This week's Sepia Saturday prompt features a tiny tot atop of a donkey and I have ideal matches from my family and local history collection.
Here is my third cousin, Gloria atop of this carthorse. Her Oldham family were
carters and coal merchants for three generations - Joseph Prince
Oldham (1855-1921), his son John William Oldham (1880-1939) and his
granddaughter Elsie Smith, nee Oldham (1906-1989) - Gloria's mother.
The
business was founded around 1890, steadily became prosperous and in
1905 moved to near North Station, Blackpool, Lancashire in a house with a large
yard, hay loft, tack room. and stabling for around 7 horses. The coal merchant business was eventfully sold around 1948 to another local firm, thus ending over 60 years of the family concern.
.
I live now in the Scottish Borders, a region often called "Scotland's Horse Country", where riding is in the blood. In the summer the towns celebrate their history and heritage with the annual Common Ridings - with cavalcades of riders re-enacting the age old ritual of "riding the marches", made in the past to safeguard burgh rights.
It is a time for local pride and passion, when exiles return to their home town to renew friendships and join in the celebrations - in ceremonies and processions, picnics and horse-racing, and in songs, ballads and music.
Photograph by Lesley Fraser, www.ilfimaging.co.uk
Not surprisingly, riding is a popular leisure activity locally and one my daughter was keen to join at any early age on her donkey.
And granddaughter is now following suit
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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers
to share their family history and memories through photographs
I know that somewhere I have a photo of me on a pony around 2 years old. But this search wasn't one I had time to do before Saturday. Loved seeing all your little ones on their donkeys and ponys!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly matched the prompt this week! In the first few photos, I enjoyed seeing the different reaction to the photographer. Gloria being told to look at the camera. The people shielding their eyes in the doorway while the carter and his horse have their picture taken. But nothing beats that big smile on your daughter’s face!
ReplyDeleteGreat matches for the prompt picture! :)
ReplyDeleteI love your granddaughter and daughter on those donkeys!
ReplyDeleteAll good examples for this weekend. (I wish Alan would return to giving us a two week advance notice.) The last few were charming ones to add to your family traditions with horses and ponies.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! I love the historic photos of your carter ancestors -- but even better are the pony-donkey-horse riding photos of your daughter and granddaughter. Horses do indeed seem to be "in the blood" as you observe.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your kind comments . Yes, I too wish we were getting more notice of the prompts. It is expecting a lot of bloggers to get a prompt Friday afternoon (UK) and write a post for publication the Saturday and Sunday..
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming that's the same wheeled donkey both daughter and grand are sitting on? So cute. And isn't fun seeing your granddaughter follow in your daughter's footsteps. :)
ReplyDeleteOops - that's "isn't IT fun seeing your granddaughter follow in your daughter's footsteps." :))
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your kind comments. Yes. the wheeled donkey was bought for my daughter's first Christmas by grandparents. Then it holidayed in our loft until brought out again for granddaughter.
ReplyDelete