Councillor Mayor Elizabeth Petty Update...
Links and information are coming in thick and fast and we were very excited to share our latest snippet with you.
We were thrilled to receive a call from Councillor Mayor (Yes, Derby's First woman Mayor...) Elizabeth Petty's great niece E. C. today! We had a lovely chat about the information we have gleaned so far on our wonderful former Mayor and E.C. was able to fill in some of the blanks.....
Snippets then
E.C. started off by sharing Elizabeth Petty's link to the famous Merryweather family from Nottingham. Mayor of Derby, Councillor Mrs. Elizabeth Petty was a born in Southwell/Carlton Nottinghamshire in September 1875. She was the 4th child, and only daughter, of Henry Merryweather and Emily Staniland. She had 4 brothers William Henry Merryweather, b. March 09, 1866; John Edward Merryweather, b. July 01, 1868; Ernest Arthur Merryweather, b. June 15, 1872; Elizabeth Merryweather, b. September, 1875 and Alfred George Merryweather, b. December 21, 1877.
Photograph of The Merryweather Family (Kindly supplied by Eileen C, Elizabeth's Great niece)
From left to right Alfred George, Harry, Henry Snr, Lizzie (Councillor Mayor Elizabeth Petty) and Alfred's son John Fletcher and Henry. John Fletcher is Elizabeth Petty's nephew and E.C's father.
Elizabeth’s father Henry owned a nursery and was the first person to grow the Bramley Apple commercially, based on a seed planted by Mary Ann Brailsford in a garden later owned by Matthew Bramley, a butcher, after whom the apple was named. Mr Bramley agreed that Mr Merryweather could take cuttings from the tree and grow them in his family's nursery, providing they had the name Bramley's Seedling. Elizabeth’s great-nephew Mr Roger Merryweather, is currently chairman of The Bramley Apple Festival in Southwell Nottinghamshire. Elizabeth married Frank Swinbourne Petty (also thought to be a former Mayor) and lived at 25, Mount Carmel Street, Derby. She was widowed on February 23rd 1937 and died aged 71 in 1947.
Henry Merryweather, aged 85, in 1924
Roger Merryweather, Chairman, great-grandson of Henry Merryweather, great Nephew of Elizabeth Petty, nee Meeryweather, at The Bramley Apple Festival 2015 (supplied by E. Connett, Great Niece)
Watch this space for updates as E.C will be sending us Elizabeth Petty's Family Tree in exchange we will be sending some photographs we have found and other information that we have uncovered...In the meantime, thank you so much E.C. for taking the time to reach out.
Sources
E.Connet Great Niece
Derby Daily Telegraph 23 February 1937
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-34619280
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brailsford/stories/bramley_apple.htm
http://www.bramleyapples.co.uk/bramley-apples-
history/http://www.southwellcouncil.com/files/Bramley%20trail%20reprint50.pdf%20Final%20version%2029.04.09.pdf
http://newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/kf2qe3kwcbVFcCR9M8QVqc92okLcELHUYhGHS5YxQdAXQ
