John Swindale wrote "Jottings on family history" in a red covered notebook in about 1983. The notebook is A4 sized with around 100 pages, many blank
The following transcriptions from the book will be added to progressively (AJS).
Harold
Father's brothers and sisters - to follow
Cousins on Father's side - to follow
Aunt Evelyn - to follow
Betty found amongst Aunt Flo's possessions a box about 12" high, line with (?) lead about 1/2" thick, with a lid but not lockable. Presumably intended as a precaution against fire.
In this box were
1 Copy of baptismal certificate of Jeremiah
Larkins
2 Copy of marriage certificate of Jeremiah
Larkins
3 A Notebook entitled "Births and Deaths"
4 A sheet of paper entitled "J. Larkins,
register of Births 1891"
Copies of these are set out on the following pages
Certificate of Baptism in
the Catholic Cathedral of
St George, Southwark, in the year 1833
Child's name :
Jeremiah Larkins
Born
: 5th May 1833
Baptized : 26th May 1833
Father
: John
Larkins
Mother
: Mary Larkins, formerly Mary Ryan;
Godparents : Jeremiah
McCormic,
Anne Long
By whom baptized : Rev. Y Doyle, D.P
Extracted from the register of baptisms this 1st day
of August 1907
by me
George Oliver York Sacristan (pro tem) 1.8.07
Page 169
1857
Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, London and in the County of Middlesex
No
When married
337
25th October 1857
Name & Surname
Age
Condition
Rank or Profession
(a) Jeremiah Larkins
Full age Bachelor
Bookbinder
(b) Ann Catherine Holmes Minor Spinster
--
Residence at time of marriage Father's name
and surname Rank or profession of
father
Southampton Buildings
John Larkins
Smith
Kings Head Court
George Holmes
Porter
Married in the parish church according to the rites and
eremonies
of the established church after banns by me I.I. Toogood, Rector
This marriage was solemnized between us Jeremiah Larkins,
Ann Catherine Holmes, in the presence of us Edmund Bartons,
the mark X of Mary Ann Davis.
The above is a true extract from the register book of marriages kept in the parish registry. Witness my hand this 25th day of October 1857. I.I. Toogood, Rector
The notebook is rather tattered. Most of the entries are very clearly written. There are a few additions in a different hand, as indicated below. The notebook does not say who compiled it or when.
It is in three parts:
(1) "Births of George Hy. Holmes
Family"
(2) "Deaths of Mr George Holmes Family"
(3) "The family of Mr James Holmes of
Sherborne, Dorset"
Copies of these three parts are set out on the following pages
George Henry Holmes born in London Feb 27th 1833 at ten
minutes to ten in the morning*.
Christened at St Andrews Holborn.
* The entries for the various births give the time as well as
the date, but for brevity I have omitted the time after the
first entry.
Francis [sic] Elizabeth Holmes born in London Aug 27th 1835.
Christened at St. Andrews Holborn
Added in pencil in a different hand:
Married to Tom Butler of [?Finchley]
Aug. 1857 at [?Lambeth Church]. The
words that I have put in square brackets
are not clearly legible and I may have
interpreted them incorrectly.
Ann Catherine Holmes
born in London 4th Dec 1837.
Christened at St. Sepuchures [sic] Snow Hill
Thomas George Holmes born
in London June 9th 1840.
Christened at St. Sepuchures [sic] Snow Hill
Registered at Saulsbury or Salisbury Square, Fleet St. married
to Ely Hawkins
Added in a different and shaky hand:
Mrs. Elizabeth Holmes born in London Sept
19th
1842. wife of Mr George Holmes
Born May the 9 1.8.13 [sic] on a Sunday eve
Alfred James Holmes born in
London Sept 19th 1842.
Christened at St. Sepulchure [sic] Snow Hill. Was not
registered.
Added in pencil in a different hand:
Married Old St. Pancras
Married Emma Price
John William Holmes born in
London March 9th 1845.
Christened at St Dunstans in the West, Fleet St.
Registered at Mr. Hutchinsons Farringdon St.
Mary Eliza Holmes born in
London April 11th 1847.
Christened at St Dunstans in the West, Fleet St.
Registered at Mr Hutchinson, Farringdon St.
Added in pencil in a different hand:
Married Geo Ernest Seymour at Trinity
Church, Marylebone
Walter Edward Holmes born
in London July 11th 1850.
Christened at St. Ann's Blackfriars.
Registered at Mr Harding's, St Andrews Hill
Added in pencil in a different hand:
Married Elizabeth [Brenner]
The name in square brackets is not
clearly legible and I may have
interpreted it incorrectly
Charles Peter Holmes born
in London June 25th 1852
Registered at Mr Holmes, Dorrington St., Leather Lane
Christened at St. Dunstans, Fleet St.
Added in pencil in a different hand:
Married to Emma Vaughan of Holborn
at St. Andrews Church
Arthur Albert Holmes born
in London May 15th 1854
Christened at St. Mary's Lambeth Church.
Registered at Mr Shaws, Kennington Green
Frederick Robert Holmes
born in London April 23rd 1856
Christened at St. Andrews.
Registered at Mr Coles, Fleet St.
Frank Joseph Holmes born in
London Dec 24th 1857
Christened at St. Andrews, Holborn
Registered at Mr Coke [sic], Fleet St.
The following two entries in this part of the notebook are in a different hand, rather shaky ; perhaps by the same hand as the note on Mrs Elizabeth Holmes - see Thomas George Holmes (two pages previously in this book)
Frank Joseph Holmes inlisted [sic] 1877
June 18 or 19 in the name of Charles
Davis in J/2. 60th Royal Rifles No. 16.91
Privat [sic] at Winchester, Hants.
Frank Joseph Holmes married November
the 7 1886 at Leythenstone [sic]
Church, Leythenstone to Anne
Logsdale [?], Spinster.
Mr George Henry Holmes died 2nd June 1866
age 52 years and 10 months. Buried at Ilford
Cemetery. No of Grave 18799
George Henry Holmes son of the above died
April 3rd 1835 age 2 years 1 month and 3 days
Arthur Albert Holmes died June 21st 1855
Buried at St. Andrews, Holborn Hill
Frederick Robert Holmes died June 18th 1856
Buried at St Andrews, Grays Inn Road
Mary Ann Davis sister to George Henry Holmes
died Dec 26th 1866. Buried at Ilford
(age 43 years and 6 months)
Martha James sister to the above died
[No further details given]
Catherine Sarah Crowther
[Added in a different and shaking hand
Died May 11th 1870 aged 50 years
Buried at Brompton Cemetery
John James died
[no further details given]
Mr James Holmes born Sherborne, Dorset about 1795.
Died Feb 4th 1834
Ann Holmes wife of the above born Sherborne, Dorset, about
1795.
Died Aug 30th 1837
Francis [sic] Staples, sister of the above James Holmes, born
Sherborne, Dorset about 1790.
Died May 17th 1841
James Holmes family :
George Henry
Holmes born at Sherborne, Dorset, July 30th 1813
William Holmes born Sherborne, Dorset, Feb 6th 1817
James Holmes born Sherborn, Dorset, Sep 29th 1814
Francis Holmes born Sherborne, Dorset, Apl 22nd 1819
Thomas Holmes born Sherborne, Dorset, Apl 2nd 1821
Mary Ann Holmes born in London July 29th 1823
Martha Holmes born in London Apl 2nd 1826
Married John James
John Davis father of EH wife of GHH
died March 5th 1849 in the 7oth year of his age
Mary Ann Holmes married to John Davis
Oct 4th 1846 at Christ Church, Blackfriars
Ann Catherine Holmes married to Jeremiah Larkins
Oct 25th 1857 at St Andrews Church Holborn
| Name | Where born | Date of birth |
| Jeremiah Larkins | Lambeth | 21st May 1834 2 |
| Ann Catherine Larkins | Holborn 3 | 4th Dec 1837 |
| John Larkins | St Pancras | 13th June 1858 |
| George Francis Larkins | Clerkenwell | 25th July 1860 |
| Elizabeth Ann Larkins | Clerkenwell | 28th May 1862 |
| Thomas David Larkins | St Pancras | 9th June 1864 |
| Mary Frances Larkins | St Pancras | 11th July 1866 |
| Charles Daniel Larkins | Battersea | 30th Nov 1868 |
| Kate Eliza Larkins | Battersea | 4th Dec 1870 |
| One stilborn 4 | 18th Dec 1872 | |
| Walter Jeremiah Larkins | Clerkenwell | 23rd Feb 1874 |
| Ann Florence Larkins | Holborn Viaduct | 21st Jan 1877 |
| Mabel Minnie Larkins | Camberwell | 16th Sep 1881 5 |
Pencil written notes by JAS
1 Presumably written by Jeremiah
2 The date of Jeremiah's birth is given on the
baptismal
certificate however as 5th May 1843
3 Grannie was born near Johnsons Court,
Holborn (Betty says)
4 Twins were
stillborn, Betty says
5 But Mother herself gave the date as 16th Sep
1880 [FreeBMD gives Q4 1880)
Notes written by JAS (John Alexander Swindale)
Jeremiah Larkins ("Grandpa)
"Was born in South London on 5th May 1833, the son of John Larkins and Mary (née Ryan). He was baptised at the Catholic Cathedral of St George, Southwark, on 26th May 1833.
John Larkins was a smith.
Jeremiah married on 25th October 1857 at St Andrew's Church Holborn, Ann Catherine Holmes, daughter of George Holmes, a porter. At the time of the marriage Jeremiah was living at Southampton Buildings and his bride was living at Kings Head Court.
Jeremiah was a bookbinder. At one time he lived at 246 Walworth Road - "over the shop", Betty thinks. The business was next door to Mattocks the scalemakers.
Betty has two large volumes, one (or both?) bound by Jeremiah Larkins in 1904, containing various cut-out pictures, e.g. of Cambridge scenes - presumably from the time when Mother was at Homerton - a number of postcards from several people including mother ; one from Canada ("the best hotel in Toronto") ; and various photgraphs.
Betty also has a very pleasant photo of Grannie aged perhaps about 60 ; and two large photosw, heavily touched up, one of Granny aged about 40 and one of Grandpa with a fine square head and white hair.
There was, Betty says, a famous family tale of how on an occasion when Grannie took the family to Yarmouth, Grandpa came to visit them wearing, much to Grannie's annoyance - an old hat green with age.
(I have an obscure note that "when grandpa died, mother and father (i.e. Uncle Tearoe and Aunt Flo) moved to Finchley Road SE17". This seems to be garbled.)
Tom Butler married Francis[?] Elizabeth Holmes in Aug. 1857. (Grannie's sister "Fanny"). They went to Australia.
Betty says he was an experienced teacher who was sent out by the Government to Melbourne, Australia. She has a poem, carefully written in a florid style of moral uplift, called "Teacher, yoil on", dated at Cowes Sep 25th 1891.
Had two sons (and perhaps a daughter):
Dick, who had his own building business, and Frank.
Dick and Frank came to the UK in the 1914-18 war. At the house in London Frank met Elaine Holmes, his cousin. She was the only daughter of Walter Holmes, Grannie's brother. Frank married Elaine. They had one son, Philip Neville, who was killed in the R.A.A.F. in the 1939-45 War.
Elaine survived Frank and died about 1964
Betty corresponded wth Dick's daughter for years.
John Larkins born at St Pancras 13th June 1858.
The eldest son ; did not marry ; lived with his parents. He died
aged 31 in hospital after getting something in the tear duct of
the eye
George Francis Larkins born at Clerkenwell 25th July 1860
Died of cancer.
"Uncle George" married Clara. They had a son (also GEorge) - a nervous lad - he went to the war and was killed at the age of 18.
They lived at Camberwell, and during the second world war refused to move despite the bombing. Clara helped people by going to nurse them if they were ill. She survived for a good many years after her husband's death. Went to live with Madge and Ella towards the end of her life, and died in the Isle of Wight. Is buried in Shalford churchyard.
Elizabeth Ann Larkins born at
Clerkenwell 28th May 1862.
? Died of pneumonia.
The eldest and the youngest sons were killed in the 14-18 war.
"Auntie Lizzie" married first
Isaacs.
Walter Isaacs was Auntie Lizzie's second son.
His first wife died. He married again, and lived for a time
with us at 2 Morna Road.
Auntie Lizzie married secondly Jack Jasper. (Betty has photos
showing him as a well set up man with a fine moustache.) Jack
Jasper and Lizzie lived in a big house in Lewisham. Jack Jasper
ad a daughter Alice by his first wife. In addition to their
respective children by their first marriages, Jack and Lizzie
had two children by their (second) marriage, Mabel and Arthur".
"Little Lizzie" was the daughter of Auntie Lizzie, Mother's
eldest sister. Lizzie ("little Lizzie") and Walter were twins,
the youngest of the family. Walter died in the 14-18 War.
"Little Lizzie" and Dolly lived at Catford. Boys (? Lizzie's) went to
Brownhill Rd. School. Little Lizzie died about age 60, perhaps
suicide, about 1970. Her husband may be still alive (1977).
Nancy and Dolly died.
Thomas David Larkins ("Uncle
Tom") born at St Pancras 9th June 1864. Married Lizzie, lived on
Denmark Hill, lived to over 70. Had 4 sons, one of whom was a
senior police officer (? in Kent).
His son - our cousin Tom - went to work in India, installing
electricity in princely palaces. Came back after 3 years. Cousin
Tom had a son Desmond.
[Possibly Uncle Tom also had a son Reggie who was killed in the
1914-1918 war, but my notes are obscure on this]
Mary
Frances Larkins, born St Pancras 11th July 1866.
Aunt Fanny". Went out to work at needlework. Married Fred Bryan.
They lived first at Seven Kings. Uncle Fred worked for
Broadwoods (pianos).
Ella is 88 (Dec' 82) ; has to wear a collar for spinal trouble at back of neck, and is suffering from gout in her fingers - they are split down to the bone and have to be bandaged permanently. (Information from Betty, Jan '83).
Charles Daniel Larkins, born Battersea 30th November
1868
"Uncle Charlie". Lived off Walworth Road.
Died of cancer.
Married Elizabeth ("Lizzie"). They brought up "Little Lizzie",
who was their niece. She thought they were her mother and father
(and called them that) until she took a post office job at age
16 and found that they were in fact aunt and uncle. However they
had been kind to her and she stayed with them.
(They had no children of their own; they brought up "Little
Lizzie" because Lizzie's mother's husband died when Lizzie was
six weeks old).
Kate Eliza Larkins,
born Battersea 4th Dec 1870
"Auntie Kitty" (Died of heart trouble)
Auntie Fanny had a friend Lottie who was a Londoner but met a Suffolk farmer Jim Chapman and married him. They lived near Gislingham. {Betty remembers the "echo arch"under the railway at Gislingham. The Chapman farm was thereabouts. The village post office and store at Gislingham was run by a very friendly couple, Mr & Mrs Kerry The album in Betty's possession has three pictures of this store. One has the name KERRY plainly visible over the shop. Margaret thinks the name of Lottie's house was Little Swaffam Hall, somewhere not far from from Thornham. Lottie was the best turkey breeder in the area. She lived to a great age and became somewhat eccentric. (Always wore a hat. Much concerned about the 'evil eye' in the dairy. Wouldn't accept summer time)}
Auntie Kitty went to stay for a time with Lottie, and met
Robert Wightman (Uncle Bob), a widower with two children.
Auntie Kitty's two stepchildren were:
(1) The older was a daughter, Florrie.
Bettie thinks Florrie didn't get on with Auntie Kitty, and
perhaps for that reason came to London to live with relations of
her mother called Mulliner. The Mulliners had a shop (plumber
and decorator) in Wandsworth. Betty has a photo of the
shopfront. Florrie died about six months before cousin Bob.
(2) The younger was a son, Victor. He was
killed in the 1914-18 war aged 19.
Auntie Kitty lived first at LaundryLane, Thornham Magna and
later (after Uncle Bob's death) at Park Villa, Thornham Parva.
Auntie Kitty's son Bob (Robert Wightman, same name as his father) married Bessie. Went to live at Redgrave. Worked on the estimating side of a largish building firm (Aves) run by an elderly man in Redgrave.
Two sons:
(1) Arthur Bob, married to Elizabeth
('Liz') [who works in a bank (1983)]
They haqve two daughters
Joanne about 11 years old in Aug 1979
Sharon "
9 "
" " "
"
Was an Inspector of Building for Cambs C.C. and lived at
Stapleford at one time. Moved job to Norwich
about 1977. Lives at Moneypot Hill.
(2) Richard, married to Maureen. Lives at
Roydon (near Diss)
They have two sons
Jason about 5 years old in Aug 1979
Simon "
3 "
" " "
"
Works at Aves in Redgrave as a craftsman carpenter. (But Jan 82
Bessie told Margaret Richard is to be made redundant ; however
he hopes he will soon get another job)
After Bob's death, the house was extended so that Arthur Bob
and family could live in the larger part and Bessie in the
extension.
The address Moneypot Hill, Redgrave, Diss, Norfolk
Botesdale 496 (037 989 496) Now Diss
(0379) 898794 (Aug 1983)
Bob's funeral was on Monday 15 Sep 1975. Had had a thrombosis the previous Tuesday (9th Sep). At the time of his death he had just passed his 65th birthday the week before. He had intended to go on working for 2 years more before retiring ; the job did not carry a pension.
Note added after our visit on 30 August 1983 :
Bessie told Margaret during our visit in August 1983 that she had lived at Moneypot Hill for 35 years. She said her mother and father were (?born ?living at one time) at Ixworth.
Bob built the house on Moneypot Hill on the foundations of a well-constructed old cow-shed, which his employer let him have at a reasonable price. This was after their previous (wooden) house at (? Botesdale) - we're not sure where it was, but not at Thornham or Redgrave, had burned down. Arthur Bob was a baby at the time of the fire. He must now be about 40 or 41 (1983) - he was about 3 when Mother and Margaret spent a holiday (from Peterborough) with Aunt Kitty in a period which included VJ day. Richard must be about 37 (he was 2 when they went to Moneypot Hill) Joanne, who served us tea on our visit on 30 August 1983, and Sharon are at secondary school (500) which has no VI form and if they go on to VI form they must go to Framlingham or Stowmarket, or Diss (but that is in the Norfolk l.e.a.) Her present ambition is to be a nurse. Bessie had just attended her first meeting as a committe member of the local (Redgrave) over-60s group
Walter Jeremiah Larkins
born Clerkenwell 23rd Feb 1874
"Uncle Walter". Married Ada. Two children Walter and Doris.
They lived at Sydenham. One address was Peak Hill, another
Kinver Road North. I have a recollection that Mother said Ada
liked to move quite often.
Their daughter Doris was three years older than Betty, but Betty
has had no news of Doris for 20 years (This was in 1980). So far
as is known the children Walter and Doris are still alive.
Uncle Walter was a talented sketcher. (Betty has several
pictures and cartoons drawn by him.) He worked in newspaper
advertising.
Their son Walter also married an Ada, and they lived with us for
a time at 2 Morna Rd. They had a son Jimmy and two other sons.
Ann Florence Larkins, born
Holburn Viaduct, 21st Jan 1877 died Feb 1961 ("19 years ago this
week" - Betty said on 5 Feb 1980.
"Auntie Flo"
Married "Uncle Tearoe"
His full name, which he disliked revealing, was Hoddesdon Abraham Tearoe Belsey.
The name Hoddesdon was given to him because his parents happened to be in Hoddesdon (NE of London) when he was born.
Tearoe's father was a manufacturer of glass letters - the sort that were stuck on shop windows. He lived and worked near Kennington Oval.
Tearoe was in the RAMC for a year or two about 1917-18. Betty has a photo of him and four or five friends in uniform, taken at Oswestry. One of these friends was a Mr Douglas who kept in touch after they were demobilised, and cameto see them [at Harmsworthy St?] from time to time.
Betty was in hospital with scarlet fever [? when Tearoe was demobbed - but perhaps not at that particular time]
Tearoe was in the choir of Christ Church, Newgate St., for 25 years
or more. He was also choirmaster of St
Paul's, Lorrimer Square, and managed to do both.
(His full-time job was in insurance.)
He went to the City for the Christ Church services by bus, and sometimes travelled with Stanley Marchant, later Sir Stanley, who happened to live on the same bus route. Some of the choristers wre in a special choir [? for St Paul's Cathedral]
Christ Church, Newgate St., was the church of Christ's Hospital, the Bluecoat School, which was founded in the old Franciscan Convent which stood there. It was destroyed by enemy bombing in 1941 and is now totally demolished. Betty has several pictures of Christ Church, and a Christmas Card from the Vicar during the period when Tearoe was in the choir.