Message for all re Staddon Family originating from Bovey Tracey
Dear Barry, (Kelly and Les)
It was fabulous finding your messages on this site. My father was the first person in my family to trace our ancestors and he found Richard Staddon and even obtained a copy of his police records. He also gave me a picture of him in his uniform. Unfortunately he was attempting his research years ago when my children were young and research meant travelling around. It wasn't I was disinterested (as I have now become totally hooked) but the internet has given me such a lot of information and the ability to liaise with other people like yourselves is incredible.
I was stunned when I received your messages Barry as you will not believe this but my late parents lived in Edgware and had done since 1925, my brother used to work at Barnet tube station and and my mother actually died in Barnet Hospital in 1999. It is a small world.
Where do I start? Yes I have many certs and some photos of the events I have discovered. And I do now travel to see places e.g Bovey Tracey church and a photo of William Staddon's gravestone(Richard Staddon's brother born 1820).
Richard Staddon had a very full life, starting out as a shoe maker and going on to join the 7th fusilliers and fight in the Crimean war. He was listed as a casualty and was nursed by Florence Nightingale and discharged. He went on to join the police force in Hampshire( records available) and most of his children with the exception of the first James Rawlinson Staddon (born in Devon) were born in Hampshire. He married Betsy Hamblin in Southampton (which is incidently where I live!!) and just recently an aunt gave me a copy of a photo of them both around the time of their wedding 1862. My contact (a gentleman called Bill) on another web sitehad a photo of Betsy's parents John and Sarah Hamblin in Goodworth Clatford around 1860. Betsy died in 1895 and Richard went on to marry again in 1898 a lady called Maud Alice Bartlett, 40 years his junior, and have another 6 children! He died in 1912.
I had traced James Rawlinson Staddon and discovered he had been married twice and I have a pictue of him in his army uniform on a card his 2nd wife Mary sent to my great grandmother his sister Mary Bowden Andrews nee Staddon. He eventually emigrated to Canada and Kelly's message was really incredible because it puts a human element into facts. And the Morman book of Remembrence must be a really valuable and priceless item to have. If you have any photos Kelly you could share I would be really grateful.
Frederick William Staddon their brother was also in the army and I have a photo of him.
John Hamblin Staddon and his wife Louisa nee Kite I had traced to 1901 census in Paddington and your grandfather Charles Richard Staddon is present. Since reading your first message I have found John's War Memorial gravestone (and have a picture I obtained through the The British Was Memorial Project) from 1919.
Sorry I have gone on and on but I am so excited there is so much to share. Please let me know what details I could share with you and how to contact you.
Best wishes all the Staddon family
Chris