Clara Ashforth, Jessie Renwick, New Zealand and intrigue
Article
Jessie Renwick
I'm not sure I fully understand this myself, but I will try to explain:
During a telephone conversation with my mother I passed on a few of the more tangible discoveries I have made while researching my Ashforth line. We were chatting about some of the family photographs I have recently scanned and uploaded to this site.
Apparently Clara ASHFORTH 1895-1932 met a gentleman from New Zealand, they married and emigrated to New Zealand. Clara died, and some time later Jessie RENWICK 1908-1982 the daughter of Harry RENWICK 1885-1959 and Jessie RENWICK (née Jessie ASHFORTH 1887-1954) travelled to New Zealand and married the widower of Clara ASHFORTH 1895-1932.
This took some getting my head around! Thanks to the families having 2 women by the name of Jessie, and 2 women by the name of Clara. Even now I am not absolutely certain I am correct.
The four children in this photograph were born in New Zealand though whether to Clara or Jessie I cannot recall. What I do recall quite clearly and I remember it often being repeated, is that in the 1960's one of these children (by now in their late teens or early twenties) travelled to , England and while taking some photographs from the newly erected Cole Brothers building (a large local department store) fell down a lift shaft and died of his injuries. It was certainly reported in the Sheffield Star so a trawl though their archives should probably give me the exact date.
Hopefully sometime soon I will ask my mother to go over this story in more detail and try and establish a more comprehensive timeline of events.
2007-07-31 Very exciting news. Descendants of the ASHFORTH / RENWICK line have left comments and sent an email regarding this post and provided further details of this line of the family tree. I will endeavour to repost with corrections and amendments as soon as possible.
2007-08-02 I have amended, corrected and created a new post regarding the death of Douglas Roy WILLIAMSON 1940-1963. To read this update click here.
2007-08-04 Using FreeBMD I have found a marriage record for Clara ASHFORTH 1895-1932 and Henry James WILLIAMSON 1894-1965. The marriage took place at Sheffield in the June quarter of 1919. To read this update click here.
2009-01-28 Thanks to KW for kindly contacting me and providing a great deal of information regarding the families of Henry James WILLIAMSON 1894-1965, enabling me to correct and clarify this article.
"It was Douglas Roy WILLIAMSON 1940-1963 who died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall." - KW
"The four children in this photograph were from the marriage of Henry James WILLIAMSON 1894-1965 and Clara WILLIAMSON (née Clara ASHFORTH 1895-1932)." - KW
To read this update click here.
"Douglas Roy WILLIAMSON 1940-1963 was from the marriage of Henry James WILLIAMSON 1894-1965 and Jessie RENWICK 1908-1982." - KW
To read this update click here.
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ashforth/renwick