This is a place for any Searles families out there who have roots in Caribbean islands (possibly linked with Chandler, Dowden, Gill, Greaves, Medford, Whitehead, and others).

Examples:
Joseph Archibald Searles (born 25-Jul-1894) who in May 1923 (at 29) left Grenada for NY. In NY he lived with his wife (at 156 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, Mass.). He worked at Whitings Milk Co (on Rutherford Ave, Charlestown). Joseph was 5'9" 155lb, blue eyed, red hair and of ruddy complection and sported a scar on his nuckle-left index finger.

Are you able to link him to our families?

All you Austrailian SEARLES - let us know the stories of your carribbean family and how you got out to that continent...

Percival SEARLES (who was Joseph Archibald's younger brother) b.01-May-1896 he also left Grenada for NY in April 1942, he was to live with Edith Searles (at 33 Wall Street, Cranford NJ). He worked at Elastic Stop Nut Corp (on Union NJ). Percival was 5'8" 140lb, grey eyed, brown hair and of light complection.

He wore glasses, and amazingly had a maimed right hand, broken ribs, collar bone, fractured hip, and right toe!

On 26 August 2009 Stacey Searles (North Jersey, NJ) replied:
"Oh my gosh.... this SEARLES line is my family. The Percival SEARLES (1896 Grenada-1964 Nova Scotia) senior you mention above is my great-grandfather. I have lineage information on my entire SEARLES family. Edith (nee Cobb) Searles mentioned above was his 2nd wife. His first wife, Agnes Couie Boyd (1892 Scotland-1927 NY), died shortly after having their 6th child.
I have much more and any information you may be looking for."

Stacey that's fabulous... from time-to-time if you can post pics, tell a few stories and develop the family we can see who else links in. Fotos of the places people lived in and anything from the time will help flesh out the color and evoke the periods too. Now come on you other Searles...

Great work, LoL

On 27 August 2009 Stacey Searles (North Jersey, NJ) replied:

That's the thing... I know of no "stories" or have no pictures of them. All I have is 10 years of research of compiling names. And this is why: (which technically is a story so here ya go...)

My grandfather David is son to Percival SEARLES. Percival (1896-1964) was married to Agnes Couie Boyd (1892-1927) of Scotland. They had 6 children: Letitia Donna (1917-88 aka Letty), David McFarlane-Boyd (1920-70), Percival Louis (1922-72 aka Bobby), George Theodore (1924-94), John P and Leo Edward (1927-94). (George and John were twins). 13 weeks after their last child Leo was born, Agnes died of a disease called "dropsy". Not being able to care for them, Percival put all 6 children in an orphanage. For whatever reason the children were never separated and the oldest child Letty pretty much raised them and when she turned 18 they were in her care. Percival apparently visited them once or twice while they remained in the orphanage. He wasn't back in my grandfather life until after he got out of the orphanage at 16. At this point Percival was married to Edith Cobb. Edith already had a daughter named Alberta. Percival moved back to Grenada (don't know if with Edith) and he died there June or July of 1964 and is buried in Mt. Moritz Cemetery. My dad only met Percival a few times as a small child and from what he remembers he said he wasn't a nice man and that he was afraid of him.

My grandfather David was married to Ethel Frances Fay (1921-92). They only had 2 sons. My grandfather unfortunately died when he was 49 years old in 1970. He never lived to see any of his 6 grandchildren. When he died, my grandmother, for reasons unknown, did not stay in touch with any of my grandfathers siblings and my dad never saw or heard from his aunts, uncles or cousins again. I grew up always thinking I had a small family and thats the FURTHEST from the truth.

I would love to contact and find my dads cousins from his aunts and uncles. I have names but cannot find them.

My grandfather was a Sergeant in the United States Army. He served his entire career with them and he retired with the Army. He is buried in Long Island National Cemetery in New York.

The other mystery is how Percival and Agnes met to begin with. She was born and lived in Glasgow Scotland and that's where Percival met and married her. My uncle thinks he remembers that it had something to do with Percival in the service and that's where he was. They married and their first child Letitia was born in Glasgow. For whatever reason, (again maybe because of the service) they moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. That is where their next 2 children David and Percival were born. Then at some point they moved to New York. Thats where their last 3 kids were born. I have ONE pic of Percival, no pics of Agnes and ONE pic of his 2nd wife Edith. I have one pic of my grandfather and his siblings at their sisters wedding. I have a copy of Percivals original application for a social security card. I would love to find out and confirm what Percival was doing in Glasgow and then Halifax.

If you need names or lineage I have ALL of that. Currently my Searles tree which starts with Percivals parents consists of over 300 names. If I can provide you with any informatio I'd be happy to."

On 27 August 2009 Stacey Searles (North Jersey, NJ) replied:
"In re-reading what you have above about Percival, he didn't originally leave Grenada in 1942. He may have traveled back to NY at that time but that was not his original voyage there. To support what I have above where he was and where his children were born, I have their passenger records (Percivals & Agnes and the oldest 3 kids) from Halifax to New York and that was May 1923 on the ship the Rosalind.

I'll post some quick (not full info) family tree:
George Joseph Searles
m. Donna Maria Gatt
Children:
Emily Letitia Searles (m. John Edwin Elms & had kids with William Dowden)
Edward Searles (m. Louise Catherine Dowden aka "Mimmie" )
Percival Louis Searles (m. Agnes Cowie Boyd)
Archabald Joseph Searles (m. Jennie Julia Richard and Elizabeth Seacrist)
Leo Ardent Searles (m. Bethenia Gallup)

Emily had 4 kids with John Elms and 2 with William Dowden
Edward had 10 kids with Mimmie
Percival had 6 kids with Agnes
Archabald had 8 kids with Jennie and only 1 with Elizabeth

***I have names of all of the children, some even spouse names and their childrens names."

Once again Sta - you're the trumps ;-)

Hopefully this will inspire other family (you know who you are) to post your work and start afresh. Understandably, Stacey, your grandfathers history is unique (usually when children get placed in orphanages their pasts are lost to them forever) you have recovered your grandfathers lineage and sketched it here for many to experience.

Lovely work - you should feel proud...
LoL James

Clarence Cecil SEARLES (5 Nov 1931-22 Oct 2007)

Clarence was married to Maple M (nee Medford b.1938) for fifty years, he was father of Robert, Linda, and Steven; grandfather of Scott, Steven, Jason, Matthew, Katelyn, and Douglas, and great-grandfather of Dominic, Elizabeth, and Caleb. His favourite niece was Patricia ‘Patty’ Tuck Easterling.

Clarence was ordained to the Diaconate in 1972 and served the majority of his ministry at Christ Episcopal Church, Pompton Lakes, where he was in charge of outreach and pastoral care. He was also Deacon-in-Charge at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Ringwood, NJ during the late 1970’s.

He presented the proposal to form a companion relationship with St. Alban’s, an Anglican congregation in the village of Mt. Moritz, Grenada. Clarence was born and raised in the community where St. Alban’s is located. This long relationship had began in 1995.

Through the years since, Christ Church contributed financially to St. Alban's and his parishioners regularly donated supplies to the school and many parishioners of Christ Church have also visited St. Albans.

Clarence served as the chaplain for the Packanack Lake Fire Company, Wayne for several years. Before his retirement in 1997, he was employed for thirty-five years by the First Manhattan Company, New York. He was a member of the Data Management Division of Wall Street and served as president for a two-year term.

Christ Church renewed the companion relationship with St. Alban's in 2002 and again in shorly before he died 2007.

Clarence was buried at the Laurel Grove Mausoleum in Totowa, New Jersey however a number of representatives from Christ Church did travel to Grenada at that time to attended a special service.


[Photo Link http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3633425&id=147897852175]

On 31 August 2009 Marilyn Hinds Zolea replied:
"My name is Marilyn Hinds (Zolea) and I was born and lived in Grenada until 1976 when I came to the US. Clarence Cecil SEARLES was married to Maple who is the sister to my mom - Myntrude Medford. My mom passed away in June 1987, and two of her brothers Kevern Medford and Cedric Medford (also know as Polly) passed away in 1997. One of her other brothers Edwin Medford lives in Southern NJ. When I first came to the United States I lived with Clarence Searles and my aunt Maple. My dad was Mortley Hinds, also from Mt. Moritz. He worked for many years with W.E. Juliens and then worked at the Food Fair until his retirement."

On 31 August 2009 Barbara Judy Dowden (Trinidad) replied to Stacey's post:

"Hi i am Barbara and my mother is Violet (now 96) daughter of William Dowden and Lousie (Millie) Chandler ... Lousie Catherine Dowden (Mimmie, b.1886) was my mother's aunt.

I would like to know who are the two children that William Dowden had with Emily... are they Miles and Willie Dowden?"

On 31 August 2009 Stacey Searles (North Jersey, NJ) replied:
"My name is Stacey Searles. My lineage is stated above. My great-grandfather Percival was brother to the Eddie SEARLES (b.1885) that was married to Louise Dowden (b.1886 dau. of Christopher Howell Dowden & Elizabeth Frances Munro). Percivals sister Emily (b.1882 Emile) had children with William Dowden (b.abt 1880). Those children were Miles (b.abt.1815) and Willie. Willie's 2nd wife was the sister of my grandfather David SEARLES (1920-70)... her name was Letitia Donna 'Letty' SEARLES (1917-88). They had 3 kids together: Agnes E, Louis and Valerie M."

On 31 August 2009 Stacey Searles (North Jersey, NJ) wrote:
"So to continue with my direct lineage above...
My great-grandfather was Percival. He married Agnes C. Boyd.
They had 6 children:
1. Letitia Donna Searles (aka Letty) She was 2nd wife to William Dowden and they had 3 kids...Agnes, Louis & Valerie.
2. David McFarlane Boyd Searles. He married Ethel Francis Fay. They had 2 sons David & Ray. Ray is my dad. He is married to Diane Clarke and they had 4 kids...me, Jennifer, Raymond and Michael.
3. Percival L. Searles (aka Bobby)....have no further info on him
4. George T. Searles. He married RUth Jelley and had 3 kids Pamela, George and Patricia.
5. John Searles....have no further info on him.
***John and George were twins
6. Leo E. Searles...no further info on him."

On 1 September 2009 Barbara Judy Dowden (Trinidad) replied to Stacey's post:
Are there any truths about Eddie Searles being evil?

On 1 September 2009 Stacey Searles (North Jersey, NJ) replied:
"Well, I've heard from one cousin of mine that he was. I heard from another cousin that what I have been told were just rumors and their was no truth behind them.  Both cousins seemed to be equally connected and had hard evidence to support their claims but not knowing my great grandfather who was his brother I don't know nor do I have a right to believe one or the other. The only thing I have to go on was that my great grandfather (Eddie's brother) was my dad grandfather.  According to my dad he was HORRIFIED of him and said he was very mean.  Now I know MEAN...and...EVIL or two different things but it does make you stop and think."