Unfortunately, over the years, since becoming a member of B.H.F I haven't had any feedback from the few genealogy threads. I guess my Bennett, Byfield, West, Damms relatives are not members of this great forum. I have been looking just about every day for at least ten years from here 'Down-Under', in hope that I would have had some contact, as the years seem to be sliding by quite quickly.
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BENNETT, BYFIELD, WEST , CLARKE, HOLLAND, DAMMS
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MWS
from Bham
I think with Bennett, West and Clarke especially, being quite common you'd have to be quite specific with names (which I now see you have with Philip Bennett). I have a Clarke great grandmother (not from Bham though), got a mate who's mom is a Bennett and I think quite a few people will have an ancestor of one or more of those three names.
Damms seems quite rare and I think you'd have a reasonable chance being related to anyone else from Bham or area you come across with that name if that's where yours originated.
Damms seems quite rare and I think you'd have a reasonable chance being related to anyone else from Bham or area you come across with that name if that's where yours originated.
MWS
from Bham
Looking at your Byfields, I see your grandmother appears to have been an only child and her father (William Arthur) only had two surviving siblings (Walter and Ada). Ada doesn't seem to have married and Walter appears to have married a woman from the Isle of Man and lived in Lancashire, having only 2 daughters.
So it would be the next generation, your grandmother's grandfather's (John) siblings to find possible Byfield descendants in Bham, and it seems he did have a few, so you'd hope there would be some of them.
So it would be the next generation, your grandmother's grandfather's (John) siblings to find possible Byfield descendants in Bham, and it seems he did have a few, so you'd hope there would be some of them.
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MWS
from Bham
You may know all this already but of John's 3 brothers (and 4 sisters) - Thomas, William and Joseph - Thomas and William had children but Joseph didn't.
Thomas had just one son (and a daughter) but one of his Byfield grandsons possibly had 12 children.
William possibly had 5 sons (and 2 daughters) and he does appear to have descendants still living in Bham
William - Edward - Amos - Edward S - Roderick - 3 sons.
And that's just from the few I looked at.
Thomas had just one son (and a daughter) but one of his Byfield grandsons possibly had 12 children.
William possibly had 5 sons (and 2 daughters) and he does appear to have descendants still living in Bham
William - Edward - Amos - Edward S - Roderick - 3 sons.
And that's just from the few I looked at.
MWS
from Bham
And finally for the Byfields, a long time ago but the Emma mentioned in this thread...
birminghamhistory.co.uk
...would appear to be the sister of your 2 x great grandfather, John Byfield.
Whitehouse
I am interested in the Whitehouse family of Birmingham. My GG Grandfather was Ephraim Whitehouse, hairdresser, of Congrave Street. He was born in 1815. I am struggling with this line because the name is so common in Birmingham.
birminghamhistory.co.uk
...would appear to be the sister of your 2 x great grandfather, John Byfield.
Hi! MWS thankyou for your interest, yes I do need to follow up with more information I guess.
My grandfather Philip George Bennett's father was William Benjamin Bennett born 1872 and his wife Ellen Bennett (nee Damms), born 1875, father George Henry Damms - Gas meter maker. William Benjamin Bennett is a Shoe-maker, according to the Birth Registration of Philip George , 19th.August 1897 at 4 St. George's Terrace Cooksey Road at that time.
My grandfather Philip George Bennett's father was William Benjamin Bennett born 1872 and his wife Ellen Bennett (nee Damms), born 1875, father George Henry Damms - Gas meter maker. William Benjamin Bennett is a Shoe-maker, according to the Birth Registration of Philip George , 19th.August 1897 at 4 St. George's Terrace Cooksey Road at that time.
donnaexpat
knowlegable brummie
hi my mother was with a Sydney Bennett in Aston and Warwickshire don't know much about him though
Hi! donnaexpat thankyou for your message regarding Sydney Bennett. I don't, as yet know of a Sydney but I guess there is a possibility that he could be a cousin or relation that I haven't been unable to trace yet maybe in the 1921 census, especially in Aston area. Thanks again.
donnaexpat
knowlegable brummie
he lived at 38 upper Sutton street.
su_mo&curly
New Member
While researching my own family your request here popped up and wondered if I may be able to help as some of the names mentioned are in my family tree.
Walter Joseph Byfield (1872-1940) married Esther Kneen (1867 - 1941) who was born in Port St Mary, Isle of Man on 25 September 1867. She was my great great Grandmother. They lived for a number of years on the Isle of Man before settling in Bolton, Lancashire. They had 2 daughters, my grandmother Margaret and her sister Ada Byfield
She passed away in 1941 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England. These appear to be the people referred to by "master brummie" on Mar 6, 2022.
I realise that this may not be the family line you are looking into but if they are some of the family names that you are researching I could forward more detailed info and bring this line up to the present day.
Take care . . . Su
Walter Joseph Byfield (1872-1940) married Esther Kneen (1867 - 1941) who was born in Port St Mary, Isle of Man on 25 September 1867. She was my great great Grandmother. They lived for a number of years on the Isle of Man before settling in Bolton, Lancashire. They had 2 daughters, my grandmother Margaret and her sister Ada Byfield
She passed away in 1941 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England. These appear to be the people referred to by "master brummie" on Mar 6, 2022.
I realise that this may not be the family line you are looking into but if they are some of the family names that you are researching I could forward more detailed info and bring this line up to the present day.
Take care . . . Su
mo&curly, thankyou for your information regarding William Arthur's siblings, I would be certain that they would be my great grandfather's brother and sister, interesting also as I had no inkling that Williams' brother lived on the Isle of Man. I loved my grandmother Emma Elizabeth Bennett nee Byfield, very much' she was a real trooper, making the best of everything for us as my father George William Bennett had suffered so much having been a P.O.W on the Burma- Thai railway. Though Emma and my grandfather, Philip Bennett had travelled to Australia 1921 and him dying early at the age of 54 years old, I'm sure they both were battlers through hard times, as our family did. Thankyou once again for contact and information. Lindsay William Bennett.
su_mo&curly
New Member
You are very welcome Lindsay, I am pleased I was able to slot another piece of the jigsaw into place. By my reckoning that makes your great grandfather, William, my grandmother, Margaret's, uncle so I think that makes us distant cousins. I put too many "greats" in front of Esther Kneen's relationship to me in my previous note . . . sorry
I am very new to this research and am currently tracing the Kneen family on the Isle of Man . . . not that easy as it is a very large and established family there with a very limited imagination when it comes to names but I'm getting there. Esther had 9 brothers and sisters and 4 1/2 brothers and sisters that I have found so far . . .
Take care and please don't be afraid to ask if you think I may be able to be of further help . . . Su.
I am very new to this research and am currently tracing the Kneen family on the Isle of Man . . . not that easy as it is a very large and established family there with a very limited imagination when it comes to names but I'm getting there. Esther had 9 brothers and sisters and 4 1/2 brothers and sisters that I have found so far . . .
Take care and please don't be afraid to ask if you think I may be able to be of further help . . . Su.
Eric Gibson
master brummie
I bought my first house in Birdbrook Road from a Bennet family, mother and daughter did the business as the father had a bit of a reputation as a burglar and was not around.
Hi there,
I have Bennetts in my family tree from Birmingham. My Grandmother was a Bennett.
Do you have a family tree at all? I am on Ancestry.
arley
knowlegable brummie
Hi, I do have Brummie Clark(e)s in my family. If you post more info, I will see if I can help.
Hi! Arley, it seems that you may not have received my last reply to you . My grandfather's sister, Ellen Marguerite Bennett married Arthur Edward Clark, August 1929 in Balsall Heath. Ellen was born 12th April 1906 to William Benjamin Bennett and Ellen Bennett (nee Damms) and passed away October 1983. Thankyou, Lindsay William Bennett.
Hi! Fearny, I was on Ancestry for a short time and am hoping to seek out any relatives in Birmingham, mainly because it seems much more personal to contact a distant family member via this forum and maybe even more information may found. Thankyou, Lindsay William Bennett.
arley
knowlegable brummie
Thank you for reposting as I didn’t get your first reply. Arthur Edward Clark is not on my family tree as yet but I will contact you via this message board if he comes to light. Most of my Clarkes are with an ‘e’ but originally they were spelt Clark.
Lonnie Donoghue
proper brummie kid
I served with two DAMMS brothers in the Army, Nigel and Martyn, they became very good friends, I served with Nigel in Ulster1980 and Martyn in the Falklands Conflict 1982. I am writing my second Autobiography book (first is not yet published) and Marty is mention because of an incident in Denmark in 1981 where he was injured in a brawl with soldiers from 2 Para. I can't remember where the brothers were from.
Hey! Lonnie thanks a lot for your interest in my search for relatives, I guess Nigel and Martyn could be cousins. I have not any knowledge that they are though, as of yet anyway. I also served in the military, infantry, Vietnam 1968-69 & 71. Cheers Mate. Lindsay Bennett.
Thankyou su mo&curly for your thoughtful offer to add anymore of my Byfield ancestors/relatives, it is all so interesting, also I have learnt so much over the years about Birmingham, apart from just the genealogy side. I am also always interested in any other information which may be relevant to my families in the U.K. Lindsay Bennett.
Lonnie Donoghue
proper brummie kid
Hi Lindsay, besides a number of Ulster tours and the Falklands Conflict I served in the first Gulf War 1990-91. Good to meet a fellow veteran. I served 23 years in uniform and then 18 years in an operational training Unit as
the senior equipment engineering manager. On another note, I am a very good practising genealogist and if you like I could do a search for the Damns brothers, I have since found out that it looks like they were linked to the north midland area as far as Nottingham. Hope that helps. Kind regards, Lonnie.
G'day Lonnie, wow! 'a lifer', mate you certainly got around the place. With my situation, I'm a military novice in comparison. Being a carpenter by trade and as soon as I finished my apprenticeship I was called up for 2 years national service by birth ballot system. After recruit training, because of my trade qualifications, the army chose to place me in Engineering Corps, but I fronted the O.C and explained that I would prefer Infantry, mainly because of the mates I had made were going Infantry and that I'd stay with them, nothing against the Engineering Corps at all. Serving with 4 Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, South Vietnam then had a crack at Special Air Service, and had signed on to become a regular, managed to pass the cadre somehow and did another tour of South Vietnam, finally discharged after six years of the military. Nearly joined the Green Jackets whom were heading to N.Ireland. Having been travelling around the U.K 1973, after discharge I had kept in touch with an English chap whom was an officer on my second tour of S.Vietnam, met him at a pub and tried his best to talk me into sign up with the British Army and join with his Regiment/Green Jackets. I declined as I wanted to travel more, as a civvy, which I did. A bit off subject, I guess, regarding my Damms family, which is a line that I haven't researched much, at this stage apart from knowing that my great grandmother, Ellen Bennett (nee Damms) was married to William Benjamin Bennett, my great grandfather,18 April 1897, a shoe maker, according to marriage certificate living at Rea St. Parish of Birmingham, her father being George Henry Damms, a Gasmeter maker, signed in the presence of Walter Lee and Agnes Mary Hunt. All the best for now Lonnie, keep well. Regards, Lindsay Bennett.
MWS
from Bham
A quick look and it is possible that you are related.
The only brothers Nigel & Martin Damms were born in the NE mmn Bruun. Father born in Bham.
Ellen Damms b1875, daughter of George Damms & Lucetta Lee.
Nigel & Martyn, sons of Walter Damms b1928, son of Walter Damms b1907, son of George Henry Damms b1865 son of George Damms & Lucetta Lee.
So possibly Nigel & Martyn are your 3rd cousins with the same great great grandparents, George & Lucetta (from Sheffield)
The only brothers Nigel & Martin Damms were born in the NE mmn Bruun. Father born in Bham.
Ellen Damms b1875, daughter of George Damms & Lucetta Lee.
Nigel & Martyn, sons of Walter Damms b1928, son of Walter Damms b1907, son of George Henry Damms b1865 son of George Damms & Lucetta Lee.
So possibly Nigel & Martyn are your 3rd cousins with the same great great grandparents, George & Lucetta (from Sheffield)
Lonnie Donoghue
proper brummie kid
Hi mate, I have a few friends in Oz, some ex Para mates but mainly they’re in my curry club. One of then is an helicopter engineer who builds small boats, has his own brewery in his garage and is my curry club secretary, I thinks he’s in Melbourne, another is ex RAEME who was attached to us in the UK and now a school teacher. I’ll have a dig around on the family trace as I have established a good network after 20 years doing Genealogy, I support two veteran agencies gratis as a researcher as we remember a veteran every single day of the year from the last 110 years. You can catch me on You Tube doing a few songs, one of those is called “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda”. Also my podcast about my PTSD meltdown. On a final relevant note, Rea St school was my first school. Take care buddy. Lonnie.
