Who do I think I am ? [12] ~ my paternal grandparents ...

My father's parents were married 105 years ago in the Methodist church less than a mile from where I live.

There are no photographs of the wedding [which is a shame] as it appears that my grandfather's sister, Daisy, forgot to organise the photographer ... or so I have been told.

I didn't know of the existence of this newspaper report until my cousin sent me a copy.

Like so many steps forward in a family tree it results in a step backwards ... or at least sidewards. You see I know of three of the four bridesmaids listed ~ in fact I have photographs of them ~ but "Miss Gertrude Tetlow of Pendleton, sister of the mother of the bride" raises a few questions. The mother of the bride was of course my great grandmother, Agnes Ellen Wagstaffe nee Knowles ... and yet Miss Gertrude Tetlow is her sister. Something doesn't make sense.

In trying to trace my great grandmother's parents, I've been looking for the Knowles family. Is it somehow entwined with the Tetlow family ? Have I got the wrong family ... or is there an error in the newspaper report ? That's something to look into ... and part of the fun of trying to track down your ancestors.

Here's a transcript of the newspaper report forwarded by my cousin, Faye.

I'll tell you what, you don't get report like this in local newspapers nowadays.

Ticking away ... Day 656 ~ I'm wearing my stocking ! Seam's ok ...

A short update ...

Earlier this week I went to the podiatrict who looked at my big toe that I nearly ripped off three weeks ago. It seems to be hanging on to the nailbed and is a lot better than I thought it might be. She trimmed it and said there was no need to put a dressing on it.

Then yesterday my Beloved and I travelled the ten miles or so to the local hospice where Mandy showed me how to put on my stocking. She recommended using some gardening gloves with a bit of grip so I purchased a pair on my way home ... and they work a treat. I am now wearing my new stocking for a second day and although I'm aware of some compression [which is what it is all about] on my right leg, it isn't uncomfortable.

I'm not sure that it is a particularly sexy look but I did wear them with my shorts yesterday and I intend to do so until the weather changes ...

What do you think ? 

I'm being frank ...

... when I say that the envelope containing one of my two birthday cards received through the post yesterday made me smile ironically. 

 

Then I thought, it is what it is ... just get on with it ... though it would have been nice to forget things for a day.

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 18th December 1866

My great great great uncle John Bayliff Bowman lived at Summer Hill, near Monyash in the County of Derby.

The Bowman family, who were Quakers, had three farms, One Ash Grange [which John Bayliff Bowman often referred to as O.A.], Cales and Summer Hill [which he usually referred to as S.Hill or S.H.]

"A Farm Journal" continues :~

 

7 - 1st - 12 Mo[nth] Very rimy frost white - finish[e]d leading swedes home etc - cov[erin]g up - calf dead of speed at S.H. - one at Cales with belly ache - but recov[ere]d - things doing pretty well - cheese 16 in every other day both places - 

 

1st day 2nd Fine frosty

2 - 3rd Very wet

3rd - d[itt]o

4 - 5 Fair to M[onthly] Meeting] Chesterf[ield]

5 - 6 Fine early then very wet - bro[ther] W[illia]m came aft[ernoo]n - cows lie in

6 - 7 Fine morn[in]g - wet aft[ernoo]n - self with Wm. to Middleton then to Ashford to dine & tea - self & Wm to Longston [sic] to see ab[ou]t letting of a bit of land - Wm to Nott[ingha]m

 

7 - 8 Fine & frosty

1st 9 to 17 Very showery weather finish[e]d pit[tin]g turnips to Nott[ingha]m & 18 Lincoln Q[uarterly] M[eeting] & home

Headless chicken ...

Whilst walking up out of Rowsley yesterday towards Fallinge we noticed a bird beside the footpath signpost ...

 

Surely it would move as we stood there and talked about it. It didn't ...

Surely it would move when I walked right past it to take a photo of the signpost ? It didn't ...

We left it alone and surmised that it was ill. Hopefully there would be no loose dogs in the area later in the day.

A Farm Journal ~ from the 16th to the 29th November 1866

My great great great uncle John Bayliff Bowman lived at Summer Hill, near Monyash in the County of Derby.

The Bowman family, who were Quakers, had three farms, One Ash Grange [which John Bayliff Bowman often referred to as O.A.], Cales and Summer Hill [which he usually referred to as S.Hill or S.H.]

"A Farm Journal" continues :~

6 - 16 very wet day home in dog cart & horse bo[ugh]t at Nott[ingha]m with Joanna - arrived safe at home almost perished with wet & cold - found all well

7 - 17 Very sharp frost all day - plough[in]g - cutting swedes off when fit etc Cows lie out yet - have a bit of hay night & morn[in]g - & turnips in day

1st day 18 Stormy morn[in]g fine aft[ernoo]n

2 - 19 Fine & frosty

3 - 20 Ditto - S.A., Joanna & I to B[akewe]ll & Ashford to dine & tea

4 - 21 Ditto - S.A. & Joanna to Rowsley to meet Sam but alas there was a message for J. to return to N - to bairns badly - S.A. ret[urne]d alone

5 - 22 Fine but dull

6 - 23 Very showery day self to Middleton met Father & W[illia]m & Lizzy & Brownson looked over the farm & valued most things - satisfactorily - 11 ac[res] of turnips & swedes - seeds on moor 15 ac[res] look very promising - corn pretty good but weathered - hay ditto part weathered but not spoiled 

7 - 23 Dull & mizzly at times - finish[e]d cut[tin]g & carting swedes at S.H. cutt[in]g off in Waterholes & pi[tin]g corn [next word not clear] at S.H. - Cows have turnips in the field & hay night & morn[in]g - lie out

1 - 24 Very stormy

2 - 25 Fine day bro[ther] W[illia]m came up from B[akewell]

3 - 26 Fine day W[illia]m & Eben[ezer] & self to Alsop in Dale to sale of Mrs. Buxtons [sic]  bo[ugh]t 5 cows 2 heifers & bull calf & 35 ewes @ 51/- 6 cows of Jos[eph] Kirkam £14 10/- - home -

4 - 27 Fine & frosty

5 - 28 Fine but cold S.E. wind - to Staden Farm sale of the late W.Wood of Eagle Hotel Buxton - bo[ugh]t 4 heifers

6 - 29 Fine to Buxton to Eagle Hotel sale bo[ugh]t 55 ewes 50/- about Grey Horse £12 & bay mare £24 10/- rising 7 years each - bro[ther] W[illia]m at Middleton valuation

There was no entry for the last day of November 1866

From the Derby Daily Telegraph ~ July 19, 1913

Some months ago I opened an account with the British Newspaper Archive and have found some fascinating newspaper articles. Once I start feeding in some family names or places I can soon lose two or three hours.

Take my grandad, Charles Wildgoose ... and his brother, Robert. They appeared in court in July 1913 described as farmers of Darley Dale and were accused of "keeping dangerous dogs and not having them under proper control."

My grandad's greyhound had been found worrying sheep on the moors "five or six miles away from home". My great uncle Robert had a "cur dog" which "was barking at the sheep".

The owner of the sheep shot both dogs but they weren't so badly wounded that they couldn't get home. They were though subsequently found and identified.

The Magistrates "made an order for the destruction of the hound within seven days, and for the cur to be kept under proper control. - Defendants were ordered to pay costs."

I had never heard this story until I read it in the Archive and whilst it might only be a fairly minor incident it certainly adds something to what I know of my grandad.

Fifteen years or so later grandad still liked his greyhounds. Here he is on the steps of Darley House, where the family lived, with his wife, some of his children ... and a greyhound.