23 April 2010

Comings & Goings

St George's Day today and I thought I'd look up a few other famous anniversaries. So . . Roy Orbison was born today in 1936; Rupert Brooke died today in 1915; and William Shakespeare did both - he was born and died today.

Roy Orbison? Famous for "Oh Pretty Woman" and he joined the Travelling Wilburys. Rupert Brooke? Quite appropriate, really, that he should die (of sepsis, on his way to Gallipoli) on St George's day. A few years ago I was wandering around Grantchester, as you do, waiting for the pubs to open and so went to look at the War Memorial in the church yard. I was initially surprised to see Brooke's name there . . . . how stupid can you get! And then there's Will. Surely everyone's heard of him! Must have written very quickly . . .

Anyway, on to today's excerpt from the family file: the marriage of Elizabeth Bigley (my first cousin three times removed) and Matthew Wadlow, in 1855 in Chatteris. He & Elizabeth produced eight children over the next 22 years, all the while remaining in the town. In common with so many in the file, Matthew worked on the land and he died in 1917.

Of their children, I have found that eldest son Henry married Isabellina - isn't that a wonderful name - in 1882 and had begat four children by 1901. His brother David, living just up the street from Henry in 1901, was married to Mary Ann, with two children. Third brother Fred married in 1892 but I don't know who to . . . . sorry, to whom, and the others resolutely elude me after 1891. C'est la vie, I guess, but I shall continue looking.

That's all for today as I need to prepare for "Tourist Guide" mode tomorrow.

More soon.

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