Monday 25 April 2011

Important Dates: 24th - 25th April

I have two more entries for you today, one from yesterday (sorry, real life got in the way again) and one from today's date.

24th - Mildred Moxon


The entry for Mildred bears the date '1912'. Is this a birth year or a year of death? We have no Moxons in our family tree but on Ancestry, I can find a Mildred Moxon who was born in Bramley, West Yorkshire in 1912. I can also find a marriage record for a Mildred Moxon marrying a man called 'Barker' in West Yorkshire in 1919. I can also find a 1901 census for a Mildred Moxon in the Yorkshire area who was born in 1898. There is also a Mildred Moxon's marriage record in 1953 in West Yorkshire to a Mr Walker.

From this I assume the Mildred in the GTB is the one born in 1912 and married in 1953 (when she was 41). I can remember my mother talking about family friends in the Bramley area.

25th - Princess Mary


This is another example of a historical figure. The recording of her birthday in a personal birthday and important dates record shows the affection that the royal family were held in by British people in the past. This is Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood. She was born on 25th April 1897. She was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, receiving her Harewood title through marriage.

Friday 22 April 2011

Important Date: 20th April

There are two entries in the GTB for 20th April.

Wilhelmina Ainsley

We have no Ainsleys in our family tree but when I search on Ancestry, there is a Wilhelmina Ainsley in the Yorkshire area in 1891 and 1901 census. I can also find a death certificate for this name in 1966. One of my mother's godmothers was always referred to as Willa. I wonder if this is the same person.

Princess Elisabeth

I assume this is Queen Elizabeth who was actually born on 21st April 1926. She was born in the same year as my mother (who also has an April birthday).

I'm a couple of days late in reporting this but I'll do my best to be on time with the next entry, on 24th April.

Monday 18 April 2011

Important Dates: 16 - 18 April

What with the preparations for the children's Easter break from school, a family birthday and other projects, I missed an entry in the GTB.

16 April

The name that appears in the GTB on this date is Gladis Hargraves, married 18. I'm unsure whether this entry is her birthday or the date she got married.

In my family tree, the only Hargraves I have is an Elizabeth Hargraves (born in 1749 in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England) who married a William Bould. The Boulds fed into the Lockwood branch of my family. Gladis could therefore be a distant relative.

18 April

The entry is 'Mrs Milton 1920 54'. I assume this is a record of Mrs Milton's death. We have no Milton's in our family tree (that I can trace) so this may be a family friend).

Monday 11 April 2011

Important Date: 11th April

Today's entry in the Golden Text Book is for Isaiah Chapman. I think that's a great name. Unfortunately, I don't think he is a relative. I haven't come across any Chapmans in my family research so far. I do remember my mum talking about a Miss Chapman who was a friend of her parents. I got the impression that she thought my mum and her siblings were very naughty children.

I can find an 1891 census entry for an Isaiah Chapman living in the Headingley cum Burley (Kirkstall) area of Leeds where my mother's family lived. Married to a Sarah Chapman, he was born in Cambridgeshire and had a son called Fred. They lived at 7 Albert Terrace (again an address connected with my family). Isaiah is recorded as a forgeman, I presume working at Kirkstall Forge and his son is a boot riveter. These details would seem to confirm that this is the Isaiah in the GTB.

Sunday 10 April 2011

Important Dates

Last year I told you about a little book of birthdays and important dates that I'd found called the Golden Text Book. My great grandfather, Alfred Lockwood gave it to my great grandmother, Eliza Thackeray. It appears to have been used by Alfred for recording birthdays before he gave it to his future wife so it's a very valuable record of past family members. It contains many many names, some of which I can match to my family tree, others which I can't, either because they're family friends, historical figures or ancestors I haven't traced yet.

I thought it would be interesting to discuss the entries for each day here on this blog. Some dates are blank but the majority bear a name (or two). With hindsight, I should have started this on 1st January but starting on 10th April will have to suffice. I'll still run this feature for an entire year, taking in all the dates.

Today's name is Mary Ainley. There are quite a lot of Mary Ainley's in my family tree, seven in all, born between 1800 and 1872. These are all on my mother's side of the family. I have complete dates of birth for three of these and of the four for whom I only have years of birth, I can't track down the actual date in the year they were born so at the moment I have no match for the Mary in the GTB.

One thing that is clear from the recording of her name is how large a family Alfred came from. He was a Lockwood. His cousins were the Lodges who were ultimately connected to the Ainleys.

I'll share more important dates with you as they appear.

Sunday 3 April 2011

Remembering Mum

Another Mothering Sunday has come around. My husband and children are spoiling me with breakfast in bed and chocolates (not at the same time - that could get messy). All in all, it's been a relaxing day but the disadvantage of having this downtime is that it gives me the chance to think and the more I think, the more I remember that my Mum isn't here. So today, I'll not only enjoy the day in my role as mum but I'll also remember the times I had with my mother too.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll also share some new information I've found on two more mothers in my family, my two grandmothers.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mums, those still with us and those we have lost. You all have a place in our hearts.