Basics

People

Properties

Can You Help?

Roads Off

Janet's Research

Sources & More

Brentford Families - Plastine

Starting point

My grandparents house was in Brentford -namely 23 Layton Road. My father is Henry George Plastine who is 73 years old and my late grandparents were Henry George John Plastine and Mary Ann Plastine.

I know my grandfather had a brother Bert and a Cousin Arthur (lived in Boston Manor Road). I may have some more information about my great grandparents if this would be any use, but I would very much like to hear from anyone who has the name Plastine, or knows about the origins of the name. Please email if you are able to help Deborah.

Research notes

Henry Alfred Plastine, 23, bachelor, labourer, of 27 Layton Road, son of Henry Alfred Plastine (deceased),blacksmith to

Nellie Elizabeth PEARCE, spinster, age 20, of 41 Grosvenor Road, daughter of George Pearce, lighterman

They married by Banns and George Pearce and Maude NEWMAN were witnesses (all signed the register).

Working back, knowing that HAP who married was 23 in 1911, it was possible to find him in the 1891 census, age 2, recorded as 'Harry A', living with his parents: Henry Alfred and Fanny E Plastine, at 2 St George's Cottages. In the census St George's Cottages were recorded on the same page as the start of Layton Road so may have been nearby.

The 1891 census showed that HAP senior had four other children at home (aged 3 to 11, the eldest a daughter, Rosina) and that the whole family were born in Brentford. HAP senior was 35 and a railway wagon builder.

Using this information it was possible to locate possible parents for HAP senior in the 1861 census, when HAP senior was 5: John Plastine, lighterman and his wife 'Rosane'.

There is a possible matching will of John Plastine: he was a retail beerseller of New Brentford and died 3 Sep 1892, leaving an Administration and Will to Rosina Plastine, his widow. His estate was valued at £534 9s 6d.

Using earlier censuses it was possible to draw up a draft family line for Deborah's family:

• Henry George Plastine bn 1937/8 (Deborah's father)
• Henry George John Plastine 1913 - 1989 (grandfather)
• Henry Alfred Plastine 1888 - (great grandfather - unable to find his death registration)
• Henry Alfred Plastine 1855 - 1892 (gt 2 grandfather)
• John Plastine 1820/1 - 1892 (the beer retailer who married Rosina BURROW) (gt 3 grandfather)
• Thomas Plastin around 1790 - 1851 (gt 4 grandfather)
• possibly John Plastin 1756 - 1840 (gt 5 grandfather)

All of the above lived in Brentford.

I was not able to find Thomas's baptism in the 1785-1790 period, but in the 1841 census he was living in Catherine Wheel Yard in New Brentford, a waterman. He married his wife Susanna ATKINS in 1817 and in 1851 she was 54.

A Jonathan Plastin witnessed their marriage in 1817 and a Jonathan Plasting was baptised in 1795 at St Mary Ealing. This was the parish church for Old Brentford at the time and I think Jonathan may be Thomas's brother. Jonathan's parents were John and Dorothy Plastin(g) and they baptised other children at the same church: Amey in 1787, Martha in 1792 and Ann in 1797. There is a gap between Amey and Martha which could be where Thomas fits in.

Going back earlier will be tricky. The surname seems to be unique to the Brentford area (but see later information from Paul Burton), suggesting the family came from another parish and settled on the Plasting/Plastine spelling when in Brentford. Where they came from the name could have been spelt differently.

Deborah confirmed that the name is pronounced Plas-teen, as in teenager.

Other Plastine references on this site

Top

Other Plastine references

There is the note that the surname seems to be unique to the Brentford area, and I had thought that too until I came across three baptismal records for Valentine Widdop Plastine (b. 14 Feb 1900), John Christopher Widdop Plastine (b.10 Feb 1895) and Sophia Widdop Plastine (b.30 Mar 1896).

The baptisms were all carried out on the same day (30 June 1900), but (a) they were in St. John's Church, Bradford and (b) no father's name is given, only that of Annie Plastine, living at 61 Tumbling Hill St.

The unusual middle name of Widdop given to each of the children suggests to me that it could be the father's name, but I haven't yet pursued this: it's not uncommon in the area.

Of course, Annie could have gone from Brentford to Bradford, perhaps as a servant (I've a couple of examples of girls travelling that far for work as a servant).

I replied to Paul: 'I had a look at the 1911 census and Valentine was living with his grandparents, he was down as PlastinG.'

'If you search for Plastine on FreeBMD there are not many entries and the vast majority are in Brentford/Ealing, with a few Poplar/West Ham/Mile End/Highworth. No Yorkshire Plastine, it looks like at registration they went in as Plasting. There are quite a few Plasting in the Halifax/Bradford/Leeds Registration Districts.'

Top

Page published April 2011; last updated May 2012