Welcome to Shaun's family history site

I hope you find something interesting!

Historical Figures

• John Metcalf ("Blind Jack") of Knaresborough, 18th century road builder

Actors/Dancers/Vocalists/Music Hall/Burlesque Artistes

• Amy May Thompson - Tiller girl - toured South Africa with the John Tiller company in 1914. Starred as Jill in Tiller's "Jack and Jill", Manchester and London 1914-15. On stage in Paris during German shelling,1918
• Maisie King - stage name of May Gleaves
• Newman and Mortimer
• George Newman - stage name of George John Cooper
• Jennie Mortimer - stage name of Margaret Jones
• Fanny Robina - stage name of Fanny Cooper
• Florrie Robina - stage name of Florence Cooper
• Willie Newman (W G Newman) - stage name of William George Cooper

See Tom Bint's website for more information on the Robinas and their families

Soldiers

• The extraordinary England rugby international Edgar Mobbs. Denied a commission due to his age in September 1914, he set about raising his own volunteer corps of fellow sportsmen. Within 48 hours more than 400 men had volunteered for the "Edgar Mobbs Corps" with Mobbs himself signing on as a private. He quickly rose through the ranks to command the 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment (known as "The Mobbs Own"). Lt Colonel Mobbs died on 31 July 1917, charging a German machine-gun post during the 3rd Battle of Ypres.
• Henry Upshur alias Henry Tankard served in the American Civil War as a bugler in K company, 2nd US Colored Cavalry
• Samuel Ernest (Ernie) Jones was a private in 6th Battalion Loyal North Lancs regiment in the First World War, serving in Mesopotamia
• George Henry Jones was a sapper in the Royal Engineers in WW1. He finished the war in Italy
• John Gleaves was a private in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was killed in Mesopotamia in 1916
• Ernest Raymond Jones joined the Territorial Army in the 1930's and was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1940. He was acting Captain at the end of the war.

Navy men

• John Lloyd Thomas was Deputy Surgeon-General of the Royal Navy
• Robert William Jones joined the engineers branch of the Royal Navy in 1855, rising to Chief Engineer. China medal 1860. He served on HMS Warrior during her first commission 1861-64. In 1880-81 he was based on HMS London off Zanzibar, supporting the Royal Navy's anti-slavery patrols. His Captain Charles Brownrigg was murdered by slavers in December 1881