Fab Feb Photo Collage - Day Thirteen

Bert - Mrs Conner's brother

From my grandmother's album.

On the back of the photo in my grandmother's handwriting is "Bert - Mrs Conner's brother".

Once again a copy of the original which I fear may have been lost - well here in Australia anyway.

My great-grandfather, Edwin Conner married Eleanor Eliza Cook 24 May 1892 in Portsea.

Eleanor's parents were James Vernon Cook and Caroline Jefferies.  

Albert is one of Eleanor's brothers.

Back in 2009 I was lucky enough to make contact with a couple of cousins on Ancestry.  
One cousin is called June and she is based in Western Australia and the other is Geraldine based in the UK.

Geraldine sent me the most amazing photos - two of which are featured in posts here and here.

The photo above closely resembles another photo she sent me:

Albert H Cook

Geraldine sent me her family tree.  She is descended from John Frank Cook - one of the youngest children and her grandfather.  He was born in 1893.  

 

Geraldine's tree shows 11 children - James, Eleanor, Emily, Emma, Beatrice, Mabel, Albert, Winifred, Grace, John and Frederick.

 

I have Eleanor's birth certificate which shows her being born in 1875 in Portsmouth.

 

Geraldine's family tree shows Albert being born in 1888.  

 

One of June's emails tells me (via Geraldine) that Albert was a gunner (torpedo) but retired a Lieutenant.   

 

June's grandmother was Mabel and she was born in 1882.

My parents and I met Aunty Win when I was little and we first went to the UK.

 

Here is a photo of Aunty Win outside her house with her husband.  Win was born in 1891.

 

Win and Charles Blanchard 1962

 

I famously fell into Aunty Win's coal fire and burnt my hand.

 

Here is a photo of the fire.  Win and Charles are seated with Grace, her younger sister and Grace's husband Stanley.

 

L to R Charles and Win Blanchard nee Cook, Grace and Charles.

 

So - there's a bit of research to be done.  I should probably follow up first with Geraldine but I could also investigate the National Archives records in the UK for Albert's record of service.

 

I would like to be able to date the photos of Albert and have some idea of the medals he is wearing.

Geraldine very kindly sent me a photo of Albert's parents' grave - James and Caroline -  which is at Wymering in Portsmouth.

James and Caroline Cook's grave

Wymering Church

And oh my goodness I just read the history of the church and discovered that Jane Austen's brother was Churchwarden there and one of Nelson's admirals no less.  

 

And I like that the church now has a female vicar - way to go - Mother Juliet Straw.  Mother - of course...father...mother....never thought of that.

 

And that they have something called Messy Church - definitely worth following up!

Thank you cousins June and Geraldine for generously sharing your research and photos with me.

Thanks too to Julie and Pauleen for giving the inspiration for this post.