Just heard from Ann Lewis, an Emeritus Professor of Education at Birmingham University, who's descendant of PK's second superintendent. She asked me to provide a link to the Nerve Centre of Empire website and details about Ash materials in the C&W archive, and naturally I asked her about family papers handed down. I'm sure some of you know the chap called Roger whom she mentions.
"Many thanks for the speedy and full reply- I was thrilled to hear back from you so quickly and with so much info.
Sorry I don’t have any photos or letters, I have a silver plate (I think given to WH when he left London for Porthcurno in 1877, a slightly smaller version of the one in your exhibition at Porthcurno) and my brother has some other artefacts including a silver inkwell inscribed to WH from St Leven. We have been strangely very short indeed on family info. I knew only that a relative had had some involvement at Porthcurno. So you can imagine how very surprised I have been to discover more about WH’s story and his significant role there.
My grandfather was Arthur Stanley Ash (WH’s son), AS had one son – my father Gerald, and I have a younger brother (Roger Ash) and older sister. Arthur retired early to the Lizard from Essex/London so my brother and I spent all our childhood holidays in Cornwall. The only reference to local family history that I can recall were dire warnings about the dangers of the sea (Arthur had at least one brother who drowned [age 27] although I only discovered that recently). Roger [who has a smallholding near Helston and has talked a while back with some people at the Telegraph museum] is a hydrographic surveyor involved in the laying of deep sea cables for gas /oil. As an educationalist / psychologist I have always argued for nurture over nature so it is disconcerting to discover the close family involvement in the laying of deep sea oil pipes / telegraph cables over a century apart!
Yes please- re sending a copy of your exhibition booklet – that would be fantastic [am happy to pay any costs re copying/postage. If it is eformat pl send to this address; if hard copy pl send to my home address below].
I visited the museum a couple of weeks ago and thought it was excellent- indeed it has triggered my rooting around the web and contacting you. Roger is currently working offshore and has not seen the new exhibition- I know he’ll be similarly impressed and will visit again asap.
Thanks again."
I wonder if any of this branch of the Ash family are related to Henry Morris Ash, a hydrographer on CS Faraday in the late 1800s. I have several pages on him
ReplyDeleteBill Burns
Could well be a relative. Dynasties were common in the ETC and Porthcurno - the Penders, Spratts, and Maunsells were just the more famous!
ReplyDeleteSadly I don’t think that there is a WH Ash family relationship with Henry Morris Ash. It would be an interesting connection since I am also a hydrographic surveyor.
ReplyDeleteI was involved helping out at PK in 1995 and 1996 but work commitments meant I had to give it up. Mary Godwin gave me a copy of WHAs service record. From that I concluded that WH started work for E&I in Plymouth at age sixteen. He had seven children, 6 boys and 1 girl; the Spratt Diaries have been very useful for filling in some details.
As far as I can ascertain, of the six boys, four went on to be employed by ETC. I am very confused by the PK reference to John ASH. Hugh Barty Smith in “Girdle around the Earth” states John ASH son of John ASH; which is even more confusing. There is no record of WH ASH having a son called John. Furthermore, only two of the sons were married, Percival Ernest and Arthur Stanley (my grandfather). The John ASH referred at PK and by HBS must have been a son of great uncle Percy.
I am sure that the C&W personnel records could throw some light on this. I look forwarded to renewing my links with the PK museum.