Reygate
Richard Reygate (b 1851 Banstead / Epsom) married Susannah Louisa Bliss in 1875. They had three3 children Charles Reygate (abt 1877 - 1938); Walter Mabon Reygate (b 1887) and Maurice David Reygate (1890-1965).
Charles married Edith E Simpson (abt 1884 - abt 1921) and had a daughter. Living descendants known.
Walter married Gentina V Willett (abt 1892 - 1918) in 1910 and then widow Mary M Toomey in 1919.
Maurice married Annie Rose Russell (1891-1971) daughter of William Russell and Ann Kezia Reynolds (1865 - 1953) in 1887. Annie had siblings George Russell, William, Florence Russell, Amy Lilian Russell, Gladys Russell and Daisy. Except for William and Daisy, both of whom died at a young age, they all married and have living descendents.
Addresses in Deptford, Brockley, etc, feature heavily for the Reygate family.
I have more information about these people but I have not been able to find any history for Richard, nor find what happened to him after Susannah left him circa 1900.
Reygate is an uncommon spelling. We have instances of it being spelt Reigate.
Bliss
John Bliss (abt 1816 - 1871) married Jane Boyd (b abt 1824, daughter of William Boyd and Susannah) in Manchester.
Their children were Mary Jane Bliss (b abt 1847), Thomas W Bliss (b abt 1852), Susannah Louisa Bliss (b abt 1855 - married Richard Reygate above), Charles M Bliss (b abt 1859), Walter Mabon Bliss (b abt 1862), John Frederick Bliss( b abt 1865) and Maurise David Bliss (b abt 1867). They appear to have lived in Manchester / Salford until abt 1853 then moved to London. John may have worked for Charles Macintosh & Co.
John Bliss visited St Petersburg, Russia, but we do not know why.
We have a document that I take to be a passport, issued in October 1859,
signed by Lord John Russell, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
and endorsed by the Russian Consulate in London with what we take to
be a visa including the words
Bon pour le voyage de John Bliss, ouvrier, se rendant à St Petersburg,
pour y être employé par le Banque Impériale des billets
de credit.
which on-line translation services convert to
Good for the trip of John Bliss, workman, going to St Petersburg, to be
employed there by the Imperial Bank of the tickets of credit.
However "the Imperial Bank of the tickets of credit" just does not feel right. Given that our French-English dictionary indicates that employé can also mean used, it may be that the reason for John's trip was not to work at the bank, but that he was some form of courier taking financial instruments such as credit notes, letters of credit or even bank notes to St Petersburg for the use of the bank.
The document is among papers handed down within the family, another of which is in Russian with a German translation and appears to be a Ruissian visa in connection with his journey. Copies available here.
Bert in Germany writes "I am also searching for ancestors called Bliss, but coming from Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria and emigrated to Ettenheim, Baden, Germany." 9003.i9
If you know more about John Bliss or Richard Reygate, or any of the other people mentioned here, or they are a member of your family tree we would love to hear from you.