Ken CruseI do not currently have Ken Cruse in one of my reconstructed trees, and Yorkshire is not normally a county associated with the Cruse surname. On checking the GRO indexes I've discovered that Ken was born in the West Derby Registration District in 1922. I therefore suspect that he is descended from the Liverpool Cruses. Do please get in touch if you have any information on this line. Thank you Audrey for sending me this obituary.
April 17, 2009
87 years young, peacefully and surrounded by love our dear Ken, beloved sweetheart of Doris, husband of the late Emily, father of Ken, Barbara and Mac, 'on loan' father of Ann and June. Greatly loved by all his Grandchildren, Great-Grandchildren, Daughters-in-law and Sons-in-law.
The Funeral will take place at Huddersfield Crematorium on Monday, April 27 at 1.30 p.m. Flowers or donations in lieu are welcome for The British Heart Foundation, for which a plate will be provided. Any enquiries to Highfields. Tel: 428243.
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Ken Cruse obituary
Guild member Audrey Town has very kindly sent me in the post an obituary from her local paper the Huddersfield Examiner. The obituary reads as follows:
Cruwys ONS in Family History Monthly
The June issue of Family History Monthly has just been published and it includes an article by Chris Paton on the Guild of One-Name Studies. I am very pleased to report that the article includes a special feature on the Cruwys/Cruse one-name study and the associated DNA project. There are screenshots of this blog and the DNA project website, and also a mugshot of yours truly. I'm hoping that the article will give the study some welcome publicity and perhaps result in a few more enquiries. For those of you reading this blog who don't live in the UK I am happy to provide scans of the article.
Monday, 27 April 2009
Charlie Cruwys in WWII
Kelly Searle has sent me some more photographs of her grandfather Charlie Cruwys (1920-1983). Charlie was the son of Thomas Edwin James Cruwys and Edith Baker who were the subject of a previous post. Charlie served in the army in World War II, and the photograph below was taken some time during the war.
Little is known of Charlie's army career other than that he was a cook and was based in Egypt for some of the war. Kelly is thinking of applying for Charlie's WWII service record which should tell us more.
Little is known of Charlie's army career other than that he was a cook and was based in Egypt for some of the war. Kelly is thinking of applying for Charlie's WWII service record which should tell us more.
Friday, 17 April 2009
The will of Elizabeth Olive,
spinster of Frome, Somerset
Elizabeth Olive was the daughter of John Olive and Ann Rossiter. She was baptised on 25th September 1778 in Frome, Somerset. She did not marry and died in March 1845 in Frome. This will is of particular interest to Cruse researchers because Elizabeth’s niece Mary Olive (born about 1792) married John Cruse on 7th June 1815 in Devizes, Wiltshire. John Cruse was the son of Jeremiah Cruse the land surveyor (1758-1819) by his first wife Mary Masey (1760-1810). John was born on 23rd December 1788 in Frome and baptised on 12th April 1789 in Rode, Somerset. John Cruse and Mary Olive had five daughters, only three of whom seem to have survived to adulthood: Mary Ann, Henrietta and Frances. Elizabeth Olive leaves bequests in her will to her three Cruse nieces. The original will can be found in the Documents Online collection on the National Archives website (reference PROB 11/2018). This transcription is taken from an anonymous typed transcription which was kindly provided by Robert Cruse.
Proved 7th May 1845
Testator: Elizabeth OLIVE, Spinster of Frome Swd
£10 to my faithful servant Phillis HOBBS if living in my service when I die
19 guineas to The Frome Ladies Charitable Society
19 guineas to The Frome Sunday School under the direction of the Clergy of the Established Church
19 guineas to The Frome Infant Schools
19 guineas to The Church Missionary Society
19 guineas to The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts
all my furniture and other articles of domestic use in my house at Weymouth, also all my mourning and family rings to Rev. John OLIVE, Clerk of Hollingly, Sussex
my watch, my pianoforte and all my wearing apparel to my niece Mary Ann CRUSE, but if she dies before me my wearing apparel to be shared equally between her two sisters Henrietta CRUSE and Frances CRUSE
all my remaining trinkets to Frances SIMPSON w/o Rev. George Philip SIMPSON of Brent, Soms
all my books to be divided equally between the said Mary Ann CRUSE, Henrietta CRUSE and Frances CRUSE
the closes of land called Long Paddock and Edge Mead, which is divided into two paddocks, near but not immediately adjoining Long Paddock but adjoining Cuckoo Lane and in the occupation of Mr William STEEDS, and my other acre of land in common with other land in Birchell Lane, late in the occupation of James CLASE and now of Miss CLASE, all in the P[ari]sh of Frome, to the said Rev. John OLIVE
to my Ex[ecut]ors £1,000 consolidated stock in consolidate[d] bank annuities, part of a sum in my name in the Bank of England, on trust:
- to pay the dividends to Frances SIMPSON, and after her death to George Philip SIMPSON and after their death shared equally between any children of Frances SIMPSON as they reach 21 or die under that age having been married .to pay the interest on two of the Frome Turnpike Trust Tickets which I hold and £50 to the said Mary Ann CRUSE and after her death to any surviving husband she might have and for all her children as they reach 21
- a Black Son [?] ticket I hold and £50 on the same trusts in favour of Henrietta CRUSE
- the other ticket and £50 on the same trusts in favour of Frances CRUSE
all the residue of the estate and effects to the said John OLIVE of Beckington, the said Rev. John OLIVE and the said Edmund Crabb OLIVE on trust to invest it and pay the income to William OLIVE, Gentleman of Beckington, and after his death to his wife Mary Ann OLIVE, and after both their deaths to all William OLIVE's children as they reach 21 or die earlier having been married
Ex[ecut]ors may apply for the advancement in the world of any of the children presumptively entitled to the above legacies any sum up to half their presumptive share
Ex[ecut]ors: John OLIVE esq. of Beckington and Edmund Crabb OLIVE esq. of Frome Signed: 11 Aug 1842
Witnesses: William C. CRUTWELL, Sol[icito]r, Frome; Ambrose READ, Clerk to Messrs OLIVE & CRUTTWELL, Sol[icito]rs, Frome
Codicil: revoking the bequest of £ 1.000 stock in consolidated bank annuities to Ex[ecut]ors in trust for her niece Frances SYMPSON w/o George Philip SYMPSON, her husband and children, and bequeathing to her Ex[ecut]ors £800 of this stock on the same trusts
£66 13s 4d of this stock to each of her three nieces, Mary Ann CRUSE. Henrietta Cruse and Frances CRUSE
revoking the bequest of all her trinkets to Frances SYMPSON and giving them to her niece Mary Ann CRUSE
all the bed and table linen in Test[atr]ix's dwelling house to Mary Ann CRUSE
Signed: 13 Mar 1845
Witnesses: Alfred DANIEL, Clerk. Frome; James COLTER [?], Clerk to Mr CRUTWELL. Sol[icito]r, Frome
Proved: 7 May 1845 at Prerogative Court of Canterbury London by John OLIVE and Edmund Crabb OLIVE esquires, nephews and ex[ecut]ors
Proved 7th May 1845
Testator: Elizabeth OLIVE, Spinster of Frome Swd
£10 to my faithful servant Phillis HOBBS if living in my service when I die
19 guineas to The Frome Ladies Charitable Society
19 guineas to The Frome Sunday School under the direction of the Clergy of the Established Church
19 guineas to The Frome Infant Schools
19 guineas to The Church Missionary Society
19 guineas to The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts
all my furniture and other articles of domestic use in my house at Weymouth, also all my mourning and family rings to Rev. John OLIVE, Clerk of Hollingly, Sussex
my watch, my pianoforte and all my wearing apparel to my niece Mary Ann CRUSE, but if she dies before me my wearing apparel to be shared equally between her two sisters Henrietta CRUSE and Frances CRUSE
all my remaining trinkets to Frances SIMPSON w/o Rev. George Philip SIMPSON of Brent, Soms
all my books to be divided equally between the said Mary Ann CRUSE, Henrietta CRUSE and Frances CRUSE
the closes of land called Long Paddock and Edge Mead, which is divided into two paddocks, near but not immediately adjoining Long Paddock but adjoining Cuckoo Lane and in the occupation of Mr William STEEDS, and my other acre of land in common with other land in Birchell Lane, late in the occupation of James CLASE and now of Miss CLASE, all in the P[ari]sh of Frome, to the said Rev. John OLIVE
to my Ex[ecut]ors £1,000 consolidated stock in consolidate[d] bank annuities, part of a sum in my name in the Bank of England, on trust:
- to pay the dividends to Frances SIMPSON, and after her death to George Philip SIMPSON and after their death shared equally between any children of Frances SIMPSON as they reach 21 or die under that age having been married .to pay the interest on two of the Frome Turnpike Trust Tickets which I hold and £50 to the said Mary Ann CRUSE and after her death to any surviving husband she might have and for all her children as they reach 21
- a Black Son [?] ticket I hold and £50 on the same trusts in favour of Henrietta CRUSE
- the other ticket and £50 on the same trusts in favour of Frances CRUSE
all the residue of the estate and effects to the said John OLIVE of Beckington, the said Rev. John OLIVE and the said Edmund Crabb OLIVE on trust to invest it and pay the income to William OLIVE, Gentleman of Beckington, and after his death to his wife Mary Ann OLIVE, and after both their deaths to all William OLIVE's children as they reach 21 or die earlier having been married
Ex[ecut]ors may apply for the advancement in the world of any of the children presumptively entitled to the above legacies any sum up to half their presumptive share
Ex[ecut]ors: John OLIVE esq. of Beckington and Edmund Crabb OLIVE esq. of Frome Signed: 11 Aug 1842
Witnesses: William C. CRUTWELL, Sol[icito]r, Frome; Ambrose READ, Clerk to Messrs OLIVE & CRUTTWELL, Sol[icito]rs, Frome
Codicil: revoking the bequest of £ 1.000 stock in consolidated bank annuities to Ex[ecut]ors in trust for her niece Frances SYMPSON w/o George Philip SYMPSON, her husband and children, and bequeathing to her Ex[ecut]ors £800 of this stock on the same trusts
£66 13s 4d of this stock to each of her three nieces, Mary Ann CRUSE. Henrietta Cruse and Frances CRUSE
revoking the bequest of all her trinkets to Frances SYMPSON and giving them to her niece Mary Ann CRUSE
all the bed and table linen in Test[atr]ix's dwelling house to Mary Ann CRUSE
Signed: 13 Mar 1845
Witnesses: Alfred DANIEL, Clerk. Frome; James COLTER [?], Clerk to Mr CRUTWELL. Sol[icito]r, Frome
Proved: 7 May 1845 at Prerogative Court of Canterbury London by John OLIVE and Edmund Crabb OLIVE esquires, nephews and ex[ecut]ors
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Screws family reunion
The Screws Family Reunion is being held from 2nd to 5th July 2010 in Estes Park, Colorado, USA. The reunion is open to all Screws family members. Estes Park is a mountain village in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Further information about the resort can be found here. Este Park will be holding a big firework display on Sunday 4th July.
If you wish to attend the reunion please contact Lisa Ruh at lisaruh@comcast.net. Anyone wishing to attend will be required to complete a Letter of Interest by 31st May 2009.
If you wish to attend the reunion please contact Lisa Ruh at lisaruh@comcast.net. Anyone wishing to attend will be required to complete a Letter of Interest by 31st May 2009.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Kings Norton Marriage Challenge
Guild member Karen Burnell has kindly found three marriages for me in the Kings Norton Marriage Challenge. The details are provided below with the name of the tree where known. As always, do get in touch if you want a copy of the faux certificate.
- 1885 St Mary, Selly Oak: George Crews, shoemaker, son of George Crews, gardener, and Jane Kolter, widow, daughter of Richard Searle, captain in merchant [..].
- 1890 St Bartholomew, Edgbaston: Harry Cruse, stamper, son of Samuel Cruse, tailor, and Emma Rebecca Lawrence, daughter of Frederick Lawrence, foreman [Kenton tree from Devon].
- 1911 St Paul, Balsall Heath, Kings Norton: Mabel Beatrice Cruwys, daughter of William Cruwys (deceased), butcher and John Frederick Boulton, butcher, son of Francis Boulton, butcher [Wiveliscombe tree from Somerset].
- 1885 St Mary, Selly Oak: George Crews, shoemaker, son of George Crews, gardener, and Jane Kolter, widow, daughter of Richard Searle, captain in merchant [..].
- 1890 St Bartholomew, Edgbaston: Harry Cruse, stamper, son of Samuel Cruse, tailor, and Emma Rebecca Lawrence, daughter of Frederick Lawrence, foreman [Kenton tree from Devon].
- 1911 St Paul, Balsall Heath, Kings Norton: Mabel Beatrice Cruwys, daughter of William Cruwys (deceased), butcher and John Frederick Boulton, butcher, son of Francis Boulton, butcher [Wiveliscombe tree from Somerset].
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Cheltenham, Hailsham and Lexden Marriage Challenges
A bumper crop of marriage certificates has arrived in the last few weeks from fellow Guild members David Mowbray, Peter Copsey and Roger Goacher who have been working hard on marriage challenges for the registration districts of Cheltenham, Hailsham and Lexden. I'd like to thank them for taking the time and trouble to search these registers and find the marriages for me. I've put outline details of the certificates below and the names of the trees where known. I don't yet have all of the names in my database so some of these certificates have opened up new lines of research. As always, further details are available on request.
Cheltenham Registration District
- 1856 St Mary, Cheltenham: Susan Cruse, daughter of Edward Cruse, harness maker, and Richard Griffiths, servant, son of Thomas Griffiths, labourer. [Ashburton tree from Devon].
- 1857 St Mary, Cheltenham: Emily Cruse, daughter of John Cruse, labourer and William Carpenter, gardener, son of William Carpenter, labourer
- 1895 St Luke, Cheltenham: George Crews, labourer, son of Jeremiah Crews, labourer, and Rhoda Woodward, daughter of John Woodward, labourer
- 1896 Saints Peter and James, Leckhampton: Mary Jane Cruse, daughter of John Pester Cruse, and Alfred Merret, grocer, son of Joseph John James Merrett, gardener [Kenton tree from Devon].
Hailsham Registration District, Sussex
- 1868 St Peter and St Paul, Hellingly: William Cruse, widower, miller, son of George Cruse, agriculturalist and Julia Hollamby, daughter of William Hollamby, innkeeper.
Lexden Registration District, Essex
- 1842 St Mary the Virgin, Wivenhoe: John King, mariner, son of William King, mariner and Mary Ann Cruse, daughter of John Cruse, mariner.
Cheltenham Registration District
- 1856 St Mary, Cheltenham: Susan Cruse, daughter of Edward Cruse, harness maker, and Richard Griffiths, servant, son of Thomas Griffiths, labourer. [Ashburton tree from Devon].
- 1857 St Mary, Cheltenham: Emily Cruse, daughter of John Cruse, labourer and William Carpenter, gardener, son of William Carpenter, labourer
- 1895 St Luke, Cheltenham: George Crews, labourer, son of Jeremiah Crews, labourer, and Rhoda Woodward, daughter of John Woodward, labourer
- 1896 Saints Peter and James, Leckhampton: Mary Jane Cruse, daughter of John Pester Cruse, and Alfred Merret, grocer, son of Joseph John James Merrett, gardener [Kenton tree from Devon].
Hailsham Registration District, Sussex
- 1868 St Peter and St Paul, Hellingly: William Cruse, widower, miller, son of George Cruse, agriculturalist and Julia Hollamby, daughter of William Hollamby, innkeeper.
Lexden Registration District, Essex
- 1842 St Mary the Virgin, Wivenhoe: John King, mariner, son of William King, mariner and Mary Ann Cruse, daughter of John Cruse, mariner.
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Cruse of Morebath, Devon
Guild member Barbara Roach has kindly sent me another "faux" marriage certificate for a marriage she found in the Morebath Parish Registers as part of her Tiverton Marriage Challenge. The marriage is between Mary Cruwys, a widow of full age, and James Marsh, a bachelor of full age. Mary was the daughter of Benjamin Wensley, a labourer. James, a labourer, was the son of Richard Marsh, a labourer. They married on 24th March 1840 at the Parish Church in Morebath. I did not previously have any record of Mary in my database so the arrival of the certificate prompted me to do some research to find out who she was. Morebath is one of the many Devon parishes which is not on the IGI. Fortunately the Devon Family History Society have indexed the marriages from 1754-1837, and the baptisms and burials from 1813-1837. With the help of the censuses and the DFHS indexes I have been able to establish the following.
Mary Wensley married Robert Cruse, a labourer, some time before 1832. Somewhat surprisingly there is no record of the marriage in the DFHS marriage index. They have three known children:
- John Cruse, baptised on 24th February 1833 in Morebath
- Marianne Cruse (also known as Mary and Ann), baptised on 31st August 1834 in Morebath
- Robert Cruse, baptised on 10th April 1836 in Morebath
Robert Cruse senior died in the December quarter of 1838, probably in Morebath.
In the 1841 census Mary and her second husband James Marsh can be found living in Exbridge, Morebath. James, 25, is an agricultural labourer. Mary is 30. They have one daughter Mary Marsh, aged one month. Mary's three children from her first marriage, John Cruse, 9, Mary Cruse, 7, and Robert Cruse, 5, are also living in the family home.
In 1851 Mary and James are at the same address in Morebath but now have three more children: Elizabeth [age not visible], Martha, 5, and James, 2. The three Cruse children are all out at work and living away from home. John Cruse, 18, is an agricultural labourer living nearby at Hookley, Morebath. Marianne (listed in the census as Ann Cruise) is a general servant at the Tiverton Hotel in Bampton. Robert, 13, is a farm labourer living in Brushford, Somerset.
Robert Cruse appears in the 1861 census in Bampton. He is working as a farm servant in the household of James Hawkings, a farm bailiff. I can find no record of him after 1861. I can find no further records of John Cruse and Marianne Cruse after 1851.
I've normally found that people make a conscious decision to adopt the Cruwys spelling, but this particular family seems to be the exception to the rule. Mary's name was recorded with the spelling Cruwys when she married for a second time. Her children's baptisms are all registered in the surname Cruse. The surname was spelt Cruse in the 1841 and 1851 censuses.
There are a further five Cruse marriages in the DFHS indexes between 1791 and 1833. In three cases a Cruse married a Wensley. Without access to the Morebath parish registers I am unable to explore these lines further at present. I would however be interested to hear from anyone researching the Cruse or Wensley families in Morebath.
Mary Wensley married Robert Cruse, a labourer, some time before 1832. Somewhat surprisingly there is no record of the marriage in the DFHS marriage index. They have three known children:
- John Cruse, baptised on 24th February 1833 in Morebath
- Marianne Cruse (also known as Mary and Ann), baptised on 31st August 1834 in Morebath
- Robert Cruse, baptised on 10th April 1836 in Morebath
Robert Cruse senior died in the December quarter of 1838, probably in Morebath.
In the 1841 census Mary and her second husband James Marsh can be found living in Exbridge, Morebath. James, 25, is an agricultural labourer. Mary is 30. They have one daughter Mary Marsh, aged one month. Mary's three children from her first marriage, John Cruse, 9, Mary Cruse, 7, and Robert Cruse, 5, are also living in the family home.
In 1851 Mary and James are at the same address in Morebath but now have three more children: Elizabeth [age not visible], Martha, 5, and James, 2. The three Cruse children are all out at work and living away from home. John Cruse, 18, is an agricultural labourer living nearby at Hookley, Morebath. Marianne (listed in the census as Ann Cruise) is a general servant at the Tiverton Hotel in Bampton. Robert, 13, is a farm labourer living in Brushford, Somerset.
Robert Cruse appears in the 1861 census in Bampton. He is working as a farm servant in the household of James Hawkings, a farm bailiff. I can find no record of him after 1861. I can find no further records of John Cruse and Marianne Cruse after 1851.
I've normally found that people make a conscious decision to adopt the Cruwys spelling, but this particular family seems to be the exception to the rule. Mary's name was recorded with the spelling Cruwys when she married for a second time. Her children's baptisms are all registered in the surname Cruse. The surname was spelt Cruse in the 1841 and 1851 censuses.
There are a further five Cruse marriages in the DFHS indexes between 1791 and 1833. In three cases a Cruse married a Wensley. Without access to the Morebath parish registers I am unable to explore these lines further at present. I would however be interested to hear from anyone researching the Cruse or Wensley families in Morebath.