Genealogy Chat

Listen, mate - I'm not the one in the tinsel knickers!

Paul you should be very careful. Being on the board at two this morning,now saying you are chasing a pervy cleric!The mind boggles. Glen

I've hust found a skeleton too!! Nothing was ever said about my great grandfather. I know that he died and my g grandmother married, (She wasn't married to my g grandfather). I knew that there must be 'something' there to find, I just couldnt figure out what. I had asked older members of the family who refused to talk about it. Recently i have found out that my g grandfather was married with 7 children when my g grandmother went to work for him helping with the children. He walked out on his wife and children and ran off with my g grandmother! I wasn't really surprised, I thought that there was a reason it was being kept quiet. Pat

Fortunately I'm not a direct descendant. His great great great granddaughter, to whom I am related, has been helping me with my family tree. She is a real expert genealogist, but this story has stumped her for 18 years. She is now bravely fighting cancer and I just wanted to try and give her a bit of a boost by solving this mystery that has bugged her for so long.

Crikey Paul, what a tale! Is the pervy cleric a member of your family tree? While searching the A2A database, I came across a dodgy rector (who may or may not be connected to my forebears' wider family). Isn't it amazing what details can be found in archives and old newspapers! Details below: East Sussex Record Office: PARISH OF LEWES ALL SAINTS FILE - Churchwardens' account book - ref. PAR410/9/1/1 - date: 1895-1900 Scope and Content At back: Lengthy notes concerning: appointments; collections; location of the banns register, stating 'other registers lie about the vestry all the week' and list of registers, 1679-1883; ongoing dispute relating to accusations against the Revd Charles Frederick Nolloth [1850-1932]: 'scandals about the rector continue to be reported to me, but as I cannot verify them I do not place them on record' (possibly relating to choir funds, frequent absence of rector and possible illegitimate child); arrival of the Revd F C Mills to officiate without licence from the bishop, Jan 1896; rector's public examination for bankruptcy, 10 Oct 1897; eventual sequestration of parish, Oct 1897, and notification of resignation of rector, Dec 1897; charging of Mrs Laurie accused of giving poison to her children and the likelihood of the rector being involved as 'she attributes all her troubles to him', Mar 1898; Apr 1895 - Dec 1898

This article in the Gravesend and Dartford Miscellany Feb 6 1878 sums up the story. ______________ NORTHFLEET CASE OF INDECENT ASSAULT At the Bench of County Magistrates at Rochester on 29th ult Frederick Davis, clerk in holy orders, residing at Manor House, Northfleet, was summoned for indecently assaulting Selina Webb, a young lady aged 17, on the evening of Sunday December 16th. The offence was said to be committed in a train on the journey from Higham to Gravesend. Defendant did not appear. Mr Willis, solicitor to the South Eastern Railway Company, said he had received a letter from defendant's son, stating that while his futher indignantly repudiated such a base and foul charge he was afraid his unsupported testimony would not be taken against that of complainant. By the advice of his friends, he had gone on the Continent and would not return. Mr Willis expressed his belief that defendant had not gone to the continent, and a warrant for defendant's apprehension was at once granted, the Maxistrates' Clerk stating the Bench suggested granting a warrant when the information was made. Mr Willis said they had the testimony of the young lady and some circumstantial evidence. If that had been considered insufficient, and defendant had been arrested and discharged, the Company might have been open to an action. ________ Nobody's been able to find what happened to Frederick after that - no evidence of death or whatever. His son did run a private mental asylum and I wonder if Frederick lived out his days there under a new identity. The idea that he fled to the continent seems a tad convenient. Frederick was born in Hoxton in 1822. We have plenty on him before his disappearance. He was headmaster of a school in Northfleet.The victim's name in all other accounts is Rosina Webb, not Selina. So there you have it. If you can trace the pervy cleric, you're a better genealogist than me!