My PALMER Family
My PALMER Family - Introduction
July 2001 -
I have grown up with the story of how my Gt Gt Gt Grandfather, Stephen PALMER was a soldier in
Spain during the Peninsular Wars fighting against Napoleon; and how he brought back a Portuguese bride,
Maria DeSilva, to Burwell, in Cambridgeshire, home of the PALMERs. I've always loved her name and often
wondered what it would have been like for a young girl to leave her home and country for another; albeit with
a husband and baby son, another Stephen.
And also with the story of one of Stephen & Maria's grandsons, Ryfealyer DeSilva PALMER who perished with his
wife, Martha and their 3 younger children [the youngest only 17 days old] during the Diptheria epidemic of
November 1894 at Hilgay, West Norfolk, leaving their 4 elder children orphaned. Apparently, it was so cold that
the cart carrying their coffins was able to cross the frozen River Wissey to All Saints Church, Hilgay for
the funeral.
[Source - letter from Unather DeSilva PALMER to Jean Matthews, one of my PALMER cousins and fellow PALMER researcher.]
And how Stephen & Maria's son, Emmanuel, my Gt Gt Grandfather, made a Velocipede in 1876 [an early type of bicycle!]
which can still be seen at the Fenland Museum in Wisbech, Cambs. [But you may have to ask to see it].
And why did my mother have Great Uncles called "Angelo", and "U.D.", "Frisco" and "Manny"?
Meaning of the name PALMER
Taken from "A Dictionary of Surnames" by Patrick Hanks & Flavia Hodges
published by O.U.P. 1990 [1st published 1988] ISBN 0 19 211592 8
Eng. nickname for someone who had been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
ME, OF, palmer, paumer (from palme, paume - palm tree, L. palma)
Such pilgrims brought back a palm branch as proof that they had actually made the journey; but there was a
vigorous trade in false souvenirs and the term also came to be applied to a cleric who sold indulgences.
Some of the European cogns. may also be topograhical names referring to dwellers near a palm tree or grove.
Vars: Palmar, Paumier, Palmes, Parmer
These pages are my attempt to sort out the jigsaw of research notes that I have been given by my mother, who
in turn had been given notes by her cousin who'd decided he done enough! Add to this information from 2 other
PALMER cousins + what I have found over the last few years and the jigsaw becomes more of a spider's web!
I have very quickly discovered that that the name PALMER is as bad as SMITH if you happen to be researching on
the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk/Suffolk borders!
Burwell
Burwell Puppet Show Fire 1727
Burwell - List of Residents in 1839 & 1883
Early PALMERs - Richard & Margaret
Robert & Mary
Stephen & Anne
Mary PALMER & James MILLER
Stephen & Sarah
The Peninsular War - 1808-14
Stephen and Maria
Stephen & Maria's marriage in 1814 at St. Luke's Church, Chelsea, London.
Stephen and Elizabeth Herrington
Elizabeth and Andrew WEATHERSTON
Henry
Mary
Emmanuel & Susannah
Susannah Teed's Sampler
Marear DeSilva
Walter William KETTERINGHAM
Louis Charles KETTERINGHAM's Inquest - July 1896,
Emmanuel
Marer - including photos from Umtali, Rhodesia 1914-1933
Emmanuel
Susannah Sophia
Emma Maud
Louis Henry
Henry O'Connor
Ernest William**
Grandad's Obituary - May 1954
Eveline
Louis Henry
Catherine Susannah
Wisbech PALMERs
This is a boiler........
Catherine WATSON's family
Lapauldro
Annie D.
Lapauldro Leigh
Alonzo Stephen
Alonzo Palmer's Inquest - March 1910
Alonzo's Funeral report - March 1910
Horace Barjonah
Madeleine
Bertram
Alice
Sidney
Daisy
Ryfealyer DeSilva
Ryfealyer DeSilva
Angelo Steven
Martha Mabel Velenia
Clarence Emmanuel
Martha Palmer's Inquest - 3rd December 1894
Francisco DaSilva
Francisco Charles Parker
Reginald Elijah Parker
Muriel Frances Parker
Hilda DaSilva Parker
Douglas Emmanuel Parker
Zoe Mildred
Alphonso Ronald [Ronnie] Robert
Algy DaSilva Teed Parker
Queenie Kate DaSilva
Queenie Kate's Story in Her Own Words
Freda Lilian Alexandra
Vera Constance DeSilva
Francisco's Funeral report - September 1931
Can you help identify these PALMER photographs belonging to Carolyn's mother??
Don Thursalht
Angelo Stephen
Younather DeSilva
"A Cycle Wedding at Wisbech"- April 1897
Dorothy Hilda
Mabel
Kathleen
Grace
Florence
Unather [Arthur] Edward DeSilva
Phyllis Christobel
"Bicycle Bride dies at 80"- February 1954
Delphfenia Honor
Archie
Albert William Arundel
Stanley Eric Cyril
Delphfenia Irene Vera
Angelo Leonard McLeod
Honor PALMER & John DAWSON
Burwell-born PALMERs in Lancashire
William & Maria
Louis
Phylldelfina
DeSilva or DaSilva that is the question.
PALMER Photo Gallery - and more to come!
"R. PALMER - Cyclist"
June 2003 -Stormin' Norman Does It! - Norman PALMER's "Wing Walk" at the age of 77
to raise funds for The Anthony Nolan Trust & Cancer Research U.K. on Sunday 15th June 2003
at the Old Buckenham Airfield, Attleborough, Norfolk, U.K.
1st PALMER Reunion, 21 September 2002 in Downham Market.
2nd PALMER Reunion, 27th September 2003 at the Rose & Crown, Wisbech.
3rd PALMER Reunion, 9 October 2004 at the Rose & Crown Hotel, Wisbech - - with special guest, "Vivien" the Fire Engine!.
4th PALMER Reunion, 30 September 2006 the The Olde Mill, Upwell.
Feb. 2005 - Sadly, we have lost one of our original researchers, Roy PALMER, of Shaw, nr Oldham, Lancs.
Roy carried out very valuable foundation work on the PALMER family history in the 1980's and 1990's
and was a familiar face at the Reunions. Roy helped me considerably when I began my research and he will be sadly missed.
January 2007 - A Tribute to Carole PALMER
**ALL** images on this website © Ann McClean, 2000-2020
Even more so as all originals are in my possession - be it book, photo, postcard, etc.
No uploading to another website is permitted without express permission from myself.
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This page created July 2001
Updated 14:34 07/05/2020