I published this article recently in our monthly newsletter but thought it was worth sharing again for those who may have missed it. It’s an example of the kind of history you can find in the simplest of things while browsing in a place like The Arcade. Thanks to Jane Elliman for taking the time to write this for us.
I spotted these two postcards in the Junk Shop the other day and was immediately drawn to the images so decided to see if there was any text on the back, so I was even more interested to discover they were both addressed to the same private house in Bristol. The post-mark isn’t readable and one stamp had already been removed but I guessed they must have been sent around the beginning of the 20th Century. The beautiful “Pre-Raphaelite” girl postcard is a birthday card to a Mrs Wright from her “loving daughter May” and the Little Miss Muffett card is to Miss May Wright with “lots of kisses from Dadsy and he hopes you are well and a good girl”.
Well, this was all I needed to find out a little more about this family so at the earliest opportunity (as soon as I got home) I logged onto my Ancestry account and started with the 1911 census. It didn’t take me long to find a family that seemed to fit and a quick check of the front page of the census confirmed it was indeed the correct address that was on my postcards of 139 Cromwell Rd, Montpelier, Bristol.
So we have Thomas George Wright aged 60 married who is employed as an Inspector of Schools whose birthplace is Stoke Priors, Worcestershire. His wife is listed as Maria Susan aged 44 having been married 12 years with one child………but……. the census continues with Gladys Martha listed as daughter aged 23 working as a Teacher in an Elementary school as well as Beatrice May aged 11, who must be the recipient and sender of the postcards. So, who then is Gladys and who was her mother as it couldn’t possibly be Maria Susan?
I moved further back in time to the 1881 census and searched for Thomas George Wright to see where he was and what he was doing then. I found him living in York, married to Mary Hannah with a daughter Kathleen aged 1 year. His occupation is listed as a Lecturer in a training college.
By 1891 they had moved from York to 139 Cromwell Road in Bristol with a further 3 siblings for Kathleen; George, Gladys and Horatio. It’s apparent now that something must have happened to Mary Hannah as by the 1901 census Maria Susan is listed as his wife with Beatrice as 1 year old. Kathleen, George Gladys and Horatio Herbert are all still present at the address.
A search of the death registers for Bristol between the years of 1891 & 1900 revealed that Mary Hannah died in 1897 aged 43. A further search of the marriage registers between 1897 and 1900 revealed that Thomas then married Maria Susan Biggs on the 4th August 1898.
I was then able to search and see that Thomas passed away aged 70 in 1921 and Maria aged 83 in 1949.
Sadly no-one seems to be researching these family names on the Ancestry website so one can only assume the family line has finished which is how the cards ended up in an Antique Centre.
This all goes to show that a simple item such as a postcard with an address on can easily reveal a family history and for some people can become a fascinating hobby or even occupation.
There are many websites and magazines that cover the subject as well as groups and society’s and even fairs up and down the country. Most websites are subject to a membership fee and basically the more you pay for your subscription the more you can research. To follow your research back beyond civil registration in 1837 you will undoubtedly have to visit some record offices. Each county town will have their own archives and many hours can be involved in scrolling through microfiche copies of early records.
I am a member of the Hampshire Genealogical Society and subscribe to Ancestry, Genes Reunited and 192.com.
Well, this was all I needed to find out a little more about this family so at the earliest opportunity (as soon as I got home) I logged onto my Ancestry account and started with the 1911 census. It didn’t take me long to find a family that seemed to fit and a quick check of the front page of the census confirmed it was indeed the correct address that was on my postcards of 139 Cromwell Rd, Montpelier, Bristol.
