Gift for my Great Grandmother - What's Yours?

[fallingonabruise]

I'd visit my great grandma Mary Wilson, and give her some advice,
have all of your 3 husbands and 1 lover cremated instead of burying them, so that they couldn't be exhumed and get her sentenced to death (she was reprieved by the way and died in prison)
 just joking by the way, not condoning murder !

She was the reason I started doing family history, I've always known about her being a serial killer, but wanted to know the full story, why a little old lady in her 60's was bumping off several old fellas,
she's been in a few books since i started, and we found lots of new info ( with help from MonicaL )and she seems to be getting more well known, just google 'the merry widow of windy nook'.
 

[MadaboutRoses1883]

Does it have to be a gr grandmother?
I have a gr gr grandmother who I would give a great big hug to if I could.
Her's is such a sad story, she had 7 children the youngest were boy and girl twins. The little girl died aged 3 months and through her grief she took to drink!
To cut along story short, she pawned things to pay for her drink which naturally lead to arguments at home. One day she argued and stayed all night at her fathers house. Next morning she was met by her eldest daughter on her way home, she told her to go ahead home and tell them she was coming home.
Then she took a de tour and threw herself into the river and 3 days later was found drowned.
That was days before Christmas.
My gift to her would be a hug and a chance for her to talk it all out.
Poor love, she needed help.

[StanleysChesterton]

Does it have to be a gr grandmother?

Then she took a de tour and threw herself into the river and 3 days later was found drowned.
That was days before Christmas.
My gift to her would be a hug and a chance for her to talk it all out.
Poor love, she needed help.

Doesn't have to be a G-grandma, I needed something for a focus and G-grandmas are quite compelling

Awww.  That is a sad story, you must've cried for weeks once you found out.

[StanleysChesterton]

I'd visit my great grandma Mary Wilson, and give her some advice,
have all of your 3 husbands and 1 lover cremated instead of burying them, so that they couldn't be exhumed and get her sentenced to death (she was reprieved by the way and died in prison)
 just joking by the way, not condoning murder !

She was the reason I started doing family history, I've always known about her being a serial killer, but wanted to know the full story, why a little old lady in her 60's was bumping off several old fellas,
she's been in a few books since i started, and we found lots of new info ( with help from MonicaL )and she seems to be getting more well known, just google 'the merry widow of windy nook'.
 

Brilliant!  I love that it wasn't hushed up in the family and you had a great "pull" to start your quest.

I do 'envy' you that you've got so many professional people/researchers/writers digging around in dusty boxes for details though!

She had four sons and her husband died the following year...so she could have needed them for her boots to go to work. 60 shillings fine seems a bit steep and a lot of money in those days 

I think all their sentences seem harsh to us now.  It was the attitude of "Zero Tolerance" though and, to some degree, that should be applauded, but they did live desperate lives in desperate times, without any lee-way for their hardships.

[MadaboutRoses1883]

Does it have to be a gr grandmother?

Then she took a de tour and threw herself into the river and 3 days later was found drowned.
That was days before Christmas.
My gift to her would be a hug and a chance for her to talk it all out.
Poor love, she needed help.

Doesn't have to be aG-grandma, I needed something for a focus and G-grandmas are quite compelling

Awww.  That is a sad story, you must've cried for weeks once you found out.

Yes, it honestly did make me weep. I found her story by co-incidence, which made me feel she wanted her story told. My mother was to be called after her (as family tradition was then) but on the way to the church her aunt (maybe the one who met my gr gr grandmother on the way home?) changed my mother's intended name to something different.
(Funny thing was, we kids never believed my mother when she used to tell us what her name should have been, and that her aunt changed it to what it is, but that inquest report I found bears it out).

[Erato]

Truth serum. 

[jess5athome]

Truth serum.

 

Don't ask me how, but, if I had not seen the name I would have hazarded a guess that it was your reply Erato, as always, straight as a die and intriguing.

Regards always
Frank.

[Treetotal]

Truth serum.

That made me smile....no explanation needed...just a prescription that I would also have given one or two rellies.
Carol

[Finley 1]

'Time' as much of mine to her as she gave to me   she died  1987 age 90 and all I have are wonderful memories, I know she wasn't perfect and I remember one or two 'telling offs' but she was Nan... that special - special lady in my life.. 


xin