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Not Brentford

Brentford Families - Plastine

Starting point

Deborah Selby (formerly Deborah Plastine) wrote in February 2011 about her family from Brentford, details follow.

Then Paul Burton and Margaret Plasting wrote in 2012 about a Yorkshire line that used the names Plasting or Plastine.

Returning to the Brentford Plastines, Brenda Mitchell wrote in August 2018 with information about her branch of this family.

Deborah Selby (nee Plastine), 2011

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

With Deborah's assistance and searches of ancestry.co.uk it was possible to trace her great grandfather's marriage at St Paul's Old Brentford on Christmas day 1911:

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'.

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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); see additional information
  • John Plastine 1820/1 - 1892 (the beer retailer who married Rosina BURROW) (gt 3 grandfather)
  • Thomas Plastin around 1790 - 1851 (gt 4 grandfather); Phyl added (October 2012): they had 10 children including
    • William Plastine 1826-1859; married Ellen Dean 1837; they had 2 children
      • James Henry Plastine 1857-1920
      • William George Dean Plastine 1859-1931; married Alvina Elizabeth HOOKHAM 1859-1913; after living in Swindon Wiltshire they moved to Ohio in North America; they had 12 children
  • possibly John Plastin 1756 - 1840 (gt 5 grandfather)

All of the above lived in Brentford.

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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 (1798-1875) in 1817.

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

A couple of people have been in touch who have a Plastine family link, see Burrows family, property details for 98 High Street where John Plastine lived - the Barleycorn beerhouse and Small family.

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Henry Alfred Plastine 1855-1892

Brenda Mitchell wrote in August 2018: my grandmothers maiden name was Ethel Fanny Plastine. I think she had three brothers Ernie, Arthur and Harry. They lived in Ealing Rd Brentford by the football ground. Harry and I think it was Lily had a son Henry. Arthur and May had a daughter Mavis, don't think Ernie had children. My grandmother married William Hills who had a daughter Jessica who married Charles King.

Research notes

Searches of birth registrations in Brentford using the General Register Office index to births confirmed Brenda's memories and found some other siblings. The records shows that the children's mother was formerly named SMITH:
  • Rosina Ann Plastine Jul-Sep 1879
  • Ethel Fanny Plastine Oct-Dec 1880
  • Ernest John Plastine Oct-Dec 1882
  • Dora May Plastine Oct-Dec 1884
  • Edna Frances Plastine Jul-Sep 1887
  • Harry Alfred Plastine Jan-Mar 1889
  • Arthur Joseph Plastine Jan-Mar 1892

In 1881, when Ethel was a 7 months old baby, the census shows she was living with her parents Henry A Plastine age 25 a platelayer born in Brentford and his wife Fanny E age 24, also born in Brentford, at 13 Westbury Place in Brentford. Ethel's elder sister Rosina A was 1.

William HILLS married Ethel Fanny Plastine July-September 1905 in Brentford.

Ernest John Plastine married Eliza Grace HANNAH 25 Dec 1904 at St Paul's Church, Old Brentford; he was a tonnage man of 55 Mafeking Avenue, Eliza lived two doors along at no. 59. Ernest decribesd his father as Henry Alfred Plastine, deceased, wagon builder. Robert William HILLS was one of the witnesses.

Another Christmas day marriage: Henry Alfred PLASTINE married Nellie Elizabeth PEARCE 25 Dec 1911 at St Paul, Old Brentford. He was a labourer of 27 Layton Road, his bride

was of 41 Grosvenor Road, daughter of George Pearce. George Pearce, lighterman witnessed the marriage, the second witness was Maude NEWMAN. Henry gave his father's occupation as blacksmith. Henry's father-in-law George Pearce was a local councillor.

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Other Plastine references

Paul Burton wrote in February 2012:

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.'

Margaret Plasting wrote in July 2012:
Annie Widdop Plasting came from Snydale, a tiny pit village near Wakefield and she was called Hutchinson.She married Samuel Plasting and they had a son George William Plasting. However, Annie left Samuel and lived with John Widdop.They had the 3 children mentioned with the middle name Widdop.Tragically Mr Widdop was killed at work. Annie, after the death of Sam in 1904, married Mr Barber and the two of them and Valentine and Sophia went to the USA.

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Page published April 2011; last updated October 2018