Elizabeth Cornell
Born Histon 1814. She was baptised in St Andrew's church on 7th August, when her surname was recorded as Cornwell, the first appearance of what is the current form of the name in our family.She married local boy Joseph Adams at St Andrew's church on 31st October 1831 when she was 17 years old. They lived in Impington and had at least nine children, six of whom seem to have survived into adulthood. Her husband Joseph died in 1876, and was buried in Impington churchyard. Elzabeth lived on into her late eighties, and was buried in Histon churchyard in October 1902, a few weeks before the birth of her great-nephew, my grandfather.

Charles Cornell
Born Histon 1817. He was baptised in St Andrew's church on 20th April, when his surname was recorded as Cornel. Charles witnessed the marriage of his brother James at Histon in 1836, and then the marriage of his sister Sarah at the same church in 1843. Charles married a girl from Comberton called Mary in about 1845, and they had at least four children. He may have been the Charles Cornell of Histon sentenced to four years penal servitude at Cambridge Assizes in 1854 for stealing potatoes. By the time of the 1854 census they lived in Harston, the home village of Charles's father William.

William Cornell
Born Histon 1819. He was baptised privately in St Andrew's parish on 12th December, before being received publicly into the church on Boxing Day. my great-great-grandfather - see below.

Sarah Cornell
Born Histon 1822. She was baptised in St Andrew's church on 31st March, when his surname was recorded as Cornell. She married John Evans on 30th May 1842 at St Andrew's church, Histon. The witnesses were her brother Charles and John's sister Alice Evans. They lived in Histon at the time of the 1851 census, but by 1881 Sarah was a widow and living in a lodging house in a poor district of east Cambridge. She was a visitor in a house a short distance away in 1891, and so may well have still been living in the district.

Mary Cornell
Born Histon January 1825. She was privately baptised in St Andrew's parish on 25th January, the register noting that this was 'a consequence of illness' and that she was 'aged one week'. Interestingly, it records her godparents' names as Mary Diver and Thomas and Jane Charles, all relatives. She probably had a disability. She died at the age of five and was buried on 14th January 1830 at the same time as her cousins James and WIlliam.

Thomas Cornell
Born Histon 1827. He was baptised in St Andrew's church on 18th March, when his surname was recorded as Cornall. He lived in Histon, and died at the age of 44 in 1871. He does not appear to have married.

Mary Ann Cornell
Born Histon 1831. She was baptised in St Andrew's church on 20th January, when her surname was recorded as Cornall. She was given the same name as her sister who had died the previous year. She herself died at the age of six weeks, and was buried in St Andrew's churchyard on 3rd March.

Sarah Ann Cornell
Born Histon 1847. She was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 9th April. She was living with her parents in 1851 and 1861. No marriage is recorded for a person with this name between 1861 and 1871, and yet she does not appear to be on the 1871 census. On the 1881 census, she may well be the 37 year old Cambridgeshire-born Sarah Cornell who is a nurse living in the household of the sugar refiner John Schwartz in Highbury, north London. After, this, Sarah disappears from view, probably marrying but possibly going abroad, and I have not yet found out anything about her.

James Cornell
Born Histon 1850. He was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 10th March. He married Elizabeth Willson at Girton in 1875, his surname recorded as Cornwell. In 1881, James and Elizabeth were living in the village of Girton, about two miles from Histon, with their children Arthur, Florence and Leonard. However, the family do not appear on the 1891 census. A seven year old Arthur James Cornwell died in the Chesterton registration district, which includes both Girton and Histon, in 1883. A James Cornwall, born in Histon and of the right age, is living in 1891 in a convalescent home in Westgate-on-Sea near Margate in Kent. This is likely to be our James. He gives his condition as Married rather than Widower. I have found no further trace of James or his wife. In 1901, their daughter Florence was a servant in a house in Benet Place in Cambridge.

Lucy Hannah Cornell
Born Histon 1852. She was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 29th August. Charmingly, her name was recorded as Louisiana on the 1861 census. Lucy married James Morgan, a cook, at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 19th March 1876. He was 20 and she was 23. Although her name was recorded in the Histon parish registers as Cornwell, she signed her own name as Cornell. The witnesses were her brother Alfred and her sister Elizabeth, who were both able to sign their names as Cornell. In 1881, James and Lucy lived at 14 Orchard Street in Cambridge, with their children George, Alfred, Frank and Montague. Interestingly, living with them as a servant was an eleven year old Elizabeth Cornell of Cottenham, presumably a cousin or niece of Lucy's. By 1884 there were two more children, Olive and Frederick, but after this Lucy's husband James died. Shortly before the 1891 census she married the sixty year old John Joseph Tilley, a lithographer, and they lived with the six children at Grove House, Histon Road, Cambridge.

By 1901, Lucy was a widow again, at the age of 49 (although she gave her age as 46 to the census enumerator). She was living as a needlewoman with two of her children on Searle Street off of Victoria Road in Cambridge. She didn't marry again. In 1911, her youngest son Frederick, a bookbinder, was still living with her at the age of 27. So far, I have not traced Lucy's death.

Alfred John Cornwell
Born Histon 1854. He was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 17th December. His birth was registered under the name Cornwell, but he appears as Cornell on later censuses. He was a witness to his sister Lucy Hannah's marriage in 1876. In 1881 he married Mary Ann Everitt of Cottenham. They lived in Water Lane in Histon, where Alfred was a farm labourer. Their eldest child Bertie was born in 1882, followed by a succession of six girls, Isabella, Zillah, May, Eva, Florence and Grace. By 1901, Alfred's widowed mother-in-law Hannah Everitt was also living in the household. They were still living in the same house in 1911. Alfred died in 1914 at the age of sixty.

Elizabeth Jane Cornell
Born Histon 1857. She was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 17th May. She was a witness to her sister Lucy Hannah's marriage in 1876. She appears to be the Elizabeth Ann Cornell who was buried in Histon churchyard on October 9th 1883, four days after her brother Frederick, suggesting that the cause was an accident or a contagious disease. She was twenty-six years old. Her sister Mary's second daughter, born fifteen months later, was named Elizabeth Jane Cornwell Field after her.

Mary Eliza Cornell
Born Histon 1859. She was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 23rd October. Mary married the labourer Arthur Field on June 11th 1882 at St Andrew's Church, Histon. He was 30, she was 23. Mary's surname is recorded as Cornwell, and she signed as Cornwell. Her husband was illiterate, and signed with a cross. The witnesses were her brother William (who signed with a cross) and her sister Hannah. They lived in Water Lane in Histon near to Mary's brother Alfred. They had four children in the 1880s: Frances Anna, Elizabeth Jane Cornwell, Percy Benjamin (who died at the age of seven months) and George Edward Leonard. Elizabeth Jane Cornwell was clearly named after Mary's sister (above), who had died shortly before Mary's daughter was born. It seems likely that Frances was named after Mary's mother, but her name is recorded as Florence on censuses after 1891.

By 1901, Mary's husband was recorded as a horsekeeper, and her daughter Florence was working in the Chivers jam factory in Histon, as was Mary herself by 1911. So far, I have not traced Mary's death; neither Mary nor her husband's burials are recorded in the Histon and Impington records.

Hannah Cornell
Born Histon 1862. She was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 2nd February. In 1881, Hannah was working as a servant in the household of the soap and candle manufacturer Mark Ives Whibley at Hurst House, Milton Road, Cambridge. The following year, she was a witness to her sister Mary Eliza's marriage, and to her brother William's marriage in 1885, where she signed her name as Cornwell. Hannah married John Royal Hounsham, who had also been a witness to her brother William's marriage, in Cambridge in the 4th quarter of 1885. Hounsham was from Bentley in Hampshire. In 1891 Hannah and John were living at 128 Newmarket Road Cambridge with their children Frederick and Harrold, who had both been born in Cambridge. Hannah's husband John was a stationary engine driver, probably working in the Barnwell quarries. In 1896 they were in Whittlesey for the birth of a child, and by 1901 they had moved to Old Fletton in Peterborough, for John to work in the brickfields. They now had three daughters, Daisy, Dorothy and Gladys. In 1911 they were living at 19 Duke Street Old Fletton in Peterborough. There were no more children, but rather distressingly the couple noted that they had had eight children, four of whom had died. Hannah herself died in Peterborough in 1930, at the age of 68.

William Huckle Cornwell
Born Histon 24th January 1864. My Great-Grandfather. See below.

Fanny Maria Cornell
Born Histon 1866. She was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 27th June. She died when she was just seven months old, and was buried in Histon churchyard on 10th February 1867.

Frederick Charles Cornwell
Born Histon 1868. He was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Histon on the 18th February. He was recorded at the age of 13 as an agricultural labourer on the 1881 census. He died in 1883, apparently four days before his sister Elizabeth, suggesting that the cause was an accident or a contagious disease. He was buried in Histon churchyard on 5th October, when he was fifteen years old.

Lily Elizabeth Cornwell
Born Histon, Cambridgeshire on the 13th August 1887. Her birth was registered under the surname Cornell rather than Cornwell, but when she was baptised at St Andrew's church in Histon on 11th September, her surname was recorded as Cornwell. She went to work as a nanny in France. She married Thomas Shemilt at Leigh in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire in 1909. Shemilt was born at Godstone in Staffordshire in 1884. In 1911, the couple lived with Thomas's mother Emma Shemilt, née Cope, who was a widow; her husband of three years, George Shemilt of Stone, Staffordshire, had died in 1885. In 1923, Lily's sister Ruth was living with her husband John nearby at Corton. In 1944, Lily's father William was staying with them at Rough Park Bungalow, Handsall Ridware near Rugeley when William died. Lily died at Burton-upon-Trent in Staffordshire in 1957, at the age of 70.

Walter Eric Cornwell
Born Histon, Cambridgeshire on the 29th June 1889. His birth was registered under the surname Cornell rather than Cornwell, but when he was baptised at St Andrew's church, Histon on 4th August his surname was recorded as Cornwell. He married Gertrude Simpkins in the Chesterton registration district in the second quarter of 1915. Walter died in Cambridge in 1967 at the age of 77.

Violet Maude Cornwell
Born Histon, Cambridgeshire on the 15th September 1892. She was the first of the children whose birth was registered under the surname Cornwell. She was baptised at St Andrew's church, Histon on 23rd October. She married Ernest Frederick Golding at St Andrew's church, Oakington on 3rd February 1912. Golding was a farm labourer who also came from Oakington. Violet died in September 1961 in Manchester.

Catherine Ayliffe Grace Cornwell
Born Histon, Cambridgeshire on 15th February 1894. She was baptised at St Andrew's church, Histon on 25 March. She worked in service at Roxford Grange at Hertingfordbury in Hertfordshire. She married Frederick George Cannon on the 30th August 1919 at Hertingfordbury, Hertfordshire. They lived in Hertfordshire. Catherine died in Hertfordshire in the last quarter of 1962.

Frances Eliza Cornwell
Born Histon, Cambridgeshire on the 29th April 1895. She was the last of the children to have her birth registered under the surname Cornell. When she was baptised at St Andrew's church, Histon on 26th May, her surname was recorded as Cornwell. She married Charles Hewitt at Elham in Kent in July 1924. They lived in Worthing in Sussex, where I visited and stayed with them in the early 1960s, although I do not remember this. She died in 1972. Her daughter Joan remained great friends with her cousin, my mother, until she died in 2010.

Ruth Mortlock Cornwell
Born Oakington, Cambridgeshire on 30th April 1899 and baptised along with her brother William at St Andrew's church Oakington on 25th August 1901. She married John Wheeldon at St Andrew's church Oakington on 5 Jan 1921. John was a platelayer from Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire (Ruth's sister Lily lived in Staffordshire, which may be significant). Two years later in 1923, they were living at Colton Hall Barn Cottages, Corton near Rugeley in Staffordshire when Ruth's younger brother Edmund was married from that address. In 1944, Ruth's sister Lily and her husband were living four miles away at Hamstall Ridware, and it is possible that they were near neighbours at this time, too. Ruth died in March 1967 at Hastings in East Sussex.

William Arthur James Cornwell
Born Oakington, Cambridgeshire on 28th June 1901. and baptised along with his sister Ruth at St Andrew's church Oakington on 25th August 1901. He married Gladys Shepherd in the last quarter of 1927 in Bethnal Green, London. In later life he lived in south London, where he kept a garage. I can just remember visiting and staying with him in the 1960s. He died in Redbridge in the last quarter of 1974.

Edmund Stanley Cecil Cornwell
Born Oakington, Cambridgeshire on 31st July 1903, and baptised at St Andrew's church, Oakington on 27th September. My grandfather - see below.

Stanley Arthur James Cornwell
Born Oakington, Cambridgeshire in 1925, and baptised at St Andrew's church, Oakington on 27th September. Known to the family as Jim. This suggests that the family were living with Stan's parents at the time. He signed up for the Navy in the Second World War. He was badly injured on 16th September 1942 aboard HMS Warspite. He was just 17 years old. The battleship was taking part in the Salerno Landings off the toe of Italy when it was hit by a German glider bomber. This photograph shows the ratings being addressed shortly before the battle. Jim is in this photograph somewhere. He never recovered from his injuries, and died in 1946 at the age of twenty. He was buried in Little Thetford Cemetery, and is mentioned on the Little Thetford war memorial.

Jack Travers Cornwell
Born 2 Castle Row, Cambridge in 1928, and baptised in St Giles's church, Cambridge on 4th March. He was named after Jack Travers Cornwell, a 16 year old posthumous winner of the Victoria Cross, who at the time was one of the great heroes of the First World War. He married Edna Martin in Ely in 1954, and they lived at Mepal, Cambridgeshire.

Reginald Trevor Cornwell
Born River Bank, Barway, Cambridgeshire, 0n 28th January 1930, and baptised at St Nicholas's church, Barway on 6th April. Known to the family as Reggie. Married Beryl Dennis at Ely in 1954. Two years later, their father being dead, Reggie gave away my mother when she married. Reggie and Beryl lived at Little Thetford and then at Wilburton, Cambridgeshire. They had three children, two boys and a girl. Reggie died on 16th August 2001.

Edward Malcolm Cornwell
Born River Bank, Barway, Cambridgeshire 1931, and baptised at St Nicholas's church, Barway on 7th June. Known to the family as Malcolm. Married Betty Rudderham at Ely in 1950. They lived at Wilburton, and had five children, four girls and a boy. Betty died in 2015, Malcolm in August 2016.

Betty Katherine Cornwell
Born River Bank, Barway,Cambridgeshire on 1st December 1932, and baptised at St Nicholas's church, Barway on 7th June 1933. Betty contracted polio as a child, and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She spent time at Manfield Hospital in Northampton, and then after 1956 living in the home for the physically disabled at Dorincourt, Leatherhead, Surrey, later the Queen Elizabeth Foundation. She died in Leatherhead in 1987.

June Frances Cornwell
Born Red Fen Lane, Grunty Fen, Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire in 1934. She married Keith Anthony Palmer at St George's church, Little Thetford on 9th April 1955. They lived at Little Downham and had two children, a boy and a girl.

Marion Patricia Cornwell
Born Red Fen Lane, Grunty Fen, Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire on 27th February 1936. She married Graham Knott at St George's church, Little Thetford on 4th August 1956. They lived at Little Thetford and then in Cambridge, and had three children, all boys. Marion died in Cambridge on 30th June 2016.

Albert Paul Cornwell
Born Front Street, Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire in 1937. Known to the family as Sonny. He married Shirley Carter at St Mary's church, Ely in 1957. They lived in Ely and had two children, both boys.