Thomas James Metherell Vanstone

[Langley Vale Sue]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Just realised you have put the link to his death certificate online. Thank you, Sue!

Annie must have been the last of the siblings to die. She was a sister of my great granny, who died in 1944. The tombstone has her year of birth wrong: she was born in 1871 not 1872, but I imagine her birthday was correct. I bet my great aunts kept in touch right to the end. All the questions I should have asked forty years ago...

Haven't we all got those questions Phoenix .

I'm still looking for Thomas in the census.

[Phoenix]

Lol, Sue!

Annie's mother was a trifle too free with her favours. One member of the family was known as "the half brother" because of this. I found out very early that Charles Edwards was born before the marriage.

My mother, in the best traditions of interviewing, said to great aunt "And the half brother was called Charles, wasn't he?" I remember the puzzled look appearing on my great aunt's face as she reluctantly agreed.

It was years later, when I finally had access to parish registers, that I realised that there was an elder child, abandoned to his grandparents when his mother finally - pregnant with her third child - married. Had we mentioned William's name, my aunt might have smiled and been forthcoming!

[Langley Vale Sue]

I've found him in 1901 in Moreton Hampstead and in 1911 & 1921 in Ontario as James or James T Vanstone.

Still no luck in 1880 or 1891 though.

Have to go out now, but will look again later.

[kiterunner]

Did he have a "stage name", Phoenix?

[Phoenix]

Texas Jim, Kite. And that isn't helping either. The FMP links just take me to a story by Bret Harte.

Buffalo Bill came to England in 1887. According to the newspaper article I found, James was working for the Thornes in 1890.

In 1891, the Thornes and Annie were both living in Fore Street, Hartland, Devon. But I can't see James yet.