Family Tree Frog

Image by hurk from Pixabay Amy Johnson Crow challenges us to write about our Family History again in 2024 using her 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge.  The theme for Week 1 is "Family Lore." Many of us have heard stories from our grandparents about incredible feats our ancestors did or a famous person we're related to. What's a tale that has been passed down in your family? Did it end up being true or did it turn out to just be a good story? You can join the challenge too her e. The most famous/shocking story handed down in our family was that my father's great-grandfather was meant to have shot himself.  Lo and behold it wasn't the entire truth (he lived to tell the tale) but there was certainly a large kernel of truth in the story handed down by my grandmother.  You can read the story of Edward Conner's life here . Of course there's always more to be done isn't there?  I ordered his death certificate years ago but it was lost in transit so...

Image taken from page 9 of 'Charpentier's Illustrated Guide to Southsea, the Dockyard, Isle of Wight, etc' dated 1892 courtesy of British Library on Flickr - No known copyright restrictions Now, I just have to let those of you who read my blog here , that I did actually hear back from the lovely folk at Portsmouth History Centre this week.  How about that?  Aren't I lucky?   They said: I have found the record of your great grandfather, Edward Connor in the registers of St James's Hospital. I can confirm the date of his admission was 5 th May 1897 & he was discharged on 3 rd May 1899, as you have already discovered. The details given, in vol. ref H8/4/4/5 are as follows: Age : 69 Marital Status: Married Employment: Fitter, HM Dockyard Previous place of abode: Imbecile wards, Portsea Island Union (now known as St Mary's hospital - Alex's note) Form of mental disorder: Dementia Supposed cause of insanity: Senile dementia...

Today's post is really about pure conjecture and pondering and I'd be grateful for any observations on my perusing and conclusions. Yesterday, as a result of meandering about the web and visiting many genea-blogs and genea-videos - in particular What's New at Ancestry on YouTube - I was reminded to search the Card Catalogue under the Search Tab at Ancestry to look at the latest additions to particular areas of research.   It's not really one of the latest additions to the UK or Hampshire records having been published on Ancestry on 25/11/2014 - UK, Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1912 - but it was 4th on the top of the list by date added - and let's face it - the most interesting title.   And yes, I think I've found my 2nd great-grandfather Edward Connor on the admissions list.  Of course I can't really be sure as there is no identifying information but I think the timing is right. Some of you may remember that I posted about Edward h...

Reading the paper in Edinburgh c. 1963 I haven't blogged for a while.  My apologies for the silence.  I've been busy graduating which seemed to involve lots of lovely dinners with good friends and family and being a tourist for a few days enjoying galleries and the like. Alex at Graduation ceremony in Great Hall Parliament House  Canberra March 2013 And so to today's meme courtesy of Sepia Saturday . We still read newspapers in our house.  We tend to be a bit old-fashioned.  The photo at the top is of my father reading a paper in Edinburgh when we lived there for a short while when he was studying for his PhD.   My husband enjoys nothing better than reading the paper on the weekend sitting in the sun in winter or the shade in summer. Robert reading the paper  He has to sit outside because, shock, horror he is a smoker and I am the world's worst reformed smoker.  He is sitting next to the guinea pigs, who don't hav...