As I head towards a milestone birthday later this month (I'll not say which, but I haven't been able to claim '29 and holding' in decades), I have been thinking about how much genealogy has shaped and continues to shape my world - both professional and personal.
As I get older, the meaning of family and home has taken on different, yet stronger meanings for me. Having moved around a lot while growing up, I don't have a strong sense of home as physical place. However, I do feel attachment to many places - where I have lived, where my parents lived and where our ancestors lived too. Learning and understanding how these places have shaped or influenced me or my family is a big part of my interests and research nowadays. My own family means more to me than anything in this world - helping to connect them to our collective past and connecting with our extended family is a privilege and honour.
Genealogy has given me a way to root myself in many ways - to places, people and events which I had never considered before. Personally, I've also found that my precious spare seems to be devoted to genealogy and family history research. I look forward to attending RootsTech with my mother in March and sharing with her new discoveries about the field and the technical wizardry that makes this field so interesting (and challenging too, to say the least). Life seems to be speeding along nowadays - perhaps that is a sign of my age, too.
Professionally, I spend my days helping others find their homes, places and families - a journey which I am honoured to share with them. Nothing feels better than helping someone to make the connection between a long lost relative or ancestor. Conversely, I can understand that frustration of brickwalls and those research avenues which bear little in terms of concrete results. They are all part of the process.
As much as I look back to my own and my family's pasts, I am also looking forward to the future - shared with family, friends and genealogy colleagues.
Cheers, K.
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Final notes on the death of William Henry Ball, 1892-1941
While I was thrilled to have finally tracked down the details of William Henry's death, it's been quite saddening to learn about his passing in all of its horrendous detail. I received the newspaper accounts of the accident from the Ealing Library earlier this month and they have added a few new details about the fateful day of Saturday June 14, 1941.
The Middlesex County Times noted, in their 21 June 1941 report concerning the coroner's inquest, that William had purchased a platform ticket in the late afternoon of Saturday June 14th, a fact confirmed by a booking clerk at Ealing Broadway Station. A railway porter, James Frederick Matthews, was on duty at 6pm when his attention was caught by a man yelling on the No. 4 platform that a body was on the main line. When he investigated, it was discovered that William had already been struck by the train and parts of his body were strewn along the tracks.
The train driver reported that the express had been traveling at 60 miles an hour, when they passed underneath a footbridge on approach to the station. A dark object appeared in front of the engine, but the driver's vision and glasses were obscured by steam. He applied the brakes, but was unable to stop in time nor at the station, so carried onto Paddington.
The pathologist found no evidence of natural disease in his autopsy of William and found that he had died of multiple injuries. An open verdict was recorded by the coroner as there was insufficient evidence to determine how William had fallen from the platform or if he had jumped to his death.
In the Middlesex Gazette of the same date, it was reported that William had failed to report to work that Saturday. The story also noted that porter at Ealing Broadway has been approached by a man about a body on the tracks, who soon afterward disappeared. Police reported that William's body had been spread out over a distance of 50 yards and that the 15 GBP that his wife believed to be in his possession, had not been found. At the end of the coroner's court, Matilda collapsed, saying "He didn't do it. He didn't do it." when an open verdict was declared. She had to be helped from the court room.
Had William had a medical emergency and fallen, stumbled, been pushed, or decided to jump? While I wish that I had an answer, there are just to many variables to consider - why hadn't he reported to work that day, where were the money that he was to have had on him, why did he tell Matilda that he would be home to hear the music program on the radio at 8pm? I suspect that he may have jumped to his death, but it is speculation on my part.
Hopefully, on to happier tales next time...
Cheers, K.
The Middlesex County Times noted, in their 21 June 1941 report concerning the coroner's inquest, that William had purchased a platform ticket in the late afternoon of Saturday June 14th, a fact confirmed by a booking clerk at Ealing Broadway Station. A railway porter, James Frederick Matthews, was on duty at 6pm when his attention was caught by a man yelling on the No. 4 platform that a body was on the main line. When he investigated, it was discovered that William had already been struck by the train and parts of his body were strewn along the tracks.
The train driver reported that the express had been traveling at 60 miles an hour, when they passed underneath a footbridge on approach to the station. A dark object appeared in front of the engine, but the driver's vision and glasses were obscured by steam. He applied the brakes, but was unable to stop in time nor at the station, so carried onto Paddington.
The pathologist found no evidence of natural disease in his autopsy of William and found that he had died of multiple injuries. An open verdict was recorded by the coroner as there was insufficient evidence to determine how William had fallen from the platform or if he had jumped to his death.
In the Middlesex Gazette of the same date, it was reported that William had failed to report to work that Saturday. The story also noted that porter at Ealing Broadway has been approached by a man about a body on the tracks, who soon afterward disappeared. Police reported that William's body had been spread out over a distance of 50 yards and that the 15 GBP that his wife believed to be in his possession, had not been found. At the end of the coroner's court, Matilda collapsed, saying "He didn't do it. He didn't do it." when an open verdict was declared. She had to be helped from the court room.
Had William had a medical emergency and fallen, stumbled, been pushed, or decided to jump? While I wish that I had an answer, there are just to many variables to consider - why hadn't he reported to work that day, where were the money that he was to have had on him, why did he tell Matilda that he would be home to hear the music program on the radio at 8pm? I suspect that he may have jumped to his death, but it is speculation on my part.
Hopefully, on to happier tales next time...
Cheers, K.
Monday, 7 January 2013
Coroner's report for William Henry Ball, 1892-1941
Following the tragic death of William Henry Ball at the Ealing Broadway Train Station, a coroner's inquest was held. These are the details from that inquest conducted by Mr. H.G. Broadbridge, coroner for West Middlesex, on 18 June 1941 at Ealing Town Hall.
This is an image of the Ealing Town Hall:
By P.g.champion (Own work) [CC-BY-2.0-uk (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/uk/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons
William died as a result of being hit by a train at Ealing Broadway station, an east-west National Rail and London Underground station in Ealing in west London, located here:
View Larger Map
William was 48 years old. He had lived at 34 Stanley Crescent, Southall, with his wife, Kate Matilda Ball (her name appears as 'Matilda Kate' in other records), and had been a carpenter's labourer for the Great Western Railway.
Francis Paynter, who had known William for 12 years and lived at the same address, described him as a 'temperate man' in his testimony.
Kate Ball noted that William had suffered from asthma and bronchitis and took medication for these conditions. He did not gamble, had no financial worries and had been a teetotaler since the previous October. She noted that he been worried when she was ill recently.
On the morning of Saturday 14 June 1941, William went through his normal morning routine and showed no signs of distress or upset. He usually travelled by trolleybus to Acton, where he worked, but often stopped at Ealing, due to his illness, which had been aggravated in the last two years of his life. However, he never turned up at work that day.
The report notes that William bought a ticket for Ealing Station late that afternoon. At 6pm, James Matthew, a railway porter, heard on man on Platform 4 shouting that a body was on the main line. Unable to stop, the express train to Paddington hit William with such force that his body was left in pieces. The train had been travelling at 60mph and the driver's view was obscured by engine steam. Although the brakes were applied, the driver was unable to stop the train in time.
The pathologist reported that death was due to multiple injuries and the coroner was unable to determine why William fell onto the tracks, so an open verdict was recorded. William's wife, it was noted, felt that it had been an accident and had to be helped away.
Had William jumped or fell onto the tracks? Given his failure to turn up at work, I am tempted to say that this was indeed a suicide, but there may have been other circumstances at play, including his health. It is such a tragic end to William's life. I also can't help but feel sad for the poor train driver who had been unable to stop in time.
Many thanks to the Ealing Library Local Studies Centre and Dr. Oates for their assistance in tracking down this information. I have ordered additional news reports of the accident and will update details upon their receipt.
Cheers, K.
This is an image of the Ealing Town Hall:
By P.g.champion (Own work) [CC-BY-2.0-uk (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/uk/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons
William died as a result of being hit by a train at Ealing Broadway station, an east-west National Rail and London Underground station in Ealing in west London, located here:
View Larger Map
William was 48 years old. He had lived at 34 Stanley Crescent, Southall, with his wife, Kate Matilda Ball (her name appears as 'Matilda Kate' in other records), and had been a carpenter's labourer for the Great Western Railway.
Francis Paynter, who had known William for 12 years and lived at the same address, described him as a 'temperate man' in his testimony.
Kate Ball noted that William had suffered from asthma and bronchitis and took medication for these conditions. He did not gamble, had no financial worries and had been a teetotaler since the previous October. She noted that he been worried when she was ill recently.
On the morning of Saturday 14 June 1941, William went through his normal morning routine and showed no signs of distress or upset. He usually travelled by trolleybus to Acton, where he worked, but often stopped at Ealing, due to his illness, which had been aggravated in the last two years of his life. However, he never turned up at work that day.
The report notes that William bought a ticket for Ealing Station late that afternoon. At 6pm, James Matthew, a railway porter, heard on man on Platform 4 shouting that a body was on the main line. Unable to stop, the express train to Paddington hit William with such force that his body was left in pieces. The train had been travelling at 60mph and the driver's view was obscured by engine steam. Although the brakes were applied, the driver was unable to stop the train in time.
The pathologist reported that death was due to multiple injuries and the coroner was unable to determine why William fell onto the tracks, so an open verdict was recorded. William's wife, it was noted, felt that it had been an accident and had to be helped away.
Had William jumped or fell onto the tracks? Given his failure to turn up at work, I am tempted to say that this was indeed a suicide, but there may have been other circumstances at play, including his health. It is such a tragic end to William's life. I also can't help but feel sad for the poor train driver who had been unable to stop in time.
Many thanks to the Ealing Library Local Studies Centre and Dr. Oates for their assistance in tracking down this information. I have ordered additional news reports of the accident and will update details upon their receipt.
Cheers, K.
Friday, 4 January 2013
Closure for my mystery man, William Henry Ball
In my previous post, I had mentioned that I had obtained a death certificate for a William Henry Ball, who had died in 1941 in Ealing in a horrific railway related incident, but could not confirm if this was my William Henry. Sadly, I can now say that it was indeed my William, who died so tragically at the Ealing Broadway train station the afternoon of 14 June 1941.
To learn more details about the event and victim, I contacted the Ealing Library Local Studies Centre about obtaining a copy of the obituary for William Henry Ball, noted in the death certificate. Dr. Jonathan Oates, Borough archivist and local studies librarian, kindly provided me with a synopsis of the coroner's report which confirmed the identity of William. The inquest, held on 18 June 1941, at Ealing Town Hall, recorded an open verdict, which means that a determination on whether it was an accident or suicide could not made, based on the evidence heard and presented.
Many thanks to go Dr. Oates and the Ealing Library for providing this information for it has solved the mystery of William's death.
I'll post more details from the inquest in the days to come. Stay tuned!
Cheers, K.
To learn more details about the event and victim, I contacted the Ealing Library Local Studies Centre about obtaining a copy of the obituary for William Henry Ball, noted in the death certificate. Dr. Jonathan Oates, Borough archivist and local studies librarian, kindly provided me with a synopsis of the coroner's report which confirmed the identity of William. The inquest, held on 18 June 1941, at Ealing Town Hall, recorded an open verdict, which means that a determination on whether it was an accident or suicide could not made, based on the evidence heard and presented.
Many thanks to go Dr. Oates and the Ealing Library for providing this information for it has solved the mystery of William's death.
I'll post more details from the inquest in the days to come. Stay tuned!
Cheers, K.
Monday, 17 December 2012
Seeking closure for William Henry Ball
Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
William Henry Ball has been my man of mystery for sometime now. Recently, I've been scouring UK death registrations in the hopes of finding him sometime between 1932 and 1947, when his wife, Matilda Kate Bowcher, remarried. This is, of course, assuming that he did, in fact, die before her 1947 marriage to Bertram Cox.
Based on what I have learned from a family member, William may have met a tragic end involving a jump from a railway bridge, at an early age. However, finding evidence of that tragedy has been difficult. Initially, I had thought that his demise may have tied to some involvement in the Great War or military service, but I could not find any evidence showing his enrollment, discharge or death. After learning that he was married in 1921 and still alive in December 1931 when his father died, I decided to throw the net a bit wider and further. Could William have died tragically outside of Penarth or Cardiff?
Searching several death registration indexes for the UK, I did find one that matched his birth year and age. The certificate was indexed with the name "William H. Ball", so I was not sure if I would find a William Herbert or Horace listed. With some trepidation, I ordered the certificate in late November. It arrived this past Friday.
Much to my delight, the full name on he certificate shows "William Henry Ball". Of great interest, the place of death is listed as Ealing Broadway railway station. Sadly, the cause of death are injuries sustained due to a fall in front of a train - confirmed by a coroner's inquest. Is this my William Henry? What was he doing in Ealing in 1941? Could this have been a suicide? An accident? I cannot say at this point. I've started the process of tracking down an obituary and news stories of the event and will post once I have more information.
Stay tuned...
Cheers, K.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Wedding of William James Ball and Mary Shepherd - 1879-1880
One of the best things about writing this blog is that I get to meet (in the virtual sense) many kind and generous people. One such person is Vivienne. She had seen my posts about William James Ball and his stay in the Glamorgan Asylum. As a former Reynoldston resident, she contacted me and shared her childhoood memories of seeing William and Mary's former home on St. George's Terrace and the Ball burial plot in the local cemetery.
Vivienne also sent me a reference to a blog entitled "Dear George" written by Frances Bevan, which examines the correspondence between George Bevan, who left home at age 15 to begin an apprenticeship in his uncle’s ironmonger’s shop in Llandudno, and his family in Gower. Their correspondence carried on for over 50 years.
Vivienne pointed out that the marriage of William James Ball and Mary Shepherd was mentioned in the letters of late 1879 and early 1880. The first reference to the couple can be found in a letter dated 15 Dec 1879 The second reference to William and Mary's wedding is found in a letter dated 26 Oct 1880.
I was really excited to see the references and want thank Vivienne for all of her insight and memories of Reynoldston and Gower.
Cheers, K.
Vivienne also sent me a reference to a blog entitled "Dear George" written by Frances Bevan, which examines the correspondence between George Bevan, who left home at age 15 to begin an apprenticeship in his uncle’s ironmonger’s shop in Llandudno, and his family in Gower. Their correspondence carried on for over 50 years.
Vivienne pointed out that the marriage of William James Ball and Mary Shepherd was mentioned in the letters of late 1879 and early 1880. The first reference to the couple can be found in a letter dated 15 Dec 1879 The second reference to William and Mary's wedding is found in a letter dated 26 Oct 1880.
I was really excited to see the references and want thank Vivienne for all of her insight and memories of Reynoldston and Gower.
Cheers, K.
Monday, 3 December 2012
John and Ruth (Thomas) Ball - Headstone
I've been caught up the past few weeks doing some research on my Dad's baseball and university career and have regrettably have been away from the blog, but I hope to remedy that by getting back into the swing of things.
I wanted to update the burial information for John and Ruth (Thomas) Ball at St. Andrew's in Dinas Powys. John was an older brother to my great-grandfather, Thomas Huxtable Ball.
John is buried with wife, Ruth Thomas, and their children, Nelson and Gwendoline. The headstone at St. Andrews Major Church reads as follows:
In loving memory of JOHN BALL died May 4th 1928 aged 68 years
And his dear wife RUTH BALL died December 28th 1959 in her hundredth year.
Also their son NELSON BALL, beloved husband of Linda, died June 2nd 1963 aged 60 years.
Also their daughter GWENDOLINE CHARLOTTE died September 19th 1986 aged 85 years, beloved wife of Captain BOBS THOMAS.
The blog post about their final resting place can be found here.
Cheers, K.
I wanted to update the burial information for John and Ruth (Thomas) Ball at St. Andrew's in Dinas Powys. John was an older brother to my great-grandfather, Thomas Huxtable Ball.
John is buried with wife, Ruth Thomas, and their children, Nelson and Gwendoline. The headstone at St. Andrews Major Church reads as follows:
In loving memory of JOHN BALL died May 4th 1928 aged 68 years
And his dear wife RUTH BALL died December 28th 1959 in her hundredth year.
Also their son NELSON BALL, beloved husband of Linda, died June 2nd 1963 aged 60 years.
Also their daughter GWENDOLINE CHARLOTTE died September 19th 1986 aged 85 years, beloved wife of Captain BOBS THOMAS.
The blog post about their final resting place can be found here.
Cheers, K.
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