WELCOME TO THE BAYLISS LINE. This blog has been created for my family. By "my family" I mean all those who are related to the Bayliss family either by blood, marriage or even relationship. There are, of course, other Bayliss families not related to us but this blog has at its heart a very specific family who had their origins in Gloucestershire. I am connected to that family because my mother was a Bayliss and it was her curiosity that started my research back in the early 1990's. So, what are you likely to see on this blog? Well, as it is a blog, I want it to be as entertaining as possible rather that a dry listing of facts (that is for Ancestry.com). I will, hopefully, be posting entries on our ancestors and relatives, on the places where they lived, and the historical times they lived through. I have an extensive collection of photographs of people and places which I will, of course, be sharing.

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Thursday, 11 August 2011

FREDERICK JOHN WEAVER 1922 - 2011


It is with gread sadness that I report the death of my half-brother John. Born Frederick John Weaver in the Kent village of Wittersham in 1922, John, like our father, joined the Royal Navy and served with The Fleet Air Arm in Cape Town South Africa, and while there met his beloved wife Elaine. After the war John brought Elaine to England where they were married at Wittersham. They continued to live in the village until two years ago when health problems necessitated a move to Lincolnshire to be with their daughter, Lizzie.
Sadly, a few months after the move Elaine died. John had worked with his sons in their mobile catering business providing refreshments at car racing meetings and for several years worked as a driver for The Beatles at Apple. On visits to Wittersham one of the highlights for myself and cousins Alvin and Robin was to take John for a pub lunch and listen to his often hilarious stories of life with John, Paul, George and Ringo.

Because of circumstances beyond our control John and I did not meet or even know of each others existence until I was in my late Fifties and he in his early Eighties and we only met five times but we talked regularly on the phone and he was able to help me enormously with my paternal family history and was more than generous in sharing many of his precious family photographs.  I had planned to visit John in September but last night I got a call from my half-neice, Lizzie to give me the sad news. John was my closest living relative  and shall miss knowing that he was out there but, to be honest, life was not the same for him since Elaine's death so I like to think they are together again.  Last night Alvin and I raised a few glasses to his memory and next Monday we shall drive to Charing in Kent for his funeral.  R.I.P. Big Bruvver! 


John with sister Nancy



John in The Fleet Air Arm

John and Elaine
John and I on the day we first met
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3 comments:

  1. Cerpts11 August 2011 at 07:19

    My sincerest condolences, Ernest. The time you had together was too brief but its value has no price. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sue13 August 2011 at 11:29

    My thoughts are with you, Ernest. You will always hold the treasure of your brother's memory.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Back of beyond7 September 2011 at 15:59

    Everyone should have a brother like John.

    ReplyDelete

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