It's a book entitled Dear Grandma, from you to me and it's full of questions that LHG might want to ask me at some point in his life. I can write the answers in the book and give it to him when it's complete. What a lovely idea.
Now LHG is particularly fortunate to have a Nonnna who knows more about her family than most do about theirs. In turn, I am lucky to have had relatives who've told me a great deal about our predecessors. Some elderly cousins remain who still have much to tell. And, like Walter de la Mare's phantoms, I have always been a listener, lapping up the stories of my large family from my mother, father and my Welsh great Gran, among others. The wife of a second cousin of mine has spent years putting together a vast family tree for one half of my Italian side, gathering stories from various members. In my possession is a family tree for the other Italian side, compiled over fifty years ago after a cousin died intestate. My father was interested enough to ask for it after they'd finished the case.
It always amazes me when people don't even know the names of their grandparents, let alone anything about them. I pointed out only last night to a writer friend, that the name of her character, John Jenkins, was that of a great great grandfather of mine (the father of the aforementioned great Gran). How many people would know that? All the knowledge I have has been invaluable in finding out even more from ancestry sites. If you have no family knowledge, where do you even begin?
I have lots to tell little LHG. So much so, it won't all fit in his Dear Grandma book so I'll have to make sure I keep a record of the all censuses, birth, death and marriage certificates, and everything else I've amassed.
And when he's grown up, maybe I'll tell him the other family stories. You know, the ones you don't put into a child's book...
I have also collated lots of stuff about my family tree and have been really lucky in being able to trace back a couple of branches way back to 1400. There are many unspoken stories just in the names and the numbers. Like the chap Robert, who married five times in the 1600's to five different women called Catherine, only for all of them to die shortly after they were wed. Intrigue and mystery most certainly!
ReplyDelete** Sorry, Catherine should have read as Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteThoroughly enjoyed reading that, Francesca. I've not been one for genealogy(all those Welsh names!), but I can see that it can be intesting. I know very little about my father's family, and what I was told about my maternal grandfather makes me glad I didn't know him!! My brother( who was the mildest man imaginable) was the spitting image of the old devil, but fortunately didn't share his weaknesses( apart from a fondness for a glass or two of vino). We did have a published novelist in the family, quite well known in her day. I read one of her books once: sentimental and pious stuff, not quite my kind of thing. What a lucky young man is Luca to have such an interesting and varied background. AJ
ReplyDeleteSorry about typo!!
ReplyDeleteWow Adam, right back to the 1400s is impressive. 1760 is as far back as I've managed so far (I think - not sure if it's my family yet). Your chap Robert seems rather Henry the Eighth-ish! Sounds like the basis of an historical detective story.
ReplyDeleteI've discovered a few inconsistencies with marriage dates and birth date of first child through the registers and consequent acquisition of certificates. These days nobody raises an eyebrow, but I think those concerned might have been quite mortified if anyone had found out while they were alive!
Angela, I can imagine 'sentimental and pious' not being up your street! Tracing Welsh ancestry certainly has its difficulties, but I'm amazed that I've managed to trace mine to far flung areas in Wales I didn't know they hailed from. Now, having both ancestors from the South and North, where on earth are my allegiances?!
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