Volume 27 No 3, August 2012

Blencowe Families’ Association Newsletter Volume 27 No 3, August 2012
Table of Contents

Dear Cousins,

This has certainly been a significant year for our English members with the euphoria of the Queen’s Jubilee followed by the Olympic Games. The Games began with a magnificent Opening Ceremony highlighting the heritage of all our readers and now, after an initial cause for concern, a prolific gold rush that has silenced the members in the southern colonies!

Blencowe Reunion: I am pleased to announce that the Reunion in Perth, Western Australia will go ahead and Alan and Bronwyn Blencowe are looking forward to hosting as many of you as possible. They would like you to book soon so they can finalise arrangements and it is in your interest to secure accommodation as soon as possible. We thank Alan and Bronwyn for organising this event and wish them and all who attend a wonderful time.

Subscription Time: For members in the UK, USA and Canada and some Australians & New Zealanders it is time to renew your Blencowe Families’ Association membership. With a recent rise in postage in the UK, we have no choice but to raise UK subscriptions to £6 per year. If you live elsewhere, but receive your newsletter from England, your subscription will go up to £7. At this stage USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will remain at $10 in their local currency.  Consider a Gift Subscription for a relative. When paying your subscription, please also include your email address.

Our Notable Blencowe in this issue is Robert Blincoe. I have been sitting on this article for some time and my file just kept getting bigger and more complex. As it is, I have left out several aspects of his story. Chapter 19 of The Book, pages 329—336 covers Robert’s life more extensively. There is plenty of follow up information on the net and I recommend you read Grandad? Is that You?, an article by Nicholas Blincoe—the link is on page 5.

I have enjoyed producing the newsletter for 6 years and feel that it is time for someone else to take over. A different editor would bring fresh ideas to the publication. Although technology is bringing a new aspect into the BFA, I feel the printed form of the newsletter is still very much alive and will continue to be so.

With Roger Blinko’s expertise the Blencowes Down Under website has been launched as a show case of our southern hemisphere family history. There were initial problems for members trying to sign into the secure areas of the site but these have been fixed.  In time our northern hemisphere members will receive invitations to log in.

 

Anne Burton

Australia                                                                                                                                      August 2012                                                                                                                                    editor@blencowefamilies.com

 

A Notable Blencowe

Robert Blincoe (1792-1860): a Tale with a Twist

From workhouse orphan to indentured child-slave during the industrial revolution, Robert Blincoe’s political, personal and turbulent story became the centre of a social revolution in Britain.

So who was this knock-kneed little fellow who became the poster boy for one of the great reform movements of the age, of any age?

 

Robert Blincoe was born in 1792 into a world in the chaos of rapid industrialization. By 1796, aged four he was abandoned to the St Pancras workhouse in London. It was a miserable place to be, but at least he was well fed. The workhouse children were the unwanted children, often illegitimate, but sometimes left there due to parental poverty and they were indeed the lowest of the low. These children, who began their generally very brief lives in those misnamed places of charity – workhouses – run by the local parishes all over England, were used as factory fodder.

The fate or identity of Robert Blincoe’s parents remains unknown. Robert thought his parents, on one side at least, were genteel and that for some of his early years he was loved. This belief shaped his remarkable character and Robert always had a sense of himself as a human being and worthy of being treated as such. He never identified with his cruel masters and he never saw himself as a victim.

Lowdam Mill
Litton Mill

At seven, Robert, with a cart full of his fellow workhouse children, was sold as an “Apprentice” terms of engagement 14 years to the Cotton Mill owner at Lowdham, 200 miles north of St Pancras where he worked 14 hours a day, 6 days a week.  When that Mill closed he was sent to Litton Mill where the treatment was the same.

After fourteen years of agony, Blincoe rebelled. He fought back against the mill owners, earning beatings but gaining self-respect. He joined the campaign to protect children from ruthless profit-seekers and gave evidence to a Royal Commission into factory conditions.

After suffering years of unrelenting abuse: it was this iron belief that saw him survive the workhouse, then the satanic mills, and a chequered early life in his own cotton-spinning business. He married, Martha Simpson in 1819. In 1828, a fire in his spinning machinery destroyed his business leaving him destitute and imprisoned in Lancaster Castle for bad debts. Robert became a cotton-waste dealer working with extraordinary tenacity to earn enough money to educate and keep his own children from the factories. His son, Robert graduated from Cambridge – unimaginable for an unlettered child of the workhouse.

In 1832 the journalist, John Brown, recorded Robert’s biography in the pamphlet, A Memoir of Robert Blincoe, An Orphan Boy and gave it to social activist, Richard Carlile who, in 1828, published the tale in his newspaper, The Lion, in five weekly episodes. The 100 page biography exposed the poor conditions in cotton mills resulting in a government investigation into the cotton mills.

Oliver Twist was Charles Dickens’ second novel, serialised in 1837, just five years after Blincoe’s tale was published as a pamphlet. Dickens, as a parliamentary reporter, would have followed intimately the raging debates about working hours and conditions when Blincoe’s testimony, to committees and in his memoir, was repeatedly drawn upon.

Roberts’s story is of being tortured, suffocated by cotton fibres and ultimately crippled by the need to bend for hours below fast-moving cotton spinning machines to clean them out as they continued to run. So why was this story so different that it likely caught Dickens’ imagination?

Robert became a militant leader and a successful businessman as time progressed, in fact, a very wealthy one albeit illiterate. This leads us to a ghosted memoir that he was helped to write by a journalist John Brown and a cause that was taken up by a Manchester union leader John Doherty. The cause: the elimination of child and worker slavery (initially a modest demand for a 10 hour workday). Robert joined Doherty in this cause and made it famous nationwide. It’s likely this injustice and the fame of the published memoir caused Charles Dickens to conceive of the central character Oliver an orphan in a world morally defunct in the treatment of poor children.

Undoubtedly the opening chapters of Oliver Twist owe something to Blincoe’s life but a more direct introspective account of Blincoe’s life came from Frances Trollope’s 1840 novel, The Life and Adventures of Michael Armstrong, the Factory Boy.

Trollope actually met the publisher of Blincoe’s memoir, and her novel, although unlit by any of the genius of Dickens, was relished by reformists and a sensation at the time.

The well-meaning Trollope lifted entire tracts of Blincoe’s life, rarely stopping to alter words. She sensibly included the scandalous scene when the malnourished mill child crept out at night and stole food from the mill owner’s better-fed pigs. With such fact, why would any novelist send out for imagination? Rich and dense, this calls for detailed reading.

Robert Blincoe’s life stands on its own as an engrossing story that dramatically illuminates an age and a society.

Contributors to this article: Julian Blincoe, Douglas Bain and Roger Blinko

References:  A review of John Walker’s book, The Real Oliver Twist: A life that illuminates an Age in the Sydney Morning Herald 30 /01/2006

Review in  The Guardian, 28/09/2005 entitled Grandad? Is that You by Nicholas Blincoe http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/sep/28/fiction.shopping

Here Robert Blincoe describes the cruelty of the overseers.
“Robert Woodward, who had escorted the apprentices from Lowdham Mill, was considered the worst of those illiterate vulgar tyrants. If he made a kick at Blincoe, so great was his strength, it commonly lifted him off the floor. If he struck him, even a flat-handed blow, it floored him; if, with a stick, it not only bruised him, but cut his flesh. It was not enough to use his feet or his hands, but a stick, a bobby or a rope’s-end. He and others used to throw rollers one after another, at the poor boy, aiming at his head, which, of course, was uncovered while at work, and nothing delighted the savages more, than to see Blincoe stagger, and to see the blood gushing out in a stream!

So far were such results from deterring the monsters, that long before one wound had healed, similar acts of cruelty produced others, so that, on many occasions, his head was excoriated and bruised to a degree, that rendered him offensive to himself and others, and so intolerably painful, as to deprive him of rest at night, however weary he might be. In consequence of such wounds, his head was over-run by vermin. Being reduced to this deplorable state, some brute of a quack doctor used to apply a pitch cap, or plaister to his head. After it had been on a given time, and when its adhesion was supposed to be complete, the terrible doctor used to lay forcibly hold of one corner and tear the whole scalp from off his head at once. This was the common remedy; I should not xaggerate the agonies it occasioned, were I to affirm, that it must be equal to anything inflicted by the American savages, on helpless prisoners, with their scalping knives and tomahawks.”

Taken from A Memoir of Robert Blincoe by J. Brown. 1828.

A film clip worth viewing

Julian Blincoe was involved with the BBC in a news item for BBC East Midlands Today. The result of a day spent filming in Notts, Derbyshire and Cheshire is a clip about two minutes long relating to his Great great great grandfather, Robert Blincoe. The BBC posted it on the web.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-15667646

Olympic Selection

On 30th May, Adrian Blincoe, New Zealand’s 1000th Olympian, was selected for his second Olympic Games to represent New Zealand in London in the 5,000 metres. Adrian is the 30 year old son of Simon and Sharon Blincoe and eldest grandchild of Bertand Mary Blincoe. Although he has been a professional runner based in the USA for many years, Adrian has been a stalwart of New Zealand Athletics teams, having run at the Beijing Olympics, the Melbourne and Delhi Commonwealth Games and numerous World Cross Country Championships

Adrian was a finalist in the 1500 metres at both previous Commonwealth Games and holds the New Zealand 5000m record at 13m 10.19s.

Sadly, a week before the opening of the London Olympics, Adrian made the tough decision to officially withdraw from the New Zealand Olympic team after it became apparent that he would not be able to compete at a high level at the Olympic Games due to injury.

Adrian would have been very excited to be running for New Zealand in London and this must be an immense disappointment for him and his family. At least he was selected: our two other Olympic hopefuls, Sue Blinks of USA and Arlene Blencowe of Australia were not selected.

 

Blincos of Hedgerley    

 Follow up to Martin Taylor’s article

Moses Blinco’s two dung carts would have been an important part of the farm economy. Horse-drawn traffic in London deposited huge amounts of manure and the stables also had to be ‘mucked out’. The quantity of human waste doesn’t bear thinking about! Some of the ‘brown gold’ went down river by sailing barge to farms in Essex (a Dung Wharf on the Thames commemorates that part of the trade.)

Manure was carted to the west of London where it was a particularly valuable addition to areas of light rather sandy soil where some 10,000 acres of land was used for vegetable production.

It would be fascinating to know, if accounts survive, whether Moses and others in the trade charged for their useful service or whether they paid for the privilege of collecting the steaming loads!”. (I’ve just watched a TV program that mentioned the ‘ordure’ trade!)

Jack Blencowe, Oxford

Terms used in family history research

Bondsman:

“Before a marriage could be issued by Church authorities, it was necessary for the couple to make an allegation, a declaration on oath of their freedom to marry, i.e. they were of full age or if not had parental consent and were single or widowed. Two or more bondsmen were required to witness this allegation. Bondsmen would be required to pay a fine if any part of the allegation proved to be false. The bondsmen were often relatives or friends of the couple.

Sometimes the bridegroom’s employer or another respected person such as a vicar or local businessman would act as bondsman. ”

Yeomen:

“To understand what a yeoman was it is really necessary to understand the English feudal system. Nobody owned their own land outright in the Middle Ages except the King and a few of the Nobility and even they had to pay some sort of service in return for their land. Gradually the Nobility began to let some lesser people have their own land in return for service such as military service or providing other services.

By about the 14th century land could be awarded by the Lord of the local manor to local farmers. In a way they owned it but they still had to pay a token service to the Lord. It could be passed on to their heirs but only with the permission of the Manor Court. This was known as “copyhold.” Very few farms were “freehold”:these farmers were the original yeomen not aristocracy but they definitely considered themselves a cut above the ordinary manorial tenant.

Fortunately for us researchers, most of them left a will. If you know that you have a yeoman ancestor in England look for a will. As time went by the feudal system died out, people were able to buy land, and men who only rented large farms called themselves “yeomen.”

Often the younger sons of the nobility were Yeomen where the eldest son took the title.

Ann Layton,   Tasmania

Mary Ann Blencowe

In the February newsletter we were ‘Looking for descendants of:’ Mary Ann Blencowe (1847-1932) who married Robert Connell in South Australia in 1865 then John Emeny in Victoria in 1886.  In the May edition, Barrie Robinson added more information on the family.

This time we have a new member, John Connell, great grandson of Mary Ann. He didn’t find us by the last two newsletters but like many Australian Blencowes while in Britain made the trip to see Blencowe Hall. He was speaking with Mr Fawcett of Little Blencowe Farm who gave him an old newsletter.  Of the 10 children our immigrant ancestors, John Blencoweand Mary Drinkwater had, 6 grew up to marry. We’ve now had members from each of these twigs.

Anne

 

The quest for a bright future in the fledgling colony of New Zealand ends in tragedy

 

In the January of 1988 BFA archives, Pam Blincoe of New Zealand wrote “A family of Blincowes arrived in New Zealand in 1874 on the ‘Cospatrick” but I do not know where they came from. They were John, Emma, Naomi & Elizabeth.”This is tragically not so, the family in this case all perished in what was one of the worst immigrant shipping disasters.

NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS & TRAGEDIES

THE SINKING OF THE COSPATRICK

WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 1874

OFF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE

Shortly after midnight on the 18 November 1874 the emigrant ship Cospatrick caught fire and sunk with the loss of almost 500 lives. Two life boats were able to get away but there were only three survivors.

 

The ship’s records show that John Blincow, a Labourer from Oxfordshire, is onboard, with two daughters Naomi and Elizabeth and his wife Emma.

 

ASSISTED EMIGRANT FAMILIES

BLINCOW John 29
BLINCOW Emma 30
BLINCOW Naomi 6
BLINCOW Elizabeth 10 months

The story of the sinking is indeed tragic and gory in its details, the ship was a way off the coast of South Africa on its way round the Cape of Good Hope bound for New Zealand when a fire started on board. Life boats were loaded up at the stern of the ship with women and children; these capsized before launching

 

and immediately drowned those in the boats.

The fire then caught the masts and these became burnt out at the base and crash down on the panicking passengers killing/injuring many. Eventually the ship is on fire completely, breaks up and sinks. Only two boats are able to get away.

Illustrated London News, January 2, 1875

The details of the surviving boats:

“The two boats kept together for a couple of days. They were then separated by bad weather. The missing boat contained the chief officer, the ship’s butcher, five seamen, and twenty-five passengers. She has not since been heard of, but it is hoped that she may have reached the island of Tristan d’Acunha. In Macdonald’s boat thirst soon began to be severely felt. One man fell overboard while steering. Three others died after becoming mad. On Nov. 23 four more died. The survivors were then suffering so intensely from hunger and thirst that they drank the blood and ate the livers of two of the dead. Other deaths followed; and when, on the 27th, two more of the men died, one was thrown overboard, but nobody had strength enough to life the other. Ultimately five men were all who were left alive in the boat and of these two had gone mad. They died soon after being rescued by the ship, British Sceptre.”

Who was John Blincow?

John Blincow was baptized in 1844 in Souldern nr Bicester, Oxfordshire. By the 1861 Census the 7 children of William and Elizabeth were orphaned and John, Robert and Eliz were with Uncle Thomas (1814-1856) and Aunt Anne (nee Harrup) and the rest with other relatives or in a workhouse..

By 1871 John had moved to Tipton Staffordshire to work as an Ironworks Labourer where he married Emma Simms and daughters Naomi and Elizabethwere born. John’s sister Matilda was visiting at the census time.

Then in 1874 they made the tragic decision to join many new agricultural and labouring workers seek out a new life in New Zealand, sadly this story is not a happy one from beginning to end.

Roger Blinko                                          NSW

When researching the migration history of Blencowes to the Southern Hemisphere for the Blencowes Down Under website, Roger found this sad tale in this book written by Charles Clark and published by Otago University Press in 2006       

 Anne

 

Blencowe Families Reunion

Perth, Western Australia     5 -7 October 2012
Perth Ambassador Hotel, Boronia Room

 

Programme:

Friday 5th Oct. 7PM – Registration, meet and greet with drinks

Saturday 6th Oct. 9AM to 4PM        

Blencowe Families Conference         

Presentations

Morning tea

Presentations

Biannual General Meeting

Afternoon Tea
Presentations and photo opportunities

Saturday 6th Oct 7pm

Conference Dinner

Sunday TBA – possibly a bus trip of Blencowe and Blinco sites around Perth and Fremantle.

Cost: $100.00 per person includes morning and afternoon tea, lunch and the Conference Dinner. The bus trip TBA will be charged separately when the event and price is finalised. Please indicate interest in this event and how many are likely to attend for bus arrangements.

Book early as venue only holds 80 people

Payment by cheque
Mr A Blencowe
19 Crivelli Parkway
Ashby, Western Australia 6065

For online payment visit my website for details: www.alanblencowe.com/TREE/BlencowesPerth2012.htm

Accommodation: The Ambassador may be heavily booked. The Goodearth Hotel over the road is better suited to families and has rooms with kitchenettes. The Pan Pacific Hotel (formerly the Sheraton) is 100 metres west.

Parking: there is a Council car park at the rear of the building for about $10.00 per day. There is car rental at Perth Airport and adjacent to the Ambassador Hotel.

Items for the conference: We would encourage you to make a short 15 to 30 minute presentation about your branch of the family. We would be interested if anyone can offer advice or instructions about research or other matters of interest to the clan. Please advise if you are bringing photos or PowerPoint and anticipated length of the presentation.  A laptop and projector will be available.

Posters and wall displays: The Hotel has indicated that displays can be mounted with BlueTack.  If you have items that you wish to display, please advise me in advance.  Please note that if you display books or documents of value, you will need to supervise them yourself and ensure they are well labelled………………

Business cards: These are a good idea so bring plenty to share with members.

October is wildflower season here and not too hot or too wet.  It is the middle of our school holidays (end of the eastern states). Come early if you want to go to the Royal Show. Consider extending your stay in this wonderful state.
Alan Blencowe,  Perth

Contact Alan via his website or Email: alan@alanblencowe.com

Follow up: So who was Nath Blencow, son of Ann from Haws, whose Bible ended up with Ben Lamprey by 1709?

Thank you to members who pointed out that Hawes is in North Yorkshire. We are looking for one in Northamptonshire and we have found two Nathaniel/Ann combinations that may fit the description and are in Northamptonshire.

Nathaniel Blencowe born 1678 at Farthinghoe died 1753 in Chalcomb. Father James the Elder died c.1730 and his mother Anne died after 1741. Son, Nathaniel, mentioned her in his will of 1741 – proved in 1753.

Nathaniel (c.1689-1730), the youngest son of Francis Blincoe (1639-1692) and Ann/Anne Harris is also a possibility.  The Blencowe spelling changed with each child.

We do presume that Anne was literate, as her grandfather, Robert Harris, taught Hebrew, Ancient Greek and Latin in order to put himself through Oxford University. His son, Malachi also attended Oxford. As Malachi only had 3 children, all girls, I can imagine Anne would have had a basic enough knowledge of Latin to have inscribed the book.

As both Anne’s father and grandfather were ministers and Robert was a Divine of Westminster, it stands to reason that Anne would give her son a bible. The family bible would have gone to the elder son, John, not to Nathaniel.

Francis and Anne spent much of their lives at Radstone and Halse. When visiting Halse I was corrected with my pronunciation ‘Hal-sie’ to what I heard as Halls perhaps it should have been Haws? Anne died in Halse in 1719 and was buried at Marston St Lawrence with Francis. Nathaniel married Hannah Blackwell in 1716; however, the bible was long gone by then. Perhaps like modern children he didn’t value the book and either lost it or gave it to young Ben Lamprey by 1709.

In Vol 25 No 4 Nov 2010 an article by Stewart Blencowe provides an early photo showing the neighbouring businesses of the Lamprey and Blencowe families. The photo is probably taken in the early 1900s. The Blencowe Bible was in young Lamprey’s hands by 1709.
Is this just a co-incidence or had the families been connected for that long?
Coincidentally a related Harris article

Good news for our membership! The College of Arms’ Garter King of Arms Visitation of 1623 to Gloucestershire, available within the Harl. MSS. 1543, fo. 188. has given me information about the ancestry of The Rev. Dr. Malachi Harris (Francis Blencowe’s wife, Anne’s father). It also clears up the various myths and discussions about the Harris origins, and their supposed “poor family background” in Gloucestershire. I am sure you are well versed in “Visitations” to English counties in the 15th to 17th centuries, by the different Kings and Heralds from the College of Arms.

The bottom line is that, the College would send out a Summons to the landed Gentry and Peerage of a county, to attend their Court hearing, during which they would conduct a full enquiry and require documentary proof from the attendees, of their family history.

So! Anyone recorded as having satisfied the Court, was “written up” by the College team carrying out the inquisition, and safely stored in the College Archives in London.

During the late 19th and early 20th century, members of the Harleian Society commenced a most incredible translation and production of these County Visitations, which supply people like us with irreplaceable information about our ancestry.

No way would Giles Harris (brother of our Robert) living in Churchill, Gloucestershire, and our Robert Harris (who died in 1658, some 35 years after the visitation) have been summoned from the information and records held in the London College of Arms, if they had all been part of a humble and poor family! The use and meaning of the word “humble” in the 17th century description we had been given, could not have been further from the truth. Those summoned to attend, were the opposite of humble; they were wealthy land owners!

Thomas Harris

John Harris & Elizabeth Hyron

Robert Harris & Joan Whately

Malachi Harris & Mary Fossett

Anne Harris & Francis Blencowe

Antony Farnath        Wolverhampton

I think Robert‘s marriage to Joan Whately, granddaughter of John Knight was a fortuitous one that probably propelled him up the ladder a bit. (See An Impressive Family Pub pg 13-16 Nov 2011)                     Anne

Frances Blane Blencowe 1913-2012
Frances and Louise Blencowe taken at the 1995 Reunion in Colorado

Frances Blane Blencowe 98, of Irvington, died on June 30 2012. The daughter the late William Watkins and Flora Lipscomb Blane, Frances was born in Halifax VA.  She was the widow of Thomas Henry Blencowe.

Frances earned her associate degree from Virginia Intermont College and her undergraduate degree from William and Mary College. She was a Librarian for the Henrico County Public Schools for 20 years after which she became a world traveller.

Our sympathy extends to sons, William Thomas & Jackie Blencowe and John Alfred & Helen Blencowe; a brother, Watkins Blane, 4 grandchildren, Joseph Blencowe, Todd Blencowe, John Blencowe & Beth Mabus & 2 great grandchildren.

Frances, who was very fond of her BFA family, contributed to “The Book” with a chapter about the Lynchburg Virginia Immigrants from Towcester.

Al Blencowe,  Richmond, USA

The Social Scene

Unveiling of Historic Marker 

The unveiling of the historic marker for Convict John Blencowe and Elizabethnee Horner’s grave at the Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery, in Victoria, Australia on the 17th June 2012 was cause for a mini reunion of family members; a modest 142 years after John died from a kick by a horse at Mordialloc.

The honor of the unveiling the historic marker was given to the youngest descendant present, Amy Rose Wakely, a 4th times great grand daughter of John and Elizabeth.

After the two year project it was good to actually meet our 3rd and 4th cousins. Margaret Inglis had come travelled from Perth in Western Australia to be present. With the formalities over, the ‘Friends of the Cemetery’ provided a delightful array of refreshments which everyone thoroughly enjoyed and made the most of the excellent opportunity for getting to know one another.

Caption for photo: Jacinta Blencowe, Margaret Inglis, Kevin & Maureen Gibson, Amy &, Katie Wakely, Peggy Gibson Amanda Wakely, Jean &, Ian Blencowe, Jason Wakely, Brontë Davie, Christopher Gibson &  Zara Davie.

Kevin Gibson, Victoria

Thomas Frank Blinks 1952 – 2012

I was sorry to learn that one of our most enthusiastic members died on 11 March just days after sending in the Notable Blencowe article on his ancestor, the Sporting Artist, Thomas Blinks (1853-1910). Tom, of Robertsbridge, East Sussex, was not married. He was born in Kent to Donald and Helena Blinks. His parents and sister, Susan (1947-1963) all pre deceased him. Sadly, Tom appears to have been the end of his line.

 

In the News in 1771

The Northampton Mercury

Monday 3rd June 1771

This is to caution all Persons not to trust Lydia Blencowe, the Wife of Thomas Blencowe, of Helmdon, Northamptonshire, as I will not for the future pay any Debts she may Contract……………………….                    Witness my Hand,

THOMAS BLENCOWE

 

So who were Thomas and Lydia?

Thomas was born c 1743 in Helmdon to Nathaniel Blencowe & Mary Williams. He was a possible twin of Francis. He was a mason. He married Lydia Turner on 24 Feb 1767 at Moreton Pinkney.

Thomas didn’t need to worry for too long about Lydia’s spending habits as he died 5 months later on 18 November 1771 at Helmdon. Lydia remarried on 29 November 1775 to John North.

Douglas Bain,  Canada

Mystery Photo

I was wondering if the members of the BFA may be able to recognise this photo. On the back is written Stella and Ian Charles. By the lady’s hair style I would say it was taken about the early 1940s. I don’t know of a Stella or an Ian Charles.

However in my family records I have a Stella Irene Driscoll wife of Keith Cusworth Blencowe who were married in 1940. Keith was a Great Great Grandson of convict John. I have found no trace of Keith and Stella having any children or what happened to Stella. Keith died in 1970 and his ashes are at Fawkner Memorial Park. If anybody can fill in any details of Keith and Stella it would be greatly appreciated.

Clint Horley, Western Australia

I had a guess at who it might be. Anne

The photo is a mystery no more. Ian recognized the chair and the back yard where the photo was taken and will show his mother (Stella) on Friday. I must admit I didn’t really think I would identify the people let alone be in touch with them.

Clint                                       

 The advantage of being a BFA member!

New Book: Blinco from Hedgerley to Australia

A four year journey is nearing its end with the impending launch of a new book on the Blinco clan. This book was inspired by the gathering of Blincos descended from Henry and Alfred Blinco of Hedgerley in 2008 at the reunion in Port Macquarie. The work has been a joint effort by many descendants and their families and delved into many private and public archives. It covers the family of Thomas Blinco and his children focussing on Henry and Alfred in the Hedgerley area. The story tracks their migration and resettlement to Australia, and accounts of their first Australian-born generation.

Links between the brothers before and after migration and their children have been unearthed demonstrating family bonds were maintained across vast distances and remote locations within Western Australia and Queensland.

The book is expected to be printed in November 2012 and will be a soft covered volume of about 240 pages containing many images, accounts of official and family records and for future reference, links to hundreds of sources. Pricing is still to be fixed, but is expected to be in the order of $40 plus postage. To assist with printing numbers, expressions of interest are sought. Please contact me via Anne editor@blencowefamilies.com if you are interested in securing a copy (or two). As a family production, it will make a great gift to family members this Christmas. …………………………..
Rob Wallis, Western Australia

 

Suggestions for ‘Blencowe Family’ Christmas Presents

Annual membership of the Association (£6 or $10 a year)

Lady Anne Blencowe: The Receipt Book by Tina Stapley. (£7.50 + £2.50 p&p)

The Blencowe Families Roll of Honour compiled by Anne Blencowe Burton. £5 or $10 includes postage.

Blinco from Hedgerley to Australia (£27 or $40 +p&p)

A History of Blencowe Village. by those associated with the village (£5 +p&p).

The CD ‘The Blencowe Families Book’ (£8  or $10 includes p&p)

Other CDs (all at £4 or $5 includes p&p)

  • The Blencowe Family Reunion in 2007at Marston St Lawrence.
  • Memories of the Blencowe Family Reunion at Blencowe Hall. 2010.
  • The John Blencowe Indenture 1732 with translation.
  • John Wallis + Popham 2

English sales: Phone Peter 023 9263 1066.

ANZ: Anne editor@blencowefamilies.com

USA/Canada: Allen   ablincoe@sbcglobal.net