A little gem

[JMR]

I found this letter I had written, obviously as a school assignment around the age of 12. I was so thrilled as I had forgotten some of these details about my Gt Grandfather.

I'm posting it as a reminder of how important even the most obscure details of a relative's life are once you begin FH research. My Mother had passed this onto the Aunt who looked after my Gt Grandfather and she had bothered to keep it and someone else had bothered to pass it on after her death. Thank goodness for people like this - sadly I'm a thrower outer of all clutter and this is a reminder not to do that anymore. The photos I have (which are few) of me with my Gt Grandparent (sadly only one of with each when I was about 1) are also so special to me now. Why do we not take more photos of our elderly relatives with our children and grandchildren? I have made a pact with myself to ensure that mine have their photo taken at any time they are together with their Gt Grandparents (sometimes none of them want to, but even that's a great story for later in life). I've also decided to write down a lot more of the incidental things that happen and archive them for the little one's to find down the track.

I thought that this might just spur some of you to do this - although you may be good at it already. I definitely was not!

Cheers,
Jill

 

[p.risboy]

What a wonderful letter Jill. Thank goodness it has survived. And yes, a lesson to us all to keep these little time capsules.

Steve.

 

[benny1982]

Hi Jill

A brilliant letter. Always keep old family papers.

Ben

 

[JMR]

Yes how I wish I had more little snippets like this to help fill gaps! Oh well, I'll make sure the next generation do!

 

[benny1982]

Hi

I wonder if there are little gems of letters from say the 1850s for our slightly more distant ancestors which fill in many gaps such as family bibles.

It would be so gratifying if you found something like this if searching for an ancestor with a very common name and one who died before the 1851 census:-

A personal Memoir by Thomas Smith of Holborn, London.

11th May 1864.

This is the 20th anniversary of the death of my father John Smith, of Caledonian Road, Islington, London. He was a well liked and respected grocer. He married my mum Eva Parker at St Botolph Bishopsgate, London in June 1814. I was born in May 1815. My father told me that he moved to London in 1811, met my mum the year afterwards. Dad was born in Woodbridge in Suffolk in 1787."

I wwould be overjoyed if I found such a reference in an old family letter.

Ben

 

[JMR]

Yes wouldn't it be perfect Ben. This is a lovely piece of information. I've decided to register on www.twitter.com to leave these little snippets of information for my descendants to find on-line.

 

[benny1982]

Hi

I think family bibles are probably the most valuable of our ancestral gems. Many families kept one.

Ben

 

[JMR]

Ben I agree with you about the family bible. My 3rd cousins in America all seem to have access to their family bibles. The information in them has been generously shared by those in charge of them. Personally I've never heard of anyone in my immediate family referring to one at all and I've wondered whether they might have been presents from family to those who emigrated.

Whilst I was in England last October, I met an elderly cousin of my Gt Grandmother's and she did refer to the family bible. It appears that one of her nieces inherited it and has wrapped it up and put it in a dark place and will not allow anyone in the family to see it, photograph it etc. Although I can understand her wanting to preserve the book, it seems such a shame to keep other family members from sharing the information. Probably when she passes on someone will come along and chuck it out! I had to be careful not to start WW3 though, so I kept my comments to a minimum, but wanted to scream.

Jill

 

[benny1982]

Hi

My family have a family bible of my Suffolk ancestors which give dates of births whereas there was no other way of knowing as their baptisms dont give the date of birth.

Richard Titshall born 10th October 1789.
Margaret Frost born 5th March 1791.
John Titshall born 16th April 1823.
Sarah Archer born 6th June 1823.

The family bible is very good and there would be no other way of knowing the DOBs if it wasnt for that, just baptism dates.

Jesse Titshall born 24th May 1851. As he was born after 1837 he has a birth certificate though.

Ben