Saturday, 5 September 2020
From Merrivale October 2000
Merrivale
8/10/2000
Dear
Melissa, Jolene @ Stacey,
Thank you
for your letters@ phone call. My heart is very sore because you live so far
away @ I so seldom see or hear from you.
We are
looking after a friend’s house in Scottburgh. We arrived on Friday afternoon,
spent the day in Durbs shopping @ visiting family @ friends. Uncle Neal, aunty
Vanessa 2 boys plus girl friend @ boy friend spent the weekend here.
Unfortunately the weather was miserable, but yesterday we were able to walk to
the beach then had along walk along the beach then home again @ we had a barbeque
last night. There is a balcony @ we can see the bathing area from there.
Tomorrow
old Rhodesian friends are coming for the week @ the Besters next weekend.
The whole
family went to Tam-lyn’s wedding which was held at the Natal Spa which is hot
springs. Tam-lyn looked lovely @ was so happy @ sincere when she took her vows.
There were 5 attendants dressed in bottle green2 they also looked lovely @ the
hall was beautifully decorated @ the food excellent. The kids clubbed together
@ paid for us to spend the night in the hotel @ they were very clever as they
gave us Aaron @ Leah to keep for the night. Everyone went for a midnight swim
then all camped @ in the morning we all had a champagne breakfast, so a good
time was had by all. Leah looked too cute @ was admired by all she looks like
Sherry @ I had made her a very pretty pink frock, then I bought her pink bobby
socks @ a pair of white leather shoes. Sherry unfortunately fell 2 broke her
ankle on Monday so she has been staying next door with her parents so as soon
as Aaron wakes up he puts on his satchel @ he comes over to our house 2 spends
the day with us.
Well must
end now @ counting the days to November 28th.
Miss you
all. Love you all toooo much
Papa @ Nana
From Merrivale August 2000
Merrivale
4-8-2000
Dear Alan,
Lorna, Girls @ Bradley
Congratulations
from the whole family on the safe arrival of Bradley Solomon, sorry it has
taken me so long to write, but I did write then tore the letter up, as I felt
it was full of moans.
Thanks for
the photos Bradley looks too cute @ we are all trying to meet him. We hardly
recognised the girls, I think it is the first time we’ve seen Melissa @ Jolene
with long hair. Debbie still can’t believe that the one is Jolene.
We had a
lovely holiday with the Hayes, the first eek the weather was good @ I managed
to get in 3 swims @ 2 long walks on the beach, the next week it was very cold @
we never even went once to the beach, but I got a lot of knitting done @
managed to get in quite a few games of scrabble.
I’ve not
been too well as my heart plays up @ keeps on fibulating 2 I get into a panic @
rush into the Doctor. Greys Hospital is now just a referral hospital, so if we
take ill we have to either go to the Indian Hospital at Greytown or the African
Hospital at Edendale not much of a choice. Neal has tried to get us on his
medical aid, but its R900 a month each so that’s out, so we struggle along, I
said to the Doctor I have to make @ sell a lot of pickles @ jams to be able to
pay him a visit.
Petrol goes
up every month @ is now about R3.50 a liter so our travelling has been
curtailed.
You
remember Sharon, uncle Richard @ Aunty Bonnies daughter well her 13 year old
son, Gareth died 15 months ago from leukemia @ last week her 13 year old
daughter Jemma-lee fell of the back of a bakkie @ was killed. We went to the
funeral on Wednesday it was awful with Sharon keeping on breaking down. I feel
so sorry for that family as they have so much bad luck @ Sharon has really had
a hard time.
Leah wins
baby queen of the year @ baby of the month so Juan @ Sherry are very chuffed.
They are so good to us. Leah was a year old on the 2nd @ we all went
to an animal farm @ a BMX track for her party of course the next doors didn’t
pitch, I am wondering if they will go to Tam-lyn’s wedding. I hope they stay
away especially Clinton as he is the trouble maker. After Leah’s party we went
to Neal’s braai.
Daddy has
been doing a lot of work for Neal. Never hear from Jenny but believe they are
going to live in England from the end of the year. I just said to Dad I can’t
believe the way she has treated us after all we have done for her 2 kids. We
are battling along as prices go up @ up @ our pension stays the same, but Dad @
I are just happy to have each other. He had another seizure while we were on
holiday but he is very touchy on the subject so we don’t mention it. Hope you
are able to come out at Xmas as we are both getting older.
Tons of
love, Dad, Mum @ family
From Melbourne June 2000
Melbourne
22 June ‘00
Dear Lorna
and Alan,
I am extremely happy and
thrilled for you both.
Bradley is a great name. (it
makes for BC initials!)
What is his middle name?
Hope you are well.
Beverley
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
From St Francis Bay January 2000
St Francis Bay
Jan 2000
Dear Alan,
Lorna @ Girls,
Very many
thanks for the money which you sent for Xmas. It paid for our trip down here
1,006 kms + 12 hours of solid driving we were famished by the time we arrived
to a very warm welcome.
I think
that this spot is one of the most beautiful spots that I have been to @
relatively safe. Daryl Montague was murdered on 2nd January @ since
we have arrived here another friend’s son has also been murdered. I think Kevin
@ family are staying permanently in Australia @ Gary has gone to England for 3
years, been sent there by Sasol, but despite the two murders things are really
quite safe as long as one is not foolhardy @ takes care. We are having a hard
time medically as Greys is now a referral hospital, so if we take ill we must
go to Northdale so I am trying to put money aside each month so that we can go
to a private Dr if we really need to.
The Besters
are all well @ Debbie said she spoke to you yesterday. The next doors still not
talking to me but talk to Daddy. Daddy was most upset with Jenny as Tara phoned
to talk to us (she @ Tam-lyn always do) so Dad said is your mother there @ then
asked to talk to her then I spoke to her next thing she comes down to visit
Debbie @ doesn’t even bother to come @ see us, so Dad is furious. I mean he
will be 80 years old next year @ I hope she doesn’t leave it too late to come @
see him.
Neal is
still a darling slipped me R100 as we were leaving. Vanessa like Ronald
suffering from foot in the mouth disease, she was so rude to Sherry @ Juan who
had gone to the trouble of getting cheap meat for Alyson, Then Alyson not
bothering to pay @ these kids without money, but when Sherry phoned today she
said Vanessa had phoned her @ apologised. Sherry, Juan @ kids well @ give us so
much pleasure. Daddy adores Leah @ everytime Aaron sees me its “water Nana” as
I always take him swimming. Ronald Lumgair is always very good to us @ tonight
said again we could live permanently with him, but hey are too unreliable
although he is doing very well in his business. Taryn is enjoying her year of
her life for Christ @ Donavan doing waiting at a restaurant @ earning good
money. Run out of space @ time now 10pm.
Lots of
love from Mum, Dad, Sheila, Ron @ family
Friday, 10 May 2019
From Merrivale 21 August 1999
From Merrivale
21 August 1999
Dear Alan, Lorna and Girls,
I have just been given this typewriter by a very kind friend
so from now on it should be easier to read my tying than my writing.
This will just be a short note as I told you most of the
news on the phone the other day, but I want to send some photos of Aaron for
you to see what a beautiful child he is and he is so good and Sherry and Juan
are so good with him, although Sherry is inclined to be like Lesley an alarmist
as at the moment Aaron does have eczema and it is quite bad, so they took him
to a dermatologist, but she wasn’t too good and everything she has given him
has made him worse so I have suggested we take him to a homeopath and get their
opinion.
Leah is such a pretty little thing and started off being
very colicky but I went to the chemist and got something now she is sleeping
through after her late night feed. Sherry is so proud of her and dresses her
beautifully. she is married to such a nice chap doesn’t touch a drink and so
good to her and the children and they have a lovely home 4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms
a study, separate dining room and large lounge and verandah set in about 2
acres of grounds and the firm provides a gardener a nice old man who just loves
Aaron and is so good with him.
We hardly see Debbie and family as the kids all go in
different directions. Nicky is my favourite and he comes and stays as often as
he can and we really spoil him when he comes he loves to play games so Dad and
I play games with him everynight he loves Uno and Rummikub also snakes and
ladders and any other games. The garden also keeps them very busy.
We spent last weekend out with Neal and family and really
enjoyed ourselves the weather was very good, we have really had hardly any
winter so I am afraid what is to come, also we have had no rain what so ever
and the Church is fasting and holding prayers for rain our dam is nearly empty
so hope the fish survive.
Sheila and Ron went up for Terrence’s wedding, but we only
saw them for a few minutes when they popped out to see Sherry and the new baby,
so Daddy blasted poor old Sheila, but its Ronald all he is interested in is his
friends and family, I don’t know what they are going to do as yet as Ronald
hasn’t heard any more about his job in Durban but he is very busy in St Francis
and has now insisted that Sheila get a job as he gets so jealous that she is
not working, but doesn’t realise how hard she works doing upholstering, sewing
etc anyway it’s up to Sheila.
I hardly see the next doors they occasionally pop in but I
don’t go out of my way to see them but I am always polite when they come over.
Jenny and family we never hear from Tara phones all the time
and Tam-lyn also phones and writes all the time. Tam-lyn has her head screwed
on and has bought herself a marionette for R60, 000 10 minutes from her work
they have renovated it and she has moved in and is very happy and doing very
well in her job. We are going to Durban this week and also again next week.
This week we are going down to Randell’s 50th wedding anniversary,
we have just been down to Pinetown to the Pages one, then next week we have to
pick up friends at the airport who have been to their caravan on Loch Lomond
for the last 4 months they go every year for 4 months and want us to go over
next year and spend some time with them.
We are both fine and keep very busy and entertain a lot,
hope to go to Southbroom soon with the Hayes really enjoyed our sojourn in the
Kruger my favourite place.
Well must sign off now as it’s passed my bed time.
Tons of love from us all,
Dad & Mum
From Merrivale 26 June 1999
From Merrivale
26 June 1999
Dear Alan, Lorna & girls,
I am sitting in the kitchen waiting for Debbie (who had just
arrived) & Jenny & family still to come. Jenny never came managed to
get a lift here from Bergville for Regan & Ronald will take him to school
tomorrow. Lionel, Jonathon, Clinton, Wesley & Garrett went camping to
Shush-L hot springs near Grey Town – Debbie was not impressed so we slept there
last night & spent the day here today.
We are always so busy spent 3 hours at the hospital on Friday
trying to find out what’s wrong with Dad now have to see the urologist on 7th
July & then will only know what’s what. Dad has made an A frame house which
we are entering in a competition – I have finished it with wall paper &
carpets – Dad has made a lovely dining room suite & 6 chairs & Byron
has made a stove & fridge & TV. Afterwards the doll’s house goes to a
children's home – I must get Debbie to video tape it, as I sold my camera to
Jenny.
We have had some very very cold weather & I was just
about to pack my bags & go to Durban for the winter, but it warmed up the
last 3 days.
We did go to Durban to Jenna’s grandparent’s day on Wednesday
& it’s so lovely & warm there.
We went with Sheila to Jenny’s last week and nearly froze to
death. We had to push the car into the sun to let it thaw out before we could
come home.
Neal’s boys were supposed to spend the weekend here but went
off with Lionel instead.
Matthew is a real dashing & learning to talk he knows my
voice when I go there says “Nana!”
Well the boys are home, bathed and ready for bed we have to
take them to school tomorrow. Donavon is much better coming right at last hope
it’s permanent. Must close.
Tons of
love from XXXXXXX
Mum,
Dad & family XXXXXXX
From Merrivale February 1999
From Merrivale
February 1999
We arrived safely in St Francis Bay on the 2nd
February & had a lovely trip down we stayed overnight at Hogsback, but were
very disappointed as they had recently had a tornado through the town &
there were huge trees down everywhere & most of the tourist attractions
were closed & the roads atrocious so instead of spending 2 nights there we
packed up after breakfast & arrived at Sheila’s at lunch time.
Sheila is now in her own home, so she is keeping Daddy busy
getting her house the way she wants it & making things for her. I am having
a marvelous rest I spend my whole morning either swimming in the canals or
paddle skiing or fishing in the Kromme river, in the afternoon I sleep then
read, then go down to the canals (which are salt & tidal) & either swim
or fish. I caught a small grunter yesterday. The other day I was standing on
the edge of the canal digging for bait & I must have disturbed a sole ,
which came up & slithered over y feet, well I screamed so loudly 7 kicked
the sole in the air & Daddy just stood & laughed & laughed. this
morning Gerald Phillips (he went to Fynnlands school with his brother Bruce
& he was sweet on Sheila ) is coming to take me to get bait in the Kromme
river – he is a skipper on the chokka boats , so always brings calamari, fish
& crabs for us while we are here.
Sheila is busy sewing, has lots of orders & is now doing
upholstery. She is going to go to Port Elizabeth once a week to go to a course,
but she’s doing very well without it. Ronald is doing very well employed by
Bruce & based in Humansdorp about 20kms from here, he repairs the chokka
boats, sometimes he has to go out to sea to them in a rubber dingy & repair
them, he has been in for 5 days now doing a big repair job. Taryn has a job in
a nursery school & loving it she has about 12 under 4 year old children
& she is so good with them & doing educational things with them I’m
really proud of the work she’s ding & hope she will take a course so she can have something behind her.
Donovan is doing as little as possible, but I have never had
a problem with Donovan, we get on very well, but the least I say about Jenna
the better, I can see us going home early because of her behaviour & cheek,
which I can’t stand. I hear from the rest of the family & all seem to be
weelll. Tam-lyn writes all the time, but I have not heard from Jenny. Tam-lyn
always sends love to all of you & wants to know your news. I’m just off to
swim. We just have walk through the house in front of us & we are on the
canal.
Love to everyone,
Tons of love, Dad, Mum & family
Thursday, 9 May 2019
From Merrivale Christmas 1998
From Merrivale
Christmas 1998
To dear Alan, Lorna & girls,
Always so busy I don’t have time to write things as usual
here, Ronald hardly talks to me & no word from the Collighans. See Debbie
or her family daily they are such a joy to us. See Neal quite often & their
boys always drop in just to say Hi! & we really appreciate it. Regan comes
regularly next door & never ever comes over to say hello, so we are really
fed up with him as we did so much for him when he was in boarding school in
P.M.Burg. He is just a boy about no ambition what so ever and Clinton the same.
We see Sherry, Juan & Aaron often, they are always so
grateful for whatever Dad & I do for them. Aaron is so big well over 10
kays & always smiling & laughing. I think Sherry is expecting again
they have a lovely 4 bedroom home on a large farm, so we go & stay with
them quite often. We hope to go down to Sheila once the school holidays are over,
they’re battling but happy as, should I say Sheila is happy , but Ronald would
like to come back The whole Lumgiar family plus friends are going to stay with
Sheila over Xmas & new Year +- 30. Sheila has a lot of upholstery orders
plus ordinary sewing. She took a bra & panty course & makes beautiful
bras & pants to size. I very seldom get a chance to sew as I am always busy
in the house & garden.
Hope you all have a wonderful Xmas – we will be spending
ours at Sherry’s.
Tons of love, Dad, Mum & family
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
From Merrivale 19 October 1998
From Merrivale
19 October
1998
Dear Alan, Lorna and girls,
I should really have Debbie’s kids here this morning being
Saturday, but it is so miserable they haven’t come over, also I have seen them
nearly every day this week as Debbie has had to go out quite a lot and I have
had to babysit - on Thursday night Lionel
was working late and Debbie went out on a girls only night so we went over and
stayed with the kids until Lionel came home – Debbie cam home after midnight,
but didn’t enjoy herself at all so that is the last girls night she goes on.
It has been freezing cold here for the last three days the
coldest days for October in living memory we have had 45 mm rain for which I am
eternally grateful and the mountains are covered in snow and the old road
between Mooiriver and Estcourt had to be closed because of the snow. They say
it will start clearing from tomorrow.
I was carrying some sticks to put on the fire when one fell
to the ground and wedged into a rock and stuck into my leg so dad had to take
me to Greys Hospital and they said I was very lucky as it just missed severing
a tendon and missed the bone, but I had to have stitches on the inside of my
leg as well a son the outside so it was very sore for a couple of days but is
now well on the mend I have to go back
on Wednesday to have the stiches taken out and I am on very strong anti-biotics
again.
I have just made up my mind when you get your degree I am
coming over to see you capped and gowned even if Dad won’t come, but I am sure
that he will come we too, so I am going to start now to save for the great occasion.
petrol price went up at midnight last night now it costs
R1.58c a liter a hike of more than 32
cents a liter everyone is up in arms about it as now all the cost of living
will go up too so now that means we won’t be able to go around so much, Neal
has said that he will come and fetch us when we want to go down to him and then
bring us back – he was saying that he got a very good assessment and in the new
year should be made a grade 10 then will get a company car for free and also a
certain amount of petrol free so that will be
a big help to them. Neal came up on Thursday for the day but he worked
here on a machine for Lionel then Lionel gave him a oak side table for his
trouble so Neal was thrilled as he hadn’t expected to get anything only wanted
to help Lionel.
Dad has really been busy working on the house when I get the
whip out – he is really very funny as every chance he gets he ducks next door
to talk to Eric Jones and everytime I see him then I get so mad as he has so
much here to do, but he seems unable to work on his own these days and needs
someone to be with him to give him support so that is why Neal comes up so
often to help out he really is such a super chap and loved by one and all. I am
trying to get the swimming pool sorted out as once the cool weather is over I
want to get the pool filled – we have changed the gate near the pump and I want
Elliott to cement the bottom portion next week and I also want the garden
planted this week as I think we should go
off to Jenny for 10 days what we will have to do now is to go to Jenny once in
2 months instead of every month and then we will stay for 10 days instead of
only 5 we usually go on a Thursday when she is teaching in Winterton then I can
look after the kids in the afternoon and have a meal cooked for her by the time
she comes in at pm then we leave on a Wednesday morning before her bridge
ladies arrive. Jenny has been busy writing exams this week and was quite happy
about the one she wrote on Wednesday, but not so happy about a prac one she did
last week so we shall have to see if she passes all this year then she only has
2 more years to do she really wants to pass as he is really feeling the
pressure.
Sheila and Ronald came up last weekend to fetch their kids
but it was also a miserable day Lionel cooked us all a lovely curry. Jenna
didn’t want to go home as she and Fay get on so well together and wear one
another’s clothes all the time and change all day long I felt sorry for Debbie
with all the washing.
Les is always good to me when I am ill and comes over all
the time to check up on me Dad never seems to think when I am indisposed as
when I came home from hospital on Tuesday I said to him would he like something
to eat after all I had been through I still cooked supper for him and I was no
sooner done than Ronald phoned to say he had cooked for us, but by then it was
too late.
I am hoping to get stuck into the sewing machine this
morning this morning – I must first write to Uncle Coniie and tell him that we
had been to see Aunty Violet and that she seem to be fit and well again.
Tons of love to you all from
Dad, Mum & family
From Merrivale 13 August 1998
From Merrivale
13 August
1998
Dear Alan, Lorna and girls,
It is freesing cold here and has been for the past few days
after having days of 28 so you must know how we are feeling the cold and I
can’t wait to go down to Durban tomorrow as poor old Aunty Betty died at the
age of 85 years on Friday and is being cremated on Wednesday at 11am so we will
go down tomorrow and come back on Thursday.
I didn’t want to move from here because we are doing so much
work around the house at the moment or should I sat that Elliott and I are
doing all the work Dad is really getting old and seem too sacred to tackle any
big jobs on is own so I go ahead with Elliott and get things done at the moment
he has just taken down the pine ceilings in Lesley’s lounge as Lesley didn’t
want them anymore and they have bought them over here and they are now in my
lounge waiting for Dad to put them up in either the lounge or the dining room I
have just said to him I hope they won’t be in my lounge for the next hundred
years.
He and Neal put in his ceiling in the new lounge in a couple
of days it’s not hard work and with Elliott to help it shouldn’t take long to
do I hope. I have done our bedroom out so nicely and now want to go and get new
curtains as I made some money selling old ones and have also done the bathroom
and now Daddy must put the old tiles back on what a job we had soaked all the
tiles in the bath and then sat with the scrapper and got off all the old tile
adhesive so that we could use the tiles again- you should see what my hands
looked like I haven’t been able to knit for a week.
I took Debbie’s and Lesley’s kids to the dam on Saturday –
we didn’t stay long as the bad weather started to come in about lunch time but
we did enjoy ourselves and Jonathon was so excited as there was a big carp
swimming around but it just wouldn’t take our bait. Nicky is quite used to us
now but still wants Debbie to feed him all the time and he will be as good as
gold with me until he sees Debbie then
he will throw a tantrum to get to her.
Lesley’s mum goes into hospital and Hazel Lumgair is still
having chemotherapy. Ronald has got a new job in P.M.Burg at Nylon spinners and
will start next Tuesday I am so happy for him as I didn’t like him going down
to Durban every week to that other job also it is not nice for Lesley to be on
her own so much. The Collighans are all well I phoned this morning and Jimmy
popped in for a few minutes last week he was don on his own getting furniture
from Lionel to sell up there.
I haven’t heard from Sheila for a few days but presume they
are all fine – Neal has nearly finished the lounge then he can come up and get
the dining room suits he will borrow Stephen Holt’s bakkie.
Daddy took Debbie to town today I cry off as Debbie is such
a ditherer so she and Dad make affine pair and I stayed and worked in the garden
all morning getting ready to get all my seeds in for spring I won’t put
anything in yet because if I do as soon as it come up we will get a back frost
and that will good-bye to all my seedlings.
I have been doing some mending but otherwise not even much
sewing been too busy sorting the house out – Debbie and kids were supposed to
come for supper now Debs has just phoned to say that she hasn’t a car as Lionel
is busy spray painting her ford as Debbie didn’t like the color I told her she
was too fussy as it was a shitty brown and really not bad at all.
Hobart sounds lovely remember I told you about the horticulturist
from Tasmania who has been staying with my friend on a rotary exchange well
after leaving South Africa he went to Germany on a ski-diving trip and had an accident
and is now a paraplegic. My friend was most upset as she said he was such a lovely
person and so interesting and that she learnt so much about Tasmania from him.
Jolene was telling me that you have oranges and lemons growing in your new
house I can hardly believe it as they certainly don’t like the cold.
Well I am going to sign off now as there is a cold breeze
blowing down from the roof between the lounge and the dining room where I am
sitting typing and has just about frozen my head and hands off of me.
Tons of love to each of you from
XXXX Dad, Mum &
family XXXXXX
From Merrivale 27 July 1998
From Merrivale
27 July
1998
Dear Alan, Lorna & girls,
Nine days & Melissa is off to Atlanta the whole family
in South Africa wish you all the luck in the world & best wishes. We have
sent a card, but I don’t think it will get there in time. I asked Lionel to fax
it, but it was too think & he didn’t have the sense to photostat it then
fax it never mind.
It is still bitterly cold & the snow has now been on the
mountains for 3 weeks even behind Neals have still got snow on them, so I am
heading for Durban this afternoon for 4 weeks. Sheila hasn’t a maid so I am
going to be the paid maid for 4 weeks. Daddy is working at Neals & will
stay there during the week & come to Durban weekends. I have just spent the
week with Neal & family & the wind blew gales the whole time so I
hardly went out of the house.
Neal turns 40 on Monday & Vanessa is giving him a party
at Sheila’s next Saturday night. it is a surprise & we will have a sheep on the spit.
Stephen Holt is coming from Cape Town & Jonathon will be there too. Sheila
& I are going shopping tomorrow & Dad, Ronald & the girls will go
to the Air Show.
We have had severe frosts & temperature of -8 C. but
went indoors at 2am as they were frozen. I have taken lots of knitting & sewing
to do in Durban & I will take my sewing
machine, as Sheila’s has given up the ghost, she has a Bernina 4 thread
overlocker. I think Bernina are the best.
Thank you Stacey for your card will answer it when I get to
Durban I’m missing you.
Matthew told Debbie je didn’t want to go & visit noisy
nana.
Cheers!
Tons of love from
XXXXXXX
Dad, Mum & family XXXXXX
From Athabasca 19 July 1998
From Athabasca
19 July 1998
Dear Alan,
Thanks for your letter and previous telephone call, it
really helped. I have not heard from mum and dad, but then it is I that owe
them both letters. We don’t have e-mail yet, but we are getting it. One day.
Sorry.
You seem to misunderstand me. I worked on and off
constructing a family tree for over twenty years- age 11 to 33 years. No small
effort. I regard it as quite unfinished, but I want to “finish” it. I am the
only one who can decipher it. I am the one who visited: a very old lady in
Armadale, Grandpa Neyland’s last surviving cousin on his father’s side, who
went through the hotel registry at the State Library to find out if a Harrison
was a hotel keeper at Creswick in the 1870’s, who found Martin Carlton’s obituary
of 1916, to discover he had been in Ballarat over 50 years. Nobody was
interested at the time, except mum and dad. I was the one who spent her own
money as a teenager on certificates and reproductions of photographs. I was the
one who wrote to strangers. I don’t want to keep it all. I have no problems
with parts of what I pulled together being returned to Australia e.g. Grandpa
Carlton’s scrapbook (which I found deteriorating on the factory floor while
cleaning one day), the relevant pages cold be photocopied, and maybe the
original should go to the historical society. I wanted to find information not
collect heirlooms, There are no objects involved only printed matter and
photographs (most are copies), and with today’s technology could be easily
recopied here for everybody who is interested. By accident I have a
reproduction of a photo of George Arnall Solomon here. The original was loaned
to me by Auntie Phyll and returned.
I am quite hurt that what I regard as my work has become
family property. Of course it is (as you indicated) something that can and
should be shared. I’ve always intended to make it available to others in the family
if and when they were interested and when it was in some semblance of order.
But it is very much an unfinished work. My unfished work! Just because it
concerns family, does not mean all family members are entitled to take parts
without my approval. My feeling is that I’d like to make a gift of my work to
family members; if its common property the giving is taken away from me.
Because of the distance and my position in the middle of the
family, it’s easy for others to lay claim to what is rightfully mine. I did the
legwork. Mum frequently drove me around. Grandpa Neyland started the ball
rolling. A lot of people helped me. Aunt Laurel had a great grandparent’s
marriage certificate. She found a distant relative who for and unknown reason
had the only photographs of Helen Gibson before her ill-fated marriage and her
(then) only surviving sister. (I think her mother should have a book written
about her). I can’t remember her name, but she came from Ireland in 1846, age
16, to Portland and married Andrew Gibson, had 12 children, including several
Helens, Helen Gibson was the only survivor until adulthood, the only one to
have children. The mystery woman died as Mrs McPhee and there is a tiny
photograph, of the grandmother, Helen and a couple of children (Maggie and
Grandpa Carlton?), outside a rented slum house in Castlemaine Street.
Yarraville.
I remember so much, but also have forgotten so much. I have
a knowledge of Victorian history within which to frame it. I fail to see how a
letter written to me from Great Grandpa Solomon is not mine. I always wanted to
know why our ancestors migrated to Australia and what formed our collective
heritage- the Irish, the Scottish and the English. As I am an immigrant myself,
this not only still holds true, but is magnified. Names are important to me,
tracing them back in time is very revealing. Why is your middle name McDonald?
Why is dad’s Harrison? These are obvious. But others are not so clear.
Grandpa’s sisters were (if I remember correctly), Margaret Way and Annie
Marion, his brother Andrew Lindsay, Margaret Way was Anthony Carlton’s mother,
Annie Marion, his brother Andrew Lindsay. Margaret Way was Anthony Carlton’s
mother, Annie Marion, Helen’s dead sister, Andrew Gibson’s mother was Helen
Lindsay. There was also a dead brother James Martin. I remember you not knowing
that Dolly’s real name was Amelia.
How many people can name their parents, grandparents,
great-grandparents’ names? And give a summary of their lives? I don’t want this
lost. I want it passed on to the next generation, not only cold facts, but
stories as well. We were provided very little oral family history. I had to ask
a lot of questions in order to find out the little I did. I wish I had of asked
Great Grandpa Solomon did he find gold in Kalgoorlie? I only know he got
typhoid and returned to Crystal Brook. He married someone from (Emily Eliza
Lawson) from there, but why in Hobart? Was her grandfather really a black sheep
like Uncle Arthur thought, sent to Australia because he got the servant girl (Elizabeth
Brown) in trouble? Is it true that Matilda Maria Webb was a ward-in-chancery
and that she bought her bedroom furniture with the money? Her mother, Harriet
Handover did die when she was two.
I am a long way off. I have very tenuous family connections.
So I’m really vulnerable. My children have no real sense of their grandparents
or my siblings; for example we have few photographs either recent or old. I
cannot show them where and how I grew up nor what relatives I have. I paid
$3,000+ to get things sent from Australia, only to find some of the things I
really valued (especially the family tree I’d worked on so long ago) were
missing. $3,000 for a bicycle? I’m not blaming anyone, certainly not mum, I’m
just telling you how I feel. I left the family tree in the top drawer of the
front room; it was never hidden. When I was overseas in Tonga and Swaziland, if
mum came across a death notice or something else of interest she would put it
in the drawer. I’ve never wanted to rock the boat, which is why it took from
1994 to 1997 to even ask for it. Though I have thought about it a lot. It is
quite an emotional thing with me.
We have a scanner, anew computer (I’m using the old one,
still). I don’t know anything about genealogical searching in 1998 but it
wouldn’t take long to find out. when I stopped researching the Mormons were
just getting records on microfilm. As they are the world’s experts in this area
I’m sure every tiny parish church in the British Isles has had its records
copied. I am sure I could do most of my research from home, and Salt Lake City,
is not that far away. One day we will visit Aurora in LA.
Please tell me more of Robert and his band. That’s great.
And Jo is much nicer than Jolene, I agree whole heartedly with her. But as mum
and dad still call me Pamela, I imagine you will not change either. If a friend
rang up, mum would say “you mean Pamela.” We have had a beautiful summer, but
not enough rain for the crops. We’ve been dining on fresh raspberries for a
couple of weeks now.
Love Pam
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