Updated 06 Dec 2015 |
Robert Palmer's family |
Return to Main Index |
Robert Palmer's family |
These biographies were written when the author had retired at 70. They are pen-portraits of members of the author's family born before him, and so dependent largely on memory and hearsay, with some research. More photographs are on a separate webpage. An autobiography is also being prepared. |
#Family |
Autobio |
Photos |
Emails |
Harry |
Mary |
Wilf |
Win |
Bern |
Gert |
Lu |
Harry |
John |
Alfred |
Gert |
Billy |
Dorothy |
Ernest |
Lucy |
Ena |
Tom |
Val |
HIBBARDs |
|
|
|
PALMERs |
|
|
|
|
Alfred was short (only about 5ft 2ins), quiet and hard
working and polite. He had curly hair. He was Ernest
Burnand’s best friend. He came to Sheffield at 12 years
of age, and was apprenticed at a power station. He married
Gertrude Longden on Christmas Day 1893 when he was 28 and
Gertrude 22. They had 5 children, Billy, Dorothy, Ernest,
Lucy and Mum (Ena). He was an electrical engineer and with
Lucas he helped install the first phones in Sheffield. He
used to go around reading the electricity meters. He
enjoyed ferry trips, especially to the Isle of Wight when
they would get the train to Portsmouth, and also
particularly the Isle of Man. In his 60’s he suffered with
angina pectoris. He had his first angina attack walking up
Dore Road with Gertrude. He sat down until he felt ok and
then they carried on. He also was under a lot of stress
when Dorothy had a relationship with an older man, “Pop”
Bowen. There was a shortage of men because of the first
world war. He died aged 67 not long after retirement, and
probably his pension went with him.
[JCP: See X111 and X226 and X229]
|
Gertrude was a sister of Lucy Longden (who was the
youngest of 7), who married Ernest Burnand. Aunt Lu was
very fond of Gertrude. She was short and always dressed in
Victorian fashion, with a fox skin round her back. She
married Alfred on Christmas day 1893 when she was 22 and
Alfred 28. They had 5 children, Billy, Dorothy, Ernest,
Lucy and Mum (Ena). Alfred and Gertrude probably rented a
series of houses, 512, Abbeydale Road 1901 to 1911, then
74 Glen Road, Ecclesall from 1911. They probably bought
107 Banner Cross Road, Ecclesall, probably about 1920.
She was worried about money, and when Alfred died in 1933
she may not have had a satisfactory widow’s pension.
Ernest Burnand who lived nearby in Ecclesall tried to help
with her pension, but apparently only found out that Billy
lived with her (his bedroom was in the attic), when he
went to 107 to try and sort it out. This may have
disqualified her from getting a pension as he was able
bodied. Ernest Burnand was not pleased. Cooking made her
bad tempered. When she was 72 in 1944 Mum and John came to
live with her from June 1944 to about the same time in
1945. I was born in July 1944. It was probably quite hard
work for her. She was the only grandparent I knew. I
remember her dressed in her Victorian clothes and she
would take me into her bedroom and show me her jewelry
which I must admit I was not all that interested in. These
were on trips up there with Mum to stay at 107 Banner
Cross Road, Ecclesall. Uncle Billy used to drive us to the
Toad’s Mouth and the Surprise and Hathersage in low gear
(to save petrol) in his old Austin 7. I remember sitting
at the table in the kitchen at 37 Court Way when Mum told
me granny had died (1954 shortly before my 10th birthday).
[JCP: See X115]
|
Uncle Billy was the eldest child of Alfred and Gertrude.
He was probably a little spoilt being the eldest and a
boy. Aunt Lu tells me he could be inconsiderate. Dorothy
didn’t always find him the easiest and did a lot of
“looking after” him throughout their lives, and was always
a dutiful sister. Billy was an electrician, and from 1908
to 1913 worked under my godfather Ernest Burnand who gave
him a good reference when he “left our employ of his own
accord to take up an improved position”. He joined the
navy as such probably in 1914 when he was 20. Mum
recounted when he came home once in 1916 he had a little
leather bag, and he opened it and poured the contents
which were golden sovereigns on to the table. They were
his naval pay. He was shore based but he went around the
ships anchored in Scapa Flow to do electrical repairs. He
had been doing repairs on HMS Devonshire and had only just
moved to another ship when the fleet was ordered out with
no notice to the battle of Jutland under Admiral Sir John
Jellicoe and Vice Admiral Sir David Beattie. Uncle Billy
didn’t even have time to get off the ship he was on and
thus was a participant, willingly or otherwise, of the
indecisive battle (though the German fleet remained in
harbour afterwards for the remainder of the war). The
Devonshire was sunk, but not the ship Uncle Billy was
on.In 1924 Uncle Billy was in the Gold Coast where he
caught blackwater fever which maybe permanently adversely
affected his health. While there he bought gold shares
which did very well over the years. In 1925 he was at the
Panama Canal. Later he returned to Sheffield where he had
girlfriends but never bit the bullet. I remember him as a
rather dishevelled man who lived in the attic at 107
Banner Cross Road and worked with transformers in his
basement for which he presumably made a small income. He
always had a boiled egg for breakfast. When his mother
died in 1954 he went to live with Aunt Dorothy, but still
used 107 basement. The local bank manager in Ecclesall
used to come to him for advice re the stock market. I
remember Uncle Frank’s horror when he turned up at 7
Sparken Hill, Worksop in his old Ford 7 which he used
drive in low gear thinking it would save money. When I
told him I was going to medical school he was horrified
and said I would be working night and day all the time
(true up to a point). In his old age he became forgetful
and depressed and was in a care facility.
[JCP: See X547]
|
Aunt Dorothy was probably born in Eldon Street, Ecclesall,
Sheffield on 12th November 1895. Men were at a premium
after the first world war and she had a long courtship
with “Pop Bowen” who was a lot older than her. They did
not marry for quite a time, maybe because it would have
meant the end of her teaching career given the conventions
of the time, and maybe it was because “Pop’s” wife was
still alive. They married in 1941, and
“Pop” died in 1944. John remembers him playing around with
cars. Her parents disapproved of the relationship, given
the age difference and the fact that “Pop” may already
have been married. Mum said it hastened her father’s
death. Aunt Dorothy became a school teacher and taught
the 11 plus class at Carter Knowle School in Millhouses.
She was a good teacher and got good results. She lived at
36 Stowe Avenue, Ecclesall when I knew her. She used to
say “there’s nothing so queer as folk”. Stowe Avenue was
on a slope so she got lots of exercise walking to and from
number 36. Uncle Billy used to live with her, and thinking
he was hard up (which he wasn’t) she would slip a ten
shilling note into his breast pocket. Aunt Dorothy had
helped “clear up” after Uncle Billy at 107 Banner Cross
Road, though she thought him somewhat inconsiderate as
being the first child and a boy he was somewhat spoilt.
When Mum moved from Court Way to Robinson Drive Aunt
Dorothy lived with her. By this time Uncle Billy was in a
care home and Aunt Dorothy I believe, as a dutiful sister,
would visit him. In 1976 I think she had a vascular event
affecting her leg and died in hospital. After that Mum
made plans to visit us in Canada.
|
Ernest was an electrician, and worked for one of the steel
works in Sheffield. He did I believe volunteer for the
army, possibly in 1916 when he would have been 18. I was
told by Mum that he became ill after receiving an
inoculation by the military, and as a result was not able
to join up. His kidneys were affected, and it may have
permanently affected his health. He and Con lived together
for quite a time before they got married. They were
married in 1925. They rented a cottage in Tom Lane,
Nether Green, and latterly lived above Con’s ladies
hairdressing salon in Division (or maybe Devonshire)
Street in Sheffield. Aunt Lu said Ernest was a nice man.
He died aged only 65 in 1963. I do not know what the cause
of death was (Aunt Lu mentioned TB, but no one else
suggested that). Mum, Dorothy and Lucy did not entirely
approve of Con. She was always “very made up and well
dressed”. They got their own back when she came round for
a meal and was made to eat it in the kitchen. Mum and I
visited Con probably in the late 1960’s. She was always
somewhat overweight, and when we saw her she was a cardiac
cripple with angina, and barely able to walk across the
room. I was shocked but Mum was very matter of fact about
it in her Yorkshire way. Con was born in 1902 and died in
1974.
[JCP: See X547]
|
Aunt Lucy was the fourth child of Alfred and Gertrude
Doxey. Aunt Lu liked her.She was probably born in Eldon
Street in Ecclesall, Sheffield. She became a secretary at
Sheffield University. Her father enjoyed ferry trips to
the Isle of Man (see 1905 photo of her on a donkey) and
to the Isle of Wight. It was on a trip to the Isle of
Wight (not sure when or with whom), that she met Norman
Brealey who worked as a guard and possibly stationmaster
at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight railway. She subsequently
married him and moved to live with him in 16 Star Street,
Ryde. Before she moved she received a silver tea set from
the university in appreciation of her services. The
inscription reads “presented by members of the Sheffield
Trades Technical societies to Miss L Doxey in appreciation
of her valuable services. The rapid development of this
educational Movement at the University of Sheffield was
due in no small measure to her consistent and loyal
efforts”. The pieces of the tea set are all engraved with
LB, presumably Lucy Brealey as she was married to Norman
in 1939. Norman had a shed and many tools and was somewhat
of a handyman. Norman predeceased Lucy. Lucy had eye
trouble and would make trips to the eye hospital in London
(it may have been Moorfields). After Norman’s death she went
downhill, did not look after or feed herself properly and
died in 1974. Mum asked John to sort out some of her effects
but he was busy with squash (Mum wrote “bloody squash” in her
diary) so Valerie and myself went. She had some nice antique
chairs which we have in the sitting room at 67, and we have
her silver tea set in a nice cadenza
|
ENA DOXEY |
Written at John's request Christmas Day 1989 aged 82
|
 |
1983. Transcribed by RJP from VHS tape
of Ena interviewed by JCP
|
Robert---Mum once told me she had been pregnant before me, but lost it. Where did it go I innocently asked, Down the lavatory she said. Later she said that she saw war coming, so tricked Dad into her second pregnancy (me). From these clues, can you work out when she became pregnant for the first time? We could put this likely date into her biography. My guess is January 1938. ---John |
Uncle Wilf was the oldest child of William Henry and Mary
Palmer. He was born at Holme Carr Farm in Worksop. He went
to Worksop College where he was in Pelham House and became
prefect of chapel and anecdotally won the Victor Ludorum
for athletics at the school sports day with his father who
was the worse for wear at the time watching from behind a
bush. In 1917 he joined the Indian Army. This was arranged
by his father who didn’t want him to go to the mincing
machine of the Western Front. Life there was sociable and
sadly he developed a fondness for drink, which became his
undoing. He married Mabel Wainwright in 1924 who was from a low
social class and she had aspirations above her station.
Also, unlike most of his contemporaries in the Indian
Army, Wifred was from a lower middle class background, and
did not have much disposable capital. He lied about his
father’s occupation (publican) and defaulted on mess bills
which may have led to him being forced out of the
military. He subsequently became a vicar at Ecclesall
church where he gave sermons to full houses before the
drink caught up with him again. He moved to another parish
in the home counties (?Buckinhamshire) but again had to
leave for the same reason. Mabel wrote horrendous letters
to Dad about him. Aunt Win was very protective (all her
geese were swans). At the outbreak of the second world war
he joined the RAF and rose to the rank of squadron leader,
but was killed when demonstrating a grenade (apparently) 2
days after I was born, and has a military grave
in Plymouth where he was based.
|
|
John Palmer writes: |
Wilfred's grave at Plymouth |
 
AUNT LUCILLE’S MEMORIES.
I talked over the phone to Aunt Lu this morning. She is
now 97, having been born in 1917, and lives in Broomgrove
Nursing Home near the Hallamshire Hospital. Lu is the only
person in our family still alive who can remember our family
before we were born. Here are some of her memories.
Her father was Ernest Burnand who was my godfather, and
they lived in a beautiful house, Hollycourt House in
Silverdale Road, Ecclesall, Sheffield, which was not too
far from Banner Cross Road, and in between the two was
where the trams used to turn round. She had an elder
sister Irene, who was 13 years older than Lu, and a
brother John, 6 years older than her. Irene was a
physiotherapist, and in 1927 she married Dr Reginald
Pleasance, who was a GP in Sheffield and also an
anaesthetist, working with the ENT Consultant. Sadly they
were not compatible, and moreover Reg wanted children and
Irene didn’t, resulting in Irene leaving Reg after 5 years
of marriage. Later in life Irene contracted thyroid cancer
from which she eventually died. She lived in Reigate. John
was the father of Peter and Christine, but sadly had a
stroke while sitting in his car outside his house on 4th
December 1951, aged just 40, from which he died. Ernest
Burnand was I believe my mother’s uncle.
Aunt Lu remembers going to Cole Brothers in Sheffield to
get a second hand cot for me in the summer of 1944 not
long before I was born and soon after she and John arrived
in Sheffield. In 1945 it was passed on for the birth of
Peter. Although Mum, John and myself lived at 107 Banner
Cross Road we often went to Hollycourt House during the
day after I was born. Mum was given the key to the
billiard room where John played.
Lucille Burnand never married, probably because her mother
lived until 1976 (aged 92) and youngest daughters were
expected to look after their parents in old age. Her grandmother
Emma Horrocks lived to be nearly 90 also. My mother Ena Doxey
escaped this trap by marrying the first among her siblings
although she was the youngest too.
107 was quite full with granny (Gertie), Mum, Uncle Billy,
John and myself. Alfred my maternal grandfather, who like
Ernest Doxey and Billy was an electrical engineer, died of
a heart attack (he had angina) in 1933 when he was 67. He
was 12 years older than granny (who was 72 in 1944). His
pension was lost once he died and granny had constant
money worries. Ernest Burnand tried to help her get a
pension but it came to nothing when he found out that
Billy was living at 107, and moreover Billy didn’t have a
regular job. Ernest Burnand was not happy about this state
of affairs.
Grandad Alfred introduced Aunt Dorothy to POP Bowen, who
was quite a lot older than her. He may have been married.
Against her parents wishes Aunt Dorothy lived with POP for
quite some time. She did not want to marry him because
that might have been the end of her teaching career at
Carter Knowle School in Millhouses, given the climate of
the time. They did eventually marry though. Aunt Dorothy
taught the 11 plus year at the school and was very
successful in this position. She lived at 36 Stowe Avenue.
Much later Uncle Billy lived with her and she used to pop
10 shilling notes into his pocket thinking he was hard up,
which was not the case as he was quite good at playing the
stock market, and reportedly the bank manager sought his
advice. Later in the 1970’s Aunt Dorothy lived with Mum in
Worksop.
Aunt Lucy was the secretary to one of the University
Consultant doctors in Sheffield. She met Norman Brealey on
a family holiday to the Isle of Wight and they married
and lived in Star St in Ryde. He was a guard on the
trains. She had eyesight problems and used to travel to
London for treatment. She died aged 74 of neglect.
Uncle Ernest Doxey was an electrical engineer in
Sheffield. He lived for a number of years with Aunt Con in
Devonshire St in Sheffield until they married. Aunt Con
had a ladies hairdressing salon where they lived. He got a
kidney infection when the army gave him a vaccination with
a dirty needle as a young man and never fully recovered
from this and died at 68. I remember visiting Aunt Con
with Mum in the late 1960’s and she was overweight with
severe angina.
Uncle Billy was an electrician in the navy during WW1. He
was at the battle of Jutland but transferred ships in the
nick of time and the ship he had transferred from was
sunk. He subsequently went to the USA and South America.
In 1944 he lived in the attic bedroom at 107 and worked
with transformers in the basement at 107 which John found
interesting. He was always scruffily dressed.
|
John was born on May 6th 1940.He was a home birth at 37 Court Way, Twickenham. This was at the end of the "phoney war" and four days before the German Invasion of Holland and Belgium, and also four days before Neville Chamberlain resigned and Winston Churchill became prime minister. It was a difficult birth and the sun set twice on our mother's labour which nowadays is an absolute no no, and of course she should have been in hospital and would almost certainly have been a Caesaresan section. I think the GP looking after her was Dr O'Sullivan, who had a surgery in St Margarets, and I believe he said afterwards Mum should have been in hospital, and said something about a projection of the "tail bone" whatever that meant. I believe John was a term delivery at five minutes past four in the afternoon I think and weighed eight and a quarter lbs. It is unclear whether this traumatic delivery caused John's epilepsy, but it certainly did not diminish his intellect. Our neighbour Mrs Farmer commented "What a time to have a baby", which enraged our mother. Mum talks of taking a baby John in his pram to get him a baby gas mask.The London blitz started on September 7th 1940 and that night Mum, Dad and John slept in Eileen Stowell's underground (Anderson) shelter. The next day, September 8th 1940, Mum's 33 birthday, and not feeling safe, Horwood (Mr Horwood Barrett) drove Mum, Dad and John to Twickenham station where they caught a train to Worksop where they felt safer. I am not sure they were there very long because they returned to Court Way and were there until the spring of 1944 when Dad went to Naples on 13th May 1944 with Cable and Wireless as a non combatant. I was by this time in utero and Mum and John soon after went to 107 Banner Cross Road near where the trams turn round for about a year. John remembers going to the garages at the top of Banner Cross Road and playing with the imaginary "magic-man". John also remembers seeing "pop" Bowen, Aunt Dorothy's husband, who used to meddle with cars. He also used to see Aunt Luc's husband Norman Brealey who he liked. He remembers Mum's mother, granny Gertrude and Uncle Billy lived in 107. Uncle Billy had a bedroom in the attic, and made transformers in the basement cellar which John enjoyed watching. Granny who was 68 in 1940 used to get cross when she was cooking, and was always worried about money. They had a bad tempered dog "Chummy" who sat under the sofa in the kitchen. We probably moved back to 37 Court Way in the summer of 1945. In September 1945 John went to Brook House school in Twickenham. He did not like it much and his reports were not good. In early 1946 Uncle George, Aunt Yvonne, Jean and Shirley Jane Stewart came to live with us for a few months as their house at 47 Court way had a sitting tenant. A little later in 1946 (maybe in the Spring), Dad came back in a hospital ship to Southampton and was admitted in the hospital. John remembers going down to meet him. In the summer of 1946 John was sent to Worksop to live with Aunt Win and Uncle Frank who had no children. It is not clear why this happened, but it is likely it was because Dad was a sick man and John a lively child, and Dad could not cope. John came back for school holidays. He stayed up there for 12 years. He lived at 7 Sparken Hill, with the Newcombes one side (Arthur and Norah Newcombe and their two sons Patrick and John who both became surgeons), and the Yorks (later Mackie's on the other side (York and Mackie taught at Worksop College). Richard York, born 1944, was a clever and adventurous lad, John's first big friend. Later there were two Mackie sons, John and Peter). John went to St Mary's Roman Catholic School in Worksop for three years (where Miss O'Brian taught him poetry and Miss Shaw was an excellent teacher), and then to Newcastle Street primary school (where teachers included Miss Steel and Mrs Bottom who was also excellent). He passed his 11 plus easily (IQ 138) and won a scholarship to Retford Grammar School (one of only 5 out of 60 who achieved this). He revelled in the teaching at Retford Grammar and came down heavily on the science side (maths and physics in particular) pouring scorn on religion, history and the arts. He was top of class in 3a. A timid lad at first while still small, his bullying ceased as he grew larger which added to his confidence. He was full of questions which unfortunately Uncle Frank was unable to answer and he did not see a lot of Dad and so he would go next door to Pat and John Newcombe and ply them with questions. Mr Mackie on the other side of 7 Sparken Hill was less welcoming. John was keen on train spotting and as a result I got keen on it too. When I was up in Worksop we would go to Retford Station to see the engines on the LNER particularly the "streaks" and even saw "The Mallard". When he came to Twickenham for the holidays we went to Clapham Junction where we saw the Southern Region engines, the Battle of Britain and West Country class in particular, also to King's Cross for the LNER, St Pancras for the LMS, Paddington for the Western Region, and also occassionaly Euston, London Bridge, Charing Cross, Marylebone and Liverpool Street stations. Uncle Frank and Aunt Win told John to stop his train spotting to concentrate on his work. He came fifth in a class of 70,and was promoted a year to the junior fifth in 1955. Meanwhile his home life was very good. Uncle Frank had a good income and Aunt Win smothered him with love and affection, he was an only child. He was leader of a small gang nearby and surrounded by fields and woods where they could play and run around. There were woods up the road where John went sledding in the winter, and went through a fence once. I well remember enjoyable visits to 7 Sparken Hill. We played cricket round the back where John was a bowler. He was also very good at throwing, particularly stones, and knocked out a boy's front tooth once. He was Nottinghamshire schools javelin champion towards the end of his time at Retford Grammar. His best friends were Mark Smith, Richard Allsopp (he had a younger brother Stephen who was my age and I was friendly with), and Manolly Rigg ("yes but!"). I also remember a boy with callipers who had had polio and the 3 Haydon Bailey brothers further up Sparken Hill who were loose canons. There was a dog Jip who came through the fence at the bottom of the back garden at 7 Sparken Hill. Also June Roper who John was friendly with. A less pleasant memory was playing tennis in the back garden against Uncle Frank and beating him only for John to manipulate the score so Uncle Frank won; my sense of injustice knew no bounds, particularly as Uncle Frank must have known. Also John was starting to play squash in 1957 at Retford Grammar, which he was good at. When he came to Twickenham for holidays we would go to the museums in South Kensington. My favourite was the Science Museum where there were lots of buttons to press. Also The Natural History Museum, and the occasional visit further afield to the British Museum and The Imperial War Museum. Back to Retford Grammar one of John's proudest moments was when his headmaster gave him two awards for being the top pupil out of 92 in his year. Uncle Frank had two cars (one a two seater Triumph Roadster which also had two pop-up seats in the boot; people would say "wow", but once John got his foot stuck under one of the foot pedals which gave uncle Frank a fright), the other a Messerschmidt bubble-car made in Germany). Uncle Frank and Aunt Win would also take John with them to posh hotels, and The Old Bell in Woodhall Spa. Alas life was too good and he did not learn to work really hard and failed to get in to Oxford or Cambridge, which with his high IQ he should have done. He did get 13 O levels, 4 A levels and 2 S levels. This was certainly good enough to get him into UCL London starting September 1958 where he met students brighter than himself he says. He failed to pass the required Russian exam and passed German instead. He was now living again at 37 Court Way. I was at boarding school until 1962, but well remember watching the Quatermass series on TV with John which had started in 1953 and went on through the 50's and early 60's. One of his regrets when he was at UCL and living in Court Way was not meeting up for lunch with Aunt Win and Uncle because he had a squash game (same when Aunt Lucy died). In 1959 while at UCL John worked for a short time at The Underwater Research Establishment at Portland. Gordon Lonsdale was also working near there at the time. In 1961 he got a BSc in physics from UCL and soon got a job with Hawker aircraft in Kingston where he worked on the vertical take off plane P1154 (later cancelled by the government in 1964). He had got keen on cycling in 1964 and when he moved from Hawkers to S.Davall in Greenford (working on an early aircraft crash recorder) he cycled to Greenford and back partly along the canal. He got fed up with the cycling and when he saw an advert for Plesseys in Poole he was interviewed and took the job. He took digs at no 10 Upper Golf Links Lane, Broadstone and went to work on a motor bike. He worked on electronic equipment for the new Severn bridge. After a time he moved to a different department, Memories, and subsequently in 1972 to 1990 with Nucleonics (later Environmental Systems) which dealt with equipment for nuclear submarines, and work on Trident detecting a low-level SCRAM. John came up with a novel idea which was adopted. Tim Berners Lee who founded the world wide web was also at Plesseys at this time. Later he met an affable gentleman Keith Norman of a similar age at badminton and shared his bungalow, 29 Sutherland Avenue, Broadstone, where he still lives. John started a squash club at The Arndale Centre in Poole, called Poole Squash Club. He averaged well over 100 matches a year for 30 years. He was captain of the Poole squash club playing at number 5, and for a year was secretary of the Dorset Squash Association. His life revolved around squash, cycling and work. In 1968 John and I bought 29 Sutherland Avenue for £5,000 (£2,500 each). Subsequently John bought my share. John had cycle holidays on the continent with Harry Hartland and driving holidays with Peter Key. In 1970 John climbed Mt Kenya. John retired in 1990 on his 50th birthday and the next day went to Albania. Not long after, he completed the circuit of Ireland (which he had not completed with me in 1961 because I gave up) by himself. In 1992 he cycled across America from the Pacific Ocean in Oregon to the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia. He travelled with a retired policeman, Peter. In 1994 he cycled across America a second time, this time with Mick, from San Diego to Florida. In 1994 he worked out he had cycled the circumference of the earth 24,000 miles,all cycle touring. John started the research for his website in 1996, transferring Parish Records 1600-1900 to database, and in 1998 he started the Wirksworth website. Then he started work on the Wirksworth census (1841-1901) from 1999 to 2003. He continued expanding the Wirksworth website and is still doing that in 2015. It has over 500,000 records and he has had over 2 million responses. He has nearly 3,000 web pages on the Wirksworth website. It is probably the largest One-Place-Study geneology website in the world. John started the www.eyemead.com website in 2003 and it encompasses 69 individual websites including Bearmead, Retford Grammar, Dad, holidays etc. His websites are undoubtedly the pinnacle of his life's achievements. The 25 acres Bearmead was bought in 2002. John has grown 250 oaktrees on his 7.5 acres. He got the acorns from the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest in 2000, and grew them in flower pots in the back garden of 29 Sutherland Avenue until we bought the 25 acres at an auction in Blandford Forum in November 2002, when he planted them in his 7.5 acres as above. He has turned the 25 acres into a nature reserve with lots of help from Rosie. We bought the shepherds hut in 2007 from Larry Skeats for £3,750, and put it next to the River Stour in field 1 (on the only part of the 25 acres that never floods). John and Rosie had five holidays in the Outer Hebrides in the early part of the new millennium. I joined him in 2004. Towards the end of my week there he held up his left hand and asked me if I had noticed anything. I said he had a ring that I hadn't noticed before. He then said he and Rosie, unbeknown to me, had got married just before he came up to Scotland. Now in November 2015 anno domini is catching up with John (also with me) but his intellect remains excellent. Rosie is in good health and has clearly been cured of the health scare and operation of many years ago in Poole Hospital.
|
Valerie was born on 31st March 1950 in Khartoum in Sudan. Her parents were both missionaries there. Her father Norman Nunn, was originally from London, England and was a chartered accountant. He had emigrated to Australia with his family when he was 14 years old. Her mother Matilda Prenter was born in Tasmania. They met and married in the Sudan. Valerie has an older sister Gwen who is married and lives in Lyminge, Kent; a younger sister Barbara sadly died of breast cancer in her late 40’s. Valerie first went to mission school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where she picked up her American accent. Later she was a boarder at Clarendon School in North Wales where she played for the school hockey team. She left Clarendon when she was 17 and did a secretarial course in London for a year. In 1969 she went to The Royal West Sussex Hospital, Chichester, West Sussex for her nursing training which she completed in 1972. Those were very happy years and long lasting friendships made. Valerie worked briefly in Khartoum after she qualified. In December 1974 she married me; we had met in early 1972 when I was working for Mr Lynn Evans at St Richards, Chichester. We were married in Broadstone, Dorset. We lived for a year from early 1975 in Laundry Road, Southampton, and then as per my autobiography we were in Montreal, back to Southampton, then Victoria BC, Shrewsbury MA USA, Aberystwyth and Rowlands Castle. Susannah came along in 1975 in Southampton, Carla in 1977 in Montreal, and Youngest Daughter in 1983 in Worcester MA USA. Eventually in 1990 we returned to Aberystwyth in West Wales for nearly 3 years and finally to Rowlands Castle in 1993. From 1975 to 1990 Valerie spent most of her time raising our three daughters with a little help from me, In 1990 she did a Return to Nursing Course and worked for two years as a Community nurse in Tregaron in mid Wales. When we moved to Rowlands Castle she continued to work, chiefly in the Midhurst area, where she joined an excellent team of Community nurses for 11 years and specialised in wound care. She has always been very involved in the local churches where we have lived and with social justice and environmental issues. Her other interests are walking, mosaics, pilates, gardening, some cycling and trips away often with girlfriends. Out of necessity she has also always been very busy on the upkeep of the houses we have lived in. She has also been an excellent wife and mother and is now heavily involved with her 6, soon to be 7 (in May 2016), grandchildren. |
From Worksop Guardian for 3 Dec 1915. |
|
Some years ago, Tom married Miss Emily Keywood, of Steetley, whom he leaves with five young children, the eldest of whom has not yet seen seven summers. Up to the time of enlisting he lived with his family in Lincoln Street, Worksop, but Mrs Hibbard recently removed to 18, Woodend, Worksop." |
Extracts from CENSUS |
|
Emails |
My brother and I are both over 70. We are the only members of our close family still alive, another 16 are now dead and one is 97 (though she has a good memory). So we three got together, using the phone, email, the internet, old photos, a scanner, the census, FreeBMD and memory to knock up pen-portraits of all 17 members. Its astonishing how we remember different events about the same person. My little brother is doing an Autobiography about his life (but don't think I am bold enough to do mine). There are (at last count) 10 members of our family who are under 40, and not the slightest bit interested in their elders, but we are counting on that changing when we three are gone too. I persuaded my Mum at 82 to write on a card how she met my Dad; this has since become precious in the Family. There are so many things I would want to ask my elders were they still here. So, DO IT NOW before its too late! A perfect example is Gerald WALSH, who wrote his Autobiography at 70, and I have on my website (see http://www.eyemead.com/GW.htm ). I defy any reader to do better, but he had a near-perfect memory at 70. He went to the same school as me, 22 years earlier. Regards to all, John Palmer, Dorset, England Author of Wirksworth website
...which brought the following replies: Rose Kelland wrote:
Much like WendyE in Florida, I also left the UK when I was ten - why
is that the magical age, I know of others around that age who left!! I
didn't get to spend anymore Sunday lunches with Grandma and Grandad or
be with aunts and uncles and hear their version of the stories my
mother told!
Celia Renshaw wrote:
I've missed most of the "Do it now" discussion because I've been away
up north in Newcastle-Gateshead and Edinburgh-Glasgow but nothing
could be more truly said than "talk to relatives while you can"!
While on this trip, I met up with a first cousin I hadn't seen or
spoken to for over 30 years and in the course of our non-stop
discussions, she asked me if I knew anything about my dad's sister
Christine...
Wendy E wrote:
All the comments on this topic bring to mind an oft quoted phrase concerning family history research: [no matter when you start] "It's already too late!" Which speaks to the idea that there is always going to be a question you wish you'd asked of someone when either they were alive to possibly answer it, or were young enough so they might remember an answer. Of course there is always the question of accuracy even if one does get answers. :D
Do it now - a great idea, it's later than you think! I started researching my late husband's and my own families back in '97 and have just finished sending off in narrative form all my research on my husband's paternal families - including transcripts of Wills, Obligations, scanned maps, and photographs - 168 pages of it via dropbox to all interested family members. I am just sad that I didn't get it finished before my husband of 53 years, his two sisters in law, a niece and three cousins passed away - all within the last two years. As John so rightly said - Do it now!!! Best wishes Cynthia Kimpton New Zealand My kids asked me to write down the stories I would tell them of being brought up during the war years in south Manchester, my various stories of my time in the forces. (It was like a Hollywood action movie) Consequently over the years I have quite a folder of different memories stored in a disk, a desk top storage unit and in my computer. It allows me to read them and add more details I might remember. But on the other hand there is no pressure to create a book but there is enough to make up several pages. In other words make a start writing down one memory, either yours or something you were told by a parent. It may only be pieces of a memory but its surprising what comes back as you write. I my case , I only had my mom who did not know her father, a grandmother (Moms mom) who gave her away at two years of age. One grandmother (My dads mother) whose husband left her during the great depression with two sons. But in a number of trees I am researching back in the 1700's. I found out my mothers fathers name and he was a solder in the 1st world war and I think as the term goes, he was rather quick on his bike. On my dads side I find the family name was changed from Fitzmorris/Fitzmaurice to Morris by my Irish catholic gg-grandparents. (I did not know any of this). Its a great hobby, its like doing police /detective work, but boy what a rush when you come across a clue and the answer. Many thanks to all the friends on the Derbyshire list who have helped me with my SPENCER research. All my best in your own search. Mike Morris Toronto Canada Dear John, I just want to say that I've enjoyed reading this post as well as many others from you, and you are never anything but inspiring. Thank you for this extra bit of motivation! Carolyn Carolyn Hastings Clinton, MA and sometimes Norfolk, VA I first started my tree in the 80’s and thank goodness I did. My aunt (mum’s sister) in Matlock was still alive and a wealth of information and family lore. Much of it I have been able to prove since. It was in the days before the internet and my only source here was the local Latter Day Saints library so things were a lot harder to prove. I also started my dad’s tree at the same time, and the only thing I had to go on was his burial card. I contacted the cemetery with the plot number and they put me in touch with one of his sisters who had arranged the last funeral to be held in that family plot. I have since been reunited with family I didn’t know I had! Like others, my children have no interest in their history but I am hopeful they may develop an interest later. In the meantime, my son in law has taken all my family documents and photos and stored them on his computer. He seems to have more interest in genealogy than my daughters. I have started to write a biography but I still have a long way to go. But I agree with everyone else – do it now before it’s too late! Anne in Hamilton, Ontario A good place to start is with a timeline - or just one large sheet of paper to brainstorm your thoughts and note them down as they tumble out. A roll of wallpaper's good + a thick felt-tip pen. Be bold. One thought leads to another and you can sort them out and expand on them later into something written. If you are stuck you may find this website useful. http://www.lifetimememoriesandstories.com/ebooks/WritingAnAutobiography.pdf There are a number of commercial websites which I won't bother you with - but you could Google them as they may give you other starting ideas. Just don't part with any cash. If there are any oral history projects in progress in your area maybe you could join in - or start a new one. Hope this helps. Ruth Timely advice, John. Thank you. In 2009, I sent my brother and sister, and the nine cousins to whom it was relevant, a CD with an account of what I had found out about the history of my POUNTAIN (Derbyshire) and WARING (Cornwall, later Derbyshire) families - that is to say, my father's ancestors. I stopped short at my father and his siblings, plus all their spouses, with the intention that each recipient could take the narrative further, if he or she so wished. There were certain irregularities on some of their lines which they might not have wanted me to record. :o) I am in the process of doing the same for my mother's ancestors, COX (Somerset, later Derbyshire) and STOKES (Worcestershire, later Derbyshire). The big snag is that no sooner than you think you've more or less finished the task, another tantalising tale raises its head. However, I began all this so late that I could only include scraps of remembered detail. I've included things people told me, such as the fact that my father's eldest cousin, Archie, was taken on a trip by his grandmother, from Chesterfield to Stoke Climsland in Cornwall, to visit 'The Great Grandfather.' In a letter to me from Archie's wife after his death, she said he told her they had a dinner of pork and all the trimmings in Plymouth then went up the river [Tamar] and were taken by a farm cart to the Great Grand Father who was then 92. When I met Archie in the 1950s, I didn't know that I was meeting someone who had met my 2GGF! So all the really historic stuff is wonderful and addictive, but recording the memories, in their own words, of family members, is a chance so easy to miss. As you say, DO IT NOW. Kind regards Joy Trying writing your story in the third person. It's easier when things happen to other people and you're the observer :) Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Ashcott, Shapwick, Greinton and Clutton, SOM I am writing my family history for my two children although they are not at all interested. (Both approaching 40.) Like you, I think they will when I'm gone as I'm the last of my lot being an only child... At least it gives me something to do and keeps my mind active in my dotage. I'm not very good at retelling my own life though! Jane In Redcar ---------------------------------- |
Conceived, written and copyright © 2014, Robert PALMER,
|
Compiled, formatted, hyperlinked, and hand-coded
2014 by John PALMER,
|
All Rights Reserved.
.