In September 2024 I was given a small black suitcase which had been found in the loft of a partially collapsed roof at a house in Heanor, Derbyshire. The house had been emptied the year before, but the suitcase had been left undiscovered and abandoned.
Amongst many documents and old photographs I found an envelope which contained 19 pages of handwritten text.
‘Grandfather’s MSS. (copy)’
The text was a ‘copy’ of Samuel Hudson’s manuscripts, and was likely made from the original by his grandson Harold Hudson (1896-1967).
Although the manuscripts are undated, the last date Samuel mentions is 19th December 1899, and since Samuel died on 10th September 1916, he must have completed his manuscripts between 1900 and 1916.
The following pages contain my transcription of the copy of Samuel’s manuscripts. It is not known how accurate the copy is of the orignal manuscripts so I have left spelling and grammar alone and only added punctuation when necessary to aid understanding. Some of the information provided by Samuel differs to that which I have discovered from my own research so I have added comments where this occurs. I have also added additional information about people mentioned. These notes can be accessed by selecting within the text.
It is not known whether the original manuscripts survive.
Samuel Hudson (1837-1916) was my 1st cousin 5 times removed.