Middlesex
A summary of Tim Silver's links with Middlesex
What more can I say? Middlesex is where I, my parents and three of my grandparents were born. It is also the county where the last three Silver generations have been buried / cremated.
Main areas of interest -
Ashford: Feltham: Hampton: Notting Hill: Stanwell
Extended family locations -
Acton: Bedfont: Brentford: Chelsea: Clerkenwell: Ealing: Earlsfield: Fulham: Greenford: Hammersmith: Hampstead: Hanworth: Hayes: Isleworth: Islington: Kensington: Kew: Kingston: Lambeth: Northfields: Old Brentford: Putney: Richmond: Shepherds Bush: Staines: Sunbury: Teddington: Twickenham: Upper Teddington: Uxbridge: Whitton
Ashford, 51.503239N 0.688133W, is a town almost entirely in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne in England, with a small part falling within Greater London. It is a suburban development situated 15 miles (24 km) west south-west of Charing Cross in London and forms part of the London commuter belt. It is often referred to as Ashford, Middlesex to distinguish it from the larger town of Ashford, Kent, because it fell within the historic county of Middlesex. Since 1965, when Middlesex County Council was dissolved, it has been part of Surrey and the small London section part of the London Borough of Hounslow.
My links with Ashford couldn't be stronger. I was born in Ashford, as was my father, James Wilfred Silver. My mother, Nancy Andrews was also born in Ashford. My parents married at St. Matthews church in Ashford. The church figures strongly as I was both baptised and confirmed there. In addition, all (but one) of my aunts and uncles were married in this church.
Feltham, 51.447252N 0.413614W, formed an ancient parish in the Spelthorne hundred of Middlesex. In 1831 it occupied an area of
2,620 acres (11 km2) and had a population of 924. From 1894 to 1904 the Feltham parish was included in the Staines Rural District. In 1901 the
parish had a population of 4,534 and in 1904 it was split from the rural district to form the Feltham Urban District. In 1932 the parishes of Hanworth and East Bedfont were also transferred from the Staines district to Feltham Urban District. The former area of Feltham Urban District became part of Greater London in 1965 as part of the London Borough of Hounslow.
Links with Feltham start and end with my gt. grandfather, James Thomas Silver. He was the Silver (in my direct line) that left the land and Hampshire. I say that my links with Feltham end with James because while he moved lock, stock & barrel with his wife and 10 children, I've not, so far, been able to trace any of them.
Hampton, 51.421879N 0.369249W, is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England. Formerly it was in the county of Middlesex, which was also its postal county. The population is about 9,500. The Anglo-Saxon parish of Hampton included present-day Hampton, Hampton Hill, Hampton Wick and Hampton Court which together are called The Hamptons. The name Hampton may come from the Anglo-Saxon words hamm meaning an enclosure in the bend of a river and ton meaning farmstead or settlement. The riverside, on the reach above Molesey Lock, has many period buildings including Garrick's House and Shakespeare's Temple, also on the river is the Astoria Houseboat recording studio. Hampton Ferry used to provide access across the Thames to East Molesey.
For me, “Hampton” includes Hampton, Hampton Court and Hampton Wick. The family names associated with this area come from my mothers side and the most predominant are Johnson and Fricker. My 2x gt. grandmother, Eliza Ellen Johnson was born at Hampton Court - although not in the palace. Her mother, Eliza Ellen Fricker (yes, their first names were the same) was born in Hampton Wick.
Notting Hill, 51.519812N 0.200788W. The origin of the name “Notting Hill” is uncertain though an early version appears in the Patent Rolls of 1356 as Knottynghull, while an 1878 text, Old and New London, reports that the name derives from a manor in Kensington called “Knotting-Bernes”, “Knutting-Barnes,” or “Nutting-barns”, and goes on to quote from a court record during Henry VIII's reign that “the manor called Notingbarons, alias Kensington, in the parish of Paddington, was held of the Abbot of Westminster.” For years, it was thought to be a link with Canute, but it is now thought likely that the “Nott” section of the name is derived from the Saxon personal name Cnotta, with the “ing” part generally accepted as coming from the Saxon for a group or settlement of people.
The exact reason why my gt. grandfather, Albert Edward Hyman, cycled all the way from Stanwell to Notting Hill (on a daily basis) is not clear. Some say it was something to do with a fish-monger, others a butcher. Nonetheless, that's where Albert met his future wife, Phoebe
Knight in that area. They had a 'liaison' and had to get married - in Notting Hill. There must have been something between them - they had
19 children!
Stanwell, 51.451810N 0.472310W, is a suburban village in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne. It is located 15.7 miles (24.8 km) west south-west of Charing Cross and half a mile (0.8 km) from the southern boundary of London Heathrow Airport and the London Borough of Hillingdon. There are two theories regarding the origin of the name Stanwell. One is that it was named after St Anne's Well in the village. The second, and more likely, theory is that it in fact means 'stone well'. Indeed the first few letters of the name are the same as in the name of neighbouring Staines, which also is said to mean 'stones'. Stanwell appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Stanwelle. It was held by Walter, son of Othere.
Statistically, my predominant link with Stanwell is the Hyman's. In 1851 my 2x gt. grandfather, William Hyman, was in Mells, Somerset. Around the mid 1850's he's migrated east and, having met Elizabeth Wooderson, he settles in Stanwell - they marry (in Stanwell) on 09 Oct. 1859. Ignoring the statistics, I spent the first 4 years of my life in Stanwell.