The Kizz Blog

15 Days - 15 Collections

2011-10-17T03:45:00.000-07:00

In an imaginative mood, Ancestry.com have been giving free access to 15 different sets of records, for for the first 15 days of October only. "15 days - 15 FREE collections" has ended now, but I tried to use the opportunity to go Kisby-hunting.

Unfortunately Ancestry's records have a repuation for being badly transcribed. I've tried on several occasions to search the US Census records for Kisby's but rarely with success. For example, the 1920 Census (part of the "15 days" release) should contain dozens of Kisby's but according to the index search there are none! In their defence, the US was populated by immigrants from all nationalities, many of them with unusual unexpected surnames to confuse the transcribers.

So I chose to extract as many KISBY, KISBEE and KISBEY births from the 1916-2005 England & Wales Birth index. I managed to complete the task for the 30 years from 1963 to 1993 (which included the birth entries for my sister and me). Noticeably, during this period, there are almost NO Kisby's born in the old stomping grounds of the English Fens!

Whittlesey Parish Registers

2011-08-27T06:22:00.001-07:00

After 20 years of tracing my ancestors in the Whittlesey area of the Cambridgeshire, I've finally invested in some CD's of the local parish registers. Well, actually these CD's were published by Cambs Family History Society in 2009, so they are quite recent. Before then it was a case of searching through fiddly sheets of microfiche, or printed copies at record offices. The new CD's have transcribed the records of Whittlesey St Mary, Whittlesey St Andrew from 1599 to 1950. The church at Coates is also included (built in 1850). Impressive work!! It will certainly keep me busy during the chilly autumn evenings adding names and dates to my family tree!

Kisby - Green

2011-07-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

On the subject of Kisby emigrants, Mary Ann Green (nee Kisby) of Thorney, Cambridgeshire, was another Fenlander who left for America with her husband and 3 young children. She eventually had 5 more children in the USA and Canada.

This week their descendant, Kevin Martin, sent me a fabulous photograph of the Green siblings. Judging by the photo, Mary Ann must've had blue eyes at least!

Henry Kisby the Mysterious Pioneer

2011-07-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the online publication of the history of Mills County, Iowa, one of the first 'notable' Kisby's I came across was the pioneering Henry Kisby (1818-1908). He apparently emigrated from England in 1847, subsequently building up enough resources to buy himself a 50-acre farm in Glenwood Township. Henry's history is well documented in the 1881 "Mills County History", he was born 12 March 1818 in Lincolnshire, England and his first wife was also English, Ellen Needham, born c.1825.

What is puzzling is that I can find no trace whatsoever of a Henry Kisby in Lincolnshire that fits the bill. A Henry Kisby from Upwell, Cambridgeshire also emigrates to America in 1852, but he is a full 10 years younger. There are Henry's living in Huntingdonshire, but they can all be accounted for. Ellen, on the other hand, may have came from anywhere in England.

Maybe Henry changed his name when he arrived on America's shores. Whatever the explanation, it's a mystery I'd be delighted to solve!

2011-04-10T02:58:00.000-07:00

To mark the arrival of the 2011 UK Census forms on our doormats, I've uploaded a page of Kisby's and Kisbee's who appear in the 1851 England Census. So far I've spotted over 230 of them! This compares with 370 in 1881 and over 500 in 1911.

The 1851 Census was the first to ask for exact ages, places of birth and relationships to the head of the household. So it is extremely useful to genealogists! Most Kisby's and Kisbee's seem to have done their absolute best to fill it in correctly, though quite a few people seem to struggle to remember where they were born, or give themselves a more flattering age.

Of course, these problems are minor in comparison to making head-or-tail of the census in 2011. Could the Office of National Statistics make it more complicated or obtrusive if they tried?!

Westminster Wedding

2011-02-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

What a pleasant experience it was to visit the Westminster Archives last week! They are located on the top floor of a modern red brick building, only a few minutes walk from London's Westminster Abbey.

I'd gone to the archives because I spotted a reference online to a marriage of James Kisbee in the Church of St Margaret. It turns out that St Margaret's is immediately next door to Westminster Abbey and, presumably, must have had some elevated status as a result! The parish register of the 1770's was a lovely document, also including a contemporary hand written index of all surnames.

James Kisbee married Catherine Holme in July 1774. He is most likely to be the same James Kisbee as the one was employed by the Duchess of Montagu. James knew the famous black writer, Ignatio Sancho, who ran a grocery business in Westminster.

James and Catherine produce a daughter later in 1774 but afterwards the trail runs dry. Either they moved to another parish, or maybe something untoward happened to Catherine?

Rolling Stones v. Roaming Sams

2010-12-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

From 'The Kisblogger' 1 October 2009

A rolling stone gathers no moss, as the saying goes. But Samuel KISBY of Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, managed to gather two ...Mosses. It is a mystery which doesn't quite add up yet!

Samuel Kisby, a Corn Merchant's Clerk (who died at Sutton Bridge in 1890 aged 74) seems to have married two different women with the forenames Mary Moss.

Samuel's first marriage, to the aliteratively named Rebecca Beck, lasts for many years until she dies in Sutton Bridge in 1875. In 1877 a Samuel KISBEY marries a Mary Moss WOODRUFF, some distance away in Risely, Bedfordshire (it was common for the husband to go to the wife's parish to get married). Her age is given as "30". Unfortunately for all concerned, Mary Moss KISBY dies aged 32 and is buried at Sutton Bridge in January 1879.

Meanwhile, later in 1879 a Samuel KISBEY marries a Mary Moss SWANNELL, quite some distance away in Barnet, Hertfordshire. In the 1881 Census Mary Moss KISBEY aged 40, "Wife of a Merchant's Clerk" is recorded at the home of her mother, Catherine SWANNELL, in Northamptonshire. So clearly this Mary Moss KISBEY is not dead in the slightest and is an entirely different person to Samuel's second wife. Curiously, Mary Moss's place of birth is Pavenham, Bedfordshire, only 7 miles from Risely (location of Samuel's second marriage). Meanwhile Samuel is recorded separately (but 'Married') in Sutton.

The birth of Mary Moss SWANNELL is recorded in 1838, which tallies approximately with her age in 1881 (women allowed to be bashful about their age!). A Mary Moss KISBY dies aged 57 in the Birmingham area in 1897. There is no apparent record of a birth of Mary Moss WOODRUFF. To confuse matters, Samuel's mother is believed to be named Sarah WOODRUFF.

If Samuel was trailing across the country following a merchant on his business, it would explain his varying locations. But is there another connection between his two wives or did Sam spend 1879 trailing across England trying to find a third wife with the exact same name as his young deceased sweetheart?!! Why did they marry in Barnet? Something to hide? Conspiracy theorists may think that the second Mary Moss, upset that she had been courted only because of her name (not her looks or personality) left Sam and returned to Mother. It makes a good story worthy of a romantic novel!

Kisby Crims

2010-12-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

From 'The Kisblogger' 12th August 2009

Spare a thought for John Kisbee, woodturner of Stamford, Lincolnshire. He was put up for trial for 'crimes' at least three times between 1836 and 1847. For his first offence in 1836, burglary, he avoided prosecution or punishment (one presumes therefore not guilty). In 1839 John was, intriguingly, put on trial with three other men for "riot". None of them were found guilty for this offence.

In 1847 John appears again in the Lincolnshire criminal registers, this time he is arrested for 'larceny'. Before his trial can commence John Kisbee dies in Stamford Gaol, leaving a young family and a wife expecting another child.

Why John had his collar felt by the long arm of the law so many times we might never know. He is described as well educated and evidently is also a skilled tradesman. The Kisby's generally seem to avoid falling foul of the law!

However, the Lincolnshire Kisby's have not remained entirely well behaved. In November 2008 a Lincolnshire Kisby (who will remain nameless here) was sent to prison for five and a half years for a "savage, wicked, attrocious" attack in the street, leaving the victim needing extensive facial surgery. Luckily the trial was not taking place in 1830's England, or the Kisby crim may have spent his remaining days in Australia or worse!

The Axis of Kisby-dom

2010-11-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

From 'the kisblogger' 13th July 2009:

Last week I managed to visit the Northamptonshire Record Office, by no means an easy task. It is probably where naughty local government employees are sent as a punishment, surrounded by busy ring roads, isolated from any shops, public transport nodes or civilisation, serviced by only a cheap coffee machine and a box of expensive 'Chari-snacks'.

More frustrating is the fact that the axis of all Kisby's seems to be centred around Peterborough (or Peter-bo-roo-gah as I prefer to call it), in the very northern corner of the county. The borders of five counties are within a few miles of this spot (seven if you include the Soke of Peterborough and the Isle of Ely) and you can guarantee that will mean spending time at half a dozen different county record offices or local history libraries to search the local records of neighbouring parishes!!

Fortunately Peter-bo-roo-gah's very busy parish church of St John has much of its parish register transcribed and indexed. Some of the earliest Kisby's recorded in parish church records can be found listed there, the first being Hellyn Kisby baptised in August 1560.

Last of the Wortley Kisby's

2010-10-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

My father's cousin Gladys passed away in August, ending over 110 years of my family's connection to the Leeds suburb of Wortley. Charles Kisby, my great grandfather, married in New Wortley in 1899 after moving to the area from Cambridgeshire. Much of the sea of Victorian terraced houses have now been swept away and Gladys lived in a more modern block of flats in Lower Wortley. Gladys' mother 'big' Doris - differentiating her from Gladys' sister 'little' Doris - lived into her 90's and Gladys was fortunate to enjoy a long life herself. No doubt her family will miss her. As should Wortley, which is now Kisby-less!

Beer and Sheep

2010-10-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

From 'The Kisblogger' 8 June 2009:

The weekend before last I paid a visit to Preston, Lancashire, a haunt of my mother's family during the nineteenth century. My great-great grandfather (and his father too) ran a small hotel on the outskirts of the town. To my amazement and delight it is still open today and trading under the same name, the "Grand Junction", a name it has now retained for almost 150 years!

Of course, the most famous Kisby watering hole is "Kisby's Hut" near Papworth Everard, opened by Samuel Kisby circa 1770. It closed recently, after 230+ years trading (though it only held the name "Kisby's Hut" sporadically during that time).

My greatx3 uncle James Kisby was landlord of the "Boat & Anchor" just outside Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire. Interestingly, in the 1901 Census he is described as 'Innkeeper & Shepherd', which is certainly a nice trick if you can tend your flock and pour a pint at the same time!! I expect he needed to employ baaaaa staff ;o)

End of the Kisblogger

2010-09-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

The Kizz Blog's predecessor, The Kisblogger, is deceased. Vox.com has closed down today and the many blogs hosted by them are disappearing too. Thank goodness I moved to Blogger in plenty of time!

Hunting in Huntingdon

2010-09-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

At last I indulged myself yesterday in a trip to the Huntingdonshire Archives to continue my Kisby/ee quest. The town is pleasant (the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell) and the Library is airy and modern with a great little cafe.

Huntingdonshire borders onto the Kisby/ee stomping grounds of the English Fens but, unfortunately, not many of its records seem to have been digitised. Therefore the only way to delve further is to examine the original records. It was fascinating (and quite a privelege) to be handling parish registers which were over 350 years old!

Though I didn't manage to further my own family tree, I did come across a family group of Kisbee's in the parish of Farcet, in the far north of the county. Thomas Kisbee married for a second time in 1767, shortly after his young wife Laetitia had died. He was literate and spelled his surname with the two e's. His son, Martin Kisbee, also brought up his family in the parish. Interestingly, Martin and his wife Mary later appeared in South London, where they ended their days in apparent poverty. My next investigation will be to find out why they came to from Huntingdonshire to Surrey and fell on hard times....

Charles Kisby the wife seller

2010-04-26T12:31:00.001-07:00

The story is almost complete. The death certificate of Charles Kisby (1812-1872) arrived today in the post. Charles was a railway labourer. He died of brochitis in Sedgefield Workhouse, hundreds of miles from where he was born.

Charles Kisby is actually one of my own ancestors, born near Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, on 16 February 1812. He married Maria Bass when he was still a teenager and Maria gave birth to at least two daughters. The marriage didn't appear to have gone well at all. Probably the daughters, Sarah Ann and Jane, died when they were young. Then in May 1840 it was widely reported in the English and Irish press that a certain Charles Kisby had sold his wife in Wisbech market! Charles had arrived with his wife wearing a rope halter around her neck. Fortunately the local police sergeant intervened to stop the auction but, all the same, Charles later sold his wife to a Thomas Foster for one guinea.

In 1851 'my' Charles Kisby appears in a village near The Wash on the other side of Wisbech. He is described as 'unmarried'. In 1871 he appears as a railway labourer living in County Durham.

So Charles ended up coughing and spluttering his guts up in the workshouse. As for Maria, I've never found out whether she met a miserable end or spent her days in a happy new relationship. It would be fascinating to know!

Marrying in Manchester

2010-03-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Another example which may have raised a few eyebrows, considering there was a law against marrying the sister of your wife...

The impressively named Henry Gilbert Cheek Dunn married Dinah Kisby in Manchester in 1872. I believe Dinah died prematurely in 1882, well for her sake I hope so because, in early 1883, a certain man named Henry Gilbert Cheek Dunn married Dinah's younger sister, Sophia.

Getting on in Gedney Hill

2010-03-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Another very overt case of Kisby inter-marrying occurred in the southern border area of Lincolnshire. Joseph Kisby died in September 1848 aged 51, in Gedney Hill. A little over 2 years later his widow, Sarah, married Joseph's brother, James Kisby. This revelation has taken me by surprise because, until now, I have presumed the three children that appear in the 1851 census were James's. No doubt things were a bit confusing for them too!!

King Henry VIII also married the widow of his brother, so James Kisby was in good company in this respect!

Mixing it in Mepal

2010-03-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

The rural people of East Anglia are sometimes cruelly accused of being in-bred. Interesting to note that the Cambridgeshire Fenland Kisby's were not averse to a bit of inter-marrying. In the small village of Mepal, brother and sister Edward and Rebecca Kisby wed Jemima Parsons (1862) and John Parsons (1863), who were also siblings. To confuse matters all the more (and maybe save on wedding invitations), Edward and Rebecca's widowed mother Maria Kisby later married John Parsons the widowed father of Jemima and John.

Musgate

2010-03-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

Paid a short visit today to the London Metropolitan Archives during my lunch hour. One of my discoveries was the marriage of Susan Kisby in 1853. Susan came from Norfolk and had been widowed in 1845, she consequently came to London, as did her son Emanuel (and probably some of the other children too). Several of Susan's children emigrated to the USA, including Emanuel.

Susan married a labourer called Edward Musgate. Maybe Susan and Edward emigrated to the USA as well. But would you believe it, Edward seems to be the only Musgate that has ever existed. So the trail immediately runs dry! Now, let me tell you, I thought Kisby was an unusual name but, for a surname as plausible as Musgate, I would have at least expected to find more than one!! Maybe Edward was an immigrant and had Anglicised his name, surely there must be a logical explanation. Neither Edward nor Susan could write, so maybe the local priest misheard the name? Edward's father was Sampson Musgate, which is an even more unusual combination!

Any suggestions anyone?

Thought he'd killed someone...

2010-03-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

Fascinating correspendence recently with a fellow Kisby that lives not far from my old haunts in South Wales. It concerns a man who called himself Ernest KISBY, who turned up in the Rhondda in the early years of the 1900's. It turns out Ernest's real birth surname was something different and, shock, horror, he was trying to evade the police. Fortunately everything was not as bad as Ernest thought. The man he thought he had killed was very much alive.

The family story passed down was that Ernest COULTON (known as Frank) came from Norfolk and had run away and taken his mother's maiden name, KISBY, as his new identity. In fact, it turns out his surname was COUTEN and Ernest was born near Spalding in Lincolnshire in 1882. However, his mother Sarah Ann (nee KISBY) was brought up in Norfolk.

More interesting still is the fact that Sarah Ann was born in Coates near Whittlesey in 1847. My own Kisby's were born a brought up in the same village. Therefore it could even be possible that I am a very distant relly!!

Kisby-ee-ey

2010-02-27T12:29:00.000-08:00

Greetings to anyone who stumbles across this blog. It is a continuation of my Vox.com blog, The Kisblogger.

There were approximately 350 Kisby's, Kisbee's and Kisbey's listed in the England & Wales 1881 census. Nowadays there are probably over 1,000 worldwide. Most of us will have ancestors that originated in the East of England, around the English Fenlands, but there are also Kisbey's from Ireland and Kisby's from Denmark. I'm interested in tracing the origins of the English Kisby's in particular so if anyone wants to help then I'd love to hear from you.