Photo Postcards

#Bridge #BOAKES #Canterbury #CHAPMAN #Elham #England #Faversham #Folkestone #HADLOW #HerneBay #KEELER #Kent #MARSH #Photographer #Photography #Postcard #RILEY #Studio #SWAIN #SWAN #TASELL

A few years ago I received into my possession a number of photo postcards from someone’s personal archive. They do not relate to my family (or very far back if they do) and would have been thrown away if I had not accepted ownership. However, I could not dispose of them for several reasons. Firstly they provide evidence of outfits and family portraiture which is absolutely fascinating to see. Also, there must be people in the wider family that may be able to identify the people involved and be glad to see images from their personal history and finally gives a bit of evidence for several of Kent’s photography studios.

These documents relate to someone whose mother I believe was good friends with a great-grandmother and possibly the husbands worked together. I believe this lady and my Nan remained in contact even when the families lived further apart and so it is somehow from this connection that they have filtered down to myself. I have done a little bit of research and so know that these would likely to relate to the family of Joan E F MARSH who married Harry RILEY in 1954 with it being registered in Bridge District. Her birth was registered in Elham District in 1928.

They ended up living in the Tyler Hill area of Canterbury and he possibly died in 2007 but know she did in 2015. I do not believe they had any offspring themselves but potentially other relations are still in the area. MARSH is an extremely common surname around here but believe that have identified a few ancestors as shown. Frederick Arthur Goldsmith MARSH (1901 – 1965) who married Catherine Ellen CHAPMAN (1902 – 1987). His parents James MARSH (1871 – 1958) and Florence Beatrice SWAN (1877 – 1945). Their parents James MARSH (1842 – 1904), Maria KEELER (1847 – 1923), Goldsmith SWAN (1828 – 1911) and Adelaide Dorcas SWAIN (1832 – 1908).

Catherine’s mother possibly Gertrude Rachel CHAPMAN (1883 – TBA) and her parents Henry CHAPMAN (1847 – TBA) and Mary A. TASELL (1853 – TBA). There is some confusion over the Harry RILEY as saw someone seems to have a tree with him born in 1922 in Greenwich but there is another where one of that name was born 1918 in Canterbury which seems more plausible on the face of it.

If that one then seems to have parents Henry RILEY (1878 – 1941) and Rachel Matilda Annie BOAKES (1884 – 1964) and potentially the surname HADLOW connects. Will add more names and other details as establish information and increase the likelihood of enabling people looking into these families to find the collection. If anyone has ideas or can see resemblances between people let me know as can easily change the order of photographs or put links in.

_{1 – Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{2 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{3 –} _{Identity of subject unknown. F. Scrivens, Checkley Studios, High Street, Herne Bay printed on rear of postcard.}

Searching for F. Scrivens photography studio found a BBC article from 2024 ¹. From this we learn that the photographer is Frederick SCRIVENS and that his grandchildren were also involved in the business so must mean it had longevity in Herne Bay but does not seem much else online written about it from an initial search.

_{4 –} _{Identity of subject unknown. F. Scrivens, Checkley Studios, High Street, Herne Bay printed on rear of postcard.}

_{5 –} _{Identity of subject unknown. Handwritten jottings of 2368 West and 18527. E. F. Symes, 44 High Street., Folkestone printed on rear of postcard.}

Quick search online does not bring up anything re E. F. Symes photography studio. Switching to Ancestry an Ernest Frisby SYMES lived between 1876 and 1940 it seems. He had been in Folkestone over 30 years and was survived by his wife. In the obituary it mentions nieces and nephews but no children.

_{6 –} _{Identity of subject unknown. Handwritten note ‘To Dearest Fred with best wishes From Phippe’ (not 100% sure on name). E. F. Symes, 44 High Street., Folkestone printed on rear of postcard.}

_{7 –} _{Identity of subject unknown. Sinclair, Canterbury is the writing printed on front. No details on rear of postcard.}

Sinclair, Canterbury potentially relates to Richard Sinclair and Sons who were photographers in that location. Article found online by Historic Canterbury ².

_{8 –} _{Identity of subjects unconfirmed. Handwritten note ‘To Mother From Gertie and Eddie’ and there is a Gertrude identified in research. W. Hargrave Photographer, 82 Preston St., Faversham. Copies can always be had, enlargements from 1/6, each printed on rear of postcard.}

W. Hargrave seems to be slightly more known in a quick online search. A number of cabinet cards by him on ebay (one listed in footnotes) ³ it seems as does reference Faversham. Article by the Faversham Society ⁴ indicates that his name was William HARGRAVE and he came from Scotland. This gives credence that only one person not of family members by that initial and surname working in a family business. His lifespan given as circa 1868 to 1940 and lists a number of references to him in the records.

_{9 –} _{Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{10 –} _{Identity of subject unconfirmed. Handwritten on the rear are ‘Marsh’ and something like ‘Mr Whitemans horses, Mr Marsh 1980s leading horses’. This is the only one that is not actually a postcard but just a photograph.}

_{11 –} _{Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{12 –} _{Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{13 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{14 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{15 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{16 –} _{Identity of subject unconfirmed. Handwritten is ‘Herewith the promised card with love from Nell’. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{17 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unknown. Handwritten is ‘For Nelly from Mother’. No details on rear of postcard.}

HMS Donegal relates to several vessels but the likelihood is that this one on Wikipedia ⁵ that was launched in 1902. Sadly appears there were a few losses from the ship during WWI ⁶ according to A Street Near You but none of the surnames listed above. Seems torpedoed in 1917 in the discussion on the Great War Forum post ⁷.

_{18 –} _{Identity of subjects unconfirmed and location unknown. Handwritten is ‘To Nellie & Fred from Nellie & Jack. Wishing you a merry Christmas and happy New Year. 1926’. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{19 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard}.

_{20 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unconfirmed. A number of handwritten comments on back but not all legible. Does appear to say ‘Raymond’ and ‘Mrs Andrew, 25 Kings North Road, Castle Hill ??, Folkestone’. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{21 –} _{Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{22 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{23 –} _{Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{24 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{25 –} _{Identity of subjects and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{26 –} _{Identity of subjects unknown. F. Scriven & Sons, High Street, Herne Bay printed on rear of postcard.}

_{27 –} _{Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{28 –} _{Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{29 –} _{Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

_{30 –} _{Identity of subject and location unknown. No details on rear of postcard.}

Footnotes –

Most research undertaken using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps after being given some basic details from knowledge of surviving family members. Additional resources listed below if utilised.

BBC > News – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g2w5lgj00o ↩︎
Historic Canterbury – http://www.machadoink.com/Richard%20Sinclair.htm ↩︎
ebay – https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251296842542 ↩︎
The Faversham Society – https://favershamsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/GunpowderDocuments/GH164.pdf ↩︎
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Donegal_(1902) ↩︎
A Street Near You – https://astreetnearyou.org/regiment/10270/Royal-Navy,-HMS-Donegal ↩︎
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum – https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/5895-hms-donegal/ ↩︎

Posted

06/03/2026

Blog

Bluebell Genealogy

Tags:

Bridge, Canterbury, Elham, England, Faversham, Folkestone, HerneBay, Kent, Photography, Postcard, Studio