As a Catley researcher who's early work predates the Internet and the current
"easy acquisition" of a wealth of data provided by a number of genealogical web
sites, am often reminded about the old times with only written letter contact and a
sometimes six week wait for just one certificate to be forthcoming. How times have changed
for the better !
For those of us who started this way, I think it fair to say that we all (quite
incorrectly as we now know only too well ! ) assumed that the surname Cat*ley was from but
one single source which led to consultation of 'phone books when away from home on the
off chance of finding some hitherto unknown "cousin" or other such misplaced
random searching.
An illustration of such a chance event concerns my father who I recall got all excited by
spotting a Cattley photographers shop in Kingston or somewhere such in Surrey back in the
1950's but was all deflated when said owner knew nothing about "our side" of
the family !
Also recall a silly situation in the early 1980's when I chanced across a female
Catley who was a member of the now known James of Barley (Hertfordshire) tree who was
entrenched trying to research my Stevan of Normanton (Yorkshire) line whereas I in turn
was deeply involved in looking at her Barley tree...what a coincidental conflict of
interests !
Warming to the theme of coincidences Cat*ley-wise, a couple of historical events tickle my
fancy :-
1) 1871 census time and the Wellington Barracks near Charing Cross in London which at that
time housed the 3rd Btn Grenadier Guards. What a coincidence that this unit had two
Catleys [1] 24 year old Pte Edward Catley from Kilmersdon, Somerset and thus presumably a
member of the Thomas Catley of Welton or Emery Catley of Midsomer Norton trees and [2] 25
year old Pte John Catley from Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, probably a member of the Joseph
Catley of Melbourn tree.
2) 24th November 1875 Greenwich, London. The ship " Hurunui " departs for
Aukland NZ. On board are members of two different Cat*ley family trees. [One] the husband
and wife + six children of the Joseph Catley of Royston tree [Two] the widower Robert
Cattley and his two surviving children, TB having robbed him of his wife and two other
children in the space of one year. With a sea passage of some three months duration, it
is almost certain that both sets of Cat*leys must have met and talked.
Tim.
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