Tag Archives: Tearle

18Mar/15

Tearle, George, 1876, Dunstable, UK (1/Beds Regt)

18/03/2015Roll of Honour WW11856, army, casualty, dunstable, George, soldiers, Tearle, United_Kingdom, WW1ewart.tearle

On the Roll of Honour in the Dunstable Priory Church, and the War Memorial near the gates, there are two names, Tearle G and Tearle J. The first is George Tearle, born 1876 in Dunstable; the second is Jeffrey Tearle, born 1891 in Eaton Bray. At fourth cousins, they are only distantly related.

Here is George’s service record from the CWGC:
Name: TEARLE Initials: G
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Bedfordshire Regiment
Unit Text: 1st Bn.
Date of Death: 18/01/1920 Service No: 4967
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: E. 471.
Cemetery: DUNSTABLE CEMETERY

Those details are from Roll of Honour.
TEARLE G Private 4967. 1st Bn., Bedfordshire Regt.
Died Sunday 18 January 1920.
Buried: DUNSTABLE CEMETERY, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. Ref. E. 471.

This, is George Tearle’s WW1 CWGC headstone in the Dunstable public cemetery. Born in Dunstable in 1876, he joined the army at 18yrs and caught rheumatism in the trenches in France. He was also in India and Gibraltar.

George Tearle headstone.

Steve Fuller says:
“George Tearle is a strange one as it happens! I have been pondering him for some time and have finally understood his position in it all but he seems to have followed an unusual sequence that I have not come across before. His service number is that of the 5th Battalion (Territorials) and should not have been allocated until late 1914 / early 1915 according to the “normal” flow of things … BUT … he entered France with the 1st Btn 3rd December 1914 and was discharged 1st March 1919. This implies he served the entire war and survived, only to die of illness in 1920 (the Spanish Flu perhaps?). Maybe he was a Regular whose service had only just come to a close when war was declared but that would usually mean he would have kept his original number which would not have been in the 49.. area!

George Tearle attestation for the army, 1894.

George enlisted in the 3rd Bedfordshire Regiment on 20 June 1894, aged just 18yr 7m. He already had experience in the militia so that is probably the reason he went into the 3rd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment, where he was given the regimental number 4967, which he kept for the rest of his life. He was 5” 5in and weighted 112lb; a Wesleyan, a labourer with hazel eyes, brown hair and a scar on the right side of his head. He signed up for a term of “7yrs with the Colours and 5ys in the Reserve.” I think this means 7yrs active service. The term was extended in 1901 when he was given an “unpaid” Lance Cpl rank.This was “deprived” a year later. He was re-engaged in 1906 and he passed his corporal’s exam in Nov that year. He was given a “paid” Lance-Cpl rank in Aug 1907 but he must have been a bit unruly because it was deprived again that Christmas and he stayed a Pvt for the rest of his service. 18 months after joining, George was sent to India for about 2 years, then after a spell at home he was in Gibraltar for 12 months in 1907 and 8. He was “Invalid to England” from Gibraltar Hospital with an eye contusion on 15 Oct 1908. The injury, he attested, was “not caused by active service.”

I cannot find any records about George until he embarked for France on 2.12.1914. There are no records that say where he went or what action he saw, but in April 1915 he was transferred to the 2nd Field Survey Coy, 2nd Army as a “servant” for Lieut Lightfoot, and he stayed with the Field Survey Coy in France until he was finally sent home in January 1919. His WW1 medals card says he earned the British Medal, the Victory Medal and the Star, and that the Theatre of War was France.

George Tearle army medals card.

George filled out a disability statement, and while we find out how his injuries feel, he gave us the crucial hint as to his identity – his home address was 14 Church Walk, Dunstable.

I had to cut the document in half to fit it on the page…

In the 1901 Dunstable census, this was the address of Charles Bowler Tearle and Constance. Finally, I knew who he was. On 2 Aug 1919, George was given his final discharge from the army because of rheumatism and a single page with a large Z on it shows his pension being paid. It says “Died 18.1.20.” George had gone through turbulent times and had served his country as a professional soldier. His parents were Charles Bowler Tearle 1849 of Dunstable and Constance nee Dickens. Charles’ parents were James Tearle 1806 and Mary Ann nee Webb. James’ parents were Richard Tearle 1778 and Mary nee Pestel, and Richard’s parents were Joseph 1737 and Phoebe nee Capp. Thus, he is of the branch Joseph 1737.

18Mar/15

Tearle, John Gates, 1890, Wolverton, UK

18/03/2015Northampton, UK, War Stories WW11890, Gates, John, kingdom, northampton, registry, Tearle, united, Wolvertonewart.tearle

I’d heard that there was a Tearle memorial in Cosgrove Church and it took me two trips there even to find it. However, the adventure was worth the trouble because this is a fascinating story. You can see below the memorial to “Those who served” in WW1 and amongst the names was John G Tearle. His parents were Charles 1859 of Stanbridge and Lizzie nee Gates. They called him John Gates Tearle. He had the service number 1469 and he fought with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

WW1 Memorial on the wall of St Peter and St Paul, Cosgrove

Now, Lizzie Gates was the daughter of Ephraim Gates and Sarah nee Tearle 1837 Stbg, and Sarah’s parents were Abel 1810 Stbg and Martha nee Emmerton. This means she is on the branch Joseph 1737 via William 1769 and Sarah nee Clark. You can see the marriages of both Abel and Sarah in the Stanbridge banns register. Thus Lizzie is on the branch Joseph 1737.

Charles’ parents were William 1832 Stbg and Catharine nee Fountain. William was the brother of my gg-grandfather James 1827 Stbg so Charles was a cousin of my g-grandfather Levi, the blacksmith of Wing. This puts him on the branch John 1741.

You can see John just 10 months old, in the Wolverton census of 1891.

1891 = Charles 1860 Stbg Lizzie 32 Rose L 7 John G 10m in Wolverton. Charles is a railway worker, like his father, and is living amongst a group of railway employees, possibly employee accommodation.

And then we see them one last time in the Wolverton census of 1900.

1901 = Charles 1860 Stbg Lizzie 42 John 10 Nellie 6 in Wolverton. Charles is a railway platelayer and is living at 524 Glyn Sq, Wolverton. So I’m now fairly sure this was tightly-packed worker accommodation.

John married Violet Elmore in 1913 and they had a son in 1914 who they called Richard Elmore Tearle. This is where John’s story becomes very sad. Richard was working in Coventry during the Blitz of 1940 and he was tragically killed in a bombing raid. You can see his story on the WW2 page.

List of men from Cosgrove who served in WW1

Detail of the list, showing John G Tearle

18Mar/15

Tearle, Rowland Grigg, 1916, London, UK (RAMC)

18/03/2015Northampton, UK, Roll of Honour, Roll of Honour WW1grigg, northampton, registry, rowland, Tearle, United_Kingdom, WW1ewart.tearle

In the church of St Andrew, Yardley Hastings, there is the memorial to Rowland Grigg Tearle, and other young men who died in the Great War.

St Andrews, Yardley Hastings, Northants.

Here are his details from Roll of Honour:
Private 55930, 11th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. Died at home 9th June 1916. Age 20. Born London, enlisted Northampton.
Buried near the East boundary in ST. ANDREW CHURCHYARD, YARDLEY HASTINGS.

WW1 memorial inside St Andrews Church.

His details as recorded by CWGC are exactly the same as this.

The army records that Susannah Rogers was paid two gratuities, as the sole person named in his will.

Rowland Tearle UK Army Effects.

Rowland’s (sometimes spelt Roland) WW1 army medals card recorded that he died 9/6/16 and that he had earned the British Medal, the Victory Medal and the Star. It noted that he joined the French Theatre of war on 27/5/15 and that he was in the Royal Army Medical Corps. I can find no other military record.

CWGC headstone for R Tearle in St Andrews Church cemetery.

Given that he died at home, we can suppose either a horrible injury or a debilitating trench disease. I wonder if the local NHS would have any knowledge of him? I am often reminded of how short his life was; I do hope there is something more we can say for him.

There was a good deal of discussion about the origins of Rowland and why he was living with Susannah Rogers, so I sent off for his birth certificate. He was born Rowland Grigg Tearle on 8 Jan 1896 in Queen Charlotte Hospital, Marylebone Road. His mother was Elizabeth Tearle, Book Keeper, Hotel of Willesden. There is no recorded father. The informant on the certificate was E Tearle, mother, 20 Victoria Road, Kilburn. He was registered on 11 Jan 1896 in the Sub-district of St Mary, County of London. Here is a compressed version of his 1901 census return:

1901 = Rowland 1896 Paddington border Susannah Rogers 57 Mary 30 Frank Gordon 1 Calcutta India boarder in Yardley Hastings Northants

It seemed to me very odd that he should be just five years old and living in another family far away from London, where presumably his mother would still be. Since we had no father for young Rowland and that prevented us from knowing his mothers’ familial relationships, I hoped that Susannah Rogers would be able to lead us to her. I found Susannah in the 1861 Bozeat, Northants census –

1861 = Susannah Rogers 1844 Harrold wife Stephen 21 William J Robinson 8 brother in Bozeat Northants

She was just 18, born Harrold, Beds, and was married to Stephen Rogers, a Gamekeeper, of West Tytherley, Hampshire, which is half way between Salisbury and Winchester. They were boarding her younger brother, William J Robinson. So now we had a formal identification for her. She was Susannah Robinson 1843 Harrold. So that means this is her and her parents and her grandfather in the 1851 census:

1851 = Susannah Robinson 1844 Harrold Beds Mary 33 William 36 William Abrahams 83 in Northants

I found Stephen and Susannah with their first children, William and Mary Elizabeth, in the 1871 census –

1871 = Susannah Rogers 1843 Stephen 31 William 8 Mary E 9m in Cornwall

They were back in Buckinghamshire for the 1881 census, but there was a surprise for me –

1881 = Susannah Rogers 1843 Stephen 41 William C 18 James A 14 Mary E 10 Thomas J 6 in Weston Underwood Bucks

I tried to find James A 1867 Turvey, Beds, in the 1871, but he is invisible.

I did find him the the 1891

1891 = James Rogers 1867 Turvey Beds Valet in Northants

as well as Susannah and Stephen, now living in the Keepers House near Yardley Hastings, where Stephen was a Gamekeeper for the Yardley Chase forestry estate, not far from where Milton Keynes is now.

1891 = Susannah Rogers 1843 Harrold Stephen 51 Thomas J 16 Mary E 20 in Yardley Hastings Northants

Pat Field found the Buckinghamshire Records marriage of Mary Ann Tearle 1866 and James Abraham Rogers in Q1 1886 Newport Pagnell, Northants, 3a, p695. “Date 8 Mar 1887 Entry James Abraham Rogers, full age, bachelor, Servant of Little Linford son of Stephen Rogers, Gamekeeper married Mary Ann Tearle full age spinster servant of Little Linford dau of John Tearle deceased. Witnesses James X Johnson, Alice Sheargold Banns not found Parish Little Linford St. Leonard.

Mary Ann was the dau of John 1823 (the marine) and Sophia nee Walker. This is the first occasion where I found James’ middle name. He has been, as is often the case with Victorian families, given the surname of his maternal grandfather. James’ being on his own on census night meant that his family had to be somewhere else, and they were:

1891 = Mary A Rogers nee T 1866 Aylesbury Arthur Rogers 1 visitor in Sussex E Grinstead

In 1901, Mary Ann and James were in Knightsbridge, London

1901 = Mary A Rogers nee T 1866 Linslade James A Rogers 34 Arthur 11 Edith 8 in Lon

For Susannah, the 1901 census painted a different picture – she was now a widow, and there was a young chap – Frank Gordon, 1yr – born in Calcutta, India living with her, then Rowland, and Mary Elizabeth, her daughter.

1901 = Rowland 1896 Paddington border Susannah Rogers 57 Mary 30 Frank Gordon 1 Calcutta India boarder in Yardley Hastings Northants

They had must have moved into the village after Stephen’s death, and Mary was earning some money for them as a dressmaker. Rosemary wrote to tell me she had seen Rowland still living with Susannah in the 1911 census in Yardley Hastings. For me, Susannah was now officially an In-Law, and has her place on The Tree.

There was a definite family connection, then, between Susannah Rogers and the Tearles, specifically John 1825 and Sophia nee Walker, but this didn’t explain why Rowland was living with her, and whether there was an equal familial relationship with his mother, Elizabeth. I did the Tearle births calculation: 22 years for the boys from the birth of their first child, perhaps as few as 18 for the women. Elizabeth had to be born earlier than 1878, but probably not earlier than 1866.

Sophia died in 1880 and was buried in All Saints, Leighton Buzzard. Rosemary reminded me of the 1881 census return, with the kind of blinding insight that only Rosemary does. In the 1881 Leighton Buzzard census there is recorded the contents of a house in Vandyke Rd. This is so important to the story that I have reproduced the essential viewing portions of both pages of the return.

Page 1

Page 2

The head of the house is Mary 1822 LB, there is her brother John 1824 LB, Greenwich pensioner (navy) and her other brother Charles 1827 LB also a Greenwich pensioner, then Harriett 1860 LB a niece, then Alice 1862 LB a niece, then Charles H 1865 LB a nephew, Charles E 1866 from Morpeth, and Eliza 1869 and Elizabeth 1872 from Linslade.

Since everyone in the house is either a brother, nephew or niece of Mary 1822, then all of them are direct descendants of John 1780 and Sarah nee Claridge.

In the 1871, Mary had two of Edmund’s children, plus her own.

1871 = Mary 1822 LB Sarah 1846 LB Alice 9 Charles 6 in LB I couldn’t find Harriett 1860 anywhere.

Harriett 1860, Alice 1862 and Charles 1865 all come from another of Mary’s brothers, Edmund 1833, who lived just round the corner in Hockliffe Rd, but who died in 1867 and his wife Harriett in 1869. In 1871, Edmund 1855 who would become a well-known stage manager and actor, was already in Liverpool working in an office, so he was independent.

Charles Edward from Morpeth is the son of Charles 1827.

That means that Eliza and Elizabeth from Linslade are John’s children. I don’t have a birth cert for Elizabeth, but this is probably her: Q3 1871, L.B. 3b 156. Until the certificate turns up and proves me wrong, I think it is acceptable that this Elizabeth 1871 is John and Sophia’s girl. The only other family having children in Linslade were John’s brother Thomas 1821 and Sarah Jane nee Elliott. Their last child was George 1862 and adding Elizabeth 1871 is not impossible (Sarah would have been 47) but unlikely.

We found one late clue which helped convince us; Pat Field sent me the Leighton Buzzard baptisms of All Saints Church:

1 Jan 1883 ELIZABETH dau of John & Sophia Tearle of Leighton Pensioner

Sophia nee Walker, John’s wife, died in 1880, so this was simply a late baptism for Elizabeth. It certainly helps to show that he had a daughter Elizabeth and one supposes this is not Eliza.

Which brings us back to Rowland. Rosemary had much earlier seen the wedding of Mary Ann 1866 and James Rogers, and had raised the question:

“Susannah’s daughter-in-law was Mary Ann Tearle, born Linslade in 1866.

Mary Ann’s parents were John (1825) and Sophia, nee Walker. Her siblings were Sarah Jane (1863), John (1864), Eliza Sophia (1868) and Elizabeth (1871).

Because of the relationship between Mary Ann and Susannah, I am of the opinion that Mary Ann’s sister Elizabeth is Rowland’s mother.”

We found Elizabeth in 1891:

1891 = Elizabeth 1872 Linslade, barmaid, in Rugby but she was not in any 1901 census.

Rosemary spent some time looking at what may have happened to Elizabeth and following up on the lead of young Frank Gordon from Calcutta living with Susannah, Rosemary looked to records from India. Tantalisingly, there was a Miss Tearle 28yr on the ship Rewa bound for Calcutta, India in 1897. She found that in 1899 an Elizabeth Tearle (26yr) father John, dec, married Arthur Brown (27yr) in Calcutta, but we cannot tell if it was our Elizabeth. As Rosemary tells it, “Since Arthur was 27, perhaps Elizabeth lopped a few years off her age…”

Rosemary now had a long look for Rowland’s possible father and I’ll let her tell the story in her own words:

As to who was Rowland’s father – Rowland Grigg is an unusual Christian name and I pondered as to whether this could have been the name of his father. I tried to see if there was a famous Rowland Grigg about when Rowland was born, but could find nothing on Google. So looked to see if a Rowland Grigg did indeed live in England.

There is a Rowland Grigg who was born, lived and died in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight – 1872 – 1901. This seemed to be too far away from where Elizabeth lived and worked. But then I found that Mary Ann’s two children were born in Ashurst Wood Sussex, not all that far from the Isle of Wight. Could Elizabeth been staying with her sister Mary Ann? Could Elizabeth and Rowland Grigg and have met? Brighton, that most famous of holidaying sites, was near to both Mary Ann’s and Rowland’s residential areas. The Isle of Wight itself was also a well-known holiday destination popularised by Queen Victoria.

Rowland Grigg of the Isle of Wight was the son of a draper and had no occupation recorded in the census before he died. His, too, was a short life.

So I think we have finally told the bare bones of Rowland’s remarkable story. He is a member of a proud and illustrious family – the theatrical Tearles. We have established that his mother was Elizabeth 1871, the daughter of John 1825, the marine, and Sophia nee Walker. I am sure there is still a story to be told about why she was in Rugby in 1891 and why she was working in Willesden about the time of Rowland’s birth. His family’s times were difficult, and children were brought up by the extended family rather than by their parents. All the evidence shows, though, that they were still well brought up. Rowland heeded the call to war, and signed up to save lives rather than to take them. This decision cost him his own life, and we can only speculate on the misery it may have caused him as he lay dying in Susannah’s house. We have established his family connections, and we have acknowledged the debt we owe to Susannah Rogers and the generosity she showed him.

There is one other memorial we discovered; on the wall of the Yardley Hastings Memorial Hall that faces the road is a memorial to the young men who died in WW1 and WW2: Rowland is with them. He has been called Greg, but we are aware of exactly who he was.

War Memorial on hall, Yardley Hastings.

DSCF5681 Rowland Gregg Tearle on war memorial Yardley Hastings Northants

Close-up of names on the War Memorial Hall.

18Mar/15

Hertfordshire Direct Names Online – Tearle

18/03/2015Tearle Historydirect, family, hertfordshire, history, names, online, registry, Tearleewart.tearle

Annotated by Ewart Tearle Apr 2011.
With thanks to Pat Field, who found this document at the Hertfordshire Archives site.

Miscellaneous Names:

Hatfield Union Workhouse BG/HAT/52 Florence Tearle Hatfield admission, born 1883 29 June 1895
Hatfield Union Workhouse BG/HAT/52 Jane Tearle Hatfield admission, born 1885 29 June 1895
Hatfield Union Workhouse BG/HAT/52 John Tearle Hatfield admission, born 1887 29 June 1895
Hatfield Union Workhouse BG/HAT/52 Florence Tearle Hatfield discharge 31 July 1895
Hatfield Union Workhouse BG/HAT/52 Jane Tearle Hatfield discharge 31 July 1895
Hatfield Union Workhouse BG/HAT/52 John Tearle Hatfield discharge 31 July 1895
Hatfield Union Workhouse BG/HAT/52 Harriet Tearle Hatfield admission, born 1829 8 Dec 1896
Hatfield Union Workhouse BG/HAT/52 Harriet Tearle Hatfield discharge 29 December 1896

Florence Emily T 1883, Jane Elizabeth 1885 and John Henry T 1887, all born Hatfield, the children of William Francis T 1857 Soulbury and Sarah Ann nee Kefford. William Francis T is the eldest son of John 1831 and gs of Richard 1805 and Martha nee Burnard. John Henry T 1887 was killed in WW1 in Gallipoli, 1915. See above.

Harriet nee Figg, wife of John Tearle 1831 Soulbury, eldest son of Richard 1805 and Martha nee Walker. John and Harriet left Soulbury between 1865 and 1867.

The levels of poverty indicated by these spells in the workhouse is shocking. Add to this, your son is killed, in the case of Sarah nee Kefford. The pain and despair in these circumstances, is appalling. The Hatfield Union Workhouse was little more than a few motley buildings wrapped around the Hatfield Cemetery, but it still accommodated 188 inmates. There is no existing photo of it, so I have included a picture of the Hertford Union Workhouse.

The Hertford Union Workhouse, Ware Rd. Demolished 1970.

Marriages:

Stephen Axtell Mary Tearle Kings Langley 8 Jun 1572
John Bean of St Peters St Albans Mary Tearle of St Peters St Albans St Albans St Peters 10 Apr 1804
Robert Buckmaster Ann Tearle Kings Langley 4 May 1573
George Edwards of Abridge Essex Elizabeth Tearle of St Peters St Albans St Albans St Peters 27 Jul 1800
John Feild Alice Tearle Hemel Hempstead 8 Jul 1565
William Feilde Alice Tearle Hemel Hempstead 5 Jul 1567
John Fusedale Lucy Tearle Shenley 21 Sep 1836
James Paterson Emma Tearle Middlesex Monken Hadley 7 May 1835
Richard Scrivener of St Peters St Albans Sarah Tearle of St Peters St Albans S Albans St Peters 12 Nov 1811
John Tearle Lucy Thompson St Albans St Peters 4 Sep 1823
Charles Tearle Esther Munt St Albans St Michael 13 Jul 1830
Charles Tearle Elizabeth Starkins St Albans St Michael 12 Sep 1826
Richard Tearle Frances Maline St Albans St Peters 5 Jul 1825
Richard Tearle of St Michaels Mary Webb Sandridge 17 Feb 1778

Notes to the marriages

Mary Tearle and Stephen Axtell. Mary was the daughter of Robert 1508-1562 Stbg and Alice, who died 1594. See Will of Robert Terle of Stanbridge, made 1562.

Mary T and Stephen Bean. Mary 1780 Sandridge was a daughter of Richard 1754 and Mary nee Webb. She is a gd of Thomas 1709 and Mary nee Sibley.

Ann Tearle and Ralph Buckmaster. Ann is the sister of Mary Tearle, above. Her parents were Robert 1508 Stbg and Alice.

Elizabeth Tearle and George Edwards. Elizabeth 1778 Sandridge was the eldest dau of Richard 1754 and Mary nee Webb.

Alice Tearle, John Field and William Field.
Note the will of Alice Field, Hitchin 1694. Barbara noted: “Alice married William Field two years after Robert’s death. The son mentioned, Robert, was married to Joan (?) who is at the centre of our ‘Tearle mystery’. Daughters Alice, Anne, Mary and Jo(h)an married William Field( presumably the son of her stepfather, but not confirmed), Ralph Buckmaster, Stephen Axtill and John(?) Weedon respectively.”

Lucy Tearle and John Fusedale.
UNK – no record of a Lucy Tearle b 1814 or earlier.
Name: Lucy Tearle
Gender: Female
Spouse’s Name: John Fusedale
Marriage Date: 21 Sep 1836
Marriage Place: Shenley, Hertfordshire, England

Emma Tearle and James Paterson. Emma 1814 was the dau of William 1783 (headmaster of the Monken Hadley school) and Roseanna nee Fensom, granddaughter of Richard 1754 and Mary nee Webb.

Sarah Tearle and Richard Scrivener. Sarah 1796 Sandridge was a daughter of Richard 1754 and Mary nee Webb.

John Tearle and Lucy Thompson. John 1794 Sandridge was a son of Richard 1754 and Mary nee Webb.

Charles Tearle and Esther Munt. Charles 1798 St Albans was the son of William 1775 and Mary. Esther is his second wife. We have postulated that William was most likely a son of William 1749 and Mary nee Prentice.

Charles Tearle and Elizabeth Starkins. The first wife of Charles 1798, above. Elizabeth died in 1829 leaving three children.

Richard Tearle and Frances Maline. Richard 1800 St Albans married Frances Malme on 05 July 1825. He was a son of Richard 1754 and Mary nee Webb.

Richard Tearle and Mary Webb. Richard 1754 Stbg was the youngest son of Thomas 1709 and Mary nee Sibley. There are records of Richard being in the Sandridge militia, presumably to chase off Napoleon, should he attack England.

Newspapers and magazines

Death notice of Mary Tearle : Died 22nd November aged 85 Reformer page 2 04/12/1841
This is Mary nee Webb, wife of Richard 1754 Stbg.

Deaths : Death notice of George Tearle Herts Advertiser page 8 15 February 1890
George 1818 son of Abel 1789 and Hannah nee Frost. Married Annie Haws.

Watford Divisional Sessions Herts Advertiser page 7 23 August 1890
Alice Tearle. This would appear to be Alice Mary Tearle, born 1868 in Fenny Stratford, Bucks, to Thomas 1847 and Mary nee Bowler. She never married and died in Watford in 1917. Some of her family is in Watford, as can be seen in the next clipping.

Marriages : Marriage notice of Benjamin Jackson and Florence Jane Tearle Watford Leader page 8 04/09/1894
Florence Jane 1867 Fenny Stratford, dau Thomas 1847 LB and Mary nee Bowler.

Watford St Mary’s Football Team Watford Leader page 6 31/03/1896
W Tearle, Watford St Mary’s Football Team. This could be William 1852 (he would be 43yrs at this date) son of John 1824 and Sarah nee Bishop. Or William 1857 (he would 39yrs) son of Abel 1833 and Sarah nee Davis. Or William 1875 (he would be 21) son of Elizabeth 1856, dau of Emma 1837 before she married George Pratt. She was a dau of Thomas 1807 and Mary nee Garner.

Watford engine driver retires Hertfordshire News page 7 3 March 1920
Thomas 1847, died 1925. Son Thomas 1820 and Sarah Jane nee Elliott. Grandson of John 1780 and Sarah nee Claridge.

Cricketers, Hitchin : Detailed illustrated profile of The Cricketers, Hitchin Pennant vol 2 part 6 page 190 1934 Apr
George Tearle was the proprietor of the Cricketers PH in Bedford Rd, Hitchin according to Kelly’s Directories of 1922 and 1933. The will of George Tearle, 41 Bedford Rd, Hitchin, who died 1941, gave his estate to Lydia Maria Tearle, his widow. Lydia Maria Wells married George Tearle 1871, of Stanbridge on 26 Dec 1896, in Chelsea, London. George was the son of William 1832 and Catharine nee Fountain. He was the brother of Jonathan 1862, and 11 other children. William famously (to me anyway) married my gg-grandmother Mary nee Andrews, nee Tearle, nee Shillingford.. Gertrude Louisa T, the blind musician and teacher, dau of Henry J T 1880 and Louisa nee Lees, stayed at the Railway Hotel and gave its address as her England address when travelling. The proprietor was Arthur James T 1902, Gertrude’s brother. This family includes Donald Stanley Tearle 1910, the Australian soldier and miner.

Mann family and St Albans Hertfordshire People part 22 page 7-9 1984 Summer
An article written by our own Barbara Tearle in the Hertfordshire People of 1984.

Mill on the Ver : Redbournbury Mill Hertfordshire Countryside vol 55 part 498 page 22-23 Oct 01 2000
Mill on the Ver is an article by Jean Tearle in the Hertfordshire Countryside magazine of 2000. I’m not sure who she is.

Paper trail : Story of the John Dickinson paper mill at Apsley Hertfordshire Countryside part 572 page 10, 32 Dec 2006
Paper Trail is an article in the Hertfordshire Countryside by Jean Tearle in 2006.

Newspaper pictures

Herts Advertiser, 18 Oct 1929, p16 Arthur Cyril Tearle St Albans wedding 18 Oct 1929
Arthur Cyril T 1905 married Gertrude May Seabrook on 12 Oct 1929. He was the son of Edward Joseph 1869 and Emma nee Warner and gs of John 1831 and Harriet nee Figg.

Herts Advertiser, 22 Apr 1927, p10 Augustus George Tearle St Albans wedding 22 Apr 1927
Augustus George T 1902 married Ivy B Brown in 1927. Brother of Arthur Cyril, above.

Hertfordshire Mercury, 25 Aug 1928, p3 C.H. Tearle Herts/Colchester soldier 25 Aug 1928
Charles Henry T 1896, ser nos: 3241, 265905, 5987043. As regiments were decimated in WW1, men were moved to other regiments and collected new serial numbers along the way. His parents were Charles Henry T 1864 and Sarah Ann nee Carter. He is the gg-gson of John 1780 and Sarah nee Claridge.

Hertfordshire Mercury, 4 Apr 1930, p3 Mr S Tearle Hertford football club secretary 4 Apr 1930
S Tearle of Hertford, football club secretary. Here is another of the footballing Tearles whom it is difficult to identify.
UNK

Herts Advertiser, 24 Jul 1915, p6 Pte. Leslie Tearle St Albans obituary 24 Jul 1915
Leslie James Tearle 1896 killed in France 11 July 1915, aged just 19yrs. He entered the 1st Btn, Herts Regiment on 3 Nov 1912 as a Territorial (serial no: 2007) and was sent to France on 11 Dec 1914. He lasted barely 6 months. We know nothing of the circumstances of his death except that he was wounded at Cuinchy on 17 Apr 1915 (gunshot wound in the eye) and killed in Cuinchy in the July. He was the son of Edward J Tearle 1869 and Emma Elizabeth nee Warner. His memorial stands outside St Peters Church, St Albans, and in the foyer of the Old Council Building, Market Sq. He received the British Medal and the Victory Medal, along with the 1914 Star. He is buried in the Woburn Abbey Cemetery, a few hundred metres from Cuinchy village. See here for details of the battlefield and existing cemeteries.

Herts Advertiser, 4 Mar 1932, p14 Reginald Frank Tearle St Albans wedding 4 Mar 1932
Reginald Frank Tearle 1908 is a Watford man who moved to St Albans and married Eleanor Godman in 1932. He was a railway porter who rose to the rank of Sgt in the RAF Volunteer Reserve, serial no: 1379571. He was killed in 1944, and has his memorial in Watford North Cemetery. I know nothing of the circumstances of his death. His parents were Frank Tom Tearle 1881 and Margaret May nee Warr. He is the g-son of Abel 1852 and Alice Gray nee Collier and g-gson of Thomas 1830 and Jane nee Draper.

Wills

Thomas Tearle 1730 Watford shoemaker filed will 167AW17
Thomas Tearle 1730 Watford shoemaker registered will 11AR200

Barbara has transcribed this will for us, but the identity of Thomas of Watford, shoemaker, George of Akeley, Bucks, wheelwright, bro-in-law John Tearle of the fourth Troop of His Majesty’s Life Guard and bro-in-law William of Ivinghoe are a mystery. The marriage of a Thomas Tearle to a Mary (hopefully in Watford) is also undiscovered.

18Mar/15

Tearle, Edward Kefford William, 1907, Lexden, UK (CMP)

18/03/2015Hertfordshire, UK, Roll of Honour, Roll of Honour WW21907, Edward, hertfordshire, Kefford, Lexden, Tearle, United_Kingdom, WW2ewart.tearle

Elaine and I got quite a surprise, even a shock, to see the name E TEARLE on a WW2 memorial outside St Marys Church in the pretty little village of Old Welwyn. Welwyn Garden City is close to St Albans, and you can walk to Old Welwyn from Hatfield. It took us a while to gather the information needed to tell his story, but here it is now.

The E Tearle honoured on WW2 section of the Old Welwyn memorial is Edward Kefford W Tearle, of the military police, b1907 in Essex.

WW2 names Old Welwyn.

The memorial itself is next to St Marys, Old Welwyn.

War memorial closeup, St Mary’s, Old Welwyn.

Here is the information supplied by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Name: TEARLE, EDWARD KIFFORD Initials: E K
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Corps of Military Police
Age:32
Date of Death:31/05/1940
Service No: 7683659
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 2. Row C. Grave 26.
Cemetery: DE PANNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY

This Edward Kefford W Tearle b1907 Lexden, Kent, was the son of Edward Kefford Tearle 1878 of Hatfield and Maud Sarah nee Micklefield, and as far as I know, he was their only son. He was the grandson of William 1857 of Soulbury and Sarah nee Kefford. He was the great-grandson of John 1831 Soulbury and Harriet nee Figg.

Both these families are descended from Richard 1805 and Martha nee Walker, the parents of all the Soulbury Tearles. Leslie James T, John Henry T and Edward Kefford W Tearle are all descended from John Tearle 1830 and Harriet nee Figg, while Norman is descended from Richard 1843 (John’s brother) and Elizabeth nee Ellingham. All the Soulbury Tearle families are on the branch of John 1741.

Detail of the WW2 names, Old Welwyn.

The CWGC said of Edward’s last hours: “The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the later stages of the defence of Belgium following the German invasion in May 1940, and suffered many casualties in covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk. De Panne village was the site of the final General Headquarters of the BEF in 1940, and there was a Casualty Clearing Station on the beach, which was an embarkation beach for the evacuation. From 27 May to 1 June 1940, the Germans strove to prevent the embarkation of the troops by incessant bombing, machine-gunning and shelling. The first German troops reached the village between 14.00 and 15.00 hrs on 31 May, and after heavy fighting, the commune was completely occupied by about 9.00 hrs on 1 June.”

Jonathon Tearle wrote to me on 20 Sep 2006

“This is my grandfather who was killed at Dunkirk in WW2. Although the evacuation was considered a great success, some poor souls got left behind to slow down the German advance. Edward was one of these brave men, and he wasn’t even a regular.”

Here are the results from our visit to the De Panne Communal Cemetery. We took the bus from Ypres to De Panne and a tram trip from De Panne to the cemetery below.

The Great Cross; De Panne Communal Cemetery.

Edward Kefford William Tearle 7683659; De Panne Communal Cemetery.

John Tearle and Harriett nee Figg were shockingly poor – they lived in cottages in Simonsyde (off the Coopers Green Lane to Stanborough) and they spent time in the Hatfield Union Workhouse. To compound their tragedies caused by poverty, John and Harriet’s grandsons were killed in WW1: Leslie James Tearle was killed in France and John Henry Tearle was killed in Gallipoli. Then, in WW2 this man, their g-grandson, was tragically killed defending the beaches of Dunkirk as the British and French armies made their escape, on the very same day that his second cousin, Norman Tearle, was killed trying to ferry men from the beaches to the waiting warships. Norman went to war from Soulbury, while Edward’s family had left the village two generations earlier.

We went to see Norman’s grave in Oostende, by tram, later on the same day that we visited De Panne.

Edward Kefford W Tearle, above, died in May 1940, but his father, Edward Kefford Tearle (John Henry’s brother) died in September the same year. So poor Maud Sarah Tearle nee Micklefield lost both her son and her husband within six months.

18Mar/15

Tearle, Leslie James, 1915, St Albans, UK (1st Herts Rgt)

18/03/2015Hertfordshire, UK, Roll of Honour, Roll of Honour WW1hertfordshire, james, leslie, registry, Tearle, United_Kingdomewart.tearle

The War Memorial, St Albans.

Name: TEARLE, LESLIE JAMES
Initials:L J    Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private    Regiment/Service: Hertfordshire Regiment
Unit Text:1st Bn.    Age: 19    Date of Death: 11/07/1915
Service No:2007
Additional information: Son of Edward and Emma Tearle, of 49, Culver Rd., St. Albans, Herts.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead    Grave/Memorial Reference: I. B. 9.
Cemetery: WOBURN ABBEY CEMETERY, CUINCHY

His parents were Edward Joseph, b 1869, Simonshyde, Hatfield and Emma Warner b1872, Hatfield. Edward was the son of John b1831 Soulbury and Harriet nee Figg. John was the son of Richard 1805, Stanbridge and Martha nee Burnard. Richard was one of the many sons of Richard 1773, Stanbridge and Elizabeth nee Bodsworth – my ggggg-parents. And this Richard was the son of John 1741. Thus Leslie is of the branch John 1741.

LJ Tearle on the St Albans War Memorial. Leslie James Tearle

Leslie is remembered on the Honours Board in the Old Town Hall.

Here is a closeup of Leslie’s name on the board.

Leslie is also remembered on the Roll of Honour in All Saints Church, Hertford.

Header section of the memorial.

Leslie and Alfred Tearle on the Hertford War Memorial.

Leslie and Alfred Tearle on the War Memorial in All Saints, Hertford.

The first Tearle name on the list above in All Saints, Hertford is Alfred Edward Tearle 1897, of Watford.

Leslie James was killed on 11 July 1915. The Long Long Trail says of that time: “there was no general change in the situation on the Western Front. It was a period of static warfare, where the army suffered average losses of 300 men a day from sniping and shellfire, while they continued to gradually improve and consolidate the trenches.” and “The army continued to suffer from a shortage of material, notably heavy artillery and machine guns (although Lewis guns were officially issued from 14 July onward).”

He is buried in Woburn Abbey Cemetery, Cuinchy, a village on a canal (with a lock) in Pas de Calais, with a four-hourly train connection.

Below is the view from the road of Woburn Abbey Cemetery, Cuinchy. There was no one battle here; the area was always in range of German guns as was Woburn Abbey, the name given to a house nearby, which was used as a battalion headquarters and dressing station. No details are given by CWGC about the circumstances in which young Leslie died.

Woburn Abbey Cemetery, Cuinchy.

Leslie James Tearle in the Book of Remembrance; Woburn Abbey Cemetery, Cuinchy.

His parents would have written the epitaph for his headstone, pictured below:
“He died a noble death fighting for his country.”

Leslie James Tearle Woburn Abbey Cemetery Cuinchy

Leslie James Tearle headstone, Woburn Abbey Cemetery, Cuinchy.

18Mar/15

Tearle, John Henry, 1887, Hatfield, UK (Inniskilling Fusiliers)

18/03/2015Hertfordshire, UK, Roll of Honour, Roll of Honour WW1, Tearle Stories UK1887, Gallipoli, Hatfield, Helles, Henry, hertfordshire, Inniskilling, Tearle, United_Kingdomewart.tearle

Here are the details supplied by the CWGC –

Name: TEARLE, JOHN HENRY
Initials:J H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank:Lance Serjeant
Regiment/Service: Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Unit Text:1st Bn.
Age:28
Date of Death: 29/06/1915
Service No:9054
Additional information: Son of Mrs. Sarah Tearle, of 71, Port Hill, Bengeo, Hertford.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 97 to 101.
Memorial: HELLES MEMORIAL

The parents of John Henry Tearle 1888 Hatfield, were William Francis Tearle 1857 Soulbury and Sarah nee Kefford. Bengeo is a suburb of Hertford. I have a special affinity for John – he died in Gallipoli. The CWGC says of the Helles Memorial: “The Helles Memorial stands on the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula. It takes the form of an obelisk over 30 metres high that can be seen by ships passing through the Dardanelles.”

The Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.

There is no memorial in Hertfordshire for John Henry, but the “Helles Memorial for the English” gives John Henry full benefit for his sacrifice.

John Henry Tearle on Helles Memorial.

There is a section on John Henry Tearle in the article and booklet “A Visit to Gallipoli”.

William’s parents were John 1831, Soulbury and Harriet nee Figg. William and Edward Joseph, were brothers, so John Henry of Hatfield and Leslie James of St Albans were first cousins. Thus John Henry is also of the branch John 1741.

18Mar/15

Tearle Meet 2011, Brisbane

18/03/2015Tearle Meets2011, australia, brisbane, meet, Tearleewart.tearle

By Ewart Tearle
August 2011
Photographs courtesy Elaine Tearle

Since the Tearle family is a world-wide one, it is always an exciting event when we can arrange for a group of us to meet as a family, and for no other reason than that we are a family and have the desire to see each other. So it’s always nice to receive an invitation to meet others anywhere in the world where Tearles can congregate. Elaine and I received just such an invitation to meet a remarkable and well-knit group at the home of Doug and Deborah Tearle in Brisbane.

Ray Reese had proposed a Meet in Brisbane when he heard that Elaine and I were going there on holiday after a visit to our home town of Hamilton in New Zealand. “Deb is a wonder of organisation and energy,” he said. Deborah had written to us and invited everyone to her place. Each person would bring a plate and, like the story of the loaves and fishes, we would eat as at a feast. I sent her a half a dozen pages of a chart for this family and Deb would add some mementos of her own to the exhibition on her table.

We spent the late afternoon of our first day in Brisbane walking and photographing the central city, and we found a beautiful and well-kept city; compact, confident, wealthy and modern. Glass high-rise buildings jostled for space with much older colonial block buildings, many of which were under repair by a progressive and caring civic community. The city centre was aligned with the river which was followed by aerial highways and criss-crossed by at least a dozen bridges. A university and a huge museum and art gallery give intellectual gravity to a charming coastal city. The remnants of the Exhibition of Australia crowded the opposite shore with a giant ferris wheel and a landing for a water-borne taxi service. A long blue catamaran raced from wharf to wharf in pursuit of customers.

Across the river from downtown Brisbane.

Doug picked us up from our hotel in central Brisbane and drove us on a circuitous sightseeing drive through the Brisbane suburbs to Wynnum, because I had never been to Brisbane before and although Elaine had been there twice, she hadn’t been able to see very much of it. He drove past bays and beaches and showed us where the Brisbane Tearles had worked and lived; a modernist bridge arched like a skeletal hill over the river with toll booths lined up like teeth across its approaches.

City skyline and aerial highways

“Look at these houses,” said Elaine. “They are all on stilts, like the ones in tropical jungles.”

“There’s a good reason for that, said Doug. “Actually, several good reasons. Did you know they are called Queenslanders? It’s a domestic architectural form unique to Queensland and caused by the climate. The stilts keep the bulk of the house above ground and that helps to keep bugs and snakes outside, where they belong. The stilts also allow the house to be built on hillsides without having the extra expense of earthworks, and the air and water – it rains quite heavily here from time to time, as you have probably heard – can pass underneath the house, which stays both cooler and drier as a result. The houses here very seldom get washed away. Ours is a Queenslander, you know – verandas, corrugated iron roof and all.”

Brisbane Museum and Art Gallery

“We grew up with the sound of rain drumming on a corrugated iron roof ,” said Elaine. “We can’t hear it in England because we have a tile roof, but I loved it when I was kid.”

A tour of the attendeesFred Tearle and Lyndal greeted us as we pulled into the driveway, and Richard Tearle came out of the house to see us as well. The transom of an aluminium power boat peeked shyly from behind the garage door. The interior of the house was light, airy and pleasantly welcoming. The floor was laid with marble tiles to keep the house cool in the hottest days of summer. Deb saw me admiring the tiles.

“They seemed a good idea at the time,” she said, “and they do keep the house cool in summer. Trouble is, they are a bit hard on your feet and legs if you stand on them all day.” She paused, “And nothing bounces. I’ve got a lot fewer cups and glasses now than I used to have.” She busied herself, with Lyndal’s help, carrying plates and glasses out of the room and off to my left.

I caught Ray as he walked past. “Ray, was anyone we know affected by the floods?”

“None of the Tearles, if that’s what you mean,” he said. “We are all on high ground, but that doesn’t mean Brisbane wasn’t affected.” He disappeared for a moment and returned with a home atlas opened to a map of eastern Australia. As he placed it on the table he said, “The Brisbane River became a dragon. Have you been to see the museum and the Performing Arts Theatre?”

“We stood on the bridge last night and saw it, but it was getting dark so we didn’t cross the bridge,” I said.

“The whole of that side of the river was flooded. There was an artificial beach outside the theatre, near the ferris wheel, and the whole thing has disappeared. Gone, like it was never there. You can see the stone embankment – it looks new because it is new. The entire length of the river was a raging monster.” He waved a finger accusingly in an arc covering a huge area a little to the north and a lot the west of Brisbane. “All of that flooded. Most of the water drained into the Brisbane. The city itself didn’t get flooded, but the effect on the river was enormous.”

“There’s another flood, too, that didn’t get much reporting, but it was several magnitudes bigger.” He drew his finger from Brisbane to the west and a little south. “There’s high ground there, a range of hills, but certainly not mountains, and they pooled water into a huge basin that flowed south all the way to Sydney and then further south into the headwaters of the Murray River. It got little or no press because not very many people live in all that area.”

“It’s almost impossible to imagine flooding on that scale,” I said. “It’s 1000km to Sydney and another 500 or so to Melbourne.”

Deb waved us into a large room down a couple of stairs where a table set with flowers, bowls of fruit and plates of snacks was the centrepiece in a circle of comfortable chairs lined against all the walls in the room. Aluminium screens built over glassless windows let in lots of light and cool air, but were impervious to outside people getting in. A safe, cool ,comfortable, family-oriented room. Above one of these screens was a framed award to Commodore Doug Tearle. As I was reading it intently, he said, “It was a retirement gesture by my work colleagues. They promoted me to Commodore of the Boat Club because I have a 14ft aluminium runabout.”

Doug’s award

For me, the story of the Meet was all about Richard and Fred. Richard had flown from Bangkok to Melbourne and then he had flown another 6 hours from Melbourne to Brisbane, just to be at the Meet. Fred and Lyndal had driven all the way from Sydney to Brisbane “We haven’t seen each other for the best part of twenty years,” said Richard. “And I’m not sure when I saw Doug last.”

Richard and Fred Tearle catch up

The chart I had sent Deborah had started with George Tearle who was born in 1851 in Hockliffe, not far from Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire. He had married Louisa Finch in her home village of Houghton Regis, just north of Dunstable in 1877. One of their sons, born 1884 in Tebworth, was James Henry Tearle who married Edith Lydia Morgan in the lovely old Parish Church of Dunstable. Their son Frederick William Henry Tearle was born in Dunstable in 1906 and on 11 May 1912, they took the ship Shropshire from Liverpool to Australia.

In spite of now being an Australian, James still volunteered for service in the Australian Army in July 1915, to fight in Europe in WW1, perhaps because of his 8 years in the militia reserve in Dunstable, which he had joined in 1903. He was enlisted in the TCC 3rd ANZAC Battalion, 13th Company. He was tiny, just 5’ 2”, with “3 bad teeth and two missing.” Harry Leslie Vernon Tearle was born in South Fitzroy, Victoria, in 1916, and Edith Ella Irene Tearle in 1919. Since this is near Melbourne, I assume the good ship Shropshire called in there on its way to Sydney.

I have no record of how or why he moved to Brisbane, but he died here in 1969. Harry 1916 married Elsa Vera Gourley in Brisbane (I’m afraid I don’t know when) and they had eight children. William married Patricia Bridget Cotter in 1941 and to the best of my knowledge they had two sons. Harry also enlisted for the militia in 1935, in the First Corps of Signalers, the cable section, where he became a corporal in 1936 shortly before he was discharged. I have one last picture of this family: the 1937 Brisbane Electoral Roll, which shows James Henry and Edith with their sons Harry Leslie Vernon and Frederick William Henry all living in a house on the corner of Fagan Rd and Butterfield Rd.

As far as I knew, all the members present at the Meet today would be the descendants of Harry Leslie Vernon Tearle and Elsie, and possibly Frederick William and Bridget, so I checked the chart to see who to look out for:

Helen, James, Kevin, Richard, David, Frederick, Douglas and Denice from Harry & Elsa

and perhaps Edward and Michael from Frederick William & Bridget.

I had met four already from Harry’s family:

Our hosts Doug and Deborah

Ray and Denice Reese

..and here is the fifth, David, with Fred

Deborah had organised everyone to bring a plate of their own favourite food, and in the spirit of the generous Australians that they most certainly are, I think everyone had brought at least two dishes. In the end lunch was both delicious and bountiful. For a community that had only just overcome the worst of the most terrible flooding one could possibly imagine, this wonderful family had hearts as big as their continent.

Diane and David Tearle

As soon as lunch was over I gave the Meet a short introduction to the story of the Tearle family, from their roots in Tearle Valley in rural Bedfordshire to our present spread through most countries on Earth. Here, I am showing the group around Tearle Valley and Tearle Country. Watching are Helen, Ron, Liz & James and Teresa.

Ewart’s address

A tour of the attendees

Sparklers on the cake – Doug, Ethan and Corey, James & Liz, Helen, Honorah.

Diane (and everyone else) congratulates Deborah

Ready for a chat: James, Eva, Honorah, Helen, Tlisa, Andy, Chris, Teresa & Carl Vogelsang, Denice Reese and Ron Tearle gather around the sumptuous table Deborah had prepared.

Helen-Marie Sutton

Leah, Doug, Nathan and Richard.

Ron Tearle

Liz Tearle and Eva

Theresa

Everyone – from the front, left to right: Corey, Teresa, Ethan, Ewart, Helen, Leah, Honorah, Fred, Lyndal, Denice, David, Liz, James, baby, Noreen, Chris, Tlisi, Deborah, Diane, Ray Reese, Doug, Richard, Eva, Carl, Andy, Leonie, Nathan, Ron.

Thank you for a wonderful occasion!

Messages:

16 Aug 2011

G’day!

RSVPs for this event are coming in and just over 30 people have indicated their attendance. (I don’t think that includes Ewart and Elaine our special guests).

Some long lost “cousins” have been found, I am told.

For those who are still wondering if they will attend. It is at the home of Douglas and Deborah Tearle at Wynnum, Brisbane at lunchtime on Sunday 28th August.

Deborah as usual is doing a great job as organiser and has been contacting people with suggestions as to what to bring as we are self-catering.

Deborah can be contacted at dndtearle@optusnet.com.au

Regards

Ray
(Ray Reese :husband of Denice Tearle)

19 Aug 2011

Have a marvellous time! I was in Tearle valley today, visiting Whipsnade Zoo with my daughter and granddaughter. It was, and still is, rich agricultural land.

Best wishes to all Australian cousins

Barbara

30 Aug 2011

G’day!

What a wonderful time we had at the Brisbane meet on Sunday. I did not count how many were there but I am sure we must have numbered about thirty.

Our thanks to Deborah and Douglas Tearle for hosting us and to everyone for their contribution to the most delicious and filling lunch.

I know it was a real pleasure for Denice (nee Tearle) and I to meet with Ewart and Elaine once again and I am sure everyone else really enjoyed their visit.

Ewart gave a talk, ably assisted by Elaine, and amazed everyone with his knowledge and enthusiasm for things “Tearle”.

We remembered the last Brisbane Meet when Richard visited us from England and thought about others whose apologies were sent for this occasion.

Love and peace

Ray.

1 Sep 2011

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to second Ray’s thoughts. It was just wonderful to meet Ewart and Elaine and to catch up with the QLD Tearles once again!

I hope that one day my family and I can make it to one of the Tearle Meets in England sometime in the future!

Kind regards,

Teresa (Vogelsang)

18Mar/15

Tearle Meet 2010

18/03/2015Tearle Meets2010, kingdom, meet, Tearle, unitedewart.tearle

We were delighted to welcome the grand-daughter of Henry James 1880 and Louisa nee Lees, Anne Tearle. Many of us have spent a great deal of time on the story of this family, spanning as it does two continents and two World Wars. It was a pleasure to meet her and to help show her where the pieces of the story are laid out in our documentation. By Ewart Tearle, photos by Elaine Tearle.

Alan Gibbs looks for Amos on the John 1741 branch

Another outstanding success, TearleMeet3 lived up to all my expectations and wishes for the day. It was a success primarily or the hard work done by Barbara and Elaine on the door, and from Pat and John who tirelessly offered refreshments for all the visitors. We can also thank Elaine for her most beautiful cookies. Richard was on top form, too, helping people to navigate their way around the various branches spread over the floor, and renewing old friendships. Dinner at the 5 Bells was also a lovely occasion, of which more later, but we can assure everyone that the food was delicious, hot and on time. Alan Gibbs and I laid out the branches of the Tree in various aisles and draped them across pews when the aisles became full. The longest branch is now that of John 1741 and it is 66 A4 pages wide and three pages deep. We also set up the projector we had borrowed from the vicarage.

David Tearle and Richard compare notes

People came from great distances, and that is always a humbling thought; we set up an event such as this, but it is the interest of our wide-spread family, and their willingness to make the journey to see us, that makes all the work worthwhile. It is also not possible to make the Tree grow, to be accurate and comprehensive as we all want it to be, without the tireless and ceaseless work of Richard, Barbara, Pat Field and Rosemary. It is a joy and a privilege to work with you.

Pat and John Field

Goff Tearle of Loughborough University has been corresponding with us for several years and he took great interest in the John 1741 branch to see where his family lay. Alan Gibbs joined him because he, too is on that branch; one of the Wing Tearles. We welcomed back Enid Horton and her daughter Lorinda from Rugby, who have attended all the Meets and are famous for their work for us on the Banns Register in the very first Meet. And one of our regular contributors to the forum, Jo Smith and her mother Doreen nee Gurney (a true Stanbridge girl, with an ancient Stanbridge name) gave us a few tips about the memorials around the church and how we could add to the list of Tearle memorials in our pamphlet.

Enid Horton and Lorinda

One of the highlights was welcoming the twin sisters of Michael and Rosemary: Maureen Rigby and Janette Harrison. They had travelled some distance to get here. I met them for the first time, and it was a happy occasion finally to meet the English family of the two people in New Zealand whom I have known for so long. Rosemary has been a huge help in many of our safaris into the stories of the families who populate the Tree. She has been an inspiration and a driving force in the group. It was very nice to be able to meet the people Michael grew up with.

Barbara Ashley, Janette Harrison and Maureen Rigby

Anne Tearle of Bristol

Richard Nichols originally came to find some information on Tearle men who had been in the marines, but when he met Anne, he discovered that he, too was related to Henry and Louisa, and therefore to Anne. Here they are at lunch in the 5 Bells.

In the background of the picture above you can see the Redbourne contingent: Ian, Shaw and Alfred Tearle

Shaw and Alfred

The main event was the visit from Catherine Brunton-Green, her daughter Nicola, and her grand-daughters (lucky girl) Abby and Kelci. They brought a wonderful display of photos and letters all about the Soulbury families and as the niece of Norman Tearle of Soulbury, Catherine had a special tribute for the terrible sacrifice he was forced to make in WW2, when he lost his life in the Little Ships armada off the Dunkirk beaches.

Catherine Brunton-Green and the Soulbury display.

Abby, Nicola and Kelci at lunch with Catherine

Fay and Mike Shepherd arrived looking for Mark Tearle, and that led us to Mark 1878 and Mary nee Chew.

While I was finding her on the Tree, she told me she was an aunt of Oliver Mark Tearle, the author, of Loughborough University. She was fascinated that she was a Soulbury Tearle, and above you can see her talking with Nicola and Abby and examining the exhibition. They enjoyed their lunch at the 5 Bells – and they needed to. Mike had to rush off to Spain to collect F1 cars. He is a member of the Red Bull team. Small world. I printed a 10-page family chart for Fay and she took it to investigate her newly-found family.

Fay and Mike Shepherd arrived looking for Mark Tearle, and that led us to Mark 1878 and Mary nee Chew.

We also had a visit from the family of Jennie Pugh; John and Grace Tearle and John’s sister Sheila Leng. We all mourned the loss of one of the sweetest ladies anyone hope to meet. Jennie, John and Sheila have attended all the Meets so far, and it was sad to know we would never see Jennie again.

John and Grace Tearle

We were very fortunate to welcome again the Ashleys – David and Barbara, Ingrid Taylor and her family and Pete Minns and his family. The Ashleys have attended every Meet so far and it is always so nice to see them. They are close to Rosemary and Michael’s twig on their branch of the Tree.

Lis and Eleanor Minns with Ingrid Taylor, David Ashley and Greg Minns.

When we retired to the 5 Bells for lunch, Barbara introduced a short section of the event, which was to recognise the members of the group who had died since the previous Meet. As a family history group it is right and proper that we should pause to remember those who had contributed much but who could no longer help us in person. She spoke movingly and passionately about John L Tearle, who was the inspiration for the Tearle group, and who has supplied the basic text we all work from when we explore the origins of the Tearles in Stanbridge: “Tearle, a Bedfordshire Surname.” She noted also the passing of Mavis Gertz of Australia and the contribution she has made to our knowledge of the Tearles in Tasmania and Victoria. Elaine then spoke about her life with Jennie Pugh and the lovely lady to whom we had to say goodbye since the last Meet. Richard thanked everyone for their attendance and wished them all a safe return home.

Barbara talks with Richard Nichols

It’s always sad when the event is over because it is 2 years in the making and six months in the planning and we renew our friendships at the same time as meeting new members of our family. The effort some people put in to attend is quite remarkable and we thank you very much.

Elaine Tearle, Maureen Rigby, Ewart, and Janette Harrison leaving the 5 Bells after lunch. Photo courtesy Pat Field

Three memorable pictures that Norman Rigby sent me sum up the day beautifully…

The John 1741 branch just goes on and on.

Interior of the 5 Bells at lunch

Messages to the Meet

Photos courtesy Ray Reese

Because it was such an important occasion, we received many messages of support and good will from all over the world. Here is a selection:

On a crisp Brisbane day of barely 30C, Richard met with the Australian Tearles in a delightful and informal function. Ray Reese, whom we all remember from the previous Meet, sent me these pictures of the day.

His message:

Denice and I have great memories of the last meet and will be thinking of you as you meet this time. We would hope that everyone has an enjoyable time as we did last time.

Richard, Samantha, Alfie, Molly and Jamie

A group shot: Jamie, Samantha, Alfie, Molly, Richard, Douglas, Teresa, Ron and Norma, Noreen, Richard and Patsy, Deborah wife of Douglas, Denice, Maggie ptly obsc and Kevin, Bev Floyd

Bev, Teresa, Noreen and Ron

Patsy, Maggie, Kevin and Denice

Kevin, Maggie and Douglas

Hi Richard and Ewart,

It was a great pleasure to meet you today Richard, as well as Sam and her lovely family! It was also wonderful for me to meet my Mum’s Tearle cousins for the first time too! Douglas and Deborah put up a delicious spread for us all which was very much appreciated on this chilly day in Brisbane!

As you mentioned Richard, we also had the pleasure of meeting Bev Floyd. Bev’s Tearle family is somewhat of a mystery to me (as it is to her).

Once again Richard, it was fantastic to meet you today and I hope that the rest of your stay is a great one!

Teresa

Richard:

Teresa – thank you so much for those kind words: in return, you have no idea what a thrill it was for me to meet all of you – even more so now as I did not realise that you had not met your cousins! Bev did indeed do us all proud – but how could you call it chilly!!!!
I knew that we had done quite a bit on Minnie and Minnie Maud and I am absolutely delighted that it has been of great use to someone (Bev) and I do hope we can find out a little more for her. Ewart – I have some details from Bev and will show them to you on the 17th.

Brian:

Sadly I am unable to attend the meet this year (attending a 70th birthday party with the in-laws!). Just wanted to wish everyone a great Tearle day.

Sam:

I’m very sorry that I can’t make Saturday as I’m signing at a wedding in Sussex. I would love to have come and hope it goes really well.

Hi All

Sorry we can’t make it for the big meet … all the best and maybe next time. We hope to hear some tales …

From the Moses Tearle and Amelia Cooper Cooper branch in Waitakere, west of Auckland, New Zealand.

Tony & Wendy Skelley

Here are the pictures of the horseshoe I was telling you about. As I said it was made for Ruth’s 7th birthday back in 1890 if my maths is correct.

The ruler in the picture is placed with both metric and inch measures on it so hope you realise just how small it is.

Have been in e-mail contact with Jewelly.

Enjoy the gathering of the clans

As you rightly say it is tiny but exact in every detail, it must have taken a fair level of skill to produce.

Will raise a glass next Saturday, what time is the get together? I might be in bed bearing in mind the time difference (we are seven hours ahead at the moment), but will be thinking of you all.

Love Margaret Tearle nee Palmer, Doug & Buttons (the dog.)

Perth, Australia

Birthday present for Ruth Tearle 1883, dau of Levi 1850 and Sarah nee Blake. Wing, Bucks, 1890.

Thanks we have received

Dear All,

Just to echo the thanks to Ewart, Elaine, Barbara, Richard for organising another successful day – it was friendly, interesting, stimulating, respectful and emotional … I had a sore throat by evening I had spoken so much about the Soulbury/Luton Tearles.

Thank you too for the opportunity for me to be there to remember and honour Norman – who gave his life so bravely at a tender age. I will be in touch

P.S. Elaine’s shortbread is just SO delicious!!

Catherine Brunton-Green

Richard Nichols:

Hi Ewart,

Thanks again for the great day on Saturday, it was one of those singular moments that don’t come often enough. Not only did I meet up with some of my distant relatives and gain an insight into where the Tearle family originated but also by chance had dinner with whom I found out was a much closer relation, Anne Tearle, coming from James (out of William – Stanbridge 1749).

Anne and my mother share the same Gt Grandfather!

As it was only on the spur of the moment that she decided to attend I feel particularly lucky!

Goff:

Just wanted to add my congratulations to Elaine and Ewart for organising the 2010 TearleMeet.

It was amazing to see the rows of paper laid out along the church depicting our heritage – a mark to the

success of the research that has been carried out.

I was so pleased to be able to be there this year and meet so many members of the very extended family.

Maureen Rigby and Janette Harrison

Dear Ewart and Elaine, just a note to say how much we enjoyed, attending the “Tearlemeet”. You must put so much hard work into it all; aren’t we lucky to have two people working so tirelessly to get a family together. We really did enjoy it, and were amazed at the amount of research you must have done to have produced so much information! Norman will be sending you some of the photos’ he took which he’s quite pleased with; they really do seem to capture the atmosphere. Thank you both very much again from the four of us; we look forward to seeing you again in two years time. Very best wishes from us all, Maureen, Norman,Jan., and Roy.

Rosemary and Michael

Firstly THANKS to you both for all that you have (yet again!) done towards the Meet. It just wouldn’t happen without you two. Hopefully the people who come and those like us who stay at home because we aren’t near-by make it all worthwhile.

Barbara

A big thank you to Ewart and Elaine for organising today’s Tearlemeet: it was a great success. Pity about the weather – a bit blowy and not as warm as it could have been, but what does that matter when you are enjoying yourself? And thanks to Pat and John whose tea and coffee was welcome

Since the last meet the trees have grown so big that two of them could not be fully unrolled along the length of the nave – that shows how much work everyone has put into reconstructing our families since the last meet and how much Ewart has done in recording the research.

For those who weren’t able to be there, we also remembered three special people who have died since the last meet:

John L whose book started many of us off on our Tearle history
Mavis Gerdtz from Melbourne who put in so much work on the Australian Tearles
Jennie Pugh who attended the last two meets and who was a living link with the Wing Tearles from the late 19C.

Thank you Ewart & Elaine

Richard

Thank you, Barbara: I can only echo that except to add that you have done more than ‘your bit’ in making both the group and the Meets so successful..

I would also like to add my thanks to all who made it and gave us even more information, Catherine for her superb display of the Soulbury Tearles and new member Anne who only joined 2 days ago.

A great success again and we can start looking forward to 2012

18Mar/15

The Gold Coast, Australia

18/03/2015Australiaaustralia, brisbane, coast, gold, meet, Tearle, tour, travelewart.tearle

For a final treat after the 2011 Tearle Meet in Brisbane, Ray and Denice took Elaine and I on a whistle-stop tour of the Gold Coast. It was breathtaking. We loved every mile. Here are some pictures of that memorable journey.

Life on the Gold Coast – boating from city to city

Ibis – an icon of the Coast

Highrises on the coast road, Surfers Paradise

Relaxing on the Gold Coast – there’s a hamper full of tinnies in the sea

Cheekie little chappie on a restaurant table

After a hard day’s surfing, you take the taxi back to shore

The beach at Surfers Paradise

The lifeguard’s hut

Balmy days of glorious skies and calm blue seas

Even the public seating is a statement of the lifestyle

Windsurfer

Centaur Remembrance Walk

The end of our trip along the Gold Coast was the Queensland-NSW border. At this point, there is a lighthouse containing a brass strip which marks the border exactly, and a memorial walk. Along the guardrail that overlooks a precipitous drop to the sea are small plaques, one for each of the ships that have been unfortunate enough to founder along the Queensland coast. We looked for the ship which had brought Elizabeth Cooper Cooper and her new son, Egerton, to Australia, the Scottish Prince, but we could see no sign of her. She is nowadays a dive wreck in Moreton Bay, not too far from Brisbane itself. I wonder if Elizabeth called her son Egerton Burleigh, after this place? Because this is Burleigh Heads.

Burleigh Heads Lighthouse

The end of a truly memorable day. Ewart with Ray and Denice Reese near the capstain of the Centaur on the border of Queensland and NSW. The memorial is also, or perhaps is primarily, a lighthouse.

The last memory of our day belongs to a fabulous creature: about a mile out to sea, a pod of whales threw huge plumes of spray into the air and lunged and porpoised in the waves. On a warm evening in Australia, walking and talking with our family and friends, life could get no better.

Thank you Ray and Denice for the invitation, for your time and your generosity, and thank you Deborah and Doug for your very kind hospitality. We wish all our Australian cousins the very best that life can give them, and we look forward to meeting any of you here in England.

Tearle.org.uk

The Tearle Family History Website

Tag: Tearle

Tag Archives: Tearle

Tearle, George, 1876, Dunstable, UK (1/Beds Regt)

Tearle, John Gates, 1890, Wolverton, UK

Tearle, Rowland Grigg, 1916, London, UK (RAMC)

Hertfordshire Direct Names Online – Tearle

Tearle, Edward Kefford William, 1907, Lexden, UK (CMP)

Tearle, Leslie James, 1915, St Albans, UK (1st Herts Rgt)

Tearle, John Henry, 1887, Hatfield, UK (Inniskilling Fusiliers)

Tearle Meet 2011, Brisbane

Tearle Meet 2010

The Gold Coast, Australia