Family Research

I have now returned from Bristol where my son and I spent several days going through the old Parish Records for Bitton and surrounding areas, and studying the microfilms of the Census 1851 – 1881 for the same areas.  Oh!  If only we had the time, energy and zeal to go through all the areas with a fine tooth comb!

We now know that William Henry Russ was a ‘Boarder’ with a family at Bitton at the age of 5 years, this information being gleamed from the 1871 Census dated 30th March 1871.  The occupation of the 15 year old daughter of the family was marked on the Census as “Nursemaid”, but whether this was in relation to the 5 year old William Henry Russ we can only speculate.  There was no mention of Jane.

From the old Parish Records we were able to discover that William Henry was Baptised on the 24th July 1873 – a notation was made in the Register at that time stating that he was “Born October 1865” and was “Son of Jane Russ”.

We also traced a Jane Russ through the Parish Records who was born in 1842 and whose father was given as a William Russ.   By going back even further in the records we were able to trace this same William Russ whose Baptismal entry was given as “Base Child of Mary Russ”.

Other News
We have been pretty busy this week in the office.

Today we have some V.I.P’s from Hong Kong and they have all gone out for a 3 hour lunch and drinks, which has given me a bit of breathing space.

Tipsy is improving slowly, but whether the abscess will need to be reopened again I am not sure as it seems to be closed up now and his neck is still swollen.  I am giving him the antibiotics crushed up in his food as I can’t him to swallow if I put them at the back of his throat - It makes him heave.

I shall be going straight home and going to bed tonight as I am feeling somewhat jaded today.

Grace Russ - 11th December 1985