Fun Times in the Snow - Sepia Saturday

This week;'Sepia Saturday prompt image shows a snowy scene  with  swings in an empty playground - the theme - playing in the snow.   I have no early childhood photographs in the snow - my family only seemed to bring the camera out  in summer, but here are other images of people enjoying themselves in snowy times. 

 Daughter playing  with our dog Casmir, out on the hioll behind our home in Hawick in the  Scottish Borders. 

  

Members of Earlston  Curling Club enjoying  a game outdoors on "real ice". Photograph courtesy of my local heritage group Auld Earlston.  

This is the oldest snow picture in my collection and brings back memories of my father.  This photograph was taken in the wartime winter of 1944 in Luxembourg.  Dad served in the RAF working in codes and cyphers and  at this time was attached to the US 12th Army Group commanded by  General Bradley.  Whilst stationed in Luxembourg, Dad became friendly with a local  family.   Here he is (on the left)  with Mr. Batten out for a walk with his little daughter.  I think he was able to enjoy a taste of family life amidst the realities of war. Dad remained in contact with the Batten family for many years.    I found   this photograph in Dad's album. 

More enjoyment on  Winter Walks 

 

Enjoying a winter walk with friends, 1966.   I am wearing my favourite fur hood, made,  fashionable after the film of Dr. 

 

With my daughter, 1975.

 

Husband also adding a splash of colour as we set out on a woodland winter walk near our home.  

Snow in Summer - this  was taken June 1997  as we stood on the Stubai Glacier  near Innsbruck , Austria - our favourite country for our summer holiday. 

But we can enjoy the beauty of snow.  When snow  first falls, it  can  be a wonderful magical experience transforming the landscape. 

 

 

Trees on the main A68 road which links the Scottish Borders with Edinburgh.

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 I spent a wonderful  year 1965-66  working in Cambridge, Massachussets near Boston and this photograph brings back memories of the kind of winter I had not experienced before -  here in a picturesque image through the trees of  Harvard Chapel.

 

12th century ruined Melrowse Abbey, 6 miles from my home.

 

 Trees on the old railway line through Earlston. 
 

The Leader Water at Earlston. 

And two images which  featured quite recently on my blog, but they fit the theme so well, I am repeating them here.

 

 

 

 Playing at snow angels - not my idea of fun! 

 

 
 

 2009 and my granddaughter exploring this new world of snow for the first time.

  

But spring and  summer fun were  not toofar ahead  - and she was soon back enjoying the swings.

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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers  

to share their family history and memories through photographs. 

 

Click HERE to find further snowy tales from Sepia Saturday bloggers.

Sea Stories from Master Mariner Ancestors - Sepia Saturday

"Ships" feature in this week’s Sepia Saturday prompt photograph -  a theme I featured earlier this year HERE.  So this time I am taking a look at the lives of my husband's ancestors who were 19th century mariners,  who sailed out of the River Tyne at South Shields, County Durham  in north eat England.  

Great Great Great Grandfather - Robert Donaldson, Master Mariner  (1801-1878)
Mariner records at the National Archives at Kew  showed that Robert Donaldson was  registered as a mariner on 20th July 1852.

Tyne and Wear Archives provided information on the sea-going  life of Robert Donaldson and the ships he sailed on, listed in "“A Dictionary of Tyne Sailing Ships: a record of merchant sailing ships owned, registered and built at the Port of Tyne 1830-1930”, compiled by Richard Keys. This is a complete A-Z of Ships, master mariners and owners, detailing ships, voyages, disasters and share-ownerships, and much more - a must for anyone with maritime ancestors in this region.

The entries make fascinating reading, with all six ships on which Robert Donaldson sailed, having an eventful history and coming to a sad end  - though not under his charge.  

 

Image - Pixabay

• The Thetis became a wreck after sinking off the Yorkshire coast in 1869.

• The John was stranded in 1861 and became a wreck during a severe easterly gale. Twenty-eight other Tyne ships went ashore in the same area during the same gale.

• The Emerald, in December 1855, when on passage from the Tyne to London, foundered in five fathoms on the Dough Sand (Long Sand) Thames estuary. Three survivors were brought ashore by two Bridlington smacks. Eleven others were unaccounted for, including some of the crew of the rescuing smack who were in a small boat, which disappeared.

• The Hebe was wrecked in Robin Hood’s Bay, along with other vessels on 27 January 1861. The Ann & Elizabeth disappeared after leaving the Tyne in November 1863, with her captain leaving a wife and six children.

• The William Metcalfe was Robert Donaldson's largest ship.  On her maiden voyage, it transported 240 male convicts from Portsmouth to Hobart,TAsmania  on a passage that took 102 days. In January 1855 eight of her crew were sent to goal for three months each by the North Shields magistrates for refusing duty. In October 1858 her master and one man were washed overboard. Nine days later, the ship was abandoned, with the crew taken off.

These incidents were by no means unusual and bring home the hazards our mariner ancestors faced in their daily lives.

Great Great Grandfather John Robert Moffet (1814-1881)   

John Robert Moffet in a Napoleonic pose - the only photograph I have of my husband's mariner ancestors - shared with me by internet contact who was also a descendant of John.  
 

John's family originated from Tynmouuth, north of the river Tyne,  with his father Robert and brother William both mariners. Two puzzles about the family  remain unanswered.   John was born in Chatham, the site of the Royal Navy dockyard on the River Medway on the south  of England.  What had brought his family there?    John's   wife Frances Dunn Thomas, daughter  and widow of a mariner,   had three children, with two  born in the USA.   It would be wonderful to find the background to that, but nigh impossible without any indication of which state.  The family first settled in the London docklands area before returning to South Shields..   

In the 1861 Census,  John  was listed as master of "The Brotherly Love" sailing off Flamborough Head in the North Sea.     The crew of eight included three young apprentices, four seamen, and a mate, with most born in South Shields.

The caption  reads"The Brotherly Love" model. made for her  master Captain  Moffet."    

llustration supplied by a Moffet descendant. 

In South Shields Museum and Art Gallery, there is  a portrait  " The Brig "Brotherly Love" and the Tug "William" painted by  John Scott (1802-1885).

 Other mariner ancestors of my husband included, on his mother's side:

Great Great Grandfather  Matthew White (1821-?).   

The 1861 census listed Matthew  as master mariner on board the brig "Caroline" off South Shields.  Lloyd’s Captains’ Register,  recorded the ships he sailed on, travelling as far as the Adriatic, Mediterranean and Baltic ports.

 

From: the National Archives at  Kew, London 

 

 Great Grandfather  Matthew Iley White. (1849-1901)

On his marriage to young widow Louisa Moffet Pierce in 1884 at South Shields, Matthew was described as a mariner.  However he had a change of occupation and was next found as a member of the Tyne River Police, along with his brother Henry.

 

A  long-held story in my husband's family recollected a photograph (sadly lost) of a White ancestor in a top hat in the uniform of the River Tyne police.   A silver uniform button  (below) is  still held by the family.   

 

 

 

Tyne and Wear Archives provided some answers. The Nominal Roll of the Tyne River Police gave details that  two sons of Matthew Iley White  (senior),   had been  members of the river police force – but both with rather a chequered career.    Henry White  joined 9^th January 1882 and brother Matthew June 1896.  

 

The Police Defaulters Book recorded on 11^th June 1889 their  misconduct in the same incident -  "for assaulting a seaman A. W. Hanson and other irregularities, whilst off duty".   
 

Matthew was fined 2/6 and transferred to the Newcastle Division at his own expense.  However he resigned a few months later. Henry was fined 2/6 and transferred to Walker Division at his own expense.  The Nominal Roll of 1904 noted his age as 42 and that he had 22 years of service, with a wage of 29/6

 

Storms off South Shields
 "The Shields Gazette" on  (FindMyPast Newspaper Archive)  abounds with  headlines and reports on disasters at sea, storms and gales;  the lifeboat responses. and the ensuing work of the Mariners' benevolent societies in helping families in distress.  Below is one typical  of what mariners faced. 

 

 

  

 

 Image - Pixabay 

 

 

Fascinating Fact  - one of the first purpose built lifeboats  was constructed in South Shields in 1789, prompted by a tragedy  when a ship with all its crew was  lost  at sea just off shore.  

 

 

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

 

 

Click HERE to see more posts  from Sepia Saturday bloggers. 

 

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Up in the Air - Sepia Saturday

Aeroplanes feature in this week's prompt photograph from Sepia Saturday.  Take a look att how the early days of flight were regarded in a small  rural village in Earlston in the Scottish Borders. 

 

This 1930s poster   is in the collection of my local heritage group Auld Earlston.  Printed in the nearby town of Galashiels, it appears to be a "shell" poster, with space to fill in the details of date and venue.  

The event promised

"Famous pilots, aerobatics, stunts, looping, rolling, upside down flying,  crazy flying and  walking the wings at 100m.p.h. by Daredevil Draycott - the man who rides the winds" - plus passenger flights from  5 shillings a time.

"The Berwickshire News" of 28th July 1931  gave a fuller account, with the revelation that the local firm of Messrs Wm Rodger & Sons owned the plane. 

"Earlston is very fortunate in being the first town in Berwickshire to witness an aeronautic display.  On Monday evening a large number of Earlstonians were entertained to a succession of thrills by the advent of an aeroplane, the property of Messrs W. Rodger  & Sons which gave several aerial exhibitions at a newly constructed aerodrome at Purveshaugh, Earlston.  The enterprising firm is lucky to have secured the services of an skilled aviator and pilot   in the person of Mr J. Hinklin of Hornchurch and late of the Royal Air Force.  They have also secured the services of a competent ground engineer  viz Mr. J. Hellon  of the Scarborough Aero Club.  The pilot gave a thrilling exhibition of  flying in the presence of a crowd of nearly 400 spectators, many of whom were desirous of "getting up".  Messrs Rodgers gave a couple of free flights which were greatly enjoyed and appreciated.  It is understood that operations are to commence immediately".  

The next week's paper of  4th August 1931 noted that

"A considerable number of spectators...visited the Purveshaugh Aerodrome , near Earlston...when about 100 persons of both sexes, mainly young people, booked flights  and were taken up in   Messers Rodgers aeroplane.  The plane had also been in commission the previous evening when 50 passengers went up. All seemed to enjoy the novel and enthralling sensation".

What was the background to this event?
Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first powered flight on December 17th  1903. 

 

 

 

 

 The aeroplane came of age in World War One.   But, despite there being hundreds of sites used by fixed-wing aircraft across the UK, most British people had never been close to an aircraft and it appears that a quite large proportion of the population still hadn't actually seen one.

 

  

Photograph courtesy of Pixabay 

On 24th July 1924, local newspaper  "The Southern Reporter" thought it noteworthy to write that:  

"Three aeroplanes  passed over the west end of Earlston about 8.30 a.m  but were observed by comparatively few persons."

Following the First World War, experienced fighter pilots were eager to show off their new skills, flying into towns across the country, as well as taking paying passengers for rides. It was men like Alan Cobham who promoted air tours to raise awareness of the importance of aviation. To attract the crowds  he included displays of not just aerobatics, but stunt' flying too. 

 

 Not all sections of society were in agreement with this intensive event schedule.   in Berwick, the Lord's Day Observance Society  objected to Commercial Air Displays and Pageants being held on a Sunday - but the council decided to take no action. on the complaint. (Reported in "The Southern Reporter": 3rd December 1931.)

 
"The Berwickshire News" of August  1932 reflected the interest in this new form of transport with reports:  

"Considerable interest  was evinced....by several Earlstonians of the younger generation, especially when one of Messrs Rodger's aeroplanes landed in a field adjacent to the local football pitch owned by Mr Alexander Brownlie, The machine which had just arrived from Blairgowrie after a successful series of flights, under the pilotage of Mr Wells, made  a convenient landing preparatory to being overhauled  for further service. " 

An optimistic  writer in "The  Berwickshire News" of 9th September 1930 expressed the hope that: 

"We must concern ourselves  with the laying out of aerodromes. I thoroughly believe that it will not be long before every town planning scheme will include provision for aeroplane traffic."  

1939 of course changed the face of air travel, as war became the focus.  

Never again was Earlston  to be at the forefront of the aeroplane age in the Sottish Borders.

 

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Onto more modern times:

 

 My brother Chris in the 1980s had a half  share in a small plane and gained his pilot’s licence.  Chris flew the plane from his home on the English south coast to the small airport at the seaside resort of Blackpool in north west England for a family gathering,  

 

  

Daughter sitting at the controls! 

 

 

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 And if you feel like being more adventurous,  - but definitely not my idea of fun   - a para glider - a photograph taken from our hotel balcony near Innsbruck Austria.

 

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

  

 

 

Click HERE To see more posts from Sepia Saturday bloggers.

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Carriages and Carters - Sepia Saturday

A busy street scene is the focus of this week's prompt photograph from the Sepia Saturday website.  My eye centred on the horse  drawn carriage, so take a look at how our ancestors travelled around in times past. 

  

The date  is 1907 and  Earlston Parish Church Choir is setting   off from the Red Lion Hotel in the village  to drive to Yarrow Manse in Selkirkshire -  according to the Distances website a distance of some 29 miles over what would be a hilly, twisting  route.   

Hopefully it would be a dry day as there was no protection from the elements.     It was surprising they did not take the railway  for part  of the route and and then by waggonette to Yarrow.

 

 They must have got there  safely,  for here they are relaxing, with some hats off, relaxing outside Yarrow Manse.  

 

In more modern times, a horse drawn charabanc in Krakow, Poland.  

My cousin's ancestors, the Oldham family of Blackpool, Lancashire  were carters and coalmen down three generations - Joseph Prince Oldham (1855-1921), his son John William Oldham (1880-1939) and his granddaughter Elsie Smith, nee Oldham (1906-1989).
 
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 at the back with hay loft, tack room. and stabling for around 7 horses.

 

John William Oldham on one of the carriages in the family business of coal men and carters.

 

Here is My third cousin, Gloria a top of this carthorse.   In the 1901 census Joseph Oldham   was described as a self-employed carter and coal merchant with his son John a coal wagon driver. An accident at the coal sidings in the railway station resulted in Joseph being blinded and he died in 1921, with his will, signed with his "mark.  

Below - two advertisements in the stable yard at Beamish Open Air Museum in north east England.  It recreates life in the 19th and 20th century - a favourite place for a day outing.   

 

Anyone tracing their family history may well have  a "carter or carrier " in their ancestry - an essential occupation in transporting goods around.  Such a man was my great great grandfather Robert Rawcliffe of Hambleton,  Lancashire. More carter images are shown here  with  vintage photographs from  the collection of my local heritage group Auld Earlston. 

 

 

 The 1851 census for Earlston (population 1,819)  listed 9 men working as  blacksmiths, 7 carters/carriers, 3 saddlers, 2  stable boys, an ostler, a farrier, a groom and a coachman - plus of course all those who would be working  with horses on the many farms in the rural parish. 

 

 Thinking of a convivial drink? Large Clydesdale Horses here are pulling the dray, advertising Vaux Brewery  Fine Ales -  at the Border Union Agricultural Show in Kelso, Scottish Borders.   

But being a carter was not without its risks.   Local newspapers  reported cases appearing in police courts - the   offence ‘being drunk while in charge of horse" or "careless and reckless driving".  

 Likewise many graphic reports of road accidents appeared  in  local papers.  

One such casuality was my great great grandfather Henry Danson (1806-1881)  of Poulton le Fylde, Lancashire. 

 I had done a lot of research on his life many years previously, using standard resources, to find his family (6 daughters and 3 sons) and his occupations as a farmer and later as a  toll collector at nearby Shard Bridge over the Riuver Wyre.  

But it  is never too late to discover new information on an ancestor,  as more and more records come online.  Such was the case for me.    In  2021 I was doing a casual browsing on the British Newspaper Archive website.  The result was a fascinating  discovery  in newspapers that had only recently been indexed -  an obituary and a coroner’s report  on Henry Danson's  death - and information on Henry that was completely new to me.

 

I found out that he was well known locally as "a famous judge in  horse flesh"  and had died in a tragic accident on  his horse and cart. 

 

Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser: Wednesday 02 Nov. 1881

“FATAL FALL FROM A CART. On Monday evening Mr. Gilbertson held an inquest at Poulton-le-Fylde, on the body of Henry Danson, collector of the Shard Bridge tolls. The deceased, who was 75 years old, was riding in a cart with Mr. John  ? farmer, on the way to Poulton, when the horse took fright and jumped forward. Danson was standing in the cart leaning on his stick at the moment he  was jerked out upon the road. He was attended Mr. Winn, surgeon, but could never walk afterwards, his left thigh being injured, and he had an attack of pleurisy fortnight before his death, which occurred on Thursday night last. The jury returned verdict of Death  from the effects of injuries received, and resulting illness, through fall from a cart."

It is both sad and ironic that Henry,  noted for his skill with horses,  should have died,  whilst driving his horse and cart.  

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

 

 

 

  

 

Click HERE to see more posts from Sepia Saturday bloggers.

 

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