Wonderful News - Family Connections!

Regular readers of this blog may recall my research into the life of my Great Great Aunt Edith Jelley nee Matthews. You can read the details on the webpage HERE.

Well research showed that the little boy in this photo did indeed marry and have a descendant. I spent some time yesterday pondering on whether I should make contact.

I located a road name,but not the number. Directory Services could give me a phone number but not a house number so it was either phone and potentially sound like and excited mad woman or write a letter and hope that the post man (or woman) knew their customers.

I pondered and pondered. Watched the news over lunch and pondered a bit more. In the end I decided that I would probably sound a bit enthusiastic, perhaps a bit excitable, like Alfie does when he knows or senses it's WALKIES time.

I rang, and after a few rings the phone was answered. I explained who I was and what I thought I knew and after a few moments, I was greeted with the voice of my several times removed cousin. This is the first contact this side of the family had spoken to my branch of the family. How wonderful is that?

I shared what information I knew, offered  copies of the photographs I had and in exchange I was given the small snippets of information that really I think define the issues that arose once Edith had passed away, aged 40 in 1921. I left my phone number, so we might keep in touch.

As I shared the information with Stuart during our time walking Alfie, I felt a strange sense that perhaps somewhere, looking down was Edith, knowing that perhaps that despite it being over 90 years later, someone, somewhere still cared enough. I can now look at this picture and see things in a different light, and know that whilst some would perhaps not have telephoned, I am glad I did.