Pilgrim

Here’s a research tip: when viewing images of records online, always check to see if there are more pages than the one you are viewing. Case in point: Here is the top of a page from the passenger list of the steam ship Celtic, which arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on 10 June 1928, after departing… Continue reading Pilgrim

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 …

Two Women of Folkestone

Had you been reading The Folkestone Herald on March 25, 1899, you would have come across this advertisement and article.[1],[2] Who is “Miss Casbon … Late of Claremont house”? From census records, it is clear that she is Fanny Sanders Casbon. Very few records of her life exist, but I think they are enough to… Continue reading Two Women of Folkestone

Using GPS: James & Susanna

Buckle your seat belts, serious genealogy discussion ahead! If you’re not into that, feel free to sit this one out. It’s OK, I don’t mind. In "James Casbon, Farmer and Carrier, 1806-1871, Part 1" I provided this marriage record for James Casbon and Susanna Hayden Sanders. [1] Marriage record of James Casbon and Susanna Hayden… Continue reading Using GPS: James & Susanna

James Casbon, Farmer and Carrier, 1806-1871, Part 2

Part 1 of this series ended with the death of James’ wife of 16 years, Susanna Hayden Sanders. The next chapter of James’ life was turbulent, as he faced significant legal, financial, and domestic challenges. The first record of this period is the 1851 census.[1] Detail from 1851 census, Meldreth, Cambridgeshire (Click on image to enlarge)… Continue reading James Casbon, Farmer and Carrier, 1806-1871, Part 2

James Casbon, Farmer and Carrier, 1806-1871, Part 1

James Casbon of Meldreth (~1772-1833) had only one son, also named James, who is the subject of today’s post. He was born September 7, 1806 and baptized September 28 in the same year.[1] Detail from Meldreth Bishop’s Transcripts, showing birth and baptismal dates for James Casbon, 1806 (Click on image to enlarge) He was a… Continue reading James Casbon, Farmer and Carrier, 1806-1871, Part 1