Hats off to Boys and Girls! SepIs Saturday

This week's prompt shows two small children playing happily on a makeshift bike.   I have hardly any photographs showing toys, so instead I have opted to shout: 

"Hats off to Boys and Girls"

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Wearing a very fancy decorated hat, here with her father  is Florence Adelaide Mason (1898-1965),   my grandfather's cousin.  I have to thank my American third cousin, Bonny (Florence's granddaughter) who discovered my blog and made contact with this and many other  family photographs.  I was delighted to discover this American connection, as up until then,  my family seemed ot be very firmly based iln Lancashire, England.

Florence was the youngest of 11 children of John Mason and Alice Rawcliffe - sister of my my great grandmother Maria Danson, nee Rawcliffe.   John emigrated to the USA in 1887, followed a year later by Alice, travelling with six children under 13 years old and "two pieces of baggage".  Five more children were born in Brooklyn, New York, with three not surviving  infancy.  The family moved later  across the river to New Jersey.  

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 My mother, Kathleen Danson, not too happy in this big brimmed hat, c.1911 



Kathleen, standing playing at dressing up, perhaps,  with her sister Edith. c.1913

Someone has been busy knitting this chunky outfit for little Annette King, my husband's second cousin.  She is all wrapped up in this outfit, set off by a bonnet,   reminiscent of a cloche hat style with the pom-pom on the side.  c.1920's . 

 

 Two photographs of a similar  period, c.early 1920's.  From the collection of my great aunt Jennie, and I guess they are probably children of her friends.  

My aunt  Peggy Danson , a bridesmaid at a wedding in a Dutcvh style hat, which seemed in fashion in the late 1920. 

Like mother, like daughter - myself  in  my sun hat here, c.1950, looking very like my mother in a similar hat in the photograph above. 

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And not forgetting boys in hats:

Joseph Prince Oldham, (1855-1917) my cousin's great grandfather

My uncle Fred Weston, c.1908.  He is all dressed up - but for what occasion?  I would love to have known.  In the 1911 census, the Weston family were living at Lunt Gardens, Bilston, Wolverhampton in the industrial English Midlands.  The road name  of Gardens seems to have been a misnomer, because the local sewerage works were also there.

A serious looking George Danson, my great uncle, wearing a flat cap, c. 1904.  Ten years later George, the youngest of eight brothers,  was killed at the Battle of  the Somme. 

My husband's brother  in the cap that was very popular for boys 1930-1950's. I remember my brother wearing this style,featuring the school badge,  as part of his school uniform,

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And finally - my daughter, wrapped up in her fur coat and matching bonnet for a ride on her first birthday present, forever known just as "Donkey" - January   1974.

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

Click  HERE to see tales from other Sepia Saturday  bloggers.