Just the one anniversary today - the birthday of Ena Staden, the ninth child (of twelve) of Alfred Thomas & Catherine (nee Derby). She was born in Cambridge in 1906 and was christened in October at St Philip's, on Mill Road in the city, close to Sedgwick Street where the family lived. I know very little about Ena, except that maybe she was something to do with the Girl Guides. She died on 11 June 1969 at her home in Fulbourn, a small village on the outskirts of Cambridge and when the family acknowledgement appeared in the Cambridge Evening News, special thanks were reserved for the "Girl Guides for their kindness" - hence the earlier supposition about Ena's involvement with them!
Going back, again, to the Sutton family - descendants of Catherine, nee Watts, my 4xgreat grandmother (for those of you who joined us today). Thanks to Sue, I was able to add three more children to the mix but I'm still a way short of the numbers quoted in a report Sue sent to me; this, written in a beautiful old-fashioned hand, said that Catherine had 15 children (check - less one), 89 grandchildren, 62 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild . . . "numbering in all 167. At the time of her death 130 survived. The deceased was a member of the Independent Congregation 43 years."
Note carefully that last bit . . . and then look back to my "Lots of Greats" entry: this is the same woman who, seemingly, lived in sin with Charles Culpin for 17 years or so before marrying him in 1828. Speculation has reached me that her first husband did a runner (in the modern vernacular) so maybe she was unable to divorce from him. Whatever the reason, it does rather seem that Caz & Chas managed to convince the Church that they were legally wed . . . . which goes to prove that you can fool the people!!
I'll try to make my next entry a"Caz & Chas"-free zone!
More soon.
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