Thomas Saunders born 20 May 1833, christened 28 May 1833 in Simpson, Buckinghamshire and died 31 July 1909 in Simpson. Thomas Saunders married Sarah Jane Grisold (born 8 January 1837 in Drayton By Banbury and died 18 March 1916 in Simpson) in September 1861.
 |
| Sarah Jane Grisold 8 January 1837 - 18 March 1916 |
Together they had 8 children:
Elizabeth (16 June 1862), Emma (19 September 1863), Ellen (8 February 1865), Kate 27 December 1866), George 7 February 1869), Alice 1 October 1872), Thomas (18 March 1875), Lillian (6 June 1879).
Elizabeth Saunders
Elizabeth Saunders (born 16 June 1862 in Simpson, Buckinghamshire, England and died 19 October 1950 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia). Elizabeth married Harry Edward Wells (born 25 November 1858 in Great Oxendon, Northamptonshire, England and died 22 November 1935 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia). They had 3 daughters: Beatrice Helen Louise Wells (born 9 September 1888 and died 8 November 1983), Winifred Alice Wells (born 20 September 1890 and died 20 November 1969), Gladstone Gordon Thomas Wells (born 2 December 1896 and died 3 December 1982).
You might like to refer to Wells Family Archives blog.
 |
| Elizabeth Saunders 16 June 1862 - 19 October 1950 |
Emma Saunders
Emma Saunders (born 19 September 1863).
Emma married Robert Halcrow. They had 7 children: Nellie Edith Halcrow married William Lovell, Beatrice Maud Halcrow (born 1889), Doris Adele Halcrow (born 1890) married Albert James Forward, Percival Robert Halcrow (born 1891), Bertram Harold Halcrow (born 1894 and died 1915), Ernest Cecil Halcrow (born 1900), Ethel Hilda (born 1901).
It was discovered in the 1891 Census of Simpson, Buckinghamshire that Thomas and Sarah Saunders had a 7 year old grand-daughter living with them. The birth certificate reveals that little
Elsie Ethel Saunders was born in King Sutton on 23 September 1882 to Emma Saunders - no father. Emma was probably living with a Grisold family member in King Sutton as that is nearby to Drayton.
 |
| Elsie Ethel Saunders born 23 September 1882 - mother Emma Saunders |
 |
| 1891 Census Thomas & Sarah Saunders, their son Thomas 15 and grand daughter Elsie 7 years. |
Doris Adele Halcrow (born December 1890 in Farnham, Surrey, England and died 13 May 1957 in Melbourne, Australia).
Doris married Albert James Forward (born 17 October 1895 in Wandearah, South Australia and died 19 January 1954) on 20 December 1919 in Islington, England.
They had 5 children:
Leo Maurice (Known as Maurice) Forward born 20 February 1920 in London. He married
Lillian Agnes Deer (born 27 March 1921 in Boulder, Western Australia) and had two daughters, a son Alan Forward and another son.. October 1940 Leo visited Macdougalls several times in Williamstown. He was in the RAAF, stationed at Laverton.
Gladys Doreen Forward (born 25 December 1921 in Blyth, South Australia) married Daniel James (Jim) Herschausen (born 4 January 1920 in Laura, South Australia) and had a daughter Patricia Margaret Herschausen.
Robert James (Jim) Forward (born 17 April 1924 in Solomontown, South Australia and died 8 July 1994). Jim married Maureen.
Sydney Ronald (Ron) Forward (born 22 June 1926 in Port Piried, South Australia. He married
Olive Allthorpe on 7 December 1946 in North Carlton, Melbourne. 1945 Ronald visited Macdougall at Brighton. He was in RAAF
Doris and James Forward and son Leo Maurice Forward were known to be from Port Pirie, South Australia in 1940s. On 6 March 1946 Doris & James Forward visited Beatrice & Leslie Macdougall in Melbourne and again on 9 December 1946 while in Melbourne for Ron's marriage. 18 May 1954 Doris visited Melbourne and met her cousins Gladstone and Dorothy Wells, Beatrice Macdougall & Wyn Tregear.
19 April 1955 Doris visited Macdougalls from Port Pirie. 14 May 1957 a phone call from Olive Forward saying Doris Forward had died in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on 13 May from a stroke. Beatrice & Wyn went to the Funeral. She had come to Melbourne from Port Pirie 4 weeks earlier and appeared quite well. She had made arrangement to reside in Melboune.
Ellen Saunders
Ellen Saunders (born 8 February 1865 and died 1 March 1932).
Ellen married Walter Cook.
They had 3 daughters:
Dorothy Mary Cook (born 6 June 1898 and died 27 December 1983) married
Gladstone Gordon Thomas Wells (born 2 December 1896 and died 3 December 1982). Dorothy and Gladstone were cousins. Their mothers were sisters.
Winifred Alice Cook (born 30 November 1900 and died December 1981).
Margaret Elizabeth Cook (born 6 July 1903). Margaret remained single.
Kate Saunders
Kate Saunders (born 27 December 1866 in Simpson and died 15 March 1941 in Clanfield, Hampshire). Kate married Arthur John Whitcombe (born 8 August 1876 in Hardingstone, Northants and died 12 March 1941 in Clanfield, Hampshire) on 4 June 1906 at St Thomas Parish Church, Simpson, a Hairdresser.
They had 1 son: Arthur George Saunders Whitcombe (born 1 November 1909 in Rugby and died 25 March 1977 in Guildford, Surrey).
Kate Saunders was working as a servant at The Castle, Grandborough, seven miles south of Rugby, by the age of 14 years. The Castle was a farm owned and run by Charley Riley, a 52 year old widower and his 2 adult children. Ten years later Kate was a Parlourmaid in the household of Edwin Edwards, a retired Music Master of Rugby School. The 1901 Census shows Kate working for H. Stankey, an Engineer, as a Domestic servant at "Bilton Manor".
In 1933 Arthur and Kate left Rugby and moved to Clanfield where they retired. Kate was living at 23 Green Lane, Clanfield when she died 3 days after her husband Arthur.
 |
| A tapestry work by Kate Saunders in 1892 when she was 26 years of age. |
 |
| Kate Saunders 1866-1941 |
Son,
Arthur George Saunders Whitcombe had 2 marriages. First marriage on 22 November 1931 in Rugby was to Eunice DeMaine (born 2 August 1907 and died 21 January 1986). They had 4 children and I have a contact with one of them. Second marriage on 27 July 1946 in Guildford was to Rhoda Florence Eleanor Champness (born 23 February 1914 and died 22 May 1988). They had a daughter and we have met on 3 occasions while holidaying in England.
George Saunders (born 7 February 1869 and died January 1871) at almost 2 years.
Alice Saunders
Alice Saunders (born 1 October 1872 in Simpson). Alice went to South Africa before 1887.
Alice married Frederick Adamson in 1894.
They had 3 children:
Doris Adamson (born 9 May 1895).
Doris married Reginald Tollemache and had 2 children Mardie Tollemache (born 17 April 1917) & Lawrence Tollemache (born 30 May 1919). Mardie married Cecil Richmond and lived in South Africa. They had a daughter Pamela Loretta Richmond born 24 October 1940. She married Desmond Harrison. Pamela & Desmond Harrison had 3 children: Shane, Rik and Mardie Harrison. Lawrence married Evelyn Pollock and had 2 children: Ronald Cedric Alan Tollemache born 16 June 1944 and Doris Anne Tollemache was born 18 April 1956. Ronald Cedric Alan Tollemache had 4 children: John, Brian, Carol and Sharon Tollemache.
Lillian Adamson (born 28 July 1896). 11 January 1923 Miss Lily Edwards visited Macdougalls with her fiance. Lillian married John (Jack) Darlington. 1938 they were living in Sydney, Australia. They had 2 children: John Darlington born 3 June 1927 who married Diana Deardon on 7 February 1959 in Sydney. And a daughter Marianne Darlington born 23 September 1928.
Elsie Adamson (born 3 January 1898). She married Frederick Miller. They had a son Frederick Miller born 25 June 1923 and married Marje. Frederick & Marje had 2 daughters: Leanne & Annette Miller.
The 3 Adamson girls took on the Edwards name after their mother married Alfred Edwards. Alice Edwards came from South Africa to settle in Tasmania, Australia.
Alice married Alfred Edwards in 1905.
They had 2 children:
Edward (Teddie) Edwards (born 27 October 1906) had 3 children: Helen Rae Edwards born 20 September 1934, Ray Edwards born 1937, Elspeth Edwards born 1945.
Lawrence (born 24 August 1908).
Alice Edwards visited from South Africa her sister Elizabeth Wells (Saunders) in Hobart, Tasmania on 22 January 1915. Alice Edwards settled in Longford, Tasmania, Australia and Elizabeth visited her sister there.
 |
| Doris (born 1895) with her parents Alfred & Alice Edwards 25 February 1945 |
Thomas Saunders (christened 23 August 1875).
Thomas married Gertrude Burton. They had 3 children: Percival William Burton (born November 1897), Mabel Ursula Burton (born May 1900), Roy Burton (born November 1902).
Lillian Saunders (born 6 June 1879 and died 21 May 1896) at the age of 17 years.
 |
| A tapestry worked by Lillian in 1888 when 9 years of age. |
 |
| The white thatched roof cottage where Thomas & Sarah Saunders and their first 4 children lived in 1871. It was next door to "Simpson House" where wealthy land owner Charles & Sophia Warren lived. See Census 1861 & 1871. |
 |
| 1861 Census - Lydia Saunders, a widow, and son Thomas Saunders living in the white thatched roof cottage (next door to Charles & Sophia Warren), the year before Thomas married Sarah Grsiold. |
 |
| 1871 Census - Thomas & Sarah Saunders with their 4 young children & Lydia Saunders still living in the white thatched roof cottage next door to Charles & Sophia Warren. |
Grisold family in Drayton By Banbury
Thomas Grisold, born 1808 in Drayton By Banbury, Oxfordshire and died 1874 in Drayton By Banbury. Thomas married Elizabeth, born 1806 in Plymouth, Devonshire and died 1882 in Drayton By Banbury. Together they had 8 children:
Emma Grisold, born 20 September 1835 in Drayton By Banbury and died 12 February 1836 in Drayton By Banbury.
Martha Grisold born 1836.
Sarah Jane Grisold, born 8 January 1837 in Drayton By Banbury, Oxfordshire and died 18 March 1916 in Simpson. Sarah married Thomas Saunders, son of Daniel Saunders and Lydia Herricks in September 1861. Thomas Saunders, born 20 May 1833 in Simpson and died 31 July 1909 in Simpson, Buckinghamshire, England.
Thomas Grisold born 21 April 1839 in Drayton By Banbury, Oxfordshire, England.
Mary Ann Grisold born August 1841 in Drayton By Banbury.
Hannah Grisold born 21 January 1844 in Drayton By Banbury.
Emma Grisold born 8 November 1846 in Drayton By Banbury and died 7 November 1847 in Drayton By Banbury.
Elizabeth Grisold born 1849 in Drayton By Banbury, Oxfordshire, England.
 |
| 1841 Census - Thomas & Elizabeth Griswell with their children Martha, Sarah, Thomas & Mary living in Drayton By Banbury. Thomas was a Plush Weaver. |
 |
| 1851 Census - Thomas & Elizabeth Grisold with their children Thomas, Mary Ann, Hannah and Elizabeth living in Drayton By Banbury. |
|
 |
| 1851 Census - Sarah Grisold, a General Servant in Hornton, Oxfordshire, 14 years. Sarah married Thomas Saunders . |
 |
| 1861 Census - Thomas & Elizabeth Grisold with children Thomas & Hannah in Drayton By Banbury. |
Drayton By Banbury
Drayton By Banbury is famous for it's nursery rhyme:
"Ride
a cock horse to Banbury Cross, to see a fine lady upon a white horse.
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, and she shall have music
wherever she goes".
"Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady upon a white horse. Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, and she shall have music wherever she goes".
Written in 1784, the words of the Banbury Cross nursery rhyme are often
attributed to Queen Elizabeth I of England, the fine lady, who travelled to
Banbury to see a huge stone cross which had just been erected. The words 'With
rings on her fingers' obviously relates to the fine jewellery which would be
worn by a Queen. The words 'And bells on her toes' refer to the fashion of
attaching bells to the end of the pointed toes of each shoe - this fashion
actually originates from the Plantagenet era of English history but was
associated with the nobility for some time! Banbury was situated at the top of
a steep hill and in order to help carriages up the steep incline a white cock
horse (a large stallion) was made available by the town's council to help with
this task. When the Queen's carriage attempted to go up the hill a wheel broke
and the Queen chose to mount the cock horse and ride to the Banbury cross. The
people of the town had decorated the cock horse with ribbons and bells and
provided minstrels to accompany her - "she shall have music wherever she
goes". The massive stone cross at Banbury was unfortunately later
destroyed by anti - Catholics who opposed the notion of pilgrimages.
Joy & Peter Olney visited Drayton By Banbury in 2007.
 |
| St Peter's Church in Drayton By Banbury where Grissold family worshipped & children were christened. Built 1441AD. |
 |
| Drayton By Banbury in 2007 |
 |
| Drayton By Banbury in 2007 |
 |
| Drayton By Banbury in 2007 |
 |
| Kings Sutton in 2007 |
Of interest to the Saunders family.
Beatrice Macdougall, daughter of Harry & Elizabeth (Saunders) Wells and Grand Daughter of Thomas & Sarah (Grisold) Saunders visited England with her sister, Wyn Tregear in 1958.
Below are extracts from Beatrice Macdougall’s 1958
diary when she met her English ancestors, many of them are part of this blog.
11-13 July 1958 – Guildford.
We waited on the Guildford
platform for George Whitcombe. Wyn
recognized him from a photograph that she had of him. He took us in a taxi to a place which he had
arranged for us to stay at for bed and breakfast while in Guildford and later
to his home where we met his wife Rhoda and small daughter Eleanor – a sweet
charming child of about 4 ½ years. His
other children by his first wife are now married. We had a late tea or supper as it is called
in England. George showed us some photographs which his
Mother – our Aunt Kate – my Mother’s sister had put in an album and some other
snaps that Mother had sent her during the years. We caught the last bus – accompanied by
George.
After breakfast served at about 8.30am we
put on hats and coats and awaited the arrival of George, bringing with him his
young daughter Eleanor aged 4 ½ years.
Eleanor or Pip as her father calls her is an old fashioned child with
very quaint sayings and delightful dimples.
We later made our way by bus to George’s
home. We met there his newly married son
Geoffery and bride Janet – a fine young couple of 20 and 19 years
respectively. After tea these two showed
us their wedding photos and George accompanied us to our place of abode.
Lunch at George and Rhoda Whitcombe's home. Dinner was served soon after our arrival and
the time after the meal was spent in reminiscing and looking at photos
etc. We said our goodbyes to Rhoda and
little Eleanor and left with George in the bus for our place of abode. He walked with us and we said goodbye to
George. He had had a very sad life but
should from now on have an easier time.
21 July – 8 August 1958 - Rugby.
Uncle Walter Cook and Dorothy Wells were at
the station to meet us and we went by taxi to the home of Uncle Walter at 47 Manor Road. He is looking very well after his recent
illness and he and Dorothy made us very welcome.
After a nice dinner we all went for a walk
and Uncle showed us over Rugby school famous
since the year 1567. There is a fine
Chapel there and also a smaller Chapel in memory of those who lost their lives
in the two wars. A tablet is on the
brick wall facing the playing field commemorating William Webb Ellis who was
the founder of the game “Rugby” in 1823.
Uncle has a pet budgie and the dear little
bird loves music and sings as loud as loudly as possible and for as long as the
tunes last.
A nephew of Uncle Walter and his wife
called and had tea during the afternoon.
They live close and are a very happy couple and celebrating their 31st
wedding anniversary today. Our brother
Glad Wells arrived today.
We went to the Cemetery to put flowers on
Aunt Nell’s grave. She died in March
1932.
Margaret, the youngest daughter of the
house returned from her holiday in Canterbury
with her sister Wyn and Bill Law.
30 July 1958 – Coventry.
A pleasant trip to Coventry.
We were met by Bert Sturgess, the husband of Fanny.
Bert took us to his home in Elm Street. Plans had to be rearranged owing to an early
morning accident. Nancy Bla? – Fanny’s
sister had fallen down the stairs on the way down to breakfast and the Doctor
sent her away for Xrays. Nancy was not too good –
2 cracked ribs and a cut to the back of her head that required stitches.
We looked at old photos of the family.
Fanny and Nancy are grand daughters of John Saunders, and Wyn and me of his brother Thomas Saunders.
It was a great day for Wyn as she had corresponded
with these two sisters since taking on Mother’s correspondence. Bert motored us back to Rugby.
31 July 1958 – Drayton.
We planned an outing to Banbury and Drayton
today. We took a bus from Banbury to Drayton, a
small village away and found the old Church. The earliest date was 1441. My
Grandmother Saunders was christened in this Church and we also saw the house in
which she was born.
6 August 1958 – Simpson.
We (Wyn, Dorothy Wells and myself) trained
to Bletchley and were met by Mabel Willis, daughter of our Mother’s only
brother, Thomas – the last of that generation. She was in the Refreshment Room
at the Bletchley Station and provided us with a cup of tea and suggested the
“Bletchley Arms” for the night. We took a taxi to Simpson Village
where my dear Mother was born and spent the first years of her life.
Dorothy had stayed at Simpson when a child
and was able to point out the house Mother was in before leaving for Australia and
where Father had said goodbye some months earlier in 1887. This was a 2 storey
dwelling attached to 3 others of the same construction. The house that Mother was born in has been
pulled down.
We walked further on and met a man named
George Bowler who was born and lived in the vicinity and who married Rose.
George Bowler was the grand son of Sarah Matthews, (Mother’s Aunt and our Father’s
sister, Sarah). We talked with him for
some time, then he took us to his house and we met his wife Rose who suffers
with Arthritis in her knees. We had
afternoon tea and later George went with us to the village and we saw the home
that our Grandmother (Sarah) Saunders lived in after she was widowed. The house is very old but has been nicely
renovated and is now owned by a Miss Lindsay who had she been at home would
gladly have shown us through this lovely home.
Dorothy has stayed there with Grandma at times when she was a girl. The house is right on the road side and has a
thatched roof.
We also saw the renovated house that our
Great grandmother Lydia Saunders lived in and where she died. She had been left
with 4 sons – George, John, Thomas and Daniel and daughter Sarah (Matthews)
previously mentioned. She had property and land – so our ancestors here were
fairly well off, but owing to early widowhood (Thomas our grandfather was only
4) she had to put in an overseer and he proved to be none too honest so most of
the property was lost.
We went along to the Methodist
Church and were shown through by
George Bowler who attends there and then to the Village Church
where Mother and the other members of her family worshipped. I have a photo postcard of this dear old
Church. We sat in the pew which Dorothy said had
been the Saunders pew.
We looked for the tombstones of some of our
ancestors. They were covered with ivy
many of them and we stripped it off and found one we wanted to find– the grave
and headstone of our great grandfather Daniel Saunders who died 25 December
1837 aged 41 years and two small daughters Lydia and Mary. There was no name there of his wife Lydia.
There was no gravestone to the graves of
our Grandfather and Grandmother Saunders and our aunt Lily (Mother’s youngest
sister who died at 17).
The old Rector came along and he took us
into the vestry of the Church and opened the cupboard and we searched the
funeral and baptismal registers and found the names there of the Saunders
family etc.
We walked back to Bletchley and to our
hotel and had a quick wash up and then walked to our Uncle Tom’s home for tea
(my Mother’s brother, Thomas). His daughter Mabel was there also. Uncle Tom is
very bright and happy – is 83 on 18 August and was full of his trip to America nearly
2 years ago.
We saw many photos of the family – the
chair that was Grandpa Saunders and a small round table which had belonged to
our great grandmother. We walked back to the Bletchley Arms for
the night.
7 August 1958 - Bow Brickhill
We walked to Bletchley Station and took the
train to Fenny Stratford and Woburn Sands.
We walked along the road and came to the
home of the Garratt family of days gone bye.
This was the house Mother “worked” in after she was 12 years old. Mrs. Garratt had lost a daughter Elizabeth
and asked a friend where she could get a small girl for company. Mother’s name being Elizabeth, went and was treated as one of the
family. The property has since been sold
but a grand daughter of Mrs.Garratt’s is there while she lives.
We made enquiries at the house but Miss
Garratt was away but a lovely lady working there showed us some of the place
including the dairy where Mother said she used to skim the cream off the large
pans of milk there.
We walked along the road, across the
railway to Bow Brickhill and would have liked to go on to Great Brickhill but
it would have been a walk of about 8 miles there and back and felt it was too
far. We ate sandwiches on a seat along the
roadside, then walked again past the Garratt home and onto Simpson Village
where Mother had often walked in her youth.
We again visited the Church and graveyard
and took a taxi back to Bletchley Station, collected our luggage and train to Rugby.
8 August 1958 – Rugby.
We had to say our goodbyes to Uncle Walter
and Dorothy Wells in Rugby. We had some very happy days. Margaret Cook was of course at the Rugby
Station also as she is the announcer there.
If you have any corrections or comments, please contact the author Joy Olney:
joyolney@gmail.com
You might like to also take a look at
Wells Family Archives.
