Genealogy Chat

see below:

Hi all, I have found a family connection to a 'Sir' (well, probably a couple of 'Sir's' - not that I'm boasting you understand !!!) Anyway, where can I look up details of their families and details please. Thanks, Dea x

Have you looked on The Times website? Do you mean someone with a life-peerage, or a hereditary title? Merry

OOps - forgot to curtsey! M x

Who's who of the period would list sirs. Ditto Whitaker's Almanac. nell

Merry, You don't have to courtsey - I don't know the difference between a life peerage or an hereditary title. He seems to have started off as a cotton spinner - got rich - became a Sir about 1901 - 1905 ish and gave pots of money away to good causes etc. I presume that would make him a life peer (whatever that means)??? Dea x

Doffs ones cap at Dea ma lady as nell suggested look in those noble publications bows as i leave the post Steve

stoppitt Steve !!! Can I find thos noble publications searchable on line?? I just googled for who's who and the site was for famous people wanting to put their details in - I am NOT famous and want to get details out !! Any more suggestions please? Dea x

Will be a life peer then, I expect (ie given title for what he did, not inherited....) Bound to have an obit in The Times.......I'll look if you like.....NAME please, and dob (roughly....) Do you know when he died? Merry

Er, don't get too excited, 'Sir' wouldn't make him any kind of peer, just a knight! Have you tried looking for an old copy of 'Who's Who'? I don't mean googling, I mean on ebay or amazon or abebooks, but I suppose then you would have to wait for it to arrive. Or you could try a second-hand book shop, I suppose. Kate.

Unless he is called John Smith, might beable to spot him in the Honours list (printed in The Times).......then we would know what sort of Sir he was...... Merry

Can we please stop talking about life peers! Someone would have the title 'Sir' if: 1. they'd been knighted; or 2. they'd been given or inherited a baronetcy. Knighthoods are given to an individual and are carried by them for the remainder of their life; baronetcies descend to the individual's heir on their death. Neither rank is a member of the peerage.

Thanks Merry, I only just found him though and I've lost all 'me bits' - I have buried them under all my other less important people (but just as important to me!!) - I do know he was born c 1859 in Manchester as Edward Tootell Broadhurst but used the name Edward T Broadhurst on 1901 when living at the Manor House in North Rode, Nr. Macclesfield, Cheshire. He was later a director or the railroad and also a Sir sometime around or after 1905. If you can't find him I will do another search and get more info. Have to cook tea now (servant's night off!!) but will be back later Thanks, Dea x

Sorry to upset you Andrew - we can't all know everything!! Dea - I'll have a look in the paper..... Merry

bookmarking this......gotta see if merry comes up with anything...... Curtsies...;-) Gerri.

So Andrew, ''Bt''....he is a baronet? Dea, he is dead by 1924. His widow, Dame Charlotte Jane Broadhurst left £50,000 Still looking (am saving items - so if you send me youe email addy) Merry

In 1905 (not yet Bt) he was a JP and elected a Director of the London and North West Railway. Merry

1919 - Now Sir....He donates 85 acres in Moston, Manchester as a recreation ground in celebration of the Allied victory...... Merry

Still alive in Aug 1821......... Merry

Yes, baronets have 'Bt' or 'Bart' appearing after their name. If I remember correctly, the whole baronetcy business was dreamt up by James I/VI as a money-making exercise. He couldn't get away with creating a large number of peers, so he made a whole new thing up that meant absolutely nothing! Incidentally, the OP's chap wouldn't have 'used' the name Edward T Broadhurst; the census enumerators were only supposed to use initials for middle names.