James was a fisherman who worked on fishing vessels on the North Sea. During World War II, James joined the Merchant Marines, helping to ferry supplies to allied ships.
James Lemon Aldous
Born: 23 MAY 1914 in Chediston, Suffolk County, England
Father: James Aldous (1887 to 1947)
Mother: Alice Hannah Constance (1888 to 1979)
Spouse: Gladys May Oxborough (1913 to 1977)
Married: 1940 in Wissett, Suffolk County, England
Children:
Rita G Aldous (1940 to Still Living)
Sheila Ann Aldous (5 DEC 1941 to 24 APR 2016)
Richard J Aldous (1956 to Still Living)
Died: 14 JAN 1991 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England
Probate:
Timeline:
1939 Wissett, Suffolk County, England
1940 Marriage to Gladys
1940 Birth of daughter, Rita
1941 Birth of daughter, Sheila
1947 Death of father, James
1955 Death of brother, Frederick
1956 Birth of son, Richard
1977 Death of wife, Gladys
1979 Death of mother, Alice
1991 Death and burial
Occupation: fisherman, lighthouse operator
Records:
1939 England and Wales Register
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
England & Scotland, Select Cemetery Registers, 1800-2016
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941
Variations of Surname: None
Spouse:
Gladys May Oxborough:
Gladys was born on 22 APR 1913 in Walpole, Suffolk County, England. She died on 31 AUG 1977 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England.
Gladys’ father was William Frederick Oxborough. He was born on 23 APR 1884 in Wissett, Suffolk County, England. He died on 27 DEC 1947 in Halesworth, Suffolk County, England.
Glady’s mother was Mary Self. She was born on 24 JUN 1881 in Huntingfield, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1958 in Halesworth, Suffolk County, England.
Gladys had three brothers and sisters, all born in Walpole, Suffolk County, England:
Vera Evelyn Oxborough (1911 to 1995)
George William Oxborough (1914 to 1943)
Hilda Mary Oxborough (1921 to 2003)
Gladys had previously married Edward George Goldsmith on 31 JAN 1931 in Southwold, Suffolk County, England. Two known children were born to this marriage:
Margaret Doreen Goldsmith (1921 to 2010)
Robin Norman Goldsmith (1936 to 2007)
Edward George Goldsmith was born on 13 JUN 1910 in Southwold, Suffolk County, England. He died on 23 JUL 2001 in Thetford, Norfolk County, England.
Edward divorced Gladys on 15 JAN 1940. He went on to marry Doris Laura Stevens that same year. One child was born to this marriage:
Alan Goldsmith (1937)
Doris Laura Stevens was born on 16 DEC 1913 in Sydenham, London, England. She died in 1992 in Stowupland, Suffolk County, England.
My Mother’s Memories:
Years ago, I asked my mother about her life in England. She had many memories of growing up with her family and friends. But, I thought I would limit this post to the basic information:
In 1940, James and Gladys lived in Halesworth, Suffolk County, England. James worked on the herring vessels that fished in the North Sea. He would be gone for months at a time.
In 1944, as World War II raged, the east coast of England was bombed repeatedly by Nazi aircraft. Mom remembered hearing the bombs exploding close by and her mother rushing them to the closest underground bunker.
At this time, James had joined the Merchant Marines. He helped ferry supplies to the allied ships anchored off the coasts of Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.
After the most recent bombing, Gladys decided to move the children to Lowestoft. She felt it was safer in a larger, more fortified city.
From 1944 to 1949, the family lived on Grosvenor Road. They then moved to Spashett Road for two years. In 1952, the family moved to a more modern house located on Haward Street.
In 1957, mom immigrated to the United States.
In the 1960s, the fishing trade had all but ceased on the East Anglia coast. James took a job operating a lighthouse outside of Lowestoft.
James and Gladys purchased property located at 35 Marine Parade in Lowestoft. They turned it into a Bed and Breakfast that Gladys operated until the mid-1970s. The B&B was situated on what my mother called the “promenade”. Both tourists and locals would stroll up and down the boardwalk, enjoying the beach and other amenities the local shops had to offer.
After my grandmother died in 1977, my grandfather sold the B&B. He moved to Homefield Avenue where he lived until he passed away in 1991.
Notes:
Here are some links to websites that helped with my Aldous family research:
Aldous.net (Aldous family history and family tree)
Ancestors of Tim Farr, Descendants of Stephen Farr (family tree)
Reid-Schroeder Genealogies (family tree)
The Tree of Us (family tree)
Family Search (family tree website)
The Internet Surname Database (surname meaning and origins)
House of Names (coat of arms)
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 an excellent source for vital records.
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 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. Records should 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, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.
Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would 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. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.
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