Marcasite is made from a form of iron pyrites. I remember my mum telling me it was iron when I was little - I found it difficult to match my knowledge of iron to the glittery marcasit. However, I associate it more with the later jewellery of the 30s and 40s. Mum had a 30s marcasite bracelet of which she was very fond - a repairer lost it! and curiously replaced it with one that had diamond chips on the shoulders - it was technically more valuable, but she never liked it! There were a few other marcasite items within the family, almost all brooches, 1940s and 1950s and I remember a leafy bracelet. I suppose this was another example of looking good in times of austerity - during the Napoleonic wars, early 1800s - it was fashionable for patriotic women to wear cut steel jewellery as they had, or wanted to be thought to have had, sold their "real"jewellery to support their country. Jean > To: bristol_and_somerset@rootsweb.com > From: jojeremiah@dsl.pipex.com > Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:48:59 +0000 > Subject: [B&S] Marcasite jewellery (was Alfred the Gorilla ...) > > On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:13:51 -0000, Susan Moziar <smoziar@rogers.com> > wrote: > > > It wasn't until that I actually read this article that I realized that I > > had seen this gorilla in the Bristol Zoo on a couple of occasions. What > > I > > remember most about him was that I was with my aunt who was wearing a > > broach with a coiled snake inside a red outer frame pinned to her suit. > > How words can trigger memories, Susan! > > Your mention of a brooch with a coiled snake reminded me of one my mother > had in the shape of a lizard and how fascinated I was by it, when I was a > child. > > The lizard brooch was made of marcasite and that was my first introduction > to the word marcasite. I don't think I've ever used the word since. I see > from a google search that marcasite jewellery was popular in Victorian > times and that it was also known as 'poor man's diamonds'. > > Josephine > -- > Josephine Jeremiah > www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:13:51 -0000, Susan Moziar <smoziar@rogers.com> wrote: > It wasn't until that I actually read this article that I realized that I > had seen this gorilla in the Bristol Zoo on a couple of occasions. What > I > remember most about him was that I was with my aunt who was wearing a > broach with a coiled snake inside a red outer frame pinned to her suit. How words can trigger memories, Susan! Your mention of a brooch with a coiled snake reminded me of one my mother had in the shape of a lizard and how fascinated I was by it, when I was a child. The lizard brooch was made of marcasite and that was my first introduction to the word marcasite. I don't think I've ever used the word since. I see from a google search that marcasite jewellery was popular in Victorian times and that it was also known as 'poor man's diamonds'. Josephine -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:05:44 -0000, Patricia A <smadap@rogers.com> wrote: > As for street parties - I have a few memories of the VJ party in > Highbury Road, Bedminster. I was 4 years old at the time and my brother > Alan still a baby, but I can clearly see the table and chairs lined up, > up and down the street, with everyone bringing out all that they could > spare from their meagre rations so that the whole street could join in > the celebrations. I also remember that my grandmother did not attend as > she was still mourning the loss of her two sons. Thanks for sharing your Coronation and VJ memories, Patricia. I've been reading an account of VE Day in Staple Hill, Bristol, which mentions that everyone got together and made cakes for a great party: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/70/a4425770.shtml There's a VE Day photograph of people in Water Street, Ashton Gate, Bristol here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/27/a7207427.shtml A photograph of a street party on 8th. May 1945 at Bellevue, Clifton is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/73/a7210973.shtml I find these stories very interesting. When I was a child, I was fascinated by a photograph of the end of the war celebrations which my family and their neighbours attended. I liked picking out the people, whom I knew. Sadly, over the years that photograph was lost, but it's good to see that people have left accounts and photographs of the 1945 celebrations in Bristol. Josephine -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

On 13 Jan 2011 at 11:13, Susan Moziar wrote: > Hi Josephine, > > It wasn't until that I actually read this article that I realized that > I had seen this gorilla in the Bristol Zoo on a couple of occasions. > What I remember most about him was that I was with my aunt who was > wearing a broach with a coiled snake inside a red outer frame pinned > to her suit. When Alfred saw my aunt he got hysterical. When she > went away he calmed down but got wild again when she returned. We > never could determine whether it was the broach she was wearing, her > glasses of just what set him off. I can remember the scene as clearly > as though it was yesterday! Thanks for reminding me.> Perhaps Alfred just "fancied" your aunt !!! Was she a very attractive lady? Ooops - instant apologies for any suggestion of bad taste! <b.g.> Could it have been the red brooch perhaps? The colour red seems to have an adverse affect on animals, possibly because's it's so bright and pronounced - hence, red rag to a bull, etc. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE

Borrowed from another list... Edna - Ottawa -- "In light of the appalling floods in Queensland the Australian Society of Archivists and Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia (the two peak bodies in Australia and New Zealand) have issued a joint statement, which, if you scroll down a little lists numerous authoritative sites for not only how to recover from disasters such as floods and fires, but also advice on how to prepare your collections of in advance of them. These could be of general interest to anyone with valuable collections of documents, photos, etc. Best wishes to all our friends in Queensland as they enter into the heartbreaking phase of discovering what they have lost now that the water is receding, and those in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania who are now facing the onslaught of new floods." http://www.archivists.org.au/sb/modules/news/attachments/27/JointDisasterStatementv01_20110113.pdf

An article in today's Bath Chronicle caught my eye: Bath Abbey dig unearths historic penny under pew http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Dig-unearths-historic-penny/article-3093620-detail/article.html It has reminded me that I used to collect Victorian pennies and half pennies, when I was a child. I'm off now to see if still I have any tucked away in a drawer. -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:27:03 -0000, Sue <sue.cartref@virgin.net> wrote: > I am beginning to think I shall never find any threads that add together. Hi Sue and Listers, I expect that many of us have felt that we'll never find any threads that add together and then one day the answer appears. This has happened to me on a number of occasions. Years ago, when I first started researching my Dad's family history, he knew nothing other than his Bristolian father had been orphaned and some of his mother's Bristol family originally came from Devon. Now I have my paternal grandfather's family back to the 16th century in Bristol and many generations further back from that in Wales. I only found that out last year. More and more information is becoming available so don't despair, the answers are out there. Josephine -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

Hi Josephine, Thank you for your e-mail. Yes, we have been to Clifford Church and Dorstone and all around the area of the Golden Valley as my 1500 family tree says that my oldest ancestor William Madye 1500 lived in Dorstone and the family lived in and around there for at least 200 years and I gather that there was still a Maddy in Dorstone in the 1841 Census. They appear to have had land in the Middlewood area and a James Maddy married an Elizabeth Penoyre. I am beginning to think I shall never find any threads that add together. Thank you for your help. Best wishes Sue

On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:59:16 -0000, Chris Jefferies <chris.jefferies@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: > On a slightly different note I seem to remember that last year the BBC > had a road show bus going round the country encouraging people to dig > out any early home movie films. There is a BBC article of 6th. August 2010 entitled Would you rescue home movies from a burning house? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10870396 which has reference to The Home Movie Roadshow. More information on The Home Movie Roadshow is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tc4qn -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

On a slightly different note I seem to remember that last year the BBC had a road show bus going round the country encouraging people to dig out any early home movie films. I think that they were working with some organisation who wanted to copy the more interesting films and keep them as some sort of national archive. Some holiday movies were very interesting as they showed how places once looked but others were of quite big events which may not have been covered by the newsreels. Chris Jefferies Cheltenham Glos From: bristol_and_somerset-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:bristol_and_somerset-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Josephine Jeremiah Sent: 13 January 2011 09:17 To: bristol_and_somerset@rootsweb.com Subject: [B&S] War memories are wanted for DVD about Somerset at War An author and film maker is asking people to share war memories for a DVD about Somerset at War: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Author-wants-war-memories/article-309572 4-detail/article.html -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1191 / Virus Database: 1435/3376 - Release Date: 01/12/11

Bristol is mentioned in today's BBC news about Royal Wedding street parties: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-12175133 On 5th. September 2009 Bristol was referred to as 'street party capital': http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8239532.stm Does anyone remember street parties in the B & S area for the 1937 Coronation or the ending of the Second World War? My sister was telling me about parties held in a hall in St. Philip's, Bristol for soldiers who came home after the war. I know that it rained on Coronation Day in 1953. Perhaps that was why our street party was held in the upstairs room of a local pub. -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

Some of the most wonderful things my third cousin sent me were the photos of the street parties, I was able to see several of my cousins and the house in the back ground of the 1953 coronation  street party for queen Elizabeth and then she sent me a few realy old ones from the coronation of King George and one of the VJ day parties, and for some one who lives in the US these realy meant a lot. I had never heard of a street party. Jo SaundersJS http://joni.tribalpages.com/

Hi Josephine, It wasn't until that I actually read this article that I realized that I had seen this gorilla in the Bristol Zoo on a couple of occasions. What I remember most about him was that I was with my aunt who was wearing a broach with a coiled snake inside a red outer frame pinned to her suit. When Alfred saw my aunt he got hysterical. When she went away he calmed down but got wild again when she returned. We never could determine whether it was the broach she was wearing, her glasses of just what set him off. I can remember the scene as clearly as though it was yesterday! Thanks for reminding me. Susan -----Original Message----- From: Josephine Jeremiah Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 8:53 AM To: bristol_and_somerset@rootsweb.com Subject: [B&S] Alfred the Gorilla, articles in Bristol's Evening Post (was Bristol Record Office ...) On Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:06:05 -0000, Glen Yearsley <yearsley@rogers.com> wrote: > Alfred the Gorilla eh .. > Glen Alfred Yearsley Hi Glen, Since you have a middle name, which is famous in Bristol's recent history, you might like to know a little about Alfred the Gorilla. His name crops up in a number of recent articles in Bristol's Evening Post. Who was Alfred the great and why did the whole of Bristol take him to heart? (4th. March 2010) http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Alfred-great-did-Bristol-heart/article-1884244-detail/article.html 54-year mystery solved: Find out who stole Bristol's much-loved Alfred the gorilla (4th. March 2010) http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Theft-just-jolly-student-ape/article-1884224-detail/article.html On 5th. September 2010, there were celebrations for Alfred's birthday: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Join-party-Alfred-s-80th-birthday/article-2597001-detail/article.html Bristolians may have seen gorilla sculptures in Bristol streets, which have launched an art project that will mark the 175th. birthday of Bristol Zoo this year. Josephine -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

An author and film maker is asking people to share war memories for a DVD about Somerset at War: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Author-wants-war-memories/article-3095724-detail/article.html -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

Hi Josephine, Well, that certainly stirred up some memories! At the time of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation, my parents owned the corner grocery shop at Whitehall and Stretford Roads. My brother Alan and I attended Sunday School at St. Ambrose Church, right behind us. Our Children's Coronation Party was held in the Church Hall of St. Ambrose and I still have the picture of us all, taken at that event. As for street parties - I have a few memories of the VJ party in Highbury Road, Bedminster. I was 4 years old at the time and my brother Alan still a baby, but I can clearly see the table and chairs lined up, up and down the street, with everyone bringing out all that they could spare from their meagre rations so that the whole street could join in the celebrations. I also remember that my grandmother did not attend as she was still mourning the loss of her two sons. Patricia A Almonte, Canada ________________________________ Does anyone remember street parties in the B & S area for the 1937 Coronation or the ending of the Second World War? Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

Hi from Brisbane Josephine We are safe and dry here in Brisbane having relocated from Rockhampton just before Christmas. Rockhampton was also greatly affected by the devastating floods. Thanks to all on the list for their concern. Dallas Window On 13/01/2011, at 12:39 AM, "Josephine Jeremiah" <jojeremiah@dsl.pipex.com> wrote: > On Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:10:01 -0000, Rosemary Meadows > <27.meadows@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Hello from Brisbane where our beautiful city is suffering tragic losses >> and so many will lose their precious memories. Families having to leave >> their homes for the evacuation centres are being reminded to take their >> photos >> along with other essentials, and they are saying, your family's history >> is also the history of our city. Good to see that recognised. > >> Thank you to those who have sent messages of support. I certainly hope >> that no fellow family historians lose their computers aed documents. > > Hi Rosemary, > > This must be telepathy as, only a few minutes ago, I was compiling a list > of my B & S correspondents in Queensland, whom I am thinking of, when your > message came through to the list. Among the other names written down so > far are Jenny, Pat, Steve, Barbara, Lindsay, Don, Ron and Dallas, some of > whom I know you met at your own bunfight in Brisbane some years ago. > > It's very unsettling to see the pictures of the floods on the television > news and know that people whom I've corresponded with, over the years, are > facing danger and heartbreak in a terrible situation. > >> (We are safe as our house is on the top of a hill) > > That's good to know. I hope all the others, whom I've mentioned are safe, > too. I'm sorry if I've missed anyone out. > > Josephine > > -- > Josephine Jeremiah > www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hello from Brisbane where our beautiful city is suffering tragic losses and so many will lose their precious memories. Families having to leave their homes for the evacuation centres are being reminded to take their photos along with other essentials, and they are saying, your family's history is also the history of our city. Good to see that recognised. Also on TV today a conservation expert giving advice to those who have had photos and precious books such as family bibles water damaged, is to wrap the items tightly in plastic wrap (called Glad Wrap here) and put in the freezer to stop mildew. They can be dried out at a later date and hopefully restored at least partially. By chance yesterday I was reading a Photography magazine with an article on professional photographers who have lost their entire electronic files when external back up hard drives failed. They said they often become faulty after three years or even less. I imagine that could also happen to a memory stick. Their suggestion was to have several different external drives stored in different locations and replace the drives after three years. Thank you to those who have sent messages of support. I certainly hope that no fellow family historians lose their computers aed documents. Regards Rosemary Meadows (We are safe as our house is on the top of a hill) On 9 January 2011 01:19, liverpud <liverpud-49@rogers.com> wrote: > Just some ideas... > > Back up all your family files, photos on a memory stick. Keep the memory > stick > in a fire proof safety box off-site if possible. Pass information etc. > around to > family members. If you have made a booklet, perhaps a copy to your local > family history centre or library. > > (;-)) > > Edna - snowy Ottawa > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Kind regards Rosemary Meadows

On Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:50:12 -0000, Dallas Window <grandally@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi from Brisbane Josephine > > We are safe and dry here in Brisbane having relocated from Rockhampton > just before Christmas. Rockhampton was also greatly affected by the > devastating floods. > Thanks to all on the list for their concern. Hi Dallas, Thanks for letting us know. It's good to know that you are safe. I was jotting down a list of the names of B & S members in Queensland, when Rosemary's message came through earlier today. The B & S has had a number of Queensland members, over the years, and I had missed some names out. Some of them may not be subscribed to the list at the moment, but my thoughts are also with Lynette, Carole, Marie, Susan, Jackie, Michelle and Paul, too. More thoughts concern the books and resources of the Genealogical Society of Queensland. I hope that they survive the floods. Josephine -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

On Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:42:19 -0000, Sue <sue.cartref@virgin.net> wrote: > I am new to this list but believe Blagdon is part of the area you cover. > I have an ancestor named Meredith Maddy who married a lady called > Judith. This would have been in the late 1500's. He was a Reverend in > the 1600's and was a curate at Woodchurch in Kent in 1598.. It is here > that his wife Judith died and she is buried at Woodchurch. > Has anyone any knowledge of whether Judith was born in Blagdon, Somerset > or even Meredith himself. His father was a James Maddy who I believe > was born in Clifford in Herefordshire. Meredith died in Southwark in > 1645. Hi Sue, Welcome to the list :-) I've had a quick look around for the surname Maddy in my Somerset resources, but haven't come up with anything. Although a search for "Meredith Maddy" in Google Books produced some references, I can't add anything to what you already know. You mentioned Clifford. Did you visit get Clifford Church, that summer when we met you, by chance, at Llyswen Church? We did. You probably already know about the Clifford parish web site, but if not, here it is: http://www.cliffordparish.org.uk/index.html Josephine -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

Thank you for the weblinks Josephine,  I was not aware of this website and have found lots of interesting pictures to look at that have sent me off on other journeys around Bristol. Ann ________________________________ From: Josephine Jeremiah <jojeremiah@dsl.pipex.com> To: bristol_and_somerset@rootsweb.com Sent: Tuesday, 11 January, 2011 17:16:09 Subject: [B&S] Hippodrome postcard (was pantomime) On Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:41:05 -0000, Ann Brooks <ae_brooks@btinternet.com> wrote: > ... The Princes Theatre that used to be  Park Row. My husband's  > grandfather Norman Brooks was theconductor of the orchestra ... Norman  > later worked at the Hippodrome, but I have been unable to track down >  > any references to him there. Hi Ann, I expect you already have some old pictures of the Bristol Hippodrome, but if you haven't there's an old postcard of this theatre on the following web page: http://brisray.com/bristol/bukpcards36.htm It's the third postcard down the page. Josephine -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message