After a conversation with my parents, in Spain, today I decided to make a start on finding out about the Brown/Hulett history.
I started with Eric Gordon Brown m Ida Elaine Audrey Hulett ie my parents.
Dad told me his dad was Leonard Brown born 11th April 1892 in Sheerness, Kent. I've found and ordered the birth cert. I also found by looking in the 1901 census that by 1901 Leonard Brown and his parents Albert and Dora Brown were living in Eastbourne (which ties in as Dad was born in Eastbourne). Albert and Dora were 32 and 33 respectively at the time of the census but given how many Albert Brown's there are around I can't go any futher until I can get more info off Leonard's birth cert. My Dad doesn't think I'll get very far as he reckons Albert's family were gypsies but we'll see. They certainly weren't born in Eastbourne as stated on the census cos I've checked all the Eastbourne registered births and there isn't an Albert Brown.
One of the bits that really interested me is that dad's father had two siblings, one called Albert and another called Naomi Pretoria which is just an amazing name. Did a quick google and realised that she was born April 1900 (according to census) and in July 1900 the British captured Pretoria in the Boer War so I think someone had a burst of patriotism in the register office :-)
Now, according to my Dad there is a painting in London called The Flower Girl and his granny (Dora) is in it - he hasn't seen it but remembers being told by family. How I am kicking myself now that I didn't talk more to my Auntie Dee (also a Dora!) as I think she would have remembered so much more being older and a woman! I've done some googling and there is a painting called the Flower Girl and I think it might be this one
If this is the right painting it would be Dora at 32 with Naomi Pretoria in her arms as it was painted in 1900. I can't believe she would have been travelling from Eastbourne to London to sell flowers so perhaps they were living in London and moved to Eastbourne shortly before the census? Don't know how to find out more. Might phone up Eastbourne and find out if there are any records relating to Lime Tree Terrace, if they were rented houses for example??
Dad's Mum is proving hard to track down a birth certificate for. She's Nellie Esther Hagger and my dad reckons (from info from my Auntie Dee) thar she was born in December 1889 but there is no Nellie E or Nellie Esther registered in 1889 or early 1890. There is a Nellie Esther Hagger registered in Jan/Feb/Mar register for Holborn (London) in 1891 so she could be a December 1890 birth, registered in the new year. Might get the birth cert anyway to have a look and must pump Dad for more information. Leonard and Nellie's marriage certificate might tell me more also? Can't wait for the certs to arrive this is so exciting.
Made a very brief start on Mum's side. Think she's given me the wrong year of birth for my grandfather as the only William Reginald Hewlett I can find is in 1897 but is Leicester which would fit. And I've found my granny Isa Cassandra Chambers (what a name!!) born in Aston, Warwickshire in 1905. I remember them both, but only very dimly as granny died when I was quite young and although my grandfather died when I was an adult, we didn't see that much of him as he had 11 children and goodness knows how many grandhildren so we weren't that important to him, especially as mum had moved so far away (mentally and emotionally) from home in Birmingham. I'm going to pursue it though cos Hulett is a very interesting name and Mum thinks it is Huegenot, how romantic :-)
