant who used to have 'The Duke of Cornwall' in Stoke-sub-Hamdon.

Although I have not identified Igdaliah and Rosina's resting place, his father is buried at St Mary's in Stoke.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1270553

Labels: Environs, Genealogy, Gravestones, Somerset

The family tree has been particularly active in recent days.


A couple of weeks ago I got in touch with Joy Chant on 'Genes Reunited'. Joy thought her family came from Stoke-sub-Hamdon as that had been family tradition. In my records all the people she named as near kin were Odcombe Chants so I have contacted Christine Ellis who is OPC for both Odcombe and Montacute. It is very interesting that Joy's family memories included Laura Ormiston Chant née Dibben, the suffragette. I have that Laura's husband was from a Stoke line ... are we to find a link at last?
Joy wrote several books in the past, one of which I read in the 1970s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Chant


My own fault for being inquisitive but I am being snowed under with questions prompted by responses to queries which I originated. I am also getting trees from other people which need to have the information checked against my own files. This can be very time consuming if the two do not match in every respect.


I have been working on a line for some distant Pattison kin. I had got a lot of my speculation wrong but now I am in touch with cousin Erin whose 8xG grandfather was my 5xG grandfather! She is putting some family photos on 'Facebook'. Erin has more pluck than I have as one of her recent activities has involved sky diving.


When I need to contact a family member who has disappeared over the course of time I carry out a simple search. If that does not bear fruit I leave messages on web sites where I think the person will go as and when they start their own tree. One such message which I put on the 'Curious Fox' web site quite a while ago brought me a response yesterday. I have not been in contact with my cousin Michael Loving for over forty years. Now I have high hopes as I have sent him an e-mail with my telephone number. The picture is of Michael's and my great uncle Joseph Stanton.


Cousin Diana phoned yesterday as she wants to see the standing stone circle on Ham Hill that was put there for the millennium. We swapped some local family gossip about a couple of kinfolk who have been very unwell recently; and, also, that Diana has not heard from one of her family correspondents in Canada. Since Diana does not use the Internet I have written to cousin Troy Chant to see if there are ill tidings about his gran.


This morning the post brought a package from Australia: it was posted on the 9th! This was from cousin Ken Chant and his wife Alison and contained a copy of a book produced by the family based upon the reminiscences of Ken's dad, James Oswald Chant. I shall really enjoy reading them.


Cousin Jenni Hall might have come today but has car trouble which will not be fixed until later in the week. That means I shall have a visitor for the weekend.

Labels: Family, Genealogy, Somerset

Labels: Genealogy, Gravestones, Somerset