Herry's Archives

It's only this week that I've really understood how powerful the internet can be in facilitating contact with people and relatives with whom one might never be in touch. Unless I had written this archive, none of the following happy contacts would have been made: This is a painting that I finally picked up yesterday of my ancestor Edward Lawford . Rather a fine picture, except that it has a huge gash on his neck! I was offered it at an auction earlier this year and intended to buy it, but went to New York at short notice and missed it. I then tried and failed to buy it from the person who bought it. Later I had an e-mail from a removals firm offering to sell it to me for a relatively small sum as it had been damaged in transit from the auction house and the buyer had claimed on their insurance and no longer wanted it. Of course I bought it and now have it on my wall. A friend ( Nick Duke's niece Kiki Price who restores old paintings) has repaired it for me. So this ...

Edward, Boodle, Charlotte, Prue, Thomas, Milly and Marijke. Photo Herry Edward and Marijke took an apartment in New York in July 2012 with Charlotte and Milly, and most the rest of the family joined them for part of the time. As before, sadly Radha and Kei couldn't be there too, but a good time was had visiting MOMA and numerous other attractions including the 9/11 site . Edward and Boodle competed with each other to see how many places each could visit on Foursquare. It was however very hot, almost 40C on some days, and Prue became ill and had to go to hospital, which was a great worry. And I flew home just ahead of a giant thunderstorm. However, all was well in the end and Edward and the family ended with a great holiday in Mexico. 

The Family at Christmas 2011 - Sitting: Prue, Charlotte, Milly, Marijke, Beatrice Allez (Watson). Standing: Rebecca and Nathan Siemsgluess, Charles (Boodle / Barley), Radha, Thomas Siemsgluess, Christian, Herry, Connie Fung, Edward. (Photo by Fung with Edward's Sony). The family came together again for Christmas 2011 at Prue's house in Sydney, though sadly Kei and Ayako had to remain in London. The Family at Darling Harbour 23rd December 2011 (except Radha) On Boxing Day (26th) we decamped to the Gold Coast where Prue had rented a huge waterside villa at Surfers Paradise and a happy week was spent there and at theme parks, playing golf, swimming and sightseeing. And on 28th December we travelled to Peter Crittle's house at Crabbes Creek to spend a day with his family. Peter is my ex-brother-in-law as he was married to Prue's sister Penny, who sadly died in 2004. The Crittle Family at Crabbes Creek House on 28th December 2011. Left to right: Jarr...

Novington Manor, in the centre in the trees, with Odintune on the left The Powell Edwards links to the Pugh family stem from Howell Powell Edwards (1827 - 1897), who became tutor to the family of John Evans and Elizabeth Pugh Evans, married their daughter Elizabeth Pugh (1832 - 1873) in Aberystwyth in 1852. Howell Powell Edwards was born in Llysworney, Glam and went to Jesus College, Oxford and obtained a BA in 1848 (MA 1851). In 1851 he is recorded as a curate in a parish in Newcastle. He later became vicar of Llangattock, Caerleon and retired as Rector of St Andrews and Dinas Powis, Cardiff. They had ten children and their eldest son Howell Powell Edwards (1855 - 1916), born at Llanbadaran, Cards, married Katherine Elizabeth Bonsall (1854 - c1911), daughter of Thomas Bonsall and Katherine Hughes, in Aberystyth in 1881. Howell became a solicitor at Gray's Inn and purchased Novington Manor, an ancient estate recorded in 1258 , in 1885 having made his money in property, owni...

AN ETON SCHOOLBOY VISITS THE AMMAN VALLEY: Diary of a Public Schoolboy (1843) Terry Norman and Nigel Lawford First published in the  Carmarthenshire Antiquary Volume XL, 2004, pages 104 - 117 "The country was quite new to us, & the hats of the Welshwomen struck me very much" Those words represent the reaction of a sixteen-year old Eton schoolboy named Edward Melville Lawford on his first visit to Wales on Wednesday 12th April 1843. He spent the rest of the month in this country of quaint hats, most of it in the area around Carreg Cennen Castle, near Llandeilo, and Cross Inn (renamed Ammanford in 1880). More than the hats of Welsh women has changed since 1843, of course, but fortunately for posterity this young Etonian recorded his impressions in a diary. This article is indebted to Mr Nigel Lawford, a modern-day descendant of Melville's brother, Henry, who has kindly made the diary and his account of the family's history available, and it is from these t...