Elizabeth, then known as Nellie, was the granddaughter of a Scottish missionary who had administered to the poorest of the poor in South India for fifty years http://www.britishempire.co.uk/article/faithandfamily.htm. Her home was therefore in the Palani Hills of South India where she was born. Educated at Ancaster House, Bexhill-on-Sea in England, [Click to continue…]

Ivan Douglas Scott Orbell, to give him his full name, was born in New Zealand on the 18th July 1889. He was the 9th and youngest child of Henry Orbell and his wife Margaret. Henry was born in Suffolk and emigrated to New Zealand in 1849 with his parents  when he was 18. The family were quite well to do by the 1890s and young Ivan was sent to school [Click to continue…]

William James Blake Bowhay (1898-1918), a Lance Corporal in the 8th Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps died on 13 Apr 1918 and is buried at Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais. William was the son of William Drake and Susannah of Walford House, Mary Tavy, Tavistock, Devon. Contact me for more information about the family. Email bowhay@one-name.org [Click to continue…]

Killed in action 23 Jul1917, Flanders, France. Commerated at Ypres - Menin Gate Memorial and Therfield War Memorial in St Mary's Church.  Awarded Victory and British War medals. Joseph was born Edward Joseph in 1893 at Therfield, Hertfordshire to William and Ann (or Annie) Jane (nee Hale).  Both in the 1901 and 1911 census he was shown as just [Click to continue…]