Tuesday 28 February 2012

Au revoir but not goodbye

Missing someone gets easier every day because even though it's one day further from the last time you saw each other, it's one day closer to the next time you will.


As I have mentioned in my Blog, we will be leaving Stoke for a new life in Australia on the 4th of March. This will be my last Blog for a few weeks but I will be in touch as soon as possible to keep you up to date on the growing of the Nickisson Family Tree and those Australian vegetables!!!!



Goodbyes are not forever.
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean we will miss you
Until we meet again!

I will be in touch

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Parents have Parents and Grandparents - Next Chapter continued, with Vegetables?

My Blog has been looking at the Nickisson Family Tree and how it is growing and also what is growing in the Allotment in England. We will be moving to Australia in March so the Blog will continue to look at what is happening to the TREE and where it's MOVED to.

As far as the allotment is concerned, how is it growing?


There are a few Leeks that were planted last year and Onions
that were sown for this year in the allotment. It's all prepared now for spring planting.

The greenhouse is empty except for the Grape Vine and a couple of bags of Onions remaining from last years produce.

The allotment is now ready for my daughter Joanne and grandson Joseph to take over in the spring, with help from Neil and my other grandchild, Izac .


I have really enjoyed the allotment in England.
I will keep you updated on the 'Australian Vegetables'.

*Growing old - An elderly couple was attending church services, about halfway through she leans over and says, " I just let out a silent trump what do you think I should do?"
He replies " Put a new battery in your hearing aid."


As far as the Nickisson Family Tree, how is that growing?

In my last few blogs I have been looking at the Direct Line from myself to the oldest Nickisson, John Nickisson born abt 1690, my 5xGreat Grandfather.

Since my last Blog I have made a couple of visits to Staffordshire Record Office and to  some degree, I discovered a little more about my Nickisson family. Due to this new information, you will see below I have updated the chart I posted in the December Blog (Parents have Parents, and Grandparents!!)


*Growing old - Growing old is a question of mind over matter. Provided you don't mind it really doesn't matter.

In my last blog I looked at my Grandparents, Ernest Nickisson and Florence Ada Smallman, today I want to look at Ernest Nickisson's father and mother, William Nickisson and Rachel Lunt, my Great Grandparents. They had fourteen children, ten boys and four girls between the years 1865 to 1888. So lets start with William Nickisson, my Great Grandfather.

*William Nickisson was born on the 3rd of December 1842 in Wood Street, Lane End (now named Longton), Stoke on Trent. He was baptised on the 28th of December at St John's Parish Church, Lane End
Following the death of his parents, William and his brothers George Latimore and Thomas and his sister Elizabeth lived in Caroline Street, Longton. The 1851 Census entry showed them as 'Orphaned'. The head of the household was Ralph Steele, a wine merchant and his wife Sarah. Ralph Steele had six daughters and one son.
By 1861 William had moved back to Wood Street, Lane End and was working as a barman, but by 1865 he had moved to Kidsgrove, Stoke on Trent.
I have not found any iinformation on a marriage to Rachel Lunt although Census Records from 1881 onwards show them as being married, the 1911 Census shows Rachel as widowed. Do you know when they married, if so, let me know?
Their first child was born in 1865 and during the period of the births of the other children, they continued living in Kidsgrove living in Chapel Street, Sims Bank, Atwood Street, Gilbert Street, but mainly in Napier Street (No.3 - 14 - 20 - 21). Whilst living in Kidsgrove, William worked in the steel industry as a Forgeman, Puddler and a Gas Stoker.
William Nickisson died on the 7th of November, 1901


*Rachel Lunt was born about 1842 in Willenhall, Staffordshire (information from Census records). By 1861 she was living in Caroline Street, at the same house as William was in 1851 (Ralph Steele, see above). Rachel was working as a Servant at the house.
After William had died in 1901, Rachel moved in with her son Ernest Nickisson (1911 Census) in Peel Street, Kidsgrove.
Rachel Nickisson died on the 21st November, 1914
Do you know any information about when Rachel Lunt was born? Let me know


*Growing old - You know your growing old when the candles cost more than the cake

As I mentioned above, William Nickisson (1842-1901) and Rachel Lunt (Abt 1842-1914) had fourteen children:

1 Edwin (Edward) Nickisson (1865-1866), born in Chapel Street, Kidsgrove and only lived for 22 days. Birth Certificate and Registration Document and ukbmd.org.uk show name as Edwin Nickisson. The Death Certificate and Death Registration Document shows as Edward Nickisson.

2 Ralph Nickisson (1867-1870), born in Sims Bank, Kidsgrove but lived for only 3 years.

3 Martha Ann Nickisson (1868-1936) was also born in Kidsgrove and had a child in 1887, father not named. She worked as a Domestic Servant before she married Moses Chadwick (1868-1954) in 1889 at the Weslyan Chapel, Wolstanton. They continued to live in Kidsgrove and had twelve children, seven of them were girls. Moses worked as a Coal Miner at the local pit.

4 Mary Nickisson (1870-1870), she lived for just 6 months, born in Kidsgrove.

5 William Nickisson (1871-1951) married Sarah Ann Colclough (1876-1946) at St Thomas Church in Kidsgrove in 1893. They had thirteen children, eight girls and five boys.  He then met Annie Dobson(nee McDermott) (1883-1951) and they had three more sons before they married in 1946, following the death of Williams first wife.
Sarah Ann ColcloughGoldenhill, Stoke on Trent and Annie Dobson was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire where she worked in the Silk Industry as a Weaver/Winder (winding silk on the bobbins ready for the weaving process)
William was born in Kidsgrove and later worked as a House Painter and Journeyman, then around 1904 he moved to Wolstanton. He then moved to Stockport around 1921 with Annie Dobson, living there until their deaths.

6 Rachel Nickisson (1873-1937) was born in Kidsgrove but moved to Mount Pleasant, Fenton, Stoke on Trent after she married Charles Fryer (1872-1936) in 1892 at St Thomas Church, Kidsgrove. I believed they had four children, two sons and two daughters, but according to the 1911 Census, two more children had been born. Some more research??? Charles Fryer was born in Audley, Stoke on Trent and worked as a Fitter and Millwright Foreman at the local locomotive works. Before she got married, Rachel worked as a Fustian Cutter, want to know more?, follow the link  http://www.mowcop.info/htm/industry/fustian.htm

7 John Thomas Nickisson (1875-1973) was born in Kidsgrove and married Lilly (Lily) Knapper (1879-1951) in St Thomas Church, Kidsgrove in 1902. During his life John Thomas worked as a General Labourer, Journeyman and also a Boiler Maker/Rivetter at the locomotive works. Lilly was also born in Kidsgrove and worked as a Wash Laundress until she married after which, they also moved to Mount Pleasant, Fenton, where they had three sons and one daughter.

8 Arthur Nickisson (1876-1877) Arthur was born in Kidsgrove but only lived for 9 months.

9 Henry Nickisson (1878-1885) born in Kidsgrove and lived for just 7 years.

10 Edwin Nickisson (1879-1880) again, born in Kidsgrove but only lived for just over 7 months.

11 George Allen Nickisson (1881-1882)  lived for just over a year in Kidsgrove.

12 Hannah Nickisson (1883-1960) lived all her life in Kidsgrove during which she had a daughter, father not named. At this time Hannah worked as a dressmaker and then married William Hayward Davies (1880-?) in 1912 in St Peter's Church, Stoke, Stoke on Trent. They had one son and two Daughters. William Hayward worked as a Chemical Distiller in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire where he was born in 1880. No information yet on his death, anyone know?? More research

13 Ernest Nickisson (1883-1945) This is my Grandfather, please see my last Blog - Parents have Parents, and Grandparents - Next Chapter (with Australian Vegetables) -  for his family information.

14 Henry Frederick Nickisson (1888-1897) lived for just over 9 years. He was born in Kidsgrove.

As I mentioned earlier, William Nickisson and Rachel Lunt had fourteen children.
Five died before they reached the age of two.
Three before the age of ten.
What must life have been like for the children and their parents?

See you soon

*And finally: When you get old, your secrets are safe with your friends. They'll never share them because they can't remember them.