The Bower & Collier Family History

Progress To Date

Great Grandparent: Mary Ann Walland
- Her Parents: William Edward Walland and Susan Hutley
- Her Grandparents: Edward Walland & Mary Reynolds

Mini Family Tree (Direct Ancestors)

The family tree to date may be summarised:

Walland/Whorland Family

Thomas Whorland/Whirland b c 1670, d 1714
Married c 1690
Elizabeth (Whorland/Whirland) b c 1670, d 1728
Had 3 children

Benjamin Whirland/Whorland b or bp 13.04.1712
Married 12.2.1736
Elizabeth Odell c 1715
Had 10 children

Edward Walland b 6.07.1755
Married 16.04.1781
Alice Siggins b 20.4.1760
Had 3 children

Edward Walland b 16.10.1782
Married 21.06.1813
Mary Reynolds b c 1781
Had 9 children

Edward William Walland b c 1814
Married 14.08.1837
Susannah Amey Hutley b 1.08.1815
Had 8 children

Mary Ann Walland b 17.11.1838
Married 12.12.1856
George Frederick Brecht b c 1834/5

Arthur Brecht b 28.01.1877 d 28.12.1946
Married 25.12.1899
Ellen Elizabeth Curran Saunders b 6.1.1877 d 19.3.1960

Doris Ivy Brecht b 15.03.1912
d 29.6.2003
Married 11.07.1936
Frederick Bower b 12.09.1910
d 10.9.2006

Colin Malcolm Bower b 12.01.1944
Married 15.10.1966
Christine Elizabeth Collier b 26.03.1946

Link to Family Tree

Mary Ann Walland & Descendants

Summary of research to date

Of the 16 family names, we have made the most progress with the Walland family with the least effort!

At one time, we had visions of ancestors from the continent of Europe but in fact there were many name variants and our ancestors were Whirlands or Worelands from Cambridgeshire!

Subsequently the family moved to the East End of London and Essex.

I was given a lot of information by the wife of a distant cousin and for the moment other family names deserve priority.

Birth Marriage & Death Certificates Held
- Births: 1
- Marriages: 2+1 Unwanted
- Deaths:

Certificates Held - Walland Family

Census Records Obtained
- 1841
- 1851 Edward & Susan (Hutley) Walland & family
- James Walland & family
- 1861 Edward & Susan (Hutley) Walland & family
- 1871 Edward & Susan (Hutley) Walland & family
- 1881 Edward and Susan (Hutley) Walland
- William & Jane Walland & family
- Thomas & Emily Walland & family
- 1891 Thomas & Emily Walland & family
- 1901 William & Jane Walland & family
- Thomas & Emily Walland

Census Records Held

Other Research Undertaken
- IGI - Sheets held for London & Essex
- Parish Records: Meldreth & Melbourn, Cambridgeshire held
- Wills
- Businesses: printers 1994 Britton & Walland
- Correspondence: One correspondent provided a lot of information including Parish Records from Meldreth etc
- Visits - Meldreth Churchyard, Cambridgeshire
- Photographs
- Misc Info/Documents

Progress 2004/7

Progress 2008

I did make the effort to find some entries in the 1861, 1871. 1881, 1891 and 1901 Censuses.

Progress 2009

Progress 2010

Progress 2011

On my visit to Meldreth Church near Cambridge in 2001 I found the local use of the family name Abbis:

Visit to Meldreth 2001

At that time, I saw a grave for an Abbis Worland who died 26.11.1893 (age 58) and the caretaker told me that he had gone to school with an Abbis Worland.

A correspondent contacted me to say that Abbis Worland, who died in 1893, was his Great Grandfather. My correspondent told me that his father was an Abbis Worland and his own middle name was Abbis.

Wonderful!

Also see Progress 2024 below.

Progress 2012/23

Progress 2024

Mary Ann Walland married George Frederick Brecht and the couple provided the foundation of the Brecht family in London.

A distant cousin contacted me regarding Mary Ann's sister Margaret Walland:

Margaret Walland

In fact, when Margaret married Caleb Andrews in 1867, her sister Mary Ann Brecht was a witness.

My correspondent provided me with the following family tree:

William Edward & Susan Walland

Daughter
Margaret Walland born Stepney 1843 died 1913
married
(1) Caleb Andrews from Hampshire in 1867 (Caleb died Marylebone 1884 (age 51)
(2) Edward Cook in Islington in 1887

Daughter
Alice Andrews born St Pancras 1869 Died 1946
married in St Pancras 1869
Henry Wykes

See Parish Records

Walland Parish Records

I had not received any new information on the Walland Family for some 12 years so this was a nice surprise.

Records from 1998 and 2001

In 1998 and 2001 respectively (prior to setting up the website) two correspondents sent me very detailed information about the Wallands.

I decided after all this time to have the documents scanned and have put them into the website:

Correspondence from 1998

I was provided with a family tree from Thomas & Elizabeth Whirland in 1692 to the children of Edward Albert & Nellie Walland who married c 1897.

Early Walland Family Tree

and

5 Family Group Sheets from a relationship database for:
- Edward & Alice (Siggins) Walland who married in 1781
- Their son William who married Sarah Woodhouse in 1806
- Edward (also son of Edward & Susan) who married Mary Reynolds in 1813
- Their son Edward William who married Susannah Hutley in 1837
- Some Notes on Susan Hutley & her family

Walland Family Group Sheets

Corespondence from 2001

This amounted to an index to the Parish Records of Meldreth & Melbourn in Cambridgeshire 1628-1850 which I added to the Parish Records:

Walland Parish Records

There were many references to Abbis Worland which I have extracted separately:

Abbis Worland