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| Ref |
Year |
Person |
Description |
Document |
| Family Records & Certificates |
| 01 |
1838-1865 |
Phipps |
Family Bible with record of the births of Henry Phipps
(1812-1881)
and Sarah Phipps née Clark
(1817-1906),
great-grandparents of JPS, and their twelve children (3 boys and 9 girls).
Typed transcription by CWP dated 1932.
Note irregular spellings (Elisebeth with two 'e', bornd with a 'd').
Of the 12 children:
Edwin Phipps #1 married in 1863.
Four descendants of Edwin Phipps visited Wrights Farm in 1978, photos in green album.
Ann Phipps #2 appears to have not married and died age 72 in Borden.
I have no information on Elizabeth Phipps #3.
Henry Phipps #4 married in 1870
and emigrated to Australia (see below).
I have no information on Frances Phipps #5.
Matilda Chapman née Phipps #6 married in 1871.
Ellen Phipps #7 died age 12.
Sarah Coom née Phipps #8 married in 1873
and emigrated to New Zealand (see below).
I have no information on Emily Phipps #9.
Frederick Phipps #10 married in 1886.
Eliza Hodge née Phipps #11 emigrated to Canada and lived to nearly 107.
The youngest Henrietta Pettet née Phipps #12 (1865-1955) married in 1890
and is our ancestor.
She held her great-granddaughter LAS as a baby. |
list
detail |
| 02 |
1809-1868 |
Goodger |
Copy of entries in Family Bible of Maria Goodger (1851-1928)
given to her by her mother Mary Ann Dunks (1809-1875) in 1868, listing family members.
The connection is that Eliza Goodger (born 15.10.1832) married John Pettit (JP3) (1841-1900) at Frindsbury (Rochester)
on 8.3.1862.
At their
marriage,
he was just 22, she was 29, but declared her age on the marriage register as 27.
John's older sister Ellen was a witness (she was unable to write, making only an X).
Eliza was 7.5 months pregnant on marriage, their son Frederick was
born 5 weeks later on 11.4.1862.
We have other Goodger correspondence from HCP.
George Goodger (Uncle) was witness to Alfred George Pettet's wedding in 1890.
|
list |
| 03 |
1911 |
EWP |
Confirmation and First Communion. Easter was 16/4/1911. |
card |
| 04 |
1915 |
HCP |
MPS Certificate |
certificate |
| 05 |
1918 |
CWP |
Certificate of Service as Special Constable in Maidstone |
certificate |
| 06 |
1922 |
EWP |
Journey Notes, train from Victoria via Dover, Boulogne,
Paris, and Basle to Lucerne. |
notes |
| 07 |
1923 |
Moss |
Death of Clive (EWP's brother).
Cutting Friday 14/9 from Essex Chronicle reporting the tragedy.
Later cutting of inquest and burial Sunday 16/9.
Letter from George Bishop (vicar) dated 12/9 (the day of the tragedy)
recounting events to EWP who was staying at the Hotel St Roch, Couvin, Belgium
(presumably as au pair accompanying the Stappers family from Antwerp on their summer holiday).
The hotel, in the forested hills of southern Belgium, is now branded an
eco-village, and is a wedding and conference venue,
see www.domainesaintroch.be.
Letter sent 'Express', the 3 postmarks on the envelope demonstrate a remarkable service:
Braintree 3.30pm 13/9, Brussel (Nord) 10-11[am?] 14/9, and Couvin 14/9.
Tiny portrait (jpg) of Clive carried by EWP |
cuttings
letter
thanks |
| 08 |
1923 |
HCP |
Postcard from HCP to EWP in Antwerp (where she was au pair).
I believe they had met that summer in Switzerland; it reads as if they had just got back from that trip;
however notes item 5 is dated 1922 so it may have been the previous summer.
In any event, Harry signs 'love' so his intentions seem clear.
He mentions he's been in the car - it was rare to own a car in 1923 - he is clearly out to impress!
EWP appears to have written to HCP's mother Henrietta (but not to him!) -
very correct and with a touch of 'hard to get'! - I read Harry's response as jocular indignance!
Address probably now known as 13 Kardinaal Mercierlei, Berchem, Antwerp.
Postmark Maidstone. Idyllic picture of the Medway near Maidstone.
They were married the following June (next item 8 shows
EWP left her au pair job to get married). |
postcard |
| 09 |
1923 |
EWP |
Letter of Recommendation by Mrs Ed Stappers dated 2-11-1923,
after 12.5 months as governess [=au pair] to her 3 little girls.
EWP is leaving to get married.
Address probably now known as 13 Kardinaal Mercierlei, Berchem, Antwerp. |
letter |
| 10 |
1924 |
EWP
HCP |
Wedding of Harry and Eunice Pettet in Cressing Church on 17.6.1924.
Harry & Eunice had met the previous summer on holiday in Switzerland; Harry was 32,
Eunice was 28; Eunice had to cut short her au pairing in Antwerp to marry.
In their wedding photo,
from left to right: Laura Moss (bride’s mother); Harry Birkin (bride’s uncle, home at Tiptree on holiday
from Australia, to give Eunice away as bride’s father Mark Moss had died 12 years earlier);
Mary Dyer (bridesmaid, 2nd cousin on Moss side); Henry Pettet (groom); Eunice Moss (bride);
William Sutcliffe* (best man, bank clerk from Maidenhead), Olive Moss* (bridesmaid, bride’s sister);
Charles W. Pettet* (groom’s father). *These three are listed on the wedding certificate as witnesses.
The Essex Chronicle
(report 20-6-1924)
describes the bride’s dress as "ivory charmeuse, with a square silk lace
train suspended from the shoulders; her veil was of Tambour lace, with a wreath of orange blossom, and she carried
a bouquet of pink and white roses", and adds "her ornaments included a gold and ivory pendant, a souvenir from Switzerland".
The reception was at Rook Hall, Cressing with 50 guests.
Bride and groom then motored to Colchester hospital where Eunice’s brother Stan was recuperating after a motorbike accident,
before getting the Harwich boat for Belgium for their honeymoon in Switzerland.
Immediately after the service the bride’s mother and sister left their bouquets on Clive’s grave
(bride’s younger brother), who they had buried the previous summer. |
photo
cutting
page
|
| 11 |
1924 |
EWP
HCP |
 Painting
of Lake Como by Joseph K. Norton, a wedding present to EWP and HCP.
View is Santa Maria di Loppia church near Bellagio, looking down the stairway (scalinata)
leading from the shore along a straight wide grassy avenue (some 800 metres long) to the Villa Giulia.
Geolocated by WPS June 2022.
The artist was the father-in-law of vicar George Bishop who officiated at the wedding.
Painting (jpg).
Frame (jpg).
Label (jpg).
Detail of church (jpg).
Detail of lake (jpg).
View today 2020 (jpg).
Stairway from below 2020 (jpg).
Street view 2019 (jpg).
Research (pdf) into the artist by Charmian Goundry.
Yasmin's clip (mp4) of scalinata from ferry 16-7-2022.
Yasmin's clip (mp4) on the scalinata 16-7-2022.
View today 16-7-2022 (jpg) by Yasmin. |
painting
today |
| 12 |
1927 |
Moss |
Death of Ruby (EWP's sister) on Sunday 1-5-1927.
Letter dated Monday 2nd May (year added later by Stan is wrong) from their
mother Laura Moss to Eunice (mentioning Stan who was living with/near Eunice & Harry at that time).
Funeral and burial was Thursday 5th May (not the following Saturday as planned in the letter).
Cutting #1 Chelmsford Chronicle 6th May 1927.
Cutting #2 Essex Newsman 7th May 1927. |
letter
certificate
notice1
notice2 |
| 13 |
1944 |
HCP |
Surrey Home Guard Certificate of Proficiency, 2nd Battalion. |
certificate |
| 14 |
1945 |
HCP |
Home Guard Certificate Certificate of Thanks signed by George VI |
certificate |
| 15 |
1945 |
EWP |
Certificate of Thanks from Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) |
certificate |
| 16 |
1750-1948 |
Moss |
Deeds of Wrights Farm 1750-1948 |
archive |
| 17 |
1952 |
CWP |
Death Notice in the Telegraph |
notice |
| 18 |
1959 |
HCP |
Certificate of 50 Years Service at Boots |
certificate |
| 19 |
2007 |
JPS
MKS |
Diamond Wedding Congratulations from the Queen |
cover
inside |
| Family Trees |
| A |
Pettet
Goodger
Phipps
Clark |
 HCP ancestors. Updated August 2024 and January 2025.
Marriages:
John Pettet (JP3) & Eliza Goodger (1862),
John Pettet (JP2) & Mary Fuller (1832), and
John Goodger & Mary Ann Dunks (1830).
Some details of previous generation
(the 8 great-grandparents of CWP):
John Pettit (JP1) & Elizabeth Lucas (1811),
James Fuller & Sarah Medhurst (1810).
Earlier marriages:
David Goodger & Dorothy Hills (1789),
John Dunks & Jane Wellerd (1808),
Robert Phipps & Phoebe Tucker (1781)
of the broken tombstone at Borden. |
tree
timeline
|
| B |
Moss
Birkin |
EWP ancestors |
tree |
| C |
Pettet |
Pettit Family Tree.
CWP (JPS's grandfather) is in bottom left corner (NB born 1864 not 1865).
Surname GOODYEAR is not correct, it is GOODGER (as can be heard on 1977 recording of HCP);
this error is repeated elsewhere.
JPS was in touch with John Pettit b. 1947 (4th cousins), and probably provided him with info for this tree.
WPS was in touch with David Pettit b. 1968 (5th cousins) whilst working at RBS, who provided this tree.
Spelling: this branch of the family continued to use PETTIT;
use of PETTET is believed to have begun with John Pettet (JP3);
his descendants used only PETTET. |
tree |
| D |
Birkin |
Birkin Family Tree.
Siblings, uncles & aunts, and ancestors of Laura Moss née Birkin
1869-1945 (JPS's grandmother) going back 6 generations to births in the early 1700s. |
tree |
| E |
Phipps |
 Descendants of Sarah Coom née Phipps
who emigrated to New Zealand on the
Ballochmyle's maiden voyage
in 1874, passage courtesy of the NZ government, having
married
the year before in Yorkshire.
Here's the Ballochmyle's passenger list:
cover
index
detail
skills & countries
She was nearly 8 months pregnant when the boat docked, and had 5 childen, 11 grandchildren and at least 10 great-grandchildren that
can be found in the New Zealand Birth, Death and Marriage Historical Records
(www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz)
(free and unrestricted access).
Sarah lived to 74 years, her husband Robert, a blacksmith, to 81.
Sarah's older brother Henry Phipps
(married 1870)
emigrated to Brisbane, Australia, at the same time, on the Nourmahal,
with wife Ann and 2 year old daughter Annie (see page 7 of the
passenger list).
They lived 300km inland at Miles, Western Downs Region, Queensland,
where it appears he farmed and at one time kept a shop.
They are buried in Dogwood Cemetery, Miles
(his
her details). |
tree |
| F |
Coom
Phipps |
Noel Coom ancestors (received April 2024).
One of his ancestors is Sarah Phipps, this tree therefore includes her ancestors.
This has also been written up by a professional genealogist as a 112 page book, pdf available
here. |
tree |