A few weeks ago, we received an e-mail from Rita Roberts who has Stentiford ancestors. She shared her recent family history with us and asked if we knew what had  happened to a Reginald H. Stentiford. He was born in the March Quarter of 1912 and was the only child of Rita's grandfather's first marriage. He was apparently living in Milltown, Barnstaple when he registered his father's death in 1958.

This is what she told us. If you can help  in any way with this search, Rita would be most grateful if you would please contact her at this address: dfs.roberts@btinternet.com

"I am the grand daughter of Frederick George Stentiford born in Lapford, Devon on 1 May 1888 to Henry Stentiford and Emily Ann Snell. (See Issue 30 for more information about this family).

Frederick Stentiford with his wife Elizabeth and two unknown children

On 22 September 1920, my mother, Olive May Stentiford, was born at Stone Mill. Chawleigh. My grandfather became the Land Agent/Bailiff at Bydown House in Swimbridge when it was owned by Captain Frederick Phillips and he lived in one of the estate cottages.

By the time I was born in 1950, my grandparents were living in Portslade, East Sussex and it is since doing the family history that I found out the significance of the name of their bungalow in Portslade which was called Bydown.

The bride is Olive May Stentiford, daughter of Frederick and Elizabeth. This is the wedding photo of Rita Roberts' parents.

Frederick, my grandfather, died at his home of a heart attack on 15 May 1958 and my grandmother, Elizabeth Ann, died in Hove Hospital on 12 September 1960.

My grandfather had a child from his marriage to Ann Goult*, a son by the name of Reginald H. Stentiford. The last trace I have of him is as the informant of my grandfather's death on the death certificate and he was living in Milltown, Barnstaple.

I have traced an 84 year old cousin, Victor Stentiford through Doreen Norton (see Issue 29 for this story) and Victor informs me that he thought Reginald had gone to Canada. I am keen to find out if Reginald had any children and I think he may have married a Phyllis Coates.

*Ann Goult is something of a mystery. We think the age given at the registration of her death could be incorrect and that she may have been born in Norfolk in 1888 - we have found an Annie Goult, aged 3, born at, and living in, Depwade in the 1891 census and we have found a 13 year-old Annie Goult working in nearby Stratton St. Michael as a domestic servant in the 1901 census.  We know that she when she married Frederick on 3 Jan 1912 in Lapford Parish Church, she gave her name as Annie , not Ann , her age as being 24 and  and domestic service as her occupation. She died in the March Quarter of 1917 in Devon when her age was  given as 31 on the certificate but given the 1912 parish register entry , she was 29 when she died..