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- I have been looking at your site with interest and actually in particular looking for information on Alverstoke Barracks. In May this year I discovered that my grandfather, one William Foster, was born at Alverstoke Barracks, Forton, Hants to a career serviceman, Colour Sergeant George Foster of the RMLI based at Alverstoke when not at sea. I am trying to research George Foster b 1840 and am in fact visiting the national archives at Kew in a couple of weeks to try and get his service history (and his son William's WWI record - he turned out to be a bit of a war hero - Boer War, Somme, Ypres - got DCM, MC and GC eventually and it all started in Alverstoke Barracks). His father George, the RMLI serviceman is more elusive but sounds very interesting. His birth certificate arrived from Fareham this morning - he married in a Church called St. Thomas Elson (is Elson a saint, town or street?) in 1868 - I believe Church of England as it says Established Church - he and his wife who was also from Forton (Mary Ann Rowland daughter of William Rowland, Tailor) eventually had 11 children

After he left the RMLI (it was after 1881 because he is on the Alverstoke Barracks census) with wife and 5 children then) he moved to Essex (Queens Terrace, Chingford) and became a Constable, Central Marker - not sure what this but am following it up - suggestions have been made that he was a Ranger in Epping Forest - I know he was a horseman.

What I am really trying to find out about is Alverstoke Barracks itself - do you know of any books about the Barracks. Does it still exist as a barracks or is it by any chance to do with diving medicine I know that families lived there with the serviceman but presumably it was in surrounding areas rather than in the barracks itself. Was Alverstoke Barracks built on the site of a Children's Hospital, called Fountain Hospital - I have a vague memory of reading that somewhere in the past.

I would be very grateful if you could point me in some directions so that I can get a feel of where this gentleman lived and worked (when he was in this country). Sue Cassidy (Gt Grandaughter of George and Grandaugther of William) (Added 11th November 2007)

I replied as follows, but if you can add or correct anything. Please let me know Ian Jeffery

The problem with the name Alverstoke Barracks is that over time it could apply to a number of them, but as you say it is in Forton and in the Marines, I expect it is Forton Barracks then became St Vincent Barracks. Closed as a barracks around 1975 then became a Senior School (11-16 age group) then a College for 16 plus, which it is today there is a photo of the frontage building and a few others at

http://www.gosport.info/Photos/Buildings/St_Vincent/st_vincent.html .
Elson was a small village a couple of miles north of Forton, but now just  an area in Gosport. The name started as Aethelswith tun, then shortened to Elston 17th century to Elson.

The Fortune Hospital was off Lees Lane, then became Forton Gaol and during the American War of Independence housed American PoWs, the 'Sons of  American Independence' or something like that, put a plaque on one of the remaining wall from that time.
Diving medicine would be at what is not called Fort Blockhouse as it was in the past but when the submarines were there it was HMS Dolphin.

There were and are a large number military building in Gosport a couple are still used, Fort Blockhouse, Browndown, Fort Grange and Fort Rowner are within HMS Sultan (due to close in a few years) others now have other uses or converted to housing.

There is a book here http://www.thegosportsociety.com/publications.htm

- I am looking for information about Forton Military Prison.  My grandfather, Thomas Golden, was a 'resident' at Forton Prison in 1881. Do you know if the prison records are still in existence and if so who would hold them. I would also be interested in when the building was built, how long it functioned as a prison and when it was demolished or ceased to function as a prison. Kind regards Clifford Gabb. (15/8/2009)

- My name is Corey Spink I am looking for Audrey Irene Kimmel, I din’t know her maiden name. She married my great uncle Gordon Leroy Kimmel. we don’t know when or were but she was from here, I would like to find out her history to have closure we never knew about her untill December 2000 when the Russian army released a whole bunch of books and files and pictures and we found out he was married. He died June 8 1944 on the banks or Normandy please help out anything will help.cheers Corey Spink

- I am trying to discover what happened to  My gg grandfather Thomas Slingo. He was onboard the hulk York and was  granted a free pardon in 1846. I can find no trace of him after this date. You may include my email address. Thanks Jenny Seiffert (Added 6th January 2008)

- I am a private genealogical researcher investigating the history of my family. In 1716 the emperor Carl VI of Germany and Austria awarded Heinrich Schroeder von Sternfeld in Vienna to nobility. Descendents of him came to England, William Sternfeld was shipbroker in Belfast and Swansea.  daughter of him married Samuel J Radford living in Newport. As I found out the second youngest son of the family, Henry Emil Radford, married to Enid D Wells, finally died in Gosport War Memorial Hospital in 1981 . Looking to the death certificate, his son-in-law Tameo Roy Ayling from Gosport, Alverstoke, 13 Vectis Road, a member of the large Ayling family, has been named as informant. Is anybody able to give me information for contacting the Ayling family (with reference to the notices in Can you help? by Sally Wells in 2004)? James Roy Ayling was born on the 18th July 1918 in South East Hampshire, married in 1941 Valerie J Radford and died in Sept 1995 in his district. I would like to contact children of him, as I traced back as a genealogical researcher the history of the family up to the middle of the 17th century. A descendent of a nobleman Heinrich Schroeder von Sternfeld , the shipbroker William Sternfeld of Belfast, came from Germany to the Island about 1850 an lived there. He is documented the great-grandfather of Valerie J Radford, the wife of James Roy Ayling.  Descendents of James Roy Ayling must live in Gosport. Can anybody give me an information to eugen.gross@chello.at.? Eugen Gross, Graz, Austria (Added 20/1/08)