The first of my Bank holiday weekend Puzzles was this couple, Mr and Mrs Towers. Looks like they were on holiday in Scarborough when their photo was taken as they lived in Streatham, London.

It was so close who found them first in the records that I declare a dead heat! Thank you so much, everyone, great work.

Gina from my Facebook Page said: I’m rooting for John Towers b 1821 and his wife Margaret b 1835. Living Tierney Road, Streatham in 1891 and 1901. He was born in Hull and was a retired draper.

Tina Louise replied: yes I’ve just found that couple too and they seem to be the only family named Towers in Streatham in 1891 as far as I can see. The wife’s name is Felicia though and their daughter is Aline or Alice! Ah, Felicia and Aline are his daughters!

Pam Riddet on Twitter also said at around the same time: Possibly John Towers b 1821 in Yorkshire and his wife Margaret Ann b 1835. He is a Draper. They lived in Edinburgh and then London. I found them in 1901 with their two adult daughters Felice and Aline, both born in Scotland.

Mark Bery, also on Twitter found the same family: could be John and Anne Towers, 27 Tierney Rd Streatham. John was born in Hull in 1820 and died in 1902- a retired draper. Married Anne (nee Sell) in Dover. Also lived in Edinburgh and had 6 children.

Lovely to know more about the couple, so huge thanks everyone!

Last week we popped into the Vintage Trading Post at Ottery St Mary, Devon. I was lucky to find 4 Cabinet Cards, 2 of which had writing on them! So this was the second Puzzle I shared on social media over the Bank Holiday weekend. You can find them on Facebook, they now have 3 premises with loads of interesting stuff for sale! Link here for more info: https://www.facebook.com/thevintagetradingpost

Gina on my Facebook Page was the first to find him, so here’s all what Gina found, mainly from the free Family Search Website:

Clarence baptisms (transcription) St Peter’s Pietermaritzburg, Eva Beryl bapt 1 Sept 1883.

Eileen bapt 23 Nov 1884. Beverley Vere bapt 4 Feb 1886. Alice Daphne Bapt 1888 original unreadable/damaged. Hildegarde bapt 3 Nov 1889. Lucinda Gertrude bapt ??? original unreadable/damaged.

Beverley Vere Clarence b 28 Nov 1885. Found as an unnamed child of Beverley Charles Clarence and Eva Catherine Clarence nee Eastwood. 

Beverley Charles Clarence b 12 June 1857, Natal, d 4 Dec 1925 Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu, Natal Married Eva Catherine Eastwood 27 Dec 1881, Greytown, Natal. Eva was b 1859, Ireland, d24 Aug 1948, Kandy, Pietermaritzburg Natal.

Beverley Charles Clarence was Chief Magistrate for the City of Pietermaritzburg.

On his mother’s death certificate in 1948, his siblings are listed. Eva Beryl Orr, Eileen Beverley Clarence then Vere, Alice Daphne Steere, Lynda Gertrude Fuller-Deal, Charles Dudley Clarence & Audley Beverley Clarence.

Vere Beverley/Beverley Vere married Kathleen Alice Goodwill on 12th Oct 1912, First Presbyterian Church, Pietermaritzburg.

Beverley Vere was a dairy farmer who died on 14 Jan 1963 at, Provincial Hospital, Port Shepstone, Natal. His wife had pre-deceased him. 

Great work Gina, huge thanks!

The second puzzle, also a Cabinet Card from Vintage Trading Post at Ottery St Mary, was this gentleman in his Military uniform. Just a name for this gent Alfred Woolward. With the photo taken in Southampton, Hampshire.

From my Facebook Page: Andrew Dally says: He is wearing a Royal Navy officer’s uniform. On the 1884 Navy List he’s Assistant Paymaster on HMS Agincourt.

Also from Facebook Derek Ive said: Staff Paymaster in the Royal Navy according to his probate record. Died 19 November 1894 on board Her Majesty’s ship Curacoa. Money was left to his widow Matilda.

From Twitter, Chris Lee said: R.N. Paymaster? A similar uniform here from the Royal Collections Trust website: this is Ronald Donaldson, Assistant Paymaster, HMS Serapis 1875-76.

Then Chris also shared this reference to Alfred that matched up with Andrew and Derek’s finds on Facebook. “Only a possible match” But looks very likely to be the correct gentleman I think.

Following on from these finds and holding myself back and not producing a huge family tree for him, here are just three of the records that match up to him that I found on Ancestry. Firstly the 1851 census where he is here with his parents, his father was also in the Royal Navy, the family lived in Guernsey, Channel Islands. Alfred was born on 26 January 1849 in Guernsey.

Then a page where he is mentioned right at the top on the records for the England, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921, found on Ancestry.

Lastly here is the Probate record, again from Ancestry that Derek Ive mentioned. Alfred was just 45 years old when he died.

Huge thanks to everyone for their research and information, it’s great to have this to keep with the photos in my collection. Even better if a descendant sees this and contacts me!

Till next time then……..