Yesterday I met Margaret Eames when she and her husband Philip came for tea with us. I have been in touch with Margaret for the past couple of years or more, when she answered a letter that I had printed in the Rotherham Advertiser. We have corresponded since then, and when she and Philip stayed in York this Christmas we invited them over for a bite to eat with us. Apart from Margaret forgetting to bring all the family photos etc, we managed to swap bits of information, including details of her Gran, Eliza. I think it was beneficial to all!
I seem to be ending the year with more mysteries than I started with. I have discovered that the Kennedys were catholic at last. The mystery of Michael's death has been solved, despite the lies told at the time which led me down the wrong path. Now there are the following:
- Where and when did Sarah Jane Kennedy (Griffin) die/was buried?
- Who are the mysterious Farrar trio which are/may have been attached to the John Kennedy family in one of the census collections?
- Why was John Moran buried in the same grave as Patrick (b 1809) and his wife Margaret?
- Who was the brother of Thomas and Eliza who went to Ireland?
There are more, but I think those are enough to keep me going for the year 2009.
Very best wishes for the new year, and here's hoping that it is good to you.
June
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Saturday, 20 December 2008
THE NEW YEAR
It is nearly 2009 and a time for looking forwards not back. 2008 Has not been a particularly good year in general, but it did have its compensations. One of these was finding a death date for Michael Kennedy (GGrandfather). It was quite a surprise too. My Grandfather (Michael's son) stated that his father was deceased when he married Clarissa Burkinshaw in 1910, and so hindered me in my search. It was only when I bought a cd from Rotherham FHS that I found him. And I wasn't looking for him, but for any other Kennedys who I wasn't aware of. Nice surprise, though.
So what will I find in 2009? I've re-subscribed to Ancestry, which in itself means that I mean business!! My other brick wall was the death of Michael's wife, Sarah Jane Kennedy (nee Griffin), so that has to be the priority. There is though a strange feature of the family that I have found, and can't quite make up my mind what it signifies: In the grave of Patrick Kennedy (3xGGrandfather b 1809) and his wife Margaret is buried another man, John Moran. Who is he, what is he doing there? I am intrigued.
So what will I find in 2009? I've re-subscribed to Ancestry, which in itself means that I mean business!! My other brick wall was the death of Michael's wife, Sarah Jane Kennedy (nee Griffin), so that has to be the priority. There is though a strange feature of the family that I have found, and can't quite make up my mind what it signifies: In the grave of Patrick Kennedy (3xGGrandfather b 1809) and his wife Margaret is buried another man, John Moran. Who is he, what is he doing there? I am intrigued.
Saturday, 13 December 2008
New Resolutions - Already!
13 12 08
Almost the new year, I'm only a little further forward than I was a year ago. Stay positive! One of my biggest brick walls was the date of death of Michael Kennedy, my Great Grandfather. I was led astray by my Grandfather who stated Michael was deceased at the time of his marriage in 1910. It was a long time before I realised that the bmd disk that I had bought from Rotherham fhs contained Michaels death record.
So, what hurdles are there still to overcome for next year? Well there is the the death of Michael's wife, Sarah Jane. She and Michael were living with their complete family at (address) in the 1891 census. When the 1901 census was taken, Michael was to be found in Barnsley with his youngest son Thomas in lodgings with a Mrs Grange. At first I assumed that Sarah had died and Michael had taken the youngest of the family, aged 14, to get his training as a coal miner in the best area that he could. Having searched long and hard for Sarah Jane's death, I considered that the pair may, instead, have separated. I searched then for the same name anywhere in England. Nothing jumped out at me. Maybe Sarah Jane had divorced Michael and remarried? The answer still eludes me.
Then, the most curious of all - why was a man called John Moran buried with Patrick snr and his wife Margaret. Perhaps someone else has the answer.
Almost the new year, I'm only a little further forward than I was a year ago. Stay positive! One of my biggest brick walls was the date of death of Michael Kennedy, my Great Grandfather. I was led astray by my Grandfather who stated Michael was deceased at the time of his marriage in 1910. It was a long time before I realised that the bmd disk that I had bought from Rotherham fhs contained Michaels death record.
So, what hurdles are there still to overcome for next year? Well there is the the death of Michael's wife, Sarah Jane. She and Michael were living with their complete family at (address) in the 1891 census. When the 1901 census was taken, Michael was to be found in Barnsley with his youngest son Thomas in lodgings with a Mrs Grange. At first I assumed that Sarah had died and Michael had taken the youngest of the family, aged 14, to get his training as a coal miner in the best area that he could. Having searched long and hard for Sarah Jane's death, I considered that the pair may, instead, have separated. I searched then for the same name anywhere in England. Nothing jumped out at me. Maybe Sarah Jane had divorced Michael and remarried? The answer still eludes me.
Then, the most curious of all - why was a man called John Moran buried with Patrick snr and his wife Margaret. Perhaps someone else has the answer.
Sunday, 16 November 2008
Great Gran Burkinshaw
I thought that I'd kick off the family history with a little information about my maternal Gt Gran.
Sarah Ann Briggs was born in 1849 to George and Elizabeth (nee Mallinson). In 1866 at the age of 17 she had her first child, a daughter named Harriet Ann. The father appears to be Samuel Burkinshaw, son of the Burkinshaw family of Gawber Hall who, at that time owned much of the land in the villages around Gawber, Higham, Redbrook and Barugh Green all in Barnsley, Yorkshire. Sarah and Samuel did not live together at that time, and she followed her first daughter with a second - Mary E. Both daughters were christened under the surname Briggs. After a third daughter - Edith - was born in 1870, the couple married in 1872. The reason why they did not marry earlier is not known, but census records for both addresses show no other adult in the property.
Sarah Ann and Samuel had 8 children and the first two were adopted by Samuel, so that they bore the same surname as the other six. Sarah lived to be 90 years old, and was killed in a road accident whilst on her way to deliver a baby.
On a lighter note ... Sarah Ann was the first person that I researched, and
I set off on her trail one Boxing Day to track her down, my research had shown that she lived in Horkstow, East Yorkshire. On this bitterly cold and frosted day I trecked all around the area to find a grave or two, all to no avail. Not until a few months later when another researcher contacted me re Sarah Ann, did I reasise that I had spent a year researching the wrong lady!!
Sarah Ann Briggs was born in 1849 to George and Elizabeth (nee Mallinson). In 1866 at the age of 17 she had her first child, a daughter named Harriet Ann. The father appears to be Samuel Burkinshaw, son of the Burkinshaw family of Gawber Hall who, at that time owned much of the land in the villages around Gawber, Higham, Redbrook and Barugh Green all in Barnsley, Yorkshire. Sarah and Samuel did not live together at that time, and she followed her first daughter with a second - Mary E. Both daughters were christened under the surname Briggs. After a third daughter - Edith - was born in 1870, the couple married in 1872. The reason why they did not marry earlier is not known, but census records for both addresses show no other adult in the property.
Sarah Ann and Samuel had 8 children and the first two were adopted by Samuel, so that they bore the same surname as the other six. Sarah lived to be 90 years old, and was killed in a road accident whilst on her way to deliver a baby.
On a lighter note ... Sarah Ann was the first person that I researched, and
I set off on her trail one Boxing Day to track her down, my research had shown that she lived in Horkstow, East Yorkshire. On this bitterly cold and frosted day I trecked all around the area to find a grave or two, all to no avail. Not until a few months later when another researcher contacted me re Sarah Ann, did I reasise that I had spent a year researching the wrong lady!!
Friday, 31 October 2008
Last day of October 2008 ...
Time really does go faster when you are retired and your time is your own . I just don't have enough hours to fit in all that I want to do. The days from Monday to Friday disappear particularly fast and the weekends are lost in a blur of "is it Saturday/Sunday?" questions. (Older folk will know what I mean)
I am going to photograph one of my latest craft makes and - hopefully - load it into the arty page for all to see. It is a thank you card for Lesley, who I often call my shrink! She's doing a fine job on me! The item is a little box, with feet, and it is decorated on the outside, and contains a miniature Little Book inside, matching the decorative box it sits in. There are ten pages to this Little Book, each with a frame which contains a word. In total it spells out an Irish blessing, something relevant to the both of us, as we have Irish blood.
As per the title of this little episode, it is indeed the last day of October, and a month that I dread. Although the autumn colours are by far my favourite of the year, October signals that winter is on its way, as well. I have to adjust and I find this very hard to do. I spend weeks huddled by the fire, still feeling cold. Eventually I settle down to the winter months but I look forward to the spring all the time, looking for signs such as the snowdrops pushing their stems up though the cold, hard ground. They are the flimsiest of plants yet can still do that. Miraculous!
Here goes with the photo...
Wish me luck!
Friday, 18 July 2008
When one door closes, another one opens!?
This week, I was delighted to find a death record for my Gt Grandfather, Michael KENNEDY. I had been searching for this piece of information for the past 4 years. Every channel of information had been checked, including a cd of Rotherham burials. I had trundled round graveyards in the Rotherham area, even a couple in Ireland in case he had returned there to live. A couple of days ago I returned to my research to check all my information out again. When I returned to the cd I found him. Plus a lot of other Kennedy people, all of which need fitting into the jigsaw!
The thing that really threw me was my Grandfather's marriage certificate. G/father was Michael's youngest child. The marriage took place in 1910, and Michael was named as deceased. Not surprisingly, I hadn't looked after that date. When the 1911 census is out I shall have pleasure in locating Michael again, but in the meantime the big question is:
WHY DID MY G/FATHER STATE THAT HIS FATHER WAS DEAD WHEN HE MARRIED?
HAD THERE BEEN A FALLING-OUT?
Michael incidently had died in 1926 in a Rotherham hospital.
The thing that really threw me was my Grandfather's marriage certificate. G/father was Michael's youngest child. The marriage took place in 1910, and Michael was named as deceased. Not surprisingly, I hadn't looked after that date. When the 1911 census is out I shall have pleasure in locating Michael again, but in the meantime the big question is:
WHY DID MY G/FATHER STATE THAT HIS FATHER WAS DEAD WHEN HE MARRIED?
HAD THERE BEEN A FALLING-OUT?
Michael incidently had died in 1926 in a Rotherham hospital.
Friday, 11 July 2008
Done it Again!!
Done it again ..... I went in search of my Gx3 Gran's maiden name, and once more fell into the habit of complying with what someone else had said.
George Jackson born 1786 in Horkstow, Lincolnshire married Sarah Mankell in 1810 in Saxby All Saints. This piece of information was given to me by a very generous gent a couple of years ago free of charge just to get me started. It came with a problem, though. The surname of Sarah was mistranscribed, and my job ever since has been to seek the right one.
I have done all the right things, I think. I took out an Ancestry subscription which I used to find much of the information in my tree, except for this particular piece. Or more truthfully, I found 3 ladies who could all have been she. Initially I chose my first guess which was Mansell. Then someone from a Rootsweb list contradicted that, so I searched for another and came up with Hewson. Although the name sounded dodgy, the rest of it seemed to fit. Alas, it was challenged again! And I changed it again. In the end I reverted back to my first choice, but I had wasted umpteen hours in between and got nowhere!
George Jackson born 1786 in Horkstow, Lincolnshire married Sarah Mankell in 1810 in Saxby All Saints. This piece of information was given to me by a very generous gent a couple of years ago free of charge just to get me started. It came with a problem, though. The surname of Sarah was mistranscribed, and my job ever since has been to seek the right one.
I have done all the right things, I think. I took out an Ancestry subscription which I used to find much of the information in my tree, except for this particular piece. Or more truthfully, I found 3 ladies who could all have been she. Initially I chose my first guess which was Mansell. Then someone from a Rootsweb list contradicted that, so I searched for another and came up with Hewson. Although the name sounded dodgy, the rest of it seemed to fit. Alas, it was challenged again! And I changed it again. In the end I reverted back to my first choice, but I had wasted umpteen hours in between and got nowhere!
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