Important Dates: 1st - 20th July

1st July

Written in pretty handwriting is the equally pretty name, Florrie Ainly. In our family tree there are several Florences but probably more pertinently, there is a Flora Ainley. Flora is the grand niece of the wife of the uncle of the wife of my great grand uncle. How's that for a convoluted relationship link?

Flora was born in 1889 in Crosland Moor, Yorkshire, England. Her parents were Charles Hall Ainley and Emma Jane Wrigley. I have Flora living in Lockwood, Yorkshire in 1901 but can trace no other records for her at this time. Both Crosland Moor and Lockwood are in the Huddersfield area.

8th July

"William Lockwood 75 died 1916"

This one is a puzzle. There are numerous William Lockwoods in my family tree but none of them seem to match these details.

• William Lockwood 1, born about 1893 in Wellingborough, Northants, date of death unknown.
• William Lockwood 2, born 8th June 1805 in Lepton, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, died 7th December 1872 in the same location.
• William Lockwood 3, born about 1858 in Batley, Yorkshire, date of death unknown.
• William Lockwood 4, born 9 July 1842 in Almondbury, Yorkshire, died 13 November 1888.

The only one is that anywhere near the possible date of birth (1841) is WL4. Could I have got his date of death wrong? This requires further investigation.

12th July

"Sir Oliver Lodge 80 June 12th 1931"

Sir Oliver Lodge was a British physicist and writer. I can't find any links between him and the Lodge branch of my family so I wonder if he was simply included in the GTB as matter of pride that a Lodge should have made such important accomplishments. You can read more about him here.

16th July

The entry for this date is Nora Kilner. Nora was born in 1911 in West Yorkshire. Her mother was my grandfather Alfred's sister. I have no further information on her.

17th July

The name recorded on this date is Gladis Hargraves. We have only one Hargraves in our family tree - Elizabeth Hargraves, born on 17th December 1749 in Dewsbury, Yorkshire. It's possible that Gladis is a descendant of Elizabeth.

18th July

"Fred Thompson"

We have Thompsons and Thomsons in our tree. The sole Thompson is Isabella Thompson, who married Henry Garside (born 1851). I have no further details on her. Perhaps Fred is a descendant of her or one of the Thomsons but the spelling of his name has been changed.

19th July

There's no name entered on this date but there is an address, "35 Regent Road". I have no idea what this relates to. Regent Road is a street name that occurs several times in Yorkshire.

20th July

There are a couple of names mentioned here - Kate Annie Thackray, Jack Sow or Tarr or Farr or Fow, and again, 35 Regent Road. 

I can't trace a Kate Annie Thackray in our family tree but we have many Thackrays. I can't trace Jack either, and again I don't know what the address relates to.

Many many important dates: June

The run up to and preparations for the summer holidays have stolen much of my writing time. The Golden Text Book has sat abandoned on my bookshelf since the beginning of June. This is the first day for a while when I actually have a moment to myself. I've got rather behind with telling you about the GTB entries and there's lots to catch up on.

Two dates that are very important to me personally occur in June, within two days of each other. My son Max was born on 15th June and my husband Paul on 17th June. Occuring shortly before Father's Day, this is always a week of celebration for our family. I've added their names to the GTB, my own handwriting and loved ones next to the generations that have gone before.

On June 18th, there is the name Louise written with no surname. I have a distant cousin called Louise but the entry is quite an old one so I don't think it's her. The only other Louise I can find in our family tree is Harriet 'Louise' Lockwood. I suppose she could have been known by her middle name like my Uncle Ken was (real name John). She was born in 1875 in Halifax but I can't confirm her exact birth date. She is my second cousin two times removed.

On 20th June, we have three entries for what I assume are friends of the family - Dr Braithwaite, Mrs Far and Mrs Roberts.

On 21st June, the entry reads Arthur Roberts. We have no Roberts in our family tree. Perhaps Arthur was related to the Mrs Roberts recorded on the date before.

On 22nd June, there is the name William Arthur Quarton. We have no Quartons in our family tree. On Ancestry, I can find the following entries for this name:

Death entry for WAQ born about 1828, died 1869 in Wakefield, Yorkshire.

Death entry for WAQ born about1885, died October 1908 in Bramley, Yorkshire.

Birth entry for WAQ registered April 1885 in Leeds, Yorkshire.

These would fit with William being a neighbour or local friend.

Entered on 23rd June but with 24th June written below the entry are the words 'Prince of Wales'. 

Pictured is Edward VIII, son to George V. He was born on 23rd June 1894. On his birthday in 1910 he became the Prince of Wales. You can find out more about him here.

The 24th June is packed full of names:

• Mildred Cox
• Dr Braithwaite (again)
• Mrs Roberts (again)
• Charlie
• Mr Tranner (possibly - handwriting is questionable)
• Lord Kitchener.

We have no Coxs in our family tree but the Cox family lived near to my mother's childhood home. Kitty Cox was the same age as my grandparents and I know she had a son. The impression I got of their home was a ramshackle house of clutter and collections.

One of the confusing elements of the GTB is that it not only keeps a record of births but also of deaths. A name may therefore be entered twice but it is sometimes difficult to trace which was the birth and which the death. I think that is probably why we have Dr Braithwaite and Mrs Roberts again.

My father was called Charlie but I can't find any connection between him and this date in June. There is a Charles Lockwood (born 1878) several generations back but I can't trace his exact birth date so I can't confirm this entry is him.

Mr (or possibly Mrs) Tranner means nothing to me, either as part of our family tree or as a friend of the family. I can't even confirm that it actually is Tranner due to the ornate handwriting.

The Lord Kitchener mentioned here is Herbert Kitchener, first Earl Kitchener. He was born on 24th June 1850. He was a war hero, turned Secretary of State for War at the beginning of the first world war. You can read more about him here.

On 25th June, we see the name Mrs Tarr. This name doesn't feature in our family tree so it was perhaps another family friend.