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