Your letters
The value of background reading and more...
Insights to be gained
I have been looking again at Kim Cook’s article ‘Finding Facts in Fiction’ in the April issue. For some time now I have been scouring novels, both new and contemporary, for the sort of background colour and flavour that can never be got from vital records and census entries. I have already taken extracts from the work of a number of the authors mentioned by Kim. Present-day writers, such as Bernard Cornwell, can only be admired for their skill in piecing together highly convincing descriptions of the periods about which they are writing, based on their own meticulous research. At the same time, we must be very grateful to contemporary authors, such as Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell, for recording in such detail the sights they saw and the experiences they had.
Many subtle and factual nuances can be gained from writers of fiction, such as ‘I’ve lived here … sixty year come St Thomas’, spoken by a character in George Eliot’s Adam Bede (1859). This simple observation underlines how the calendars and lives of our ancestors were governed by the church and its saints’ feast days, with which, I presume, everybody was familiar.
My particular areas of research interest are Westmorland, where I have traced my mother’s family living in the 17th century, and Manchester and Oldham, where my father’s forebears were in the cotton industry in the 18th century. I have found very little historical fiction relating to Westmorland, but there is a gem written by William and Dorothy Wordsworth, comprising diary entries, entitled Life at Grasmere (1800, also available in Penguin’s ‘English Journeys’ series). As my mother’s family were soon to move south to Manchester at about this time, I found this extract particularly revealing: ‘A young woman begged at the door – she had come from Manchester on a Sunday morn with two shillings and a slip of paper which she supposed a Bank note – it was a cheat.’ The poor thing had walked for over 70 miles, but her misfortune gives me a link between my two areas, and demonstrates that it was possible to walk from the one to the other.
There is much more to be found relating to the Lancashire cotton industry. In Charlotte Brontë’s Shirley (1849), we are given a wonderfully colourful picture of those of our female ancestors who worked as weavers: ‘… all the weaver girls, in their flowers and ribbons …’. One can almost hear them chatting amongst themselves. And in Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South (1855), a man is described as ‘a poor good-for-naught’, as he could only manage two looms at a time; high demand and poor working conditions combined to compel millworkers to labour beyond their natural limits. A lesser-known novel by Robert Neill (I was first attracted by the author’s name!),
The Mills of Colne (1958), gives a fast-paced and convincing account of the agonies faced by hand-loom weavers when they were faced with replacement by power looms.
And then there are travel commentaries, such as Daniel Defoe’s A Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain (1724, also available as a Penguin Classic). Defoe gives a very valuable and detailed description of the many places he traveled through almost three centuries ago. And there are many more such accounts – the list goes on!
I hope Kim’s article inspires many more readers to fill in the missing gaps in their family history research in ways other than simply listing names and dates.
Robert Neild
Editor: Very true Robert. Thanks for all
This simple observation underlines how the calendars and lives of our ancestors were governed by the church and its saints’ feast days
the book titles you’ve mentioned – I’m sure they will be inspirational too. If anyone else has works of fiction they’d like to recommend for their social history insights, please let us know.
Railway Lawfords
My interest in family history was sparked by the work of my mother’s cousin Francis ‘Pat’ Lawford depicting the many relatives who had worked on the Southern Railway up to 1980: the tree was ingeniously drawn up as rolling stock on railway sidings (shown, facing page). Their periods of service totalled over 2,000 years!
Before the age of industrial tribunals, my mother’s greatgrandfather was dismissed as an estate gardener – because he chose a nonconformist, Methodist, baptism for his son rather than a baptism at the boss’s church – not a very Christian act!
William Lawford then started labouring in the late 1840s on the construction of the London and South Western Railway line from Brockenhurst through the New Forest, walking great distances from his home near Ringwood to and from work each day. He was the first of many Lawfords who worked on the L&SWR, subsequently Southern Region Railway. They served in a variety of occupations from a lamp boy to a multi-station manager.
In documenting this family history, I’m keen to include more information, photos and anecdotal stories. Have any other FT readers worked with railway Lawfords or have them in the family? Maybe you have information or photos which include them? I’d be delighted to hear from you by email phildijp@icloud.com or phone 07989 204735. Phil Mitchell
Editor: I hope a fellow reader can help
you out Phil, and thank you for sharing the novel tree layout too.
My questions answered
Many in the family worked in the mills and the phrase ‘stopped for bobbins’ was regularly used...
I cannot thank you enough for publishing the article on the brilliantly written, ‘Thoughts on Writing Family Histories’” by Susie Douglas (FT October)
I have just finished writing a book about my family who lived in Victorian Lambeth called, ‘Is it to be a bullet or a ring?’ embracing a murder and a suicide.
Although all the people I have written about are dead, I still had lingering concerns about publication. Happily, the article told me exactly what I need to know, and answered all my questions, including some I hadn’t thought of!
Thanks to the article I now have the confidence to contact a publisher and I’m extremely grateful.
I would be delighted to hear from any descendants of the Mcquillin, Turner, Crowhurst and Hodges families. My email address is scottishrifles@yahoo.co.uk
F. Mcquillin Editor: Really glad that Susie’s extremely thorough article was able to help you take that next step in publishing your writing. Good luck.
Have you ‘stopped for bobbins’?
Further to ‘Copper bottomed’ (FT December 2021).
As a born and bred Mancunian many in the family worked in the mills and the phrase ‘stopped for bobbins’ was regularly used.
In the factory it meant that your machine was not running (stopped) because either the supply of bobbins (which carry the thread) had run out or there was a particular problem with one or more bobbins.
At home, as a question by parents, “Are you stopped for bobbins?” usually translated to “why aren’t you getting on with whichever job I asked you to do”?. As a smart answer “I’m stopped for bobbins” was usually best used as you skipped out the door!
My nana used a “posher” when washing clothes in the hot water copper. Shaped like a milking stool on a long handle, which had a crossbar, it was used to push the clothes under the surface of the soapy water and swish them about. A strenuous job, if two people worked together they would often chant “Up, down, left, right” to keep time.
Mums, then as now, had little patience for nowty (grouchy), mithering (pestering) or skriking (crying) children.
As kids we were taught you ‘didn’t get owt (anything) for nowt (nothing)’ but you often got summat (something) if you said ‘please’ nicely. If you did, you’d be proper chuffed (very pleased).
Anyroad (in any case) a good brew (cup of tea) would help most situations, and if you were proper poorly a Lancashire tea (tea with a good dollop of whiskey) would cure all ills! Anne Benham
Editor: Thanks for the evocative trip down your memory lane, Anne. As dear Tom Wood used to write, keep ’em comin’ – we’d love to hear other examples of family favourite bygone words and phrases.
Adoption details
I wanted to expand on your expert’s answer to the question from Margaret Barnaby ‘Seeking adopted aunt’, in FT June 2021.
Whilst it is correct that Margaret could put her name on the government’s Adoption Contact Register, the law in England and Wales does now allow her to request an Intermediary Service for the purpose of tracing the birth family of her aunt.
Since she is the descendant of a (now deceased) adopted adult, she has a right to ask for a search to be made for the birth family, and for a surviving relation to be contacted on her behalf. Note, however, that she has no right to be given any identifying information, as consent remains with the birth family. Margaret can approach her Local Authority to ask if they offer an Intermediary Service to descendants, or she can contact a government registered Adoption Support Agency for this. The latter may offer a private Intermediary Service (which is registered and inspected by Ofsted) so there will probably be a fee payable for the service. Kathy Wilshaw
Editor: Thank you for explaining this in more detail, Kathy.
When did you last log in?
Re: The Family Tree Study Club meeting (October 2021), at which the date on which people are displayed as having last logged into Ancestry was discussed.
I also have the issue with Ancestry saying I last logged in 3-11 months ago, when in fact I am using it at least 3-4 times a month if not more. I thought it might help to add evidence to the problem. I have also logged out and logged back in and the message is still the same. Di Anderson
Editor: Thanks for sharing your experiences, Di. This is useful to learn, as it shows that it is well worth contacting someone on Ancestry, even if they don’t appear to be currently researching their tree – as they may well be doing so.