#52Ancestors, Long Line

I think I have written before about the long lines of James’ and Thomas’ and John’s, Betty’s and Sarah’s and Mary’s. They are what got me hooked into this genealogy obsession. And I’m still trying to untangle it all.

I don’t have a long line of Ag Labs either. Occupation-wise there were weavers, glovers, painters, grooms, dressmakers, milliners, glove makers, farmers, yeoman, gentlemen, artists, railway employees, bakers, millers, tailors…and ag labs.

More recently there have been engineers and others working in the engineering fields; fitters and turners and mechanics. Others in the transport industry, education sector and in the medical and scientific field.

Sarah Horskins (maiden name unknown) was born about 1777 most likely in or near London. She married William Horskins about 1801 and raised a family of ten children (or more yet to be discovered).

William was a baker, a career path which was followed by several generations of the family. William died in August 1842. By then their youngest child was in her early twenties and at least five of their children had married and started their own families.

On Wednesday December 6, 1843 Sarah walked from her home in Pratt Street, Lambeth to the workhouse in Princes Road. She joined the line of people and families waiting for relief. Food parcels. I wonder did she do this regularly ? Each week ? Did her unmarried daughters go with her ? Did she meet old friends, facing the same struggles in their sunset years ?

The December weather in 1842 & 1843 was particularly mild. As recently as 2008 those mild temperatures still fell comfortably within the “top 10” occurrences of mild early winter months. (see more historic weather information here) 

Sarah joined the long line. How long she stood waiting is unclear, as is how close to receiving relief she came. But there, in that long line she was struck by apoplexy and passed away. An inquest was held on 9 December 1843 and reported in the London Standard, 11 December 1843. She was 66.

Sarah was my maternal four times great grandmother.

#52Ancestors, Week 25, Same Name

Who to choose ? The repetitive use of the same small pool of names was one of the first things to captivate my interest in family history. That and the custom of naming subsequent children with the name bestowed on their non-surviving elder siblings. I've picked three, all slightly different examples of "same name".

My 2x great grandfather James Davys, coincidentally born 193 years ago this week (26 June 1825), was the 4^th James Davys in a row of direct ancestors. He broke the pattern, only giving his name as a second Christian name to one of his sons. But it was back a generation later, when his son Francis named his eldest son James and started it again. That James has a namesake in every subsequent generation and was my Dad’s uncle. So although the same name continued it was no longer part of my direct line.

In 1870 my great grandmother’s aunt Harriett started something I bet she never expected. She named her second daughter Minnie Mildred. Six years later Harriett’s elder brother George named his eldest daughter Minnie Mildred. In 1880 Minnie was #32 on the top 200 names for girls in Britain and Mildred was #106, so relatively popular I guess. The first Minnie Mildred emigrated to New Zealand with her parents and named one of her own daughters as her name sake in 1896. George’s family however took the name to a whole new level. His daughter Minnie Mildred bestowed her name, including her maiden surname on one of her daughters in 1895. George’s son William named one of his daughters Minnie Mildred in 1905, and included the surname of the first Minnie Mildred. Then George’s son Arthur gave the name to his fourth daughter in 1910. There was another, just Minnie, in 1898; granddaughter of George and Harriett’s elder brother Henry. William’s daughter Minnie (1905) went on to give one her daughters a different variation in 1934. His son William emigrated to the USA and named one of his daughters Mildred Langford in 1922. Maybe it is still carrying on…who knows ?

Minnie Mildred Langford b 1870

Minnie Mildred Kelsey b 1876

Minnie Mildred Kelsey Evans b 1895

Minnie Mildred Lang b 1896

Minnie Kelsey b 1898

Minnie Mildred Langford Kelsey b 1905

Minnie Mildred Kelsey b 1910

Mildred Langford Kelsey b 1922

Mildred Kelsey Wotherspoon b 1934

Harriett’s line / George’s line / Henry’s line (none of the abovenamed are living)

In this same family there are at least nine occurrences of William Henry as well. Hmmm.

Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth. The first two I understand – since Elizabeth #1 died in infancy. Why though name the third daughter Elizabeth as well ? I believe it is an error as the younger one later seemed to become Eliza. Just to make things slightly trickier to untangle Elizabeth #2 and Elizabeth #3 (Eliza) went on to marry brothers.

#52Ancestors, Week 6, Favourite Name

So, I have said it before – I’m a bit of a name nerd. This topic “Favourite name” is hard for me. How do I choose?

Names are one of the things that attracted me to genealogy in the beginning.

Why did some families just use the same names over and over again? Why did some families give their children two names, or three names or more? Let’s face it more than three is a bit over the top, but there are some which do sound great, have a pleasing meter.

Why did some families give their children names and then call them something completely different? Why did some children get one name and others two – did the ones with only one name feel gypped? Why did some get much used names, then one sibling a really out there name?

So, which name to choose?

Alianore Mary Christina Cameron-Ramsay-Fairfax-Lucy – love the sound of that one;

Minnie Mildred – there are a bunch of girls with this moniker. But I have mentioned them before.

I am eternally grateful to my forbears that they did give some thought to the “sound” of the names they bestowed on their children and the pairing of names with each other and the surname.

Emma Louisa, my great grandmother and her siblings all had names which sounded great. My grandmother Elsie Lilian did too.

Any name that is a little different gets bonus points for me. Kerenhappuch, Roxillana, Vergetta, Zenobia, Balthasar, Julius, Mowbray, Cornelius. They make research a little easier than just searching for Ann and James. Then there are the ones with clues to the past where a surname has been added as a helpful hint for researchers.

But, the name for today is Peternell, sometimes recorded as Peternall/Peternel/ Petronel or Petronella.

Peternell Eastment was my 5xgreat grandmother. She was born in East Chinnock, Somerset about 1733. Her parents were married there, in Blessed Virgin St Mary, eleven years earlier and there are 3 daughters and 1 son appearing in the baptisms for them in the years before Peternell’s baptism on 5 November 1733.[1]

Peternell lived her whole life in East Chinnock, marrying Richard Bartlett on 7 April 1760 in the same village church.[2] She and Richard had a family of seven, all but one reaching adulthood. Two of her sons included her name in their choices for their own daughters, and at least one grandson followed suit.

Many of her grandchildren left East Chinnock. Some moved to other counties in England, others emigrated to Australia and New Zealand – and quite likely to other colonies; America, Canada and South Africa. Although she did not live to see them leave, dying in March 1816, I wonder how she would have felt.[3] Would she have understood their curiosity to explore new lands and seek new opportunities far away from the only place she had ever called home?

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^[1] FreeReg, 'FreeReg', https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_queries/, Accessed 12 February 2018.

[2] FreeReg, 'FreeReg'.

[3] FreeReg, 'FreeReg'.

#52Stories, Week 52, 'Tis the season..

Christmas

It has to be my favourite time of the year. I’m not sure exactly what it is about it, that makes it so.

Maybe it is because all over the world people are celebrating together.

Maybe it is all the great (often cheesy) movies…

…or the baking – so many choices

…or packaging – it’s the craft geek in me, I can’t help myself

…or the sharing.

The counting down,

Carols in the park.

Taking time to breathe,

Searching for the right gift – not just a gift for gift-giving’s sake.

Making time to appreciate life…people, and to thoughtfully give to others who might not share the same opportunities.

Following traditions, making memories, reminiscing, starting new rituals.

Summer days – although a white Christmas is still on my bucket list, even if it is only once.

The joy of homecoming (not that there is much of that goes on in our family) – maybe next year.

Ours is always a quiet day – 2, maybe 4 people. Those rowdy, fun cousin packed, extended family events I always long for aren’t really an option. Maybe I wouldn’t enjoy them anyway, as used to solitariness as I am.

Mostly I think it is that cosiness, mindfulness feeling…

…seeing the joy in others – young and old.

It is MAGIC.

B E L I E V E