This is William Owen Seiler (Silor), the husband of my second great aunt Louisa Laura Wanger.
His grandfather, Gustave Alvin Heinrich Seiler, had come to England from Prussia in 1848. The England Alien Arrivals list says that came from Germany via Antwerp on the Soho. It uses the word Germany and says Gustave is a candidate in theology.
William was born on 8 June 1885, in Bow, East London to parents Charles Seiler and Elizabeth Catherine Husbands. He had one sister, Eliza Sarah, and one brother, Charles Henry, who sadly died at aged 11 in 1894.
The 1891 England Census lists his father as a factory worker and by the 1901 England Census the man is now listed as a general labourer in a chemical works. This could possibly have been the same place as in 1891. William is listed as a grocer's errand boy
In 1902 William's father dies at the age of only 35. We can only speculate as to the cause of death, but illness as a result of working in the chemical works could be a contributing factor.
The 1911 England Census shows Elizabeth as head of the household, living with her daughter and niece; both girls are listed as machinists, blouses. As yet I have been unable to find a date of death of her.
To return to William. He married Louisa Laura Wanger on 30 May 1910 at St Paul, Old Ford in the East End. The marriage records list William as a professional footballer with Louisa a waitress. The couple appear to have had only one child, a daughter called Ivy Irene Edith born in Croydon in 1911.
An internet search on William has found a wealth of information about his footballing career. I have summarised what I have found and include some links after.
William was 5ft 6 in., weighed 10st 6lb and played Inside Forward.
He began playing football for junior clubs Eton Mission and Sultan and then went on to join the Southern League Leyton in 1907. He played one season with the club during which time he scored 4 times and made 23 appearances.
In May 1908 he moved to Norwich City, where he scored 7 times and made 27 appearances, including a hat-trick in April 1909 against his former club Leyton.
In May 1909 he joined West Ham United where he was less successful, with only 6 first team appearances in March and April 1910 without scoring.
At the close of the 1910 season William moved to Croydon Common. He scored 3 times in 14 Southern League and FA cup appearances.
In the summer of 1911 he moved to Chatham. He was in the 3-0 defeat in the Kent Senior Cup Final against Catford Southend at Maidstone in April 1912.
In December 1913 he joined Margate where he saw out the end of his career. William died on 1 July 1965 in Chatham, in Kent. Louisa died 4 years later.
Looking at this information and the result of searches on Ancestry, it appears that William avoided fighting in World War I.
https://www.vintagefootballers.com/product/silor-william-image-1-norwich-1908/ - this site lets you put William's image onto any number of products.
http://theyflysohigh.co.uk/autographs-syd-king-2/4560573086 - this site has information about his time at West Ham as well as an image of his signature
What I have found so amusing, and a little sad, in researching my family is how many myths and legends have been proven to be just that. In some cases you wished they were true, like the existence of a unicorn.
Back in the day, before the Internet and then before there was vast quantities online, you simply had to believe, or perhaps you chose to. I was very young when I was told the stories, so I was unlikely to question my "elders and betters" and had not, at that time, developed a degree of scepticism or requirement of proof.
So now I know some of the truth, or rather what is not true (or proven by facts).
Myth 1
The father of Nelsie Rossiter was called William Rossiter who was a slightly "mad" tea planter. He tried to build a railway up a vertical mountain and designed his tea garden in one long line, so he could ride from end to the other and see everything and everyone at work.
Nelsie's father was Harry Daniel Rossiter. It would have been impossible and probably seen as anti social to plant your tea garden in one long line, due to available space.
Myth 2
The Richardsons on my mother's side are part of the (in)famous Richardson gang which was the rival to the Krays in the East End.
I have really tried on this one, but no success yet.
Myth 3
John Gordon Benson and his brother Guy William were sent to Dr Graham's Homes in Kalimpong because they were orphans.
Untrue! Their father William Benson had started the application process, but died suddenly, before he saw them safely installed. The boys' mother was still living at the time, a Ghasi woman called Mina, who asked her employer to write annually to ask for news on how her sons were doing. They died not knowing this. The truth came out when my family and I visited the Homes in 2017 and got copies of the records.
Myth 4
The Wangers on my mother's side had a connection to Walter Wanger, the American film producer, who was involved in such films as Cleopatra and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. More information on this Wanger can be found at: Walter Wanger.
I have been unable to find a link between my Wangers and Walter, though somewhere back in Germany this may exist.
This is a portrait of William Bligh by Alexander Huey in 1814. Bligh is best known for being cast adrift from HMS Bounty during the Mutiny led by Fletcher Christian. An internet search or a good library will give more sources on William Bligh's naval career. I am here to explain about my connection to him through my ancestor.
Joseph Short
1763 - 1809
He is the father in law of my 1st cousin 5x removed. Joseph had been born in Westminster to Joseph Short and Mary Pape. As far as I have found he was an only child.
In 1776 Joseph joined the Royal Navy and was promoted to Commander in 1793. At the start of 1805 Joseph decided to move to New South Wales, Australia, with his family and second wife Mary. In July of that year he received a letter from Edward Cooke, the Under-Secretary to the Colonial Office which recommended him to Captain William Bligh, for a grant of land in New South Wales. William Bligh had been appointed Governor in May 1805 and he was to travel as part of the convoy with Joseph.
William Bligh captained the HMS Sinclair while Joseph had managed to get appointed to command HMS Porpoise. Joseph's circle of friends included William Budge, the long term private secretary to the former First Lord of the Admiralty Viscount Melville. William Budge had recently been appointed Commissioner of Victualling; another friend from their mutual circle was travelling out with Joseph, Robert Fitz who had been appointed Deputy Commissary of New South Wales. He had previously been a clerk in the Colonial Office.
On the journey out Joseph clashed with William Bligh over who was leading the convoy. At one point he asserted his position by firing across Bligh's bow. On arrival in New South Wales, one of Joseph's officers reported him for drunken behaviour, cruelty and unofficerlike conduct. The charges were examined and Short was put on a return ship to England, to face court martial. Obviously this put an end to the idea of him starting a new life in Australia. He returned with his wife and family on HMS Buffalo; sadly Mary died on the voyage leaving Joseph with 6 children, one of whom was only a year old. Whether Mary's death was linked to the birth (at sea) of her son Edward Ballard Short, is not clear.
Joseph returned to England and died himself on 3 June 1809 on the Isle of Wight.
With no possibility of marrying someone from mainland Europe nor any hope that Scotland would get another successful, legally binding referendum for independence and then persuade the EU to let them stay, my attention turned to Irish ancestry - to be clear that is Irish ancestors born in the Republic of Ireland, not Northern Ireland. I have now found several surnames which originated in Ireland, but sadly they are too far back to entitle me to an Irish/EU passport!
- Cahill
- Campbell
- Cathcart
- Cunningham
- Danvers
- FitzGerald
- Geoghegan
- Heaton
- Jones
- Kelly
- Lewis
- Naven
- MacCarthy
- Mahoney
- McGrath
- McKibbin
- Robson
- Sadlier
- Speid
- Thackaberry
- Waddell
- Wynne
- Wilmer
- Wylie
- Wynne
In this case, it really all ends in a mouse!
Once upon a time, in the famous dairy area of D'Isigny, in Normandy in France, there lived a family called Suhard.
This family decided to support the famous William the Conqueror, who came over to England in the 1000s; and members almost certainly took part in the Battle of Hastings. Among those believed to have come to England were Lambert D'Isigny who was a vassal of Judith de Huntingdon; she was a niece of William. Sources have traced the line of descendants from Lambert, but sources also say that, at least, two other members of the family also came to England and later chose to settle here. They were Hugues Suhard D'Isigny and Robert (his son).
Members of the family settled in Norton, in Lincolnshire and later angelicised their "honorific" D'Isigny to Disney; part of area later became as Norton Disney and it remains to today.
And those settlers from Normandy started a line which ended in
or rather, it really ends with his creator Walter Elias Disney.
Otherwise known as Walt Disney, this world famous man, is the 10th cousin of my 1st cousin 4x removed. Walt was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA a far cry from Normandy in France, or the other places where the family stopped on the way and who would have thought he was a distant relative to me!
The line between him and me is quite complicated, so I have attempted to explain it with 2 diagrams.
Disney1
This shows the Disney link to Uncle Walt. The individuals in red show the direct line with Richard Disney in purple reappearing on Disney2.
Disney 2
This shows the Disney link to me, via Thomas Stapleton, as before following the individuals in red.
Introduction
Anyone who has extensively or obsessively researched their family, and probably got side tracked down roots and branches, will certainly come across other individuals who took part in conflicts. This section is designed to gather together the stories of those individuals.
Joseph James Horatio Nelson Dawson Borrington
Abt. 1837 - December 1855
This rather grandly named ancester, does not have a direct link to me, but he is still worthy of note. Joseph was born, in Derby, about 1840 to James Borrington and Catherine Dawson. James Borrington was a plumber and glazier and son Joseph had another 8 siblings: 4 brothers and 4 sisters.
Joseph had gone to fight in the Crimean War, as a volunteer in the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot. I can only speculate as to why the eldest son would have chosen to go off to a distance land, rather than joining his father in the plumbing and glazing business. Perhaps he was keen to leave behind his conventional life and have an exciting adventure. I can only imagine that the Crimean War was "promoted" a little like the First World War, and that those going to fight, never really thought they would be at any real risk.
An account of the Regiment's time during the Crimea War can be read at: https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/95th-derbyshire-regiment-foot
With more general information about the war available here: https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/crimean-war
Unfortunately Joseph must have discovered the realities of trench warfare, as he was killed at the Siege of Sebastopol, aged only 19.
They say if you go back far enough then everyone is related to royalty. Well, with thanks to others researching Blake ancestors, I think this royal connection to Queen Victoria is brilliant not only for finding an ancestor who was working for royalty, but also because it gives a hint of the character of the Queen.
The plaque above is to my ancestor Andrew Blake, who is my 1st cousin 5x removed, and who was Land Steward to Queen Victoria at Osborne House.
Andrew was born in Scotland in 1839 to John Blake and Jane Ballantyne. He had 5 brothers and 3 sisters.
His father was a farmer and his grandfather was a shepherd and therefore it does not seem surprising that Andrew ended up working on the land; however more research would need to be done to find out how circumstances led to him becoming a royal land steward.
Andrew married twice. 1st in 1871 to Sarah McKibbin, in Belfast and after her death, in 1878 to Mariana Edginton.
In total Andrew had 5 children: 2 boys and 3 girls.
After returning from Belfast with Sarah, the couple lived in Windsor where Andrew is listed as a land steward. His marriage to Mariana still lists him as a steward and both his and her father as Yeomen.
He remains in the Oxfordshire area, being listed as a steward at Enstone. We know that in May 1886 he is working at Shaw Farm in Windsor, as we are lucky to be able to read about it in Queen Victoria's own words, from her journal entry for that date, written at Windsor Castle. As part of the Jubilee Celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II, Victoria's journals have been made available, in a searchable format online at: Queen Victoria's Journals
Friday 07 May 1886
Very hot & oppressive. — Out with Vicky, walking a short way, & then going in the garden chair. Went to the dear Mausoleum, & the Shaw Farm, where I saw a Mr Blake, who is going to replace Mc Pherson at Osborne, whom I am pensioning. He has been with Mr Albert Brassey. —
In November 1886, Andrew Blake and Mariana welcome a daughter into their family, born at Barton Manor where the family are now living. 10 years after the birth of their daughter Margaret Dorothy, Andrew Blake dies on 18 July 1896. Queen Victoria records his death, while at Windsor Castle.
Monday 20 July 1896
Much grieved to hear of the death of my excellent Land Stewart at Osborne, Blake, who will be a great loss.
Later that week the Queen has returned to Osborne House and writes,
Saturday 25 July 1896
Took a short turn with Beatrice & went to Barton where I saw poor Mrs Blake, who was much overcome, but at the same time very grateful for all I have done for her.
About a month later her journal says,
Friday 28 August 1896
A very fine morning & lovely day. — We 5 breakfasted in the tent. — Went afterwards with Beatrice to Barton to wish poor Mrs Blake goodbye. — Saw Sir A. Bigge after luncheon. The success at Zanzibar has been complete & the rightful heir Ahmed has been proclaimed, & received. A good many people have been killed in the Palace. The Usurper has not yet been delivered up. — Out to tea with Beatrice, Maud & Charles & drove with the latter 2 through West Cowes & Newport. There was a most splendid sunset. — Jane C., Harriet P., Evelyn M., Mary Biddulph, Fanny D. Ld Colville, Adm: Sir Noel Salmon, Capt: Acland, Sir F. Edwards, Sir A. Bigge & Mr Burnaby dined, with Maud, Charles, Thora & me. —
I have included the full entry this time, as it shows what else is going on in the Queen's world, and yet she still finds time to visit Mrs Blake before she leaves.
Before publishing this post I did a quick internet search to find the reference for the original article which connected Andrew to Victoria.
This can be read at: A Christmas of Queen Victoria and for those who don't mind going onto Facebook, there is an article with words from Dorothy Margaret Blake herself https://www.facebook.com/notes/osborne-house/christmas-with-queen-victoria/1375000632532522/
Here is the list of ancestors who were born in other countries, but where there are not so many to get their post.
Argentina
Rossiter
Belgium
Dube
Burma
Plant
The Congo
Meneux dit Chateauneuf
Cyprus
Christodoulou
Donald
Denmark
Bloom
Christie
Egypt
Plant
Italy
Danero
Gardella
New Zealand
Speid
Poland
Lachman
Mazonowicz
Portugal
Kingston
South Africa
Liesching
Switzerland
Rudin
Turkey
Cutler
This is a photograph of the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, which was taken in January 2017. As well as the ancestors who worked in the Indian tea industry, I have found a list of other surnames who were born in India.
- Buller
- Bushby
- Coombs
- Doig - also in the West Indies
- Fletcher
- Gladding
- Kinloch
- Musgrave
- Mylne
- Peake
- Playfair
- Smyttan
- Speid
- Young
This is a photograph which I took in Berlin of the Brandenburg Gate, in 1990, shortly after the Wall between East and West began to be dismantled.
Although I have titled this post as born in Germany, before 1870 Germany did not exist and it was generally known as Prussia. With the exception of members of the Mitscherlich family, everyone else was born before 1870 and therefore in Prussia.
- Burk
- Fruhwirth
- Haussmann
- Kunkel
- Liesching
- Magirus
- Messmann
- Miller
- Mitscherlich
- Reinhard
- Reuss
- Richter
- Petri
- Scheinemann
- Schmidt
- Schneider
- Schroll
- Seidel
- Seiler
- Seubert
- Simon
- Stauter
- Tafel
- Tietzmann
