Worth a look....

If you do nothing else today, have a look at 'Family Tree Rhapsody' on YouTube.

More soon.

Where would we be without newspapers.....?

In the pursuit of my goal of joining my various Culpins in one family-file, I was furkling again through the British Newspaper Archives today (it was either that or watch the curling at the Winter Olympics).  And yet again I found tragedy in the family:-

THE STAMFORD MERCURY, 24th May 1895

Suicide of a Former Master of Stamford Union - An inquest was held at Holbrook, near Derby, on Monday, touching the death of Richard Markham Culpin, who was found hanging in an out-house in the village.  The body was identified by the deceased's widow, Selina Culpin, who said that her husband was 54 years of age.  He was at one time master of Stamford workhouse, and afterwards of Stow-on-the-Wold workhouse, Gloucestershire.  That was eight or 10 years ago, and since then he had kept a lodging-house at Skegness for about five years.  He had lately had no regular employment and, for the past two or three months, had been lodging in Regent-street, Derby,  He had lately been steady in his habits, but whilst at Stow-on-the-Wold he was somewhat addicted to drink and had become deranged.  Last Thursday witness and deceased went to Holbrook on a visit to her sister.  During the past ten days deceased had been very depressed, and had cried a good deal.  He also said he should die broken-hearted at having nothing to do.  Two or three years ago he threatened witness with violence and took up a knife to her, but as a rule he was very kind.  At Stamford, about 16 years ago, he attempted to take his life, and cut his throat seriously.  At Skegness, also, he attempted to commit suicide.  Last Thursday, whilst at Holbrook, he went in and out of the house several times, and seemed uneasy.  He went out again in the afternoon, saying he would not be long, but never returned.  She heard on Saturday that his dead body had been found.  Deceased told her that his grandmother had "walked into the river," and she understood his father was queer in the head.  Charlotte Godbye, sister of the last witness, gave corroborative evidence, and also testified to find the body in an out-house on Saturday afternoon.  A framework knitter, named Herbert Shaw, of Holbrook, having deposed to the cutting down of the body, the jury returned a verdict of "suicide whilst temporarily insane".

THE LEEDS MERCURY, 20th April 1895

FATAL INJURIES ON THE RAILWAY: A man named Henry Culpin, of Downham, Norfolk, died in Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, yesterday, from injuries received on the railway between March and Ely on the previous evening.  He was found lying on the line by the driver of a goods train, with both legs cut off just below the knee, and afterwards conveyed to Cambridge by an express train from York, which stopped at the spot.  Dr A G Hebblethwaite, of Keighley, who was a passenger in the train, attended to the man's injuries.

Both these men appear on my website, if you want further information about them.

More soon.

It's daft, I know......

..... But I've just been looking at the WW2 Civilian Deaths Index on Ancestry and found a couple who died in the Blitz.

Nothing unusual in that, sadly, but I then discovered they had four daughters aged between fifteen and none, and now I'm wondering where they were at the time.

Charles Saunders, his wife Louisa (nee Culpin) and her sister Lillian, died at the Saunders home, Prospect Terrace, St Pancras in October 1940. No mention is made of their four daughters.

And, just to make it even more intriguing, Louisa died three days after the others. This, presumably,  is why the Probate Index shows her as a widow.

I shall keep looking for the girls.

More soon.