Forebear with Me

Thwaites history explorers.. Christopher and Denise

2011-07-26T12:17:00.001+10:00

Two members of the extended Thwaites family have recently been travelling and sent photos of places with a Thwaites connection.

Christopher Thwaites (1949 < Donald < Francis < John) lives in Northern California, USA and has been travelling in Norway with wife Ruth, who has Norwegian ancestors.

Chris sent this photo posing by a sign for the Norwegian town of Tveit - the Norwegian (and original) form of our name.

Denise Thwaites (1986 < Richard < Michael <Ernest < John) was travelling in England with her partner Baden and visited Topcliffe, Yorkshire, the home of George's family and birthplace of John. She posed by the village sign, supported by a millstone. George Thwaites was a grocer and farmer in Topcliffe around 1890. I like to think he might have owned this millstone, or one like it.

Elsewhere in Yorkshire, near Leeds, they found a place called Thwaites Brow and took this picture, proving our place in the landscape.

Genes Across the Pacific

2011-04-09T17:42:00.001+10:00

Three sons of John Thwaites emigrated from Yorkshire in the early 20^th Century.

Robert “Ernest” (1879-1947) migrated to Queensland, Australia, in 1913.

Francis “Frank” William (1883-1954) migrated to Seattle, USA, in 1907.

John “Jack” Rayner (1895-1975) migrated to Canada about 1914.

My only trace of Jack, so far, is the record of his enlistment in the Canadian Expeditionary Force to fight in World War 1. He enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1916, age 22 and occupation listed as “farm labourer”, giving Phoebe Thwaites in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire as his next of kin. He had occasional contact with Ernest and Francis at least up to the 1930s, but I have so far found no record of Jack’s later life nor whether he has descendants in

Canada

or elsewhere.

I’ve recently established contact with Frank’s grandson, Christopher Thwaites (1947), who lives in Northern California and shares an interest in Thwaites family history. Chris has sent me a trove of family photographs, which I have scanned and can be viewed in these web albums:

The Family of Francis William Thwaites

Family of Francis' wife, Marguerite Williams, before 1917 marriage

Chris also sent me copies of UK census records for the families of George and John Thwaites’ as recorded each ten years from 1841 to 1901. He and his wife Ruth had obtained these on a visit to Yorkshire.

The census records give leads to many other searches that I will write up as I find out more about where and how the family lived. To start with, the census provided the clue that Ernest and Frank did indeed have, apart from Eva, two other sisters who died in childhood while the family was living in Batley: Eleanor (1880-1887 – between Ernest and Frank) and Elizabeth Emma (1886-1889 – between Frank and Eva).

Looking through Chris’s photographs I was struck with how genes can persist in family likenesses, though separated by oceans and diluted by generations. Click here to view an album in which I have matched up photographs from our two family branches, showing brothers Ernest and Frank, then their sons Michael and Donald, through various stages of their lives. This album also has groups of the next generation of both Australian and American branches of the family.

If you have any comment, notice any inaccuracy, or have any suggestions about where more information might be found about Jack in Canada, please leave a comment in the box or email me.

Please note also that the list of George Thwaites' descendants in the earlier post "Seven Generations of Thwaites" has been updated with a lot more information about Yorkshire and USA family.

The next post will be putting together some of the story gleaned from the census and online births, deaths and marriages records that are freely available online. For me, this is a treasure hunt.

A Mysterious Photograph Unveiled.

2011-02-28T17:03:00.003+11:00

In the belongings of Honor Mary Thwaites we inherited this large framed photograph of a company of men around a board table, with the sole caption on the mounting-board “Wellington Church Council, 1903”. On the back “Mrs Good” was pencilled in a large freehand, suggesting a removalist or delivery instruction. None of the individuals were identified. Why had this group portrait been kept in the family for a century?


Wellington Church Council 1903

There are places called Wellington in New Zealand, New South Wales and South Australia, but with no known family connection. A search on “Wellington Church Council” brought up the website of a Wellington Church in Glasgow – a fine neo-classical building in the heart of the University.

I knew that there had been forebears in Glasgow named Scott, so in 2006 I emailed the Church administrator asking whether they knew if anyone by that name had attended a Church Council in 1903. A return email from the then Minister, Leith Fisher, confirmed that this was a council sitting of the Wellington Church, and that the room and the photographs on its wall still existed at the church. He added that the size of the actual room meant that the number of men seated around the table in the photograph was physically impossible – the photograph had to be a contrived composite – “Photoshop” 1903-style.

Indeed, a close look at the photograph does reveal some odd body positions, heads too big for bodies, inconsistent shadows and other evidence of cut-and-paste. Mr Fisher could not help with names, and I heard no more.

Later my uncle Roland Good visited. I showed him the photograph and asked whether he knew of any Scott relatives from Australia who might have been in Glasgow at that time. He didn’t know of any, but mentioned that there were numerous Mitchell relatives in Glasgow who had kept contact with older generations of the Scott family in Australia.

The next link in the chain was a notice from an online genealogy network that there were common ancestors on the Thwaites-Good-Scott line with the family tree maintained by Dugald Scott Mitchell, of Cooma. I established contact with Dugald, who gave me access to his extensive family tree covering many generations of Scotts, Mitchells and all who sail with them.

By now it was clear that the “Mrs Good” was not my grandmother Viola (Wettenhall) Good but my great-grandmother Sarah Cowie Scott Good. Her mother was Sarah Cowie Mitchell of Glasgow, who had married Robert Scott there before emigrating to Victoria around 1840.

Sarah Cowie Mitchell Scott had died at Buninyong, Victoria, in 1899, before the date of the photograph. She had several siblings who stayed in Scotland but only one, her youngest brother John, seemed likely to be in Glasgow in 1903. This John Mitchell would be the uncle of Sarah Scott Good, so perhaps close enough for her to treasure the strange photograph. Sarah Scott Good was the eldest of Sarah Mitchell Scott’s children and was herself a widow by this time. Her Scott brothers were helping to support the education of her three Good children Charles (Hamilton) Scott, Robert (Norman) Scott (Honor’s father), and Irene Scott Good.

I wrote again to the Wellington Church in Glasgow, this time asking whether John Mitchell could have been a member of the Council. The Church Administrator, Anthea Cameron, kindly enlisted the help of church historian Mr John Fyfe Anderson. Mr Anderson’s response was more than I could have hoped for. The Mitchell family had founded the church in 1792 and supported it for two centuries, including the period of the photograph. Here are parts of Mr Anderson’s information:

“John Mitchell, merchant, was ordained as an elder in Wellington Church in 1885. He is also recorded as being Preses [President] of the Board of Trustees and Managers in 1893. On 13th March 1893 a congregational meeting was held with the chair taken on the platform by John Mitchell, preses of the Congregation. Mr. Mitchell is recorded as being a “Merchant”.

John Mitchell was a grandson of The Rev. Dr. John Mitchell the first minister of Wellington. It is likely that John Mitchell appears in the 1903 photograph but it is obviously impossible to identify him.

In the photograph The Rev.Dr. James Black is seated at the head of the table with The Rev. Dr. George Morrison on his immediate right…

[The founding ]Mr. John Mitchell obtained an MA at Glasgow University in 1787 and … was licensed by the Presbytery of Perth c.1792. The congregation was formed in Anderson in 1792 and its first Church was in Cheapside Street. Mr. Mitchell was ordained on 1st August 1793. Present at the service was Rev. Andrew Mitchell of Beith, the father of the young minister…

After 35 years the Church moved to a larger one in Wellington Street. Rev. Dr. John Mitchell was the first Minister of the new Wellington Street Church which opened on 15th July 1827 with Dr. Mitchell officiating. Dr. Mitchell was Minister of Wellington from 1793-1844...

The Wellington Street Church moved again to its newly built church on University Avenue, opposite Glasgow University in October 1884.

Tablets were erected to the memory of their late Pastors and were transferred from the vestibule of the church in Wellington Street to the vestibule of the new church in University Avenue and are still in place today. Dr. Mitchell’s reads as follows:

“Erected by the congregation assembling in this place, in affectionate remembrance of their late pastor, John Mitchell, DD., STP. Possessed of highly cultivated talents of enlightened and fervent piety, singularly amiable and gentle in his disposition, simple and yet dignified in his demeanour. He was a faithful and eminently successful pastor, a most affectionate and skilful tutor, the kind and generous friend of youth, and a pattern in all his relations, domestic and social. Born October 15, 1768; ordained to the Ministry of this congregation August 1, 1793: Elected Professor of Biblical Criticism by the Associated Synod, September 15, 1825: Died January 25, 1844. *His remains repose in the crypt of this church...”

…The portrait on wall in the right-hand corner [of the photograph] is of a gentleman resting his elbow on a table in a thoughtful pose with folded fingers on the side of his face. This is the Rev. Dr. John Mitchell, and possibly a very good reason for the picture to be in your family’s possession. The original portrait is large and displayed in the upper corridor here at Wellington along with other past Ministers.”

While John Mitchell cannot be identified with certainty, I think the most likely candidate is the man sitting directly below the portrait of the founder with pen at the ready and a ledger book before him. If I were posing a formal group on this occasion, that is where I would put him. The man with the ledger is evidently an office-bearer of the Council.

So Sarah Cowie Scott had reason to take a proud interest in John Mitchell of Wellington Church. But which John Mitchell?

The Mitchells and the Scotts had large families and had the habit of using the same names over and over. In each generation over two centuries the Andrews, Johns, Roberts and Thomases overlap each other, often more than one to the generation.

In Glasgow in 1903 there were probably three John Mitchells, all descended from the patriarch Rev. Andrew Mitchell of Beith(1737-1812) and possibly attending Wellington Church:

1) Sarah Scott Good’s uncle John;

2) her first cousin once removed John (1826-1904 – son of great-uncle Andrew Scott 1818-1898); and

3) her second cousin John (grandson of the Church founder, great-Uncle Dr John).

Mr Anderson’s information suggests Sarah's second cousin is the one in the picture – but there could have been more than one John Mitchell present at the time. Perhaps both the men sitting under the portrait are John Mitchells? Could one be Sarah's Uncle John?

[UPDATE 26 July 2011]
A family photograph in the possession of my uncle Roland Good shows his father, Robert Norman Good, visiting "his uncle" in Glasgow in 1910. This could only be Norman's great-uncle - namely Sarah Cowie Scott Good's uncle John Mitchell. We now know, from Dugald Mitchell, that this John Mitchell died prosperous but unmarried in 1914 in Glasgow, and bequeathed many of his belongings to nieces and nephews in Australia.

Comparing this photograph to the Wellington Church Council of 1903, that John Mitchell can be seen standing under one of the portraits on the wall, at the back of the group.

More about how the photograph found its way to Australia may be buried in correspondence now in the National Library of Australia or other Scott family collections. From Sarah Cowie Scott Good it passed to her unmarried daughter Irene Scott Good, then to her granddaughter Honor Mary Scott (Good) Thwaites.

Also in the family is this portrait of patriarch Rev. Andrew Mitchell (1737-1812), father of Rev. Dr John Mitchell. The original is now with Honor’s sister Esther Scott (Good) Wettenhall in Victoria.

Seven Generations of Thwaites

2011-01-11T16:22:00.005+11:00

I'm building a family tree using the free "Family Tree Builder" available from the website MyHeritage.com.

The attached report is only part of this tree, showing the direct descendants of George Thwaites of Topcliffe, Yorkshire.

The sources for the Yorkshire material are primarily the UK online births, deaths and marriages indices, plus the Topcliffe gravestone information. In some cases this differs from the material provided in a family tree drawn up by Joan Lenker (Seattle) in 2008. The official registers have Lizzie Hardwick's first name as "Phebe" not "Phoebe", and have Francis William Thwaites born in 1883, not Francis Hardwick Thwaites born in 1885.

[This has now been updated using material from the UK census sheet copies provided by Christopher Thwaites (California) and from other web searches]

Joan Lenker had recorded two sisters of Ernest and Francis who "Died as children after being out watching a parade (Dec 8 and 10, ~1900)". When first posting this, I had found no trace of them, so speculated that perhaps this was a family recollection that really referred to the two sisters in the previous generation, Eleanor and Ann, daughters of George, who died before their mother, both unmarried and in their early twenties, recorded on Hannah Thwaites' gravestone (see previous post).

A further search of Yorkshire births and deaths, using the Census information on the location of John Thwaites' family, showed that there were indeed to more sisters, who died in different years but at the ages of 6 and 3.

The two biggest gaps in my knowledge are whether Jack Thwaites left any descendants in Canada (or anything else about his life there); and where do the Rayner family connect to the Thwaites?

[I have now found evidence of Jack Thwaites in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1916 - but nothing further]

I have speculated that George Thwaites' wife Hannah was nee Rayner - does anyone know? The name has passed through several generations since then.

[The later post now confirms the Rayner connection, and there is much more to uncover about Rayners in North and South Yorkshire over three generations]

There are still gaps in knowledge regarding the American branch and may also be some errors in the Australian branch, though with less excuse.

The family tree can be viewed on the web here , but you might have to sign up to see all the generations. I can make a range of files and reports to send people by email if they contact me.

If you see errors or omissions here, or have extra information to contribute, please let me know by blog comment or by email.

Here is the [updated 26 July 2011] report on

Descendants of George Thwaites of Topcliffe:

*1st Generation*

1. George Thwaites was born in 1816 in Ripon, Yorkshire, England and died in 1891 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England. He married Hannah Thwaites [Rayner] on Aug. 8, 1836 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England. Hannah, daughter of Rayner (?), was born in 1811 in Lofthouse, Yorkshire, UK and died on Dec. 26, 1866 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, UK.

	Other events in the life of George Thwaites
	Marriage	Aug 8 1836	Topcliffe, Yorkshire, UK

Children of George Thwaites and Hannah Thwaites [Rayner]

i.	2.	Eleanor Thwaites was born in 1837 and died on Dec. 15, 1864 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, UK.
ii.	3.	Christiana Holgate [Thwaites] was born in 1839 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England and died in 1914 in Thirsk, Yorkshire.
iii.	4.	Ann Thwaites was born in 1843 and died on Jun. 27, 1866 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, UK.
iv.	5.	Elizabeth Ward [Thwaites] was born in 1845 and died in 1879 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England.
v.	6.	John Thwaites was born in 1849 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, UK and died in 1914 in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, England.

*2nd Generation (Children)*

2. Eleanor Thwaites was born in 1837 and died on Dec. 15, 1864 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, UK.

3. Christiana Holgate [Thwaites] was born in 1839 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England and died in 1914 in Thirsk, Yorkshire. She married Abraham Holgate in 1885 in Thirsk, Yorkshire. Abraham was born in 1831 in Driffield, Yorkshire and died in 1915 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England.

4. Ann Thwaites was born in 1843 and died on Jun. 27, 1866 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, UK.

5. Elizabeth Ward [Thwaites] was born in 1845 and died in 1879 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England. She married John Ward. John was born in 1845 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England and died in 1915 in Pickering, Yorkshire.

6. John Thwaites was born in 1849 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, UK and died in 1914 in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, England. He married Phebe Elizabeth Thwaites [Hardwick]. Phebe Elizabeth, daughter of William Hardwick and Jane Hardwick [Hoggard], was born in 1855 in Pickering, Yorkshire, England and died in 1926 in Pickering.

Children of John Thwaites and Phebe Elizabeth Thwaites [Hardwick]

i.	7.	George Hardwick Thwaites was born in 1877 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England and died in 1941 in Sheriff Hutton, Yorkshire, England.
ii.	8.	Robert Ernest Thwaites was born on Jan. 13, 1879 in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England and died in 1947 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
iii.	9.	Eleanor Thwaites was born in Dec. 1880 in Batley, Yorkshire, England and died in 1887 in Ossett, Yorkshire, England.
iv.	10.	Francis William Thwaites was born in 1883 in Batley, Yorkshire, England and died in 1954 in Seattle, Washington, USA.
v.	11.	Elizabeth Emma Thwaites was born in 1886 in Ossett, Yorkshire, England and died in 1889 in Ossett, Yorkshire, England.
vi.	12.	Eva Hardwick Thwaites was born in 1888 in Osset, Yorkshire, England and died in 1977 in Sheriff Hutton, Yorkshire, England.
vii.	13.	John Rayner Thwaites was born on Jul. 24, 1895 in Ossett, Yorkshire, England and died in 1975 in Canada (Manitoba?).

*3rd Generation (Grandchildren)*

7. George Hardwick Thwaites was born in 1877 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England and died in 1941 in Sheriff Hutton, Yorkshire, England.

8. Robert Ernest Thwaites was born on Jan. 13, 1879 in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England and died in 1947 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. He married Jessie Elizabeth Thwaites [Nelson]. Jessie Elizabeth, daughter of Hugh Muir Nelson, Sir and Janet Nelson [McIntyre], was born on Apr. 1, 1879 in Dalby, Queensland, Australia and died in 1947 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

Children of Robert Ernest Thwaites and Jessie Elizabeth Thwaites [Nelson]

	i.	14.	Michael Rayner Thwaites was born on May 30, 1915 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and died on Nov. 1, 2005 in Canberra, Australia.
	ii.	15.	Peter Nelson Thwaites was born on May 11, 1917 in Brisbane and died on Feb. 11, 1984 in Melbourne.

9. Eleanor Thwaites was born in Dec. 1880 in Batley, Yorkshire, England and died in 1887 in Ossett, Yorkshire, England.

10. Francis William Thwaites was born in 1883 in Batley, Yorkshire, England and died in 1954 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He married Marguerite Thwaites [Williams] on Dec. 22, 1917 in Milom, Cumberland, England. Marguerite, daughter of George Williams and Christina Mary Williams, was born on Sep. 18, 1885 in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England and died in 1978 in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Children of Francis William Thwaites and Marguerite Thwaites [Williams]

	i.	16.	Donald Hardwick Thwaites was born on Sep. 13, 1918 in Birmingham, England and died on Jan. 22, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada USA.
	ii.	17.	Christine Lenker [Thwaites] was born on Jan. 3, 1922 in Wenatchee, WA, USA.

11. Elizabeth Emma Thwaites was born in 1886 in Ossett, Yorkshire, England and died in 1889 in Ossett, Yorkshire, England.

12. Eva Hardwick Thwaites was born in 1888 in Osset, Yorkshire, England and died in 1977 in Sheriff Hutton, Yorkshire, England.

13. John Rayner Thwaites was born on Jul. 24, 1895 in Ossett, Yorkshire, England and died in 1975 in Canada (Manitoba?).

*4th Generation (Great-grandchildren)*

14. Michael Rayner Thwaites was born on May 30, 1915 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and died on Nov. 1, 2005 in Canberra, Australia. He married Honor Mary Scott Thwaites [Good] on Dec. 23, 1939 in Oxford, UK. Honor Mary Scott was born in 1914 in Young, New South Wales, Australia and died in 1993 in Canberra, Australia.

Children of Michael Rayner Thwaites and Honor Mary Scott Thwaites [Good]

i.	18.	Robert Muir Thwaites was born on Dec. 28, 1940 in Glasgow, Scotland and died on Jan. 14, 1941 in Glasgow, Scotland.
ii.	19.	Peter Roland Wettenhall Thwaites was born on Jul. 20, 1942 in England.
iii.	20.	Penelope Mary Jackson [Thwaites] was born on Apr. 18, 1944 in England.
iv.	21.	Richard Nelson Thwaites was born on May 2, 1948 in Melbourne, Australia.
v.	22.	John Duncan Thwaites was born on Oct. 10, 1950 in Melbourne, Australia.

15. Peter Nelson Thwaites was born on May 11, 1917 in Brisbane and died on Feb. 11, 1984 in Melbourne. He married May Thwaites [Pask]. May was born in 1916 and died in 2006.

Children of Peter Nelson Thwaites and May Thwaites [Pask]

i.	23.	Michael Jonathan Thwaites was born in 1945 in Australia.
ii.	24.	Anne Hardwick Keddie [Thwaites] was born in 1946 in Australia.
iii.	25.	Timothy Thwaites was born in 1951 in Australia.

16. Donald Hardwick Thwaites was born on Sep. 13, 1918 in Birmingham, England and died on Jan. 22, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada USA. He married Josephine (Joy) Thwaites [Nelson] in Colorado. Josephine (Joy), daughter of Victor Nelson and Goldau Nelson [Porter], was born on Apr. 7, 1913 and died on Dec. 11, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada USA.

Children of Donald Hardwick Thwaites and Josephine (Joy) Thwaites [Nelson]

	i.	26.	Christopher Nelson Thwaites was born in 1947.
	ii.	27.	Victor William Thwaites was born in 1949 in USA.

17. Christine Lenker [Thwaites] was born on Jan. 3, 1922 in Wenatchee, WA, USA. She married Gaylord Lenker in 1956 in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Children of Christine Lenker [Thwaites] and Gaylord Lenker

i.	28.	Brian Lenker.
ii.	29.	James Lenker.
iii.	30.	Joan Wait [Lenker].

*5th Generation (Great(2)-grandchildren)*

18. Robert Muir Thwaites was born on Dec. 28, 1940 in Glasgow, Scotland and died on Jan. 14, 1941 in Glasgow, Scotland.

19. Peter Roland Wettenhall Thwaites was born on Jul. 20, 1942 in England. He married Rosemary Denison Thwaites [Phelps] in 1973 in England. Rosemary Denison, daughter of Peter Phelps, was born on May 24, 1948 in England.

Children of Peter Roland Wettenhall Thwaites and Rosemary Denison Thwaites [Phelps]

i.	31.	Michael John Anthony Thwaites was born on Apr. 9, 1976 in Sydney, Australia.
ii.	32.	Veronica Catherine Brown [Thwaites] was born on Jul. 23, 1978 in Sydney, Australia.
iii.	33.	Robert Peter Thwaites was born on Jul. 23, 1978 in Sydney, Australia.

20. Penelope Mary Jackson [Thwaites] was born on Apr. 18, 1944 in England. She married Edward Oliver Jackson in Dec. 1981 in London. Edward Oliver was born in 1921 and died in 2009 in London.

Children of Penelope Mary Jackson [Thwaites] and Edward Oliver Jackson

	i.	34.	Matthew Edward Christopher Jackson was born on Mar. 4, 1983 in London.
	ii.	35.	Lucy Christina Mary Jackson was born on Jan. 24, 1986 in London.

21. Richard Nelson Thwaites was born on May 2, 1948 in Melbourne, Australia. He married Dilber Thwaites [Kahraman] on Dec. 20, 1980 in Peking. Dilber, daughter of Ayup Halilhaci Kahraman and Halice Halilhaci [Yolvas], was born on Jul. 1, 1950 in Turkestan.

Children of Richard Nelson Thwaites and Dilber Thwaites [Kahraman]

	i.	36.	Adam Richard Thwaites was born on Apr. 13, 1982 in Hong Kong.
	ii.	37.	Denise Penelope Thwaites was born on Jan. 14, 1986 in Sydney, Australia.

22. John Duncan Thwaites was born on Oct. 10, 1950 in Melbourne, Australia. He married Ann Lone Thwaites [Uhrenholdt]. Ann Lone was born in 1949 in Denmark.

Children of John Duncan Thwaites and Ann Lone Thwaites [Uhrenholdt]

i.	38.	Anna Solveig Uhrenholdt Thwaites was born on Dec. 18, 1987 in Canberra.
ii.	39.	Daniel Thwaites was born on Aug. 16, 1989 in Canberra, Australia and died on Aug. 17, 1989 in Canberra, Australia.
iii.	40.	Julia Kirstin Uhrenholdt Thwaites was born on Jun. 25, 1991 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

23. Michael Jonathan Thwaites was born in 1945 in Australia. He married Eve Thwaites [Borthwick]. Eve was born in 1946.

Children of Michael Jonathan Thwaites and Eve Thwaites [Borthwick]

	i.	41.	Hilary Christine Thwaites was born in 1974.
	ii.	42.	Rayner Bartholomew Thwaites was born in 1975.

24. Anne Hardwick Keddie [Thwaites] was born in 1946 in Australia. She married John McKay Keddie.

Children of Anne Hardwick Keddie [Thwaites] and John McKay Keddie

i.	43.	Jane Francesca Keddie.
ii.	44.	Thomas McKay Keddie.
iii.	45.	James Alexander Keddie.

25. Timothy Thwaites was born in 1951 in Australia. He married Lilit Maria (Siska) Thwaites [Zekulin]. Lilit Maria (Siska) was born in 1952 in Canada.

Children of Timothy Thwaites and Lilit Maria (Siska) Thwaites [Zekulin]

i.	46.	Richard Gleb Thwaites was born in 1978.
ii.	47.	Andrew Peter Thwaites was born in 1980.
iii.	48.	Nicola Thwaites was born in 1982 in Melbourne.

26. Christopher Nelson Thwaites was born in 1947. He married 1st Ellen Thwaites [Brockman] in 1968 in Tremonton, Utah, USA. He married 2nd Ruth Thwaites [Ellison] in 2004 in Santa Rosa, California.

	Other events in the relationship of Christopher Nelson Thwaites and Ellen Thwaites [Brockman]
	Divorce	1999	Santa Rosa, California

Children of Christopher Nelson Thwaites and Ellen Thwaites [Brockman]

	i.	49.	Christopher Jason Thwaites was born in California, USA.
	ii.	50.	Joshua Kai Thwaites was born in California, USA.

27. Victor William Thwaites was born in 1949 in USA. He met 1st Karyn Perry. He partnered with 2nd Michael.

	Other events in the relationship of Victor William Thwaites and Karyn Perry
	Friends

	Other events in the relationship of Victor William Thwaites and Michael
	Partners

Children of Victor William Thwaites and Karyn Perry

51.

Noah Thwaites was born in 1971.

Children of Victor William Thwaites and Michael

ii.

51.

Noah Thwaites was born in 1971.

28. Brian Lenker. He married Virginia Lenker [Davies].

Children of Brian Lenker and Virginia Lenker [Davies]

	i.	52.	Elizabeth Lenker.
	ii.	53.	William Lenker.

29. James Lenker. He married Sue Lenker [Whitcomb].

Children of James Lenker and Sue Lenker [Whitcomb]

54.

Owen Lenker.

30. Joan Wait [Lenker]. She married Lowell Scott Wait.

*6th Generation (Great(3)-grandchildren)*

31. Michael John Anthony Thwaites was born on Apr. 9, 1976 in Sydney, Australia.

32. Veronica Catherine Brown [Thwaites] was born on Jul. 23, 1978 in Sydney, Australia. She married Rick Brown in 2002 in Canberra. Rick was born in Hobart, Australia.

Children of Veronica Catherine Brown [Thwaites] and Rick Brown

	i.	55.	Jesse Brown was born in 2006 in Canberra.
	ii.	56.	Victoria Brown was born in 2008 in Canberra.

33. Robert Peter Thwaites was born on Jul. 23, 1978 in Sydney, Australia.

34. Matthew Edward Christopher Jackson was born on Mar. 4, 1983 in London.

35. Lucy Christina Mary Jackson was born on Jan. 24, 1986 in London.

36. Adam Richard Thwaites was born on Apr. 13, 1982 in Hong Kong.

37. Denise Penelope Thwaites was born on Jan. 14, 1986 in Sydney, Australia.

38. Anna Solveig Uhrenholdt Thwaites was born on Dec. 18, 1987 in Canberra.

39. Daniel Thwaites was born on Aug. 16, 1989 in Canberra, Australia and died on Aug. 17, 1989 in Canberra, Australia.

40. Julia Kirstin Uhrenholdt Thwaites was born on Jun. 25, 1991 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

41. Hilary Christine Thwaites was born in 1974.

42. Rayner Bartholomew Thwaites was born in 1975.

43. Jane Francesca Keddie.

44. Thomas McKay Keddie.

45. James Alexander Keddie.

46. Richard Gleb Thwaites was born in 1978.

47. Andrew Peter Thwaites was born in 1980.

48. Nicola Thwaites was born in 1982 in Melbourne.

49. Christopher Jason Thwaites was born in California, USA.

50. Joshua Kai Thwaites was born in California, USA. He met Genevieve Albers.

	Other events in the relationship of Joshua Kai Thwaites and Genevieve Albers
	Friends
	Unknown

Children of Joshua Kai Thwaites and Genevieve Albers

57.

Mara Kai Albers Thwaites was born in 1996 in California, USA.

51. Noah Thwaites was born in 1971. He married Renae Denise Thwaites in 1993. Renae Denise was born in 1968.

Children of Noah Thwaites and Renae Denise Thwaites

i.	58.	Jordyn Thwaites was born on Nov. 30, 1994 in Portland, Oregon, USA.
ii.	59.	Lauryn Thwaites was born on Apr. 4, 1996 in Portland, Oregon, USA.
iii.	60.	Alexis Thwaites was born on Sep. 14, 1999 in Portland, Oregon, USA.
iv.	61.	Sydney Thwaites was born on Sep. 14, 1999 in Portland, Oregon, USA.

51. Noah Thwaites was born in 1971.

See previous entry for Noah Thwaites was born in 1971.

52. Elizabeth Lenker.

53. William Lenker.

54. Owen Lenker.

*7th Generation (Great(4)-grandchildren)*

55. Jesse Brown was born in 2006 in Canberra.

56. Victoria Brown was born in 2008 in Canberra.

57. Mara Kai Albers Thwaites was born in 1996 in California, USA.

58. Jordyn Thwaites was born on Nov. 30, 1994 in Portland, Oregon, USA.

59. Lauryn Thwaites was born on Apr. 4, 1996 in Portland, Oregon, USA.

60. Alexis Thwaites was born on Sep. 14, 1999 in Portland, Oregon, USA.

61. Sydney Thwaites was born on Sep. 14, 1999 in Portland, Oregon, USA.

Oldest related tombstone in Yorkshire?

2011-01-11T11:53:00.017+11:00

Joe (John Duncan) Thwaites contributed this transcription he made in 1973 from a gravestone in the churchyard of the Anglican Church of St Columba in Topcliffe, Yorkshire. The stone is/was positioned diagonally behind the tower and right side transcept of the church, not far from the top of a steep slope down to the River Swale (presumably the “cliffe”).

The picture is "reconstituted" - not the actual stone...

..and here, for clarity, is the text as transcribed by Joe..

Loving memory
of
Hannah
the wife of George Thwaites
of Topcliffe
who died December 26th 1866
aged 58 years
also of
Eleanor daughter of the above
who died December 15th 1864
aged 27 years
Also of Ann, their daughter
who died July 27th 1866
aged 23 years

NOT LOST, BUT GONE BEFORE

Also Elizabeth Ward
Daughter of the above, and
Wife of John Ward of Thirsk
who died July 9th 1879
aged 34 years
Also the above George Thwaites
of Topcliffe
who died Feb 27th, 1891
Aged 75 yrs

Do you know any more about these people?

2010-08-16T18:28:00.000+10:00

From Michael and Honor Thwaites we have inherited a trove of family photographs going back several generations. Some are identified but many are not. Without identification, they will become meaningless to future generations of their descendants.

Some Thwaites material is in albums kept by Jessie Elizabeth (Nelson) Thwaites (1878-1946), mother of Michael Rayner and Peter Nelson, wife of Robert Ernest Thwaites( 1879-1946). Most are captioned on the back in her handwriting, but some of the captions are missing or cryptic.

Please add any information or comment that you may have.

This is Phebe "Lizzie" (Hardwick) Thwaites, mother of Robert Ernest, on a seaside excursion (in the 1920s ?). She was born 1855 in Pickering and lived till 1924, much of the time in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire. Jessie did not caption this photo, nor the one below. Apparently Lizzie had a period of invalidity but later recovered.

Her husband John Thwaites was born 1849 in Topcliffe, Yorkshire and died 1914. Is there any picture known of John Thwaites?? In the UK census online he appears first as a plumber (aged 18), thereafter as a linen draper in Boroughbridge.

These two gents were with Lizzie on the excursion - same bench, same fence - but no names. Sons, surely?

The one on the right could be Francis (Frank) William Thwaites (1883-1954). Frank emigrated to America a bit earlier than this (what year?), but could he have been back on a visit? His family in USA record his middle name as Hardwick and his year of birth as 1883. The UK birth register gives the name and dates above.

Is the one on the left son George (1881-1941), a depressive who never left home and lived with sister Eva after Lizzie's death? He looks cheerful enough here. Or is it George on the right and Frank, or youngest son John ("Jack") (1894-1985) or somebody else on the left?

This is Lizzie Hardwick Thwaites somewhat later. Not dated but it is captioned "Mother, plump at last after the lean years. at Bb [Boroughbridge, Yorkshire] ". The caption could be by youngest daughter Eva (1888-1977) who never married and looked after parents in their old age. This is probably the garden of the house the family lived in for many years. What else is known of that life? Eva died in England after a life as a village schoolteacher. We have a few letters and various books bequeathed to her nephew Michael Rayner Thwaites.

Back another generation, this is captioned "Grandma Hardwick", so it must be Lizzie Hardwick's mother.

Online access to UK census, births, deaths and marriages only gives individual names and dates, not parents or husbands/wives, so tracing Grandma takes some leaps. Working back from Lizzie Hardwick's date and place of birth, I think Lizzie's father was most likely George F Hardwick, born in Ripon in 1816, who in 1845 married in Sheffield a Hannah Cooper, born in 1820.

A Hannah Hardwick died in Pickering in 1877, and another died in York in 1904. From the style of the photograph mounting ( some art nouveau influence on the back) 1904 is a more likely date, so I'd like to think our ancestor lived to 84years!

Please correct any of this or offer comments.

Now some Nelson material from Queensland....

Solomon in all his glory...

Sir Hugh Nelson (1833-1906), Jessie's father, in his Vice-Regal attire as Lieutenant-Governor (or maybe as acting Governor?) of Queensland - 1904 - I think.

This is not a family photo but from the archives of the Queensland Parliament, used in an article on Sir Hugh's canny political career in the online Australian Dictionary of Biography. See Google for more..

Below is captioned "Mrs Nelson (later Lady N.) at croquet with friends at Gabbinbar, Toowomba, Queensland" - Sir Hugh's family home. This suggests it was taken before 1896, when Sir Hugh was knighted KCMG for his political service.

I'm not sure about the "friends" - behind the fashionable fly-proof burqas. I think we might find Mrs Nelson's three lively daughters Grace, Jessie and Maude. The full photograph shows a wider vista of landscape receding eastwards toward Brisbane and the coast.

This is the oldest Thwaites /Nelson material we have. There is plenty more from Jessie's albums that follows the childhood of her two sons Michael Rayner Thwaites (1915-2005) and Peter Nelson Thwaites (1917-82). Cousins from the Nelson side are well represented, but no photographs from the scattered Thwaites cousins in USA and Canada.

Please comment if you would like to see more... it is simple for me to post progressively to this blog.