The Taxi Driver's Son

A limited quantity of the book is available for free, all I ask is whoever wants one pays for the shipping.

The deadline for the book was my older brother's sixtieth birthday in October 2014. The previous 18 months were spent transcribing the family tree research, sourcing and improving photographs and filtering all my stories from the various zones of my blogosphere.

The result was a 600 page soft cover book that has almost all my research in, the history of Arthur and Dorothy Weldon and the family and a good chapter on a lot of my own personal stories from my youth.  

If you are interested in the family history and want a copy, contact me and we will work it out.

Violet Priscilla Weldon April 1923 - June 2017

It was a sad email, I was informed that the last of my dad's surviving sisters, Violet, died on June 18th, 2017 in residential care in Lytham St-Annes, Lancashire.

Violet Priscilla Weldon, born April 27th, 1923 in Huyton Quarry (registered in Prescot), Lancashire.  She was the daughter of Arthur Sandiland Weldon and Margaret Rebecca Edwards.  She married John Phillips in September 1947 at Huyton Congregational Church (United Reformed) at the Junction of Victoria and Seel Roads.  He was born August 15th, 1925, and died February 25th, 1990

Margaret Rebecca Weldon (nee Edwards) had an older sister called Priscilla (Pricilla E Edwards, born abt June 1884) and Violet was named after her. It was a common practice for names to permeate through generations of a family, however, Violet never used her middle name.

Shortly after the end of the second World War, Violet met John Phillips, a tall handsome chap, he was a very athletic person and reputed to be an excellent rugby player.

They married in September 1947 at Huyton Congregational Church.

Groom, John Phillips, Bride Violet Priscilla Phillips (nee Weldon), next to the bride her mother, Margaret Rebecca Weldon (nee Edwards) and Arthur Sandiland Weldon.

Arthur and Margaret

People see this blog and want information and contact me by email, others are reading the book and it triggers memories and make a real connection. I consider that is reward enough for all the research I've done over the last fifteen years.

Every now and again though, someone sends me photographs of my own Grandparents that I have never seen, and that is magical moment for me.

Here's one of Arthur Sandiland Weldon and his wife, Margaret Rebecca Edwards, doing the dishes in the way that working class people did the dishes when people visited back in the 1960's, you know, both with their Sunday best on.

A postcard from almost a century ago.

Barely a month after Remembrance Day and the following scan of a postcard arrived in my email. It is from my granduncle John (Jack) Welding to his sweetheart Ellen Overend and was sent while John was serving with the West Lancs Royal Field Artillery during the first World war. John's grandson told me :

"Joan Welding's daughter Barbara (nee Cook) was visiting my father, Thomas Welding recently and along with her she brought a photo that I can remember. How she came to have it I'm unsure as I think it was part of the large pack of missing photos. It may be they were not lost on the Aberdeen visit but given to Barbara for her to show her children. I'll find out some time in the future.

The photo is actually a post card the troops in WW1 could send home. Its John (Jack) Welding in uniform with Nellie picture inlaid into the photo. (How they did it in those days I don't know). On the revers side is a message from John to his Ellen, my grandmother"

Here it is, I am so proud of our family and their wartime service.

Remembrance Day

In my research of the family tree, I found out about my grandfather's brothers Richard and John and was proud, yet saddened of what happened to them in the first world war. I began, around 2008, to attend the Remembrance Day activities at our local Canadian Legion, I was surprised how much emotion was inside me, for two people that I had never met.

In recent weeks, through this blog and a facebook page for Prescot Geneology, I have found relatives of Ellen Weldon who remember their Gran, Nellie, very well and have told me that every year, on Remembrance Day, Nellie would cry for her lost brother, Richard.

I will carry on the tradition and I will also include Ellen in my thoughts on Remembrance Day and raise a toast to another family member.

I have a couple of pictures of Ellen and hope in the next months to obtain more from her grandchildren in the UK, here's one of my favorites, Nelly, with her daughter Evelyn.

Lets do our best to remember them all.

Mary Wright and Derek Hennin marriage

In 1954, a year or so after my mum and dad's wedding, Mary, who had been maid of honor at their wedding, married a footballer called Derek Hennin.

The above photograph had been written on the back, by Mary Wright, she listed the participants from right to left :

Uncle Tom, Jenny, Bill Watkinson (best man), June, Mum, Me (Mary Wright), Derek, Derek's mum, Pat, Derek's sister, Ann, Alda's daughter, Derek's dad.

So, I'll expand on the list as the Weldon family is well represented, it is interesting that Mary Wright's Uncle Tom (assuming Thomas Wright) is on the far right of the photograph, but not her father John Wright, (I have not yet established if he was alive in 1954) Jennie Lunt is next, the daughter of James Lunt and Jane (Jinnie) Weldon. Bill Watkinson the best man and then June Phillips, the daughter of John Phillips and Violet Priscilla Weldon.  Rachel Weldon is next, Mary's mother who was married to John Wright, the bride, Mary Wright, the groom, Derek Hennin and then his mother followed by Pat Hennin, his sister, Ann Lewis, daughter of Robert Lewis and Alda Weldon and then, at the far left, Derek's father.

Australia links to Huyton

I received the following email, while not linked directly to the family, it does no harm to include it here :


Hi Dave,

I came across your name today when I googled Tushingham’s Brickworks. I was just spending some time on my family history.  My late father was Dennis Rogers born 1920 and his uncle Frank Short and family had a carting business hauling coal slack to the brickworks.

Also,  my great Aunt Rhoda Short lived in Byron Ave, Whiston.

I believe my Dad attended Huyton Quarry Infant School in Seel Street. His grandparents lived in Elm street, they were Job known as Fred and Martha Short.  My grandparents and great grandparents were married at St Michaels Church in Huyton.

Dad left school at 14 and used to help at the brickworks then the family moved to Wavertree. It was my grandfather Edwin Rogers who sparked my interest in family history many years ago. Edwin refused to discuss his family so it was always a mystery. Sadly I don’t know very much about them even though I have been searching for many years.  Edwin was born in Newport South Wales so his family were not in Liverpool.

We emigrated to Australia in January 1962 – sadly my parents Joan and Dennis (actually Denis – this was discovered when he obtained his birth certificate to emigrate) have both passed away.

I hope this finds you well and it will be nice to hear from you.

Kind regards
Elaine Rosenberg nee Rogers


Emails, like photo's just seem to be lost and stored away in a "drawer" somewhere, so having this here for a reference for future days just seems to make sense.

Frank Weldon. Vancouver. 1950s.

Taking a break from construction work in Vancouver, Canada. Frank Weldon (Youngest Son of Joseph Welding and Rachel Hardman).

Frank is seated in the centre of the photo.

Frank Weldon. 1962

This is a great family photo of Frank, taken in 1962.

Photo provided by his daughter, Doris.

Groom, Bride and Bridesmaids.

Extreme left is 'Chic' Gorry, real name Edith, Thomas's cousin, her mother was Nellie's sister Edith Overend (Thomas's father, John Welding married Ellen Overend, aka Nellie)

Next to her is Frances's school friend Mary Ronan, now Mary Keen, Mary is still alive in Aintree, they are still in touch. Another enduring friendship.

Thomas Welding of course, and the blushing bride, Frances.

On the extreme right of the photo is Joan Welding, Thomas's sister.

Thomas Welding and Frances (Mcardle) Wedding Day

Thomas Welding (b. 1924) and Frances Mcardle (b. 1925) were married in the September quarter of 1945 at South Sefton Register Office, Liverpool, Lancashire.

They are still together. A testament to the enduring power of love and friendship.

Many thanks to his son, John Welding and his Grand-daughter, Karen Welding, for taking the time to scan the above photo.

Joseph Leslie Welding : Dispatch Rider WW2

Another treasure from the family military heritage. Although there was a lot of creasing on the image, none went through critical areas so the photo cleaned up very nicely.

This is Joseph Leslie Welding, who preferred to be called Leslie. In uniform as a fresh faced dispatch rider during the war, Leslie was born abt March 1923 and I would estimate that this photo was taken around 1941.

Joseph Leslie Welding

I was born in 1957 and my dad, Arthur Weldon, had this van when we were nippers, he used to take us over to Ainsdale to the sand dunes, many a happy picnic, setting up a little camping spot in a secluded area, thermos flasks and cheese butties. The van was a multi-purpose arrangement and had a removable seat in the back.

This picture that John Welding sent me brought all that back, this is Leslie Welding and his wife Jean, the familiar van and removable seat, parallel lives on the same coastline.

Joseph Leslie Welding and Thomas with Ronald Cooke.

I'll upload several family photographs now, taking a break from the Military theme.

This photograph introduces the faces of three more of the clan, one by marriage. This is Leslie and Thomas Welding and their brother in law, Ronald Cooke.

Joseph Leslie Welding (b. abt March 1923) and his brother Thomas (b. abt March 1924) and Ronald Cooke who married Joan Welding (b. abt Decemember 1926). Joseph who was known as Leslie, Thomas and Joan were the children of John Welding and Ellen (nee Overend).

Stanley Weldon, Loyal Regiment, Lancashire

Stanley Weldon. (b. August 1928) Served with the Loyal Regiment between 1946 and 1948.

This photo was provided by John Welding (b. abt 1947), son of Thomas Welding (b. abt 1924). Thomas is the son of John Welding (b. abt 1893). Stanley Joseph Weldon is the nephew of the older John Welding, the 1st cousin of Thomas and the 1st cousin once removed of John.

Arthur Weldon, Royal Irish Fusiliers.

Arthur Weldon

All this activity regarding military records made me realize that there are a couple of photographs of my dad that need to be uploaded to the blog.

Arthur Herbert Weldon (b. September 1926) who served in the Royal Irish Fusiliers with the Middle East Force in Palestine.

He was about twenty years old when this was taken.

The Commerce of Ancestry

I included those (so far) none related medal cards in the blog because at some point they will be of interest to someone out there in blogosphere and available here for free as long as the blog survives.

I have been researching my family tree for almost a dozen years now and one thing I have found to be very common are the number of organizations out there who wish to capitalize and monetize the whole process, not only the commercial sites, but also our official, record keeping sites like the Census and the National Archives.

This can be frustrating at times, mainly because you cannot "see" the information and often have to purchase multiple times to find the correct ancestor or family records. I have a suspicion that some of the more organized ancestry type commercial sites capitalize on exactly that.

I have already listed the free sites that I frequent, but it does not harm to repeat them:

Free Births, Marriages and Deaths. UK.   :    http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
Lancashire BMD   :    http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/
Online Parish Clerks : Lancashire   :    http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/

And very recently, when I was researching John Welding, I discovered the London Gazette, a searchable archive that is surprisingly free   :   http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/

Some of the other free sites that I started with a decade ago appear to have been hijacked over the years by those interested in money.

Acting Corporal Leslie Welding, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

The National Archives Medal Card, obtained when I downloaded the John Welding card. Catalogue Reference WO/372/21 Image Reference 16844.  I believe R.W.Fus stands for Royal Welsh Fusiliers and Leslie Welding was an acting Corporal, regiment 73074. 

John Welding, Driver, Army Service Corps.

The National Archives Medal Card, obtained when I downloaded the John Welding card. Catalogue Reference WO/372/21 Image Reference 16844.  I don't believe it is the same John who was a Gunner in the Royal Field Artillery, this John Welding was a driver in the ASC or the Army Service Corps, serving in Egypt. Regiment number T4/143646.