Thursday, May 03, 2007
3rd May. Family in Lingfield. Library and Church/
Today we have been to Lingfield to find some relations. It would have been Uncle Bill Brand's 87th birthday.
Lingfield has been home to many branches of Bill's family.
We hoped to find details of William and Phyllis Brand on the micro fiches stored in Lingfield library.
This couple are Bill's great great grandparents and are extremely elusive. I can find no evidence of their marriage - well, perhaps there never was a marriage! I need that evidence to find Phyllis's maiden name. William died before 1861 I assume, for he disappears from census records. Poor Phyllis lived on with George, her son, as a pauper with ideas above her station for her name became Philadelphia on later census forms.
I can find no records of any brothers or sisters for George.
Today's search gave me nothing - except reminded me that as Phyllis was born in Edenbridge, just over the county in Kent there may be details of a marriage there; though these have not be transferred to any internet searches I have made.
I did, however add a few names to the Godfreys - this being the maiden name of Bill's Monk grandmother.
The Godfreys and the Brands lived a few doors from each other nearly a century before the 2 families were joined together by the marriages of Bill's parents and Uncle Bill and Aunty Pink.
We may have found very little of use - but we did enjoy being in the library again.
This medieval building was left by a rich benefactor to be used for the good of the village.
This was taken from the balcony in the library
These fine medieval tapestries hang on the walls.
After an hour and half in the library we enjoyed a short walk round the centre of old Lingfield.
This lovely old brickwork and beams were to be seen on a house close to the library.
We love to find little details - and this carved angel by the church door was very pleasing.
Church tower through the wisteria.
In the church yard, looking towards old cottages.
Church Gate Cottage
Details on the door of Church Gate Cottage.
Graves, with the huge old Vicarage beyond.
The only significant name on graves we have seen is Stenning. It was an Ann Stenning who married George Brand (great grandfather) - and who died in 1925 and is buried in the cemetery in Crawley.
But The Stenning graves we saw in Lingfield were of big family vaults - and I presume were from the wealthy branch of the family - not Bill's great grandmother's family.
A quiet corner near the church.
