Friday 29 March 2013

A bit of history

Hi to all my family out there.
I have done a bit of ancestry digging in the past and this is the information I discovered about the Johnson line. You may want to draw out a family tree so that you can see it better. It is a bit tricky just to understand it from sentences.

Edward Johnson (Martha's husband and my Grandad) was the 3rd child of 8 children. Mary 1877, Joseph 1878, Edward 1880, James 1880, Grace 1884-1951, Stephen 1887, William 1888, and Margaret 1892

Their parents were William Johnson(1853) and Elizabeth Alice Cave (1857) William's parents were Joseph Johnson (1826) and Mary (maiden name I don't know) and this was as far as I got down Mary's  line.

However with Elizabeth Cave I got much further.

Elizabeth Cave was the 1st child of 6 children. Elizabeth 1857, John 1850 James 1852 William 1855 and Ann 1860 and Stephen 1863
Her parents were Stephen Cave (1827 - 1864) and Mary Palmer (1828)

Stephen Cave was the son of John Cave 1795 and Elizabeth Aspinall 1793- 1866.
Mary Palmer was the child of James Palmer but I have no information of her Mother

This is as far as I got.
If you do have access to www.ancestry.com then the family tree is listed as Johnson/Dowling and the owner is randjinoz (this is my sister in law's ID  who helped me pull the information together)
Interesting isn't it. let me know if you have any questions I may be able to search it out.


Thursday 28 March 2013

Martha Dowling Birth Certiificate


Martha Dowling and Edward Johnson Marriage Cert.

Martha Dowling and Edward Johnson Marriage Certificate. June 4th 1906

Teds Memorys

Susan asked how granddad died. Edward Johnson died in Walton Hospital Liverpool aged 57 of liver failure, dad seems to think it would have been caused by going in and out of the big ships freezers were the meat was stored and not wearing a coat to keep out the cold.
Dad can't remember Edward having any brothers or sisters but maybe Helen will be able to delve into that now that she has a bit more info which is on Martha & Edwards marriage certificate. Dad tells me that John Dowling, Marthas dad lived in Marmion st aintree and would call on dad who then lived in wallasey on his way to watch the cricked at the cricket club in Rake Lane wallasey. Dad remembers he wore either a bowler or a straw boater and was a very smart man. Regards to all Edward & Martha's family.
          Ray

Monday 25 March 2013

Ted's Memorys

Spoke to dad today to try to answer some of Susan’s questions. Dad seems to think that Martha left Bob Poston because shall we say he was abusive towards her. Dad recalls things became so bad that he hit Bob Poston, at the time dad was only 16 and went to live with some friends who had a small holding in Maghull, but he cant remember who they were.
One of Bobs daughters  Karen Isaics? still sends dad a xmas card every year and lives in Cambridge.
In 1942 Martha took dad to sign up for the merchant navy with the White star line and signed up on the Laconia on which he did 2 trips, it was the second trip when the ship was torpedoed and dad was captured and sent to a prison camp in Casablanca in north Africa were he stayed for a few months untill set free by the Americans.
On the 31/12/42 dad had just got home from being a prisoner of war and walked into the Sefton Arms in West Derby were Martha and Bob were talking to 4 A.T.S girls, one being my mum Eileen, after the pub they all went to a party at one of Bobs daughters house, the next day my mum brought my dad over to the Wallasey to meet  her mum and dad Daisy and Jack Cooper [ who brought me up when I was born as the house was so small being a 2 up 2 down ] and the rest is history.
Uncle Billy signed up for the sea when he was about 17 and my dad 18, being so young was accepted in those days as they needed anyone they could get. Dad sends his love to all of Martha & Edwards family who are scattered all over the world.
                                                                        Ray

Saturday 23 March 2013

Discharge Book


My Granddad

It gives me great pleasure to be able to add a picture of Edward Johnson Martha's husband, a picture I know all of the family would like to see.
One of my dads regrets was that know one in the family had a picture of his dad, and as you can imagine it gives me great pleasure to be able to full fill his wish. The picture is taken off his I.D.and discharge book
a picture of which I will also include on the blog. Best wishes to all of Martha & Edward family who are all over the world. Seeing granddad for the first time has been very emotional for me.
                                                                    Ray

Saturday 2 March 2013

Butchers Shop

Talking to dad today about his dads shop in Westminster road the remains of which can still be viewed on google maps, its next door to Westminster news. It looks like the council has finally got round to building a wall to block off access to the site. Dad was saying how as a young boy he would work for his dad maybe after school and weekends, and would take orders out on a delivery bike with a basket on the front. Dad was saying his dad never owned the shop but paid rent, when he died in 1937 Martha had a manager in the shop for a while but that didn't work out so by the time it was bombed in 1939 dad feels that Martha would not have still been renting the shop. If anyone has any questions they would like me to ask dad please let me know. Dad will be 90 in October but still as sharp as a pin, so get your questions in. Regards to all Martha's family.