Genealogy Chat

My Aunt died in the year 2000 at Hucclecote , Gloucester and we collected some of her personal effects from a local solicitor. These had been rescued by their clerk from a rubbish skip used for the house clearance.
When we got around to examine them we found that amongst them was around a couple of hundred old photos that had been mixed in by accident. They date from the mid Victorian to the early 1960’s. The solicitors office could not help us tracing the family.
They have no connection whatsoever with our family but someone would treasure them.

Assumedly they belonged to someone who died around the same time in the Hucclecote area of Gloucester A lot are from the mid/late Victorian period many have a 20th century Royal Navy connection.

The names on the photographs are largely Wells, Knott and Simms.
There is a press cutting for the marriage of Mr Mathew Wells of Fern Bank Sale to Helen daughter of Captain W Knott of Warrington , late 52nd Light Infantry.
James Simms was a Royal Naval surgeon in the1891 census.

The locations are Gloucester, Dublin, Belfast, Richmond, Warrington, Sale and Epsom.
There are several photos of family members in the RN.
If anyone can help me put these family memories into the right hands I would be very much obliged. If they would reply to this post , I will be contacted then I can supply more detailed information. David Shephard

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Matthew Wells

England and Wales Census, 1891

Name Matthew Wells
Event Type Census
Event Date 1891
County Cheshire
Parish Sale
Ecclesiastical Parish ST ANNE SALE
Registration District Altrincham
Residence Note Wardle Road
Gender Male
Age 55
Marital Status Married
Occupation Oil Merchant
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Birth Year (Estimated) 1836
Birthplace Ireland
Page Number 28
Registration Number RG12
Piece/Folio 2826/ 16

Matthew Wells Head M 55 Ireland
Helen Wells Wife F 41 Yorkshire, England
Robert J Wells Son M 10 Derbyshire, England
Norman Wells Son M 9 Cheshire, England
Matthew H Wells Son M 24 Cheshire, England
Caroline Wells Daughter F 20 Lancashire, England
Emma Wells Daughter F 19 Lancashire, England
Caroline Fielding Servant F 28 Lancashire, England
Louisa Clowes Servant F 18 Cheshire, England

Matthew Wells

England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007

Name Matthew Wells
Event Type Death
Registration Quarter Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration Year 1907
Registration District Stockport
County Cheshire
Event Place Stockport, Cheshire, England
Age (available after 1866) 71
Birth Year (Estimated) 1836
Volume 8A
Page 3
Line Number 370

Matthew Henry Wells

England and Wales Marriage Registration Index

Name Matthew Henry Wells
Event Type Marriage
Registration Quarter Apr-May-Jun
Registration Year 1894
Registration District Altrincham
County Cheshire
Event Place Altrincham, Cheshire, England
Volume 8A
Page 299
Line Number 12

Matthew Henry Wells probably married one of the following people

Name Margaret Mary Sim

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Matthew Wells

United Kingdom, Merchant Navy Seamen Records

Name Matthew Wells
Event Type Military Service
Event Year Range 1845-1854
Event Place United Kingdom
Birthplace KILKENNY
Birth Year 1831

Helen Knott

England and Wales Census, 1861

Name Helen Knott
County Lancashire
Event Type Census
Event Date 1861
Sub-District 4 Warrington
Parish Warrington
Ecclesiastical Parish St Pauls
Registration District Warrington
Gender Female
Age 12
Relationship to Head of Household Daughter
Birthplace Hull, Yorkshire
Schedule Type Household

Helen Knott

England and Wales Marriage Registration Index

Name Helen Knott
Event Type Marriage
Registration Quarter Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration Year 1880
Registration District Warrington
County Lancashire
Event Place Warrington, Lancashire, England
Volume 8C
Page 215
Line Number 366

Helen Knott probably married one of the following people
Name Matthew Wells

Matthew Henry Wells with wife Margaret (nee Sim/s) and children in 1901. all children born Hale, Chester:

Matthew H Wells
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Matthew H Wells
Age: 34
Estimated birth year: abt 1867
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Spouse: Margaret M Wells
Birth Place: Disley, Cheshire, England
Civil Parish: Hale
Ecclesiastical parish: Bowdon St Mary
County/Island: Cheshire
Country: England
Registration district: Bucklow
Sub-registration district: Altrincham
ED, institution, or vessel: 31
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 3324
Folio: 78
Page Number: 24
Household schedule number: 132
Household Members:
Name Age
Matthew H Wells 34 - lubricating oil manufacturer
Margaret M Wells 30 - Scotland
Norah M Wells 4
Aileen M Wells 2
Justin H Wells 1/12
Maria Lees 44 - servant
Mary J Hopwood 24 - servant
Esther A Powell 32 - servant



Death of son Justin:

Justin Henry Wells
in the England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Justin Henry Wells
Birth Date: 11 Mar 1901
Date of Registration: Mar 1977
Age at Death: 76
Registration district: Stockport
Inferred County: Greater Manchester
Volume: 39
Page: 1440

A tree on Ancestry says this:

"Uncle Oswyn (Aird Wells) was born in Heaton Moor, Manchester. Uncle Oswyn emigrated out to New Zealand and had a large sheep farm out there. When Mum and Tony (Hilary Wells and Tony Adams) went out to NZ they met up with Aird Wells and his family and I know that Mum has quite a bit of info from him.
Uncle Justin married Aunty Mosse (Cook) they lived around Romiley, Stockport whilst we were growing up. Their son John was stuck in Norway during the war as he had gone to see his Norwegian Grandparents the summer of ’39 and pretended to be Norwegian when the Germans invaded!!"

I don't see Justin's marriage in England/Wales - maybe they married in NZ [EDIT: I probably mean Norway!].


Birth of the Oswyn Aird Wells mentioned by the tree owner:

Oswyn Aird Wells
in the England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Oswyn Aird Wells
Registration Year: 1906
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Inferred County: Cheshire
Volume: 8a
Page: 98


Oswin and siblings in 1911:

Oswin Wells
in the 1911 England Census
Name: Oswin Wells
Age in 1911: 5
Estimated birth year: abt 1906
Relation to Head: Boarder
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Heaton Moor, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: St Annes-on-the-Sea
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 39 St Andrews Road South St Annes
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Student
Registration district: Fylde
Registration District Number: 477
Sub-registration district: Lytham
ED, institution, or vessel: 10
Household schedule number: 114
Piece: 25396
Household Members:
Name Age
Edward Howarth 49
Alice Jane Howarth 49
May Boardman 22 - servant
Dora Lakin 31 - boarder
Norah Wells 14 - boarder
Arlwen Wells 12 (Aileen) - boarder
Justus Wells 10 (Justin) - boarder
Oswin Wells 5

Their mother Margaret Mary's death and probate:

Wells, Margaret Mary, of 54 Redington Road, Hampstead, Middlesex, (wife of Henry Matthew Wells) died 7 april 1928. Administration London 8 April to the said Henry Matthew Wells, manufacturer, and Justin Henry Wells, engineer. Effects £5421 19s 6d.

Margaret Mary Wells
in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
Name: Margaret Mary Wells
Probate Date: 8 Apr 1929
Registry: London, England
Death Date: 7 Apr 1928
Death Place: Middlesex, England

As ArgyllGran has discovered a tree on Ancestry, owner related in some way, perhaps David might ask her to make contact via the site on his behalf?

Welcome to the Community boards David.


(I'll let David know how to find his replies) :-)

I sent him a message on the 23rd - not opened yet

Thankyou Ann, I came across these photos again as we are in the middle of moving house. So I have no spare time between now and the New Year.

I am 98% certain that the lady who died in Hucclecote in 2000 whose photographs these were was one Eileen Olive Sims , born 1912.
I am rather hoping to find some relative of hers to whom I can return the pictures.

I will of course have a good look thru your findings but to I have already spent some time on ancestry but of course they only give me a backward trail. What I really require is a living relative.

Thank you very much for your response though and it will have my attention more fully in 2016
Kind regards David

Marriages Jun 1934 (>99%)
Pullin Eileen O Sims Thornbury 6a 595
Sims Gerald Pullin Thornbury 6a 595


Births Dec 1912 (>99%)
Pullin Eileen O Phelpstead Thornbury 6a 442


Deaths Mar 1974 (>99%)
Sims Gerald 18NO190* Thornbury 7b 1720


There were three Sims / Pullin births in Thornbury reg district 1937-41.

One daughter married, but I can't pinpoint children of the marriage - too many in various places with the right parental surnames.

Also can't pinpoint marriages of the other two Sims/Pullen offspring, nor the deaths of any of the three.

PM sent to David with details of the daughter's marriage.

Possibly Gerald Sims's birth, given the partial DOB on his death record:

Births Dec 1904 (>99%)
Sims Gerald Clutton 5c 441



Gerald Sims
in the 1911 England Census
Name: Gerald Sims
Age in 1911: 6
Estimated birth year: abt 1905
Relation to Head: Son
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Timsbury, Somerset
Civil Parish: Timsbury
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England
Street address: Nr Rectory Lane, Timsbury Nr Bath
Registration district: Clutton <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Registration District Number: 315
Sub-registration district: High Littleton
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Household schedule number: 111
Piece: 14650
Household Members:
Name Age
Albert John Sims 31
Lily Sims 31
Gerald Sims 6