Notes of Life

Brothers

While I don’t have any photos of Granddad Charlie as a child, I do have a photo of his 4 older brothers together.

Alfred (left), Richard (sat at the front), Edward (stood at the back) and John (right).

I don’t know much about the brothers, but their names were shortened – Alfred was known as Fred, Richard was known as Dick, Edward was known as Ned and John was known as Jack. It seems quite a common thing, in various lines of our family, for people to have either have had their names shortened or to be known by their middle name. Mind you, the boys’ father was called John as was his father, so I imagine it could get a little confusing within the family!

I do have a photo of Granddad Charlie and 2 of his brothers later in life which I should get scanned in.

In total Granddad Charlie had 13 siblings (3 of whom were half-siblings) and a step-sister, so it was by no means a small family!

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Sisters

Nan Gladys also had a large number of siblings – 1 brother and 10 half-siblings (9 on her father’s side and 1 on her mother’s).

Nan (sat down) & Aunt Sally

Again, Nan’s actualy 1st name was Muriel, but she was known by her middle name and Aunt Sally’s proper name was actually Sarah.

They got on well in their early years, but I’m told they argued a lot later in life (though that didn’t stop Aunt Sally coming to live with Nan & Granddad in her later years). I’m told it was 6 of one and half a dozen of the other, most of the time. I think it’s pretty much the same with me and my Dad, so I know where we get it from!

I’m told Aunt Sally once scrubbed the non-stick stuff off a non-stick pan as she thought it was burnt on! She must have scrubbed all day, but she wasn’t going to let it beat her!

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This post was written for the 11th Edition of Smile For The Camera.

The word prompt is “Brothers & Sisters”.

Why not join in?!

We believe this photo to be that of one of my Great Grandfather Alfred Derricutt’s brothers, but which one is it?

Alfred had 4 older brothers (Francis, George, John and Thomas) and 2 younger brothers (William and James). I know for certain that it isn’t James Derricutt as he died aged 1.

I believe it is most likely to be Francis Derricutt (the eldest of the brothers) or Thomas Derricutt, as the pair lived closest to the photography studio (R.G. Arnold’s in Market Drayton, Shropshire, England).

Francis was born in 1839 and died in 1907, while Thomas was born c1846 and died in 1915.

I’ve got a newspaper cutting of my Great Grandfather’s obituary in 1936, but I’ve noticed a couple of mistakes in it. The obituary reads:

“The death occurred on Friday at Sarn, Mont. of Mr. Alfred Derricutt, who for many years lived at Wigland. He was 88 years of age, and up to quite recently enjoyed fairly good health. The funeral took place at Malpas Cemetery on Tuesday, when the Rev. P .C. Beeston (vicar of Tushingham) officiated. The chief mourners were Mr. and Mrs. Harry Derricutt, Higher Wych (son and daughter-in-law), M. J. Derricutt, Cholmondeley (son); Mr. and Mrs. Porter, Whitchurch (son-in-law and daughter); Mrs. Davies, Crewe (daughter); Mrs. Mitton, Welshpool (daughter); Mr. and Mrs. Trow Sarn, Montgomery (son-in-law and daughter); Miss Derricutt, Clutton (daughter); Miss Edna Derricutt (grand-daughter); Misses Madge and Doris Derricutt (grand-daughters). Others who followed were Mr. John Evans (Malpas), Mr. S. Evans (Wigland), Mr Appleby (Higher Wych), Mr. T. Leivesley (Wigland), Mr. J. Mullock (Bradley), Mrs. H. Hopley, etc.”

Alfred didn’t die at Sarn, he died at the hospital in Forden. However, Alfred had lived in Sarn during the later years of his life.

“M. J. Derricutt” should read “Mr. J. Derricutt”. Alfred had 4 sons (Thomas, Harry, Francis and John) – although 2 (Thomas and Francis) died before him, as had 2 daughters.

The newspaper cutting looks to be from a newspaper local to Maplas (Cheshire) rather than Montgomeryshire.

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a “Show & Tell!”, in fact, it’s probably been 2 decades! The latest topic for the Carnival of Genealogy is… you’ve guessed it… “Show & Tell!”, so, having been absent without leave for the past few months in regards to the CoG, I thought I’d join in.

May I present to you…

The Top Hat

The Top Hat was Great Grandfather Alfred’s, but sadly I don’t think we have a photo of him wearing it.

Inside the Top Hat

Inside the Top Hat is a name written in ink. To me, the initial looks like a “J” which would mean the hat originally belonged to Alfred’s brother John. This makes sense as John was a Farmer where as Alfred was a lowly paid Agricultural Labourer.

Also inside the Top Hat is the name of the hat maker and of the seller.

Christys’ London had been making hats long before my Great Grandfather and his brothers were born and they are still making them now long after their deaths.

T & R Gilman of Hanley would have sold the hat to my Great Great Uncle John.

Sadly, I’m not able to tell you much more about this Top Hat, but it’s something I’ve not mentioned here before. We also have a Bowler Hat, which Dad also believes belonged to my Great Grandfather Alfred.

I love things like this Top Hat, the Bowler Hat and Alfred’s old Pocket Watch. There’s just something about them.

I look forward to the next Show & Tell!

Last weekend, my parents & I decided to have a day out. I chose Nantwich in Cheshire as we have some family there and we could pass through some Ancestreal places along the way.

We drove along winding lanes through Higher Wych and Wigland where my Nan grew up and where my Great Grandfather had settled, along the way to the small town of Malpas. It was the nearest town to where Great Grandfather Alfred called his home. He had married there and, despite dying here in Mid Wales, he was taken there to be buried.

Until a couple of years ago, we hadn’t realised my Great Grandparents’ grave had a headstone. We first found it using a map provided by the caretaker. There was the headstone, albeit with Great Granddad’s age shown a couple of years younger than he actually was. However, some of the lead lettering was broken or fallen off so we vowed to return and get it fixed.

Back to last weekend… In pouring rain, we crossed the cemetery only to find that part of it had been fenced off. Even more unsettling were the sheep grazing in the fenced off area! We passed through the gate into the fenced off area of the cemetery and tried our best to dodge the sheep mess. The fence cruely cut graves in half with some headstones being one side of the fence and the rest of the grave being the other. I wasn’t happy!

With the rain coming down, we rushed to find my Great Grandparents’ grave. It wasn’t where we thought it was. Then we spotted it. Another small patch had been fenced off, this time to keep the sheep from a select grave and in doing so, they had kept the sheep from my Great Grandparents’ grave. The grave in front of ours was obviously being visited on a regular basis and with our grave directly behind it, it had been saved from the sheep. I was relieved.

However, when we got to the grave, the grass that had once been kept neat by the caretaker now grew wildly over it. The stones that had once adorned it were now swamped by the overgrown grass. The gravestone face had deteriorated and the flower holders were now behind the gravestone instead of resting on the grave.

I wasn’t happy. Why was the rest of the cemetery being kept in a beautiful condition, but this part no longer being cared for? If I lived nearby I could take care of it myself, but I live an hour & a half away. When the weather gets better Dad and I are going to return to tidy up my Great Grandparents’ grave and repair the lead lettering.

We left the cemetery disheartened.