This page is a message board for family members to share their news, request information or get in touch with each other. It can also be used to post any interesting pieces of history you would like to share. If you would like to post a message, send it to wappettmessage@wappat.co.uk and It will be added to this page.

27th July 2002

Dear Andrew Billy's mum and dad, Pamela and William (Bill) Wappett celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary yesterday (26th July). I am attaching their story which appeared in the Bury Free Press and the East Anglian Daily Times yesterday, together with the accompanying photograph. I should have thought about sending it to you earlier but as you say everything is a mad rush and it slipped my mind. Anyway, it makes a nice read and you might be able to do something with it on your website. Anyway, best go, the kids and their friends are all in the paddling pool enjoying the glorious weather! Bye for now Michelle Wappett (and crew!)

14th June 2002
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your email regarding Elizabeth Wappet. I think your Elizabeth could well be the one who married Isaac Byers. This is the information I have to date.
My husband has an ancestor, Isaac Robinson who arrived in Australia (State of Victoria) is 1864. His father was Thomas Robinson of Morland and his wife Mary, nee Byers. I haven't been able to trace Thomas back any further but I found that Mary Byers was the daughter of Isaac Byers and his wife Elizabeth, nee Wappet. Isaac and Elizabeth married in Morland on 28th May, 1817. I've struck a blank following up with Isaac, but found three Elizabeth Wappets. One was the one you mention who was born in 1773 and I discounted her on the basis of age. The other two were Elizabeth Wappet, daughter of Thomas Wappat and Mary Pearson of St. Michael Appleby born 13/8/1799 and 'your' Elizabeth born in Kirkby Stephen to Richard and Mary in 1798. As both mothers were called Mary, and our Mary Byers had siblings called both Thomas and Richard, the names didn't give me any help in identifying which Elizabeth was the right one. If anything, I tended to go for Thomas and Mary based on the fact that Appleby was closer to Morland than Kirkby Stephen.
However, based on your information that Elizabeth had siblings born in Morland, it appears more likely that Richard and Mary are the more likely pair. To try to verify this further, I checked some records in our local Family History Centre. I live 300 kms from our State capital, Brisbane, which houses quite a large genealogical record centre, and our local society doesn't have a full range of information, so I was unable to ascertain when and where Robert's children arrived in Australia. I did however find a few Wappets in what is called the Pioneer Index. The entries which may be of interest to you are -
Thomas Wappat, died in 1868, aged 33. Born Westmoreland. Father Robert, Mother Mary Newton.
Thomas Wappat, born Westmoreland. Married in 1863 Ada Atherton.
Anthony Wappat born Westmoreland. Married Elizabeth Briggs 1874.

Both Thomas and Anthony were living in the State of Victoria at the time of these entries which is the same State to which Isaac Robinson migrated.

Based on all this information, I think it is reasonable to say that our Elizabeth is the same as the one born to Richard and Mary in Kirkby Stephens. Would love to know your exact relationship to this family and whether you have you any further information regarding them.

I don't know whether your interest extends this far, but Elizabeth and Isaac Byers had at least four children -
Mary born Morland 3/2/1818, married Thomas Robinson in 1840.
Thomas, born Morland 25/10/1820
John, b. Morland 13/1/1823
Richard b. Morland 3/5/1825.

If you want further information on Thomas and Anthony Wappat mentioned above, I'd be happy to delve further. Please let me know.
Posted by Joan Berry, Howard, Queensland, Australia

19th April 2001
As grandson of Alexander John Wappett, late a Chief Engineer for a shipping company out of Liverpool (the Princess' Star Line, I think), I suppose it is time I made our presence known to your researchers. My dad, John Paul Newton Wappett, only son of Alexander John Wappett is still alive and kicking. He was born in Paget, Bermuda and raised Tyneside in Hebburn, attending Barnard Castle School. I have two each brothers and sisters and three children of my own. I am a twenty year veteran criminal prosecutor, and am presently running a political contest (my first ever) to become District Attorney (head prosecutor) for Warren County in Upstate New York (the area around Lake George)
While I don't presently have a great deal of spare time to devote to genelological endeavors, please keep in touch.
Posted by John P.M. Wappett

7th August 2000
      Teacher from days gone by

Ann Hall of Coniston has kindly sent in this photograph of Mrs Elizabeth Hutchinson, her grandmother, formerly Miss Wappet, who taught at the old National School in The Ellers, Ulverston, now part of the Welfare State International premises.
One of her pupils, says Mrs Hall, was Molly Muckelt, of Soutergate, Ulverston, who herself became a teacher and subsequently head of Church Walk Infant School. Mrs Hall would be very interested to hear from anyone who may have any photographs of Mrs Hutchinson, particularly of her at school. She lived in Ainslie Street, Ulverston.
Article from unknown newspaper.
Posted by Frank and Susan Wappat

7th August 2000
What a delight to see so much information on our family worldwide! Billy Wappett might be interested to know that his distant cousin Jim Ryan is a Cho Dan (first degree black belt) in T'ang Soo Do (an older form of Taekwondo) and former president of the American-Korean Karate Association. My brother D. Hillsdon Ryan is a resident of the UK (Belgravia, London). Hillsdon founded the MISTER MINIT chain of service shops.
Posted by Jim Ryan (grandson of Nannie Virginia Wappett of Wytheville, Virginia, United States)