Sepia Saturday encourages bloggers to record their family history through photographs.
I don't have any appropriate vintage photographs so instead am featuring rivers and ferries that hold family memories.
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| River Tyne at South Shields, with the Norwegian ferry across the river at North Shields. |
My husband's ancestors (Donaldson, White and Moffet) were all mariners working out of South Shields, County Durham. Their extended family occupations ranged from merchant, master mariner, seaman, caulker, roper, ship's carpenter and river policeman.
There is nothing like family history for extending knowledge in diverse directions. To me "snow" was the white stuff falling in winter and a "smack" was a slap to a recalcitrant child. But that all changed as I began researching my husband's Tyneside ancestors and learnt about the different names for ships in the 19th century - barque or bark or barc, brig, sloop. smack and snow.
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| Master mariner, John Moffet - my husband's great great grandfather in a Napoleonic pose. |
River Severn at Ironbridge, Shropshire where my father grew up -
as described in Dad's Broseley Boyhood.
My father, John Weston as vice captain of Brosely School Football Team, 1926.
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| The River Teviot at Hawick in the Scottish Borders - our home for 41 years.
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The Cal Mac ferry sailing towards the Isle of Mull in Argyll, Scotland.
A beautiful. peaceful and atmospheric scene to remind us of holidays in the area.
A beautiful. peaceful and atmospheric scene to remind us of holidays in the area.
This has to be one of my best loved holiday photographs.
The Ramsauer Ache at Ramsau - a small village near Berchtesgarten in Bavaria, close to the Austrian border. The church of St. Sebastianwas was built in 1512 and extended in 1692 in the baroque style.
The ferry on Wolfgangasee, near Salzburg, Austria
where we celebrated our ruby wedding anniversary.
Click HERE to find out how other bloggers enjoyed Down by the Riverside.
where we celebrated our ruby wedding anniversary.
Click HERE to find out how other bloggers enjoyed Down by the Riverside.
The master mariner in your family looks like a person used to command. Thanks for the trip down some lovely rivers.
ReplyDeleteA lovely set of photographs and memories. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh my what wonderful water photos and such great memories for you to treasure.
ReplyDeleteYour husbands ancestor and one of my ancestors may have known each other? My 4 X Great Grandmother Elizabeth Walker (nee Kendall) was born in South Shields, Durham in the late 1700s. Her husband John Walker was a Mariner, although I am having trouble finding out much about him.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what that Napoleonic pose was all about. I've seen a few portraits of men doing that, but why? Thanks for sharing your river and ferry shots - great fun.
ReplyDeleteI was always told that the Napoleonic pose was to ensure that noone pinched your wallet. That South Shields shot looked familiar. When was it taken?
ReplyDeleteMany thnaks for your comment, Bob. I don't know when the photograph of John Moffet was taken. In the 1861 census John was master on board the brig Brotherly Love off Flamborough Head. The crew of eight included three young apprentices, four seamen, and a mate, with many born in South Shields. There is a painting of this ship in South shields Museum. John's wife & family were in Limehouse, London. By 1871 all the family were in South Shields.
DeleteAn interesting post and beautiful family photographs.
ReplyDeleteThe lush greenery surrounding the rivers is so beautiful. And that church in Bavaria! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the Taviot at Hawick -- I'd love to walk that pathway in the early mornings! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that so many in your family made a living on the water. I have a string of railroad men.
ReplyDeleteOne sentence you wrote stood out : "There is nothing like family history for extending knowledge in diverse directions". In some ways that's what makes Sepia Saturday such a joy and your post illustrates it perfectly.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos! I just slapped myself in the head - I should have used all the beautiful photos I took on our trip to Scotland. Such beautiful, colorful boats! Dang!! Oh, well, another post......
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this river trip and meeting your family. John Moffet looks as if he's holding on to something, but perhaps he's just resting his hand!
ReplyDeleteLovely memories you have here.
ReplyDeleteTeviot looks particularly charming to me.
:)~
HUGZ