#52Ancestors “Nearly Forgotten”

~ Chiddicks Family Tree

We have reached week 13, in the wonderful Genealogy challenge set by Amy Johnson Crow, to write something about your Ancestor’s for a whole year, hashtag 52Ancestors in 52 weeks.

This week our theme is “Nearly Forgotten”, which we can interpret in lots of different ways. When I was a “novice” Family History Researcher, at the start of my Family History journey I made the classic “schoolboy error” and actually missed one of my close Ancestors completely!

Let me explain how and why…….

Like a lot of people, when I set off, all those years ago, I initially followed my Direct male line and with a surname like mine, “Chiddicks”, it was quite easy to get back before Civil Registration had started (1837) and stretch into Parish Records. I then expanded my direct line, by including all the sibling’s and before I knew it, my tree was growing quite nicely. Several years later, more than I am embarrassed to admit, whilst doing another search on the Free BMD site, I found a birth for a Louisa Alice Chiddicks, born in South Ockendon, Essex in 1897, a further search quickly revealed a death for poor Louisa in the same quarter. I noted both details down, but couldn’t find a suitable “fit” into my family, although it was exactly the right area that my family had lived. Eventually curiosity got the better of me and I ordered the Birth Certificate, boy was I in for a surprise!

Louisa Alice Chiddicks was in fact my Grandfather’s oldest Sister and the first born child of William Chiddicks and Caroline Rosina Chiddicks, so how did I miss her I hear you all shout!! I made the classic “schoolboy error” of finding William and Caroline’s Marriage, dated April 3rd 1897 and counted forwards 9 Months before I started looking for their children! Poor Louisa Alice Chiddicks was born 20th August 1897. I will let you do the Maths on that one!

So that’s how I completely missed poor Louisa Alice Chiddicks and she was “Nearly Forgotten”.

I still have a real soft spot for Louisa, not only because of this, but also that she died so young and in such tragic circumstances. Louisa will always hold a special place in my heart now and her story will never be forgotten.

 

Louisa Chiddicks Birth

 

Louisa Chiddicks Death

 

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I began researching my family tree around 15 years ago to initially find out more about my Father who died when I was three years old and I haven’t stopped searching yet. I also have a keen interest in Military History in particular WW1.

7 thoughts on “#52Ancestors “Nearly Forgotten””

  1. My great grandparents, on my dad’s side, were forced to get married because they were caught messing around in the barn…a few short months later (I can’t remember exactly how long without looking it up) my grandmothers oldest sister was born.
    It happened, even back then 🙂

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  2. How sad, yet how wonderful that you found her information and can be properly remembered with all her siblings.
    While she was most certainly conceived before her parents married, given her cause of death, she may still have been a preemie. Without the kinds of interventions we have today, there was little hope for preemies. There can be so many issues for them, including difficulties sucking, intestinal abnormalities, even problems for the moms sometimes, such as inadequate milk production with no available wet nurse. We really don’t realize today just how dangerous childbirth and early infancy were, unless one lives in a third world country. Your story is a stark reminder. Thanks so much for sharing.

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