Hello Peter: If your [Robert Charles Atkinson]’s wife name was Mary, then she is probably [Mary Ellen Brown], she d:1952 probably near Joburg. One Robert Chas Atkinson b:Abt.1866 left London for South Africa (Cape) in 1918. === http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300dl Click on “RSA”, type in “ROBERT CHARLES ATKINSON”, press “ENTER” key. === DEPOT TAB SOURCE MHG TYPE LEER VOLUME_NO 0 SYSTEM 01 REFERENCE 4543/52 PART1 DESCRIPTION ATKINSON, MARY ELLEN. BORN BROWN. STARTING 1952 ENDING 1952 REMARKS SURVIVING SPOUSE ROBERT CHARLES ATKINSON. === DEPOT TAB SOURCE MHG TYPE LEER SYSTEM 01 REFERENCE 1844/63 PART 1 DESCRIPTION JEFFERIES, CECIL VICTOR. STARTING 1963 ENDING 1963 REMARKS SURVIVING SPOUSE KATHERINE MARIE JEFFERIES (BORN ATKINSON). === B.S. ========================

Hi again 1863 Morris' Directory North Owersby FLETCHER William, farmer and machine owner ---------------- 1876 Kellys Directory North Owersby FLETCHER William, farmer ---------------- Whites 1882 Directory Farmers FLETCHER William, Owston, Bawtry FLETCHER William, North Owersby, Market Rasen ---------------- 1892 Kellys Directory FLETCHER William, farmer ---------------- 1900 Kellys Directory Farmers FLETCHER Wm. Nth. Owersby, Mkt. Rsn. ---------------- I didn't see another William FLETCHER a farmer in Owersby in the census From the above and the census it suggests to me that he was a machine owner and farm tenant, who bought a small amount for himself He does not appear to leave a will which suggests he had either passed anything he had on or had sold it to live on in his old age Generally a farm manager would be called a steward or bailiff then Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 17/02/2014 22:02, Diana Robinson wrote: > Thank, Nivard! I suspect that the several changes of address over time make > it more likely that he was either a tenant farmer or a farm manager. Most > probably a tenant farmer, I'd guess. > > Warmly, > Diana Robinson

For a moment there I thought I had your photo. When I was clearing out my grandmother's shed in Scunthorpe in the early nineteen eighties I found a framed photo very similar to the one you describe, except no weapons. I asked my relations if they knew anything about its subject or origin but no one could shed any light on it or even remember anyone who had been in Africa (they weren't a very adventurous lot). I kept it, as it is such a mystery. Jo Perkins On 17 Feb 2014, at 11:43, Peter Atkinson wrote: > Hi List, > > When I was young we had an old photo, which was apparently taken in South Africa. The photo was of a cabin with a verandah and 5 or 6 men dressed in colonial style clothes (not uniforms), and they had various weapons; long rifles, pistols and knives. > My father told me one of the men was an Atkinson who could speak Zulu. He returned to England to act as interpreter for a Zulu chief, who was going to meet Queen Victoria. Back in England this Atkinson, because of the bad weather took ill and died. > Where he was living, supposedly, I don't know but the local priest stole his medals (which included the South African Star) and the nuns took all his furniture. > The photo was probably thrown out, but I never forgot it. > When I started my family history research I eventually started to pursue the photo. I discovered that my grgrgrandfather Samuel Atkinson had a grandson Robert Charles Atkinson Atkinson (b.1865 Prussia, Germany). He went to South Africa late 1800s and eventually joined the Railway Pioneer Regiment during the Boer War, and was awarded the Queens South Africa Medal and 1901 clasp. > I also obtained photos of the cabin, which was called Crown Reef. Robert Charles lived there for a while after the war then it became his office, as he was the chief engineer. At the time the Crown Reef gold mine was the biggest in the world. > Robert Charles Atkinson didn't die in England but lived on until 1956 aged 80. > > Its amazing what can be found through the internet. > > One last myth concerns distant relations in Hull, Australia, and New Zealand. They all believe a relation was given a Stradivarius violin by Queen Victoria, so they all want to know what happened to it. > My father, however, told the story that a relation in the family made violins from tea chests. A bit of a come down. > > Peter > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Diana The vast majority of land was owned by a very small circle of owners Most farmers leased their land for periods of one or more years and renewed it after set periods (or not) In the course of their working life they often bought a small amount as an investment and to perhaps live on when they retired The easiest source to check for land ownership is the Returns of Owners of Land 1873, this was a land census of sorts and listed all land owners of 1 acre or more For Lincolnshire W. FLETCHER residence Owston 1 acre 1 rod FLETCHER William Branston 1 acre 1 rod 19 poles FLETCHER William Freiston 7 1 30 FLETCHER William Halton Holegate 1 3 21 FLETCHER William Hameringham 54 - - FLETCHER William Raithby 9 3 2 The above are all the W or William FLETCHERs who owned 1 or more acres in Lincolnshire Another clue is in the census, land owners generally made the point known Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 17/02/2014 21:19, Diana Robinson wrote: > Lou - > > Your mention of owning a farm leads me to wonder... how would I check? > Family lore says that my great grandfather, William Dawson FLETCHER owned a > farm in North Owersby. Not sure when he moved there but it was between 1851, > when the census shows him in Donnington on Bain, and 1861, when the census > reports: > 1861/2395/65 North Owersby > 48 Church Road > William Fletcher, Head, , Threshing machine owner, employs two men > > Subsequent descriptions were: > 1871 "farmer- machine man" on Caistor Road, North Owersby > 1881 "machine man & farmer" and the address is shown as "Caistor Road Farm > House," which, from the current map, appears to be what is also the B1205 > which for a short space is Caistor Road running into Kelsey Road > 1891 "farmer" > > In 1901 he has moved to The Lodge, Usselby and is described as "farmer, > labourer, worker" but by then he was almost 80. > > The family lore does also claim that his major fame relates to being one of > the earliest owners of a threshing machine in the county. (Actually, my aunt > claimed that was the first in the county and that he developed it, but I'm > not going there.) His son, William Lanes Fletcher was also a "machine man" > though at a different address - and not mentioned at all in family lore. > > So, given all of that, what source would I check to see if he ever owned any > of the land he farmed? > > (Incidentally, William Dawson Fletcher was grandfather to the Edith Eveline > Burgess who, until her death in 1997, was renowned as an expert on > Lincolnshire dialects and used to give talks, mostly I think through the > Womens Institute, on that topic. She was also a rarity in another way - the > wife of a clergyman (Canon Fred Burgess) AND the mother of triplets. > > Happy hunting! > > Diana Robinson (nee Gardner) > Now in Rochester, NY, USA

Hi Linda Stories of big cats and other large animals abound (or bound whichever way you look at it :-) We have the Beast of Bodmin But there are plenty more I think the over active minds of many a tourist promoter may account for at least some of them ;-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_of_Bodmin You can keep your slugs ! (likewise YUCK) They do like beer though, but not salt on their chips <g> Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 17/02/2014 19:39, Linda Sokalofsky wrote: > I've never heard of this cat...am I alone? Enlighten us Lou. > I think I remember hearing about a drain crocodile ...or was that just a > Yellowbelly pulling my leg. > I agree with your assessment of the banana slug or any other west coast slug > for that matter. Certainly not anything I want to celebrate! Nothing like > getting a handful of one of these whilst pulling a weed in the garden! For > sure a loud "YUCK" > Linda > B.C. > Canada

Thank, Nivard! I suspect that the several changes of address over time make it more likely that he was either a tenant farmer or a farm manager. Most probably a tenant farmer, I'd guess. Warmly, Diana Robinson -----Original Message----- From: Nivard Ovington [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 4:45 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [LIN] Admin. note: Myths vs. Reality Hi Diana The vast majority of land was owned by a very small circle of owners Most farmers leased their land for periods of one or more years and renewed it after set periods (or not) In the course of their working life they often bought a small amount as an investment and to perhaps live on when they retired The easiest source to check for land ownership is the Returns of Owners of Land 1873, this was a land census of sorts and listed all land owners of 1 acre or more For Lincolnshire W. FLETCHER residence Owston 1 acre 1 rod FLETCHER William Branston 1 acre 1 rod 19 poles FLETCHER William Freiston 7 1 30 FLETCHER William Halton Holegate 1 3 21 FLETCHER William Hameringham 54 - - FLETCHER William Raithby 9 3 2 The above are all the W or William FLETCHERs who owned 1 or more acres in Lincolnshire Another clue is in the census, land owners generally made the point known Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 17/02/2014 21:19, Diana Robinson wrote: > Lou - > > Your mention of owning a farm leads me to wonder... how would I check? > Family lore says that my great grandfather, William Dawson FLETCHER owned a > farm in North Owersby. Not sure when he moved there but it was between 1851, > when the census shows him in Donnington on Bain, and 1861, when the census > reports: > 1861/2395/65 North Owersby > 48 Church Road > William Fletcher, Head, , Threshing machine owner, employs two men > > Subsequent descriptions were: > 1871 "farmer- machine man" on Caistor Road, North Owersby > 1881 "machine man & farmer" and the address is shown as "Caistor Road Farm > House," which, from the current map, appears to be what is also the B1205 > which for a short space is Caistor Road running into Kelsey Road > 1891 "farmer" > > In 1901 he has moved to The Lodge, Usselby and is described as "farmer, > labourer, worker" but by then he was almost 80. > > The family lore does also claim that his major fame relates to being one of > the earliest owners of a threshing machine in the county. (Actually, my aunt > claimed that was the first in the county and that he developed it, but I'm > not going there.) His son, William Lanes Fletcher was also a "machine man" > though at a different address - and not mentioned at all in family lore. > > So, given all of that, what source would I check to see if he ever owned any > of the land he farmed? > > (Incidentally, William Dawson Fletcher was grandfather to the Edith Eveline > Burgess who, until her death in 1997, was renowned as an expert on > Lincolnshire dialects and used to give talks, mostly I think through the > Womens Institute, on that topic. She was also a rarity in another way - the > wife of a clergyman (Canon Fred Burgess) AND the mother of triplets. > > Happy hunting! > > Diana Robinson (nee Gardner) > Now in Rochester, NY, USA

On your subject of bloodlines - I have also read that in the "slave days" of West Indies trade some were brought back to England, and that when an owner died any slaves owned were automatically freed, in addition to which the Quakers were very skilled at helping those of African descent to escape from their "owners," and to disappear into rural communities, leading to the assertion that at least 10% of folks claiming to be 100% "English" actually have some African blood - quite apart from the fact that it appears that all of humanity started in Africa anyway. Warmly, Diana Robinson -----Original Message----- From: Louis Mills [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2014 12:36 PM To: Eng Lincsgen Subject: Re: [LIN] Myth vs. Reality On the issue of someone being "Irish":     I noticed as a youth that my mother's family often referred to a couple of relatives as being "Irish".  I never detected an accent when those people spoke, and over time I came to understand that this was a kind of "code talk" for their prejudice against them.  I came to see that being "Irish" was like the lowest class of British Human - somewhat better than being Dutch or German and certainly far better than being French.     Now, my family didn't consider themselves prejudiced, but you could tell by the words they used and the way they reacted to certain things.  Sociologists tell us that it is normal for groups to consider themselves elite and to put down those outside the group.  But it is embarrassing when that group is your family.  On this list, we've even heard of this kind of "class warfare" against people from Yorkshire or places south of the midlands.     I have yet to find any evidence of my family having any "Irish" lineage, other than the fact that a surname might sound Irish to someone.  And, forgive me if I laugh at you when you tell me that you are "pure English".  I almost laughed at my mother once when she said this.  We may have Dutch kin and who knows who came over with the Romans - they weren't all Italians.  And those Vikings didn't practice much birth control.     So we are who we are, and if you find yourself descended from King Canute, Charlemagne or Louie the XIII's groom (Heck of a guy), don't be ashamed.  Our language has taken in words from all over the planet.  I suspect our bloodlines aren't any purer.         Lou (list admin.)

Lou - Your mention of owning a farm leads me to wonder... how would I check? Family lore says that my great grandfather, William Dawson FLETCHER owned a farm in North Owersby. Not sure when he moved there but it was between 1851, when the census shows him in Donnington on Bain, and 1861, when the census reports: 1861/2395/65 North Owersby 48 Church Road William Fletcher, Head, , Threshing machine owner, employs two men Subsequent descriptions were: 1871 "farmer- machine man" on Caistor Road, North Owersby 1881 "machine man & farmer" and the address is shown as "Caistor Road Farm House," which, from the current map, appears to be what is also the B1205 which for a short space is Caistor Road running into Kelsey Road 1891 "farmer" In 1901 he has moved to The Lodge, Usselby and is described as "farmer, labourer, worker" but by then he was almost 80. The family lore does also claim that his major fame relates to being one of the earliest owners of a threshing machine in the county. (Actually, my aunt claimed that was the first in the county and that he developed it, but I'm not going there.) His son, William Lanes Fletcher was also a "machine man" though at a different address - and not mentioned at all in family lore. So, given all of that, what source would I check to see if he ever owned any of the land he farmed? (Incidentally, William Dawson Fletcher was grandfather to the Edith Eveline Burgess who, until her death in 1997, was renowned as an expert on Lincolnshire dialects and used to give talks, mostly I think through the Womens Institute, on that topic. She was also a rarity in another way - the wife of a clergyman (Canon Fred Burgess) AND the mother of triplets. Happy hunting!   Diana Robinson (nee Gardner) Now in Rochester, NY, USA

Hi List, When I was young we had an old photo, which was apparently taken in South Africa. The photo was of a cabin with a verandah and 5 or 6 men dressed in colonial style clothes (not uniforms), and they had various weapons; long rifles, pistols and knives. My father told me one of the men was an Atkinson who could speak Zulu. He returned to England to act as interpreter for a Zulu chief, who was going to meet Queen Victoria. Back in England this Atkinson, because of the bad weather took ill and died. Where he was living, supposedly, I don't know but the local priest stole his medals (which included the South African Star) and the nuns took all his furniture. The photo was probably thrown out, but I never forgot it. When I started my family history research I eventually started to pursue the photo. I discovered that my grgrgrandfather Samuel Atkinson had a grandson Robert Charles Atkinson Atkinson (b.1865 Prussia, Germany). He went to South Africa late 1800s and eventually joined the Railway Pioneer Regiment during the Boer War, and was awarded the Queens South Africa Medal and 1901 clasp. I also obtained photos of the cabin, which was called Crown Reef. Robert Charles lived there for a while after the war then it became his office, as he was the chief engineer. At the time the Crown Reef gold mine was the biggest in the world. Robert Charles Atkinson didn't die in England but lived on until 1956 aged 80. Its amazing what can be found through the internet. One last myth concerns distant relations in Hull, Australia, and New Zealand. They all believe a relation was given a Stradivarius violin by Queen Victoria, so they all want to know what happened to it. My father, however, told the story that a relation in the family made violins from tea chests. A bit of a come down. Peter

Peter, Peter What is that funny comment about the Loch Ness monster? What are you saying? I've popped so many family myths doing my Scottish genealogy that I'm hanging on to the Loch Ness monster as the last cornerstone, of truth in Scotland at least. Don't you go casting aspersions on our lovely monster. :-) Judith On 17/02/2014 11:10 a.m., Peter and Jean Swinbank wrote: > In a way, I think it's a shame when dearly-loved family myths are exploded > - like discovering the truth about the Loch Ness Monster. It can be so > much more fun to speculate about all sorts of exciting possibilities, than > to discover the rather mundane truth. All my life (and I am now in my > 80's) the famous philosopher Bertrand Russell was referred to as "Cousin > Bertie" in my family, because some family members truly believed that he > was related to us. > >

I've never heard of this cat...am I alone? Enlighten us Lou. I think I remember hearing about a drain crocodile ...or was that just a Yellowbelly pulling my leg. I agree with your assessment of the banana slug or any other west coast slug for that matter. Certainly not anything I want to celebrate! Nothing like getting a handful of one of these whilst pulling a weed in the garden! For sure a loud "YUCK" Linda B.C. Canada -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]m] On Behalf Of Louis Mills Sent: February-17-14 9:05 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [LIN] Loch Ness monster ! Peter,     I agree.  We must keep Nessie alive in our hearts.  After all, Lincolnshire has the LAC (Large Alien Cat) or the "Wold Lion" as she is sometimes called.  Haven't heard much about her in recent years.     I'm probably just jealous because this part of California celebrates the local "banana slug" as its mascot.  Yuch!  Is that the best we could do?         Lou ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Peter,     I agree.  We must keep Nessie alive in our hearts.  After all, Lincolnshire has the LAC (Large Alien Cat) or the "Wold Lion" as she is sometimes called.  Haven't heard much about her in recent years.     I'm probably just jealous because this part of California celebrates the local "banana slug" as its mascot.  Yuch!  Is that the best we could do?         Lou

> My father, however, told the story that a relation in the family made violins from tea chests. > A bit of a come down. Hi, Peter,     Unfortunately, my stepdad never told a story that he couldn't embellish.  He'd even read things in the paper, then repeat them with all the details scrambled or exaggerated to suit his purpose.  Then, as a lad in school, I met another boy who did the same thing.  Others used to laugh at him.  That made me wonder if people were laughing at my dad and I found that terribly embarrassing.     In my dad's case, I soon discovered that part of the problem was his poor reading skills.  He'd been pulled out of school at age 12 to work the family farm and I suspect that he'd missed school in the past during harvests.  He was the oldest and was expected to help on the farm as soon as he was "old enough".  From what I've read about schooling in England, that appears to have been a common problem in England, too.  So when my dad would read something, he often had to "interpret" terms he didn't understand.  He may also have had a learning disfunction.  In those days, they didn't asses one's learning skills or abilities.         Lou

My next-door neighbour is a McPherson and she's a sweet and kind lady with nothing of the monster about her! I'll bet that Mrs Louis is as un-monstrous as my neighbour, and I also bet that she's extremely tolerant and long-suffering;) Peter On 17 February 2014 00:05, Louis Mills <[email protected]> wrote: > My wife is related to Nessie. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. > After all, she's a McPherson. > > Lou > > > > >

Judith, Judith! don't panic! I only meant that it's better not to know whether the LNM actually exists, because if we were to discover that she doesn't exist then we wouldn't be able to have our lovely fantasies about her. Or if she does exist but is only a rather boring large eel, then equally we lose our illusions! So I hope all the scientists and submarines and MRIs etc never come up with a definitive answer about Nessie. As far as I'm concerned, Nessie is alive and well and is every bit as weird and wonderful as my imagination can make her! And, by the way, I'm an honorary Scot now (I think) having lived in Glasgow since 1955, though, alas, I have no proven Scottish roots, despite having the good Border names of Armstrong and Redshaw in my ancestry. Regards, Peter On 16 February 2014 23:07, Judith Harper <[email protected]> wrote: > > Peter, Peter > > What is that funny comment about the Loch Ness monster? What are you > saying? > > I've popped so many family myths doing my Scottish genealogy that I'm > hanging on to the Loch Ness monster as the last cornerstone, of truth in > Scotland at least. Don't you go casting aspersions on our lovely > monster. :-) > > Judith > > >

And if anyone ever runs across a George Beal who might have fathered a child with Sarah (Mallowby) Huckbody in 1843 in Gosberton, I'd be fascinated. At 12:12 AM 2/17/2014, you wrote: >I have a definite "myth vs reality" story. I think I have told this before. > >My great-great grandfather changed his name to "Richard Freeman" when >he emigrated to the United States. The family story was that now he >was a "free man" in a way he never was when he was young and poor in >England. The name he was born with was "Richard Huckbody." in 1843. >His mother Sarah Huckbody (nee Mallowby) kept the Huckbody name and >the family is peacefully in the census in the US. His daughter, >Edith Ordelia Freeman (married name Garnett) 1875-1957 told this as >the family story, which I have from older cousins who knew her, and >my father (born in 1921. >I had him recorded as the son of Nathan Huckbody/ > >The reality came up when the Lincolnshire court records came online >and I discovered that Nathan had been convicted and transported to >Australia in 1836 and the four youngest children clearly were not his. > >What was even more interesting was that the oldest son, John had been >in the Navy, jumped ship in the United States, became a Mormon, and >eventually came back to Lincolnshire and brought his mother and >almost all his siblings to the US. He also used the Freeman name >some of the time, presumably because the navy would have been looking >for him. > >I did find John (the oldest brother) in one UK census after he came >back and before they emigrated, and finding all this out allowed me >to decipher his occupation, which was given as "Mormon priest." > >Someplace I have a potential name for Richard's real father, that I >got from a descendant of the eldest brother, but I've never been able >to locate anything on that name. > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >[email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' >without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I have a definite "myth vs reality" story. My great-great grandfather changed his name to "Richard Freeman" when he emigrated to the United States. The family story was that now he was a "free man" in a way he never was when he was young and poor in England. The name he was born with was "Richard Huckbody." in 1843. His mother Sarah Huckbody (nee Mallowby) kept the Huckbody name and the family is peacefully in the census in the US. His daughter, Edith Ordelia Freeman (married name Garnett) 1875-1957 told this as the family story, which I have from older cousins who knew her, and my father (born in 1921. I had him recorded as the son of Nathan Huckbody/ The reality came up when the Lincolnshire court records came online and I discovered that Nathan had been convicted and transported to Australia in 1836 and the four youngest children clearly were not his. What was even more interesting was that the oldest son, John had been in the Navy, jumped ship in the United States, became a Mormon, and eventually came back to Lincolnshire and brought his mother and almost all his siblings to the US. He also used the Freeman name some of the time, presumably because the navy would have been looking for him. I did find John (the oldest brother) in one UK census after he came back and before they emigrated, and finding all this out allowed me to decipher his occupation, which was given as "Mormon priest." Someplace I have a potential name for Richard's real father, that I got from a descendant of the eldest brother, but I've never been able to locate anything on that name.

In a way, I think it's a shame when dearly-loved family myths are exploded - like discovering the truth about the Loch Ness Monster. It can be so much more fun to speculate about all sorts of exciting possibilities, than to discover the rather mundane truth. All my life (and I am now in my 80's) the famous philosopher Bertrand Russell was referred to as "Cousin Bertie" in my family, because some family members truly believed that he was related to us. The Myth: Our family myth is that one of my gggrandmothers (Sophia REDSHAW) was the illegitimate daughter of Earl RUSSELL, the 19th century statesman and Prime Minister. The story was that Sophia's mother was employed as a cook in the Russell household in Bedford Square in London and that her employer, Lord John Russell, was the father of her daughter. The daughter, born in 1841, was sent back to Lincolnshire to be brought up by her aunt & uncle, while her mother continued to live & work in London as a cook then housekeeper for one of the large London stores, Robinsons. Sophia's paternal relations kept in touch with her and she corresponded with her cousins, Walter & Bertrand (Bertrand Russell, the philosopher, allegedly). Some of my mother's relatives always felt that this was a rather special connection with a noble family and that they were somehow touched by the glamour of it all! The Reality: My gggrandmother did indeed go to work in London *after* her illegitimate daughter was born, and she was housekeeper to the famous London store, Robinsons. She did *not* work for Lord Russell. However, one of her sisters was employed in London as housemaid to a rather minor aristocratic family and I think that is where the "aristocratic" angle developed. The Russell connection, I think, is that my gggrandmother's niece also went to work in London and married Robert Francis RUSSELL in 1879. Far from being aristocrats, the Russells were cab-drivers. One of the offspring of this union was called Walter, and he certainly kept in touch with his Lincolnshire relatives, and his mother, Alice, corresponded with my mother at least until early in the 20th century. So, my aristocratic appearance and superior behaviour have been inherited from the sons of the soil of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire and owe nothing to saucy goings-on in Victorian high society - as far as we are currently aware, but you never know what else might turn up..... Peter. On 15 February 2014 21:43, Louis Mills <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi, Missing Lincs, > > I spent the morning going thru the Archives of another mailing list > looking for information on a place I knew too little about. I found some > good information, but I also ran across a bunch of postings that reminded > me of a theme for out list. More on that below. > > One item jumped out at me. It was a post asking a person to go to a > churchyard about 8 miles away and to get a rubbing of one of the > gravestones. Now, it was dated early February a few years back, and my > first thought was, "You need to say NO." Nobody's gonna get me traipsing > around a churchyard in mid-February to do a rubbing. I've been in wet, > cold churchyards with six inches of snow on the ground and I don't plan to > repeat the experience. Now, I'll admit, I didn't see the response in the > archives, so, if there was one, it was "off list". We have so many good > people on this list who don't mind going out of their way to help, but > let's not kill ourselves trying. > > And I've still got one of those, "Hey you're a MILLS, help me with my > family tree" requests in my mailbox I need to reply to. I'm still working > on the wording. > > But the other mailing list had some of the same issues we've had on > ours. People believe certain myths about their families, or make up myths > sometimes. Certain truths are inconvenient. If you find Henry and Sarah > in the census listed as married and the oldest child is three, then they > got married 4 years before, right? The marriage registration must have the > date wrong, eh? > > So, for the benefit of everyone on the list, what is your "favorite" > myth vs. reality? Here's another example: > > MYTH: My ancestor owned a farm in NETHER HEREBY.... > > REALITY: My ancestor leased farmland in NETHER HEREBY... > > > I have found that my fellow Americans believe that everyone owned > their own houses, farms, etc. It's part of the American dream. But one of > the reasons many of our ancestors went to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, > Texas, etc. is the desire to own the land they worked. Of course, now, if > you own a farm, the "people" want to take it away from you and give it to > the "people". You own the farm, you must be Rich, so we want to take it > from you. > > There's darn few of us who had any ancestors with money and land. > Most of my ancestors seemed adverse to holding on to any money they got, > and none of them had much to pass on to their children. > > Again, what is your myth and reality? > > Lou (list admin.) > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

________________________________     When I first passed my driving test 40 odd yrs ago, I borrowed my mum's car and went to see my elderly relatives to get the family info. My mum's dad told me his mother was French her name was Vinnicomb. When I eventually found her she was Jane Emily Vinnicomb born in Barking Essex 1861. (Variations aplenty). Her and her 2 sisters were brought to Grimsby by their widowed father between June 1868 and the 1871 census, after the death of their mother.  The fishing trade brought many from Essex to Grimsby I have the Vin(n)I(e)comb(e) /Vinigan family back into St Marylebone district 1700's but no further as yet. It seems to be a west country name. On the other side of the family I was told Gt Gt grandfather James Arron Goodhand sang in Lincoln Cathedral choir. I can find no record of this but it did put me on the right track to St Martin's in Lincoln  Keep searching Pam

My wife is related to Nessie.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  After all, she's a McPherson.     Lou ________________________________ From: Judith Harper <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2014 3:07 PM Subject: Re: [LIN] Loch Ness monster ! Peter, Peter What is that funny comment about the Loch Ness monster?  What are you saying? I've popped so many family myths doing my Scottish genealogy that I'm hanging on to the Loch Ness monster as the last cornerstone, of truth in Scotland at least. Don't you go casting aspersions on our lovely monster. :-) Judith On 17/02/2014 11:10 a.m., Peter and Jean Swinbank wrote: > In a way, I think it's a shame when dearly-loved family myths are exploded > - like discovering the truth about the Loch Ness Monster.  It can be so > much more fun to speculate about all sorts of exciting possibilities, than > to discover the rather mundane truth.  All my life (and I am now in my > 80's) the famous philosopher Bertrand Russell was referred to as "Cousin > Bertie" in my family, because some family members truly believed that he > was related to us. > > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message