Shake the tree and nuts fall out!

  Week 49 (Dec. 6-12): Homemade Many of the ladies in my family all did knitting and sewing (of various types) and some of the men did crocheting and many things were “ homemade ” including jumpers and cardigans, shopping bags and even hay nets for horses. I am going to focus on my Great aunt Dora Louise Haylock (she has been in a post before so I’m not going to add all of her life story again). Dora was my Grandad’s sister, we spent many school holidays visiting her and her husband Albert. She was old when I remember going to visit her as a child. After Albert died Dora moved into a nursing home so that she had help and people around her, we lived 4hours drive away sadly. One of her hobbies that she continued to do in the nursing home was knitting. She would do all sorts of things – blankets, toys, jumpers etc. In 2002 I found out I was pregnant with my 1 st child. I rang Auntie Dora and told her the good news. She said that she was going to start knitting me cardigans for ...

  Week 48 (Nov. 29-Dec. 5): Strength The “strength ” of a Military wife. Violetta Beatty Gifkins was the wife of my grand-uncle. This lady has been a puzzle over the years as she was known as “aunt beatty” and it was believed to have been her surname and she used it as didn’t like her first name. Even on photos she is listed as “beatty”. However, after going down the wrong line for a very long time and having her as Margaret Beattie married to Fred, it came to light via a professional genealogist that her name was Violetta Betty Gifkins and she was married to Fred’s brother Arthur who went under the name of Fred!!! For the purpose of this story I will refer to her as “beatty”. Beatty was born 29 th January 1915 in Lambeth to Francis Gifkins and his wife Mary Brown. She was the 3 rd child and 3 rd daughter they had out of 6 children. She was named after her fathers mother.  The photo right is of Beatty and her husband Arthur in Nigeria. On the 1939 census she is listed a...

  Week 47 (Nov. 22-28): Thankful   For this theme I can’t really write about one ancestor as I can’t say that any of them have done anything that I am thankful for as such.  So this is going to be a general post. There’s many men who fought in the 1 st and 2 nd world wars and many lost their lives in doing so, of which I am thankful to them as it means I can live without all the wars. Then comes the family members who have given me information, shared certificates and photos and anything else linked to our ancestors. I’m also thankful to all the lovely people on the family history forums who take time out of their research to help with querries, research and helping other people. Many of us would still be stuck if it wasn’t for the help of others. And lastly I think thanks need to go to those who have sat and transcribed documents (this isn’t easy as I’ve done it in the past) and helped get them digitised. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without so much be...

  Week 46 (Nov. 15-21): Birthdays For this theme I decided to do a list of all ancestors who have the same “birthday” as me – 3 rd Jan. This wasn’t as easy as I thought it may be and has taken a long time to go though everyone in my tree! (I have also included anyone whose “birthday” is in jan). There are 579 others whose exact “birthday ” I don’t have and only listed as January (this could also link to the quarter and not actually January). 3 rd January “birthday” ·       Amy-Louise Lackey (me) 3 rd Jan 1982 peterborough ·         Emma Haylock 3 rd jan 1868 australia ·         Frederick George Haylock 3 rd jan 1901 queensland ·         William francis 3 rd jan 1879 west rainton ·         James William leslie liddle 3 rd jan 1899 sunderland ·         Drucilla overall 3 rd jan 1871...

  Week 45 (Nov. 8-14): Stormy Weather I don’t have any sailors in my tree that would have battled “stormy weather ” so that isn’t an option (well I have 1 man in the Nvy but I don’t know much on his wearabouts). I do have a lady with maiden name of “weatherly” which sort of links in, but there’s not much known on her. So this brings me to a man whose name is a cloud – Cyrus/Cyris/Cirrus and according to wiki Cirrus clouds arrive in advance of “storms”. Cyrus Simons was my 2 nd great-grand uncle. He was born January 1858 in Bradford, Yorkshire. He was the 4 th child and 4 th son of William and Elizabeth, and 1 of 7 children in total. Cyrus died in October 1912 in Bradford, Yorkshire. He married Annie Elizabeth Sheldon 4 th April 1885 at Bradford Cathedral. They had 2 children together and Annie had 3 from her previous marriage (however, she is listed as spinster on the marriage cert to Cyrus). There is an additional child born after they were married but has the same name as he...

  Week 44 (Nov. 1-7): Voting This weeks story isn’t linked to an ancestor of mine, BUT I’m pretty certain there is going to be a link I just haven’t found it yet. I really hope that there is a family link. Norah Kathleen Lackey was born 26 th July 1890 in Stoke Dameral, UK to Daniel and Katherine. She was the youngest child of 13. Her father was a military man and the family travelled around. This leads me to think she would have had a decent upbringing and life. It is believed she died in the mid 1960’s but myself and others haven’t found a death record. The photo above shows her in 1929 in Paris, it was a postcard that she had sent to her niece. Norah found herself involved with Suffragette Movement linked to “voting” for women and was arrested many times for causing trouble linked to the protests she joined. There are many newspaper articles linked to her, (and not just UK papers but around the world), and what she did – throwing missles, breaking windows, causing disturbance,...

  Week 43 (Oct. 25-31): Shock This story has a total twist that “shocked” me when I actually made the discovery and put years of uncertainty to rest. My paternal Grandfather was William Lackey(1), he was born in Durham and had a big link to the church. He moved from Durham to the Cambridgeshire/Lincolnshire areas where he married Hilda Wood and had my Dad. I had come across records for a William Lackey(2) linked to a church in part of Cambridgeshire but the birth date and area didn’t match up nor did his wife. So, it was left to one side. My Dad even suggested that his father William (1) had had an affair or a even a second wife (illegal in the UK) and was continuing with his church life away from the home. Over the years I have tried to prove my Dads theory and not had much luck. That was until the summer of 2021, when I came across a new record that linked William Lackey(2) to Nova Scotia, Canada. I started to investigate this more and with some help on forums managed to t...

  Week 42 (Oct. 18-24): Sports For this weeks theme of “sports ” I am going to use the husband of my 1 st cousin 1x removed. To some people he is a well-known “ sports ” person, but to others maybe not so much. Patrick Partridge was a football referee and was the “referee who gave football’s first professional foul, and was one of the first high-profile officials of the games TV age”. Patrick was born 30 th June 1933 in Billingham, Stockton-on-tees. He was the son of Patrick and Catherine. In 1953 he started his career as a referee aged only 20years, for Durham FC. During his time of National Service he signed up as an Army Referee. His “ sports ” career spanned many years and he received an award for 50years membership of the Referees' Association. He married his wife Margaret in 1961 and by 1973 they were living on Margaret’s fathers farm and were running it. As well as running the farm and being a football referee, Patrick also took part in other “ sports ” namely golf...

  Week 41 (Oct. 11-17): Changes This is going to be a general post and not about 1 person. Each and every one of us has been through some “changes” in our life. Our ancestors would have been no exception to this, and in some ways may have dealt with more “changes” than us alive today. The image left is taken off the internet and lists what “change” means. It covers many different things and can be used in many different ways. Linked to my family and ancestors one of the biggest “changes” has been linked to religion. By this I don’t mean that they have “changed” religion (although some did) but in terms of religious beliefs. My 2x Great Grandparents (Robert Lackey and Mary Jane Jackson) were Irish and moved to England in 1870. They were very religious people. All of the family were married in a church, went to church regularly, the men were servers and church bearers, they all helped with church events like garden fates (ladies included), the children were linked to Sunday sc...

  Week 40 (Oct. 4-10): Preservation I have no known records of any ancestors that could be linked to “preservation”. No-one that I know of “preserved ” food or anything like that (oh how I wish to have a link to the Amish people! There would be so much to write on them.) Therefore, the best that I can come up with is once again linked to myself. I am the only person now living who has any interest in the family history and those who went before us. Therefore, my ramblings on my blog and all documents and photos that I have are my way of “ preserving ” my family history for anyone in the future to come across and hopefully continue working on. I have tried numerous times to get any of my boys interested but had no luck. The youngest has shown abit more interest than the older 2 but not much. I have boxes of items from more recent people/ancestors that I am “preserving” and keeping safe. I have army record books, medals, photos, certificates (some originals), newspaper cuttings...

  Week 39 (Sept. 27-Oct. 3): Steps I thought this theme of “steps ” would be quite easy as I was sure I had an ancestor with it as their surname, however, when I went into my tree no-ne came up. I did have many males with the name of “Stephen” (so step) but not what I wanted to do. Many of my ancestors were married more than once and had children from all marriages, so there were lots of “step” siblings/children. The new partners took them on as their own. The “step” children have at times caused many problems for me. This is because the new parent is listed on records as parent, their names have changed (probably not legally) to the new parents name and all sorts. So I have had to work through records and make sure that they all have the correct parents listed.

  Week 38 (Sept. 20-26): Fun and Games I don’t have much in the way of family history or photographs linked to “fun and games” that my ancestors took part in, so this has taken some work. My grand uncle James Gardiner Lackey was born 4 th April 1910 in Houghton-le-spring, Durham. He was the 4 th child but 3 rd son of Gardiner and Margaret.  He died 1 st August 1986 in Woking Surrey. During his life he took part in many different activities and jobs. It is believed he was linked to the coal mines at a young age (but no documents to confirm this).  He went on to become a local government clerk and civil servant. He was also involved with church for most of his life - St Mary's West Rainton for most of his younger life and he was also the Parochial secretary for many years. He moved from Durham to Middlesex/Surrey where he met and married Eva Morley in 1949 and they had 2 children. Prior to him moving his hobbies and “fun and games” including dancing and playing ...

  Week 37 (Sept. 13-19): On the Farm This weeks topic of “ on the farm ” had so many possibilities as many of my ancestors were farmers, agricultural labourers etc. But I have decided to go with the husband of my Grand aunt (and also their children). Frank Carr Heddle was born 15 th July 1908 in Houghton-le-spring, Durahm. He was the 7 th of 8 children born to Thomas and Isabella. In 1935 he married my Grand aunt Olive Lackey in Houghton-le-spring. On the 1939 census he is listed as horseman “ on the farm ” worker. The image to left shows Frank (at the back) and his son-in-law Patrick Partridge calfing “ on the farm ”. I believe he was a farmer all of his life, I know my Dad (Peter Lackey) visited the family farm on many occasions as a child and I have photos of him and Frank’s children (Margaret and Stuart) on the hay cart. The images below are from a google search and are linked to the farm and the family being dairy farmers. After Frank died in 1962, his son Stuart took over...

  Week 36 (Sept. 6-12): Working My Great Grandfather Arthur Wood was a hard-“ working ” man, information linked to this I have included in this story. Arthur was born 14 September 1885 in Bradford, he was the first born child of his parents Charles and Sarah.  The earliest record link to him being hard “ working ” was the 1901 census. On it he is listed as engine & machine worker apprentice (age 15years). His father Charles is a mill mechanic, so I wonder if he was at the mill as well. When Arthur married Mary in 1907 his marriage cert only says Engineer and his father is again listed as mechanic. Move forward 3years to 1910 when his daughter was born he is listed as engineer turner (taken from daughters birth cert). A year later on the 1911 census there is a total change of job and hes listed as coalman stawker (see image below left). In 1914 Arthur has again had a change in career and is listed as a mechanic turner on his sons birth cert. I don’t have his other 2 sons ...

  Week 35 (Aug. 30-Sept. 5): School For the theme of “ school” I am using my Dad Peter William Lackey, even though he has been used previously. The reason for this I will explain. In my possession I have this photo (left) of my Dad in “ school” uniform. This has become a big problem. He attended 3 “ schools” (that we know of) during his life and had an apprenticeship in late teens. The photo says on the back P.W.Lackey “ school” , no year or anything. I have made contact with groups linked to the 3 “ schools” he attended – Dogsthorpe Infant and junior “ school” , Lincoln Road Boys “ school” and Deeping St James “ school” , all 3 have said that the photo is not of their uniforms. I would guess that my Dad is about 12 in the photo so would have been at boys “ school” and would have been about 1952/53. Sadly, I have no idea of where to look or how to locate where this uniform belongs to. I’m pretty sure he is too young to already be at his apprenticeship and as it was linke...

  Week 33 (Aug. 16-22): Tragedy - Haylock Sisters The biggest “ tragedy ” I have come across linked to my family/ancestors was 3 sisters who were killed as civilians in the WW2 bombing at the place they had been sent to for safety, shelter and refuge. Their mother died 2 weeks after the bombing that she had survived but sustained injuries at. The 3 sisters were my 3 rd cousins twice removed but of my direct maternal linage. Florence Emily, Dora Ellen and Marjorie Haylock are the young girls of this “ tragedy ”. Florence was born 14 th August 1922 in Bermondsey, Uk, she was the eldest daughter of Alfred George Haylock and Florence Elizabeth Ogier.  Dora was born 6 th February 1928 in Bermondsey, UK and the middle daughter and Marjorie was born January 1930 in Bermondsey, UK and was the youngest child. The quote left is quite shocking in itself but doesn’t even cover the “ tragedy ” that was to follow as the war progressed. The first day of the Blitz in Bermondsey was S...

Week 32 (Aug. 9-15): In the City  - James TOWNSEND I couldn’t think of anyone linked to the word “ city ”, especially as so many ancestors lived out in rural farm areas. Another word for “ city ” is town, and I have a gentleman James Townsend in my tree, so I am going to use him. James Townsend is the husband of my 1 st cousin 4x removed, so not a close ancestor but not exactly distant either. James was born in July 1852 in Sawston, Cambridgeshire. His parents were Joseph Townsend and Mary Andrews, Joseph was from Sawston and Mary not far away in Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire. I haven’t looked into his family, so I don’t know about siblings etc. James married my 1 st cousin 4x removed Emily Haylock, on the 17 th May 1873 in Linton, Cambridgeshire. They had 8 children between their marriage and the 1911 census, of which 1 died as a child. James and Emily's children were as follows: Alice born 1874, Elizabeth born 1876, George born 1881, Lilly born 1884, Ellen born 1887, Emily born...

  Week 31 (Aug. 2-8): Favorite Name – clara Many people have a “ favourite name ” for many reasons – it’s linked to someone close to them, it’s their own name, has a religious link to them or something else. I for one have a “ favourite name ” but I can’t tell you why I like it, I just do. My “ favourite name ” is Clara. It sounds lovely, not too posh or common, is easy to say and spell and is also slightly unusual. It was a popular name in the late 1880-1890s and seemed to make a comeback in the 1990s but since then has gone down again in popularity, in 2020 it was at 103 in the top names list. I don’t actually know anyone called Clara. I have loved this name for many years, but strangely it was only a passing suggestion as a name if I had had girls, I’m not sure why it wasn’t on my definite list, however, if I was to have another baby and it was a girl I am 99% certain it would now be on the list. Clara isn’t a common name, and neither are my 3 sons so would fit in well. I have 3...

  Week 30 (July 26-Aug. 1): Health Margaret Rose Thompson Nurse “ Health” could cover many things – those that have bad “Health ” (there’s loads of them including myself), it could be linked to those who ended up in asylums (again there’s loads but I can’t think of who offhand), those who died from “ Health” problems or those who worked in a “ health ” care profession (I was a volunteer with St John Ambulance as were my children, but not using that option.) I have decided to use my Aunt Margaret Rose Thompson, she was born 9 Nov 1944 in Ely Cambridgshire and was the daughter of Amy Rose Bland and Arthur Thompson and sister to Victor, Fred, Doreen and Joyce. Margaret was only 8years old when her mother died of cancer and she was only 14 when her father died. She was then brought up by her sister Doreen. The photo left was taken in Ely in 1948 and shows Margaret (child), sat between her parents, the lady on left is her sister Doreen, the man standing is her brother Fred and the...

  Week 29 (July 19-25): Fashion “ Fashion ” is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. In its everyday use, the term implies a look defined by the “ fashion ” industry as that which is trending. There has been many “ fashions ” over the years and looking at some of the clothes my ancestors wore I’m glad I wasn’t around in that time, yet others i have had the "wow" i would love o have worn that. I don’t have anyone that has been linked to “ fashion ” in the sense of designing it or making it (that I know of). But I do have lots of photos of ancestors in different “ fashions ” over the years. There was no way I could pick just a couple of these “ fashion s” so I have made a collage of some of them (I could have added loads more), ladies, mens and weddings. It shows how things have changed over the years. Ladies: Weddings: Mens (not...

  Week 28 (July 12-18): Transportation – Guymers/Haylocks to Australia I have a few family photos of family with cars etc but most I have already added a story on, the main being Cecil Lackey, he liked his cars and was in a local paper following a road accident. But, I also have many ancestors that travelled abroad by ship. So for “ transportation ” I am going to use the Guymer family who were “transported” by 2 ships from the UK to Australia. Elijah Guymer Haylock was the first of the family to be “ transported ” to Australia. Elijah was the 4 th child and second son of John Haylock and Mary Gascoyne Guymer. He was born 10 JUNE 1832 in Great Thurlow, Suffolk, England. Elijah left the UK from Plymouth on 9 th February 1851 (see ships list below) on board the Catherine, and arrived in Adelaide Australia 26 th May 1851. Due to his travel, he is not on a UK census in 1851. Elijah was married to Harriet Gayland on 22 Aug 1853 at Trinity Church Adelaide Ade, South Australia. Th...

  Week 27 (July 5-11): Free – Freeman family I did think about using the “free” genealogy websites and tools available, but there are so many and I would feel bad on missing some out, I then thought of any family members that were “Freemasons” , but I couldn’t think of any that were, I know there are some but my mind went blank. So I typed “Free” into the search bar on my tree and there are a few “ Freeman ” members, it appears that they are from 2 different families and not linked (this has not been fully checked so could be a link further back). So, I plan to do a little bit on each of them. First up is Albert Granger “ Freeman ”, he was the husband of niece of spouse of 2nd great-grandaunt to me. Albert was born 1 st September 1886 in Leeds, Yorkshire. He married Elsie Clingo on 15 th April 1911 at Prospect Chapel, Domestic Street, Holbeck, he is listed as a Commercial Clerk. They were married after the 1911 census and he is with his family on that. In 1939 him and Elsie ...