My elder brother Harold was born on Christmas day 1926 but unfortunately died in February 1929, an event from which my parents found it very hard to recover. In fact that single event has coloured the life of my family until the present day because, my mother, who died in her sleep on 2nd September 2001, in her 98th year, hated everything about Christmas.

My father was a cavalryman (14th/20th Kings Hussars) and served in Germany just after the First World War 1914-1918 having lost two brothers, (Horace and Frederick William), in the conflict.

He married my mother, Lillian Rowe in 1926 and I was born two years later. I was named after two of my father's brothers, Leslie and Horace the latter was one of those mentioned who died in the First World War. We travelled widely, initially to Egypt and, in 1934, my sister Patrica was born in Risalpur, India, where my father was serving at the time.
Three years later my brother Terry was born in Rhaniket in the Punjab, India in 1937. My sister Christina Lillian followed in 1944 and she married David Crank.

("Tina") and David were happily living in Quakertown PA USA with their daughter Sam and Son David until a few years ago but then 'Tina' was tragically killed in a car crash.

I spent time in The Lawrence Memorial, Royal Military, boarding schools in India which were designed for the children of British Soldiers in memory of Sir Henry Lawrence who lost his life during the Indian Mutiny.
Initially I was in Sanawar in the Murree Hills in Northern India, when the Regiment and therefore the family moved south to Secunderabad in Deccan District I went to school in Lovedale, Nilgiri Hills and then, after the second world war had started we moved to Rajputana, now Rajasthan and I went to school in Mount Abu.

I married and am still happily married to Maureen Sheridan (Robertson) whose antecedents you can follow on the ROMANES site and in 1969 she gave me a lovely son Scott. In 1997, Scott married Sue Dawn (Bardwell) in Fiji. They live in East Bergholt Sussex. Scott and Sue had a beautiful son, Toby Alexander at 7.30 AM on 2nd February 2003. They had their second child on 27th November 2004 a beautiful little girl named Annabel, Sarah.

My mother, Lillian Rowe was born in West Ham, London (Then recorded in Essex). Her father Ernest Uriah Rowe was born in 1877 in London (Died in 1910 at the age of 33 with stomach cancer) He was a printers compositor. My grandmother, also Lillian was born in Newington, Camberwell in 1878 (Died 1972 in Colchester Essex). When my Grandfather Ernest died his wife was left in a poor state with four children to raise, two were only infants. My Mother and her brother Ernie were put into Dr. Barnado's Home for orphans in Ilford for the next six years.

Ernest's father and mother were Benjamin Rowe and FrancesClifford,  (she had a sister Phoebe and her first daughter born 1870 was also named Phoebe, SHE was my mother's fabourite aunt).   from Meare in Somerset.  they were married in Penge, Surrey in 1870 but Benjamin was previously married to Ann from Chilmleigh, Devon and they married in 1835. Benjamin's father and Mother were Joseph Rowe and Elizabeth, Joseph was born in Colchester, Essex in 1788 and his wife was from South Shields and born in 1794 - who says that people didn't travel far in those days!

My father's brother, Leslie, after whom I am named, met and married, my mother's sister, Alice Rowe in 1929 and had a son, Derek Stanley Nicholass on 3rd December 1930.Derek married Jean Powell (b.26th October 1931 in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales) at All Saints Church Margate, Kent on Derek's birthday Dec. 3rd 1955.

Derek and Jean have two children, Carol Nicholass who was born in Margate, Kent on October 28th 1956 and Candida Nicholass born August 4th 1959 also in Margate, Kent.

Carol Nicholass married Anthony Thomas Perks in April 1982 in All Saints Church Margate and now have three children Katie born 6th October 1983, James born July 9th 1986 James now has a partner named Keeley Harrison and they have a little boy named Jack Anthony Perks who was born on the 6th of November 2009 Carol and Thomas have another son,  Thomas born January 26th 1988.

Candida Nicholass married Duncan Prophet and now have five children, Emily b.15th August 1983, Nicholass born October 24th 1985, James William b. 29th October 1989, Edward Duncan b. 27th March 1997 and George Derek b. March 4th 1999.

Jean tragically passed away on the 1st of March 2001. I unfortunately did not get to know her well but she was obviously a tower of strength to her family and will be very sadly missed.

My sister Pat married Cyril Hallett and they have 6 fine sons and a daughter, each of these have made Pat a grandmother, many times over.
Brother Terry married Margaret and had two girls who have each made Terry and Margaret grandparents.

**
Joseph Henry Nicholass Confectioner of Margarets Bank, Rochester,Kent sometimes shown, before 1840, as a shoemaker. (Married) Anne Fitness in Sevenoaks Kent 17.2.1829 Anne came from Plaxtol near Swanley in Kent and there are many members of her family still around that area.

Children, all born in Rochester, Kent:-
Ann Elizabeth,b.20.2.1831:Joseph Henry b.20.2.1833 :Robert b.25.7.1835:John b. 12.7.1837:Sarah Ann Victoria b. 6.12.1840 (died in infancy):Alfred William b. 29.2.1844:

Ann Elizabeth m: a Thomas Waller in Gravesend Kent in 1859.  He was a School Master in St. Martins Leicester in 1861  and she a School mistress.   In 1871 cencus He is shown as  the Master of the Union Workhouse of Hollingbourne Kent.

Robert m: Susan in Southward

Joseph Henry m: Elizabeth Warren from Mettingham Suffolk in 1855 and lived in  4 St. Germains Terr. in Lee Lewisham in 1861 and 34 Philpot Street London in 1871 and  1881
Children:Joseph Henry b.1858(J.H. later married Elizabeth Day from Eltham) died abt. March 1920 in Richmond Surrey:Their daughter, Daisy  Elizabeth Nicholass married, Frank  Guy Lampard in 1925( daughter, Heather Sylvia) and their only son Joseph Henry married Annie Nora Finch in the  1920's Frederick William b.1859: Ernest Edward  (My Grandfather) b.1863 married Clar Cavalier, died aged 61 in Sept 1923 in Billericay Essex: Alfred William b.1865 died Sept. 1920 in Romford: Walter John b.1867: Elizabeth Ann b.1869: Sydney T. Warren b.1871 Rosa Marie b.1873: Herbert Robert b.1880:

Alfred William (M) Amelia Jane from London in 1881 they lived at 16 Albyn Road Deptford St. Paul Kent. Amelia Jane died in Lewisham at the age of 77 in Sept 1922
Children Alfred Charles b 1871 Eltham,; William Bertie b.1872 Eltham; George b.1873 Eltham; Edward b.1874 Lewisham; Frederick b.1879 Lewisham; Percy S. b.1880 Lewisham: died aged 37 i Dec 1916 in Thanet Kent:

John Nicholass (M) Susan from Southwark Surrey and they lived (in 1881) at 45 Fleming Road Newington, Surrey
Children Alfred J. b 1866 Lambeth; Blanche F. b.1876 Lambeth

Edward, son of Alfred William above married Maud Batson (b.Lon 1881) and had Priscilla Mary, Frank, Frank married Doris and lived in Zeal Devon,  Jack, Tom and Don. Don married Cynthia Jefferey, who still lives in Sheerness.    Edward was a Hotelier and in 1912 ran the Ship Inn in Rowhedge, Colchester, from 1912 until 1914 and until 1929 he ran the Queens Head in Walton on the Naze and in 1941 he was running the Railway Inn in Sheerness, on the Isle of Sheppey when he died aged 64 years.

of these, Priscilla Mary married a Mr. Cracknell,  Don married Cynthia and died in 2003 but Cynthia still lived in Sheerness, until 2006 they had one daughter Jane. Jane is married with her own children and suggested that Cynthia moved to Cambridge and she now lives with Jane and her family, in her own apartment.