General Chat

Sad day today - OH's mother's cremation - don't go down that road. The last two months have been very difficult.

Back to her flat after the ceremony. Sandwiches (courtesy of one of the supermarkets) wine, coffee, tea ...

At some point we were trying to find the box of sherry glasses that she told me once she'd put in the wardrobe in the spare room. No joy. Found some boxed glasses but not sherry glasses. Hey well. We have to clear out the flat at some stage so they may turn up.

BUT, whilst having a rummage, I found a birthday book. I said "I'll take this home to transcribe it" thinking there might be a few things in it of use. It turns out to have belonged to OH's grandfather (affectionately known as "Pops"). Given to him by his mother on his 23rd birthday in 1880 and seems to have a lot of the "older" dates in there. How fabulous! OH's mum added to it over the years of course so it's a motley collection but out of a very sad day comes something helpful and lovely and it's made me feel so much better.

Thought I'd share this - as I've often seen posts where someone discovers an old family piece and I'm always so jealous! I might spend some time this evening piecing a few things together!

Jill

((((Hugs)))

Thank you SRS

J

Hope you're feeling ok.

What's a birthday book? Does it record people's birthdays?

I'm OK SRS - tired and a bit sad ...

A birthday book is like a diary without years. This one has birthdays, marriages and deaths in it. Weird to see "Pops" handwriting. I have a photo of him as a very old man but lovely to see his writing. I am now planning to add some photos to the tree on Ancestry.

I think we should all keep a birthday book - so long as we add the year that the event happened. Very handy for our descendants!

Jill

Hello Jill. sorry to hear about your day. Having said that, to find something so personal, helpful and lovely which has made you feel so much better, is wonderful. Whilst you are spending the evening (and possibly more evenings to come!) piecing things together..........i have no doubt you will warm the cockles of the hearts of OHs mother and OHs Grandfather "Pops!" Who i am sure, will be looking down on you. ......Susan xxxx

Thank you Susan.

I do wish M-i-L had found the book for me when she was alive and I was asking her all those questions that you ask - but I suppose she had forgotten it ... bless her.

J

glad you found something to help u along your hobbie, sorry it was in sad circumstances hope u find lots out xxxxx

Jill,

Sorry you have had such a sad day. But ......

What a wonderful find for you. You will have some happy thoughts as you look through all those names and dates. I have thanked my Grandfather so many times for the dates he put down in the family bible, including his parents. He did mention his siblings marriages - gave the date but never mentioned who they married!

I had an Aunt who could always be relied upon to send birthday and anniversary cards from the listings in her book. She was the only one who ever sent us an anniversary card. (I hope her children have kept that book safe!)

I'm sure you will have a smile when the sherry glasses finally come to light, and you may find more treasures yet!

Elisabeth x

Thank you Puss and Elisabeth.

It has helped, finding this book. I think otherwise tonight I might have been pootling around unable to settle to anything.

J

Perhaps she did forget about it, and you never know Jill, perhaps she's "Up There" thinking..........trust that ruddy Jill to find that book, and discover all the family secrets!! Bless her cotton socks. x

Jill, I am glad you found something to add joy to a sad day. My sympathies on your loss and congratulatons on your find.
Who knows what else will turn up when you have to clear the flat? Maybe more lovely old things that stir memories or can be helpful to your search for ancestors.

I brought my late Mum's address book from the house when she died, I needed it to contact people but kept it anyway for the info it contained which put me in touch with relatives I hardly knew about let alone had met. It led to me meeting with a lovely cousin of my Dad's and getting some good photos and info from him on my paternal Gran's side and also makes sure I don't lose touch with other family members. I am only sorry Mum had just started the new book as she had obviously thrown out the old one, how I wish I had found that too.

I was lucky that a few years before her death Mum had written a list of birthdays for me of some rellies, only those on her side of the family unfortunately.

Lizx

My condolences to your family Jill.
Enjoy reading Pop's birthday book,fabulous to be given a glimpse of family history

Mau

I think you might be right Susan! She also said she was going to burn all her diaries before she died but I don't think she did. I've found some going back to the early 1970s and one from 1941 but no others ... hope they turn up as that would be fascinating! Even OH would show some interest in those - as he shows very little interest in his family history. His brother and cousins are interested though so I persevere!

You had a lucky find there Liz. M-i-L was pretty good at keeping in touch with her family and having quizzed her and some of the cousins her tree is pretty good. Pops birthday book is already proving helpful as it names some of the unknown children who died young. (I always feel sad when I can identify the little ones who never show in censuses and are difficult to find otherwise - but it's lovely when you can find them, name them and put them back into their family.)

Thanks Mau - I do wish my father's grandma had left something like this as that side of MY tree has a ruddy great hole in it!

And it's a sweet little book - with a clasp and gold edging to the pages. Its called "Year Book of Gifts and Graces"

J

Jill,

That book sounds wonderful and the diaries too. They will be treasures to pass on to the next generation. Keep them somewhere safe!

Elisabeth x

It's a lovely find Jill, & something to distract you.

Sniff, sob, hiccup! Just like you Jill, i am jealous at your wonderful find! Nooo, not really...........(Well maybe a little envious!!!) May it bring you many hour's of pleasure............. xxxxx

Jill
What a wonderful find on a sad day. I'm glad that you are able to lighten the darkness of recent events.

We are a family of hoarders of some things, but boy has it paid off recently.
We were able to send photos to New Zealand after I saw a request on the 'net'. The person's father had left NZ in 1950s when she was a small child and her mother remarried, but I knew him and could update her.
Just wish Mum had kept a few more of the non-family photos which she disposed of in her later years, thinking it would be, as she put it, "Less to do when I'm gone".

Gwyn

Thank you all.

That's a lovely story Gwyn. (I found a postcard-photo last year of a young baby - name and age written on the back with a date. I managed to track his family down and eventually passed the photo onto a great niece who forwarded it to him - still alive and living in America.) It's so lovely to be able to re-unite people with pictures etc.

Jill

Jill, sorry you have had such a sad day but how lovely to find the birthday book, something we all used t keep at one time.o