Beautiful Shores

Most helpful to my research on the Smawfield family has been a book found during a Google search, called  "Rifted Clouds, or The Life Story of Bella Cooke."     Bella was the author, and the book was first published in 1885 in New York. Bella Cooke was the daughter of John Beeton and Elizabeth Smawfield, and she was the niece of my 5th great-grandmother, Ann Smawfield. Bella Beeton was born on 13 July 1821 in Hull in Yorkshire, and was baptised in the Holy Trinity Church in Waltham Street on 11 October 1821.  It  was a Methodist Church, and her devotion to the faith was evident throughout Bella's life. Bella married Joseph Cooke in Sheffield in Yorkshire on 7 October 1840, and they emigrated to New York in 1847 with their 3 daughters.  Her husband died in 1849 and her sisters and friends stepped in to provide for Bella and her small children.  Bella then began an active ministry, soliciting funds on behalf of the poor, as well as visiting them to distribute money and good

The Raven family - Part 2 - Mrs. Ann Good. My 3rd great-grandfather, Richard Raven was born in about 1833 in an area of Sheffield called Ecclesall Bierlow.   The earliest record that I have for Richard Raven is his marriage certificate, which was included in my previous post about this family.  (see  The Elusive Raven Family  ) The wedding took place on 25th December 1856, and Richard stated that his father's name was Robert Raven, a bricklayer.  Searches have failed to find any trace of Robert Raven in the area, or  a birth or baptism record for Richard Raven.  A Census record from 1841 includes a child aged 8 named Richard Raven, who could possibly be "my" Richard Raven.   The Census record has an address as Whitelock Court on Russel Street, North Sheffield. The residents on the night of 6th June 1841 were Richard Good, aged 50, a tailor born in Ireland ; Ann Good, 50, born in Yorkshire ; and Richard Raven, 8, also born in Yorkshire.  Also in the household are John and

  My great - grandparents, Evelyn Ernest and Mabel Kemp Raven were the last of my ancestors to come from over the seas to settle on Australian shores, when they arrived in Perth on 5th August 1913. They married in Sheffield in Yorkshire on 1st July 1913 and departed from London on the "Orsova" three days later. My father, Noel Cavanagh, was their first grandchild, and had very fond memories of his grandparents. Mabel & Evelyn Ernest  RAVEN, daughter Elsie between them, grandchildren Noel (standing) and baby Shirley CAVANAGH. 1936 My grandmother, Doreen, was the eldest child of Evelyn and Mabel. Grandma had treasured family photos which included images of people from the Sheffield families, with no identifying details for most of them. Grandma shared the limited information that she knew about her father's family. She did have Evelyn and Mabel's marriage certificate, and Evelyn's father Richard's will, and a couple of letters from him.  Grandma also knew th