Week - 8 Heirloom

I checked the Merriam Webster dictionary for a definition of an heirloom, there were three definitions, but to use it in context i guess for me it would be what I would save if i had to flee my home, or an item large or small, valuable or worthless in monetary terms that I particularly loved or treasured. 

My Mum passed away in September 2017 at the age of 96 and despite having lived in three countries she had a huge amount of 'stuff', small trinkets, bric a brac, ornaments artifacts and wooden carvings, postcards, cards, newspaper cuttings and photographs - indeed  Mum had kept so many things that were precious to her, many of the items from family,  I found items that I had knitted at school, drawings from the grandchildren and great grandchildren, souvenirs that we had carried back from our different holidays, I couldn't believe how much she had kept and accumulated. Are any of those  considered to be heirlooms? What does it matter, they were precious to her and that was  the hard part for my sister and i  - what to keep?

One item that I will treasure is my Mums shortbread mould. As you may know shortbread is a traditional biscuit served at any time, but particularly at Hogmanay, and Burns night. Mum had two Moulds one with a pattern and one without. Mums shortbread was loved by the family and many friends. Her shortbread was sold at the Church bazaar or offered with morning coffee at the coffee morning held at her local Church. I am not sure if I will use the mould, I can make shortbread but have never used a mould before...it doesn't matter whether I use it or not its there for me to look at, to love and remember, a wonderful heirloom that has travelled to and from Scotland to Africa and then to Australia.

The small glass display cabinet which I purchased to display Mum and Dads precious things is a reminder of days gone by, of other places and other times, of  growing up and growing older. Its also a reminder that Mum is no longer with us, except in spirit. These are my family heirlooms that I love and treasure.

Definition of heirloom

: a piece of property (such as a deed or charter) that descends to the heir as an inseparable part of an inheritance of real property

2: something of special value handed down from one generation to another 

• The pin she's wearing is a family heirloom.

3: a variety of plant that has originated under cultivation and that has survived for several generations usually due to the efforts of private individuals 

• heirloom tomatoes
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  • “Heirloom.” Merriam-Webster.com, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heirloom. Accessed 5 Mar. 2018.

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Week 7 - Valentine

"Valentine" suggests Romance..  I haven't discovered ancestors who were married on Valentines day, however one match that does intrigue me and suggests romance is the match between Helen Davidson (of Monifieth) and William Snowden. I have no actual proof of this marriage/match other than oral history, letters, a painting and a memory. Helen Davidson was the daughter of my maternal Great Grandfather and his first wife,  my half great Aunt?

To set the context of the story,  I wrote previously of my Aunt Nessie (Agnes Christie Malcolm Davidson), I spent a fair bit of time with Auntie Nessie as she immigrated to Rhodesia shortly after my Mum and Dad. She lived with us for a time - she was (in my opinion) my glamorous Aunt, she loved clothes and wore them with style, her hair was beautifully coiffured  each week and her nails manicured and polished. She was unmarried when she migrated and  prior to that time had worked with Scottish Rail and had travelled to Saint Quentin, France many times to visit the French cousins. Aunt Nessie wrote regularly to the French cousins, she had photographs of them. I loved hearing about them and I always thought it romantic and exciting to have these French relatives. 

There was Nellie, Daisy, Dora and William all living in Saint Quentin. As I said I loved hearing the stories of them and .. here comes the memory, I could remember a French Aunt visiting us in Monifieth when I was a child, along with an American Uncle George!! The French Aunt brought as a gift a large box of  Bonbons. Who was this Aunt?

 Auntie Nessie did tell me of the connection, who was married to whom and I carefully recorded the facts.  This was on a visit to her in 1990 after I had migrated to Australia, and before my Family history passion began. Big confession I "lost" the  book in which I had recorded the story. However I do know that  Nellie, Daisy, Dora and William were my Mum and aunt's  cousins.

I did talk to my Mum about the connection and Mum confirmed it was her Dad's sister who married a Frenchman and went to live in France, but she went on to say that it was always Nessie her sister who kept close contact. 

When I began my family tree, I added all the known relatives and as the tree grew I realized that my Grandfather had two half brothers  and a half sister sister. His half brothers, George Davidson and John Davidson both migrated to USA and so it would have to be his half sister Helen who met William Snowden and moved to France. Aunt Nessie died in 2004 so I was unable to confirm with her,  but my Mum was almost certain that it was Helen who married William Snowden and moved to France. Mum hadn't realised that Helen, George and John were half siblings.  I haven't been able to find a marriage certificate or birth certificates of children born to Helen and William, but  with the family stories, small snippets of information in  letters, and in correspondence with John Davidson's granddaughter in USA, I am fairly sure that it was Helen Davidson who met William Snowden in Monifieth and later married  him.

According to the 1891 Census, Helen was living in Monifieth with her Dad David,  and brothers John and George. William too was residing in Monifieth according the census. He was a lodger, a British Subject born in France and his occupation was a Jute Mill Mechanic.
Jute was being spun in Monifieth at that time, and I am sure romance stepped in and Helen met William, the two married and sailed away to France.. 

In correspondence, birthday books belonging to my mum and Aunt I have managed to record birth dates of 2 of their 4 children as well as death dates. In the correspondence between myself and John Davidson's, granddaughter as well as other snippets discovered in letters between my Mum and her sister Nessie,  I have established that it was Uncle George from USA, and  Helen's daughter Nellie from France who visited us in Monifieth in 1950. John Davidson's Granddaughter Chris and her parents were also with them, prior to their migration to USA.

Auntie Nessie holidayed in Monifieth and France after migrating to Rhodesia and on one of the visits she returned with a beautiful painting, the artist being Nellie M Snowden. This was a wedding gift  as my Aunt  was soon to be married. One of  her wedding photographs shows the painting. My Aunt loved this painting and it had pride of place in her homes.

My Aunt died in 2004 and was survived by her husband Eddie who later died in 2009. As they had no children, it was expected that my Mum ( or my sister and I ) would inherit the modest estate, modest because of the economic downturn and political events in Zimbabwe. However it was discovered that there was no current will. (Difficult to understand as Eddie was a particular and precise Assistant Commissioner of Police, but that is a another tale.)

I flew over to Zimbabwe with documents to prove who I was, photographs of  family, including the photograph of the painting and a list of several items that my Mum believed were family heirlooms and possessions of my Aunts before she married and the hope that the large box of photographs which my Aunt had of the family, including one of my Grandad, her father in his Blackwatch uniform was still there.  I was able to take the family possessions including the painting out of Zimbabwe - however the box of photographs was never found.. I think my Uncle may have disposed of them, again another tale.

The painting was hung in my Mums home and moved with her into aged care accommodation last year. Unfortunately my Mum passed away shortly after her move to aged care and my sister and I decided that as i had physically carried the painting  from Zimbabwe to Melbourne Australia, I would inherit it and it now hangs in my lounge room. A tale of  many romances I think.....

This is my Aunt Nessie on her wedding day behind her is the painting
11th June 1964

  

Week 6 - Favourite Name

My favourite name is Agnes Christie Malcolm Davidson, my Aunt and godmother, my Mum's sister and perhaps my favourite Aunt. My Mum was the eldest born to David Donald Davidson and Margery Smith. My Mums name was Mary and I assume it was after her dads Aunt Mary who was his next of kin during WW1 after his Dad died. My Mum had no middle name.  My Aunt Agnes was born next and her name as mentioned was Agnes Christie Malcolm Davidson. Malcolm and Christie being family surnames this was also her grandmothers name. Agnes Christie Malcolm. I am intrigued as to why  my mother had no middle name? All the other 5 children had middle names. I do find the naming patterns in Scottish families both helpful and confusing!!

Another name that I like in my family tree is John Sylvester L'Amy Davidson. This person is  the son of my Great grandfather from his first marriage. Where did this name come from ? My Great grandfathers first wife came from Ireland. I have not investigated her family 
( she is not related to me) and can only assume that it may be a family name on his Mum's side? perhaps one day when I have nothing else to do I will investigate.

Week 5 In the Census

This will be difficult,  it's always great to match up families in the Census  and puzzling to discover that some members of  families seem to disappear at census times and often a whole family cant be found.
I have fallen behind in the challenge, however i am determined to catch up.
I have mad lots of discoveries through the census, it is often a great way of matching relatives. My great grandmother and her sisters were often  to be found  to be staying with relatives at census time? Had something happened to their parents? I have noticed that children are residing with their  grandparents and then  at another time grandparents can be found residing with their grown up children, all very helpful when  wanting to confirm a relative.
I have also discovered that a child had died  and another child born and named after the deceased child. A census has also alerted me to investigate why a person isn't recorded on a census.  A census address has also helped  confirm that a relative is connected.

Week 4 Invite to Dinner

This weeks challenge is  to write something about Dinner, who would I like to invite to dinner, (from my family tree) or perhaps take out to dinner, or even a dinner party with several family members.
I thought about the topic for a while and decided that I wish i could invite my Paternal grandmother Rebecca Newell nee Ibell to dinner. I think I met this grandmother when i was born, however due to a family argument or misunderstanding of some sort, my Father distanced himself from his family. Over the years I heard snippets of what happened, and before my father died he did tell me a little of the story.  I understand from what he said that he had to choose between his Mum, Dad and some family members and my Mum and I . Grandma Newell was at Mum and Dad's wedding in 1944 and I know that Mum and dad lived with her and Grandad when they left the Air force, or Mum got pregnant? I was born in Chester in January 1946 and when I was 6 weeks old Mum travelled back to Scotland. I had always believed  that my Dad was already living there with my maternal Grandparents as he had got a job. Mum couldn't travel as I was due to be born and so she stayed in Chester, however last year before my Mum died she denied this and at that point she couldn't remember who she was living with when i was born.  My Mum and Dad kept in contact with dad's half sister Leah and her husband Reg and we have lots of photos of Leah, Reg and their daughter Dorothy visiting us in Monifieth Scotland. We did visit Leah and Reg in Chester and I can remember when I was about 6 years of age, walking with my Mum, Dad, Leah and Reg, when a women walking towards us in the opposite  direction said hello to Leah and Reg, stopped briefly then  kept walking. My Mum and dad said nothing and I can remember asking who it was? Auntie Leah (I think ) said that is your grandmother. I was amazed.. I had my granny in Scotland and adored her and yet knew nothing about  this rather stern looking woman.  My parents migrated to Rhodesia in 1955, I don't think my dad saw his Mum before we left even though we did visit Aunty Leah in Chester. When my grandmother died in 1958 my father was  informed several months later in a letter from Leah. How sad not to be told when your Mum had died.  I did meet my grandfather in 1963 when we visited Leah and Reg whilst on holiday from Rhodesia. At the time i can remember my Dad saying that it was his parents who had chosen not to have contact with him. In 1968, we visited another half sister of Dads  and Mum said after the visit that she had happened to notice some of her wedding gifts in  a display cabinet in the house!! Whatever happened I will never know. As a grandmother myself I think how sad.. I am very much aware that this happens now in our society  families stop talking  and children don't get to know their grandparents.
So what would I ask Rebecca?   I suppose my main question would be :"what happened". My Mother very rarely spoke about it and when she did it was usually just a comment to say that "they " were horrible to her. I met my Uncle Frank Newell (dad's brother) for the first time at my Dad's funeral as well as his sister whom I had met previously. My dad told me that his Mum was annoyed with him as he wasn't marrying Blodwyn the girl friend he had before going off to war in 1939. I would ask Rebecca if that was true?

I did go back to Chester in 2014, as I decided it was time to revisit the city where I was born and had visited on several occasions as a child and teenager.  I wish I had known my Grandmother. I do have contact with a cousin who is beginning her family tree and has some memories, perhaps some of the grandmother I didn't know

Challenge - Week - 3 Longevity

This weeks challenge is Longevity, I have written about my Mum Mary Newell who died recently - 23rd September 2017. My Mum is the longest living person in my family tree. My sister and I gave the Eulogy, I talked about the early part of Mums life, as I am the eldest child i can remember further back! My sister then carried on with the second part of Mums life. This Blog post is what I wrote about Mums life for the Eulogy. 1920 -  1987

May was born in Monifieth a small village in Scotland on 22nd December 1920. She was the eldest of 6 children; 3 boys and 3 girls. What I know about Mums childhood is that she helped her granny with her home laundry business, delivering the clean and pressed laundry, throughout the village.  Mum told me of her large extended family of Aunts and Uncles and cousins.  Many of the cousins her Mum looked after, at various times, and as Mum grew up her cousins and aunts and Uncles were much a part of the family.

Mum started work at 15 she secured a position with Mr Lobban a solicitor in Monifieth, and she worked there until call up time. She had the choice of a working in a munitions factory or the WAFs she chose the WAFS. She was stationed at Sealand near Chester England. Despite the war it happy time for her she had great pals and she met Arthur Newell her husband. They married on 23 December 1944 in Monifieth Scotland.  Arthur was from Chester, but after the war and when they were both demobbed and I was born, Mum and Dad settled in Monifieth with Mums family. Being returned servicemen and women they were allocated a “prefab” and Mum and dad set up home. Mum didn’t work then and I can recall so many happy time with my aunts, uncle and my beloved grandparents, they all visited May the beloved eldest daughter and elder sister. I can recall Mum with her Mum sitting in front of the fire chatting away, laughing, drinking their camp coffee and munching their biscuits

I remember when Mum told me that I was going to have a brother or sister and the Stork would bring the baby when it was time!! And then embarrassing Mum so much when we were in the in the butchers shop and asking her why she was getting so fat.  We have since laughed about that and I was forgiven.

Gail was born in 1953 I can remember helping Mum with the chores. I can remember the first time when my Mum really told me off. She had run the bathwater for Gail’s baby bath and had put it in front of the fire. She was just about to put Gail in when I put my feet on the side of the baby bath tipped the bath over and water went everywhere. The first time I had had a good telling off!! It took her ages to clean it all up and to get the carpet dry... I was forgiven of course, but told never to do that again!!

April/May 1955 saw us leave Southampton England for Cape Town South Africa what an adventure, 2 weeks on the ship and 3 days on the train before we reached Salisbury Rhodesia – our home as it became.

Mum and Dad had a great time on the ship. I had the very important job of looking after my 2 1/2 year old sister every night while Mum and Dad ate dinner and joined in the fun. For that I was given a lemonade in a bottle with a straw every night!!

What wonderful days we had… in Rhodesia. Looking back I think mum may have been homesick. It was a massive change for us all and I remember one evening we had an invasion of bats in the house dad was trying to catch them with a towel and mum was screaming.

So started all the letters backwards and forward to her Mum and dad and Brothers and sisters. Granny in Scotland was really worried that we may have to go to a witch doctor and also she was concerned about the lions!!

But the letters backwards and forwards were wonderful, as was the excitement of getting a parcel from Granny.... However one thing that my Mum did do which was embarrassing for me!!! Was she sent me to school, on the first day wearing my Sunday best - a kilt a white shirt, jacket and a matching hat the full Scottish regalia!!

We had a wonderful life in Rhodesia as it was then, Mum and Dad made lots of friends and they took the place of our aunt’s uncles and cousins. On Saturday as Gail and I were working out the   of service for today, we had a phone call from Liz a friend from 60 years ago, her Mum and Dad and our parents were great friends and  we still have the contact today – what a wonderful legacy, Mum enabled that. Mum went to night classes to study book keeping and when she received her certificate she got a job at Whiteman’s in Salisbury, where she made many friends one of whom we still have contact with. She did dressmaking classes and added dressmaking to her skills, lots of new frocks followed for Gail and I

Mums sister Auntie Nessie arrived in 1956. Gail and I had a lot of fun around that time we loved performing and we sang and danced for Mum dad and their friends putting on plays and some acrobatics too!!

This was a great time for Gail and I picnics out in the bush with friends Mum made heaps of sandwiches,  bottles of  orange cordial,  we had a big sing song in the car on the way to wherever we were going. Mum loved to sing and she had a lovely voice.

We visited the local swimming pool for Sunday morning swims when not picnicking, we went to the drive-in movies regularly with the big container of sandwiches and crisps!! How lucky were we!!

Sunday roasts often with friends, Sunday evenings in front of the TV (when it arrived in Rhodesia) with Mums famous steak rolls!!

Mum and Dad built a house and we moved into our own home Granny and grandad visited from Scotland.  Mum & dad had a Hogmanay party that year.  Mum loved to dance - the eightsome reel and the gay Gordon's were two of her favourites, Mum and Dad went to dinner dances as they both liked to dance and as a teenager I often went with them and joined in the dancing. So many wonderful childhood memories for Gail and I – happy days for us

Politics changed our life and mum and dad moved back to Scotland.  It was great for Mum to be back with her family and we enjoyed lots of family days with her brothers, sister and families.   Mum made more new friends and although she enjoyed this short time back in Scotland both  Mum and Dad were unsettled and in no time at all were on our way to Zambia. Back to our beloved Africa. We spent a few days in London, visiting Carnaby st, Mum bought us new shoes and trendy clothes   - how cool was that in 1968!! 

Back on the ship to Capetown, driving 3 days to Bulawayo to stay with mum’s sister our Auntie Nessie and another 3 days to get to Ndola, Zambia our new home. It was another big change, after a year I left home and went back to Salisbury Rhodesia and Gail went off to boarding school just outside London. Wonderful experiences for us both and always supported by our Mum and Dad. And all those letter that Mum wrote!! Weekly telling us what they were doing, I think Mum loved her time in Zambia, she worked at GEC as a book keeper accounts person, dad was teaching - and again, lots of new friends. Mum went to yoga and other activities and although she missed us it was a happy time for Mum and Dad.

1970 Shelley was born Mums first grandchild, and in 1972 MUM AND Dad moved back to Salisbury and in 1973 Darrin arrived.  Mum and dad were hands on grandparents with lots of interaction with the grandchildren, Sunday lunches with all the grandparents and many happy days, with Mum knitting the children’s school jumpers and baking for all the school fetes. At this time mum worked in the Office at the Polytech where dad taught.

Gail moved to South Africa after her marriage. Mum and dad enjoyed visiting & holidaying in Cape Town. Matthew, Gails son was born in Capetown in 1979, Mums 3rd grandchild.

1980 dad became ill, prognosis wasn’t good and Mum and Dad made preparation to move to Scotland – in hindsight a great decision made by Dad. Dad died shortly after their move to Scotland in 1981 and mum was with her sister and brother-in –law. It was a difficult time we were all separated, but Mum kept us in touch with her wonderful letters and postcards for the children.

In 1982 Australia beckoned and Mike and I moved to Australia with Shelley and Darrin

Mum visited Gail in South Africa when Nicholas was born then us in Australia in 1984, she wanted to be close to either one of us and Australia seemed to be the answer. Mum arrived in 1985 – how wonderful for us to have Mum close again, she loved being close to the grandchildren and she helped us so much in those early days of settling into Australia.

 Gail and family arrived in 1987. What an exciting day for MUM - all of us

Mum & Dads Wedding 1944

Mum 

  We rented a 8 or 9 seater van and picked up Gail and family from the airport – Mum loved it – all together again

Mum, Dad Patricia & Gail Rhodesia 1955

Challenge week 2

Its week 2 of the challenge, its a photograph this week. A  favourite photograph.. I don't have too many photographs prior to 1944, however I did find this particular one when my dear Mum passed away just a few months ago. I had never seen it before, I love it. It shows my dear Mum with her beautiful dark hair before she began to go grey. Her hair was just as lovely when it was grey, but  this is probably the only photo I have of her as a teenager

 Mum - Mary Davidson 1937

I don't know where the photograph was taken or why. I am assuming that it was taken in Monifieth Scotland where she lived and it was before the Second World War when she joined the WAAFs.  My Mum has written her name and the date 1937 on the back. I am not sure if the date is correct, in 1937 Mum was 17.  As I said I found the photograph after she died, a beautiful woman in all ways I love this photograph...