Progress To Date

Great Grandparent: Charles Herbert Saunders
- His Parents: Henry Saunders and Ann Neville
- His Grandparents:

Mini Family Tree (Direct Ancestors)

The family tree to date may be summarised:

Saunders Family

Henry Saunders b c 1810 d 6.4.1867
Married 12.05.1837
Ann Neville b c 1811/2

Charles Herbert Saunders b 17.04.1844
Married 26.9.1876
Emma Mary Seabourn b 06.11.1853

Ellen Elizabeth Curran Saunders b 06.11.1877 d 19.3.1960
Married 25.12.1899
Arthur Brecht b 28.01.1877 d 28.12.1946

Doris Ivy Brecht b 15.03.1912
d 29.6.2003
Married 11.07.1936
Frederick Bower b 12.09.1910
d 10.9.2006

Colin Malcolm Bower b 12.01.1944
Married 15.10.1966
Christine Elizabeth Collier b 26.03.1946

Link to Family Tree

Charles Herbert Saunders & Descendants

Summary of Research To Date

Henry Saunders was a mariner as was his son Charles Herbert Saunders who later became an engine driver.

Two Brecht brothers married two Saunders sisters (daughters of Charles Herbert Saunders). The two families passed down many myths amd mysteries, e.g. my grandma Ellen Saunders was the first born who added the first name Creah to make her full name Ellen Elizabeth Creah Curran Saunders.

Some of the Brechts and Saunders families ran businesses in the East End of London and Essex and there were family splits including rows over wills.

It was fun to hear from my cousins of my mother and myself and obtain information and photo's.

We have also made a number of enjoyable visits to Cheltenham (where Henry Saunders may have been born), Portsmouth (where Henry lived before he joined the Coastguard service) and Bovisand near Plymstock where Henry was Chief Offucer until he died in Plymstock.

Birth Marriage & Death Certificates Held
- Births: 4
- Marriages: 3
- Deaths: 1

Certificates Held-Saunders Family

Census Records Obtained
- 1841 Henry & Ann (Neville) Saunders & family
- 1851 Ann (Neville) Saunders & family
- 1861 Henry & Ann (Neville) Saunders & family
- 1871
- 1881 Charles & Emma (Seabourn) Saunders & family
- 1891 Charles & Emma (Seabourn) Saunders & family
- 1901 Charles & Emma (Seabourn) Saunders & family
- 1911 Charles & Emma (Seabourn) Saunders & family
- Richard & Rosina Saunders & family

Census Records Held

Other Research Undertaken
- IGI - Sheets held for Gloucestershire, Hampshire, London and Sussex
- Parish Records
- Wills
- Businesses - a number of businesses were run by the Saunders & Brecht families including:
1898 John Saunders, Confectioner, 41 Balaam Street, Plaistow
1900 Charles Saunders, Laundry, 27 Third Avenue (from where Ellen Elizabeth Curran Saunders left to marry Arthur Brecht in 1899)
- Correspondence - with cousins re the Brecht/Saunders side of the family.
Some photographs were exchanged accordingly.
- Visits - Durham Street, Portsmouth, Coastguard Stations at Atherton I.O.W and Bovisand near Plymstock
- Photographs (/br> - Misc Info/Documents

Progress 2004

My great grandfather Charles Herbert Saunders was:

• a mariner - 1876
• a stoker - 1877
• an engine driver - 1883-1901

It appears that stoker was a maritime term as against fireman on the railways. Still flimsy information to trace his careers at the Public Record Office though!

Still stuck on finding out more about his father Henry Saunders and the latter's other son Francis.

Naval career of Henry Saunders

In 1844, he claimed to be late Mate R.N. which I now know to be officer rank. Frustratingly there are two reference cards at the P.R.O.in Kew which are supposed to summarise the naval career of a Henry Saunders, but there has been an error in the cross-referencing and no way of remedying it seems.

Progress 2005/7

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Progress 2008

My Grandma Ellen (Saunders) Brecht had two twin sisters, Edith and Annie Saunders born in 1879.

A descendant of Edith Saunders advised me of his family tree.

Progress 2009

Entries from the 1911 Census were added.

Progress 2010/1

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Things we wish we knew

• Whether the family came over from Ireland as suggested
• Why Ellen Saunders was christened Curran and then Creah (or Crae) Curran i.e. family connections
• Birth details of Henry Saunders (c1810 in Cheltenham)
• Where Charles Herbert Saunders was in 1871 (in Navy?)
• For which railway company Charles Herbert Saunders worked
• What happened to Charles' brother Francis

Colin Bower
1 January 2012

Links to:
Saunders Family - Main Links
Family History - Main Index