December 2011

There were the following developments in December 2011:

Family History

Brecht One-Name Study

I was contacted by the 2 x Great Granddaughter of Christiana Piper Brecht the daughter of Heinrich (Henry) Brceht and sister of my ancestor George Frederick Brecht.

This was the first contact that I had received from a descendent of a sibling of George Frederick Brecht.

Christiana married Charles Waterman at Kings Somborne, Hampshire on 29.9.1857.

On a vist to Romsey in 2009, we drove out to King's Somborne to see the church:

Christana died in Kings Somborne on 13.10.1889.

Peryer Family

A correspondent contacted me to advise me that her ancestor James Peryer was a brother of Chris' ancestor Henry Peryer:

James Peryer

bp 23.3.1783 St Peter & St Paul Church, Ewhurst
(parents James Peryer& Sarah Snelling married 4.4.1782 Ewhurst)

James married in Surrey:

Holy Trinity, Albury, Surrey

James Peryer married 26.4.1814
Leah Hill

but by 1840 the couple had moved to Sussex:

Thakeham, Sussex

Leah Peryer died Jan 1840

1841 Census

Wiltshires, Pulborough, Sussex

James Peryer (57) Famer Born in County - No Henry Peryer (18) Ag Lab Born in County - No
John Peryer (16) Born in County - No
Harriet Peryer (14) Born in County - No
George Peryer (11) Born in County - No
Mary Peryer (7) Born in County - Yes
Jane Peryer (7) Born in County - Yes

After Leah's death James remarried:

Pulboorough/Thakeham, Sussex

James Peryer married 17.4.1843
Elizabeth Large

Local History

Find the Lady!

Edition of Heir Hunters broadcast on BBC2 1.12.2011

Chris and I were watching a TV programme (a repeat, of course!) Heir Hunters on BBC2 on 1 December 2011, when we were surprised by the inclusion of a recent addition to the estate of Frederick West of Ruthin Castle (father of Frederick Richard West who married Theresa Whitby).

The programme plotted the fascinating history of the Cornwallis West Family:

The Extraordinary Cornwallis West Family

I sent a summary of the content of the programme to two ancestors of William Cornwallis West and Mary Fitzpatrick (Patsy).

Fuller description of the programme

Heir Hunters BBC2 1 December 2011

January 2012

Pitts/Pinnion Family

A regular correspondent in Australia sent me the deatils of 2 burial in the Holborn/Drury Lane area of London:

St Giles in the Fields

Louisa Pitts of Great Wild Street
buried 31.10.1838 (age 44)

Benjamin James Pitts of Queen's Court, Holborn
buried 15.1.1839 (age 47)

(Benjamin was born James Benjamin Pitts)

I had previously visited St Giles' church:

St Giles in the Fields

Near Drury Lane is St Giles Circus and St Giles in the Fields where Pitts family ceremonies took place in 1815 and 1817:

St Giles in the Fields near Tottenham Court Road underground station

Noticeboard outside St Giles in the Fields - St Giles was founded as a leper hospital by Matilda, Queen of Henry I in 1101.Its chapel became the parish church in 1547

I tried to find the bp of Loiusa Pitts nee Pinnion but found one potential entry only:

West Clandon, Surrey

Louisa Pinion bp 28.4.1793
(Parents William Pinion& Mary)

Pinion/Pinnion is a relatively uncommon name and if this is "our" Louisa, it would mean an unexpected link for the Bower/Pitts/Pinnion family with West Clandon that we know from my wife Chris' ancestors in the Peryer/Perrier and Smith families:

The Big One!- Peryer/Perrier Family

The Big One! - Smith Family

Colin Bower
31 January 2012