Schmoose Page 2024

Lorraine Ellis (previously Wilkins) –Guernsey, Channel Islands 28/06/2024
I live on Guernsey Channel Islands. My Great Great Grandfather came to Guernsey from Wrington I believe he learnt his trade as a Sadler. He continued his trade in Guernsey and was very successful. He ended buying 11 properties. He also joined up when 1st world war broke out. He lied about his age because he was a few years older than the age the army allowed. I wondered if there were still families living in Wrington with the name Wilkins. My husband is researching the census to see if he can find any information. My Husband and I are coming to Taunton in August to see Quo. So we thought we would stay an extra day and visit Wrington, To see if we can see where he might have lived but generally to see the place he spent the years before leaving. We have no idea why he would leave to come all the way to Guernsey. He married a Guernsey Girl and they had 4 Children. So I wondered if there were still people who would have been related to the Wilkins family still living in Wrington or anyone who might have known about them. My married name is Lorraine Ellis previously (Wilkins). Thank you in advance for reading my message and it would be great to hear if there is information available. Kind regards Lorraine”

Kaz Dyer – Benadè 02/07/2024

Chris Wilkins used to live in Lawrence Road no 10 I believe with his wife Edna ,I have tagged their Grandaughter Dawn Harvey in this post ,she may know .

Dawn Harvey

Kaz Dyer – Benadè I would be happy to help this lady if I can . My Grandfather was Chris Wilkins . His brothers were Clifford and Henry Wilkins . His mother whom I knew as Granny Upstairs was Amelia and his father was Charles .

Dawn Harvey –

 “Joycelyn Lewis of course. My grandfather was Christopher William Wilkins married to Edna Millard. His brothers were Clifford Wilkins ( not sure if he had a middle name )and Henry Wilkins again not sure if uncle Henry had a middle name . My mother Jennie was the only survivor child of Chris and Edna having an older brother Maurice who died in infancy . Henry’s children were Donald Wilkins and Joan who married and became Joan Daniels . Donald Wilkins married Jenny and their children are Tim Wilkins , Caroline Wilkins and Sarita Sharpe . Joan married and her children are Steven Daniels ( could be Steven with a ph ) and Denise . I don’t know Denise middle name but I do know they lived in Lawrence road at possible 19 . I believe Denise like me also had a son called Christopher.”

Mike Clements 02/07/2024

Brother Marshall has given details to Henry’s granddaughter Caroline who lives in Weston but Dads recollections are as follows…….

Henry’s Mum and Dad lived at Cowslip Green and his first job was working at LyeHole Farm (before Alvises). His first job was cutting chaff for the horses but when delivering Sydney Allen the bakeŕ in the Triangle pursuaded the farmer that Henry was too small to be a farm hand and should work with him in the bakery.

He remained in the triangle bakery when it changes to Hides and then Wickes who moved the bakery to Bristol. Henry always wore a typical brown coat/smock and flat cap. He had a long stick with a nail on it to reach the loafs on thr top shelves. He lost the top off his fingers and thumb in a slicer. After he retired he helped Dad on the milkround well into his 80s. With his hand and his age….he couldnt carry many pints so dad made a long hook and he dragged a full crate of 20 pints up the road. It made quite a racket at 6.00am in the morning. In these less tolerant times….Im not sure if you would get away with it today. For years Henry would do a second round in the afternoon along Long Lane, Redhill etc and would then chop wood for Mrs Morris. One day his son Don who was a man of few words turned up at the farm to tell Dad ‘Henry will not be working today’ Dad was shocked as Henry had never missed a day. Is he ok he enquired? ‘No …he’s dead!’ By all accounts….his wife was fed up of him snoring…..she rolled him over and it stopped….but in the morning he was gone.

If your relative was a sadler…..he would have worked for Nippers whose shop was at the top of Broad street and was later Maplins shop.

Barb Snelling 28/06/2024

Tim Wilkins lives off mendip road in Yatton he is on f/b I believe.

Dawn Harvey 28/06/2024

Henry Wilkins grandson Tim Wilkins is my second cousin our grandfathers being brothers

Dawn Harvey 28/06/2021

Joycelyn Lewis of course. My grandfather was Christopher William Wilkins married to Edna Millard. His brothers were Clifford Wilkins ( not sure if he had a middle name )and Henry Wilkins again not sure if uncle Henry had a middle name . My mother Jennie was the only survivor child of Chris and Edna having an older brother Maurice who died in infancy . Henry’s children were Donald Wilkins and Joan who married and became Joan Daniels . Donald Wilkins married Jenny and their children are Tim Wilkins , Caroline Wilkins and Sarita Sharpe . Joan married and her children are Steven Daniels ( could be Steven with a ph ) and Denise . I don’t know Denise middle name but I do know they lived in Lawrence road at possible 19 . I believe Denise like me also had a son called Christopher.

Thanks for that Dawn, I knew all except Uncle Henry’s siblings. I lived at 20 Lawrence Road next door to Aunty Joan and family. You are right Denise does have a son named Christopher. As a family we were very close to Uncle Henry and Aunty Phyl (she was the younger sister of our Nan who passed away when Mum (Lillian Edwards) was 9) so they were both the elders in the family. I remember your Mum Jennie Wilkins.  I took a look at BMD yesterday and I think Uncle Henry may have been either Charles Henry or Henry Charles but once again he was always just lovely Uncle Henry to us. We have such lovely memories of them both.  I do hope Lorraine finds her family tree and how it is connected to ours. I would love to know how the story ends……

Sarah Avery 28/06/2024

I’m wondering if I was taught (aged about 4!) by a miss Georgina Wilkins who lived below Yeomans? I may be mistaken…

Tim Bird 29/06/2024

My first job was gardening for one of the Miss Wilkins at Brook House. Lower Langford. There were three sisters originally who all wore different coloured outfits . Green , grey etc and attended different churches. The last unmarried sister lived opposite us in Brook House. Expect they were from the same family and happy to impart all my memories of the last sister who I remember well!

Carolyn Bacon

Tim Bird I remember Miss Wilkins at Wrington church, she looked after the Sunday school always wore Green tweed skirt and jacket.

Joycelyn Lewis

Top contributor

My Great Uncle Henry was a Wilkins, lived in no 2 Little Cottages, Station Road, Wrington with his wife Phyllis. There were a number of Wilkins living in the village, Granny Wilkins I recall from when I was small but I haven’t researched that side of my family as Great Aunt Phyl was blood related to me and so I researched that side of my family. Their son Don and daughter in law, Jen have passed but their two children are still alive, I do know there is a family bible in which all births and deaths were recorded. I remember seeing this after Uncle Henry’s funeral when it was passed on to Don. I’m sure someone in the village knows Tim or his sister and could pass on this message? If Lorraine can get some family names from the internet, really easy at times, then the church records should be really helpful to her, especially as some family members are buried in the church graveyard. Uncle Henry and Aunt Phyl are buried to the right of the war memorial when looking towards the church. Don and Jen a little behind. No stones unfortunately but their plots will be recorded by the church. I had never heard of a relation having moved to Guernsey. Good Luck to Lorraine and I know she will enjoy her visit to Wrington. 

Well thank you everyone for all that information.
Of course it is all information I haven’t heard of before. My husband enjoys making up family trees so he is putting together as much as he can find out from this end. So all your information is so useful the name Henry was used a lot. My great grandfather was Henry Frederick. his son my grandfather was Frederick Charles. and my dad was named Henry Frederick. He was born 1815. Besides my dad there were triplet Two girls and a boy. They were the first ever triplets to be born in the Channel Islands and to survive, they lived into their 80s and made the Guinness book of records. When they were born my Gran and grandfather had a message from the king. Congratulating them.the year 1917. As I mentioned on my original message my grandfather worked as a Sadler. He started his own business. So we think he must have learnt his trade in Wrington. We are in Taunton to see Quo Friday 23rd August. And spending the Saturday in Wrington. As I have always wanted to see the village. So looking forward that. Thank you for all your information. We are going to see with the help of the census if we can match up some of the information you have passed on. I will let you know what we discover. Thanks again everyone x
Lorraine Ellis nee Wilkins.