Heirlooms rant

[Viktoria]

Yep, they put up with all that just so their ungrateful descendants can make an easy £100?

Mind, if the WW1 medals of my GG Uncles ever come up for sale, I'll happily reserve judgement...

BUT we have to remember - our ancestors didn't fight in whichever war in order to benefit their "ungrateful descendants" - they fought for what THEY believed in AT THAT TIME, and probably never even thought they would receive a MEDAL.  Let's face it, hindsight is wonderful 

That is true, but makes it all the more commendable that they did fight without any thought of reward.
Viktoria.

[phenolphthalein]

All this is raw so will say little but someone who i know had their only next of kin give their guardianship to 2 complete strangers to my friend.  Results the strangers have complete control not only of the next of kin but also of all the heirlooms and my frriend is 800 km from her next of kin anyway and can not move her next of kin closer but has rescued some of the precious things.  ALL our single folk are vulnerable to such exploitation. OH and yes the exploiters (unrelated) wanted the war medals but will not get.

[BreadBaker]

Not heirlooms as such, but I find it really sad when I find the house an ancestor lived in has been demolished. I have no real heirlooms but visiting the house where they lived or seeing the font they were baptised in pleases me. Demolition of the Victorian school where an ancestor went is the same to me as getting rid of an heirloom.

[steadyrollingman]

Not heirlooms as such, but I find it really sad when I find the house an ancestor lived in has been demolished.

Definitely agree. In fact, I get annoyed when they demolish old houses WITHOUT any family connection. I guess I'm just too sentimental...

[Viktoria]

That is sad,it makes you think — I have on occasion thought I ought to give my precious things to relatives before I die ,however I know full well the style of rings etc is not to their taste .
I gave my Dad’s tie pin to my daughter ,her fiance had the Marquise cut diamond re set in a very nice ring .
Now divorced she never wears it ,wonder if she will give it to her daughter.
My engagement ring and another bought for my seventieth birthday are both lovely but again not to today’s taste .
They mean so much to me ,but I can’t expect others to have the same feelings about them.
I must think seriously about this ,there is my daughter ,grand daughter ,granddaughter in law and a three month old baby girl .
My daughters in law - one not interested in jewellery and the other we have bought some nice things for but they are left in a trinket tray in the bathroom .or just lying about ,quality ,not cheap costume jewellery either.
You feel they are not appreciated .

Perhaps I ought to ask my blood relatives ,arrange for my eldest son to sell what is not wanted and share the proceeds among them,it is up to them then to give what they want to my in-laws .
Oooh I can see trouble!

I would like the baby girl in years to come to be able to say, “this was my Great Grandma’s “ .
Ah well I can’t control things from my urn can I!
Viktoria.

[steadyrollingman]

Yep, do it now! Invite 'sealed bids' - not the usual indication of financial interest but rather stating how much a certain object appeals to them in relation to others and then you can make sure it's going to not just a good home, but the best home!

[Ruskie]

Not heirlooms as such, but I find it really sad when I find the house an ancestor lived in has been demolished.

Definitely agree. In fact, I get annoyed when they demolish old houses WITHOUT any family connection. I guess I'm just too sentimental...

I’m the same. Makes me so sad to see buildings demolished. Not content with my own family “heirlooms”, I have been known to collect other peoples …. I have a number of cabinets full of “old stuff”. 

[steadyrollingman]

I've actually decided to get into metal detecting - focussing almost exclusively on land farmed by my ancestors or the demolished villages where they lived - in the hope of finding something special. But yes, I expect I will mainly be finding (and keeping) junk left by their neighbours 

[Viktoria]

Not into many hundred years ago but certainly a few , in Shropshire I know where my rellies lived, most of the hastily built “ squatters’ cots” are just heaps of stones or grown over mounds in isolated places now .
Incoming miners from Cornwall, to Shropshire ,as the tin mines were becoming less profitable and the Shropshire lead mines were the richest seams in the country .
Old very large scale maps and the census returns,wages lists  ,and you can pinpoint where the little houses were.
No roads or streets names just a number in a little settlement ,try getting Hermes to get that!
Oh for a metal detector but not being aware of all the rules and regs no doubt I would have got myself into trouble.
Viktoria.