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Trying to solve mystery of whom Aunt Polly was. She was known to my gran's brother Aubrey Dennis Barnes Born 1914 Fulmodestone Norfolk. He said she died young by drowning in a local river. I thought she might have been Mary Barnes b1856 Barney who married Robert Sands - Polly & Molly are alternative names for Mary apparently - but she died at age of 91. Also I thought she maybe Pamela Caley b 1857 who married Robert Nobes but she died in 1912 before Uncle Denny was born . Aunt Polly must have been alive when he was young as he remembered her. Sadly, I cannot now ask Uncle Denny for more info as he also has passed away.

Any help would be appreciated


Many thanks

Elaine H Swarbrick

Welcome to the boards, Elaine.

Do you believe she was actually related to him, or just given the title 'Aunt' as a family friend?

If she was born in 1856 (as one of your possibles) and died after 1914, it hardly makes her young?

Polly is a diminutive of Mary

Molly is more commonly a diminutive of Margaret..............

Who referred to this person as 'Aunt'?

If she was Aubrey's actual aunt...........she must have been the sister (or sister-in-law) of one of his parents............but that would hardly have qualified her as 'young' when he knew her...........

Births Sep 1913 (>99%)
Barnes Aubrey D Caley Walsingham 4b 473

Who were his parents?

Was this their marriage?

Marriages Dec 1891 (>99%)
Barnes Robert Roger Walsingham 4b 769
Barnes Ruth Walsingham 4b 769
Caley Margaret Rook Walsingham 4b 769
Williamson John Wright Walsingham 4b 769

1911 census



Person: BARNES, Robert Address: Common End Fulmodestone Guist Norfolk


BARNES, Robert Head Married M 40 1871 Farm Labourer Barney Norfolk VIEW
BARNES, Margaert Wife Married F 39 1872 Barney Norfolk VIEW
BARNES, Roger Son Single M 16 1895 Farm Labourer Thursford Norfolk VIEW
BARNES, George Son Single M 13 1898 Farm Labourer Thursford Norfolk VIEW
BARNES, Fred Son Single M 11 1900 School Fulmodestone Norfolk VIEW
BARNES, Lizzie Daughter Single F 9 1902 School Fulmodestone Norfolk VIEW
BARNES, Freda Daughter Single F 7 1904 School Fulmodestone Norfolk VIEW
BARNES, Doris Daughter Single F 4 1907 Fulmodestone Norfolk VIEW
BARNES, Lenard Son Single M 0 (5 MONTHS) 1911 Fulmodestone Norfolk VIEW
WRIGHT, Dennis Brother Single M 24 1887 Bakers Labourer Thursford Norfolk

1891 census


Person: WRIGHT, Dennis R Address: St Barney Cottage, Station Road, Barney

CALEY, Robert Head Single M 30 1861 Farm Laborer
Barney, Norfolk VIEW
WRIGHT, Emma E Sister Widow F 36 1855
Barney, Norfolk VIEW
CALEY, Margaret R Niece Single F 17 1874
Barney, Norfolk VIEW
CALEY, George F Nephew Single M 13 1878
Barney, Norfolk VIEW
WRIGHT, Frederick W Nephew M 11 1880 Scholar
Thursford, Norfolk VIEW
WRIGHT, Ann E Niece F 9 1882 Scholar
Thursford, Norfolk VIEW
WRIGHT, Charles Nephew M 8 1883 Scholar
Thursford, Norfolk VIEW
WRIGHT, Dennis R Nephew M 3 1888
Thursford, Norfolk

I wonder if the 'aunt' was a Wright?

Half-sister to Aubrey's mother.........................

1881 census


Person: WRIGHT, Emma Address: Heath Cottage, Thursford

WRIGHT, Richard Head Widower M 70 1811 Gardener
Taverham, Norfolk VIEW
WRIGHT, George Son Married M 30 1851 Ag Lab
Thursford, Norfolk VIEW
WRIGHT, Emma Sons Wife Married F 26 1855
Barney, Norfolk VIEW
CALEY (WRIGHT), Margaret Step Daughter Step Grand Daughter Single F 7 1874 Scholar
Barney, Norfolk VIEW
CALEY (WRIGHT), George Stepson Step Grand Son Single M 3 1878
Barney, Norfolk VIEW
WRIGHT, Frederick Grand Son Single M 1 1880
Thursford, Norfolk VIEW
CALEY, Robert Brother In Law Single M 20 1861 Ag Lab
Barney, Norfolk

Marriages Sep 1879 (>99%)

KALEY Emma Elizabeth Walsingham 4b 463
Wright George Walsingham 4b 463

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tinstaafl/Church_Pages/thorpe_hamlet.htm

Interesting!!!!

Apologies to all who have been trying to help me - it seems I should put my comments in this box - so that you all know what the state of play is.

Reggie who has repled to my message has found the correct family in Fulmodestone Norfolk in 1911 Robert Roger Barnes m to Margaret Rook Caley/Kaley & their children. My gran is Doris Ivy Barnes, it was her brother Aubrey Dennis Barnes who told me this story but he was not born unyil 1914.

Reggie has also correctly identified the Caley & Wright family in 1891 & in 1881.
It is possible that Polly was indeed a Wright and that would make her a true Aunt to Aubrey Dennis Barnes & his siblings.

All I know about Aunt Polly is that she was young when she drowned in a local river - possibly the river Wensum?
5 Wright siblings - Frederick William Wright b 1880 Thursford (no info on whether he was married or not, if he was married to a Mary then this could be Polly), Ann E Wright 1882-1956 m George Hutcherson, Charles Edward Wright 1883-1964 m Ida E Nobes 1890-1971, Dennis Robert Wright b 1887 m Caroline E Atkins b1889
Frederick did move away from Norfolk with his sister and her husband & family , I know that some of that line settled in Dunstable Bedfordshire.

Many thanks

Elaine

Hi Again

Kempinapartyhat thought that Aunt Polly may be a Wright and in particular Emma Elizabeth Wright (nee Caley/Kaley). However, as she was my Gran's Grandma I thought it unlikely that she and her siblings would call her Aunt Polly.

However one of her sisters was called Pamela Pemley Kaley/Caley b1845 Barney d1912 Walsall Staffs - I wondered if she could have been nicknamed Polly. It seems she died of a stroke though and not of drowning , unless the stroke was a result of being in the water. She died in Walsall what she was doing there I do not know - I was told it was a local river that she drowned in and that Aunt Polly had also gone a little 'crazy'.

I have also found another sister Mary Ann Kaley b 1845 Barney with a possible Marriage to William Page in 1880 but I cannot find her in 1851 census or a plausable death for her under her maiden or married name. Again Polly is an alternative for Mary.

Many thanks to all

Elaine

Hi Again

Death details were incorrect for Pamela Nobes (nee Caley/Kaley). She actually died 1912 but in district of Walsingham - thought it was unusual for her to be in Walsall! Still don't know whether she is Aunt polly or not though.

Bye

Elaine

Hi Again

Been on facebook to gt grandaughter of Pamela Pemley Nobes (nee Caley) - she is not aware of anyone calling her Polly.

Looks like it must be someone else.

Bye for now

Elaine

Hello!

I was doing a generic internet search for the Caley/Barnes family when I came across this message thread. I cam connected through the marriage of Elizabeth A Barnes to Frederick A Goldsmith.

Wishing all safe and well

Lisa

Lisa -

As you'll have realised, you have responded to a 7-year-old thread.
Elaine won't be looking for replies here after so long.

You can try to contact her by sending a private message - just click on her name in green at the top of one of her posts.
If GR have her up-to-date email address they'll notify her that there's a message from you, and she may then be willing and able to reply.
But no guarantees, after so long.

Re Mary Ann Kaley 1845 (purely because my grandmother's name was Mary Ann and she was always known as Polly ) -

KALEY, MARY ANN mms JACKSON
GRO Reference: 1845 S Quarter in WALSINGHAM UNION Volume 13 Page 345

She's a sister of the Robert c1860 who is discussed earlier in this thread.

Parent's marriage:

Robert Caley
in the Norfolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936
Name: Robert Caley
Gender: Male
Marriage Age: 20
Birth Date: abt 1823
Marriage Date: 12 Oct 1843
Marriage Place: Barney, Norfolk, England
Father: George Caley
Spouse: Susan Jackson



However, Mary Ann isn't with her parents in 1861 (Caley) nor in 1851 (Laley on Ancestry)

The possible marriage mentioned by Elaine - no parents' names are given:

Mary Caley
in the Norfolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936
Name: Mary Caley
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 21 Nov 1880
Marriage Place: Field Dalling, Norfolk, England
Spouse: William Page

However, 1891 gives her YOB as 1857:

Mary Page
in the 1891 England Census
Name: Mary Page
Gender: Female
Age: 34
Relationship: Wife
Birth Year: 1857
Spouse: William Page
Child: Alfred Wm Page
Henry Page
Alice E Page
Bertram E Page
Willia Shackeld Paley
Birth Place: Barney, Norfolk, England
Civil Parish: Field Dalling
Ecclesiastical parish: Field Dalling
Residence Place: Field Dalling, Field Dalling, Norfolk, England
Registration district: Walsingham
Sub registration district: Walsingham
ED, Institution or Vessel: 16
Neighbors:
Piece: 1559
Folio: 165
Household Members:
Name Age
William Page 31
Mary Page 34
Alfred Wm Page 9
Henry Page 7
Alice E Page 5
Bertram E Page 3/12
Willia Shackeld Paley 16

1901 says 1858 , and 1911 says 1957 - so doesn't look like the Mary Ann born 1945.

I think this is the Mary Caley who married William Page:

Mary Stanford Caley
in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Name: Mary Stanford Caley
Gender: Female
Baptism Date: 13 Dec 1856
Baptism Place: Barney, Norfolk, England
Father: William Caley
Mother: Allice
FHL Film Number: 1596115
Reference ID: items 22-28 p 47



As Mary Ann 1845 isn't with her family at all as a child, I think this is her death:

CALEY, MARY ANN 0
GRO Reference: 1845 S Quarter in WALSINGHAM UNION Volume 13 Page 201

So another dead end re Polly.


In any case, Elaine said that Polly was known to Aubrey, who was born in 1914 - so couldn't possibly be born in 1845 if she died young.

As Patchem suggested in 2013, Polly may only have been an honorary "aunt", and no relation at all.