In 1893, Harvey's great-great-grandfather, Samuel Wright, was at the forefront of new technology. After three decades working with machines, he was put in charge of a new steam joinery works in Penzance, Cornwall, owned by Messrs Caldwell.

A newspaper article of the time goes into great detail about the new equipment. There was initially some concern that the labour-saving machinery would lead to unemployment in the trade but the reverse turned out to be the case.

It seems Samuel was head-hunted for the job as the newspaper states… The machinist and joiner, who was had down from Exeter to take charge of this branch, was Mr. Samuel Wright, and Messrs. Caldwell consider "Cappen Sam" is "the right man in the right place."


From The Cornishman newspaper article dated 1893
Site Updates - Barnes Family

• Added details about Samuel Wright and the names of his wife, Sarah Deverill, and children.
• Also added a biography page for Samuel Wright with a full transcript of the newspaper article mentioned above.

[Why Workday Wednesday? This phrase has been included in the title in order to take part in Daily Blogging Prompts at Geneabloggers]

[Note: All content on the Hibbitt Family History website and blog is copyrighted. Click here for conditions of use.]

Tavistock Goose Fair 2015
Last week, Harvey, my parents and I went to Tavistock Goose Fair, the annual fair which dates back to the 12th century.

This reminded me of the time when we took my gran to the fair a few months after my grandpa died. We had a nice time until poor gran slipped off the curb and fell down. At the age of 78, it's a wonder she didn't break a bone. She was always very supple and could touch her toes, even when she was quite old.


A few seconds of video showing my gran at Goose Fair in 1994 before the fall.

[Why Matrilineal Monday? This phrase has been included in the title in order to take part in Daily Blogging Prompts at Geneabloggers]

[Note: All content on the Hibbitt Family History website and blog is copyrighted. Click here for conditions of use.]

We like to visit Newlyn in Cornwall from time to time, the home of Harvey's forbears as well as the place where he lived as a young child, so last weekend we took a drive down. We brought along a bucket, a scrubbing brush and cleaner together with some shears to the cemetery in Sheffield Road on the outskirts of the nearby village of Paul where a number of Harvey's relatives are buried. The cemetery is always well kept but it's nice to be able to tidy things up just a little bit more.

After we'd tended Harvey's parents grave, we moved over to that of his great-grandparents (Thomas Barnes & Sarah Elizabeth, nee Wright) and his grandad (also Thomas Barnes). The monument had become quite dirty in recent years and a few stumps of grass had decided to poke through the side of the covering stone so it was with great satisfaction that we removed the grass and cleaned up the headstone.


Grave of Thomas Barnes senr., his wife, Sarah nee Wright,
and their son, Thomas Barnes jun. before the clean-up.


Grave of Thomas Barnes senr., his wife, Sarah nee Wright,
and their son, Thomas Barnes jun. after the clean-up.
Amongst the family archive, we have the somewhat dilapidated, stone mason's original invoice which describes the monument in detail. The firm was W. H. Snell who were based in Newlyn. Sarah died in October 1910 but the invoice is dated almost two years later on 27th July 1912. It states…

For making Polished Granite fronted Headstone and Polished fronted Base of fine Grit Cornish Granite with Scotch Granite Green pearl Urn, and Red Suede Pillars all polished, and Lead Inscription Gilded over front of Letters and fine dressed Granite Kerb around Grave Galvanized Iron Tomb Rail 871 Pattern and Slate Covering Stone over Grave Space fixed at the Cemetery Paul as per price agreed. £25 0s 0d. (equivalent to more than £2000 today). Written below this are further costs which have since faded and become illegible.

When Thomas Barnes senr. died in 1939, the cost to remove the monument for burial, to add further lettering and clean and re-erect it with new foundations came to £6 7s. 0d. The invoice was produced by Snell & Son with the slogan… When outstanding Quality is essential discriminating buyers favour "SNELLS". We have no paperwork denoting the costs for when Thomas Barnes jun. was buried in 1975.

Finally, it wasn't until we arrived home and looked at the photographs I'd taken that we realized we'd paid a visit on the anniversary of Harvey's great-grandfather's death - 10th October.


Thomas Barnes senr's. headstone inscription.

[Why Those Places Thursday? This phrase has been included in the title in order to take part in Daily Blogging Prompts at Geneabloggers]

Today is the 43rd anniversary of my Grandpa Hibbitt's passing so I thought I'd post this slide of my grandparents, taken in the 1930's, together with some memories I have of him.


Charlie & Isey Hibbitt.
Grandpa was called Charles but was known as Charlie and my gran was Ivy but became known as Isey (pronounced Icy) when my dad tried to say her name when he was a young child.

Although I was only nine when Grandpa died, it's surprising what comes to mind like when we used to be parked in the car park at Plymstock Broadway in his Hillman Minx, waiting for mum to do the shopping and listening to the police (tut tut) on his radio - he held a listener's licence, but obviously not for listening to police transmissions.

We had lots of happy times on the boat, a cabin cruiser he used to keep on the Kingsbridge Estuary. I used to like combing Grandpa's hair, what little he had of it by the time he was in his 60's! He called his cardigans 'smoking jackets' and I always remember he loved eating Wagon Wheels and a rather large oatmeal biscuit covered in chocolate, the name of which I forget.

Grandpa was buried at Drake Memorial Park on the outskirts of Plymstock and I still visit his grave from time to time. So here's to Grandpa, thanks for the memories.


Grandpa's grave at Drake Memorial Park - photographed 7th October 2015.
Rather poignantly, I caught the sunrays shining on his memorial plaque.

[Why Thankful Thursday? This phrase has been included in the title in order to take part in Daily Blogging Prompts at Geneabloggers]

I was in London on Wednesday and, whilst I was there, I spent a few hours at the National Archives. My main purpose was to see if I could satisfy the family lore which suggests that Harvey's grandad, Cyril Ellen, had set up a dark room on a ship.

Cyril joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a Chief Petty Officer in April 1915 attached to the photographic department and he also undertook observer duties. I know he was on HMS Riviera from July 1915 to November 1916 so I looked up some of the ship's logs but unfortunately I couldn't find anything helpful. I didn't have time to order the logs for every month that he served on the ship so I picked out various individual months but nothing popped up.

The only mention of Cyril which I could find was on the 30th June 1915 at about 5pm and this wasn't a mention by name. This was the day before his service record states he joined HMS Riviera and simply reads...

"One C.P.O. (Air Service) rating joined ship".


Ship's Log for HMS Riviera - 30th June 1915
(Click the image to see a larger version.)
Riviera was a seaplane tender which had been converted in 1914 from a cross-channel packet ship. She underwent a second conversion in early 1915 and saw service with the Dover Patrol whilst Cyril was on the ship. I'm aware there was a dark room onboard by 1918 but the exact date it was put there remains elusive. I also know Cyril got into a couple of scrapes in May and June 1916 but the log didn't reveal anything about these incidents.

After he left Riviera, Cyril gained a Commission and was drafted to Stavros in Greece (which was an airfield adjacent to the sea by the time he arrived) where he was engaged in photographic flights at low altitudes for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross gallantry medal.

So the question as to whether Cyril set up a dark room on a ship is still outstanding. I wonder if we'll ever find documentary evidence in support of this family tale.

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