----- Original Message ----- From: "New Englander / Marilyn Arnold" <New.Englander@verizon.net> To: <mamiddle@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 12:15 PM Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > Irene: > > Thanks! Yes, I remember the "cookie jars" and have one of them! > (Although > we called it the brownie jar.) The lingering question of $ from the > church > till haunts me, as there were oriental rugs, fine English china, > silverware, > expensive trips to England, Europe, etc. This was long after the purchase > of the cottage. I just somehow think .... the worst, because the $ and > cents just do not add up. > > Thx, > Marilyn Marilyn, Did it occur to you that (1) they may have somehow inherited some money. (2) Maybe someone else paid for those trips, (3) Maybe they were just plain super frugual, and saved saved saved, the little they had. I know none of this really solves the mystery, but its food for thought. You can't do anything about it now anyway can you? But I do understand, I have myster myself. My dad died when I was 12, and left mom with 3 children(I'm the oldest) and a house to pay for.(we'd just moved into it in 1949). Mom, did go back to work, but she could never have made in that job enough money to support us, as well as she did and pay for the house etc too. Dad's insurance went to finish off the upstairs of our house, . What we all think is mom's older sister and husband who had no children, helped mom. They denied this, but its the only thing that makes sense. Sorry for getting off track here. Barbara Marilyn: > To: "MAMIDDLE" <mamiddle@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 10:03 AM > Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > > >> >> Marilyn, To ease your mind, the folks of that era were very good at >> saving. Many had the "summer camp". I came from a poor neighberhood in >> Cambridge but knew several families who managed to buy a house, have a >> car >> and sometimes a summer place. Irene >> >>> From: New.Englander@verizon.net >>> To: mamiddle@rootsweb.com >>> Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 06:51:50 -0400 >>> Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . >>> >>> Kathy: >>> >>> Loved your story ...! >>> >>> Yep, as kids, we do have these "selective" memories! I remember my >>> grandmother, Julia Ann (DAVIES) ARNOLD b. RI, married in Stoneham, lived >>> in >>> Reading where husband, my grandfather Willard Clark ARNOLD was a >>> minister. >>> She told me great stories about her Scotish relatives, and how proud she >>> was >>> of her heritage, but at 8, all I could remember was the beheadings, and >>> the >>> head being carted off to Edinborough. All I could think of was the >>> blood, >>> dripping off the back of this horse. Not our links to this incredible >>> "house" (ie castle) in Scotland! http://www.inneshouse.co.uk/ which >>> dated >>> to the 1600s, land to the 1100s, where an ancestor practiced witchcraft >>> in >>> this ancient Celtic circle of stones. (My cousin and I were there in >>> 97 -- >>> an incredible place!) >>> >>> So, suggest you pursue the land records/property records and/or tax >>> records >>> for all that you know. My grandparents, too were in this (Middlesex) >>> county >>> in the Depression, but lived simply ... but also managed to have a car, >>> property on the coast in Maine ($600 for 200+ feet of ocean frontage >>> overlooking Mt. Desert Island and Acadia Nat'l Park!!!) (wouldn't we all >>> like to have THAT now !) and silverware (which I have inherited.) My >>> grandparents built their house in Reading, on a loan by their son, an >>> MD. >>> Haven't followed the Mdlsx land records on that, but .... now that you >>> bring this up, I know that grandpa only made some $3K/year as a >>> minister, >>> so >>> where did he get the $600 to buy the land in Maine? Hmmm. Just rambling >>> on >>> my fingers as I'm typing. >>> >>> Ever get this sudden moment of "knowledge"? A lighhtning bolt ...? Had >>> this about my grandfather, and now have to live with this horrible >>> feeling >>> that as a minister he had his hands "in the till" of the parishinors. A >>> pretty awful realization, about your own grandfather, the "respected and >>> revered" Rev. ARNOLD. I've only told his son and children. Obviously, >>> now >>> the list, although I suspect many would have not read this far and >>> already >>> deleted the message. >>> >>> You have some good and specific questions. Suggest: Land records for >>> Billerica, MA; Judith Pt RI; and Scituate MA. All will give you some >>> clues. >>> Start there, and keep us posted. Also, purse any "probate" records for >>> your >>> grandparents. You suggest that your Mom doesn't know about a will, but >>> it's >>> at least worth a search. (Probate, ie > will). I know that's pretty >>> basic, >>> but so are "wax" apples. [Better go for the good old Macs!] >>> >>> Best wishes and luck, >>> >>> Marilyn >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Kathy Montgomery" <kathym@uvic.ca> >>> To: <mamiddle@rootsweb.com> >>> Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 12:56 PM >>> Subject: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . >>> >>> >>> > Hi all - I have done a fair bit of genealogy, and learned interesting >>> > stories and such about all sorts of ancestors and relatives. I have >>> > learned >>> > tons about my mom's family, and much less about my dad's. (And >>> > wouldn't >>> > you >>> > know it, my dad was curious about it all; my mom - "not so much.") >>> > >>> > However, my mom's sense of family mystery is less genealogy, and more >>> > financial. She is 80, and the only question she ever asks me about >>> > family >>> > history is in one area I see very little about. My mom's maternal >>> > grandparents (my maternal great grandparents)appear to have modest >>> > income >>> > partnered with very comfortable lifestyle. She has tried to think how >>> > they >>> > did that. It is the only family history mystery that keeps her in the >>> > conversation. >>> > >>> > Her grandparents lived in a rented Cambridge apartment, owned a house >>> > in >>> > Billerica, and a summer cabin at Point Judith RI. They had nice >>> > clothes, >>> > china, sterling cutlery, etc. They ate well during the depression. I >>> > found >>> > a newspaper article that said she bought shore front land in Scituate. >>> > But >>> > in contrast, he worked behing the meat counter in a small grocery >>> > shop; >>> > he >>> > did not own it. She did not work. My mom's question - where'd the >>> > money >>> > come from? Neither of them came from families where they would have >>> > inherited much. >>> > >>> > Her grandmother did not want her mother to marry - ever. So she eloped >>> > to >>> > NH at age 17. She would never accept money or anything of particular >>> > value >>> > from her parents, even while trying to raise 6 kids through the >>> > depression. >>> > Thus my mom sort of worries that maybe they did something bad; but >>> > there >>> > is >>> > no known evidence of that. If anything, they were pretty strict from >>> > the >>> > sound of it; much a part of the Victorian era. (As a 6 or 8 year old >>> > budding family historian, I made the mistake of asking my grandmother >>> > how >>> > old she was, and where she was born. trust me, I never did that again >>> > . >>> > . >>> > . >>> > I digress) >>> > >>> > My mom is the oldest of her generation still living; there is no one >>> > else >>> > to >>> > ask. >>> > >>> > so, my question - what clues are there to finances? Ideas I have had: >>> > >>> > 1) man from the above couple died in 1959 (before I was old enough to >>> > do >>> > something so naughty as to ask how old he was!). But there doesn't >>> > seem >>> > to >>> > have been a will; or not that my mom ever heard. >>> > >>> > 2) I don't have any experience in using land records. maybe that would >>> > help - any suggestions on land ownership in Cambridge and Billerica >>> > say >>> > 1900 - 1960 as a timeframe? >>> > >>> > any suggestions? >>> > >>> > oh, and I can't resist adding - I do remember this great grand dad; he >>> > is >>> > among my earliest memories. I was quite young, maybe just 4. We were >>> > visiting him at the Cambridge apartment. They had a huge dining room >>> > table >>> > with one of those crocheted tablecloths. On it was a small bowl with >>> > the >>> > most incredible looking apples I had ever seen; and I knew my apples >>> > let >>> > me >>> > tell you; my favorites for sure. So I asked him if I could eat one. He >>> > said no, they were wax. I said that was okay, I liked all kinds. He >>> > said >>> > no, you can't eat it, it is wax. Well wax was fine with me if that was >>> > apples . . . I couldn't understand, I had never met an adult that >>> > would >>> > not >>> > let me eat an apple. We had to be rescued from the conversation by the >>> > intervening generations! what a way to be remembered - all the things >>> > he >>> > did in his life - and the only thing I remember about him is that he >>> > would >>> > not let me have an apple! >>> > >>> > >>> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the >>> > subject >>> > and the body of the email with no additional text. >>> > ------------------------------- >>> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >>> > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >>> >>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> >>> >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >>> Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.14.3/2413 - Release Date: >>> 10/04/09 >>> 06:20:00 >>> >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject >>> and the body of the email with no additional text. >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >>> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> _________________________________________________________________ >> Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. >> http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/ >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject >> and the body of the email with no additional text. >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.420 / Virus Database: 270.14.3/2415 - Release Date: 10/05/09 > 06:19:00 > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject > and the body of the email with no additional text. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >