Howard Davis Park, Jersey Channel Islands WW2 Graves

Howard Davis Park, Jersey Channel Islands WW2 Graves, a set on Flickr.

Mentioned in small print on the tourist map of Jersey is the name Howard Davis Park. Alongside the name of the park is the mention of "W.W.2 War Graves". It was seeing the mention of War Graves that made us visit the park in October 2011.

In front of us lay two groups of graves. The graves represent Servicemen who died during the Second World War. Some individuals were named, others were not. These were men whose bodies were recovered during the War and were buried within the confines of the park with the respect they deserved. They were cared for in death by the population of an Island that was inhabited from 1940 by the German Army. Yet, despite those tough times, the local population wanted those individuals to be remembered. This set is the photographs of all the named graves represented.

Further photographs are HERE

Origins Blogfest - When did your writing dream begin? - 13th February 2012

Hosted by Cruising Altitude 2.0

• Where did your writing dreams begin? 
• What prompted you to start your blog? 
• Who was your inspiration?
• Who first noticed your writing?

When I was at my senior school doing my O-levels I ended up doing a childcare qualification. The reason was that there was a huge time table clash and it was either childcare, music or art, none of which my choice. So, I opted for childcare as I am tone deaf and a three year can probably draw better than me! As part of that course we had to write a children's book. That was in the mid 1980s and I passed the O-level and confined the book to the box of paraphernalia that I have from those days. A few weeks ago I came across the book that I had written and passed a small pondering on should I do anything with it? I haven't decided and we shall have to wait and see.

This blog started ten years ago. In those early days I really wasn't too sure what I should do with it. Over the last 10 years it has evolved and it really has taken off more in the last few years. The feel of the blog is really all the details and things that reflect me as a person - my interests and obsessions, mainly reading and genealogy. There are mentions of lots of ancestors and some family members. My closer family occurs slightly as does our dog, a rather enthusiastic Border Terrier called Alfie. There is only a passing glimpse of my day job and that is the way I like it!

I am not sure that I have a writing dream. I have been working on a writing project for about the last 3 years, and I am not sure if it will ever be published. I started writing this for my benefit, mainly as a get off the chest all the frustrations around a specific issue. If I decide to publish it, in some format then it would need tweaking and perhaps amending.  Otherwise, I am working on a few genealogical type writing projects and they may well be published. 

Anything that I do publish is likely to be self published. I would though, perhaps like to join a small writing and publishing group like Goldenford.

Sepia Saturday 111 - Dogs!

I am late posting for this theme, as I really didn't think that I had anything in my family archives. Then I spotted this - 

This is a photograph of my Great Great Aunt Kate Cox nee Harris. Her husband Frederick stands to her right and their son, Harold is holding the dog. This photograph was taken circa 1930.

Taking part in Sepia Saturday

Postcard Friendship Friday - Guildford Bandstand circa 1915

Part of my Guildford & District Collection

Submitted as part of Postcard Friendship Friday hosted by The Best Hearts are Crunchy 

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 5 - Life Experiences

Week 5- Life Experiences - Sometimes the changes in life provide the best learning experiences. Can you find examples of this in your own family history? Which brick wall ancestor are you most thankfully for, and how did that person shape your family history experience?

Challenge from Sunday 29th January 2012 - Saturday 3rd February 2012

I grew up knowing that my Mum had a cousin that had gone to Australia at the end of the Second World War and had never returned to England. It broke my Great Aunt's heart. So, when I decided in my early twenties to go to Australia and travel it seemed that I really should look him up and say hello.

A friend and fellow genealogist helped me and wrote on my behalf and I followed with a letter. What I was presented with, was simply amazing and I am very, very fortunate to have met him and his family and developed a real sense of friendship and love with his family.

Whilst I was curious of his life down under, his children and grandchildren were equally as curious of their ancestors and relatives here in England. Since then almost 20 years has passed and I shall never forget the kindness shown to me, a virtual stranger despite our blood connections. We have come  to mean a great deal to each other despite the many, many miles.

The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini

Continuing with the Elm Creek Series. This book is set around 20 years later. In the last book I read Sarah was eagerly awaiting the birth of her twins. In this book the twins are in their mid 20s and Sarah's daughter is about to get married.

The twins are Caroline and James. Caroline is the twin about to marry and her brother is also working at Elm Creek Manor. There are flashes back to past times in the series and we discover, not unsurprisingly, that Sylvia had passed away 12 years before. We learn some of the details of that, but Sylvia left Elm Creek Manor to Sarah to continue to love and develop. 

The Wedding Quilt is a series of squares each signed by those who attend the special day. We don't read of Sarah presenting the quilt, we do know that it will be presented after the honeymoon! Before Sylvia died she left with Sarah two packages for the twins with the instructions that the packages be presented to them on the occasion of the first wedding or 30th birthday, whichever comes first. Each package is accompanied by a note and is written with the love that is felt amongst the whole series. Caroline, inherits the Wedding Quilt which was from an earlier book and part of Sylvia's family. James inherits a book of Sylvia's memoirs.

I love the tenderness and love that features throughout, not only this book but the series. In picking up this book it was rather like greeting an old friend and I settled down to devour it within a few hours. Jennifer Chiaverini does a wonderful job of bringing to life friendships and I am always amazed that she manages to cope with the changes to the characters, whilst still retaining older characters.

I have recently heard that Jennifer Chiaverini has signed another 3 book deal with the series which is excellent news. The website that accompanies the series is HERE

Gone, A Photographic Plea for Preservation by Shelby Foote & Nell Dickerson

I received my copy of this last year as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewers Programme.

I was intrigued about the storyline,the history and words behind the photographs, which displayed an abandonment of the history of the United States. Essentially the book is the short story, titled the Pillar of Fire by Shelby Foote. To accompany the short story there are some truly breathtaking photographs taken by Nell Dickerson. There is some misalignment between the storyline and the accompanying photograph, but that did not detract from what the book is trying to achieve.

The photographs show a derelict buildings each in poor condition, desperately affected by the elements. Each of those building played a part in the pre and post life of the Civil War and as such they deserve to be preserved for future generations.

Whilst I read this as a PDF version I was able to read easily on iPad,PC and Laptop. I have since ordered this book in the hard back version so that I can enjoy the photographs further.

NaBloPoMo - February 2012 - Relative! - Day 6

All those genealogical loose end drive me potty! How do we keep track of them all? 

I have a note book, which is much out of date. I also have a sort of a mind-map set out my individuals. I also have my regular note books which focus on various snippets of information which are jotted down as I think of them, or perhaps when I am reading. 

One this morning was PIM family to Russia - Paper mill - check file. I wrote this in my journal, but then I have done that before! I was reminded of the details from an article I read. There is nothing new here with the information, but a renewal of the thought process that I need to research this line further. Each time you retrace your genealogical steps, either literally or through a paper trail, another thought occurs and is added to the list.

On looking at the data that I have already - here is the details in bullet point format.

1. Pim, Elstone and Warren links to paper making - Sussex & Hampshire
2. These three family names also have links to Devon & Paper making - are these the same families?
3. Pim line to Russia  - establishing a paper mill
4. Elstone line to Canada 1854 - paper mill business
5. Warren line to Australia - circa 1850
6. Basic details of the specific businesses & paper mills
7. Is there a link to the Pim MP?

All these are  lines of research about relatives, not matter how distant or long ago. All these questions.........but how many answers?

Sisters Monica, Mary and Cecelia Bellasis.....A Work in Progress

Introduction
I started my research deep in a rural village in the depth of Surrey England. As my research evolved and I researched back through the generations exploring the lives of direct and indirect ancestors I stumbled into the surname of Bellasis.

The connection starts through the my 7 x Great Grandfather Henry Budd. Henry and his wife Martha nee Ottway raised a family of 8 in Puttenham from 1724. I can speculate on the birth place of Henry, as the neighbouring village of Shackleford as documentation in the village of Puttenham indicates "First of the Budd's", so I know he was not born there. There are some early records which indicate that a Henry Budd was resident in Shackleford and there are also references to Henry Budd in the neighbouring village of Elstead a few miles away. Certainly these villages were within walking distance of my 18th Century ancestors.

Henry and Matha raised their family of 7 children in a time, fairly reminiscent of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I can almost hear and feel the panic as Henry and Martha realised that they need to marry off their daughters to Gentlemen of certain means.

Their eldest daughter, Ester married George Bridges Bellasis. I have written before about the antics of George during his time in the East India Company, (for that post click HERE). The Bellasis family were well established. As I researched further through the line of Bellasis I encountered the half brother of George, Edward Bellasis. George's father had been a vicar and so I was very surprised to see that Edward converted to Catholicism in 1850. It was this angle and part of the family that posed the most research and questions, not only about the family, but about the religious aspects to it.

Edward Bellasis was born in 1800 to the Rev. George Bellasis and his second wife Leah Cooper Viall. Edward lead an interesting life, he was educated at Christ's Hospital and undertook legal studies at the Inner Temple. He formed a legal practice at the Chancery Bar and retired from legal practice in 1867. He died in France in 1873.

He was received into the Roman Catholic Church by Father Brownhill on 27 January 1850 and soon after his wife and children followed. He was keen on all things Catholic and was fairly instrumental within the Roman Catholic community; including founding the School of Oratorians at Edgebaston. Edward married twice, but it the children of his second marriage to Eliza Garnett that takes us along a fascinating path.

Together, Edward and Eliza had 10 children. Two sons, the eldest and youngest became Priests and three of his daughters became Nuns.

I had barely interpreted the information of the conversion, when I was sent this photograph by a fellow researcher.

The photograph is of three of the daughters of Edward Bellasis, Monica, Mary and Cecelia Bellasis. Where would the research lead and how far could I research their lives as Nuns? Now, I was in uncharted waters in relation to my research skills.

The Catholic Family History Society holds an index of Nuns, who were in the English Province of their Order. The index itself reveals the date of birth for the Nun, names of parents, religious name, dates of profession, date and place of death and the name of order.

Here are the basic details contained within the index:

Mary Bellasis

• Born 4th January 1842
• Died 18th June 1927, Harrowgate
• Entered into Convent 12th December 1863
• Professed 18th November 1865
• Religious Name - Francis Xavier

Monica Bellasis

• Born 25th November 1855
• Died 27th April 1927 St. Leonards
• Entered into Convent 16th January 1879
• Professed 16th January 1881
• Religious Name - M.Edward All of the Sacred Heart Child Jesus

Cecilia Bellasis

• Born 28th June 1845 
• Died 25 December 1930, Harrowgate. 
• Entered Convent 5th August 1869
• Professed 8th September 1871
• Religious Name - St. Aloyius

Just these few basic facts give me, in addition to the timeline of their existence a starting point as I try to piece together their lives within their Church and Faith. I think this is going to be an interesting journey.........

This post also appeared on Catholic-Gene

Guest Post at Catholic Gene

I am delighted to have been asked to be a guest poster at the very interesting blog, Catholic Gene.

You can read my guest post HERE

NaBloPoMo - February 2012 - Relative! - Day 5

I focused earlier on which ancestors I would invite to dinner. Well, this got the little grey cells working and I wondered which ancestors I would visit in true "Back to the Future" style.

I would head back to the 17th Century and wander through the village of Puttenham in Surrey where many of my 3 x Great Grandmother, Prudence Budd's family came from. I would want to see how they lived, the food they ate and how they coped with their hard existence.

I would travel across the border into Hampshire and see my Elstone ancestors working in their paper mill. I would cross the border into Sussex and see how my Pim ancestors made their fortune with their paper mill. Was there really a link to the early Parliamentarian?

I would like to hear about John Hunt Butcher from Hascombe planning his migration to Tasmania, was this because of tales he heard from his brother in law? Also my Elstone ancestors who migrated to Canada and Australia.

Wouldn't it be lovely just to wander into their world and experience it first hand. Would we look like each other? Either facially or with mannerisms?

Beyond the Internet Week 5: Off to Schools

I can remember starting school, just before my 5th birthday and knowing how to write my name and read. I was greatly encouraged by my Mum and my Grandmother. I have wonderful memories of sitting on my Grandmother's knee and her reading to me. 

I went to the same primary school as my Mum. We were even taught by the same teacher. My Grandmother went to a church school. One of the things on my to do list is to seek the school records and see what I can establish. One of the things my Grandmother told me that that her Mother had a cousin who was a school inspector. He would call and say "Mrs Matthews, I am here to discuss....." My Great Grandmother would always apparently interject and say "What have my boys been up to now....."

On reflection, I don't know I have waited so long to find the school records, and now on remembering this I really ought to try and establish just who this cousin was.

Inspired by Family History Across the Seas

Tech Tuesday - Blog to Book

I read an interesting post on the JLog blog last week and that got me thinking about this blog and the fact that over the last few weeks I have been focusing on my Family History Writing Challenge posts and my plans for them.

I went off to explore the site BookFabrik. This site specialises in turning your blog quite literally into a book, either a real copy with paper or a PDF version. You can request a proof in PDF and see what it looks like. This blog came out at over 1500 pages, but it is 10 years old! That is all published posts and those that I have written and scheduled to post. The proof was interesting, and some adjustments would need to be made. Further exploring of the site and there are options to restrict some posts and tweak what you want to appear in your book. There is no blanket upload of your material, it can be as specific or general as the author wants, using the tags from your blog.  There also the ability to change the writing layout of the book cover, in both terms of photographic design and author. I also set the parameters to use every blog post on a separate page. There is the option of printing in order of posting - newest or oldest first, the date span.

This is certainly food for thought. I have yet to explore if there are other companies or facilities that are offering the same, I suspect that there are. At the point where you can download your PDF proof, there is also the option to purchase the actual book in both PDF and paper version. The costs are displayed in Euros - but for this blog the costs were around 80 Euros for the paper version and 5 Euros for the PDF. Which actually seems reasonable to me, given the work load that would be involved otherwise.

Further consideration is that if I decide to use this company, I shall go back through all my posts and ensure that the correct tags are added to the posts. I will then print the book to include all those with that tag. I am sure that those without tags are not included, but I would need to investigate further.

Cropped picture showing the book details and a link to this blog

I picture above is a photograph of the screen showing the first page - with the details of the book and a link back to this blog. The details on the right are the description for this blog which you can see above.

Guest Post - Ann Summerville

Tell us a little about yourself?

I grew up in London and lived in Cornwall for about ten years before moving to the U.S.

What do you miss most about England?

When I lived and worked in London I loved wandering around the backstreets and researching history. I read any book I could get my hands on by Jean Plaidy and Anya Seton and tried to find places mentioned in those books. (There isn’t anything very old here in Texas.) Moving from the city to a small village on the coast of England was a big adjustment. Everyone moved at a much slower pace. We lived in a cottage on the cliffs overlooking a beach that had three miles of sand when the tide went out. Village life is so different. Everyone has a connection and there is such a sense of camaraderie. I used my experiences moving from London to Cornwall in my book A Graceful Death, which is the first book in the Lowenna series. (Lowenna means joy in Cornish).

In one sentence, how would you describe your latest book, The Berton Hotel, to someone who knows nothing about it?

The Berton Hotel delves into the mystery of a woman, who disappeared in the 1930s from a prominent Texas hotel, and her great-granddaughter’s quest to find out what happened to her.

Where can we find out more about your book?

Website -  www.annsummerville.com

Blog - www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com

The book is available on:

Amazon (USA) in paperback

Amazon (USA) for Kindle

Amazon (UK) in paperback

Amazon (UK) for Kindle

Other e-reader formats are on Smashwords

What is your favourite character in The Berton Hotel?

I grew attached to all the characters, but I think Truitt is my favourite because despite the changes around him, he stays constant and neither tries to impress anyone, nor change to fit in. He is confident without being conceited and who doesn’t love a cowboy?

Excerpt from The Berton Hotel:

Welcome to Crystal Wells. Lily glanced at the sign, wondering if her great grandmother, Ermenia, had passed here before leaving and if she’d thought about the young daughter she’d left behind. Vanished, without a trace, disappeared into thin air. Lily conjured up all the phrases used when her great grandmother was mentioned.

She’d had three days of driving to think about her decision. But what was the force pushing her toward this desolate town? To solve the mystery of Ermenia’s disappearance, to get away from a disastrous relationship, to advance her career? Lily was still unsure.

The Darth Vadar theme blasted from her bag, and with one hand on the wheel, she fumbled between the lipstick case, receipts, antibacterial gel and credit cards before feeling the smooth mobile phone.

“Stop calling,” Lily yelled into the phone without connecting to the call. She snapped it shut with a finality she did not feel.

As far as she was concerned there were two types of men. Deserters like her father and control freaks like Eric. Lily tossed her phone and it fell amongst the jumble in her bag.

What’s new for 2012?

I’m currently working on the third book in the Lowenna Series, Gwinnel Gardens. It’s about overgrown gardens in Cornwall that the villagers are uncovering and of course there will be a murder that Gia and her friend Holly will be involved in solving.

Thank you, for inviting me today, I look forward to dropping by your blog frequently to see what you’re up to.

Beyond the Internet Week 4: Donations and Subscriptions

I can not recall where I have found any evidence that my family made a donation to a public subscription. So I shall use a modern example.

A few years ago, I found on line a reference made to an ancestor - William Arthur West. William had been in the Army and was stationed in what was known at the time as Zulu land. His wife accompanied him. While in South Africa his wife passed away and is the only white female buried in the cemetery. 

The reference I found on line was in relation to the Rotary Club for the town where William lived in England with his second wife after he left the army. The Rotary Club had links to the town in South Africa where William's first wife was buried. As you might expect, modern provisions and schooling in the local area is not brilliant. I had reciprocated the details with the Rotary Club about William and when I sent off the CD of data for their archives enclosed a cheque in memory of William and his first wife. The Rotary Club has strong links with the local community and has provided financial assistance in relation to the school and running water. 

A second modern example is The Families for Genealogists Project organised by Judy Webster. I joined the team back in October and knew that I wanted to contribute, but I also wanted my contributions to mean something. My first loan was made in December in memory of my Grandmother's 99th Birthday and I plan to commemorate various family events during the year. To join the project click HERE.

100 Word Challenge - Week 29

Joining the weekly 100 words challenge for Grown ups. This week the prompt is to use the following with no more than 100 words.

........Wednesday.....

Wearing her favourite aquamarine hat with a purple coat and red stilettos she entered the restaurant. She asked for a bottle of her favourite red wine. After an half an hour her lunch engagement had not shown up.

Reaching for her diary she spotted the name and number of her contact under Wednesday. Her eye caught that of the waiter and he came over.

Excuse me, what day is it? She asked, her voice every so slightly slurred.

Tuesday, he replied. Embarrassed, she made her way to the desk to pay her bill. She would come again tomorrow.

Taking part in the 100 word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week #29

NaBloPoMo - February 2012 - Relative! - Day 4

Imagine. A dining table laid for guests. The table set with the best china, sparkling wine glasses and the very best cutlery. Who could be coming for dinner?

What if you could invite a series of your ancestors to dinner? People that had lived and died long before you had been born? Who would you invite?

• I would invite my 6 x Great Grandfather - Henry Budd (born circa 1700). Please confirm that you were born in Shackleford. I can't check as the original records have not survived!
• I would invite both of my Grand parents - Lilian Butcher nee Matthews (1912-1995) & George Butcher (1908 - 1974) Just to have one more conversation with them.
• I would invite my 5 x Great Grandfather John Elstone (1737 - 1799) because I want to understand more of the Paper making business he owned.
• I would invite my Great Great Grandfather John Matthews (1848 - 1927)  - I have a few questions.....
• I would invite my Great x 3 Grandmother Emaline Luff (1797 - 1856) -  Why did you say you were born in Bramshot? I did eventually find you in Lurgershall Sussex

Hopefully, we would have a lovely dinner - probably roast turkey as this would be a celebration and turkey would have been expensive during their lifetimes (exception here would be my Grandparents). We would hopefully chat and I would be able to ask them all the questions that I would like to. I wonder what they would make of me and my home, with running water, electricity and all the modern technology.......

Family History Writing Challenge 2012 - Day 3

I kept thinking of John Matthews and is death caused by "senile decay". Death certificates often indicate senile decay where death occurs as a result of old age. Do I really believe that?

My Grandmother said many times that her Grandfather was a "dirty old man" -  he would often forget to wash and would wet himself. She recalled this from her early childhood, when he would have been late 60s or perhaps early 70s. I wanted to explore the potential options that perhaps he had what we now know be Alzheimers or dementia.

Both are known to occur in families - driven by the essential facts of Chromosomes which are inherited. We each generally have 23 pairs inheriting half from our mother and half from our father.

My Great Aunt, John's Grand daughter developed Alzheimers. She died in the early 1980s and had always been very much like my Grandmother. Fun loving and very affectionate. When she was in her mid 70s she started to forget things, the usual sorts of things - after all she was elderly! She then started forgetting more serious things, such as forgetting to turn the gas off and would leave the front door open. Eventually she forgot who she was and every one else. It was truly soul destroying. I was an teenager at the time and didn't really notice an awful lot. Reflecting now I realise just how dreadfully sad things were.

In the mid 1990s my Grandmother developed something similar. Whilst her family history made her more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimers, she had in fact a brain tumour, which is fairly common in patients that have had a primary cancer. It would though have been quite easy to have made an assumption, based upon the family history. The doctor in this case explored all options open to them at the time, which would have been a lot more than in 1927!

Whilst the death certificate is absolute, sometimes we need to look at the history surrounding the cause of death. Establishing what it means and try to understand it. After all, we seek to explore all the data of our ancestors and their death is the final fact.

Word count - 369

Beyond the Internet Week 3: Houses wrapped in red tape.

I stood in the archives building, in the days of when Surrey Archives were divided between Guildford and Kingston. I had called for a document - I can't even recall what it was. I waited, not exactly patiently. You know how it is, you get a thought flowing and the document has to be NOW! While I was waiting, I went over to the huge index cabinet. A lovely wooden unit, within each draw a metal rod which held the index cards.

I flicked through to the surname of Butcher and meandered through the forenames. I got to John and read the card. I am sure my heart stopped beating. On the card in front of me read "John Butcher 1877 house documents". The archivist returned with my request. I saw the look of irritation as I said, do you think I could order this please? and presented him with a request slip. He placed the archive I had originally requested on the table and took the slip from me. 

I read through the document in front of me and made various notes. When he returned with my new found treasure I ordered a copy of the original document and started looking and absorbing the new document. In front of me was the details of my 3 x Great Grandfather John Butcher (1795 - 1877). 

The document was actually a series of papers. Held together by a dark pink ribbon. The ribbon and documents had a musty smell and were faintly dusty, but I didn't care. I undid the ribbon and read the note that accompanied the documents. The details it revealed was that the documents had been found at Wonersh post office and had been submitted to the museum for general keeping. Interesting. I wonder why?

The documents revealed John's will including the original envelope. 

Envelope containing the will of John Butcher
Surrey Archives PSH/WON/20/19

It identified that the house that had been left to him by his father would in turn pass to son Henry. I descended from John's son Charles. It also revealed what I had already established. John had been illegitimate. Born to James Butcher and Sarah Woolgar in 1795. In 1801 James and Sarah would marry and in 1802 they had another son Thomas. Thomas was recognised as James legitimate heir to his father's estate. John inherited a cottage in Wonersh Street and a few hundred pounds. 

There were a series of other documents -  I ordered copies of the lot. There was a strange sentence within the documents - "A son born of blood". An indication that John was indeed the son of James Butcher. His birth is recorded as John Woolgar, but he spent the rest of his life, as was indeed his right as John Butcher. It does seems sad, that until the end, despite his parents marrying he was in fact illegitimate.

Inspired by Family History Across the Seas

NaBloPoMo - February 2012 - Relative! - Day 3

I had not looked at the prompts so far, but thought that today I would. The creative juices are just not flowing! Today's prompt is about siblings. I thought that I would focus on those of my Husband. I am always fairly envious that he has a series of siblings. I know that sounds odd, but both his parents had been previously married and both had children from those marriages.

The reality is that my husband has 4 siblings - a sister, a half brother and sister from one parent's first marriage and a half sister from the other parent's first marriage. They all for a time lived together, so you would think that they have some form of emotional attachment to one another. Alas no. Not even a glimpse of emotional attachment or even friendship.

I find it rather sad that none of them value one of the most fundamental things - Family. Of course, sometimes things are said and done that actually you reach a point of no return and that is where we are now. To some, family is disposable and I wonder when they will realise exactly what they have lost....

Postcard Friendship Friday - Coronation Souvenir 1953

Part of my Guildford & District Collection

Submitted as part of Postcard Friendship Friday hosted by The Best Hearts are Crunchy 

Family History Writing Challenge 2012 - Day 2

As I wrote the post for Day 1 of this challenge I created a very basic mind map. I usually create these types of things in my journal, but this one started life on a piece of paper and is pinned to my study notice board, and has been transferred to my journal.

The reason I created it is two fold. I wanted to have a spring board for other thoughts and research, which encompasses the additional research I am going to undertake to bring John Matthew's existence to life. Starting with these -

1. Coke manufacture & distribution in the late Victorian period
2. "Senile decay" - definition at the time, definition now and links to now known conditions.

I wondered about the man he was. The heartache he felt, widowed twice, firstly in 1880 and then again in 1896. He also endured, like so many parents of the time, burying one of his children. His eldest daughter Mary Anne (1872 - 1898). I wrote about Mary Anne for last year's Writing Challenge, but again have considered some further facts upon re-reading that post (you can read it HERE). How did John cope with all that life threw at him? 

As you will see from that post Mary Anne had a son. Although I have traced his existence to some degree in the parish and found a headstone in the cemetery, what happened to that son?  Who looked after him and raised him and taught him the basics - brushing his teeth, writing and reading, where did he go to school? So many, many questions and mysteries and all of them in "recent times" which really sounds out how many missed opportunities there have been. Did this child know his Grandfather John Matthews? Did he know his Aunt Edith and Uncle John (my Great Grandfather). Research shows that he did not live with either of Mary Anne's siblings. Edith herself died young and there is no mention of him in my Grandmother's immediate family. 

Word count - 335

21st Century Organised Family Historian - Week 5 - Take Inventory

Continuing the weekly thread organised by Michelle at The Turning of Generations. 

A few years ago, my Grandfather's first cousin lent me a series of photographs, about 30 in all. My first plan was to arrange for a negative to be made and a copy. Having collected the negatives and copies we sat together over a pot of tea and Ivy went through all the details of who the individuals were. Each photo had a small sticker replaced on the reverse of the photo with the details of Ivy's initials and the number of the photograph - IS01 - IS31. I then created a spreadsheet with the details of the photographs taken from the notes I made of our conversation together. The photographs themselves are in a separate album. 


The photo here shows the reverse of photo IS12 and the front of IS13.

Now we are in a far superior digital age, I have had the photographs digitalised and they retain the same number. Over the last few years I have scanned all our family photos and given each a reference based upon who have the source is and a reference number. Thus, those with from my father in law have the reference of DG followed by a number.  I should add that in the spreadsheet there is a reference as to who DG and IS were, sadly both are now deceased. Photos that came through my own family - either Mum or Grandparents are simply numbers from 01 upwards.

I also do something similar for copies of documents sent to me by fellow genealogists or those documents and books I have purchased. The only exception is that instead of a sticker being added I insert a piece of paper into the front of the book and write in small archive pencil a reference. That reference is then transferred to my spreadsheet. For documents I small note in pencil on the reverse and then added to the spreadsheet.

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge 2012

Hosted by Tossing It Out this looks to be a great challenge.

Here are the details

Write a post on something every day in April except for Sundays (unless 1st April falls on a Sunday) and upload to your blog. By the end of April there will be 26 blog posts - one for each letter of the alphabet. Each day you will theme your post according to a letter of the alphabet.

"You will only be limited by your own imagination in this challenge. There is an unlimited universe of possibilities. You can post essays, short pieces of fiction, poetry, recipes, travel sketches, or anything else you would like to write about. You don't have to be a writer to do this. You can post photos, including samples of your own art or craftwork. Everyone who blogs can post from A to Z.

Interested? The head over to the sign up form located on the Tossing it out blog

NaBloPoMo - February 2012 - Relative! - Day 2

Today, the Anglers Rest Blog is 10 years old - Happy Birthday!

Over the last 10 years the feel of this blog has changed. I still read a lot and post reviews, but there seems to be a change in the depth of those reviews and other posts which I make.

Back in 2002 Blogging, at least to me, did not seem to be as popular as it is now. On a personal note, I wasn't really sure what to do with a blog. I knew the purpose of one, but how much personal data did I want to put "out there"? I had all these considerations. In reality, Anglers Rest has really come into its own in the last couple of years.

The key to hosting a successful blog is to be true to yourself and to write honestly. I rarely divulge personal information - things I would not share with a stranger at a bus stop! It is easy to get carried away when writing, especially forgetting, that when I sit alone in my study writing and eventually hit send that the results are certainly seen by those who read my blog by email or reader, or perhaps follow  my tweets. Google also tracks the posts and they can be read by everyone. 

The catalyst for this was a change a in my professional life. Anglers Rest became somewhere that I could escape into and write whenever, about whatever I chose to, without any constraints apart from legal ones and the ones I placed upon myself.  Anglers Rest remains a place where I can write about all the things Relative to me - my interests and obsessions. The subjects are mainly genealogy or book related, but sometimes there is a post relating to health or social aspects, or perhaps our holidays. Occasionally my living family appear in  - my Husband and our dog Alfie and my Mum. There is rarely a mention of the day job and that is the way I like it!

Family History Writing Challenge 2012 - Day 1

I do not believe that I have ever read a genealogical document, even those I have read before or those that I knew existed, and thought "Okay!" I have always finished reading and pretty much immediately thought of a question that perhaps I need to ask or explore. Then the mind starts to race and we are off on another journey of discovery.

Sometimes, the road to discovery is simply a path of research and we follow one document or fact after another and it perhaps leads us to where we thought it would. Perhaps, no, not perhaps, it probably leads us to another question or thought. Sometimes that path makes unexpected twists and turns and we find ourselves completely out of our research comfort zone, or perhaps somewhere we we did not expect to; maybe migration to a Country not yet explored. Maybe an occupation that is mind blowing, in terms of skill or process. Not just how something was done, but how that something was done in say the 18th Century.

The journey we each make with our ancestors is full of the paper trail - names, dates and places. births, marriage and death records, census returns. These are the back bone of our research, but what about the other bits of research. How was something done, where was it done? Perhaps why was it done? Even, who was it done with.

My Great Great Grandfather, my Grandmother's Grandfather, was called John Matthews. He was a coke dealer. Yup, that black stuff that is mined. Not the illegal drug we know of today. He had a business in Rugby Warwickshire, was married and raised a family of three children. A small family for the 1870s; small because his wife died. He did remarry, but there were no children to that marriage. He also moved from Warwickshire to Surrey. Immediately I want to know why did he relocate, what happened to his business. Where did the coke come from and where did he sell it too? Did he employ men and they knock on doors and deliver coke?

My Grandmother told me that her Grandfather lived with her when she was a child, but he died when she was small. So, based upon that fact I searched for the death record from 1912 when my Grandmother was born. John in fact died in 1927. What made my Grandmother think he had died when she was a child?  From information that was also shared was that he was a "dirty man" - what did that mean? He would not wash, and would wet himself. He could not longer remain living with his son, daughter in law and 11 Grandchildren. Where did he go? Looking at the death certificate revealed the perhaps the reason. He died of senile decay.  - in 1927 conditions such as Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia were not known to have existed.

Is that so very different to some 80 year old individuals now? The address where he passed away is not known to the family. There was a brief mention of Redhill, but no family member lived at that address. More research is needed on that point. The address in Guildford is known. It is where my Grandmother lived as a child. The person who registered the death is not known to the family. Did he then die alone?

There were lots of questions to start with, but seeing the original document, so many more come to mind.

Word count - 584

NaBloPoMo - February 2012 - Relative! - Day One

As I commenced to write my first post I wondered what is relative? A quick look at the definition in the dictionary revealed this:

rel·a·tive 

adj.

1. Having pertinence or relevance; connected or related.

2. Considered in comparison with something else: the relative quiet of the suburbs.

3. Dependent on or interconnected with something else; not absolute. See Synonyms at dependent.

4. Grammar Referring to or qualifying an antecedent, as the pronoun who in the man who was on TV or that in the dictionary that I use.

5. Music Having the same key signature. Used of major and minor scales and keys: A minor is the relative minor of C major.

n.

1. One related by kinship, common origin, or marriage.

2. Something having a relation or connection to something else.

3. Grammar A relative pronoun.

As a genealogist, the word relative is generally used when we can not or do not want to be specific. Nothing sinister, but how can you explain that your 15th Cousin twice removed on your mother's side is standing next to you? So you either say this is my cousin and remove the specifics or this is a relative of mine which case you remove even the cousin link. By using the word relative it may imply that you believe you are related, but how is anyone's guess.

Through the course of research, you meet in person, on line or perhaps by post an individual or perhaps two, who have a family connection in some way. Not necessarily a close connection by blood, but one that you share a link of interest with perhaps someone who lived 200 years ago. I have many of those cousins. Some of whom reside in another part of the world, some have been and visited us and lived with us for a time, others I have never met, yet we share emails filled with the incidentals of our lives coupled with genealogical material.

Many of us grew up with Aunts and Uncles who were not, in the true meaning of the words, Aunts and Uncles, but held some other connection to the family. The term usually used as a mark of respect. I had such an Aunt and Uncle. They held no relation to me at all.

Aunt was simply a former evacuee of my Grandmother's during the Second World War. That sentence implies a simple fact. It does not indicate any form of emotional attachment; and there was emotional attachment. My Mum was given the evacuee's name as a middle forename. We exchanged Christmas gifts. Once their children were adults, my Grandmother would still send a £1 coin to "the boys". Whilst the value of the gift was small, the meaning and attachment was huge and as important as ever. Over the years I would meet the various family members of the evacuee, and her husband, and that relationship remains with us to this very day. So out of the passage of War came something of immense value, and something that as two families we treasure.