Fearless Females - Day 28

March 28 — Do you remember your mother’s best friend? Your grandmother’s? How and where did they meet? How long were they friends? What activities did they share?

My Grandmother had a friend called Rene Pratt. She lived with her husband Ken and their son David in Aldershot Road Guildford. Ken's mother lived next door to them. I wondered how they knew my Grandmother and asked Mum. From what we can remember, the connection was that Mrs Pratt senior was friends with my Great Grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Elstone.

Another friend was Dick and Marge Singleton. They also lived in Guildford and from what we can establish my Grandfather and Dick Singleton were stationed together in the Army. We know from the Service Record of my Grandfather that during 1941 he was in Sierre Leone and we think that is where the photograph below was taken. My Grandfather, George Butcher is the man on the left.

Another relationship was the one between my Grandmother and one of evacuees. Joyce Moore was about 15 years old when she was sent to live in Guildford from London. This was the start of a relationship that was to last until my Grandmother passed away in 1995. During those times, there was the attendance at Joyce's wedding, and the births of her two children.

I recall visiting Joyce during the summer, I can only have been about 3 or so and being allowed to play in the sandpit and was jointed by a rather cute frog! I also recall meeting Joyce's father, who from a distant memory was a tall man with white reseeding hair and walked with a stick. Joyce was also Godmother to my Mum and my Mum has Joyce as a middle name. The relationship between Joyce and my Grandmother was a cross between sisters and a mother figure. It was a relationship that was formed out of necessity of war and literally lasted a lifetime.

Fearless Females - Day 24

March 24 — Do you share any physical resemblance or personality trait with one of your female ancestors? Who? What is it?

I think that our personalities are made up of bits of our parents and relatives and is influenced by the actions, we witness and hear as children.

I notice that I often stop talking in the middle of a sentence to think or change the subject completely then will restart the original conversation. It drives my husband mad, but I noticed recently that my Mum does the same thing and my Grandfather did too. I am also very focused. I can walk down the street and will be middle of the pavement and completely unaware of the surroundings, and people, another trait I have spotted in a family member.

I have a small red patch which appears on my right cheekbone when I am a little stressed or tired. My Great Aunt had the same, as did her sisters. The next time I look in the mirror and see my reflection looking back I shall wonder who else is looking back at me, for I am sure there is the characteristics of others there too.

Fearless Females - Day 13

March 13 — Moment of Strength: share a story where a female ancestor showed courage or strength in a difficult situation

When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, I am assuming that my Grandmother was engaged and preparing to marry my Grandfather. They married on 4th November 1939 at Guildford Registry Office. My Grandmother was 26 years old and my Grandfather aged 31 years.

I can't help but wonder if the war influenced when they got married. My Grandfather joined the Army as a Territorial in 1940 and I know Gran always felt that she wished he hadn't and instead gone to work with his brothers on the farm, which was a reserved occupation. The fact that he did not take the easy option is a true reflection of the principles that my Grandfather had.

My Grandmother, although had sister in laws nearby and her sister and as far as I know a good relationship with her mother in law, I wonder whether Gran was lonely. She must have been frightened and worried, not just about the bombs that might fall on Guildford, but also on where my Grandfather was.

By the time the war had ended they had been married 7 years and spent most of the time apart and I can not help but wonder what impact that had on their relationship. The sad thing is that there is no one left to ask.

Fearless Females - Day 15

March 15 — Write a six-word memoir tribute to one of your female ancestors

My tribute today is for my Grandmother, whose tribute reads:

Resilient, fun, loving and always missed.

Lilian Edith Butcher nee Matthews 1912 - 1995.

Picture shown was taken for the occasion of her 21st Birthday.

Fearless Females - Day 12

March 12 — Working girl: Did your mother or grandmother work outside the home? What did she do? Describe her occupation.

The first job I can remember Mum having was a cleaning job, in the evenings at one of the building societies in Guildford. Mostly I was left at home, but occasionally I was allowed to go with her and help collect bits and pieces. I guess I was around 7 or 8 years old. Mum I think did this for a few years and then left to work at a factory that made clothes and she was in the packing department. The owner was a spineless, rude man and eventually his business closed, but this was after Mum left. Mum liked the work, it was with fabrics and she loves sewing and was able to purchase the offcuts of material for her patchwork. It was close to home and during the school holidays I was allowed, every now and again to go with her and gather the off cuts and do other quick, easy and safe jobs.

After there Mum worked in retail, which is where she started working when she initially left school. Here final job before she was made redundant and then took retirement was with Lonhro Textiles and Mum was a manager within one of the stores.

Fearless Females - Day 9

March 9 — Take a family document (baptismal certificate, passenger list, naturalization petition, etc.) and write a brief narrative using the information.

The document I have chosen has formed part of an earlier posting for my Ancestor of the Week theme.

I eventually found the marriage of Edith Matthews, my Grandmother's Aunt at Holy Trinity Guildford in 1902 where Edith married a Charles Jelley. I was delighted, what a fun surname! It was not going to be too difficult to research Edith’s new family….or was it?

Marriage Certificate for Edith Matthews to Charles Jelly 8th April 1902

From the day I obtained the marriage certificate I was able to trace further the family from the 1911 Census which showed the family living in Redhill Surrey, I also located the birth of two children, which I had already knew existed by the photographic evidence I had. When the First World War military records were made available via Ancestry I did a search, not really believing that I would find anything about Charles, but I did!. It showed that he had been called for service and as part of this service record was the birth certificate for a third child, again I have a photograph which revealed two older children and a baby, which had sadly died in 1916.

I may never know anymore about Edith, although there are lots more questions about their time in London, what happened to their children, How did Charles become a restaurant manager, just to name a few. I suspect that Edith was a VAD and helped to nurse Charles back to health. They lived next door to one another, a fact gleaned from their wedding certificate and were friendly faces to each other and I would like to think that potentially a romance blossomed as they married in April 1902 and Charles was discharged in June of the same year.

Fearless Females - Day 11

March 11 — Did you have any female ancestors who died young or from tragic or unexpected circumstances? Describe and how did this affect the family?

In the main, longevity plays quite a part in the family history of my family. The last remaining link with my Grandfather's family; his second youngest sister died just after Christmas last year. She was 95. Three of her five sisters each died into their 90s and sister number four died in her mid 80s. The youngest sister died just aged 35 years in 1952.

My understanding was that she had been ill for a while, but died living a daughter aged 10 and a husband, who was a typical man of his generation and had no idea of how to relate to a young child. The child grew up with the love and support of her father and her extended family of Aunts and Grandmother and went on herself to marry and raise a family of four children.

Fearless Females - Day 10

March 10 — What role did religion play in your family? How did your female ancestors practice their faith? If they did not, why didn’t they? Did you have any female ancestors who served their churches in some capacity?

Religion did not play a particularly important role. We attended church for the regular Birth, Marriages and Deaths. I was christened at St Nicholas Church at Guildford, as was my Mum and Grandmother. The same church was also used by my Grandfather's sisters weddings. My Grandfather and his three brothers each married at Guildford Registry Office.

I wonder if the significance of less involvement with the church occurs from the family no longer living in a village community? Did my Great Grandmother born in 1844 and lived in Puttenham for most of her life attend church regularly on a Sunday? Or was she shunned if she did not?

Fearless Females - Day 8

March 8 — Did one of your female ancestors leave a diary, journal, or collection of letters? Share an entry or excerpt.

No Diary or journal is known to have been left by any of my female ancestors.

I have though inherited a series of letters from my Grandmother to me. They are currently in the box that once contained writing paper. The box is not terribly big, about 15 inches by about 10 inches or thereabouts. The box sits in my study and each day I go into the study I wonder just when I will be able to open the box and read the letters?

My Grandmother passed away in 1995 and I still can not read the letters, nothing, but nothing will compensate the fact that she is not here.

It does not matter that some of the letters are rambling, or that the writing is all over the page, due to her mind being affected by the illness and her eyesight. They were her letters to me and I will always treasure them.

Fearless Females - Day 7

March 7 — Share a favorite recipe from your mother or grandmother’s kitchen. Why is this dish your favorite? If you don’t have one that’s been passed down, describe a favorite holiday or other meal you shared with your family.

Here are a few recipes that I can, with my Mum's help remember my Grandmother cooking.

Rasher Pudding

• Mix plain flour and suet together, using water or milk to bind it together.
• Roll out on a floured board.
• Lay the rashers of bacon across and add some chopped fresh parsley.
• Roll it up and put in a pudding cloth and place in a pan of boiling water and cook.
  

Mum has said the cloth would be horrid when taken out of the pan, and remembers being given the job of washing the cloth! and suggests using a more modern steamer would better and safer!

Lambs Hearts

• Buy Lambs Hearts and stuff them with sage and onion stuffing.
• wrap in tin foil and place in a baking dish
• Serve with potatoes and vegetables

Cheese and Tomato
A very simple dish and one that I often make during the summer and serve with new potatoes and salad. I sometimes make some amendments and add bacon and mushrooms!

• Quite simply cut cheese into slices and layer with layers of tomato into a dish
• Place in the oven and cook for about 15 mins until the cheese has melted slightly

A recipe that has been passed down from my Great Grandmother is the recipe for Wheat Wine, which was sent to my Grandparents.

Recipe - Wheat Wine
Originally uploaded by AnglersRest

Fearless Females - Day 6

March 6 — Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)

All around the house there are items that I have inherited from my Grandparents. I talked about a few of those bits in one of the recent Family History Writing Challenge posts (day 17).

I do have my Grandmother's wedding ring, a rather bent 22 carat gold plain band. When I got married my Grandmother was still alive and a few days before the service she gave me the ring and said that I should wear it as my something old. I accepted it and did as she requested. I now have it in my jewellery box.

When I got married I did the traditional, something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. I wish now that I had asked my Grandmother if she did the same and what did she use for each of those things.

Fearless Females - Day 4

March 4 — Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.

I do have the marriage certificate of my Grandparents, but sadly there are no photographs.

Instead I thought I would post a copy of the marriage certificate for my Great x 4 Grandparents Richard Budd to Sarah Kemp. The marriage took place in Stoke next Guildford parish which is about 6 miles from Puttenham, which is the parish that Richard Budd came from. The marriage date was 21st July 1796.

Fearless Females - Day 5

March 5 — How did they meet? You’ve documented marriages, now, go back a bit. Do you know the story of how your parents met? Your grandparents?

My Grandparents met through, I think my Grandmother's brother. Her brothers used to have a tipple in the public house at Guildford called The Plough which was situated on Park Street, which is the same public house my Grandfather's & his brothers used. Location wise it would have been I think the closest pub to Manor Farm where my Grandfather & his brothers lived and to my Grandmother's family who lived near the railway station where they worked at the coal yards situated at the back of the train station owned by the Franks family.

My Grandmother's brother Ernest married my Grandfather's sister Margery and my Grandfather married my Grandmother in November 1939.

I remember, asking my Grandmother once if is was just the men who went to the pubs. She said that her and Marge used to go to Henekey's at Guildford sometimes in the afternoons and have a port and lemon and stand in the rear garden and chat and were not encouraged to go in! I remember being very surprised because I do not recall my Grandmother really having a drink, apart from the odd sherry. I think we see our Grandparents as just that, and forget that behind the fact of being someone's wife, mother, grandmother they are people, and in my Grandmother's case perhaps with a hint of rebel!

Fearless Females - Day 3

March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.

I don't share any names with my female ancestors.

There are no particular naming links in my family. My Great Great Great Grandmother was called Prudence Budd. Prudence was born in Puttenham in 1817, she married George Ellis in 1834 and died in 1855. The name Prudence was passed down to the Grand Daughter of Caroline, my Great Grandmother Annie Prudence Harris and was then passed down again to the Great Grand Daughter of Caroline and used as a middle name in 1939. As far as I know that was the last time the name of Prudence was used in the family.

The most unusual name appears on my Grandmother's Warwickshire ancestry with a Bethsheba Drakeley born in Nuneaton in 1797, She married William Matthews in 1818 in Nuneaton and died aged 80 years in Newbold on Avon, near Rugby in 1878.

Fearless Females - Day 2

March 2 — Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?

This has to one of my favourite photographs. Given to me by a first cousin of my Grandfather, another women who lived a really full and meaningful life.

The photograph is of my Great Great Grandmother, sitting down, Caroline Harris nee Ellis (1844 - 1935) and four of her daughters. My Great Grandmother, Annie Prudence Butcher nee Harris, Mabel Sheffield, nee Harris, Kate Cox nee Harris and Rose Cresswell nee Harris.

Caroline died in 1935 aged 91 years. This photo was taken cica 1930.

Fearless Females - Day 1

March 1 — Do you have a favourite female ancestor? One you are drawn to or want to learn more about? Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.

I have a few favourite female ancestors, who for one reason or another I am drawn too. One I have researched quite extensively is Esther Bellasis nee King. Esther was my chosen subject for the Australia Day Challenge. The reason I am selecting her today is because Esther left behind a real contribution to very early Australian history.

This picture is titled " The Carrajan by Mrs Bellasis, Sydney and was painted circa 1803." Esther's story can be read by clicking the link above, but she left this painting in Australia when she left in circa 1802-1803. One question that I doubt I shall be able to answer is why she left it behind? Did she get on the boat and think Drat I forgot the painting?, or was it because she didn't care about it and it was a means to an end, created to fill the hours? Nonetheless, it believed to be earliest known piece of artwork in Australian by a woman.

Which made me think. Esther, although born in the village of Puttenham Surrey in 1770 lived much of her life in India, having married there in 1796. She did spend some time in Australia due to her husband, and Esther died in 1805 in England. So the question is did she paint in England, will there be painting lefts and sitting in the sitting room of a descendant of the King family? or perhaps in the archives at Surrey or maybe even something in India?

Fearless Females - 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women's History Month - Introduction

In March 2010, The Accidental Genealogist launched a series of blogging prompts to celebrate Women's history Month. I missed it last year, but this is running again this year and although I am a little late, I am taking part.

The prompts are provided by, and copyrighted to The Accidental Genealogist and are listed one for each day in March. They are listed here purely as an introductory post to assist me as I follow the challenge.

Blogging Prompts.

March 1 — Do you have a favorite female ancestor? One you are drawn to or want to learn more about? Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.

March 2 — Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?

March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.

March 4 — Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.

March 5 — How did they meet? You’ve documented marriages, now, go back a bit. Do you know the story of how your parents met? Your grandparents?

March 6 — Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)

March 7 — Share a favorite recipe from your mother or grandmother’s kitchen. Why is this dish your favorite? If you don’t have one that’s been passed down, describe a favorite holiday or other meal you shared with your family.

March 8 — Did one of your female ancestors leave a diary, journal, or collection of letters? Share an entry or excerpt.

March 9 — Take a family document (baptismal certificate, passenger list, naturalization petition, etc.) and write a brief narrative using the information.

March 10 — What role did religion play in your family? How did your female ancestors practice their faith? If they did not, why didn’t they? Did you have any female ancestors who served their churches in some capacity?

March 11 — Did you have any female ancestors who died young or from tragic or unexpected circumstances? Describe and how did this affect the family?

March 12 — Working girl: Did your mother or grandmother work outside the home? What did she do? Describe her occupation.

March 13 — Moment of Strength: share a story where a female ancestor showed courage or strength in a difficult situation.

March 14 — Newsmakers? Did you have a female ancestor who made the news? Why? Was she famous or notorious? Did she appear in the social column?

March 15 — Write a six-word memoir tribute to one of your female ancestors.

March 16 — If you could have lunch with any female family member (living or dead) or any famous female who would it be and why? Where would you go? What would you eat?

March 17 — Social Butterfly? What social organizations or groups did your mother or grandmother belong to? Sewing circle, church group, fraternal benefit society or lodge? Describe her role in the group.

March 18 — Shining star: Did you have a female ancestor who had a special talent? Artist, singer, actress, athlete, seamstress, or other? Describe.

March 19 — Have you discovered a surprising fact about one of your female ancestors? What was it and how did you learn it? How did you feel when you found out?

March 20 — Is there a female ancestor who is your brick wall? Why? List possible sources for finding more information.

March 21 — Describe a tender moment one of your female ancestors shared with you or another family member.

March 22 — If a famous director wanted to make a movie about one of your female ancestors who would it be? What actress would you cast in the role and why?

March 23 — Create a timeline for a female ancestor using your favorite software program or an online timeline generator such as OurTimelines.Post an image of it or link.

March 24 — Do you share any physical resemblance or personality trait with one of your female ancestors? Who? What is it?

March 25 — Tell how a female ancestor interacted with her children. Was she loving or supportive? A disciplinarian? A bit of both?

March 26 — What education did your mother receive? Your grandmothers? Great-grandmothers? Note any advanced degrees or special achievements.

March 27 — Do you know the immigration story of one or more female ancestors? Do you have any passenger lists, passports, or other documentation? Interesting family stories?

March 28 — Do you remember your mother’s best friend? Your grandmother’s? How and where did they meet? How long were they friends? What activities did they share?

March 29 — Create a free Footnote Page or a Genealogy Trading Card at Big Huge Labs for a female ancestor. Some of you may have created your own card back in September 2009 following Sheri Fenley’s post over at The Educated Genealogist. This time, the card is for your female ancestor. Tell us about who you've selected and why and then post a link to what you've created.

March 30 — Did you receive any advice or words of wisdom from your mother or another female ancestor?

March 31 — Pick one female ancestor and write a mini-profile (500 words or less).

BONUS: Take all of your postings and turn them into a memory or tribute booklet for future generations.

Thanks to The Accidental Genealogist for the prompts