Saturday, 13 August 2011
Minehead: Red Devils
Minehead: Red Arrows
I reckon I was very lucky to get the pictures which I managed. The planes were very fast and it was difficult to get the flight into the camera viewfinder. In some cases I didn't and the picture just showed a smoke trail!
The Red Arrows are extremely popular and travel to various resorts to put on a display during the year. There are some more coming up within a reasonable travelling distance so I can look at this as a practice run!Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Get Digging!
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
A Postscript
It is pleasing to live in a village. I have not been here years enough to become part of the furniture and known to all and sundry but I do have a lot of family about and know a lot of other people by sight. One of my visitors from the antipodes changed his camera card whilst we were going round the churchyard at St Mary's the other day. The old one must have missed his pocket as he put it away as it was found there and passed to Diane Chant, whose son keeps the grass cut and looks after things generally. After all her boy might know whose it was. In fact, since I was in a few of the pictures, Diane knew to phone me, and I collected the card from her. All three brothers are in this picture so whose card? I am sure one of them will let me know when they read this! Thanks very much to the finder.
Labels: Environs, Genealogy, Somerset
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Visitors to Stoke-sub-Hamdon
When I was looking at the computer a few days ago I realised that one of my Australian cousins had come on a visit to Somerset and not let me offer hospitality. By a coincidence the next day I received an e-mail from his mother so, naturally I mentioned that I should have liked to have met him. This brought to light that that cousin had moved on to Italy but that his brothers were in Edinburgh! We made contact and they included a visit to Stoke-sub-Hamdon, their ancestral home village, on their way to Paris to meet with other members of their family who were also touring from Victoria.
I have had a suggestion about the picture from one wife but, alas, too late: one should be covering his ears, the next his eyes and the third his mouth! The three of them are sitting on a seat in St Mary's churchyard which was used by their mum when she came over last time.
After they left I went over to Greylake and saw whimbrel for the first time.
Labels: Environs, Genealogy, Somerset
Friday, 22 April 2011
Parking problem
Quite how I was expected to get out of my garage on Sunday morning was a problem. The car was not there when I got up but must have sneaked in whilst I was having breakfast. Such parking is illegal because it restricts egress and It was in order for me to phone the police to report the matter. Sunday, of course, it is a bit difficult and it was a case of: "We'll see what we can do. Please let us know if the vehicle moves." In the event the thoughtless girl who had parked returned about an hour later from the house she had been visiting up the street and I told her she had been reported. My neighbours who have the red and blue vehicles park circumspectly so create no problem. The blue car would have had great difficulty getting out on Sunday, however, and would have needed to call upon the owner of the next vehicle along to move to allow enough room to get out.Friday, 21 January 2011
A family funeral
The church at Broadway is rather small so there was an overflow of some sixty or so people standing in the churchyard listening and joining in the service, which was relayed by speakers, as the community said farewell to cousin Arleene's husband, Peter. Born in 1955 he had lived in the village all his life and been brought up on the family farm which he later operated.
Tribute was paid to his generous nature, his humour, and his love of a cup of tea, which had earned him the nickname of 'Fred' after the character in the Bernard Cribbins 1962 song: "Right, said Fred."
He was a family man and proud of his daughter's achievements in sport and academia. His picture which was used on the order of service was taken at her graduation and reflects his admiration.
Labels: Environs, Genealogy, Somerset
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Departure
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Ned left on the Tuesday. It had been quite a busy weekend taking in the trips I have mentioned already and also meeting cousins Gordon and Graham from a South Australian line. They were with me when Ned arrived much later than anticipated on the Friday and treated us to a meal at the Phelips Arms on the following day. There was entertainment by a couple of local lads on guitars and I forgot to tell the three of them that one was their cousin Luke! Ned was well laden with his camping gear and was planning to get to Chepstow that evening when he left me.
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Cousin Wendy
St Mary's at Stoke-sub-Hamdon had standing room only as the village came to say goodbye to Wendy Margetts on Thursday the 8th. She was born Wendy Fowler in 1944 to Robert Fowler and wife Dorothy Mary (Doll) née Comer. Wendy's grandmother was my great, great aunt, Annie Mary Comer née Fane.
It was apparent from the outset that this was to be no ordinary service as the pall bearers came in to 'The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music' from Julie Andrews. Indeed her family wanted this to be a celebration in memory of Wendy rather than to mourn her departure.
The Reverend lady who conducted affairs gave a short introduction then there was a familiar hymn to a tune which was totally unfamiliar to me. The service continued with a memorial address written by one of Wendy's long time friends followed by a reminiscence by her sister Mary and memories from daughter Jacqueline. Another of Wendy's friends then told of their childhood pranks and misdemeanours before we had a final hymn.
It seems a shame that in an increasing number of instances now there is no collection of the names of those attending so that the family has that record to cherish.
It was apparent from the outset that this was to be no ordinary service as the pall bearers came in to 'The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music' from Julie Andrews. Indeed her family wanted this to be a celebration in memory of Wendy rather than to mourn her departure.
The Reverend lady who conducted affairs gave a short introduction then there was a familiar hymn to a tune which was totally unfamiliar to me. The service continued with a memorial address written by one of Wendy's long time friends followed by a reminiscence by her sister Mary and memories from daughter Jacqueline. Another of Wendy's friends then told of their childhood pranks and misdemeanours before we had a final hymn.
It seems a shame that in an increasing number of instances now there is no collection of the names of those attending so that the family has that record to cherish.
Labels: Environs, Genealogy, Somerset
Thursday, 24 June 2010
The Washerwoman of Barrington
When my late cousin David Chant and I were discussing a particular William Chant from Stoke-sub-Hamdon we always knew which of the many we meant by differentiating the family using his wife's census description. William does not appear with Elizabeth (Male) in any of the censuses and the only references we have to them are the marriage at St Mary's in Stoke and his name on the children's birth certificates.They had six children and after William's death the family moved to Australia. There is a large tree coming from the children, particularly Alexander, who fathered thirteen. Trouble is that we do not know which William he might be, so cannot take the line back further or say if that family is related to mine or any other known one.
On Monday one of Alexander's great grandchildren came to see me and I took him, a namesake, and his wife to those local places we thought would be of interest. We stopped at St Mary's but also went to look at the church and graveyard at Barrington, and then went on to look at the estate where a great many of the Barrington labourers must have worked, including members of John's family. Barrington Court is now owned by the National Trust.
Here is John with the house in the background.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-barringtoncourt
Labels: Environs, Genealogy, National Trust, Somerset
Monday, 21 June 2010
Women who made a difference
Last weekend saw the annual flower festival in the church at Chiselborough. It is always interesting to see a theme in place and how the arrangers have interpreted it. Women who have made a difference was this year and I can think of several others I should like to have seen on display. To be fair there was a suffragette, but instead of Emmeline Pankhurst, how about Laura Ormiston Chant? She earned the enmity of Winston Churchill and the censure of George Bernard Shaw, among others. http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_1893_pwr_chant.htm
Then there is my third cousin Sylvia, a professor at the London School of Economics. Sylvia is quite a prolific author (with others) in the field of improving the lot of women in the third world and is a not infrequent visitor to conferences on the subject. http://www2.lse.ac.uk/researchAndExpertise/Experts/profile.aspx?KeyValue=s.chant@lse.ac.uk
A third example of a Chant with a mission is Margaret. Her family line is from Odcombe, although she is American. Her father-in-law was Greek Prime Minister, her husband was Greek Prime Minister and her son is the current Greek Prime Minister. http://wiki.phantis.com/index.php/Margaret_Papandreou
Labels: Environs, Genealogy, Somerset
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
William Dampier 1651-1715
The Dampier name, whilst not common, is quite well known in my area of Somerset. William Dampier was from East Coker.
Today I went to Sparkford where there are a couple of Dampier family graves. They may well prove to belong to an unrelated line.
The only possible connection I have in the tree at the present time is where a John Dampier from Chard married a Charlotte Loving from Hawkchurch in 1804. My cousin Michael Loving's grandfather came from Hawkchurch so there is the possibility of a match. Whenever I see the Dampier name I think of the explorer and wonder if there is this oblique connection.
Labels: Devon, Dorset, Environs, Gravestones, Somerset
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Gale Family
Gale is a very common name in my parts of Somerset and Dorset. George Claremont Gale was my second cousin, coming from my great aunt Emma's family after emigration. He came from Canada to serve in the second world war and was posted as missing in action. He is commemorated on the Air Force Memorial at Runnymede.The name just visible on this stone at Bourton, near the Somerset/Wiltshire border is George Gideon Gale. He is from another part of my tree. This George was the son of Gideon and brother of Igdaliah. Igdaliah married Rosina Chant, daughter of Dan Chant who used to have 'The Duke of Cornwall' in Stoke-sub-Hamdon.
Although I have not identified Igdaliah and Rosina's resting place, his father is buried at St Mary's in Stoke.
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1270553
Labels: Environs, Genealogy, Gravestones, Somerset
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Fruitful tree
The family tree has been particularly active in recent days.A couple of weeks ago I got in touch with Joy Chant on 'Genes Reunited'. Joy thought her family came from Stoke-sub-Hamdon as that had been family tradition. In my records all the people she named as near kin were Odcombe Chants so I have contacted Christine Ellis who is OPC for both Odcombe and Montacute. It is very interesting that Joy's family memories included Laura Ormiston Chant née Dibben, the suffragette. I have that Laura's husband was from a Stoke line ... are we to find a link at last?
Joy wrote several books in the past, one of which I read in the 1970s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Chant
My own fault for being inquisitive but I am being snowed under with questions prompted by responses to queries which I originated. I am also getting trees from other people which need to have the information checked against my own files. This can be very time consuming if the two do not match in every respect.
I have been working on a line for some distant Pattison kin. I had got a lot of my speculation wrong but now I am in touch with cousin Erin whose 8xG grandfather was my 5xG grandfather! She is putting some family photos on 'Facebook'. Erin has more pluck than I have as one of her recent activities has involved sky diving.
When I need to contact a family member who has disappeared over the course of time I carry out a simple search. If that does not bear fruit I leave messages on web sites where I think the person will go as and when they start their own tree. One such message which I put on the 'Curious Fox' web site quite a while ago brought me a response yesterday. I have not been in contact with my cousin Michael Loving for over forty years. Now I have high hopes as I have sent him an e-mail with my telephone number. The picture is of Michael's and my great uncle Joseph Stanton.
Cousin Diana phoned yesterday as she wants to see the standing stone circle on Ham Hill that was put there for the millennium. We swapped some local family gossip about a couple of kinfolk who have been very unwell recently; and, also, that Diana has not heard from one of her family correspondents in Canada. Since Diana does not use the Internet I have written to cousin Troy Chant to see if there are ill tidings about his gran.
This morning the post brought a package from Australia: it was posted on the 9th! This was from cousin Ken Chant and his wife Alison and contained a copy of a book produced by the family based upon the reminiscences of Ken's dad, James Oswald Chant. I shall really enjoy reading them.
Cousin Jenni Hall might have come today but has car trouble which will not be fixed until later in the week. That means I shall have a visitor for the weekend.
Labels: Family, Genealogy, Somerset
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Earth to earth ...
I had passed the gates to this cemetery many times and resolved to visit one day to see if I could find the graves of any of the Bridgwater Chants. Today was the day.
What a depressing location!
You do not expect a cemetery to be a jolly place but this one was abandoned. There had been a few floral tributes placed in memory of passed loved ones but the majority of the people here lie forgotten. Not only forgotten, but with the absolutely stupid disregard for memorials for the dead which is encouraged by 'Health and Safety' legislation, many of the everlasting tributes had been demolished. Do the people who are paid to carry out this sacriligeous destruction have a conscience and ever shed a tear for their actions? It would appear that there are too few Christians taking decisions in this country nowadays.
I hope the people whose project is to help remember those who lie here will come to fruition. http://www.bridgwaterheritage.org.uk/wembdon_rd_cemetery/index.htm
Labels: Genealogy, Gravestones, Somerset
Friday, 18 December 2009
Cucklington
This was another interesting church. It was almost as if I was making an approach up a private roadway. It was quite compact and the bell ropes were hanging in the porch looped up out of the reach of temptation for small children. There was a notice to one side of the porch to the effect that you did not enter whilst bell ringing was in progress.I mentioned a week or so ago that my great grandparents were landlords of 'The Phelips Arms' in Montacute at the time of the 1861 census. There are Phelips buried at Montacute, but, I feel, not so many as there are here in another churchyard from which you have magnificent views over miles of British countryside.
The Phelips are connected with the Fane family in Montacute and various of my kin from the line of James Fane, who married at St. Mary's, Stoke-sub-Hamdon in 1761 would like to think that we have this aristocratic connection. If we have, there is no history for James: he may have been a younger son or even an unofficial one. Something could come to light one day, but I am one member of the family who is not holding my breath!
http://ingilbyhistory.ripleycastle.co.uk/ingilby_3/PHELIPS%20of%20Montacute.pdf
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Almost a Guy
My father was born on 4th November 1894 in the 'Fleur de Lis' at Stoke-sub-Hamdon. One of his favourite sayings was: "I was almost a Guy." This was quite a good ploy as we never forgot his birthday.
Seeing some early fireworks in the sky above Stoke a short while ago I wondered if there was someone else in the area who was celebrating their birthday today and they were 'almost a Guy' as well.
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