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More help with a Key Hill resident please.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wendy
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Wendy

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We have an interesting grave at Key Hill which we could not understand until recently. The grave is a stone cross which lies at an angle. We have now found out the grave belongs to Alan Andrew Lamb Hickman of Wolverhampton who passed away January 1931 aged 46. Alan was a staunch railway enthusiast and was well known by all involved with the local railways. So much so that his funeral was carried out under the direction of the divisional superintendent of the Great Western Railway company. We now know the cross was put at an angle to represent a railway signal arm.

Also in the grave is Mary Elizabeth Hickman who died in 1929 at Lions Nursing Home Mosley. I assume this would be his mother. Also there is a Lena Jane Hickman who's cremated remains were also interred in the grave in 1973. I think this may have been his wife or sister.
Most of this info has been collected by Colin Giles and Brian
Any further info would be a great help
 
Hickman_cross.jpg
Here is a photo of the Hickman grave with the lop sided cross. I suppose it does remind you of a railway signal.:)

I forgot to mention there must have been a plaque at the base of the cross you can see the recess in the photo, but sadly it has been removed.
 
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Thats very interesting Wendy - I remember seeing this memorial and wondering why it was at an angle - now I know! It would be lovely to know more about this person - I wonder if his work was connected to railways/trains?
Polly :)
 
Alan Andrew Lamb Hickman was born 2nd quarter 1884 in South Stoneham, Southampton, Hampshire.
In the 1890 census he aged 7 and his widowed mother Mary Elizabeth Hickman (nee Lamb, she married William Hickman 1st quarter 1883, he seems to have died 4th quarter 1884) are at 20 East Park Terrace, Southampton.
In the 1901 census they are both at 54 Billing Road, Northampton. She is living on own means, he is an engineer with a motor company.
In 1911 Mary Elizabeth Hickman (59) and A A L Hickman (27) are at 13 Park Hill, Moseley. He is a "Railway observer and Automobile Expert"
He is shown as married 9 yrs, although no wife is present. There is a marriage registered 4th quarter 1901 in West Derby, Lancashire (vol 8b page 999) between A A L Hickman and either Hannah Owens or Mary Ann Wooding. He would nave been 17. (A Mary Ann Hickman died 1905 Stamford, Lincolnshire - she was born 1882. Possible.)
Lena Jane Hickman's death registration gives her a birthdate of 27 Jan 1889, and she died 1973 in Bournemouth.
The only matching birth I can find is Lena Jane Cuff, 1st quarter 1889, Wareham, Dorset.
Alan Hickman and Lena Cuff married 1908, but I can find no record of it. Abroad?? There seem to have been four children, the last two (Alan and Stella) born Wolverhampton 1912 and 1917.
In the electoral roll, Alan and Mary are at 13 Park Hill, but Alan also seems to own "next 174 Brighton Road" 1920/2. This is probably a yard or industrial premises.

Alan and his mother are mentioned in item 200 here and a picture of him is indexed in item 290 on the same page.
 
Directories list 13 Park Hill under Mrs Hickman 1908-21. AS I have no directories between 21 and 29 we don’t know how long she stayed in the house.

There is an Alan Andrew Hickman at 16 Frederick Road Sparkhill in 1904, but nothing in 1903 or 1905

The electoral roll gives 13 Park hill as having Alan and Mary there from 1912-1925. Alan is also listed as at a tenement (no number) Brighton Road in 1912, at next 174 Brighton Road in 1920(this is on the north side at the very west end of the road, presumably just behind the shops on Moseley road), In 1922 Annie & Arthur Wells are also living there.
Partley duplicates lloyds work in but didn't want to re-write !
Mike
 
This is brilliant Brian is going to do a piece for the newsletter. When it's done I will post it. I will also copy all the info for the Key Hill Archive. I can't thank you enough for all your help Lloyd and Mike:). xx
 
Well done Lloyd and Mikejee - brilliant information - if only we could see the picture!
I think they seem to be wealthy.
Polly :)
 
pollypops said:
I think they seem to be wealthy.Polly :)
Click to expand...

There is a William Hickman aged 56 in the 1881 census living at 5 Cranbury Terrace, Southampton who was a widowed Magistrate and Solicitor with a 20 y.o.son, Humphrey J Hickman. I think he (William) stands a chance to be Alan's father.

Humphrey John Hickman, b. Southampton 3rd q. 1860; married Louisa Cressey 2nd q. 1890, Camberwell, London. Died aged 75 1st q. 1936, still Southampton
A son, Humphrey, born and died 3rd q. 1891, Southampton. 2nd son, Humphrey Cressey Hickman, b. 4th q. 1895, Southampton; married Winifred A Broomfield, 4th q. 1925. Sons John H F Hickman and Michael W Hickman born 4th quarters of 1926 and 1930 respectively.

There might be living relatives if I dig deeper, I wonder if the two sides of the family kept in touch?
 
Lloyd - if his father was a solicitor and magistrate that may explain the wealth. I wonder if there are living relatives that would be interested in the location of the grave? it is certainly an interesting memorial.
Polly :)
 
Yes Lloyd you are right his father was a solicitor I have managed to crop the obituary Colin found. It makes interesting reading.......he certainly was an early railway anorak and I mean that in the nicest possible way. It would be nice to find out what was written on the plaque and why it was removed or stolen. This may have been because it was brass what a sad world!
 
What an interesting article - I wonder if he designed his memorial cross himself- as it says he planned his own funeral. He really was a Railway fan wasn't he - how wonderful to be able to pursue a hobby to that extent.
What is a double home basket?

Polly :)
 
Polly I wondered what a double home basket was as well. I think he was a clever man as well most engineers are.

I have just had an email with some info to say Lena Died in the Victoria Hospital in Bournemouth. This is brilliant I would love to get access to his photo.
 
I would think there is a photo of the plaque somewhere, again the RCTS may be able to help - I'd guess they had an obituary for him in their magazine.
 
It seems the plaque was stolen (I presume) in the 1950's as the Pike list which contains the inscriptions after about 1958 has no inscription listed for this grave. I have also just been told that on the burial register it states that Lena Jane Hickman was 16 so she can't be his wife maybe a granddaughter and only her ashes are in the grave.

Thanks Lloyd my goodness there is some research to be done on this one.
 
What a shame the plaque was stolen and the inscription was not recorded.
But isn't it great that we have the technology and contacts to find out information about this person and make it public knowledge again.
Polly :)
 
I am Sally Hickman and my father, John Humphrey Frederick Hickman, sadly died in March this year, 2010, at the age of 83. He was a well-known solicitor in Southampton. My father's brother, Michael, died in the 1970s - he had a brain tumour. I have yet to find the courage to continue to research our family tree. My father may have already known about the Lamb connection - he definitely told me about a Hickman connection in the Nottingham area. He has a box file containing all the papers and I hope to go through this shortly.
 
Hello and welcome Sally. I hope you find a positive connection to Alan as he is quite an interesting person if you need any help with your search just ask.
 
Sally, welcome to the site. It seems as if we may have been discussing people in your family tree, I hope we have not caused you any upset. I am sorry that you lost your father earlier this year, this must be a very difficult time for you and I can understand why you may not have the courage to carry on with your family tree research at the moment.

I am sure there are people on this site that would be willing to help you when you feel the time is right to start your research again.
How lovely of you to take the time to join our friendly forum and post a comment on this thread.
Polly :)
 
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