Sunday 9th November 2014
Maree Harvey, from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, writes ~
I am researching the wedding of our Grandfather Thomas Robert Lee (Australian Imperial Force WWI) to Annie Kimber, born in Swindon. Their marriage was in the Church of England, Warminster, Wiltshire, in the parish Church of Warminster (according to the Military records of The Australian Imperial Forces).
Our Grandfather was an Australian who enlisted in WWI. With so much interest in the upcoming celebrations of WWI we would like to find out more information while at the same time we would also like to trace our close family relatives if they are still living in the area. As our Grandparents were married in your area, and we are not sure which Church of England., can you identify what Church would have been indicated on the copy of Marriage Certificate.
Then they left almost immediately and returned to Australia, and all trace of Annie Kimber’s family was lost to us.
We are led to believe Annie Kimber was from Swindon, England. If Swindon is near you please let us know, as our relatives could be living near there. Annie had an older sister Kate Kimber and a younger sister Bessie Kimber (from our research, as indicated on the England Census. England Census Records dated 1911 indicates the names of Annie Kimber’s immediate family, Mother Elizabeth Kimber and Father Thomas Kimber and older sister Kate Kimber and younger sister Bessie Kimber.
The scanned wedding photo shows two bridesmaids and we are wondering if the bridesmaids may be Annie Kimber’s sisters. Annie Kimber’s sisters may have married and then changed their names, which makes our research a little harder to trace them now. We would certainly like to trace any children of the original Kimber family from your area. If you can help we would be grateful. Please let me know if any cost is incurred.If you can please scan and send a copy of any marriage Certificates or Church records of the Kimber family. This would be of great help for my research.
You may also be able to shed some light on the building behind the wedding party in the photo, as the building has words on the brick and block work on the front of the building – the words are HOLME LEIGH. Would it be a local building?
Please feel free to pass on my email to any one of interest in this matter, as we would like to make contact with our close family in England, and exchange information and photos.
Danny Howell replies ~
Re: Thomas Robert Lee / Annie Kimber.
Annie Kimber was the daughter of Thomas Kimber (1844-1920) and Elizabeth Choules Kimber (nee Winchcombe) (1866-1953). In the 1911 Census the Kimber family are living at Badbury, near Swindon.
Thomas Lee and Annie Kimber married at the Parish Church of St. Denys, The Minster, Warminster, and the marriage was registered during the quarter July August September 1919.
Annie was from the Swindon area (born at Chiseldon in 1899) and Thomas was serving with the Australian Imperial Force. He was, no doubt, stationed at Sutton Veny Camp (two miles from Warminster) in 1919.
They went to live in Australia. From what I can see online, Annie died in 1930. and Thomas remarried, to Florence Leila Ruby Pearl Sails Alexandra Eldridge, in Queensland, in 1931.
Thomas Lee (born in Warialda, New South Wales, in 1893) died on 19th March 1960.
Re: Holme Leigh house in the photo. I don’t think this is in Warminster. More likely in the Swindon area.
Bearing in mind that Thomas Lee was from Australia, and Annie Kimber from the Swindon area (Chiseldon / Badbury), and that they left soon after their marriage to live in Australia, I don’t think much else is going to be gleaned about them in Warminster.
With regard other Kimber descendants, and the reference to Annie having sisters called Bessie and Kate, but you not knowing their married names, records for the Swindon area show:
Marriage of a Bessie Kimber (born 1902), to Willie R. Larkham, marriage registered during April May June 1925, Swindon.
Marriage of a Kate Kimber, to someone with the surname Shillsbear, marriage registered during July August September 1919, Swindon.
These may, or may not be, Annie Kimber’s sisters.
Your quest to find descendants of the Kimber family, is tied to Swindon (not Warminster). Maybe a Swindon newspaper obituary for Elizabeth Kimber (Annie’s mother) in 1953 would show a list of family mourners or names on family wreaths. And, of course, parish records for the Swindon area, are no doubt lodged at the Wiltshire And Swindon Record Office, in Chippenham.
Friday 21st November 2014
Reply from Maree Harvey ~
Dear Danny,
I have found the Kimber family children and grandchildren. Thanks to you for the clue I have found the family of our Grandmother Annie Kimber from Swindon.
As you mentioned in your correspondence, Annie’s two sisters married ~
One older sister Kate married a Sam Shillsbear, and her son John Shillsbear still lives in Surrey with his wife Christine. John is in his 80s.
And Annie’s younger sister Bessie married Willie R. Larkham, and her son Terry has passed away but Terry’s wife Janet Larkham is still alive and lives in Bruce Road, Swindon. Janet is coming up to be 76 years. I could tell that she is a lovely lady and most cooperative. I found her phone number off the International Exchange and I phoned her. Janet Larkham was able to tell me the history of the Kimber family to date and she also put me in contact with John Shillsbear in Surrey, giving me his address.
I will pass on photos of our families lost for all these generations after WWI.
Many thanks Danny for your interest.