Lily’s husband, John Trevor Evans, was of Welsh descent. As I searched for his parents on the Wales census records, I acquired a better understanding of the Welsh written language.

Walter Stephen Oxborough

Born: 1848 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Father: Charles Oxborough (1813 to 1863)
Mother: Elizabeth Brady (1819 to 1883)

Spouse: Eliza Copeman (1847 to 1915)

Married: 1868 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Children:

Walter Oxborough (2 APR 1868 to1945)
George Oxborough (1870 to 1871)
Eliza Oxborough (1872 to 1927)
Lorina Oxborough (12 JUN 1874 to 16 MAR 1961)
Charles Oxborough (13 NOV 1875 to 1957)
Elizabeth Oxborough (19 JAN 1877 to 1952)
George Oxborough (16 AUG 1879 to 16 JAN 1958)
Selina Oxborough (1881 to 1917)
Frederick Oxborough (30 SEP 1884 to 27 AUG 1940)
Henry Charles Oxborough (22 DEC 1887 to 16 FEB 1966)
Lily Oxborough (1890 to 1963)

Died: 1894 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1851 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1861 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1863 Death of father, Charles
1868 Marriage to Eliza
1868 Birth of son, Walter
1870 Birth of son, George
1871 Little Benton, Northumberland County, England
1871 Death of son, George
1872 Birth of daughter, Eliza
1874 Birth of daughter, Lorina
1875 Birth of son, Charles
1875 Death of sister, Elizabeth
1877 Birth of daughter, Elizabeth
1879 Birth of son, George
1881 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1881 Birth of daughter, Selina
1883 Death of mother, Elizabeth
1884 Birth of son, Frederick
1887 Birth of son, Henry
1890 Birth of daughter, Lily
1891 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1894 Death and Burial

Occupation: bricklayer

Records:

1851 to 1891 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
The UK, Calendar of Prisoners, 1868-1929
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915

Variations of Surname: none

A Little History:

On 19 MAR 1869, Walter was convicted of larceny and sentenced to three months of hard labor. He served this time in the county jail in Ipswich, Suffolk County, England. The document shows that this was not Walter’s first offense.

Walter’s younger brother, Stephen, had also been convicted of multiple crimes in Beccles. You can read about Stephen Oxborough (1852 to 1921) on this website.

The local businesses may not have wanted to hire Walter because of his criminal past. They probably assumed he would steal from them, too. Could this be the reason Walter moved his family to Northumberland County, England?

The Oxborough Ward Connection:

At first, I could not find Walter and Eliza on the 1871 England census.

When I searched the 1881 England census, I discovered that they were living in Beccles. This document shows that four of the children were born in Northumberland County, England.

I then searched for birth records for these children. I could not find them under the surname of Oxborough. As Lorina seemed like a unique name, I thought I would have better luck finding her birth record. I removed the surname and this is what appeared in the search results:

These three entries have the same volume and page numbers, 10b 202.

The birth records for all four children listed their surnames as Ward. The name of Oxborough was used as their middle name.

I returned to the 1871 England census and changed Walter’s surname to Ward. I discovered that they were living in the village of Bigges Main, Northumberland County, England.

When Walter and Eliza moved back to Beccles, their surname reverted to Oxborough. Walter must have felt safe enough to use his real surname. He may have stayed away long enough for a statute of limitation to expire.

There are many reasons why people change their surnames. A Family Search article explains that one reason was to evade the law.

Spouse:

Eliza Copeman:

Eliza was born in 1847 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1915 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Eliza’s father was William Copeman. He was born on 15 SEP 1809 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1879 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Eliza’s mother was Lorina Mills. She was born on 13 JAN 1809 in North Cove, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1892 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Eliza had eight brothers and sisters:

Robert Copeman (1831)
William Copeman (1834)
Charles Copeman (1836)
Lorina Copeman (1839)
Isaiah Copeman (1841)
Mary Ann Copeman (1843)
Louisa Copeman (1846)
Frederick Copeman (1850)

Daughters:

Eliza Ward Oxborough:

Eliza was born in 1872 in Bigges Main, Northumberland County, England. She died in 1927 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Eliza married William Henry Boulton in 1910 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. One known child was born to this marriage:

Phyllis Peggy Boulton (1915)

William Henry Boulton was born in 1864 in Stradbroke, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1934 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Lorina Ward Oxborough:

Lorina was born on 12 JUN 1874 in Bigges Main, Northumberland County, England. She died on 16 MAR 1961 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Lorina gave birth to one child out of wedlock:

Bertie Walter Oxborough (1896)

Lorina married Edward Samuel Paddle in 1897 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. Seven known children were born to this marriage. The children were all born in Beccles.

Elsie May Paddle (1898 to 1898)
Edward Paddle (1900)
Alfred Paddle (1901)
Ivy Paddle (1902)
Doris Paddle (1904)
Elsie Paddle (1906)
Frank Paddle (1907)

Edward Samuel Paddle was born in 1877 in Wroxham, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1931 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Elizabeth Ward Oxborough:

Elizabeth was born on 19 JAN 1877 in Bigges Main, Northumberland County, England. She died in 1952 in Greenwich, London, England.

Elizabeth married Jeremiah Burch in 1901 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Three known children were born to this marriage:

Reginald Walter Albert Burch (1906)
Eileen Frances Burch (1908)
Basil Jeremiah Burch (1909)

Jeremiah Burch was born in 1878 in Fressingfield, Suffolk County, England. He died on 31 OCT 1935 in Halesworth, Suffolk County, England.

Probate:

Selina Oxborough:

Selina was born in 1881 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1917 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Selina was 36 years old when she died.

Selina married Alfred Henry Thurling in 1902 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Two known children were born to this marriage:

Doris Winifred Thurling (1907)
Ada Grace Thurling (1913)

Alfred Henry Thurling was born on 1 SEP 1880 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. He died on 6 JUL 1972 in Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia.

After Selina died, Alfred married a widow, Agnes Manning Mills, in 1921 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. No known children were born to this marriage.

Agnes Manning was born on 19 JUN 1875 in Bungay, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1951 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England.

Agnes had previously married Edward Walter Mills on 7 MAR 1896 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England. Five known children were born to this marriage:

Elsie Mabel Agnes Mills (1897)
Edward Walter Arthur Mills (1898)
Sybil Kathleen Mills (1903)
Joe Daniel Mills (1906)
Harry Leslie Mills (1910)

Edward Walter Mills was born in 1871 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. He died on 15 DEC 1919 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Probate:

Alfred’s Move:

Five years after Alfred married Agnes, he immigrated to New South Wales, Australia. Agnes remained in Beccles.

I do not know why Agnes made the decision to remain in England. She may not have wanted to leave her family and friends.

Ancestry.com’s Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 has entries for Alfred from 1930 to 1968.

The 1968 document shows that Alfred was a resident of the War Veterans Home in Narrabeen, New South Wales, Australia. He had served with the British Army during World War I.

Alfred was buried in the Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium. This cemetery is located in Ryde City, New South Wales, Australia.

Lily Oxborough:

Lily was born on 9 FEB 1890 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1963 in Wellington, Shropshire County, England.

Lily married John Trevor Evans in 1918 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. One known child was born to this marriage:

Dorothy J Evans (1920 Wellington, Shropshire)

John Trevor Evans was born in 1890 in Knighton, Radnorshire County, Wales. He died in 1927 in Wellington, Shropshire County, England. John was 37 years old when he died.

The Evan’s Family:

John’s father was John Evans. He was born in 1854 in Llanfihangel Rhydithon, Radnorshire County, Wales. He died in 1916 in Treflis and Llanlleonfel, Breconshire, Wales.

John’s mother was Mary Jane Woodhouse. She was born on 14 FEB 1868 in Clungunford, Shropshire County, England. She died in 1954 in Ludlow, Shropshire County, England.

John had eleven brothers and sisters:

Louisa May Evans (1893 Knighton, Radnorshire, Wales)
Hilda Vera Evans (1895 Knighton, Radnorshire, Wales)
William Cyril Evans (1896 Llangunllo, Radnorshire, Wales)
Charles Harold Evans (1897 Llangunllo, Radnorshire, Wales)
George Ivo Evans (1899 Llangammarch, Breconshire, Wales)
Constance Nora Evans (1901 Clungunford, Shropshire, England)
Dorothy Ida Evans (1901 Clungunford, Shropshire, England)
Arnold Hector Evans (1902 Clungunford, Shropshire, England)
Frances Mary Sybil Evans (1905 Llangammarch, Breconshire, Wales)
Agnes Irene Evans (1906 Llangammarch, Breconshire, Wales)
Gwyneth Eleanor Evans (1908 Llangammarch, Breconshire, Wales)

John’s father worked for railway lines in Wales and Shropshire, England. Based on the children’s birthplaces, I was able to plot his movements on Google Maps.

The 1891 Wales census listed John’s occupation as a railway signalman. He worked for the Knighton Railway Station. They were living on Church Lane in Knighton, Radnorshire, Wales.

The 1901 England census listed John’s occupation as station master. He worked for the Craven Arms Railway. They were living at the station house in Clungunford, Shropshire, England.

The 1911 England census listed John’s occupation as station master. He was working for the Garth Powys Railway. They had moved back to the Langammarch area in Wales.

The Welsh Language:

When I searched the Wales census records, I discovered that the parish names were difficult for me to read and pronounce. As an American, these words seemed quite alien. A Wikipedia article gave me a better understanding of the Welsh language.

Notes:

The surname, Oxborough, originated in Norfolk County, England. It appears in church registers as early as the mid-16th century. As the world population grew, these Oxborough ancestors moved to other counties in England. By the late 19th century, some had immigrated to Canada and Australia.

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on.  There are also family trees that go “forward into time.”  Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time.  The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!