My paternal grandmother Florence Caroline Ransom was born in 1898, the older of twin girls, in Queen’s Park, Paddington, London.  Her sickly sister, Ruth, was put aside as it appeared she had not survived. However, a tiny whimper was heard by a nurse and Ruth, happily survived and lived to a great old age. In fact she outlived her more robust twin!

Their family originated from three villages near Warmister in Wiltshire – Longbridge Deverill, Norton Bavant and Sutton Veny. I have managed to trace the line back to my 7 x Great Grandfather, Thomas Ransome, who was born in 1685 probably in Norton Bavant. He married Mary Dredge in 1709 and died in 1719 at the age of just 34. His son, George (my 6x Gt Grandfather), was born after his death in 1720.

The Ransom family were mostly agricultural workers, but my Great Grandfather, Thomas Everley Ransom, saw opportunity in the capital, so took his family to London at the end of the 19th century which is where my grandmother was born. He was variously a saddler, grocer, tea dealer, harness maker and poultry farmer according to the census and the trade journals of the time.