What is the one family item you wish you had? - just for a bit of fun

[justmej]

Jen, for exactly the same reason as me!!!   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

[genjen]

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

[sarra]

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

[SWar]

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

[little meg]

Any letters that my ancestors sent back to England.

And . . apprenticeship papers of my g g g  grandfather, please 

Margaret

[howdee]

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

[matilda1973]

         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 

[chinakay]

I would like to have my great uncle's "Death Penny"

What's a death penny??

C

[bwgan ceredig]

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!!