Unconfigured Ad Widget

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Help please: Life story found for Cyril William Irwin (D.O.B. 27/09/1891 Woolwich)

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Help please: Life story found for Cyril William Irwin (D.O.B. 27/09/1891 Woolwich)

    Hi there, I'm hoping that someone can help me find a good home for a very extensive life chronicle written by Cyril William Irwin (D.O.B. 27/09/1891 Woolwich). Ideally, I'd like it to be presented to one of his descendants, but it may also be useful to local historians.

    You'll see from the first photo attached to this post that it consists of a box of seven A4 size folders, plus one or two other small notebooks. Each of the folders contain hand-written pages like the one shown in the second photo, documenting at great length and fine detail the life story of the writer - Cyril Irwin. It runs in total to about 680 pages or so. From a brief skim read, it would appear that the life story was written by Cyril relatively late in his life, over a relatively short space of time - rather than it being something that he added to over the course of his lifetime. Given the minute detail within the life story, he either had an elephantine memory, or more likely was referring back to more detailed diaries.

    A real bonus is that Cyril was obviously interested in genealogy, and he commissioned his own family tree. An excerpt showing Cyril, his contemporary family, and his ancestors is at the third photo attached. The tree extends down into his grandchildren, many or all of whom will still be alive, so according to the forum rules I have only shown an edit of the tree showing the people who will have long since died. However, anyone taking this on will have good lines of inquiry in terms of tracing living family.

    The reason this came into my possession is that my father was a chartered accountant and Cyril and his wife were his clients. I believe that Cyril died in the late 1970s/early 1980s before his second wife Haidee Irwin (nee Molock), who was known as "Peg" or "Peggy". Clearly, no attempt was made at that point to reunite this documentation with his children/grandchildren. And then when Peggy died (I think in the 1990s) my Dad took possession of it - probably as he was executor and he then failed to find a home for it. My Dad died in 2014, and my Mum died this year, and I am now clearing the family home. This has to be found a home - I'm not keeping it - but I am reluctant to discard it at the recycling centre.

    What I do know about Cyril is that while his childhood and much of his adult life was in London and the south-east, he then divorced from his first wife - Maude - in the late 1930s. He married Haidee Molock - Peggy - in the early 1940s, and they ended up living in a fairly remote smallholding on the fringes of Dartmoor at Thorndon Cross, Okehampton, Devon until they both died at a relatively advanced age. The circumstances of the divorce meant that Cyril seemed to have relatively little contact with his three children and their children. He had no children with Peggy, hence the reason I am now in possession of this box.

    I could find out more, but to be honest I'm a bit too busy to delve into this archive. And in any case it is being kept at the family home in Exeter, Devon, and I live near Woking in Surrey. If there is anyone who wants this as a project and lives in either of those locations, then I'd be happy to bring it to you. Alternatively, any advice on organisations interested in there kind of records would also be gratefully received.

    Oh, one other thing. Cyril was a half-decent amateur painter, and I have one of his original paintings with this pile of documents.
    You do not have permission to view this gallery.
    This gallery has 3 photos.

  • #2
    the best thing would be to find someone with a tree that has Cyril in it, and message them. happy to take a look in Ancestry, can you post his parents names mothers maiden name, they are not on the image. It would confirm that we have the right Cyril.

    I have found him on the 1939 register.

    I am sure if there is a living relative reasonably close to him they would like them.

    Have you posted this anywhere else, just want to be sure that others are not already sending messages out.

    Carolyn
    Family Tree site

    Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
    Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by cbcarolyn View Post
      the best thing would be to find someone with a tree that has Cyril in it, and message them. happy to take a look in Ancestry, can you post his parents names mothers maiden name, they are not on the image. It would confirm that we have the right Cyril.

      I have found him on the 1939 register.

      I am sure if there is a living relative reasonably close to him they would like them.

      Have you posted this anywhere else, just want to be sure that others are not already sending messages out.

      https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...12?pId=1509016
      Frustratingly, the photo that I took of the family tree doesn't have the "upward" information. And the documentation is 150 miles from me at the moment. I will be able to get my brother to check it in due course. Won't be for a day or two though. I don't have an Ancestry subscription so can't view the trees myself.

      Have only thrown this onto Twitter and get no useful reply, so not shared anywhere else really

      Comment


      • #4
        There maybe enough to go on. will look later, unless someone picks it up in the meantime.

        Last edited by cbcarolyn; 21-09-22, 16:13.
        Carolyn
        Family Tree site

        Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
        Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by cbcarolyn View Post
          There maybe enough to go on. will look later, unless someone picks it up in the meantime.
          Thanks, that would be great.

          Comment


          • #6
            I have found this tree straightaway, chap has some photos of Cyrils family that died in 2016.

            https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tr...&usePUBJs=true

            I can certainly send him a message. I think you should be able to log in and see the tree without a sub if you wanted.

            He has noted 3 children Joan M D2005 Barbara D 2003 Michael H D 2010
            I am guessing he has come from Barbara's husbands side.​
            Carolyn
            Family Tree site

            Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
            Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by cbcarolyn View Post
              I have found this tree straightaway, chap has some photos of Cyrils family that died in 2016.

              https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tr...&usePUBJs=true

              I can certainly send him a message. I think you should be able to log in and see the tree without a sub if you wanted.

              He has noted 3 children Joan M D2005 Barbara D 2003 Michael H D 2010
              I am guessing he has come from Barbara's husbands side.​
              Excellent! That's definitely the three children that Cyril had - I couldn't be certain if any were still alive. I'll see if I can view the tree a bit later.

              Comment


              • #8
                Failing finding an interested descendant, the local archives in devon or kent would surely take them?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by cbcarolyn View Post

                  I can certainly send him a message. I think you should be able to log in and see the tree without a sub if you wanted.

                  ​
                  Hi Carolyn, I have had a look at the Ancestry site and it does not allow me to view the tree or message the owner without a subscription.

                  If it's possible for you to message them and point them to this post on the forum that would be really good. I guess they could then contact me through private message via this site?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by kylejustin View Post
                    Failing finding an interested descendant, the local archives in devon or kent would surely take them?
                    Yes, I think that would be my fallback. There's a load of stuff about life in the SE London/Kent area from the turn of the 19th/20th century that probably has some local history value.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by NigelE View Post

                      Hi Carolyn, I have had a look at the Ancestry site and it does not allow me to view the tree or message the owner without a subscription.

                      If it's possible for you to message them and point them to this post on the forum that would be really good. I guess they could then contact me through private message via this site?
                      will do, I could direct them to this thread.
                      Carolyn
                      Family Tree site

                      Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                      Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I have messaged a few and directed them to this thread. I think one is def a grandchild, I don't know if you have the girls married name.
                        Carolyn
                        Family Tree site

                        Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                        Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by cbcarolyn View Post
                          I have messaged a few and directed them to this thread. I think one is def a grandchild, I don't know if you have the girls married name.
                          One of the girls married a Parry, and the other married a St John, and one of their children married a Baker. On the Ancestry site I'm allowed to see a list of trees that contain Cyril Irwin, and I can see there is a Parry family tree and there is a Baker family tree. So there's a good chance that those trees have been created by Cyril's grandchildren/great-grandchildren. Or at least close relatives of them.
                          Last edited by NigelE; 21-09-22, 21:45.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hi Nigel
                            i have been in touch with One of Cyril’s granddaughters. If you could email me on *Email removed for safety reasons* I will let you have her email address. She is very interested.
                            Regards
                            Peter de Dulin
                            Last edited by Darksecretz; 23-09-22, 13:58. Reason: removal of email address

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by deDulin View Post
                              Hi Nigel
                              i have been in touch with One of Cyril’s granddaughters. If you could email me on *email removed for safety reasons* I will let you have her email address. She is very interested.
                              Regards
                              Peter de Dulin
                              Excellent, have sent you an e-mail and we'll take things from there.

                              By the way, it's from a @yahoo.co.uk email address. You may need to check your junk mail, if you can't see it in your inbox.
                              Last edited by Darksecretz; 23-09-22, 13:58.

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                I'm sorry but I have had to remove the email address for safety reasons. Should you require the email again it would be better to do this via PM [Private Message] via this site.

                                Julie
                                They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

                                .......I find dead people

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Thanks Carolyn and Peter, I'm now in touch with one of Cyril's granddaughters and can now re-unite this life story with the family.

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    that is lovely.
                                    Carolyn
                                    Family Tree site

                                    Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                                    Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Originally posted by NigelE View Post
                                      Thanks Carolyn and Peter, I'm now in touch with one of Cyril's granddaughters and can now re-unite this life story with the family.
                                      That is fabulous news. How lovely.
                                      Julie
                                      They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

                                      .......I find dead people

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        That's great. Lovely to know you managed to contact a family member.
                                        Lin

                                        Searching Lowe, Everitt, Hurt and Dunns in Nottingham

                                        Comment

                                        Working...
                                        X