Search for a Relative

James & Sarah Sherman

To anyone who can provide some helpful information. I am researching for an old friend and have found a James Sherman & Sarah Sherman, who I believe to have been my friend’s Great, Great Grandparents, living with their son and daughter at Battersea, London, in 1871.

The Census return has James Sherman born 1815 at Scarning and Sarah Sherman born 1831? at Raynham. The chances of James & Sarah both coming from Norfolk, meeting and marrying in London are not good. I therefore presume they would have married in Norfolk before moving to London.

Their son, also James Sherman, is given as being born 1858 at Pimlico, London, meaning they would have married and moved before or up to 1858. James Sherman born in 1815 is given on the 1871 Census as a “Farrier”.

I have not been able to find a marriage record for a James Sherman and a  Sarah in Norfolk or London at anything like the right time. The only other conclusion is that James & Sarah never married.

This is a real long shot, but hopefully, someone out there will have some helpful information.

Regards.  Brian Ekins – brian.ekins@kingstonian.com

Antoinette Thorpe writes:

“I was clearing out my Godmothers home and came across a British Empire Medal awarded to a James Andrews who lived at 2 Council Houses Scarning, with the boxed medal were several letters written between 10th Jan 1945 and the 7th May 1945. One from a Wing Commander from RAF Station Swanton Morley, one from a Will Spens Regional Commissioner Cambridge and one from the Permanent Under-Secretary of State at that time.

All the letters were showing their appreciation and admiration for James Andrews. He had apparently run to a burning plane and rescued two officers, in the words of one of the officers, James put his own safety last as there was a great danger of exploding petrol tanks and ammunition. For this, he was awarded the medal. He clearly had saved these two men’s lives.

Along with the package were some photos of who we assume to be James Andrews and a silver tankard with an inscription from the rescued officers. One was FLt Harold White D.F.C and the other FLt Michael Allen D.F.C. Of the Royal Air Force.

We do not know who this young man was but would love to trace any of his living relatives to pass over his medal.”

Update – 12/2/14

“I thought I would let you know, I have had contact from the Grandson of one of the other young men who were involved in the rescue. There were three of them all receiving B E Medals. Unfortunately, he is unable to help with tracing James descendants, however, his Grandmother has lived in Scarning all her life and is now 92 she may remember the Andrews family, he is going to ask.
However we are having a really nice dialogue, thank you.
Kind regards”

Antoinette

Walpole

Sheila Parker [nee Walpole] wrote:

“Hello, I just wish to say what an interesting web site that has brought such joy to me through your information and old photo’s. Many of my ancestors resided in and around Scarning, my father being born there in 1907. Sadly both his parents died in 1911& 1916 when he was a small boy and are buried in the Parish Churchyard so the old lovely pictures give me a real insight into what the village was like in their time. The 1918 School picture is a special delight as there is a chance he could be on it!  On the 1921 voters list, I found both my Great  Grandmothers! Hester Draper and some of her family including Great Uncle Sam who I remember visiting us when I was a little girl. Hester Walpole and two of her sons along with Rachel who I have yet to find if she is a daughter or daughter in law. Also, there may be a new connection, when time permits I shall do more research as my father’s stepfather was a William Mayes and Arthur and Florence on the list may have been Williams parents?

Being a bookworm myself I think the old copies of books and records are wonderful and how fortunate they have been kept for future generations. The more I look at the school photo 1918 I am convinced the boy (front row right-hand side of the left-hand window) is my father as he would be aged 11 in October of that year and always had a lovely mop of curly hair. Dabbling with a little poetry I had written of the joy with earlier Census of finding, via the Internet, both the Grandparents I never knew and now, fortunate enough to be able to view the 1911 Census it has been magical to be able to have a record of my father and his parents together for that one and only time with his father dying in July that same year and his mother in 1916.

How good to see both the old and now renewed twenty-first century Village Hall still in use, a great asset to your village social life.”

Cuthbert

Brian Stanley (mother’s maiden name Cuthbert) has been researching his maternal grandparent’s line and has discovered that they originate from Scarning in the late 1780s. The name is originally recorded as Cudbird in 1841 but it transforms in later years to Cuthbird, Cathbert and finally Cuthbert. The earliest record is of Susannah Cudbird born in 1786 a widow living at Daffy Green with her son Samuel born in 1819 and daughter Hannah born in 1826.

David and Mary Cuthbert were his Great grandparents and he in turn was the grandson of the Susannah born in 1786. David lived in Scarning until the late 1870’s when he moved to London and became a policeman. Sometime between 1901 and 1911, he retired to Bressingham. Brian has discovered that Susannah was married to a David Cuthbird and they had twins David and Sarah – both baptised on 31 Oct 1819. In the Parish Register, the name is spelled Cuthbird. He suspects the variation in spellings is a result of the local accent at that time.

He wondered if any local residents had any information on the origin of the name or the family.

BDStanley@VirginMedia.Com

Henry Hart & Elizabeth Hammond

James Hart writes

“Dear Residents of Scarning,
Greetings to you from a long-lost descendant of Scarning. My name is James Hart, and I am a resident of Cary, North Carolina, USA. In researching my family tree, I have discovered that I am descended from one of the earliest Englishmen to come to the New World, from your village. The information I have tells me that I am descended from Henry Hart, born in Scarning in 1595. He married Elizabeth Hammond, also of Scarning, who was born in 1601. They were married in Scarning before immigrating to Virginia in 1634. Henry Hart was the first Englishman of that surname to arrive in America.

I would think that this fact would make his ancestry of interest to many people here in the USA, yet very little is known about his early life or the family he may have left behind in Scarning. I noticed several citizens with the last name Hammond in Scarning’s 1901 census, but none by the name of Hart. This led me to wonder about his family and become even more curious about his early life.

I was wondering if anything is known about Henry and Elizabeth there in Scarning, and if there are any records of Harts living in the area in the early 1600s. I would appreciate any information that might be available. I am curious about the history of Scarning, particularly what was happening there in the 1620s that would lead my ancestor to take ship with his wife and travel to a new and unknown land. If you have any information that you think may be of interest to me, please forward it to jkhart@nc.rr.com. Thank you for entertaining the curiosity of a far-away relation. I hope to travel to Scarning soon and see your village myself. Sincerely James Hart”

jkhart@nc.rr.com