RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Bellejazz on Tuesday 12 February 08 14:20 GMT (UK)
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Inspired by Celia's post asking what people have acquired during their years of research I am wondering what item related to your family history do you wish you had?
It can be anything, your great great Grannies christening gown, a copy of your parents wedding invitation, a diary, an item of jewelery, an immigrant ancestors ship tickets, anything.
The only condition is that it has to be a "real" item, something that did exist or was very likely to have existed, so no fantasy wishes, no group photos of the last 10 generations or time travel meetings with great great Aunty Melba allowed :P :D
My #1 item would be my Granddads WW2 Medals.
Sadly Poppy died in about 1978 and nobody knows what happened to the medals (although I'd be willing to stake the farm that one of my delinquent Uncles might have had something to do with it :-\ )
I'd give almost anything to have those.
- Belinda.
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Oh Belinda I would love to have a ships passenger tickets, that would solve so many of my problems ;D
Karen
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This isn't a wish I had - it a glad I've got - inspired by Belinda's christening gown suggestion.
We have a Reed family gown, made in 1883 by spinster Mary Reed, then aged about 50, for her niece Mary Reed (my aunty) and used for Reed baptisms ever since. Since I started FH I've drawn up a chart with the dates and places of the baptisms, which is updated after each use and kept with the gown in soft tissue. My name isn't on there :'( - although I was Mary Reed too - I was baptised during the war and no-one thought to fetch it out!
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The one and only photograph of my Uncle Patrick, which hung in the parlour of our two up two down in HULME, Manchester. Where it went to I have no idea.
My younger brother found him on CWGC. He was KIA aged 25yrs. at Mametz Wood (Battle of Somme), 14th. July, 1916. If only I had that picture now!!
He is listed on the Thiepval Memorial having "no known grave".
Bill
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I don't know if one existed for my family, but a family bible, full of dates would be wonderful to have.
Kath
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This was a difficult one keeping to the rules -- ie things you know existed. There were many things which one supposed existed but didn't know for sure -- the family bible, gt grandmother's wedding dress etc etc but finally I thought of one thing which had to have existed. Gt gt grandfather James Spence was a master tailor. Oh to have one of the suits he made would make my day. As an amateur dressmaker myself I would love to see his work and see if I inherited any of his craftmanship
sallysmum
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the sugar plantation in Jamaica 8) 8) 8)
Greenvalley
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An interesting topic.
On Sunday evenings before we were allowed to light the gas mantle, I was allowed to get the Bradbury family scrapbook out of the cupboard and look at it in the fading light. There was everything in it - photos, of course, celebration cards, postcards and small handmade craft items all from about 1880-1935. I often wondered what happened to this magical book and shall, almost certainly, never know.
What would you do with the sugar plantation, Greenvalley?
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the sugar plantation in Jamaica 8) 8) 8)
Greenvalley
Now your talking. I'd love the house my dad lived in until he was about 6, in the condition it was in then.
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I think I'll opt for Morley Park Manor as owned by my GGGGGG-grandfather Thomas Coppard. Well, I can dream, can't I?
As for smaller things, I'd love to find the only photo of my great-grandfather Charles Adam Willis which hung on the family wall. The only copy of it in existance (as far as anyone knows) was a tiny, tiny little photo taken of the wall which showed it.
Or my granddads little blue BMW Isetta!
Glen
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What would you do with the sugar plantation, Greenvalley?
have banana trees, live in the big house, get a pool and laze about ;D ;D ;D
Unfortunately I don't even have the money to go there, but dreams are priceless and cost nothing 8) 8)
Greenvalley
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Or my granddads little blue BMW Isetta!
oh yes, there was my grandfather's 1920's Harley Davidson
Sallysmum
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Two things:
1) My Great Grandfather's WW2 medals. He loaned them to some girl decades ago for some sort of highland dancing competition and never got them back.
2) The Family bible of my greatx5 grandmother. Since discovering of it's existance in Aberdeen University's special Library, I've wanted it. If I can't have it, I would like it to be gifted to the local lighthouse museum which has a feature on Broadsea village, where she lived.
Front page:
(http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd116/Windsor87/1HelenLascellesjpg.jpg)
But if I can't have those, I suppose I shall have to make do with the Honours of Scotand.
Edit: Sorry for the size of that picture. I don't know how to decrease the size.
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I would wish for the three properties in Odiham Hampshire, that my 5X Great gandfather left in his will, although me being female I probably wouldn't be entitled. :'(
Pipkim
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A Valentine card dated 1780 from Sam Twigg to Mary Wingfield, my 3xgt-grandparents. Last known to be in the possession of my great-great aunt!
Diana
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Everything in my grandparents loft.
Seriously, ever since I can remember things have disappeared into the black hole of their loft, never to see the light of day again.
I know there are books up there given to me by my great grandfather.
I have no idea how much stuff disappeared into there before I was born but I have no doubt that it is a veritable Aladdin's cave.
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The grandfather clock and Willow patternd dinner service that were in my grans dinning room and I remember so clearly from when I was a child. Sadly when I was about 19 and away at college my mum decided that gran had to move into a smaller house near to her so she could pop in every day. The house was sold in a hurry and mum got the house clearance people in, it is so sad it was full of wonderful things and they all went, at least she held on to the few photos and the birthday book, but she says she didn't have room for anything else.
Debbie
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Photos of my Dad's parents, both of whom died shortly after he was born. All his siblings are dead, and if there were any photos, they are lost.... :'(
meles
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A rather large tea chest from my Nanna's attic. It was full chock-a-block of all her dresses and hats and feather boas..............playbills from the theatre and costume jewellry. Think 'My Fair Lady' and that's what the dresses were like......... It vanished. :-\ :-\ :-\
Or, if I couldn't have that, then the sideboard my Grandfather made in the living room......yes, he made it in the living room and, once it was finished, it was too big to be moved so there it stayed.......it might even be still there!!!
Barbara
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I thought of something else, photos of my Mum as a child. Her parents had a house fire and lost everything so I have no idea what she looked like as a little girl.
On Sunday evenings before we were allowed to light the gas mantle, I was allowed to get the Bradbury family scrapbook out of the cupboard and look at it in the fading light. There was everything in it - photos, of course, celebration cards, postcards and small handmade craft items all from about 1880-1935. I often wondered what happened to this magical book and shall, almost certainly, never know.
What a wonderful thing that would be and what a shame it has been lost.
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The glass fronted bookcase from my great grandmother's house.....it was full of all these really old wonderful books that I was allowed to sit and look at when we visited. I didn't realise it until I was older, but many of the books were accounts of early happenings in the settlement of South Australia.
I'd love to have them now.......
.....dee
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On another tack, I don't know if it should be on a separate thread or not, though it is generally on topic. I am sure someone will advise me.
I have inherited two oil paintings by an very amateur artist. They came from a friend of my father, Alexander Bradbury, and the signature on the pics is J. Parton. The origin of the pictures is Staffordshire c1930s, and they are both in Bakerlite frames. I think if this J. Parton was related to me then I would like to have the paintings returned.
If anyone knows of this J. Parton could they PM me please.
It's not so sunny today. What a pity.
Judy
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The death certificate of my missing gggrandfather Edward Martin, telling me where and how he died! (And since that is only a small thing, could I add the Roman Catholic baptism records of his parents, Thomas Martin and Agnes Jenkins!)
MarieC
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One item......just one item?
Grandad's tools - stonemason by trade.....
Or -
Mum's balance scales and weights - she was a baker and confectioner, but only ever used the scales when we'd been fruit-picking so she could work out quantities for jam.....
Or -
G-Grandad's Naval paraphernalia, presented to him when he retired (distant cousin has them, but has let me have a look)....
Or -
Any of the books, jewellery or ornaments that belonged to my Grandmother, which my Aunt had, and are now probably in some packing case in a dark cellar in New England - since my cousin came over and cleared the house after Aunt's death and just shipped everything back to America with him (and they don't have any real meaning for him as he was born in Africa and never really had much to do with Grandma!)....
.....now, which of all these things would I really like? Hmmmmm... ??? :-\
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I would realy, realy, realy love to have access to the original family photos and family bible in the possesion of my cousin, who isn't interested in Family History and doesn't answer my emails because she's too busy quilting, before she gets too old. And before I do too. ;D
Leonie.
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Oh I get that Lonelybones. I would love 2 boxes of old photos that are in the attic of my mom's cousin's house. They have talked of throwing the pictures out because they don't know who so many people are. I got them to hold off on that, but they won't let me even take them to look at them, identify some (which I was able to do in their kitchen one afternoon), and scan them. And they are stuck in a corner of an attic. >:(
Kath
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The torn off half of a photo of my grandmother and ( we believe) her first husband. It is generally thought that her second husband, my grandfather, destroyed the picture of his predecessor, though why he needed to when the person in question was long dead is a bit of a mystery.
Jen
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I would love to know what happened to my Nans bible that she showed me with all her family birthdates etc.
(No one will own up where it is - only want the info)
Also, the truth about my Paternal Gt Gt Gt grandfather was he really as bad as everyone researching imagines. Was he a convict etc.... where is his birth certificate, where was he really born etc etc etc
Barb
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Can I claim things that I have found for other people?
If so, I would like to claim my friends' ancestors possession which I found for her after a long search.
It was the title of King of England!!! Yep, that'll do for me!
Glen
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I have to admit to being green with envy at my partner's sister being the owner of a diary written by their great grandfather whilst on a sea voyage in the late 1800s. I wouldn't mind but she isn't remotely interested in family history!
Why didn't my sea-faring ancestors keep diaries and leave them all to me????
Jen
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Oh this topic is both so amusing and, at times, a little sad. Good idea though.
I sympathise with everyone who would like to see or own effects in which the current owners are completely disinterested. I too would like to search a couple of attics in homes once belonging to the family just to satisfy myself nothing of mention remains.
What happened to those beautiful (some may disagree) coloured glass urns/vases standing at each end of my grandmother's mantlepiece, which were absolutely dripping with diamond-shaped glass crystals? They stood about 18"-24" high.
.....and the canary in the cage belonging to my grandfather, a coal miner on the Staffordshire coalfield?
I could go on but won't.
Judy
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Can I have another wish??
I too would like a ship's log, for the lady Blackwood while John Cooper was captain.
I know one existed but have only ever seen an abbreviated transcript of it. He took his wife with him and at least three of their children were born whilst on whaling voyages.
Leonie.
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I'd like the photo of my 2x great grandfather Thomas Todd. Thomas was Scottish and the photo was of him wearing a kilt etc and holding a crook. Last seen by my mum and her sister when they lived at home. I think my Nan had a good throwing out session when she married for the second time......such a pity. :(
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Not to be repetative, but the box of photos my granny showed me when I was little. It just disappeared, and since my Dad had no siblings, I would like to know what happened to them.
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I would love to know where my paternal gt gr father sailed. There is no trace of him at Kew.
On his marriage July 1874 he was John Edward Boshell, mate.
On the birth cert. of his dau. Annie, Feb 14 1879 he was 'Master of a vessel'
At the birth of dau. Susan 1882 he was 'sailor'.
On the death cert. of Kathleen Dec. 1927 age 42 she was dau. of John Edward Boshell, deceased, a Captain, Merchant service.
His service record is what I would most like to have!
Kooky
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Talking of attics :'(
My mum remembered her father putting a box full of family papers up in the attic for safe keeping, this would have been 60-70 years ago...of course he and Nana are long gone and now so is my Mum.
I did write to the owner of the house in Kingston a couple of years ago...just on the off chance you know :-( Wishful thinking.
But she said the house had been re-roofed before they bought it and there was nothing up there now. Probably went in a skip years ago
Sylvia
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That reminds me. I have two attic stories. One, when one of my brothers was in law school (which was in the same town my grandfather was born and died in) one of his friends asked if he was related to my grandfather, who had died a long time ago, and when he found out, he gave my brother a box of stuff that had been found in the attic when his parents bought the house. It was a bunch of memoribillia of my grandfather. I don't know if they ever really found out why the stuff was in the attic.
And last year I found a "new" relative. He said a couple years ago he went back to the town that his father, grandparents, and great-grandparents had grown up in. His dad had told him that he remembered stuff being in left in the attic of the family home, so he knocked on the door. He said the people were wonderful, but they had remodeled about a year ago and thrown everything out. Yikes. What timing.
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It's obvioue to Geneaology freaks The Family Bible
Think of all the frustrations, wrong leads. record office visits, library visits (Anc.com is free in our local library), visits to Church of latter day saints, cemetery searches census look ups and general total time wasting including hours of computer time this activity takes, that would have been unnecessary.
It would have saved me visiting live relatives asking dubious questions some did'nt want to answer and boring the pants off them.
One of our Family Bibles was lost in a house fire, the other lost with another untraceable relative.
But I must admit when you get a sure fire lead/connection it gives quite a buzz
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We had the family Bible. Big heavy thing...I held it in my hands.
But it was mildewed and musty. My mother had become seriously allergic to mold spores, so together we took it to the local crematorium and asked them to burn it. I rescued some photos from it, but had no interest in family history then.
Just this year a cousin told me that Bible had all the family information in it :'( And I have been able to discover next to nothing about them.
That rhythmic thumping sound you hear is me banging my head against the wall................... :'( :'( :'(
Cheers,
China
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I wondered what the noise was ???
Don't beat yourself too much China, we all leave thing behind as we move through life.
And you must be enjoying all the detective work or you wouldn't be here.
;)
Leonie.
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Oh China!! :o :o
Sympathies. I can imagine just how you must be kicking yourself. As I am, not to have questioned some of the oldies who would have known what lay behind my brick walls before they departed this life!
MarieC
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I'd like the box of photos that my Aunts put in my Nans coffin with her.
I don't have a photo of my Grandad (her husband) as he died before I was born and the only ones that were taken of him are now six foot under.
Probably seemed like a nice idea at the time ,but now there are about 40 grandchildren that don't know what their Grandad looked like.
Thank You to the wonderful Aunt I discovered who managed to save one of Grandads father (my Gt Grandad).
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Frankly I wouldn't mind having even one of the *two* calf-bound Shakespeare First Folios which my g-g-grandfather had in his library. They go for about £3 million each at auction these days... :(
Anna
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One of the things I said I would like is a family bible. Guess what? Visiting my mom this week she says to me, "Oh yeah, I found a family bible." :o Unfortunately, there isn't much info in it, but I did get the marriage date, place, and priest who marriedmy grandparents, and it's just neat to have it I guess. I got what I asked for.
Hey, maybe there's something to this thread. ;D
Kath
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Frankly I wouldn't mind having even one of the *two* calf-bound Shakespeare First Folios which my g-g-grandfather had in his library. They go for about £3 million each at auction these days... :(
Yeah...you could get a boatload of online genealogy done for that kind of nicker.... ;D
Cheers,
C
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You could get on a boat and go see all the places where they lived for yourself ;D
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I'd like a photo of my GG grandparents and their children (with grandchildren it would be a bonus). Earliest photos on that side of the family are post-WW2. I don't have any photos of my G Grandfather even though he died in the 1960s. It's the family that I feel most 'connected' to, and most of my findings have been on this branch. They had 12 children (2 died). I'm just dying to know what they looked like!
Andrew
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I wish I had the musical album full of photos of my maternal ancestors which belonged to a great aunt, after her death my mother's eldest sister inherited it. We found out after the aunt died she'd sold it! :(
I remember the album as a very young child and was fascinated by the music played when opened rather than the photos inside! My regret is not rescuing the album from the aunt :'(
Susan
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I wish I'd a photo of my Grandads who'd both died before I was born. :(
It would be terrific to see what they looked like.
Photos of my Grans would be good too, but at least I can still picture them in my mind's eye. :)
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I wish I had a photo of my Great Uncle James. He died in Australia in 1925. I managed to find his grave, where he lived etc but no photos.
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My g-g-great uncle Donald Angus Cameron's notebooks from the 1890s - which are tantalisingly referred to in a family document as "containing the oral history of the past eleven generations of our family". Last seen sometime in the 1970s ... now disappeared into the ether along with bell bottom trousers and macrame hangings ;D
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Ooh, good question.
the answer: either Frank's medals or some photos of my Callaghan's - at least Maria or John! I wish I could draw because I have very specific idea of what a lot of my ancestors might have looked like, and I would like to draw pictures of what I think they look like!
Erin :)
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Oh Just one thing ::) ::)
Well I think it would have to be ???
The Family Bible
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Hi.
My Nan's bible would be my treasure.
It sat on her sideboard for years and then when she died it went missing, and no one in the family will own up to having it.
It would solve all my problems with that side of the family.
And like i have said i don't want to keep it just read the family tree in it.
William James
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Probably someone threw it out, William, and can't bring themselves to admit it to you! :o :o :'( :'( Wouldn't be the first time...
MarieC
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ALL MY FAMILYS INHERETENCE
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their secrets
they kept quite a few cracker's from us :)
Elaine
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& the rest
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Rereading this thread bought back more memories. I too would love to have the First Editions of William Shakespeare which belonged to my great uncle. They wouldn't be worth the figure quoted earlier for Folios but they were bound in very old leather. Also, the "Devil's Chair" in the corner of the room and also an old copy of Robert Burns from which my gt. aunt would read to me in her lovely Scottish accent.
Happy memories have been stimulated by this thread, haven't they?
Judy
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My Father-in-laws WW!! medals. My husband is so sad not to get them. Step sister loved Dad as much as we did and step-mother warned us that she might be reluctant to part with the medals. We arranged to go to Cornwall to pick them up but step-sister claimed to have had a burglary and the medals were gone. !!!!! My husband is ex Army Regular and the medals meant the world to him.
We know they are sitting in a drawer somewhere, unloved and un cherished and should be in the hands of his descendants.
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The brewery that my fathers ancestors owned in Herefordshire!!!
Regards
Sharpie
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The Bowkett family bible that my GUncle Horace said I could have but he died and I dont know what happened to it :'(
Willow x
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My great grandfather's birth certificate. How else am I ever going to know more about John Smith, born Sunderland, 1856 - 1861?
Why do I have to have so many Smiths???????????
Jen
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Jen, for exactly the same reason as me!!! ;D ;D ;D I would also like to find my Great Grandfather William's birth certificate (another elusive Smith from Sunderland!)
If I can sneak another 'wish' in, then what I would really, really like, is to see the samplers that another relative has, the earliest dating back to 1801. This relative isn't remotely interested in the family history, yet appears to have it all in their possession :'(
justmej
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My John Smith's father was William Smith, a butcher, just in case you happen upon him.
I also have to confess to an urge to nick the old diary which my partner's sister has from one of their great grandfathers. I copied it out but that's not the same thing at all.
I would like to have my great uncle's "Death Penny" which currently lives in my mum's fireplace but I have two sisters who also have a claim on this.
Actually, there is no point in limiting myself to one thing - I want all the photos, certificates, work records and everything else. I won't get them all but that doesn't stop me wishing, does it?
Jen
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I have only one wish (for now) :).
My late father-in-law's Birth Certificate. We know nothing of his family history.
Perhaps a wish for another time...that my sister who has no interest in tracing the family history, will hand over photographs and letters she has in her possession. I have asked nicely a number of times.
Sarra :(
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A letter which my g-grandfather wrote to his brother in Australia in 1874 telling him all about various members of the family. I have a typewritten copy but nobody seems to know what happened to the original. I would dearly love to see it because I have g-grandfather's old ledgers from his shop but many people have written in them and I don't know which is his handwriting.
Sue
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Any letters that my ancestors sent back to England.
And . . apprenticeship papers of my g g g grandfather, please ;D
Margaret
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A picture of my grandfather KIA, Arras 9/4/1917. even my father doesn't remember his likeness.
To balance this, A distant cousin in Aus, found me through friends reunited and emailed me a pic of my gt gt grandmother who I never even knew of.
Eternally grateful
Howard
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if i could have one thing it would be the 3 family photo albums that were thrown away when my g-grandmother died the year before i was born! no one wanted them so they were taken away to the local tip with all her papers and letters she'd kept . if only i was there just think what was lost
Matilda :'(
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I would like to have my great uncle's "Death Penny"
What's a death penny??
C
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One of the things I wish I had, I could actually have had, which makes it all the more annoying/upsetting. To explain - my great aunt (by marriage) died about 25 years ago. She had no children, but a lot of family...at the funeral it was absolutely terrible, they were like vultures...seriously, and I was really upset by it all. I was told to take something, but I couldn't bear to, I was just so disgusted by the behaviour (I hasten to add that my mum and dad were as horrified as I was and kept well out of the 'rumaging').
The thing is she had loads and loads of family photos. I had spent hours of my childhood pouring over them...simply wish I had taken them, because I'm certain they were thrown away.
The other thing is also a photo of great grandad Webb. My mum remembers it from her childhood, but her gran died when she was a teenager, and she has no idea what happened to it. I'd love to see what he looked like as he has given me a merry chase the last few years..pinned him down now though, thanks to some wonderful RootsChatters!! ;D
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China
A Death Penny is the term used (coloq) for the memorial plaque that was issued to the relatives of those who lost their life fighting in the Great War.
Howard
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If it's just a big of fun.....I would have liked the big honking diamond ring that my mother left my older sister ;D ;D ;D
dollylee
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for me it would have to be the battered almost rusty dinner fork that my granddad had used. He had brought it back with him from the Japanese prison camps although it had belonged to someone else.
We had all forgotten about it sitting in the cutlery draw when my Nan died and all the cutlery went to a charity shop.It was only remembered 3 months later, so now each time i visit a charity shop guess what I'm looking for, although I know it has most probably been melted down now or on a landfield site somewhere
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I would like recordings of the voices of my ancestors - just as much as knowing what they looked like I would like to hear their speech.
Chirp
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What ONE family item?
ONE - that is soo hard.
My wish list could go on forever
I suppose if only one was allowed the baptisms/marriages/deaths
of my Catholic relatives. especially during the persecution.
I have a few from the resuscants registers...BUT..... if only I could
find the church registers...
Jinks
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Like you, Jinks, I am at a brick wall with my Catholic ancestors and wish desperately that I could get access to their baptisms/marriages/deaths!
Do tell me, how did you get hold of recusant registers? Where are they/how accessible are they?
MarieC
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I would like the photo of Gt-Uncle Valentine (Killed on the Somme 3/9/1916) which used to stand on the piano in my grandma's front room.
OH would like the memoirs which his gt-uncle was writing before he died at the age of 95. His son took all the stuff away and though we asked politely we have never seen them and are not likely to. We adored gt-uncle. My son aged 34 can remember having a gt-gt-uncle; they used to discuss buses. I sobbed all the way through his funeral, so embarrassing!
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I think the resucants registers would be available at the County
Record Office.
I got hold of mine through various sources.
1. A speaker at a Family History Meeting.
2. From Rootschart - someone looked it up for me.
3. I am friendly with a Father in a closed order.
Jinks
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Thanks, Jinks!
None of those sources are going to be much use to me in Australia. But I appreciate your letting me know, anyway!
MarieC
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I found an uncle two years ago who I has lost touch with about 30 years ago it was lovely seeing him again but he had cancer ,he told me he had the family papers going back years and would give them to me , but he died soon after and his wife is not very forthcoming, in fact she gave me the impression she had thown them away.
What I would give to see them??.
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Since I'm not allowed to have something ephemeral, then it would have to be the notes my Gran made when she was approached by someone writing a book in which her father had a 'bit part'.
When asked for some 'interesting snippets' about her father, she had two problems, where to start and where to stop! He was a bit of a rogue - no, he was a lot of a rogue actually - and her stories of him were legion. She scribbled them down in a notebook but because her writing even at it's 'best' was appalling, she got me to type these notes up. Of course, that was in the day before puters and, no, I wasn't much interested so no, I didn't keep any copies. Oh b*****!
I take some miniscule comfort from the fact that had her writing not been so illegible I wouldn't have known these notes even existed and at least I can remember some tiny snippets of what she said.
Of course in more recent times I managed to get a copy of this book - references to my grt-grandfather are - well 'scant' is the word which springs to mind! B*****!
Undeterred, I managed to seek out the author, he kindly wrote saying he seldom destroyed research notes and, promising to send me a copy of what Gran had provided .... promptly up and died!!!
Oh b***** again!
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My mothers wedding dress. She let a friend borrow it in 1950 and never got it back. She asked for it at least a hundred times.
It was hand made by my aunt and looked beautiful from the photos.
I expect the so called friend either sold it or else ruined it. >:( >:(
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I wish I the photographs of my great grandparents that my mother burned when my grandma died in 1970! She said she didn't think anyone would want them, as none of us knew them (they died in 1923).
Bill
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like most people there are several things I regret not having,
for instance a photo I remember seeing in my grandmothers house
of her parents,at least I remember what they looked like,then theres
my g'dad owens missing ww1 medals and a book my dad wrote
(longhand ,so unpublished) about his childhood which his dad threw
on the fire so thats something that will never turn up.
but mostly its photos of my mother and her family as children. a cousin of mine
has these and had promised to share but he now lives in perth w. australia
and we are not in touch.
Anne
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Oh Mogsmum, what a shame! B ***** indeed!
Anne, that is so sad. Fancy your grandfather throwing your dad's book on the fire! The things people do are quite astounding, sometimes! I do hope that at some future time you will be able to be in contact with your cousin in Perth WA again!
MarieC
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yes mariec,it is sad as my dad would have been quite a storyteller,
he told me to always write things down and make sure to keep them.
but I think my g'dad reading it might just have been enough for my dad
because they were great pals in in later years.so maybe it served its purpose.
Anne
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I'm glad to know that there was not a huge rift there, and that they were pals, Anne. But it's still sad that it happened, isn't it, and that you can't get your hands on it!
MarieC
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I would love a photo of my grandfather in his army uniform, to give to my dear mum.
Lesley
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On another tack, I don't know if it should be on a separate thread or not, though it is generally on topic. I am sure someone will advise me.
I have inherited two oil paintings by an very amateur artist. They came from a friend of my father, Alexander Bradbury, and the signature on the pics is J. Parton. The origin of the pictures is Staffordshire c1930s, and they are both in Bakerlite frames. I think if this J. Parton was related to me then I would like to have the paintings returned.
If anyone knows of this J. Parton could they PM me please.
It's not so sunny today. What a pity.
Judy
I have just found out that the artist was a James Parton who lived near my father when he was young in Chase Terrace, Staffordshire.
Through GenesReunited I have found a relative of the aforesaid person. Isn't it amazing what one can find out?
Judy
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There were two old leather bound photo albums that my g grandma put in the bin 'coz no one will be interested in'.The photos it would have contained.It nearly brings tears to my eyes just to think about it :'(
Steve
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On another tack, I don't know if it should be on a separate thread or not, though it is generally on topic. I am sure someone will advise me.
I have inherited two oil paintings by an very amateur artist. They came from a friend of my father, Alexander Bradbury, and the signature on the pics is J. Parton. The origin of the pictures is Staffordshire c1930s, and they are both in Bakerlite frames. I think if this J. Parton was related to me then I would like to have the paintings returned.
If anyone knows of this J. Parton could they PM me please.
It's not so sunny today. What a pity.
Judy
Through GR I have at last found the name of the artist who painted these paintings! :D Do you think I should try to find the DIRECT descendant of the person or just wait till someone contacts me? I found through GR a great niece of the artist but, as yet, she hasn't requested the pictures although she does know the whole story.
Very intriguing. ::)
Judy
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In the lounge room of my grandmother's house in Leichhardt, Sydney, was a portrait of her father, Christopher Tatham, in full Masonic regalia - I suspect it was painted on the occasion of his rise to Master of his Lodge. However after grandma's death, the portrait disappeared, ... and nobody seems to know what became of it. My dad has since died, and he and his brother lost contact after their mother died.
I'd love to find that portrait again - especially since I've now found a photo of an unidentified gent, in grandma's photo album, and would love to know if it might be gt-grandad.
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I'd love my 5xg grandfather, George Heslop's will. He died in 1841 and I strongly suspect he would have left a will - he was a merchant in his younger days and a schoolmaster after that. To see and touch his signature would be fantastic. He's by far my favourite ancestor!
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I have the family bible so I guess I have no right to want anything else but I would have loved all the documents from my husbands side of the family that his aunt threw out only a few years ago when his grandmother died. She did not think anyone would want them :-[
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Well coming from fairly poor, large families on both sides of my tree, I don't think there is much to want. Also I descend from the youngest siblings so we wouldn't have been left much anyway. Obviously family photos would be nice, but I kind of already have those.
I think the main item would be my great grandma's wedding ring. I know who has it and I know I *might* have it one day (even I never have a 'proper' use for it - violins!!). I shall keep hoping (for the ring, not a proposal!)...
It's not worth anything at all, but the sentimental value is priceless.
Kim :)
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Oh, the photo of my paternal grandparents` wedding.
No white dress or bouquet, a leg of mutton sleeved tweedy dress and grandma standing behind seated grandad .1896.
It disappeared around the time dad died .Some things went from his house, for safekeeping really but they were left by mistake by my sister in her attic when years later she moved.
Grandma`s cheap, rolled gold/brass cored wedding ring went when my sister was burgled. That was sad because I`d always wanted it and had seen it only a few weeks before at my sister`s when her visiting daughter brought it to look at from my sister`s jewellery box.We were talking about family history matters and as my sister was not very interested her daughter turned to me.
There is also a family album from said grandma`s family held by someone not interested but who will not share it despite not having a clue who is who. My heart aches------ Viktoria.
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Hello,
I know this post was a long time ago, so I appreciate that no one will probably reply but I am a descendant of James Parton, the artist who created those paintings. I would be very interested if this page is still active, for you to contact me, as this would be of great family value and much appreciated :) Thank you!
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Hi Ashleigh and welcome to Rootschat...Judy has been online today so you should get a response to your post....when you have made 3 posts you can send her a personal message.
Carol
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I would love to sit on Grand uncle's rocking chair.
On Sundays my mother would bring my sister & I to visit Grand uncle.
We would take turns to sit in the rocking chair.
There was no TV so the chair was our entertainment
It had a stand, so it was quite high and very heavy.
I never saw another one like it.
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Thanks for your reply :) I hope they do reply as it is of great importance :)
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Judy/Ankedine was on Roots this morning but may not have seen your message.... so if you reply to this post then you will have posted 3 times...then you can send her a PM ( personal message)...you do this by clicking onto the text icon beneath her avatar.
Carol
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Okay then thanks for the tip :)
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How lovely to see a conclusion possible like this, for the paintings, after so long.
I became intrigued, reading all these posts. We never had a family bible, on any line, as far as I know - but what I really would like (sorry, three things) is:
1) labels / notes on the jumble of photos I and another family member have been trying to sort through and identify for ages.
2) ANY photos from my other half's family history - M in L destroyed them ALL a few years before she died!!!!
3) My grandmother's long, long-lost necklace of alternate large graduated oval mother of pearl beads and small facetted black glass beads. I used to play with it when she was wearing it, as a child, it was her favourite, although not of great value - and do you know, watching "Downton Abbey" some time back, there was the Dowager Duchess wearing one that looked EXACTLY the same??? I never found what happened to it, I know it was passed on to me with other things as only grandchild, but it seemed to get lost before I was old enough to wear it ... and I'd have loved wearing it.
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I have PM'd Ashleigh to say I'd willingly hand over the paintings for her to give to her grandmother.
They've been in various family homes for 70/80 years and we've only just put them away in a cupboard. They are quite naive and the dark brown Bakerlite frames are a bit chipped but maybe they will bring some pleasure to the lady.
Personally, I would love to find a photograph of my own parents' wedding which took place at Christchurch, Lichfield on 6th December 1928. I remember seeing it once wrapped in brown paper at the bottom of a cupboard but maybe my mother hid it away when my father died in 1953.
Judy
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Oh nice one Judy...I love it when people make contact with their relatives lives...I'm sure Ashleigh will have been delighted.
Carol
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I stopped reading this thread at page 5, as my list of "one" items was getting bigger. ::)
My first thought was my grandfather's gold pocket watch he received from the South Australian Railways for service. No-one in the family knows, or is willing to admit knowing, what happened to it. If I couldn't have it, at least a nice photo of it would be enough.
Reading some of the posts then got me thinking. I'd given up on, and forgotten about, the family bible. Years ago, I held it in my hands. Now, it seems to have passed through several family members, and it has proved elusive. Once again, a photo or two would suffice. Especially of the handwritten page of birth and death dates.
Then I remembered the grandfather clock that belonged to my aunt and uncle. I was meant to have it, as well as several old tapestries depicting Middle Eastern scenes. But because they had no children of their own, and my aunt passed away first, the house and its belongings passed out of the family to my uncle's niece. These items were probably of no great value, but had all captured my imagination as a child.
Hard to split between the three.
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I'd love to have my great uncle Paddy's WWI medals. I remember playing with them as a child, they always intrigued me. Sadly sold many years ago as they weren't important to my parents. :'(
I remember seeing a photo of my mother's grandfather I don't know who has it now, but I would love to have it (or even a scan of it.)
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Well, there was a sampler, embroidered in Carmarthenshire by my GGG grandmother Mary Isaac as a small child. She was born in 1811. It would be close to 200 years old now...
My mother remembered it hanging on the wall in a frame, and knew the verse off by heart:
"When greedy worms my body eat then you may read my name complete"
Unfortunately, my grandmother took a notion to clean it, removed it from the frame and gave it a good wash. She ended up with sludgey scraps of faded wool.
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Now, that's a real tragedy :'(
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It was indeed. Along with the family bible, which "disappeared" from grandma's clutches.
Oh, and when my GG grandmother Eliza Mary died suddenly in 1895, she was in the process of hand stitching a cape. My mother had it, still with the needle stuck into the fabric, but gave it to my sister, who placed no value on it and "can't remember where it went"
To be able to turn back time eh?
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Not wanting to rub salt into your wound, but this is my great-great grandmother's sampler from the exact same time period as yours...and perhaps what yours might look like now. I can see it needing a "wash", though... :(
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=211742.0
Cheers,
China
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Oh go on, give it a good scrub. It's harbouring dust! ;D
Caroline.
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I would dearly love to get my hands on the lovely 4 legged stand where you could put 2 lots of flowers on (the bottom just before the legs and the top) and an ashtray stand made by my father!
The Ashtray had a penny in the middle and I remember it was the year of my sister's birthday. I could polish them up again and make them look lovely as they were rosewood.
Bev
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We are all likely to throw things out or give away things that we or family members may become nostalgic aboout in the future.
My Nain had a glass fronted cabinet full of her treasures and I would love to know, as would all my cousins, what happened to the yellow/green chunk of glass that was supposedly off Royal Charter and what happened to the painting of a little green parrot pulling a small cart.
When I was a child I cherished a toy that I had been given, but in a moment of benevolence I gave all my favourite toys away to a children's home nearby including a lovely book about a carthorse that had doors opening on to the next page all the way through.
Fifty years later I spotted the same cherished toy in an auction and was brave enough to bid on it and win at a pretty high price. This may not be my original toy but it is sufficiently like it, and still in working order, that it gives me as much pleasure now as it did then.
Burnt and destroyed items can never be restored but perhaps we can make sure that we keep records for our future generations to enjoy.
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My maternal grandfather was arrested in Leicester in 1912 - don't know why he was there - for playing a street organ. He was apparently busking. I would love to have that instrument.
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Am I allowed 2 things?
The art nouveau watch stand belonging to my grandfather (b 1883 died 8 years before I was born) - I remember it on my parents' sideboard as late as 1980. Only pewter but a beautiful graceful lady holding her arms in the air holding a hook onto which the pocket watch was hung.
The family bible from my mother's side destroyed in WW2.
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My grandmother was a very tiny woman. When I was about 11, and pretty tiny myself, my granny was clearing out a cupboard. She pulled out a dress, brown and white striped, it rustled. She told me it was silk! It had leg o mutton sleeves, a high frigidly neck, lots of little pearly buttons right down the top front, and the stripes in the bodice were diagonal, coming to a peak at the waist? She told me to try it on, I did, and it fitted me perfectly!
Then she told me it was her wedding dress!! I can see it now, but only in my mind!
After she died, I was clearing out her things, was that dress anywhere?? NOOOOO! Nada.. Gone!
There were about 6 Woolworths pink" suits of armour! This is what I called the lace up boned corsets she wore! How on earth did anyone wear those awful things day in and day out? Beats me! She didn't need to pull anything in, their was nothing of her!
And summer in NZ is not exactly cool! I don't want to see the corsets again, but that silk dress??? Oooooh yes please!
Jeanne :)
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Whata lovely story Jeanne.
Why don't you try drawing and painting it. Research the style and colours here or on Google. Perhaps with the aid of folk on here superimpose a photo of your grandmother. You may be able to create something tangible with which to remember that lovely wedding dress.
Just a thought.
Judy
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And yours is a lovely thought Judy!! As useless as I am at drawing, (can't even draw a stick-man), I really like your idea. It's just transferring what I can see quite clearly in my head onto paper that's the challenge.
Maybe if I look around, and get an outline of the shape of the dress, I might be able to put something together mmmmm. Shouldn't be too hard to find a photo of one of that time that is similar! she married my Grandpop in Glasgow, 1914. Mmmm. I like it!!
By the way, in my previous post, I notice that I have given her dress a "frigidly" neckline, lol typo - oops, that was supposed to say "frilly". Now that I come to think of it, it was more of a ruffle!
And another by the way, I noticed the name Williamson Ayrshire in your surname list. This little Watson grandmother of mine was married to Robert McAughtrie, whose grandmother was a Mary Williamson married to a Thomas Houston. They lived in New Cumnock in Ayrshire, although Mary W had been born in Ireland. Wouldn't it be funny if ......
Anyway, I will certainly give your idea a lot more thought! I'll be researching 1914 dresses for a while, and the photo board on here will be a great place to start flicking through old photos! A nice little change of direction might unfry my brain from trying to find an Irish great great grandfather and his two sisters a mother..
. ::). Jeanne
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Hi again
Do try and create something. There are amazing people on here who do wonderful things with photos. Don't hesitate to ask for help.
My gtx2 grandfather was a John Williamson who came from Ireland c1830 and settled in Stranraer, Wigtownshire. The Williamsons, the Marshalls and the Watsons were tinklers during the early/middle part of the 19th century.
All this talk has reminded me of a basketweave holdall which was in our loft when I was a child. In it was a multicoloured silken shawl with long black fringes hanging all around. I wonder if an ancestor wore it when she told fortunes?! ;)
Judy
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I am torn about this one thing.It is in the hands of a history centre and therefore probably available to be seen by all, but I would love to have the daybook of my OH's 3Ggrandfather.
He was a builder and it covers his day to day work, estimates on buildings etc. It would give me a much clearer picture of day to day life.
Liz
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Mine would be the family recipe for sausages, assuming it was ever written down. My grandfather and several of his cousins were butchers all from a long line of butchers, and apparently they were all well-known for a particular type of sausage with a very distinctive recipe using a secret combination of spices. None of them seem to have passed the recipe on to the next generation!
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So many really interesting items! :)
I've thought hard and decided as one of my ancestors, Thomas Crump, was an Ivory Turner - I would love some of his work.
Also as this was such an interesting thread, I made an article about it on my website. Where I've put more information about Thomas. www.findingmypast.weebly.com (http://www.findingmypast.weebly.com) :)
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So many really interesting items! :)
I've thought hard and decided as one of my ancestors, Thomas Crump, was an Ivory Turner - I would love some of his work.
Also as this was such an interesting thread, I made an article about it on my website. Where I've put more information about Thomas. www.findingmypast.weebly.com (http://www.findingmypast.weebly.com) :)depends whether they were babies all born on the same day , o9 people of varying agesbeing christened? more info, more info 6 is sextuplets so what would 8 be?
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depends whether they were babies all born on the same day , o9 people of varying agesbeing christened? more info, more info 6 is sextuplets so what would 8 be?
8 would be octuplets and Thomas wasn't part of a octuplet.
I think you may have the wrong thread! :)
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Easy.
My granddad's gypsy caravan.