The Past Revealed

Ancestor Of The Month Blog

Each month one of my ancestors will feature here, with a brief story about their life.
March 2025

Margaret Stanbridge 1872 – 1937

My great-great-grandmother Margaret was the middle child of five born to Philip and Mary Stanbridge. Born in Slapton, Buckinghamshire, she remained there until her mid-twenties where she worked as a straw plaiter. Her first child, my great-grandmother Hilda, was born out of wedlock in December 1900. In April the following year Margaret married Hilda's father Alfred Blundell; they went on to have a further four children together. After a brief spell living in Watford they returned to Buckinghamshire where they remained until her death in Bletchley aged 65.
Margaret Stanbridge
February 2025

John Brindley 1797 – 1878

My fifth great-grandfather John was the eldest child of William Brindley and Martha Alcock. Born in Cauldon, Staffordshire, he then briefly moved to Cheadle to marry Anne Farnell in 1817. Their first child Mary was born there in 1818 but by the time their second child Emma was born in 1820 they were back residing in Cauldon. They went on to have a further eight children in the village. John had a dangerous job as a limestone quarryman at Cauldon Quarry. It appears he was lucky enough to escape injury however, living to the age of 81 before dying of bronchitis. He died in Grin, Derbyshire where he was living with his son after being widowed. John was buried in his beloved Cauldon alongside his wife.
Extract from John Brindley's death certificate
January 2025

William Read 1781 – 1847

My fourth great-grandfather William was the eldest of six children born to John and Susannah in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset. Looking purely at records such as parish registers and civil registration hint at a rather normal life for William. He remained in Sutton Poyntz working as an agricultural labourer and married Mary Croad in 1816 at the age of 35.  They had eight children together. A retrospective newspaper article from 1934 about his grandson gives a different insight into William's life. The article explains that William was a prisoner of war in France for 21 years. For him to marry at 35 in England this would mean he left to fight in France when he was 14 at the oldest so the truth is probably that he was indeed a POW but for a shorter time than the story that was passed down. Nevertheless, this shows how records outside of the usual registers should be consulted. He died aged 66 after breaking his neck in a fall.
Extract from William Read's death certificate