Jan, As you know, I still have an incredibly spooky tale to tell about my Maternal Great Grandfather - William Wildman. It beggars belief even now! So, I would like to have my Great Gramps to dinner to ask why there are two burial entries for him in the graves register for the Methodist cemetery in Laycock - one paid for by Him in which his Daughter, one Son and his Widow are buried, and one paid for by his Widow in which he is Also buried - And, why he IS interred in BOTH! ...................................... Hmmmmmm! It's true, I've seen the register entries, and even have a photo of it that's still readable, so I know it wasn't ectoplasm (is that what they call that fuzzy smoke stuff around ghosts?) Even the registrar couldn't fathom that one either! We had thought maybe he fell into a weaving loom and he was in bits (grizzly thought), but he died of Flu, so it scuppered that idea! Just to 'up the ante' we worked out that there were some14 folks interred in the same grave, each interrement to a different owner, which brought forth a shrug and final utterence from the registrar on the lines of ............. 'Them Methodists were a lore unter them'sells back then ...................... Nowt'd surprise me lad' (I just loved the LAD bit <LOL> ................. Mind you I was a mere sprog of around 50 whilst he was cracking on for around zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz years of age He made a damned good bacon butty too <BG> Tasted even better when it transpired that the house I was looking for (where my GGrandfather died), was actually the house I was sitting in ............. Almost! Asking if he'd any idea where the house actually was where my GGrandad lived (and died), and showing him the death certificate for Willaim, he simply stated, ' Ohhh aye, tha's sittin' in it Lad - Yon room over theere (his sitting room) was where he'd actually have lived, these two cottages were knocked together years ago, the whole row were single houses once. So, as well as the best bacon butty I'd tasted in years, I also quite unexpectedly got to walk the boards of the house where my GGrandfather once lived, having also perused the grave registers for his interrement in the very same house where he died! How bizarre is that! Brrrrrrrrr I Really must get that spooky story done! Anyone who doesn't believe our folks aren't waiting for an (in)oportune moment to point us in't right direction's a sissy I can tell you! I'll tell you about another ancestor I'd like to have to dinner later on. Now That story near on had me dear owd Mum peeing herself with laughter, and I daresay had she been incontinent, she would have <BG> So don't worry too much about upsetting our kinfolk when digging up what were probably serious issues in their day (like death for instance) - just have a chamber pot ready if they're getting on a bit! <BG> Sometimes we may find quite unexpectedly, that our ancestors were not the nice people our rose tinted spec's would have us believe they were, and the effect can be quite the reverse of what one expects when regaling a live un with the tale!! This one's a cracker, and it's come full circle, because I've made contact very unexpectedly (again yawn yawn), not only with the Grand Daughter of the person involved, but also his Great Grand Daughter - and even better - descendents of his Brother who is (was?) my Great Grandfather! Phwaaarrrr ............................ Don't hold your breath though, I type very slow ;>))))) Merry Christmas everyone! Kind regards John Woolsey (Donny, Sheffield, Brid, France and wherever else they'll put up with me ...........)! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Which of your ancestors would you invite to your Christmas Dinner and Why???? Warmest Wishes Jan No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.17/1179 - Release Date: 09/12/2007 11:06