MISSING . . . and FOUND!
THE DAILY MAIL offers readers a unique opportunity to re-establish contact with long-lost relatives and friends. Each week, MONICA PORTER features the story of someone trying to find a missing loved one, as well as a tale of people reunited. This column is produced in conjunction with the voluntary tracing service, Searching For A Memory, run by Gill and John Whitley.
Mike FeNTON, of Withington, Herefordshire, is a passionate (if highly selective) railway historian. He writes: ‘i’ve spent 40 years researching the history of a railway in Wiltshire, the Malmesbury branch.
‘i’ve found old photos of the line going back to around 1900, making good use of the Great Western Railway staff magazine. But i’d like to trace the surviving families of several railwaymen, in the hope they’ll have rare photos from the pre-1900 period. i have staff records for these men from the National Archives at kew.
‘Some names are uncommon — for instance, Theodore ironsides, who was a railway policeman at Chippenham in the 1890s, and Samuel Jefford, who was station master at Dauntsey and Badminton.
‘There must be family albums in existence with photos of these men. i attach an image of the cover of my 1990 book on the branch (i’m working on Volume 2). The cover photo (above) was supplied by the family of Malmesbury station master edgar Doswell, the one in the light-coloured trousers.
‘i would also like to trace the families of Albert Plant, station master at Little Somerford from 1921- 36; Thomas Wood, station master at Bruton c. 1900; evan Harry, engine driver in the Cardiff area in the 1870s and Malmesbury from 1877-1908; Arthur Lloyd, station master at Calne from 1907 to the 1920s; Charles Wellington Broom, station master at Marlborough in 1927; Lonnie Sharman, clerk at Cheddar in 1924; George Godby, gateman at Dauntsey Road Crossing on the Malmesbury branch; and Jack Waite, Dauntsey Station parcel porter.
‘ These locations are in Wiltshire or Somerset, but the families could be anywhere. This is really exciting!’ Aren’t the english wonderful? A FeW months ago, we ran an item about Jean Beatty (nee Houghton), who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the U.S. She was searching for her friend, isobel Moore (nee Fitzpatrick), who lived ‘somewhere in england’.
She and isobel are from the Liverpool area and both were born in August 1929. She told us: ‘ From 1947-48, we were members of the Youth Hostel Association Club in West Derby.
‘We were racing cyclists and members of the Merseyside Wheelers — one of Liverpool’s oldest cycling clubs. We also worked together in the civil service: i was a shorthandtypist and isobel was a clerk.
‘She married Pete Moore in around 1953-54, while i met and married a U.S. soldier, which is why i’m now in Charlotte. (During the Berlin Airlift, the Americans had a base at Burtonwood, just outside Liverpool, where i was living.) isobel and i corresponded for a few years, then lost touch.
‘ i saw your column in November when i was given the Mail by a friend, a flight attendant for U.S. Airways. it would mean a great deal if you could find isobel.’ And so we have! Family researcher David kilby found find an address for isobel in Berkshire, and Jean promptly wrote her a letter, with fingers crossed it was her.
Jean tells us: ‘At last, isobel and i have been in touch! She’s very well although, sadly, her husband, Peter, died last year. We chatted on the phone for 45 minutes. She told me bowls is her favourite pastime.
‘i was lucky to see your column. Just idly thumbing through the Mail gave me the idea to look for my long-lost friend. Thank you so much.’