Christmas Wishes and reasons for not adding posts for a while!!

I know that it is such a very very looooooong time since I was able to post on my blogs and am amazed it really has been ages since my last post here.

The reasons for this are as follows (which I have also copied to my So That’s Where I Get It From blog).

Due to illness in the family and later a sudden change with things in September I really have not had the time to be able to devote to any family history research or this blog or much of anything else!!

I apologise to those of you who have been popping in to see something new but found it just the same as months ago.  I just hope you will come and visit again.

Since September we have been looking after my (then) 100 year old Auntie Lucy (she is now 101 years old).  She lived on her own, was completely independent and able to do everything for herself.  She would go to her art group meetings twice a week and was still exhibiting her paintings in September.

Then she had a fall and was a bit unsteady on her feet as a result of that.  Her doctor told us that he thought she had had a little stroke.  So we took her home with us and have been looking after her ever since.  She has fluid on the lungs, and has had a couple of infections (all cleared up now), but she has become very very forgetful and unless kept an eye on, could easily hurt herself because she is now unaware of things like hot cooker rings, and will stick her fingers into a toaster while the bread is toasting and picks up red hot plates and bowls but does not realise they are so hot.  So although she likes to do her own breakfast and lunch, we have to watch her and make sure she does not hurt herself.  We cook dinner so she does not have to do any of that.

Anyway, it has become very obvious that she can no longer live on her own so she is staying with us on a permanent basis.  That means that we have to be alert 24/7 to make sure she is safe and comfortable and she tells us she is happy staying with us.

It has meant that we have even less time now to do the things we would normally do, which is why it has become such a long time since I posted to this blog.  Now we realise that Auntie Lucy will always be staying with us I am hoping to get our routines done in such a way so that I can at least have more time to be able to get back to this blog and some lovely family history research.

As it is now Christmas time I have made a little virtual Christmas card for my family and friends (haven’t had a lot of time to do real Christmas cards) and want to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a wonderful, happy, healthy, and successful New Year.

Digital Card made by me December 2011 - copyright 2011

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.  Hopefully I can get myself organised to get back to adding posts here on a regular basis soon.  🙂

Wednesday’s Child: Jerushah

 

I saw this tombstone at Gwennap churchyard when we were there the other day and thought it was such a nice monument for the young person at rest there.

Original photograph taken by me at Gwennap, Cornwall in April 2011 - copyright 2011

 

This is the Inscription:

Sacred

to

the Memory of

Jerushah

daughter of

William & Elizth. Phillips,

of Trevarth in this Parish,

who departed this life April 9th

1862

Aged 15 Years

_____

Weep not for me my Parents dear

I am not dead but sleeping here,

I was not yours but Christ’s alone,

He lov’d me best and took me home

_____

Also of the above

Elizabeth

who died Aug 28th 1891

Aged 81 years

Sleeping in Jesus

 

We stood for a while looking at this tombstone, just drawn to it and we felt quite moved by the words that were inscribed on it.  We hope they helped William and Elizabeth with the loss of their young daughter.  Isn’t Jerushah an unusual and lovely name?

 

Tombstone Tuesday: “… one we loved so dear”

A few days ago I mentioned on this blog that I was adding the churchyard of Gwennap, Cornwall to those I already “look after” as a Graveyard Rabbit.

This is the first Tombstone Tuesday for that churchyard.  This Tombstone is for Grace Rogers and at this stage of my research I am not sure if she is related to my other half Paul or not, so other than what is written on her tombstone, I don’t know anything else about her.

Original photograph taken by me at Gwennap, April 2011 - copyright 2011

 

The transcript for the inscription is as follows:

In Loving Memory

of

Grace Rogers

who died at

Bell Lane, Lanner

April 3rd 1912

Aged 55 Years

The cup was bitter, the sting severe,

To part with one we loved so dear,

The trial was hard, but we will not complain,

But trust to meet her in Heaven again.

_____

also of

John Rogers

Beloved husband of the above

Who died April 3rd 1915

Aged 57 years

Isn’t it interesting that both Grace and her husband died on the same date, although three years apart?  I wonder if John died of a broken heart on her anniversary?

Gwennap Churchyard

Today, as it was a beautifully sunny day, my other half Paul and I went to Gwennap Churchyard to search for some of his ancestors lying at rest there.

By the time we got there it had clouded over and dark rainclouds were forming!!  It was looking so nice there with all the Spring flowers dotted about all over the place but it turned out to be a much larger churchyard than I had realised!!

Original photograph taken by me today 16 April 2011 - copyright 2011

 

We are going to have to come back several times to search for Paul’s ancestors as it is such a large churchyard.  While there, I decided that it would be nice to add this to the churchyard at Mithian, Cornwall and the churchyard at Lower Winchendon, Buckinghamshire that I am the Graveyard Rabbit for.

Many of the tombstones are very well preserved, some have very interesting designs, quite different from the majority of plainer ones at Mithian and Lower Winchendon and I noticed that it was very easy to read the inscriptions of most of those I looked at today.

Original photograph taken by me today 16 April 2011 - copyright 2011

 

This is the sign at the entrance to the churchyard.  I think it must be the most attractive sign for a church that I have seen in a long time!!  Most are usually past their best, with peeling paint or warped, tatty looking wood.

I will start adding some of the tombstones in this coming week, and of course, when we find those of Paul’s ancestors, if they still survive, then those will be shown here as well as at my genealogy blog So That’s Where I Get It From.

Tombstone Tuesday: Peace, Perfect Peace

 

This is another tombstone of members of the Pooley family, following on from last week, at St. Peter’s, Mithian, Cornwall.

Original photograph taken by me at Mithian - copyright 2011

 

The Inscription is as follows:

In Loving Memory

of

William Burrow Pooley

who died at

Barton, Penstraze

July 28th 1923

Aged 69 years

_____

Peace, Perfect Peace

_____

Also of

Elizabeth Pooley

Beloved wife of the above

who died Sept 13th 1929

Aged 72 years

_____

 

As far as I know this family is not connected to me or my man Paul’s family, although he has family at rest in this churchyard.

Tombstone Tuesday: Reunited

As with my other genealogy blog So That’s Where I Get It From, I have missed adding posts for Tombstone Tuesday for a couple of weeks.  Problems with our internet connection again (sigh) and general things meant that I could not add anything here until now.

Today’s tombstone photograph was taken at St. Peter’s, Mithian, Cornwall a few weeks ago.

Original photograph taken by me at Mithian, Cornwall - copyright 2011

 

Here is the transcription for this tombstone:

In Loving Memory,

of

John Henry,

Beloved Husband of

Emma Jane Pooley,

of Blackwater

died May 2nd 1935

Aged 78 years

In God’s Keeping

 

Also of the above

Emma Jane Pooley

Died May 29th 1949

Aged 85 years

Reunited

Wednesday’s Child: Ethel

When taking photos at Mithian last week, I noticed one grave that was much smaller than all the others.  I knew it could only be the grave of a child, so I am including it here for Wednesday’s Child.

Ethel

Original photograph taken by me at Mithian, Cornwall February 2011 – copyright 2011

 

In

Loving Memory of

Ethel

Beloved Child of

P. & I. Scobie

Who died

Feb. 9th 1891

Aged 2 Years

Suffer Little Children

To Come Unto Me

 

 

Tombstone Tuesday: Thomas Andrew Erskin Wilson

For today’s Tombstone Tuesday I am showing the grave of Thomas Andrew Erskin Wilson.  He is one of those lying at rest at Mithian, Cornwall and other than the inscription, I know nothing more about him.

This photograph was taken last week and we could see that primroses were just starting to come out around the churchyard and I can see that all over and around Thomas’ grave, as for others, Bluebells will be soon be on show too.

Original photograph taken by me at Mithian February 2011 - Copyright 2011

 

In Loving Memory of

Thomas Andrew Erskin Wilson

Died Jan. 1st 1943

Tombstone Tuesday: “… we shall reap, if we faint not”

For last week’s Tombstone Tuesday I featured the tombstone of Mary Ann, the wife of Samuel Truran.  She died in 1862 aged 34 years.  Her tombstone was very plain, almost like a slab of concrete.

This week I show the tombstone of Mary Ann’s husband Samuel Truran.  This tombstone is more shapely and a little ornate compared to the tombstone for her!

Original photograph taken by me at Mithian, Cornwall February 2011 - copyright 2011

 

Transcript of Memorial Inscription for Samuel Truran

In Loving Memory of

Samuel Truran

who died at Barkla Shop, St. Agnes

July 15th 1892

Aged 62 Years

“And let us not be weary in well doing

For in due season we shall reap, if

we faint not”

________________

also Honor

beloved wife of the above

who died Feb 11th 1914,

Aged 74 Years

_______________

For ever with the Lord

 

I think it interesting that we are informed that Samuel died in a shop in St. Agnes (which isn’t too far away from Mithian).  I wonder if he worked there or was just buying something?

Tombstone Tuesday: And I With Him Shall Shine

I was at Mithian a couple of days ago, so took some more photos of the tombstones there. 

It was a dull, dreary day and as seems to be usual there, it was very overgrown everywhere, just going wild really.  The Church is all closed so I suppose no-one much bothers about keeping the churchyard tidy.

I saw this tombstone from the back of it first.  It was all surrounded by the overgrown bushes, trees, general greenery, but sat so alone.  Just seemed sad to me.

Back view of tombstone

 

Original photograph taken by me at Mithian, Cornwall February 2011 – copyright 2011

To get to the front of the tombstone we had to battle our way through the shrubs and overgrown stuff and I took the photo of the front as best as I could with branches completely in the way!!

Front view of the tombstone

Original photograph taken by me at Mithian, Cornwall February 2011 - copyright 2011

Transcript of the Monumental Inscription

In

Memory of

Mary Ann

the beloved wife of

Samuel Truran

who departed this Life  October 4th 1862,

Aged 34 Years

“What says the happy dead?

She bids me bear my load

And with silent steps proceed

And follow her to God

My life’s a shade, my days

Apace to death decline

But Christ my dust shall raise

And I with Him shall shine

Sweet truth to me: I shall arise

And with His eyes my Saviour sees

(this line difficult to read but ends with) keep

(Can’t read this line, goes into the overgrowth of greenery)

I think it interesting that this has some sort of oblong bit added into it near the top.  Can’t tell if it was an error that was corrected (badly) at the time of making the tombstone or if something happened to the tombstone over time and this was done to fix it.  But it does not show through to the back of the gravestone at all. 

I also find it interesting that because the tombstone is so plain, it is very clear to see the tiny writing right at the top on the left, middle and right of it. On the left it says Pearce; the middle says Lemon St. and the right says Truro.

Next week for Tombstone Tuesday I will show the tombstone of Mary Ann’s husband Samuel Truran.