CARDEN, East Kent

[chrishowells]

I know this is a well researched family and Arthur Carden has produced a superb book entitled 'Cardens of East Kent'. But you never know someone out there may have something new!

My main searches are for William, born east indies about 1856. Married Rebecca STREETER 1880 in Canterbury and died Canterbury 1902. Their children: Walter George (1883-1911), Mabel Harriet (1887-1890), Sidney Robert (1890-1894), Harold William (1893-1965), Ernest Thomas (1897-1918) killed at Villers-Bretonneux on the Somme. I know that Harold married Edith May SOUTHAM in 1924, he was mentioned in despatches for his intelligence work in Egypt 1915-1919 and became a policeman with Kent constabulary, retiring when I was born in 1953.

There is a story that Williams mother was an Anglo-Indian child bride called Anne and that when the Father, George (1818-1882), returned to England he abandoned his half caste wife in India and remarried on his return. There was also a story that a CARDEN, either another son or brother to William, ended up in Canada and was still alive in the years of post war austerity and used to send 'comfort' packages of luxury items not available in the UK (including nappies for my older brother!).

As usual in genealogy, any help is most welcome.

Chris.