GEORGE G. MORGAN: "ALONG THOSE LINES . . ." "Clues Among the Family Jewels" <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ Jewelry has always held a fascination for me. My Grandmother Morgan's jewelry case contained a number of interesting pieces of good jewelry that kept me amused on rainy days when I could not go outside to play. These were the last vestiges of a larger collection that survived the ravages of the Great Depression after my grandfather, a banker in a small town in North Carolina, lost everything when President Roosevelt declared a "bank holiday." The bank never reopened, my family's life was never the same, and most of my grandmother's jewelry was sold over time to keep the family afloat. Perhaps because I was the only one in the family expressing an interest in it, I have inherited much of the family jewelry over the decades. A few nights ago, I was looking at some pieces, and it occurred to me how much these items can sometimes communicate to us. In "Along Those Lines … " this week, I'd like to share some examples of the types of clues you can gather from your own family jewels. JEWELRY BASICS Jewelry has been a part of people's lives since ancient times--it is mentioned in the Bible; found in the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs and Chinese emperors; seen in ancient paintings, sculptures, and mosaics from ancient Greece and Rome; possessed by royalty and nobility; and found in Native American, Mayan, Inca, and other societies. Over the millennia, jewelry has been used for personal adornment or as a statement about personal wealth. It has been purchased for personal use, given as a gift, and presented on special occasions. Often jewelry is personalized, with one or more initials included in the design or with engraved inscriptions. In short, jewelry is special. It is considered valuable and precious in both a financial sense and often for sentimental reasons, and it therefore survives and is passed from generation to generation. Among your own family's heirlooms, pieces of jewelry may have information to share with you. Here are some examples of information acquired from my own family's collection. WEDDING RINGS AND BANDS Perhaps the most tangible symbol of a couple's commitment to one another is the wedding ring. The size and quality of the ring is unimportant. The fact that a ring is somewhat modest is probably an indication of the economic times or the financial position of the groom (or the couple), not of the amount of love involved in the relationship. People married in the 1930s, for instance, were affected by the economic conditions in the Great Depression, and few couples could afford expensive rings and lavish, catered weddings. Wedding bands can tell you a great deal about your ancestors, however. First, examine the size of the ring. It can tell you whether your ancestor had a large or small finger--perhaps a clue to the physical stature of the person. Next, study the inside of the wedding band. You may find an all-important wedding date inscribed inside that you didn't have before. Since a ring is usually engraved at the time of a wedding, the chances are that this could be a pretty good primary source. Also, look for other engravings that might yield some indication of the character of the couple. A reference to a Bible verse or some other quote may tell you something of importance. My Grandmother Morgan's wedding band is inscribed with "Ego Amo Te"--"I Love Thee" in Latin. SCHOOL RINGS School rings can provide important clues. My mother left me her high school class ring. I know it to be hers because her initials, SEW, are engraved inside. The ring itself is a diminutive thing, but it clearly shows some significant features. The face of the ring shows a crest with the letters MHS, under which is the word Mebane. These may be interpreted to indicate the name of the town (Mebane, NC) in which the school was located, and the MHS probably stands for Mebane High School. The other important feature is the Roman numeral representation of the year, MCM on one side of the crown and XXVIII on the other--1928. With this information, I could easily contact the school board in Alamance County, NC, where Mebane is located, and request school information about my mother who, as I surmise from the ring, graduated from Mebane High School in 1928. POCKET WATCHES AND WATCH FOBS Pocket watches were important items for men in looking back several centuries. Not only were they important timekeeping devices, but they were also distinctive parts of a man's dress. A watch fob, worn as either an attachment to the watch or at the end of a watch chain, was an additional piece of jewelry that usually made a statement. Examine family pocket watches for engraving, both on the outside and inside of the case. Initials or a family crest may have been engraved on the outside of a case, but more personal engravings may be found inside--both inside the face cover AND inside the works cover. Watches were popular gifts from women to men, from fathers to sons, and from companies as testimonials to valued employees. Examine, too, where the watch was made and when. Researching timepieces can sometimes provide clues as to its year of manufacture and location, which will help you determine the original owner. In my own family, there are several interesting pocket watches. One gold watch belonged to my great-grandfather and is attached by a heavy satin striped ribbon to an 18K gold fob measuring two inches across that is the Great Seal of the United States, a memento of the Unites States' Centennial in 1876. Another is a railroad watch that belonged to one of my great-grandfathers. And a third is a gold wristwatch presented to my father by his employer, engraved with his name, the name of the company, and the date of his retirement. LAPEL WATCHES Ladies' watches also were important timepieces. While there were, of course, wristwatches that may have been engraved, there were also lapel watches pinned to the lapel of a jacket or to a blouse. Some lapel watches were elaborately designed and disguised as brooches, and some had face covers that were spring-loaded to pop open and reveal the time. Check the inside of these cases for engravings of dates and initials also. LOCKETS Among the most personal pieces of jewelry were lockets. Highly popular among the Victorians, lockets were personal storage cases for photographs, locks of hair, slips of paper, and other highly personal mementos. Lockets were a popular presentation gift and were very often engraved. Among my family's jewelry, for example, there is an important example of a locket that provides genealogical information. This one is a gold locket measuring 1-1/4" in diameter with a heavy gold loop for suspension on a heavy chain. On the outside, both sides are engraved. One side bears the large script initials of JMW; the other side shows a scroll with the years 1856-1906. Inside are miniature photographs of a man and woman, one on each side. This locket was a gift from my great-grandmother to my great-grandfather, Joseph McKnitt Wilson, on the occasion of their fiftieth wedding anniversary in 1906. The locket verifies for me the correct year of their marriage and, in fact, contains the only known surviving photograph of my great-grandfather. MEDALLIONS, MEDALS, PENDANTS, AND CHARMS Among the treasures in your family's collection, you may find other metal jewelry that has been engraved or stamped to commemorate some important occasion. I have a bracelet consisting of a gold chain and a gold, crenellate-edge disk. On one side is engraved the word "Scholarship" and the year 1921; the name Mary Allen Morgan, who was my father's sister, is engraved on the other side. Based on my knowledge of her date of birth, I can determine that she was probably fifteen years old when she received the bracelet, and I can hypothesize that this was a public school academic award. It only leaves effort on my part to contact the school to see if they have more information for me. Charm bracelets have been popular items for engraved gifts. Medals of many sorts, including those for valorous military, civilian, and social service, often contain names, dates, locations, and additional details. CONNECTING THE LINKS It is important to reexamine family jewelry pieces from the perspective of what clues or details they may provide. Certainly, there are other types of family jewelry you might possess besides the examples discussed above. Some pieces may provide pointers for you, while others may tell you nothing. However, it's worth investigating one way or the other. And while you're at it, document the information you find and preserve a written record to accompany each piece of jewelry for the next generation. After all, you will be passing on an even greater legacy when you include the stories behind the jewelry. Happy Hunting! George ___________________________ -