Broken Memory

For every two or three pieces of information that I find in my family history research, I come across a question or mystery. One of these mysteries is a broken up photograph among my parents' things.

The photograph was on card rather than photographic paper. There is no labelling to suggest a date, location or the names of the people in the photograph.

This is my maternal grandmother, Maud. She looks quite young so I assume this photograph was taken in the early 1900s (she was born in 1885).

I don't know the identity of these ladies. They may be friends or family members. Perhaps if I check through the old photographs I have, I can match them up with a name.

I've no idea why this photograph was broken up but the pieces had obviously been stored with care. The more I dip in to my ancestors' lives, the more I come up against brick walls and questions that seem unanswerable.

Eliza's Will

One of the recent finds was a copy of the will of Eliza Lockwood, nee Thackeray. This has proved very useful because I now have a date of death for her but it also raises a question.

According to the will, everything belonging to Eliza was left to her daughter, Maud (my grandmother). Included in Eliza's belongings was the following,

"Piece or parcel of land with the dwellinghouse thereon Number 22 Spring Grove Walk, Burley or Headingley-cum-Burley, Leeds".

Up to and including 1911, Eliza was living at 29 Albert Terrace, Kirkstall. At the time of her death, she was resident at 5 Vickers Avenue, Kirkstall which was her daughter and son-in-law's home. Can I assume that somewhere in between those dates, Eliza and her family moved to 22 Spring Grove Walk?

The frustrating thing is that I've heard the address somewhere before in my family history research. I must look through the documents I have for my mother's side of the family again. 

An Educated Woman

I always knew that my grandmother, Lydia was an English teacher. My mum was very proud of her mother and the fact that she not only held the family together but also was an educated woman in her own right.

In the box of my parents' belongings that we found recently, was a whole range of certificates that outlined my grandmother's teacher training. Looking through her certificates, it quickly becomes clear that she also trained in art, music and physical education. I assumed she taught secondary school age children but it seems from her certificates that she was qualified to teach at a primary school.

She learnt music through the Tonic Sol-Fa College. I've included one of her certificates above. Her other training was carried out through the Victoria University, Leeds and correspondence courses.

She registered as a teacher in 1919, at the age of 34 years old. She had been married to Alfred for four years by that time and her first child, Betty would be born the following year.

I have a certificate that states she worked as Assistant Mistress at St Stephen's School in Leeds until 1927. I'm unsure whether she stopped working as a teacher at that stage.

I'll have more information about Maud and some interesting photographs too very soon.

A little gem of history

My husband recently came across an unpacked box in our garage. I assume that it's moved with us the last couple of times because it contained my parents' things - personal items, documents but no photographs this time (well, almost). I'll tell you about the contents over the next few days but today I'll start with an item that brought back memories of my father sitting by the window attempting to darn his socks.

This is a darning loom, a small device to repair holes in clothes. It is addressed to my father's mother, Lydia at the house she lived in until my grandfather died. The stamp on it reads,

"Daily Mail
Ideal Home
Exhibition
Olympia".

The date is missing but what is remaining reads "H 4 - 29". I assume the 'h' is the end of the month of March. The date stamped on the postage stamps cannot be read. Having done some research though, it would seem that this device dates from the 1940s. The  Ideal Home Exhibition didn't take place in the early 40s due to the second world war, starting up again in 1947 so I wonder if this was purchased in that era. My father lived in London between about 1947 and 1950. I imagine that he purchased it from an Ideal Home exhibition for her.

If you'd like to read another blog post about the Speedweve Darner, have a look at 'Darn It All' by Cargo Cult Craft. For historical information on the Ideal Home Exhibition, you can find a great post on the Ideal Home Show website here

Important Date: 6th May

The entry for today's date in the Golden Text Book reads,

"King Edward 7th
Died May 6th
1910".

Edward was born on 9th November 1841 in Buckingham Palace. His parents were Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

You'd never guess from this photograph that he was seen as a frivolous playboy, a reputation which caused a rift between Edward and his parents. At the age of 21, he married Princess Alexandra of Denmark. She was 18 years old. Edward ruled from 1901 until he died.

The entry in the Golden Text Book for 20th May states, "King Edward, buried 20th May 1910".

If you would like to read more about Edward, you can visit the relevant Wikipedia page here.

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.

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.