Friday, August 22, 2014

Family History

We were at the Bristol Records Office and the Bristol Registry Office yesterday hunting down information about my maternal grandfather, William Richard Porter and his mysterious brother George - long disappeared. Here's our data dump so far, mostly based on my mother's recollections (Beryl Seel).

We're still researching, so this may not be the final story.

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William Richard Porter (son of George Samuel Porter)

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George Samuel Porter ("Grandad Porter")

Born: ???
Died: June 1938 aged 75 ??? (or was it Alfred Hewlett died around that time, Beryl's maternal grandfather?)

Address: Salmon Street, Kingsdown, Bristol (now demolished)

Occupation: Docker

Married twice

1. m. ???  and had two daughters Winny and Maisie (died in childbirth with Maisie)
     - Maisie married Reg, a pianist with a band (controversially dyed his hair!).
     - Winnie married George Batten (sp?) they had two girls.

Maisie and Winnie lived next door to each other in Raglan Road, Bishopston, Bristol


2. m. ??? ("Ma Porter") and had three children
    - George Porter  (b. December 1893? - Barton Regis)
                      -- married a non-white girl; banished for ever: disappeared.

    - Florence Porter ['Flo', 'Florrie'] (b. 1895 or 1896? - Barton Regis)
                      -- fat woman, was married (no details), children??

    - William Richard Porter (b. 1st January 1898 - Barton Regis)

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William Richard Porter known as Dick Porter.

Born:  (b. 1st January 1898 - Barton Regis)

Father: George Samuel Porter

Mother: ??? ("Ma Porter")

Wife: Linda Louisa Annie Hewlett.

Death: Oct 30th 1964 in Bristol (aged 66) throat cancer.

Military Medal: awarded in Bristol in 1918.
Private: No. 127338
Invalided out of forces - lost an eye rescuing an officer under enemy fire, hence the medal.

Occupation: Foreman, Wine and Spirits distributor, City Road, St. Pauls, Bristol.

Children: Ray, Beryl, Gordon.

Address: Ray, Beryl were born in a house on Constitution Hill. The family then bought the house at 14 William Street, St Pauls, Bristol.

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Barton Regis was, from 1894 to 1904, a rural district in the English administrative county of Gloucestershire, adjacent to the City of Bristol, comprising:

  • Filton
  • Henbury
  • Shirehampton
  • Stoke Gifford
  • Westbury-on-Trym
  • Winterbourne

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Bristol Record Office
'B' Bond Warehouse
Smeaton Road
Bristol
BS1 6XN

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