This was my grandfather Leslie Casbon’s (1894–1990) Third Reader. I know it was his book, because he wrote his name inside the front cover. It must also have been used by his brother, Lynnet (1899–1983), whose name is written inside the back cover. Since Leslie was the oldest child of Lawrence (1865–1950) and Kate (Marquart, 1868–1959)… Continue reading Grandpa’s Reader
Author: Jon Casbon
Going, Going …
The sister villages of Meldreth and Melbourn in Cambridgeshire are my ancestral homeland. Records of Casbon ancestors in these villages go back to the mid-sixteenth century. Families occasionally moved from one village to another, or to other nearby villages, but there was little reason or incentive to go further. The situation remained stable for over… Continue reading Going, Going …
Was my Third Great Grandfather a Convicted Thief?
Sometimes there are long gaps in records, especially for people who lived before censuses were taken. You might only have records for birth (or baptism), marriage, and death (or burial)—commonly referred to as “BMD” records, with no information about what happened in the intervals between these major life events. Such is the case with my… Continue reading Was my Third Great Grandfather a Convicted Thief?
Obituaries: Charles and Mary Casbon
obituary (n.) "register of deaths," from Medieval Latin obituarius "a record of the death of a person," literally "pertaining to death," from Latin obitus "departure, a going to meet, encounter" (a euphemism for "death"), from stem of obire "go toward, go to meet" (as in mortem obire "meet death"), from ob "toward" (see ob-) +… Continue reading Obituaries: Charles and Mary Casbon
The Family Bible of Charles and Mary Casbon
My pursuit of family history began in the early 1990s as a collaborative effort with my father. He had received an offer in the mail to purchase The World Book of Casbons, published by Halbert’s Family Heritage. We didn’t know it at the time, but this company was named as a purveyor of "scam" genealogy… Continue reading The Family Bible of Charles and Mary Casbon
Lost Man, Found
Ever since I wrote about Thomas Casbon (b. 1840) of Peterborough, I’ve been wondering what happened to him. You may recall that Thomas was fished out of the Thames in Greenwich and admitted to the Greenwich Union after an apparent suicide attempt in 1871.[1] Thomas was estranged from his wife, who had filed for divorce… Continue reading Lost Man, Found
Last Words
In my previous post I described the enjoyment Emily (Price) Casbon derived from keeping bees and extracting their honey. Today’s post looks at what might have been Emily’s defining characteristic: her Christian faith. Emily was the wife of Jesse Casbon (1843–1934), who with his father Thomas, mother Emma, two brothers and one sister (born after… Continue reading Last Words
What’s the Buzz?
It’s often difficult to learn more about our ancestors than the basic facts of their lives: when they were born and died, who they married, where they lived, and who were their children. I’m always happy when I find something that tells me more about what someone did with their life. Such is the case… Continue reading What’s the Buzz?
Wedding Portrait – Charles Arthur Casbon and Eliza Kate Harvey, September 21, 1915
Thanks to contributor Charles “Tony” Casbon in Peterborough, UK, for this portrait of his paternal grandparents’ wedding. Charles Arthur Casbon (1880–1945) was the son of Thomas (1854–1910) and Elizabeth (Pettifor, 1856–1906) Casbon.[1] Charles and his family were descended from the Littleport/Peterborough line of the Casbon surname. This was his second marriage. The first, to Grace… Continue reading Wedding Portrait – Charles Arthur Casbon and Eliza Kate Harvey, September 21, 1915
Snapshots: Anna Mae and Jesse Casbon II
Here are a few more odds and ends from the treasure trove sent to me by John N Casbon, grandson of Anna (1876–1957) and son of Jesse (1898–1974) and Elizabeth (Ryan, 1906–2000) Casbon. John Newton Kitchel Family, about 1902 The inscription on the photo reads “Dads father/mother” with arrows pointing to John Newton Kitchel and… Continue reading Snapshots: Anna Mae and Jesse Casbon II