Tom Rutherford Cruwys now commemorated by CWGC

I wrote back in January 2009 about Tom Rutherford Cruwys who served with the British Military Forces in Mesopotamia in World War I and sadly died of malaria on 28th September 1918 at Krasnovodsk in Russia (now Turkmenistan). I also published the surviving letters that Tom wrote to his mother during his time in Russia. I was puzzled at the time by Tom's absence from the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, but wasn't aware that there was any way to pursue the matter with the CWGC. I subsequently learnt about the In from the Cold Project which was set up to research and identify all the service men and women missing from the official CWGC list of casualties from the First and Second World Wars. I wrote to Terry Denham from the In from the Cold Project back in February 2011 and he kindly agreed to look into Tom's case and submit the details to the CWGC. He did warn me that it might take up to a year and there was no guarantee of success. Terry has now advised me that Tom has been accepted for commemoration by the Ministry of Defence, and his name was added to the CWGC register yesterday. Tom's name will eventually be added to the Haidar Pasha Memorial in Turkey which is a memorial for those missing in southern Russia and the Caucasus. I am delighted that Tom is now finally getting official recognition for his sacrifice, and I would like to thank the In from the Cold Project for their help with Tom's case and all the wonderful work they do to ensure that all those who sacrificed their lives in both World Wars receive an official commemoration.

© Debbie Kennett 2012

Crews and Crew distribution in the USA

Howard Mathieson, one of my colleagues from the Guild of One-Name Studies in Canada, has a special interest in surname mapping and has much useful information on his Geogenealogy website. Howard has recently been working on some mapping tools for the US and has very kindly sent me the map shown below showing the distribution of the surnames Crew and Crews in the USA (click on the map to enlarge it). The main focus of my research in the USA to date has been on the surnames Cruse and Crews, and I have not had time to investigate the surname Crew. In some of the earliest records in Virginia the name Crew seems to have been more prevalent and it would appear that the names Crews and Cruse evolved from Crew in the US. Howard's maps show that the names Crew and Crews overlap to some extent in the south-eastern states but there are some unique clusters of the Crew surname in the north and north-east. The south and westward spread of the surname Crews from its US origin in Virginia can clearly be seen.

© Debbie Kennett 2012.  Map ©Howard Mathieson 2012.

Lymington and Steyning Marriage Challenges

I have details of a number of marriages courtesy of two recent Guild marriage challenges. Colin Ulph undertook a search of the marriage registers in the Steyning Registration District in Sussex and was able to find two of the six marriages I requested. Jennifer Eagle searched the registers in the Lymington Registration District in Hampshire and located five of the six marriages I requested. I have put outline details of all the marriages below. If  you are interested in any of these marriages do get in touch and I will supply the full certificate details. Many thanks to Colin and Jennifer for all their hard work.

Lymington Marriage Challenge

- 1862 St Thomas, Lymington: Samuel Richard Cruise (occupation illegible), son of Richard Cruise, blacksmith, and Hannah Elizabeth Roberts, daughter of John Roberts, mariner

- 1888 St Thomas, Lymington: Samuel Henry Cruise, boat builder, son of Samuel Richard Cruise, mariner, and Annie Maria Elford, daughter of John Elford, painter

- 1897 St Thomas, Lymington: Ada Florence Cruise, daughter of Samuel Cruise, sailor, and Frederick Earnest Moth, plumber, son of Jonas Moth, sail maker

- 1898 St Thomas, Lymington: Bessie Maude Cruise, daughter of Samuel Richard Cruise, mariner, and Robert Godwin, groom, son of Thomas Godwin (deceased), baker

- 1907 St Thomas, Lymington: Minnie Hettie Cruse, daughter of Samuel Richard Cruse, mariner, and Sidney Lance Collins, painter, son of William Alexander Collins (deceased)

Steyning Marriage Challenge
- 1892 St Mary de Haura Parish Church, New Shoreham, Sussex: Clara Charity Cruse, daughter of Richard Cruse, gardener, and Louis Henry Everest, publican, son of John Everest, postman. (Chailey tree)
-1899 St Patrick's Church, Hove, Sussex: Arthur Edward Crews, stock jobber, son of Charles Thomas Daniel Crews, stockbroker, and Maud Helen Stewart, daughter of William Edward Stewart, physician.

© Debbie Kennett 2011

Kindle edition of DNA and Social Networking

The Kindle edition of my book DNA and Social Networking: A Guide to Genealogy in the Twenty-First Century is now available on the Amazon website and can be ordered from this link.