UPDATE…….Another group of my Old Photos returned to their family!  After this message from John in Hampshire on this Blog, we corresponded and I am very pleased to say all these photos are now back with the family they belong to, how they ended up at a Car Boot sale in Dorchester is a mystery, but a very happy ending.  John wrote...”These are pictures of my Grandparents, my mothers maiden name was Mead, youngest daughter of Tom & Florence”

We went to Dorchester Car Boot early last Sunday morning & Dave came across these wonderful Old Photos, all stuck with blue tack in a frame, all together. Taken out of the frame, some had information on them !

Some of my favourites from these are the Mum & her three children with the pram & the child on a Donkey, that’s a tintype photo. The three young women could be Elizabeth, Florence & Miriam Cox. Florence I think is also the older lady in the coloured photo..bottom line. It’s her child that wrote some of the notes on the old photos.

Two Weddings here, top left I believe possibly could be sister Elizabeth, who married in 1922 to Henry George Wharton. The other three I think are Florence who married Thomas Alfred Mead in 1927. Although it says on pic ‘Miriam’ I found that sister Miriam didn’t marry. This was confirmed by a passenger list record of her travelling in 1960, on it it states “Single”

I don’t know who Vera is !

This is rather sad..one of Elizabeth Agnes Louise Cox daughter’s, with her Husband & family. I’ve found four possible daughter’s, none with the name Helen, Ellen or the like that could have been called Nellie. Impossible to be accurate without certificates.

When I read the notes on the back of this last one I was thrilled ! A Photographer in the family. But alas just one of those wonderful family stories sadly.

It says “From Mother Sept 90 Mother’s Grandmother, her father’s parents were professional photographers” Consulting my London Photographer’s Book & confirming with info online, I found this concerning the Mr & Mrs Cox on the back of the CDV.

“Cox, Henry
Born 1836. Died 1888.
Biography Cox, Henry. Born in Nottingham 1836. Md Eliza (1836 – 1892).
STUDIOS: 1. 11 Alfred Place, York Road, Camden Town, St Pancras 1867 – Dec 31 1868.
2. 34 Brecknock Road, Camden Town, St Pancras January 1 1869 – 1870.
3. 118 New Bond Street, Westminster 1870 – 1871. Succeeded by Truckle & Briscoe.
4. 12 Dalston Terrace, Hackney 1871 – October 21 1875. As Dalston Lane IN Stoke Newington Directory 1876 – 1877. Name change October 22 1875.
1st prize at Victorian Exhibition 1861.
Hon. mention at International Exhibition 1862.
1881: portrait painter living in Stamford.
Died in Bethnal Green 1888.
Cox, Eliza
Born 1836. Died 1892.
Biography Cox, Eliza. Born in Nottingham 1836. Md Henry Cox (1836 – 1888).
1871: photographer living at 118 New Bond Street, Westminster.
1881: photographer living in Stamford.
Died in Shoreditch 1892.”

I traced their lives through the census documents & finally confirmed what I had suspected, in the 1911 Census..No Children….It’s a shame when you don’t confirm what’s been believed through a family for years. Of course the lady may well be Granny, but the photographer was NOT Granny.

I have compiled a family tree for this family, as much as I can be accurate without certificates. Thomas Alfred Mead was a Metropolitan Police Constable & received an award in 1926. “Mead Thomas 1926 KPM PC Showed courage in dealing with runaway horse(s) Info on this website” The KPM was the Kings Police Medal. Found on this super website for the Metropolitan Police.. History By The Yard

This is Thomas & Florence on the 1939 Register, Thomas is the bottom of page 1 & as you can see on the top of the second page after Florence, there are closed entries, which probably are the couple’s children. I bet there are lots more stories to discover about this family..I have about 80 members on the Tree..Link Below..

 

This is the Public Family Tree for The MEAD family. Called Mead Family Lynn’s Waffles on Ancestry  Thomas & Florence Family tree..

You can register for free on Ancestry UK

If these are your Ancestors..Please get in touch..Contact Me at the top of page..Or comment on this Blog..I would love for this collection to return to their family.

Do you know of the Mead or Cox Family..Please get in touch..

Till next time then…………………….