Welcome @BrendanW @Genie1 who originally posted the query, is regularly on the forum and so should see your response soon.
Good to hear from you. Orlando was a mystery and the only one I couldn't be certain of. I am in contact with another family member and will let them know. I have gone back to the 1700s with the Venner family.
I have traced back to one gentleman called Nicholas Venner (my 11x great grandfather) born in abt. 1530 in Devon who was the grandfather of Thomas Venner who was a rebel and tried to unsuccessfully overthrow Oliver Cromwell in 1657. This would make Orlando distant cousins of him but we can never be sure.
I have Jessie as a sister to Orlando and she was born 1869 at Lezant. Jessie married twice. To William Henry Saunders and Phillip Harris. I haven't a Selina but Jessie has sisters Leah and Georgina. Their brother Sidney lived in Ireland.
Yes, I have the same Jessie. 'Selina J' was used on the 1881 cenus when she was a domestic servant. I don't know if this was just what they called her but it was Jessie on her baptism and birth record.
Hi everyone, I've recieved some pictures of some of Orlando's children Dora, Emmaline and my great grandmother Winifred.
If he went AWOL from the army, calling himself and family Smith might be a good idea along with a change of location.
Absolutely, I was having a discussion with my great aunt about him the other day. Apparently Eliza and him never got married because he would need an official document of his birth but of course, he went AWOL so he couldn't because his surname on the certificate would be Venner. Also Smith is a common name and Brighton is a big town, so he clearly thought it through. We were also saying that his middle name was Ronald and if you rearrange the letters, it makes Orlando, you just need to add an extra O so we think that's where he may of got his name/nickname from.
It was good to see the photographs of the Venner's not having any here. It does seem as if he used the name Ronald and added the other O as a nod to his name. The problem now which name to use in the tree for Orlando after he had children.. Venner or Smith name to go into the tree?
I've been looking for a very long time, in his regiment etc. but I've found nothing. None of my close family have any pictures of him but I'll ask just in case. I always got told that he was quite tall and I think stern? I might be getting confused with another family member. My great gran was 3 when he passed so she got all of her information from her mother. I will keep looking and let you know if I find one
Hello, It's taken a very long time but I may finally have a photograph of Orlando! I was looking through Launceston Photographers and found some photos by W.S. Cater and Co. in operation 1888-1910. His picture came in a pair with a female. Orlando was extremely close to his sister, Selina and always kept in touch with her. I asked my great aunt about Orlando and her mum always told her that he was a tall, slim man with dark hair and a moustache. I looked at pictures of my great gran and her siblings and I think there are some similarities in the eye shape, eyebrows etc. I think this is Orlando and his sister, Selina in their early 20s!
@BrendanW It is nice to see someone your age interested in genealogy... a life-long hobby has started for you! Welcome!
Alfred Venner who was a cousin of Orlando is buried at Centenary Chapel ,Camborne graveyard. 7th August 1963 and his 1st wife Mary Ann is buried with him.She died in 1940. A daughter of Alfred is buried with her husband next to the grave of Alfred and another daughter of Alfred is buried with her husband in the same graveyard.
