T11

This is a letter from Aunt Louise to an unknown person.

My great grandfather Henry Bird, merchant of Plymouth, now called Devonport residing at The Grove, Plymton St Mary,  trading with Constantinople married Elizabeth Briggs, her brother, (page damaged) resided with his wife and two daughters, Juliet and Maria Arnold at Ridgway near Plymton.

The daughter lived to be over 80 and died on the same day. His maiden sister, known as “Aunt Biggy” lived at The Grove with her widowed sister, Mr Henry Bird (my great grandmother and Mrs Samuel Bird.)

Henry and Elizabeth Bird had Henry who married Elizabeth Hicks, Elizabeth, (called Betsy) who married William Hayward Winstone.

Samuel who married Dorothy, who married William Symons of Chaddlewood. Henry had Henry, Henrietta, Joan, Hariett, Maria, Lucy, Sally or Selina, Fanny, George, Georgina, Charlotte, Louisa, born November 1800.

Elizabeth married a widower with (page damaged) afterwards Mr Curtis taking the name of Hayward.

Louisa married late in life, Captain Sykes.

Lucy married Colonel Foster.

Joan who went abroad – her one and only child born and died at the age of 6 at Oldbury Court.

Henrietta had no children.

Dorothy had William (Seymour,) George Henry who died young, Mary Elizabeth married Henry Salter

Dorothy married George Strode of Newnham Park.

Elizabeth’s children were Henry George William, Henrietta, Dora, Milly.

Elizabeth’s children were Georgina Strode, Florence, Sidney.

His name and that of his children were Hayward only but he came into the Oldbury property and took the name of Winstone before his marriage. My aunts only child who died at the age of 6 was Henrietta Hayward Winstone, she was named after her uncle (my grandfather). Mr Winstone’s son died abroad.

The daughter was Albinia who married Captain Curtis, vicar of Billou between Bristol and Bath. On the death of her father she came into the Quedgley property near Gloucester which he had inherited from his uncle Hayward and she became Mrs Curtis Hayward (her husband was dead) she was the mother of my mother’s friend and Miss Hayward (my godmother) Mrs Harry (aunt Bessie’s godmother.)

Mrs Peters and Mrs Symons, her sons were John Curtis Hayward who succeeded the Quedgley property saving his mother’s life twice, she and her sister lived at Quedgley till the house got too full, his son William John Hayward is now master of Quedgley, the other son of Mr Curtis Hayward was the Rev’d Winstone Hayward who was Rector of a Somerset parish for many years. He was living when I left. I have not heard from him since.

When my great aunt and uncle Winstone had Quedgley they made it their summer residence and rented No. 1 Bedford Street Bath their town house where they generally resided with my mother and aunt Louisa whom they had adopted. One or more of their older sisters to be introduced into Bath “Society,” of which they were at the very top, that was all that the Bird’s ever had to do with Bath.

Aunt Winstone died there April 18th 1837 and was buried by her children in the family vault under Stapleton Church, her husband was buried besides his first wife in the Hayward family vault at Quedgley. I have the coat of arms of both their families, engraved on seals.

The Bird family house was The Grove Plymstow near Plymouth where my great grandmother lived after her husband’s death and her sister Mrs Biggs and my great uncle Sam’s widow lived with her and all died there and are buried in Plymstow churchyard where many others be. I have seen their monuments, their brother Major Biggs lived also in Plymstow with his two daughters, Maria and Juliet. My mother took me to see them when I was about 15, they were over 80 then and both died on the same day a few years afterwards.

You will have to study this, to get it into your head, the paper will help you to fix the generations. I would like you to know your relations, my dear mother used to talk to me about them till I seemed to know them all which neither of the other cared to do and as your father makes a muddle, ask me anything you like.

With much love to you all,

Your loving Aunt Louisa.

I found this was overweight so finished the genealogy which I enclose.