You never know whats around the corner!

[Tony Payne]

OR - we had a family friend who also worked on the railroad.  I used to play with his son down in Poole where they lived when I was little.  He also wrote a book about his time in captivity, "No Time For Geishas", and I have a signed copy.   When I was in Bankock back in 1988 we took a tour to the cemetary and museum by the Bridge Over The Kwai, and in the museum was a section dedicated to him.  I have pictures somewhere that I took in the museum.

[DJFRENCH]

  
Fantastic  and Soooooooooo exciting. Yeah what does the wedding dress look like ? How wonderful to have photos.

My little bit of excitement that i discovered was my Great Aunt Pat(well half sister to my nan) the virtually the first Bollywood actressin Calcutta at the age of 16 !
She made 41 film - so if anyone knows how i could get a film of hers i would thrilled 

Patience Cooper is on quite a few sites on the web and she looks very like my Granmother , Frances Henrietta Lewendon
Thanks
DJ

[MarkyP]

Pictures you want, picture's you'll get!  None of them are brilliant images, just taken randomly without the use of a flash, but they do give a general impression.

Firstly the wedding dress from 1787, my 5xG,Grandmothers.

[MarkyP]

Some more, these are portraits of my 4xG,Grandparents

[MarkyP]

This is wedding dress from the early 1840's, and is also in the portrait. She is my 1st cousin 5x removed! 

[PrueM]

WOW 

What beautiful things, MarkyP, and rare survivors too.  I expect those dresses are silk, which can age very badly, so obviously they were very well loved and taken care of before they went to the museum.  They're absolutely beautiful. And to have a portrait of the lady who wore it....super-dooper fantastic! 

Prue

[JillJ]

What wonderful stories and beautiful pictures!  As I turn a delicate shade of green with envy you all give me the determination to carry on digging!

Jill

[Ruskie]

Truly amazing MarkyP - I am speechless and green with envy. You are SO lucky but I'm sure you realise that. I too have virtually nothing of my ancestors - a couple of pictures and the odd trinket, but not very old.

I should have had more pictures but a great aunt said she got rid of them all. I'm quite sad and angry about that actually.

I did recently connect up with a (distant - 7th cousin once removed) relative who has an extensive tree.

Very exciting, nothing like your finds MarkyP.

[PaulaToo]

No delicate shade of green for me a real day glow green here.
 
But I did have Aunt Win's sewing machine drawer.
Who would have thought when she left me her sewing machine, that one of the drawers would be stuffed full of so many interesting snippets from her family. Odd things, a picture of her father, (Mad Grandfather Joe) who was locked up with a brain disorder brought on by the wood he was working with, an died, forgotten save for my dear Aunt. Also there were snapshots of Great Grandmother Emily, and Gran Sarah's travel tickets and hotel receipts, even her passport.
These little treasure troves come to us from unexpected places. You never know what's just around the corner...do you.