Hi folks,
I just wanted to share a very emotional moment with you, something which has made all of my research so far worthwhile, and in doing so hope my experience encourages others to continue searching for their past.
I had the chance to visit Holbeach Town cemetery on Sunday 26th March, looking for graves which I knew existed (from records located in Spalding library). I walked from one end of the cemetery to the other and up and down every row of headstones. I found what i was looking for, a handful of my Broughton ancestors last resting places.
Its strange but I knew they were there when I arrived, and of course I know they'd been there when as a teenager I'd visited area and also when as an adult I'd driven to many of the pubs in the town for pleasure.
But, standing there looking at my Great Great Grandparents memorial I shed a tear or two. Samuel Broughton (1838) was one of twin boys, his brother died at or around birth (his death was registered at the same time as their birth. Samuel's father died about a year after his birth. I would like to eventually find both their graves, but don't really expect I will.
One interesting aside is that I'd struggled to work out Samuel's wifes maiden name. The IGI records is as either Holborn or Wright, the census's helped and eventually I found it was Holborn. But, over her life, she, or more likely parish clerks, enumerators and other officials actual changed it to Oban. Clearly as a result of its phonetic spelling and our lilting Lincolnshire accent. Her gravestone calls her Ann Oban Broughton.
Either way, that is one small part of a huge jigsaw puzzle which I continue to assemble. Thank you for reading this little bit of my history and good look exploring your own..
