52 Ancestors : Week # 51 – Winter

The other day I read Amy Johnson Crow’s email, specifically her description of this week’s challenge which reads “Week 51’s theme is “Winter.” Here in the northern hemisphere, we will be welcoming winter on December 21……..How would winter have affected your ancestors? Any Snow, Winters, or Frosts in the family tree?” So I thought, no, we have no Snows, Winters, or Frosts as far as I know, BUT I do remember seeing a CHRISTMAS!

So I set off to find it – CHRISTMAS, that is.

To find CHRISTMAS I had to go back, way way back to my Great Great Great Grandfather, Edward APPS (a relieving officer). He was Christened on October 29th, 1834 in All Saints Hastings, Sussex, England. Edward was the eldest child of William (a fisherman) and Elizabeth APPS. Edward married Harriet Cloke in October of 1858. Together they had (by my count, anyway) 6 children. The eldest child being my 2x Great Grandfather, Henry William APPS (a Police Inspector).

Edward and Harriet also had one daughter. Her name was Caroline Elizabeth APPS, this would make her my 2nd Great-Grand Aunt. Caroline was born on April 13th, 1870. Having never met her, there are two things that I already like about Caroline APPS. The first being that her maiden name is very similar to my own maiden name, which is Carolyn APPS. The second is of course, her choice of a spouse.

Let me introduce to you William Arthur CHRISTMAS. How’s that for a wintery themed name? William CHRISTMAS was born on June 11th, 1869 to Thomas and Selina CHRISTMAS.

He is listed in the 1891 England Census as a Gardener. Let’s hope he had a tree farm!

William and Caroline CHRISTMAS were married in 1888 and had four (surviving) children together. I suppose this officially makes him *ahem* Father Christmas? (I’m killing myself here)

I haven’t spent a whole lot of time researching the whole CHRISTMAS branch of our family tree (haha), mainly because Mr. CHRISTMAS was the husband of my 2nd Great-Grand Aunt. I did find that in 1942 William CHRISTMAS passed away at age 73. His widow, Caroline Elizabeth CHRISTMAS was not long after, on March 14th, 1950. In the index of wills two of their children are listed. A son, Arthur Ernest CHRISTMAS and a daughter, Lilian Rose OLLIVE.

*England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966*

I’ll leave you with one last horrible joke, and my apologies…I have to wonder if their daughter, Lilian Rose was married to Ollive, the Other Reindeer?

Merry Christmas everyone!