Sepia Saturday - Take a Tour by Train

Sepia Saturday give bloggers an opportunity to share their family history and memories through photographs.

There was so much to choose from in this week's prompt, but as I have never featured trains before,  it is time now to take a trip from the Scottish Borders to North Yorkshire Moors, to Argyll in the west of Scotland, finishing in Austria. 

In the village of Earlston in the Scottish Borders where I now live, the railway survived 100 years, opening in 1863 as part of the Berwickshire Railway. Following major flooding that hit the region in 1948, the station was closed to passenger traffic, and the last freight service operated in 1965.

Photographs courtesy of the Auld Earlston Group

Three miles from my home is the major engineering feat on the Berwickshire Railway -  Leaderfoot viaduct  The 19 span bridge crosses over the River Tweed, near Melrose.  It  was built in 1863, with trains running until the line closed in  1965.  The structure is now in the care of Historic Scotland.     A Roman bridge once crossed the Tweed here, conveying Dere Street north from the nearby fort of Trimontium. 

A holiday in 1977 saw us take a family holiday  at Grosmont on the North Yorkshrie Moors where the heritage railway between Gromont and Pickering  was a key attraction.  The railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby and was first conceived as a horse drawn passenger railway.  The line opened in 1836 and closed in 1965, reopening in 1973 by the North York Moors Historical Railway Trust Ltd. 

These photographs courtesy of my husband.

A visit to the National Railway Museum at York was also on the itinerary where our  daughter enjoyed playing gymnastics on the giant wheels.

We happened to be on holiday at Taynuilt near Oban in the West of Scotland where there was a small station which one night hosted the luxury Royal Scotman on a tour of Scotland,  We had a peep through the windows and saw tables being set for dinner - silver service of course1  We were most fascinated by the badges on the side of the train.  

And finally to the Austrian Lakes  and to the ""Road Trains"  which  a number of the towns have to transport visitors around. Fun for children and adults alike. 

At Mondsee the train took visitors from the main car park into the town centre.  Mondsee is probably most famous now as the location of the church used in "the Sound of Music"  film for the wedding of Maria and Captain von Trapp.   

This "train" in the spa town of Bad Ischl takes visitors round the town's attractions that include  Kaiser Franz Joseph's summer retreat - the Kaiservilla.  -  where in 1914 he signed the order that plunged Austria into the  conflict that became the First World War. Franz Lehar, composer of operetta's such as "The Merry Widow" also had a summer  residence by the river.  He was granted ho.honorary citizenship of the town and his music is remembered each year in a Lehar Festival. 

Click HERE to find other blogger tales from this week's prompt. 

Military Monday: Smedley Brothers in the Civil War

You come across some amazing stories when you start to delve into  your family history and such was the life of John Kinsey Smedley - a naval engineer in the American Civil War, later inventor and traveller who wrote an account of his journey into the Yo-semite Valley in 1874.  

John Kinsey Smedley was born 10 July 1839 in Willistown, Pennsylvania   the fourth child of Jeffrey Smedley (1811-1861) and Catherine Denny (1803-1877)); with siblings  Lydia, Amy, Isaac, Abiah T., Catherine Ann, Anna Mary, Jeffrey and Charles.  He was a fifth generation American of English Quaker  heritage.  

In September 1862 at the age of 23, John  enlisted in the Union Navy,  and  participated in blockade duties and attacks on the Confederate forts in Charleston Harbor including  Fort Sumter.

He served  aboard vessels  Nantucket, Wabash, Mohican and Tullahoma.

The family is fortunate to have details of his service, written down by John's daughter Hattie and signed by him. 

A transcription by John's great granddaughter Gail  reads;

"Enlisted Sept. 1, 1862 in U.S. Navy at Philadelphia, PA.  Appointed 3^rd Assist. Engineer, U.S. Navy Nov. 17, 1862.  Ordered to report onboard U.S. Monitor “Nantucket” at Boston, Feb. 14, 1863, Donald McNeal Fairfax, commanding.  Was in engagements Fort Sumter, S.C. Apr. 7, 1863 – James Island batteries July 8 and 10/63 on Stono River, and Morris Island, S.C. – Fort Wagner July 10, 16, and 18, 1863 – Fort Sumter July 20 – Fort Moultrie July 21, 1863 – Cummings Point batteries Aug. 10 and 12/63 – Fort Wagner Aug. 15 and 16/63."

USS Nantucket

 "Appointed 2^nd Assist. Eng. Mar. 23, 1864.  Detached from Monitor Nantucket July 20, 1864 and ordered to Steam Frigate “Wabash”, Capt. John de Camp, by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, commanding South Atlantic Blockading Squadron".

USS Wabash

 "Reported July 21, 1864 to W.K. Grozier, Executive Officer – Cruised off Cape de Verde Islands for three months.   

Detached from the Wabash and ordered to the U.S. Man-of-War “Mohican”, Oct. 30, 1864 by Rear Adml. David D. Porter, Com. N.A.B. Squadron.  Reported Oct. 31, 1864 to Daniel Ammen, com".

         

"Was in engagements at Fort Fisher, N.C. Dec. 24 and 25, 1864, also Jan. 13-14-15, 1865, ending with the capture of the Fort.  Steamed to Fort McAllister, Georgia and had a skirmish with scouting party in timber (?) etc.

 Detached from “Mohican” Apr. 26, 1865 at Boston – ordered to special duty on board U.S.S. “Tullahoma” at New York, May 19, 1865, by Thorton A. Jenkins, Chief of Staff.  

Ordered to temporary duty Aug. 6, 1865 on board U.S. Monitor “Nantucket” on trip to Philadelphia.  Detached Feb. 20, 1866 from special duty on U.S.S. Tullahoma and ordered to Navy Yard, N.Y. in connection with Boiler Experimental duty.  Reported Feb. 21, 1866 – J.W. King, Chief Engineer.

          Resigned March 13, 1866.

                                                   (signed – J. Kinsey Smedley)"

John Kinsey Smedley resigned from the Union Navy on 13 March 1866, and the family  still holds,  among the family treasures, his naval sword, sheath, and belt, shown in this photograph below.

After the war John headed west - to Utah and California - but that is for another posting! 

He died 22nd  July 1905 at Alamedia. Caifornia, buried in San Francisco National Cemetery,  with  the form for internment describing him as "2nd Assistant Engineer US Navy".  

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Elder brother Isaac Smedley  was born 1 March 1838 at Chester, Pennsylvania and named after his paternal grandfather.  

The USA Civil War Draft Registration Records  on Ancestry.com  show that 23 year old Isaac enlisted in    the 97th Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry.  He rose to the rank of 2nd  Liut. but was honorably discharged on a surgeon's certificate at Seabrook island, South Carolina.  

He sadly died, unmarried,  of consumption om 12 February  1867 at the young age of 28. He was buried in Willistown Friends Cemetery, Chester, Delaware Co.  under the title " Lieut. Isaac Smedley"  


Younger brother  ABIAH, born in 1840, was the fifth child of Jeffrey (Senior) and Catherine - his name is of Hebrew origin meaning " God is my Father".  An entry in the US Find a Grave Index brought to light that Abiah served in the  Civil War.  His record   showed that he enlisted in Company B, Pennsylvania 6th Cavalry Regiment on 30 Aug 1861 a few months after the outbreak do war and in  1865 he was promoted to First Lieutenant.  

Abiah sadly died in 1867, aged 27,  leaving a young widow Mary and a daughter Mary Emma  born two months after his death. He was buried in Willistown Friends Cemetery, where his eldest brother Isaac, had been laid to rest just three months earlier.   

Three brothers who gave service to their county in time of war. 

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Sources:

• Family notes and photographs, with special thanks to Gail - John Kinsey Smedley's great granddaughter.

On www.Ancestry.co.uk:  

• US Civil War Draft Registration Records 1863-1865
• Officers of the Continental & US Navy & marine Corps 1795-1900. 
• US Navy Pension Records
• US Veterans Grave-sites
• California Death Index 
• US National Cemetery Interment Control Form  

Military Monday is one of many daily blog prompts from Geneabloggers 

that encourage writers to record aspects of their family history. 

Sepia Saturday: National Dress on Show

Sepia Saturday give bloggers an opportunity to share their family history and memories through photographs.

This week's theme brought back memories of my childhood,  of sharing my mother's love for music and costume,  and of more recent happy holiday times in Austria and Poland.


 
As a child, traditional European national costumes always appealed to me.  I  remember watching on TV the dancers at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales (that's never televised now!)  and went onto collect costume dolls until they became nothing but dust gatherers.  (right) 

My piano music

Being taken to see the ballet "Coppelia" at the Opera House in Blackpool, had me captivated by the folk dances of the mazurka and czardas.  I longed  to wear a dirndl skirt with lots of braiding, a bolero fastened with criss cross laces over a white blouse, a fancyapron  and best of all a headdress with ribbons streaming down.  

The nearest I came to this was the full skirt  my dressmaker mother made me with  rows of different coloured ric-rac above the hem,  which I wore around the house  with one of my mother's pinnies and a cardboard headdress with the long flowing ribbons.  Unfortunately no photograph exists of me in this outfit. 

I revelled in the Ruritanian middle European romantic image fostered by operetta's   such as "The Gypsy Baron "  and "the White Horse Inn" and  Anthony Hope's novel  "The Prisoner of Zenda". 

Many years later on visits abroad, I loved seeing national costumes.   Our favourite holiday destination is Austria where in many parts, the costume is not just the hotel and cafe uniform for serving visitors, but is the special dress for Sundays, holidays,  and for weddings,plus being widely displayed in shops.  

 Below is the Corpus Christi procession  in St. Gilgen, near Salzburg.

 

Shop displays  of national dress in Salzburg and surrounding towns:

  

 

 Musicians playing in the main square in Krakow, Poland.

And of course not forgetting the national costume of Scotland -

 pipers at Floors Castle in the Scottish Borders.

Copyright © 2014 · Susan Donaldson.  All Rights Reserved

Click HERE to see how other Sepia Saturday bloggers are viewing this week's prompt. 

A Blog Makeover Challenge

Go for a makeover!  Who can resist that prospect!

Alex Daw of Family Tree Frog has invited bloggers to join her in a different challenge - to look at each other's blogs, give feedback and make suggestions.

I had been thinking recently: 

• Does my blog look rather tired, jaded,  and,  dare I admit it,  boring?"  
• Does it need a facelift?   

My 4th blog anniversary is next week, so this is just the time to go for a refreshing makeover!
 
I should add that I am not particularly IT savvy as regards procedures and terminology, so it was an achievement to have got where I have with it! 

I have been trying out different colour themes, but have ended up with virtually the same as before, as I do like the clean look of blue.  Some time ago, I followed advice and moved my blog favourites and blog awards to a tab - and feel this has worked well.  in de-cluttering the side bar.

 I do like a suggestion from Sharon to Wendy to set up a Search widget and must look into this.

 So do give me your thoughts.  I look forward to hearing from fellow bloggers.  Susan.

Sepia Saturday - Letters Home From the Front

Sepia Saturday give bloggers an opportunity to share their family history and memories through photographs.

Stories of  my family's military service have featured before on my blog.  But I am pleased in this special commemorative year to make a further tribute to them through their moving letters, telegrams and cards home from the front. 

Dad with my mother (right) and my aunt (left)

I came across this telegram whilst sorting through papers following the deaths of my father and mother, John and Kathleen Weston nee Danson.   I love the design and the message, with the frank on the reverse showing it was sent on December 31st 1941.  

My father was then serving in the Codes and Cipher Branch of the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall, London and had witnessed the Battle of Britain over London earlier in the autumn of 1941.

Very movingly I also discovered a series of letters, still in their envelopes,  exchanged between my parents during 1944-45 when my father  was in France and Germany. Dad by this time was attached to the US forces under General Bradley.

 

I

I
In  a typed letter home, Dad asked "I hope you have managed to have Baby's photograph taken".


This is the photograph!

*****

The telegram below was sent by my Uncle Charles to my father on 24th September 1945 following Charles release from a Japanese prisoner of war camp.   

 

 

Charles and my father John Weston were close as brothers and had nicknames for one another - "Ace" and Mel".   Unfortunately I failed to ask my father about the origin of these names and neither my cousin nor I have been able to find out any thin.  Were Ace and Mel popular radio characters for instance?  I would love to know, if anyone has any ideas.  

When he was back home in Leicester, Charles wrote a long letter to my father in November 1945 with details and thoughts on his experience as a POW.   It starts "Dear Mel" and is signed "Keep batting!" - Ace". 

 
.

 

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Postcards from Flanders, sent by my grandfather William Danson to his family back home, are the most prized items in my collection of family memorabilia.   They are made more poignant by the penciled messages from William to his wife Alice and children Edith, Kathleen, Harry and baby Billy. 

Grandad was a taciturn labourer, He never spoke about the war and would never have put into words the sentiments expressed  in the cards he sent to his wife Alice and his messages were rather prosaic. 



         
      

 

 

Dear Alice, received your letter allright.  I have landed back at the Butt and am in the pink.  I have had a letter from Jennie and am glad you have word of Tom.  You loving husband, Billy xxx.  [7 February 1918]

The two Brussels scenes  below were sent to William's daughters, Edith and Kathleen (my mother) around Christmas 1918, when presumably he was waiting to be demobbed.

 

 

 ?8th December 1918 - Dear Kathleen, I am in the pink and hope mother and family are the same.  Will send a few more cards in a day or so.  From her Dad XXXXXX

 

 

24th December 1918 - Dear Edith, Just a card to let you know that I am in the best of health.  I am staying not from the ?? that is on the card.  From her Dad XXXXXX

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"I had to assist the wounded at a dressing station and stuck to it for about 40 hours. It's blooming hard work being a stretcher bearer in the field."  

George

These were the words of my great uncle George Danson, written three weeks before he was killed on the Somme in a letter to his brother Frank the nearest in age of his seven brothers.  

Frank

                                                           

 "At present we are abut 8 miles behind the firing line. I had to assist the wounded at a dressing station and stuck to it for about 40 hours. It's blooming hard work being a stretcher bearer in the field. On Friday I was in a big bombardment and will say it was like a continual thunder and lightening going off. As I write there are blooming big guns going off abut 50 yards away every few minutes. Don't I wish that all of us could get home. Wouldn't that be great, lad, there's a good time coming and I hope we shall all be there to join in."

"The good time" was not to be, for three weeks later, and a week after his 22nd birthday,  George was killed on 16th September 1916 at the Battle of the Somme, and buried in the Guards Cemetery, Les Boeufs, near Albert. 

Click HERE to find more other blogger tales of letters home

Copyright © 2014 · Susan Donaldson.  All Rights Reserved