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Wales of Old

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The WARRENDER Family
of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire

Photographs and family details provided by Helen Verrall (née Nash) of Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Helen subtitles her story, "How a lass born in Salop and raised in Worcestershire met a man from Staffordshire, in Dudley, Worcestershire, married him in Old Swinford, Worcestershire, and settled in Monmouthshire"!

Helen's photograph shows the family of Thomas WARRENDER and Eliza RANDLE. Eliza was the eldest sister of Helen's great grandmother Amelia NASH née RANDLE (1851- 1919). Judging by the ages of the children, Helen estimates that the photograph was taken in 1872 or '73, making it nearly 130 years old.

Warrender family group   Back of photograph
Above: The front and back of Helen's 130-year-old family photograph.

The photograph shows (left to right):
Back row: Thomas, b. 1850; Aaron, b. 1858; Louisa Emily, b. 1852; (three children of Thomas's first marriage)
Front row: Thomas, b. 1818; Eliza, b. 1867; Anna Emily, b. 1869; Eliza, b. 1834.



Background information

Thomas WARRENDER, a cordwainer (shoemaker), born circa 1818 at Blymhill, Staffordshire, came from a long line of Blymhill cordwainers. Thomas and his brother Benjamin moved to Dudley, Worcestershire about 1845.

Eliza RANDLE, eldest daughter of Phoebe and William RANDLE, was born December 1834 in Shropshire, and baptised at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Bridgnorth, on Christmas Day 1834.
Early in 1846 the Randle family moved to Kidderminster, Worcestershire (both William and Phoebe were originally from Kidderminster) where Eliza worked as a weaver's assistant.

When he married Eliza RANDLE, Thomas WARRENDER was a widower with three small children. The marriage took place at St Mary's Parish Church, Old Swinford, on 4th June 1860. The family then moved to Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, where two daughters were born.

In 1871, their family consisted of Thomas, born 1850; Louisa Emily, born 1852; Aaron, born 1858; Eliza, born 1867; and Anna Emily (known as Emily), born 1869. Thomas jnr. had followed his father's trade and was employed as a shoemaker. It must have been shortly after 1871 that the photograph was taken. In August 1873, Louisa died aged 21 yrs.

In 1881, Thomas and Eliza, with their daughters Eliza aged 15 and Emily aged 12, were living at 131 Mill Street, Abergavenny. Aaron was then living in London, working as a boot finisher.

Oral history in Helen's family relates that Emily died in 1890, and it appears the family must have moved away from Abergavenny before the 1891 census. It is possible that Thomas had died by the time of the 1891 census, as he would then have been in his late 70s.


Acknowledgement

Many thanks to Helen Verrall for allowing me to use her family photograph.
If you think you are connected to the Warrender or Randle families, or have further information, please send Helen an e-mail

Wales of Old

Details of each website feature (for newcomers) Direct links to each website feature (for regulars) Advance news of new developments on my website Summary of all the latest updates Help for those having problems accessing my website Gateway to Welsh Family History Archive (WFHA) A link to the main 'gateway' page to my entire website