Bible of Mary BIRD nee KELLAM

Jackie is my 4th cousin once removed and has shared with me some wonderful photos of the Bible that once belonged to my 3 x Great-Grandmother, Mary BIRD nee KELLAM.

Our most recent common ancestors are George Kellam born about 1772 at Waltham on the Wolds, Leicestershire, England and his wife Catherine Gregg born about 1768 Lincolnshire, England.
Catherine died on the 22nd of March 1825 and George died on the 12th of March 1858, both at Waltham on the Wolds.

Mary and her husband Mark BIRD both died rather young in 1834.  Mary aged 38 and Mark aged 46.

The Bible has been kept safe all these years by members of the KELLAM family.

We had a discussion in Facebook about the transcription of the writing and it was agreed that it read "George Kellam Bird

He was Bourn (born) February 3 1820 (Month unreadable but gleaned from parish records) 

5 Minnits Bee Four 4 Clouck (5 minutes before 4 o'clock)."

George Kellam Bird was a Wheelwright as was his maternal grandfather George Kellam.  

Jackie said that most of the village of Waltham on the Wolds had belonged to The Duke of Rutland and villagers were renting from him. The houses in the village were sold off to cover tax after WW1 which is when her grandfather purchased the house known as Wheelwrights in Waltham where the family had lived for generations.

Mary and Mark's youngest son Mark BIRD junior went to live with his grandfather George KELLAM after his parents died which is likely where the Bible also went.  Mark also became a Wheelwright.

The list of children has confirmed our genealogy  paper trail research.

KELLAM family DNA match

I have to say again that this genetic genealogy is a huge learning curve!

I think I have been lost for several months in FTDNA and GEDmatch websites trying to work out how I am related to those I share DNA with and watching for new matches.

I wrote about my first lucky break on matches to my KNIGHT family HERE AND HERE.

A few weeks later I sent an email to Ron who I later found out lives in Canada.
Ron and I shared a total of 25.7 centimorgans with me, the longest block being 20.5 centimorgans.
GEDmatch calculated our "Estimated number of generations to MRCA (most common recent ancestor) at 4.7

I was overjoyed at Ron's reply to my email in which I included my surname list.
He said "Hello Kerryn, how nice to hear from you, distant cousin! We scored!
Quick response is, it's the Kelhams, of Waltham on the Wolds, in North Leicestershire.
My paternal grand father's ancestors were Kelhams from there.  My grandfather and great grandfather came to Canada in 1905 from the Nottingham area in England. "

Ron attached a relationship chart.
We shared common 5th great grandparents.
My 3rd great grandmother, Mary KELLAM married Mark BIRD (although I have found no record of the marriage) They both died in 1834.

Their daughter, my 2nd great grandmother Catherine BIRD, emigrated to New Zealand with her first husband Thomas MUNTON and their two daughters.  Thomas died soon after arrival and Catherine remarried to my 2nd great grandfather William MUSSON.

Interestingly, Ron's 4th great grandfather Charles KELHAM married an Ann MUSSON at Waltham on the Wolds, Leicestershire in 1790.  I haven't yet found a link for Ann to my MUSSON line though.  Perhaps Ron and I are "double cousins".

My earlier paper trail genealogy research had found two other descendants of Mary KELLAM and Mark BIRD, Cathy and Corrinne, who share my passion for family history.
We have shared some great discoveries.

I would like to thank Corrinne for making it possible for me to take the FTDNA family finder test. XX

52 Ancestors - Week 32 - Mary KELLAM

The challenge of week 32 is to write about one of my 32 third great-grandparents.

Mary Kellam was born in 1796 in Lincolnshire, England, her father, George, was 24 years of age and her mother, Catherine nee Gregg, was 28 years of age. 
 They were married in 1795 at Somerby.

Mary was Christened on the 10th of January 1796 at St Mary Magdalene Church, Old Somerby, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England.

"St.Mary Magdalen's church, Old Somerby, Lincs. - geograph.org.uk - 130303" by Richard Croft. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

The surname in the Christening record was spelt Kelham. 

Her parents names were George and Catherine.

Mary had two younger sisters, Catherine and Ann and two younger brothers, George and Mark.

No marriage record has yet been found for Mary KELLAM and Mark BIRD but they went on to have five sons and two daughters between 1820 and 1832 all born at Foston.
George Kellam BIRD (1820-1885)
Elizabeth BIRD (1821 - ?)
John BIRD (1823 - ?)
James BIRD (1825 - 1886)
Catherine BIRD (1828 - 1904) my 2nd great-grandmother
Christopher BIRD (1829 - ?)
Mark BIRD (1832 - 1916)

Mary died in January 1834 in Foston, England, at the age of 38 and her husband Mark died in December 1834 at the age of 45.
They are buried at St. Peter's church Foston.

St. Peter's church, Foston, Lincolnshire.

At Mary and Mark's deaths, the children ranged in age from 14 years to 2 years.  
It isn't known where the elder children lived after their parents deaths but the youngest son Mark BIRD was found in the 1841 census living with his grandfather George KELLAM at Waltham-on-the-Wolds, Leicestershire.  
George KELLAM was a master wheelwright as was his son-in-law Mark BIRD and eldest grandson George Kellam BIRD.
Mark BIRD junior also went on to be a wheelwright - journeyman.

52 Ancestors Challenge 
  by Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small"

Sepia Saturday 243 - 30 August 2014

Today's Sepia Saturday theme is "Running away, escaping the crowds, 

beaches, steam train, aquarium (domed)"

The urge to solve a "running away" mystery is what started my addiction to genealogy and family stories.

RUNNING AWAY

In the photo below is my paternal grandfather (back row, middle with the light coloured cap).  I knew him as Jim Forsyth and he said he came to Australia from New Zealand to bring horses to the Melbourne Show and never went home again.  I later learned it was probably around 1935 but he never really spoke about it, giving only snippets and as far as I know, neither my grandmother nor my father knew many details either. 

He did tell me he came from Rangiora in New Zealand.  He told Dad he was one of nine children and that he used to cycle around the South Island with his brother but that was pretty much it.

Years after my grandparents had died I decided to get their marriage certificate (1937) to find out who his parents were.
Months later, after posting for information on a genealogy board, I learned that he had swapped his parents surnames around on the marriage certificate.
He was in fact born James Richard Musson in 1906.

Soon contact was made with one of his sisters-in-law still living in his hometown. None of his siblings were still alive.  

She told me that he had been named in a paternity dispute but it turned out he was in the clear" (much later the story came out)

We don't know if he ever knew though as he had disappeared in Australia by taking his mother's maiden surname.  His family searched for many years but to no avail as they were searching for Jim Musson.

Most of his nieces and nephews were thrilled that the mystery of what happened to their Uncle Jim had finally been solved.

I thought he was a wonderful grandfather so I felt very sad for both he and his family when I found out the details.
I am extremely grateful to all those cousins who have welcomed me and shared the family stories with me.
It is a bit strange knowing my maiden surname should have been Musson rather than Forsyth.  I wrote more about the story in my first ever blog post. 

BEACHES

Throughout my life visits to beaches have been rare.  I've only ever swum in the sea once and can't say I enjoyed it.  We grew up swimming in rivers, channels and swimming pools.
My dad learned to swim in the sea when they lived at Woombye in Queensland.
In about 1955 he was a junior life saver at Alexandra headland, a beach between Maroochydore and Mooloolaba.  He remembers that when bikinis were new a fellow used to drive to the beach in his Rolls Royce car with a spray gun of some sort and for sixpence he would spray the girls with mutton bird oil.  He thinks it must have been used as some sort of tanning lotion.
All the young boys would volunteer to help him out!

The beach photo below is in the photo album of my maternal grandmother Daisy Fleming, nee Morgan.

The only details I know is that the photo is of her sister, Lila Morgan and a girl named Joan Letts.  

Lila was born at Moyhu in 1913.  She married Harold Flanigan at Wangaratta, Victoria in 1936.  They had three sons.  Lila died in 1990.

In tracing the family history of my Forsyths I have found some wonderful relatives from all over the world.  My great grandmother's first cousin Patrick and his wife live in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  Our Forsyth's were meal millers for many generations in Aberdeenshire.  Dorothy has sent me some wonderful beach photos from nearby New Aberdour.  

 I particularly liked this next one

On a different angle for the beach theme is another of my grandfather's cousins connection with the beach at Sandhaven in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Patrick's eldest half brother, William Spence Forsyth, published a book of poems in 1943 called Guff O' Waur (Smell of Seaweed). The book contains over 40 of the poems written in the 1890's.  Some titles are The Fisher Loons, Pitullie's Water, Sandhaven in the 1890s.

You can hear a couple of the poems recited in doric at the site of the Sandhaven and Pitullie Harbour Trust*  but that's not to say you will understand them.  

*UPDATE 2022: it appears the Harbour trust link no longer works sorry.  I have disabled the link.

Here is an example of one verse of a poem not recited there:

Pitullie!Pitullie! Pitattie scone!

Your caff-fu'some shore and deuks

Your reed-tiled bairns and sheds

Your lecks wi' their warm couthy neuks

Your nettles and camomile beds

Pitullie! a small fishing hamlet, two miles west of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.

Pitullie! Pitullie! Pitattie scone! children of neighbouring villages would shout this to tease Pitullie children.(It literally means "Pitullie! Pitullie! Potato scone!)

caff-fu'some= dirty with chaff

deuks= ducks

bairns= outhouses

lecks= rocks

couthy neuks= cosy, comfortable nooks

I took this photo of my New Zealand cousins at Karioitahi beach when I visited in 2001. Anne-Maree is the one who solved the mystery of my grandfather's "running away".  I was amazed at the black sand.

The next two photos were taken at the fascinating shingle beach of the Waihao River near Waimate, New Zealand.  Anne-Maree and I were there to visit our Forsyth cousins Allan and Joyce.  

The structure that resembles a pier is actually the historic Waihao Box.  Now 104 years old, the historic landmark, known locally as The Box, is a long, rectangular structure allowing the river to flow underneath the main part of the shingle bank before it emerges near the sea, scouring a small area of shingle and maintaining a natural shift. In a clever piece of engineering, the Box works so that when the river flow is high, the water will spill out of the north side, creating a natural channel.

At the beach there is a sign warning "Be aware this site is constantly changing"

Apparently because of the water coursing underneath the shingle can move unexpectedly.  This led to a very sad tragedy just the year before we visited. 

Young Marek Lee Staats was drowned when the shingle moved and he was sucked under.  I didn't want to hang around there for very long!

TRAINS

My runaway grandfather's paternal grandmother was Catherine nee Bird born in 1828 at Foston, Lincolnshire, England, daughter of Mark Bird and Mary nee Kellam. Catherine's eldest brother, George Kellam Bird was a master wheelwright at Corby Glen in Lincolnshire.

My cousin Cathy visited Corby Glen a couple of years ago and learned more of George and his son George junior who published a diary.  George junior's son, Charles Kellam Bird (1897-1958) was Chief Regional Officer of the Eastern Region of British Railways and is pictured below escorting a young Queen Mother at King's Cross Station and then with Sir Winston Churchill.

I doubt if they would have still been steam trains though.

243 : Running away, escaping the crowds, 
beaches, steam train, aquarium (domed)

Tombstone Tuesday - George Kellam Bird

George Kellam Bird was my great-great-grand Uncle - the brother of my great-great grandmother Catherine Bird. 
Like his father before him, George Bird was a wheelwright.  Actually George was a Master Wheelwright.
He was born in 1820 at Foston, Lincolnshire, England, the eldest son of Mark and Mary Bird nee Kellam.  Mark and Mary died young, both in 1834 aged  about 45 and 38 years respectively.
Their seventh and youngest child, Mark, was only 2 years old.
George would have been about 14 so probably already out earning a living.

His maternal grandfather, George Kellam was also a Master Wheelwright.
This could be how George's parents met.

George would have been taught his trade by his father and following his father's death his grandfather would have continued to teach him the trade.. Young Mark was living with his grandfather in the 1841 census at Waltham-on-the-Wolds and then with his big brother, George at Corby in the 1851 census.

He moved to Corby Glen in Lincolnshire and lived there for many years until his death in 1885.
In 1847 George had married Ann Loughter.  They had one son in 1849, also named George and this George Bird junior also became a wheelwright.

The cast iron grave marker for George's grave at St. John the Evangelist churchyard at Corby Glen is rather impressively painted black with gold lettering.

My cousin Cathy is currently about to visit Lincolnshire where our Bird family originated.

This photo is from the website   http://www.churchmousewebsite.co.uk/Cast_Iron.htm#corby
but I don't know how long ago it was taken.  Perhaps Cathy will visit the resting place of our relative, George Kellam Bird.

William Musson and Catherine formerly Munton nee Bird.

My great great grandfather, William Musson was born about 1835 in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England. 

 In the 1841 census he was living at Stonesby with his parents Elijah and Mary and his little sister Emma age 2.

Elijah was an agricultural labourer.  

There were several other Musson families at Stonesby.

By the 1851 census there were three more children born.  Richard in 1843 followed by Elizabeth in 1845 and George in 1847.


William decided to head to New Zealand in 1861.  He sailed on the ship "Royal Stuart" which departed Gravesend UK on the 3 July 1861 and arrived at Lyttleton Harbour on the 8th of October 1861.  
His occupation was listed as Farm labourer on the passenger list and he was 25 years of age.

The following article appeared in the Lyttleton Times newspaper on the 9th October 1861

William Musson was mentioned in the G.R. McDonald Dictionary of Canterbury Biographies.

It reads:

Musson, William (1832-1917)  came out in the Royal Stuart arriving 8-10-1861
Having made a passage of 96 days.  He was born at Melton Mowbray, Leics.
He was delighted with Canty and sent glowing reports home.  Among those who came out because of his reports were Thos. Munton, tailor, his wife Catherine and 2 daus. And 3 brothers Winter.  Musson, Thos. Munton and Mrs Munton  had all gone to school together at Walton-on-the-Wolds, Leics.
Thos. Munton his wife Catherine a farm lab of Leics arrived by Lanc. Witch 13-10-63.  He died not long afterwards & Wm Musson marr. his widow Catherine Munton  7-11-65 at St. Johns Rangiora.
She died 3-6-04 age 75 
He died 19-2-1917 age 84 at the house of his son-in-law H.J Powell.  Harewood, ??. Marr. 24-10-97 Catherine Bird, youngest dau Wm Musson
Wm & Catherine bur Belfast cemetery
Mussons eldest son Wm farmed at Stonnington marr Kate Arnst of Tai Tapu
Youngest son James Christopher marr 16-2-99 Margt Ann Hay dau of  Robt Forsyth of  Coutts Is.
Wm Musson bought 46 ac. at  Ladbrookes ? (sic) from Vose Broc ? (sic) at 48 lbs p/a June 08.
Fam. mf. Ct 15-10-63 ? (sic)

William married Catherine Munton nee Bird on the 7th November 1865 at Rangiora Parish Church.  


Catherine arrived in New Zealand in 1863 with her first husband, Thomas Munton, and their 2 daughters.
They travelled from England on the Lancashire Witch.
Thomas Munton died shortly after arrival  leaving Catherine a widow  in a strange country but she was at least among friends.




William and Catherine had 4 children:
Mary kellam Musson b 1866  ( I have not found her death or any further information)
William Musson b 1868 d 1953
Catherine Bird Musson b 1870 d 1961
James Christopher Musson b 1873 d 1950

William and Catherine Musson are buried at the Belfast cemetery, Canterbury.  Their grandson, Walter Musson, rests with them.  Walter died from diabetes at the age of eleven.

Many years later, in November 1953 an article was printed in the Melton Mowbray Times.  

The article had been supplied to the news paper by descendants of Catherine Bird and her first husband Thomas Munton.

ACROSS THE DITCH

My great grandparents, Margaret Ann Hay Forsyth (1877-1929) and James Christopher Musson (1873-1950) were married on the 16th of March 1899 at Rangiora, Canterbury, New Zealand.

They had 9 children.

1. Jessie Catherine   1899 - 1969
2. Mary Margaret    1902 - 1970
3. William Robert     1904 - 1979
4. James Richard      1906 - 1976 - my grandfather
5. Walter                  1908 - 1919
6. Esther Helen         1911 - 1966
7. Eric Mark             1913 - 1991
8. Ian Alexander       1915 - 1989
9. Ivor Forsyth          1918 - 1993

I have yet to find exactly when my grandfather came to Australia from New Zealand

I had the half a dozen little photos with some names and nicknames on the back.  We will never know whether my grandfather brought the photos over with him or if perhaps his sister sent them over later because he was homesick.       (Story at  what-started-my-genealogy-journey)

Recently in my research I found him listed on the New Zealand electoral roll for 1935.
He was living at West Belt, Rangiora - Hurunui, Canterbury.  His father, James Christopher Musson was also there. James snr was a farmer, James jnr was a labourer.  His mother, Margaret Ann Hay Musson , nee Forsyth had died in 1929.

Perhaps this was added reason for his leaving?

Ironically West Belt, Rangiora was the same address for the Forsyth family that I had written to in the 1990s.  They were in fact relatives of my great grandmother.


On my trip to New Zealand to meet all my newly found family I was given a stack of photograph negatives which I had developed after I got home.  They seemed to be ranging in time frames from around the 1920s to the 1940s with some possibly even later.

James Richard Musson is standing centre with the light coloured cap.  I have no idea what year this was taken.  The only other people in the photo I am certain of is his 3rd youngest brother, Eric Mark Musson beside him.  2nd youngest brother, Ian Alexander Musson, standing front right and his father, James Christopher Musson, kneeling front right.  Possibly Ivor Forsyth Musson front left.

Last year I made contact online with a lady named Corrinne who was researching the BIRD family.
 James Christopher Musson's mother was Catherine BIRD.

I had researched the family quite a lot with another cousin, Cathy.  Amongst the photo negatives from New Zealand was also a couple of big photos in the old cardboard frames.

I remembered this one when  contacted by Corrinne

Beatrice O'Malley was Corrinne's grandmother!

Jim and Maggie were my great grandparents!

And then, amongst the photos from the negatives was the following photo.
I had also been given a paper copy of this one on my New Zealand trip 10 years ago.

 On this paper copy was written:

L-R
Ron Thackwell with Loraine. Ian Musson, Bill Musson, Joan Audrey Musson nee Farmer, Dulcie Musson seated with Nola Musson , Sally Bird, Eric (Mac) Musson with Tim, Ted McClelland (Dulcie's father), George Barker.
front
Tom and Beatrice O'Malley with Edna, Doris Thackwell and further right seated is Molly Ford nee Musson.

 

It turns out that George Bird was Catherine Bird's nephew and the only other member of that Bird family (that we know of as yet) to go to New Zealand.

Corrinne said she had always wondered if her great grandparents had chosen to come to New Zealand because some other family members were already there...... AND ..... finally,  after many years of searching for the date of their arrival in New Zealand, she found the record. ..... Exactly 100 years to the day!   spooky!

She remembered her mother speaking of an Aunty Jessie.  This was in fact Jessie Barker nee Musson who lived at Harewood where the Christchurch airport is now.  Both Nola and Corrinne, who didn't know of each other until yesterday (9th Feb 2012) always spoke of Aunty Jessie's house that was under the runway!  I find it truly amazing that, through family history research and the internet, members of families separated by oceans and generations, are once again connecting after so many years.

My great grandparents rest in the Rangiora Anglican Cemetery, Ashley Street.