Find Ancestors

I am trying to find about a WILLIAM GRIFFITH LLOYD born 1866 in Darlington but later moved to Southampton, Bath, Leamington Spa, Wakefield, Liverpool (he was involved in the Colliery/Mines business we think for the Earl of Warwick). He married a Kate Crew in 1896 and had one daughter Violet Gwynedd who became Violet Gwynedd Strange having married Eustace Strange in 1921. Oddly enough around 1896 William changed his name to WILFRED. From around 1902 he goes off the radar; word was that he went to Maidstone Prison at some point but no-one seems to know anything further and where and when he died. He had 6 brothers and sisters: Margaret 1868, Lloyd 1872, Harry 1875, Julia 1877, Richard 1880, Edmund 1885. Edmund was the organist at Romsey Abbey. Looking for info on any of the above and their descendants especially Wilfred. Chris

I am a professional genealogist in Hertfordshire UK and I too am interested in tracing William Griffith Lloyd who, as you say, became Wilfred. I wondered if you had got any further since posting your initial message? I am having a problem finding him as well after 1891 apart from his marriage to Kate Crew in 1896.

Are you aware that Eustace Cecil Strange and Violet Gwynedd Lloyd, who married in 1921, were the maternal grandparents of a very famous English actress, Emma Chambers, whose ancestry I am researching for my online blog, Reach For The Stars & Their Family Trees? Emma appeared in the film Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and also featured in the TV sitcom The Vicar of Dibley, with Dawn French. She starred as Alice Tinker, the somewhat dim but loveable verger who never understood Dawn French's jokes at the end of the programme!

Emma's mother, Noelle G Strange, is the daughter of Eustace Cecil Strange and Violet G Lloyd, and was born in 1925 in the registration district of South Stoneham, Hampshire. She married John S W Chambers in 1950 in the New Forest RD and Emma was born at Doncaster, Yorkshire, in 1964.

As a professonal genealogist you should realize that you can't expect an answer from a post that is more than 7 years old. You could click on Christopher's name and send a personal message and if his email hasn't changed he will receive notification from GR.

I'm NOT a professional genealogist Roy, but I had no problem finding "Wilfred" Griffith Lloyd after 1891 - he's clearly on the 1901 census.

Maybe you should post that 1901 census, MC, an then send the bill to the "professional genealogist".

As a professional you should not be expecting to get free help from people who pay for the census info they find

And if you can't find someone who was found in seconds by an 'amateur', one has to question your choice of profession

Also he enlisted for WW1 in 1915, Winnipeg, Canada. His wife Kate was in Southampton, England.

I'm sure that I can find a lot more but I'm a simple housewife, you're the professional genealogist.

Whatever anyone on here finds cannot be passed to a professional

Both FMP and Ancestry are very clear that their records are not to be used for financial gain

The info I posted re: his enlistment was not from FMP or Ancestry nor any other pay-to-view site. It was free.

Goodness me Roy , I am truly amazed having read the blog you thoughtfully mentioned, that despite your qualifications and experience the helpers here have managed to find what you have missed.


:-D :-D

Maybe Roy thinks he is posting direct to Christopher and not on an open board for everyone to see ??

Looking at some of Roy's very many blogs I think he's well versed in forums ;-)

but not so well-versed in finding info.!!!!

Looks as though I had better advise Roy on how to return to this thread!

Thank you all, despite the somewhat rude and arrogant comments. In fact I did find Wilfred in the 1901 census but as he was living in Bath and described as a colliery agent I initially had my doubts. There weren't many coal mines in Bath, as far as I am aware! I haven't found him in 1911.

As it happens, BTW, I do NOT get paid for my blog. It is entirely self funded, thus the unpleasant comments are uncalled for. This is the first time I have bothered with GR since I've always considered it a place for amateurs. I probably won't bother again. :-)

It IS a place for amateurs Roy, but the combined wealth of experience is pretty phenomenal ( several heads being better than one as it were) and they all give the benefit of that experience free.

"The Somerset coalfield stretched from Cromhall in the north to the Mendip Hills in the south, and from Bath in the east to Nailsea in the west, a total area of about 240 square miles "

I don't know when the last pit closest to Bath closed, but it is possible that whilst his home was in Bath, he worked further out?

Thank you, Sirius.

You may well be right about the Somerset coalfields. I too have looked at Wikipedia.

I too have given the benefit of my experience free over many years and on many Rootsweb mailing lists, as a simple Google search will confirm. I only describe myself as a professional genealogist because I write regularly for family history magazines, mostly Family Tree, and because I accept the occasional commission from a private client.

My interest in the ancestries of celebrities is entirely a personal thing and nobody pays me for it; on the contrary, I quite often buy BMD certificates out of my own funds. Thus, I do not appreciate sneers from people like Margee, whoever he/she is.

The problem with Wilfred Griffith Lloyd (or possibly William G Lloyd) is that he does not appear with his wife or daughter in any census that I can find. I am one of those researchers who is unwilling to take "leaps in the dark".

I have not yet found any evidence that William (or Wilfred) Griffith Lloyd went to prison, and I have looked at several sources including the British Newspaper Archive, so I don't know where that story came from, which is why I was trying to contact Christopher, whoever he is.

Roy, I don't believe any one has suggested, or is particularly interested whether of not you get paid to research celebrities, it's not really relevant to the search you are making now, and since some of us do have actors in the family ( who are working people not necessarily "celebrities" or fond of publicity in their private lives) then as I say your celebrity blog is an irrelevance here.

You doubtless have Wilfred in 1907, I agree I can't find him after that on a census, (perhaps you will have to wait for the 1921)....but then neither I, the combined experience of dozens of helpers here, nor the professional genealogist have yet been able to locate my gt gt aunt either...some people just cannot be found. But we keep looking...amateur and professional alike.

I assume you have sent a message to Christopher, hopefully he will make contact and you can compare notes.

Since in an earlier post I said that I was a simple housewife one could deduce from that that I am a she not a he.

You accused me in your pm of not having the courage to post my name on my posts. My name is Margaret Manson.