Heirlooms rant

[Andrew Tarr]

No answer is there ,all I can say is I have had the pleasure of searching and discovering, it is all written down so rellies are there, but after me - no real idea because there is no interest, not even my sister is interested.

It's unusual for most to become interested in family history until it gets too late to expect reliable recollections from the older generation  Luckily one of our two daughters (now over 50) is fairly interested, but still relies on us to do most of the work, though we didn't really start until my father had died and Mother was approaching 100.

The sad part was that my Irish cousin - my age - had been interested but died at 60.  She had stated confidently that great-uncle Charles P Liversidge had 'put his head in a gas oven' but I have failed to find any proof of his death.

[Viktoria]

I suppose I was lucky in that both my parents were “ raconteurs “, memories going back at least to 1900,Mum born 1896 Dad 1897 .
We had the Radio but no TV , so we did chat a lot.Parents never went out.
Some stories were what they had heard as children so earlier than 1900, but of course those were not first hand to me.
Ordinary things, but even the very plain simple childhood I had was as luxury to some things my parents related.
The deaths of young people through TB , measles ,etc.
Dad had also memories his mother told him of life in Shropshire ,she  born 1866 ,leaving in 1891 or thereabouts after the census.
Died 1916, as Dad was called up to serve in the Army.
Tales of P.O.W. Camp ,the Great Depression etc.
I ought to write them down as a “ Chronicle “
Then my memories of  WW2,the bombing etc and being an evacuee to my grandmother’s home.
I really wish I had questioned her younger sister ,but at 3 1/2 not really old enough , there was her brother , but I went to people I had never met after leaving my grandma’s sister, very happy times with those people .

As we had few books,no TV, and Mum relating things and Dad too the stories were fascinating to me , still are.
Sadly my children are not really interested ,second son a bit the other two not at all.
I have had great pleasure from the research and subsequent findings, so there is that.
Viktoria.

[Drayke]

So many historical or heirloom items are lost in many ways and some go through rough times, especially in my family.

Many were brought over from England to Australia by my mothers family however, many more were left or sold that simply could not be moved due to cost. Then a few years after coming out to Australia many of them were stolen, only to be found again due to the salt of the salt shakers and cellars leaving a trail (have a newspaper clipping of the event somewhere around).

After that when the family moved house many were left accidently under the staircase by my G grandmother when the house was sold and efforts to claim them back were met with "no, the house was sold as is". My Grandmother was left amused and saddened, once finding a few in a local museum that she recognised such as engraved silver items or 17th century rushlights/holders where even the museum owners didn't know what they were until she explained.

Some where also sold during the depression to make much needed cash, others where lost due to being left in the on property bomb shelter during World War 2 which flooded, destroying the 18th cent. family bible and other old documents.

Then they travelled the world in many remote places including remote Africa with my Grandfather being a missionary. Him getting so sick of carting them around decided to sell some off to the horror of my grandmother. One being an 18th century sterling silver tea and coffee set that always sat according to my mother, well positioned on the dining buffet. The excuse he offered was it was to heavy to cart around everywhere, selling it in Canada for $5.

Then when my grandmother died, my grandfather having dementia would routinely throw many in the bin or sell them. My father salvaging a few from the bin, but unfortunately war medals and other things sold lost now forever.

Whilst a few still remain it is a struggle now to stop my father, who also now has dementia throwing out the heirlooms or selling them. One recently we noticed had gone and he said he sold for a few dollars was some of his g grandfathers gold cuff links.

[Lola5]

Viktoria,
You should write all these things down.
They are part of our history as well as your own family's.
And besides you are a true author and bring such humour to your stories.

I used to be regaled by my grandfather,  a military man, (  entering  as a bugle boy at 14; his father and grandfather all serving in the same regiment.)
His tales of the trenches bored  me then.....but now I so wish I could remember them.

And my grandmother's parasol from the time the regiment was in India and Mum' crocodile handbag going into the dustbin.....I would like to have  them now.
I know we cannot keep everything,


Drake
Do stop your father getting rid of things you think need keeping.
They do not know what they are doing when in their sad dementia world.

[Gillg]

I have the family wedding veil, made from beautiful Brussels lace and now cream in colour.  It has been worn by generations of our family, including great aunts, my mother and her sister, but I'm afraid I didn't wear it (register office wedding in a dress and coat)  and my cousin didn't either (she said it was too old-fashioned).  My niece did wear it (her mother washed it in Lux flakes!), but my daughter didn't (said it was "creepy").  I also have my grandfather's policeman's truncheon, whistle and lapel badge - he was a Special Constable in WW1, also his metronome and baton (he was a musician and conducted choirs and orchestras).  I have a brooch and a silver locket which belonged to the grandmother I never knew and numerous bits of silver, mainly inherited from a great uncle who travelled a lot on business in the Far East and India. there's an ebony hand mirror which belonged to  my other grandmother and another Art Nouveau one in the shape of a mushroom with pokerwork and enamel decoration.  A large pair of family portraits went to my son at his request.  He's the only one who has enough space to hang them.  Then there are lots of paper mementos, photos and handwritten notes.  I love them, either because I loved the people to whom they belonged or because they were links to relatives found in my family history research. Will my children be at all interested?  I'm hoping so and will carefully label any potential items of interest.

[Andrew Tarr]

I have the family wedding veil, made from beautiful Brussels lace and now cream in colour.  It has been worn by generations of our family, including great aunts, my mother and her sister, ...

Vaguely on that topic, my sister-in-law, who was bridesmaid for her sister (now my wife), impressed us all at our 40th wedding anniversary by wearing her bridesmaid dress [ a lot of them couldn't do that  ].  And yes, I suppose it did look a bit old-fashioned ...

[Marmalady]

I have a collection of gold jewellery that my grandmother inherited from a cousin. Most of it is very old-fashioned and I doubt I will ever wear it, let alone my daughter.
It includes a gold locket engraved with some initials that do not match any family member that I can find -- I have even looked into the cousin's husband's family without finding a match!

[louisa maud]

We  all ought to write  down  what  we  want done with  out bits and pieces,  I  have  known  families  fall out big time due to wishes not  being adhered to

LM

[Gillg]

A very sensible idea, though sometimes more than one person would like to have a particular object, I have found.