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Edwardian family photo album mystery solved

Katy Prickett
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
Michelle Bullivant Kate Hall is wearing a long light coloured dress, with her dark hair piled on her head. A large fluffy black dog is sitting at her feet. Next to do the dog is Elsa, aged five to six, sitting on a rattan chair, wearing a short white lace-edged dress with a large light coloured bow on her head. To her right is William Hall, who has short greying hair and a large white moustache. He is wearing a black frock coat over a white shirt, pressed trousers and very shiny black boots. Behind them is a path, with flowers under a bow-shaped window. Michelle Bullivant
The album showed photographs of a wealthy family at home and on holiday during the first two decades of the 20th Century

The fascinating story behind a pre-World War One family photo album found in a second-hand book shop has been painstakingly unearthed by a researcher.

Stand-out images included ones of an airship, which came down in the middle of Cambridge during huge Army manoeuvres attended by George V in 1912.

As Michelle Bullivant dug into the story, she realised the family had links to the city, but were London-based, with connections to Fulham and Arsenal football clubs.

"I'm now 100% sure it belonged to William and Kate Hall, who got married in Cambridge, but there are still so many stories to explore within the album," she said.

Michelle Bullivant A black and white image of a Beta II airship floating above grass at Jesus Grove Cambridge, in 1912. It is tied to the ground with ropes. Behind it is an avenue of trees. Michelle Bullivant
Images such as this Beta II airship tethered in a Cambridge park revealed the family had a link to the university town which did not become a city until 1951

Miss Bullivant was rummaging through a pile of books at antiquarian booksellers G David, in St Edward's Passage, Cambridge, two years ago, when she came across the album.

Her attention was immediately caught by obvious links to the city - pictures of rowers on the river at Stourbridge Common, the university's Senate House and Great St Mary's church, as well as of the Beta II airship floating above Jesus Grove which was a small piece of land next to Jesus Green.

"I thought I had to get it," said the archaeological and historical consultant from Cherry Hinton near Cambridge.

It stayed on a shelf at her home until a recent bereavement gave her a "kick start to get on with things".

Michelle Bullivant A black and white image showing rowers competing on the River Cam. Crowds of people are gathered on the river side. Behind them can be seen grass, trees and the tall chimney of the sewage pumping station. The river bends around the corner. Michelle Bullivant
Other Cambridge pictures included a boat race, as well as academics processing into the university's Senate House and ice skating on a frozen Cam

Her first thought was the album might belong to the Marshall family, who set up a garage business which eventually became Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group.

In 1912, their garage was close to Jesus Grove, and it was their mechanics who helped fix the broken airship during the Army manoeuvres.

These were the last war games held before the outbreak of World War One and were based in and around Cambridge.

Michelle Bullivant A black and white photo of at least 20 Army officers in a variety of uniforms milling around in front of a college entrance in Cambridge. Michelle Bullivant
Surprisingly little has been written about the war games and here some of the officers can be seen outside one of the University of Cambridge colleges

Many of the troops were based on Midsummer Common, where the airship experienced mechanical failure.

Miss Bullivant said: "The airship captain used a loud speaker to give instructions to the troops to manhandle the Beta II down, using ropes."

Huge crowds of people gathered around the airship, so it was moved to the more secluded Jesus Grove.

Michelle Bullivant A black and white mage showing Elsa beside a car on Woodborough Road, Putney, London. She is wearing a broad brim hat, a black knee-length coat over black tights and shoes. Her left hand is holding the window rim of the car on the driver's side and she is smiling. Michelle Bullivant
The family were proud of their cars, which very few people could afford to own, and here their daughter Elsa can be seen posing beside one

The second reason why she thought there could be a Marshall connection was the many pictures of cars, but her research soon ruled that out.

She discovered a large, detached houses pictured was Devonshire House in Battersea, London, then owned by an Augustus Hall.

"I compiled a family tree of all his brothers and sisters, cross-referencing their addresses and looking up their homes, and I recognised the house where everyone was having their pictures taken - Woodborough Road in Putney, said Miss Bullivant.

"It was owned by William Hall and it turned out he'd married Kate Davis in Cambridge in 1899 - so finally, I had my link to Cambridge."

Michelle Bullivant A black and white image of William and Elsa Hall in a garden. He has a high white collar under a dark jacket and waistcoat and is sitting in a garden chair with a large woolly black dog in front of him. She has long dark hair pulled back from her face and is wearing a dark jumper over a dark skirt and is holding a hoop in her left hand.Michelle Bullivant
William Hall, who was born in 1858, and Elsa in their garden in Battersea, with their large dog, who often featured in the photographs

Census research confirmed Kate was the daughter of a college servant, living in Queen's Lane in 1881.

"But that seems quite strange, I mean what kind of servant? The family pictured seem quite wealthy," she said.

The couple had one daughter, Elsa, who appears in many of the photos.

Mr Hall was a director of both Fulham and [Woolwich] Arsenal football clubs and he ran a successful metal work business in Battersea.

Miss Bullivant believes at least one of the photos shows a Fulham match and she is waiting to hear if the Premier League club's archivist can verify this.

Michelle Bullivant Michelle Bullivant who has long blonde hair over her shoulders. She is looking at the camera and a dark top can be glimpsed. Michelle Bullivant
Michelle Bullivant said she is thrilled to have found out so much but says there is still much more research to do on the album's people, places and events

It took her about a fortnight to track down these details, which she shared on her blog, hoping other researchers will add to the details.

She also hopes any remaining members of the Hall family might get in contact.

"There's so many elements to it, the football, the rowing, the military pictures - and it's amazing how it's grown from me not knowing anything about these people to knowing so much," she said.

Michelle Bullivant A black and white image of two skaters racing on a frozen field. Spectators can be seen behind them. On their right is a police officer, who is also on skates. Michelle Bullivant
This race probably took place on Skaters Meadow between Newnham and Grantchester, just outside Cambridge, with a skating police officer on duty too

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