In the early 1930s, Stanley moved from Beccles to Wanstead, Essex, England. The 1939 England and Wales Registers show that his twin sister, Gladys, and her husband had also moved to Wanstead.

Stanley Charles Oxborough

Born: 14 AUG 1909 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Father: Charles Oxborough (1875 to 1957)
Mother: Belinda Ethel Taylor (1880 to 1961)

Spouse: Doris Lowe (1914 to 2003)

Married: 1932 in West Ham, Essex County, England

Child:

Derek C Oxborough (1933)

Died: 1988 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex County, England

Probate:

Timeline:

1911 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1916 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1932 Marriage to Doris
1939 Wanstead, Essex County, England
1957 Death of father, Charles
1961 Death of mother, Belinda
1975 Death of brother, Clifford
1988 Death of twin sister, Gladys
1988 Death and Burial

Occupation: master bricklayer (1939)

Records:

1911 England Census Record
1939 England and Wales Register
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005
Essex, England, Church of England Marriages, 1754-1935
British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920 (father’s record)
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941

Variations of Surname: none

The Twin Connection?

Stanley was the twin brother of Gladys. They were born on 14 AUG 1909 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

The 1939 England and Wales Registers show that Stanley and Gladys were both living in Wanstead, Essex County, England.

Stanley was living with Doris’ mother and sister at 26 Pearl Road.

Gladys and her husband were living in a top flat at 53 Buckingham Road.

The Google Map entry shows that Stanley and Gladys were living within eight miles of each other.

What I find interesting is that Stanley and Gladys both died in the fourth quarter of 1988. Stanley died in Southend-on-Sea. Gladys died in Brentwood.

The Google Map entry shows that they were only 20 miles apart when they died.

The volume and page numbers in Ancestry.com’s database, England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005, show the following:

Gladys Kathleen Fairweather (vol 9, page 1701)
Stanley Charles Oxborough (vol 9, page 3223)

The page numbers indicate that Gladys died before Stanley passed away.

The closeness of these deaths could be coincidental. Yet, I still wonder if there was a twin connection between these siblings.

The Move to the City:

Throughout history, people have moved from rural farmlands to urban cities. These larger towns provided opportunities for better employment and higher paying wages. The influx of money meant people had a chance for a better life.

The 1939 England and Wales Registers show that Stanley was a master bricklayer who worked in the building trade. Gladys’ husband worked for the Barking Power Station for the county of London.

Spouse:

Doris Lowe:

Doris was born on 27 JAN 1914 in Hackney, Middlesex County, England. She died in 2003 in Epping, Essex County, England.

Doris’ father was Richard James Lowe. He was born in 1881 in St Luke, Middlesex County, England. He died in 1930 in Stoke Newington, Middlesex County, England.

Doris’ mother was Louisa Sarah Drawbridge. She was born on 7 SEP 1884 in Mile End Old Town, London, England. She died in 1971 in Waltham Forest, Greater London, England.

Doris had one sister:

Elsie Louisa Lowe (1909)

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!