Sunday, December 28, 2008

Keatley/Yelf Article

One of my 'missing ' posts was this one from Paul Keatley who kindly sent a scan of a newspaper page from the mid 19th century. The original is below but as it's a little small,even when viewed in its own window, that I've cut and pasted an enlarged copy below

Hi,
Just come across this newspaper article while researching my Keatley line.
You may find it interesting
Regards
Paul

Ventnor, Isle of Wight - Keatley's Ventnor Hotel (late ???? ???) - This most desirable hotel, in immediate conexion with Yelfs Hotel Ryde, having been considerably enlarged, is now replete with every comfort and ready for the reception of visitors to this romantic and delightful Watering Place. The lawns and pleasure gardens surrounding the house are extensive and the hotel is situated at the western extreme of Ventnor in the most sheltered part of the Undercliffe. The proprietors beg to announce that Families may be provided with private appartments and boarded on reasonable terms and that a spacious coffee room offers to tourists and gentlemen every convenience during their sujourn. Communications to and from London by coach, steamer and railroad in eight hours. Choice win, spirits, ales porters etc. Carriages and post-horses. An engraving of the above delightful hotel may be seen at the above office.
I'm intrigued by the connection between the two hotels, especially as they are not even in the same town!

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Sunday, December 7, 2008

Tracing members of the Yelf family

Dear Clive
Thank you for maintaining the valuable blog page on the Yelf Family. Here is an update for the family history.

My Mother Eileen Joyce Yelf died recently in Torquay hospital, Devon, on the 22 October 2008. I flew over from Australia and was holding her hand at that time. She was 86 years old.
We have buried her with ceremony and dignity at St Mary's Parish Church, Dartington, near Totnes Devon on the 1 October 2008. She is buried next to her husband (my father) Jack Dallin Yelf who died in 2003. They were married for 54 years, and had three children: Sarah Jill , Heather Joy and Richard Jack (in that order).
The "Order of service" and eulogies are attached. We have recorded both her service and also my fathers previous funeral service digitally onto CD. It contains a lot of interesting information about their very varied lives in Africa, Fiji and Arabia, before returning to England. We can make this available on CD (or possibly mp3 or wav files) as downloadable file if required, or send you a copy on CD.
Our parents have left me some high quality family portraits of our ancestors dating from around the early - mid-1800's.
We would like to identify and place these ancestors within the family tree. I believe they may come from Dorothea Yelf (nee Le Cren) side of the family, but am not sure. She married Francis William Yelf, who was head of Llyods Bank during WW2 and a close personal friend of Winston Churchill. I have some personal papers from Winston Churchill given to my grandfather F.W. Yelf which would be interesting for the archives. F.W. Yelf had 3 children: Jack Dallin Yelf (my father), Robert Lawrence Yelf and Margaret (Meg) Bembridge (nee Yelf).
Please would you kindly assist to identify the portraits ? I will photograph them and send you digital copies with included notes..

Richard Yelf