The Askingalls and the Accidents

This pair of great great grandfathers have proved a bit elusive over the years, as they both moved to South Africa and died there. Elusive for me in any case as I’m in Australia for starters, but apparently it can be a bit difficult to trace family history there anyway because to get results you often need to already know a lot of the information you would usually be after.

Anyhow, after finding out using the net that there was information available to do with John and William’s deaths, I took the plunge and hired my first ever researcher, Anne Lehmkuhl. She did a great job scanning all the documents in their separate death notice files and forwarding them on to me.

So here’s what I’ve found out about my father’s mother’s grandfathers:

John Tomlinson died 21 Sep 1908 in Germiston, the Transvaal, South Africa, age 52 years 8 months. Survived by his wife Agnes (nee Wilson) and their children Margaret Ann Newton, John, Mary Wheatman, Sarah Agnes Wilkinson, Thomas, Leonard (my g.grandfather), James, Kate (later married William Nimmo) and William. Occupation mine timberman. He was born in Dalton-in-Furness LAN England and his parents were John and Ann (nee Hawcoat?). He married Agnes on 23 Nov 1875 in Ulverston LAN.

William Pellow died 25 Nov 1896 at Glen Deep Ltd mine, Boksburg, age 35. Survived by his wife Jane (nee Roy) and their children Emily (my g.grandmother), James Roy and William. Occupation miner. In Aug/Sep 1903 Jane applied for and received a certificate stating there was “no objection on the grounds of unsecured minor’s portions” to her remarrying. I’m guessing she would have married my g.g.step-grandfather William Ernest Taylor (known to us as Grandad Taylor) some time soon after.

Da-daah! My first ever blog. So be kind. The title, if you’re wondering, is a bit of a play on words. You see, my Mum’s surname is Arkinstall and Dad’s is Atkinson. Going from Arkinstall to Askingall is an easy enough step, and Atkinson to Accident . . . well I’m sure it seemed logical at the time, whenever that was. Perhaps you’d hear it better if the “t” were silent and the spelling a bit more inventive - the Askingalls and the Aksidens. There! See. Anyway, it’s just a bit of whimsy that pops up now and then at family get-togethers.

So these two names will be the focus of my blog, along with many others that connect along the way, I’m sure. Our Atkinsons hail from Durham and Northumberland, and the Arkinstalls from Shropshire and Staffordshire. Our ancestors started arriving in Australia as early as the 2nd fleet (a convict, Richard Cheers). We have miners, timbermen, farmers, at least 3 shoe makers (hence I cannot possibly help buying lots of shoes); from England, Scotland and Ireland.

I hope you find it interesting, and with a bit of luck some of you might even find a relative.