General Chat

Hello, friends of Jane. It's Fitz here. I've been with her for three hours, going over all the amazing facts you have dug up about my strange family history. I'm deeply intrigued - not least, I must admit, by the extraordinary sums of money that seem to have been flying around at that time (though not, it seems, in my direction since then!). Some years ago, I peeped through the letter box at 20 Park Street - it runs parallel to Park Lane . Very grand. The current (billionaire) owner's chauffeur enquired what I was up to. You see, I'm a nosy old bugger, just like Jane. I did have time to see an antique iron lift, serving the six floors.

Edie was an adorable and loving grandmother until her death in 1976. I know she agonised a lot about her early life, but she never told us about her childhood - perhaps because she could neither remember it clearly nor had ever been told (as her "uncle's" letter implies).

I'm truly grateful to you all for the fantastic response to that weird letter from Manciewicz to Edith. By the way, we've just found Edith's marriage certificate, which gives her father's name as (I blush to mention) FRED(erick) WEST! No name for mother, regrettably.

I'll keep scrummaging around (especially with Jane on my back). In the meantime, all best wishes and thanks again.

Fitz.

hi Hello everyone glad to be back nice to know everyone missed me at least two people
haha only joking. Sympathy to Catie and her family.Thank you for noticing I was missing Shirl. I have my computor now thanks to David and a very nice gent who delivered it to me with a bunch of Roses he owns a flower shop. I haved had some very funny jokes
also. Here is one Donnie and Beryl are engaged to marry.His mum on hearing the news
broke down in tears and said I wanted to be a grannie and that stupid son of mine is engaged to one. no comment it happened at my daughters birthday party on Monday
and Tuesday my daughter had her interview she had to write a paper on the Seperation
of Powers and the British Constitution. her comment I had to face a boring lot of old gits
and my old boss. There is be another interview .It was a journey to Euston then a train to Canary Wharf near the new stadium and I think by the time my daughter arrived she
was tired and not feeling like being interviewed

I hope Fritz,s did not see my version of his letter my romantic effort not a mention I notice then I did not have all the rest of the information that everyone decided to forward It must have made Fritzs very happy Would love your book if you are offering Frank or would you have to split it several ways.
I am just back from Llanfairpllgyngyllgogerychwrndrobwillantrysihogogogoch shorter version Llanfairpwllgyngyll or The White church of St Mary. my son in laws mum lives there near Aberystwyth in Wales of course. Son Matt went to New York to sing in a choir in Carnegie Hall came back and fell and broke his leg while hiking at Snowden
Jessica then took her medication twice and put herself in hospital after passing out in
a foodmarket. We went up to Wales and brought back my grandaughter April and her friend Megan they go back to school next week and will take her home Sunday to the above.. what a year well it could be worse like poor Catie loosing a relative. I do not
know what happened not reading all the threads yet.

My son in law made me laugh he went to the mosque to pray today and a man stole a phone from the man kneeling in front of him and put it in his hat and it rang later and this music was coming from his head and everyone was looking at him. The elder came over and said Oh deerie me my son no phones in the mosque ,He had to act fast this man who stole the phone and he said I took it from the floor man in front had dropped it.
The man in front turned round and said Oh thank you my friend I will buy you a coffee after prayer and the thief who took his phone said oh thank you my friend I will be honoured to give you 1O minutes for coffee bless you. That tickled me pink.
bye for now hope e veryone is well SHEILA XXX

Oh there you are Shelia. We thought you must be getting your new pooter and know it takes time to set it up.

Glad your back.

welcome back Sheila-----
One question---Who's going to carry Who OVER THE THREASH HOLD ha ha ---Beryle engaged good luck to her lol Will she ask you to be FLOWER-GIRL sHEILA --LOLXXX To many jokes here one can go for but
I shant be cruel ((yet))


I'd like the lemon How much dose a tin cost Mel?

If I've read this right ---
Mr Mankiney in 1861 census had a daughter ADA Mankiney about year old-- Couldn't she have been Edith's Mother ----Fredrick West father?
People with money like that are not about to take in any child --would have to have been blood rellie????

Perhaps Fred West's wife died whilst giving birth to Edie and thats why there is no mothers name on the birth cert.

Oh my hunch was right then that Mankiewicz was the letter writer!! Fitz definitely now needs to get his grandmother's birth cert to see who her mother was.

Just spotted your post Mel.....had missed the fact that there was no mother shown on the b cert.

Fitz truly has an absolutely fascinating family history Jane. I was just looking at George's sister Ada Harfield Mankiewicz b 1860. In 1883 she married an Alexander Julius Heinrich Wilhelm Marc b1850 in Germany (later became a naturalised Brit) Sadly, she died at only age 31 in 1891 the year her last child was born. Alexander was a stock and sharebroker living at 42 Park St when he remarried in 1897. I have found a lovely snippet about his earlier military career leading to him being made a Knight of the Iron Cross!!! I will try to e-mail it to you now Jane............ Fitz may like to see it even though he is not a blood relation. Edith's Auntie Ada married well!!! lol

Evening all,

First of all my thoughts are with Catie and her family at this sad time , how quickly your world can be turned upside down .

We have had a lovely day at the Zoo ,the little ones were good and the weather was just right ,we're all tired out !!!

Nice to see you back Sheila with your stories !

Jane , you must get Fitz to send off for the birth cert ,oh this is exciting !!

Just caught up with the posts, how tragic for Catie's family......looking forward to a happy event, then such a dreadful thing happens. Everything upside down as Mandy says. So sorry for them.

The lady in the hospice with 2 children died yesterday morning so OH is doing the radio reports tonight and tomorrow at Harrogate. OH was approached to give the boy (age 11) a lift to Harrogate, but I'm not sure whether it is a good idea or not. Different maybe if he had a friend with him. My instinct is that to spend 6 hours travelling in a car with strangers 2 days after his mum has died may not be a good idea. It looks like it isn't happening now anyway as there's been no call to confirm it.

Sheila, do you remember Beryl the Peril.......I think you have one!! lol Whatever will she do next??

Just popping in quickly .........Sheila Fitz read everyones comments ( even yours)lol.He was so pleased that anyone bothered to be even interested in his family .He can't get over it .
Ann he has the marriage certificate which has the father as Frederick West,but no Mothers name.
Your hunch was right .Also the name Maxwell was the name he must have used .Sometimes they turned their names into English sounding names.
Must go ,as Hannah has just got back from London ,and I want to find out about the job.
BBL

HI Annx I do remember her I wonder what she will do next
Donnies mum is very disapointed she hoped to be a grannie one day. I spoke to Donnies mum at Beryls house she had come to see Donnie but would not go into meet Beryl .Donnies mum thought I was Beryl not sure if that was a compliment or not haha.Did you say you wouild like to go and see the violinist Andrew Rieu he is in Birmingham Sept 23rd and my friend Annie is going to see him she is paying £102 for a seat. . Annie was raving over his talents she asked me to go but I said I had not got the money so her couson is going but sitting elsewhere and paying £95 for a ticket. Fritz s relatives sound facinating I bet he appreciated the efforts from Jane and everybody including yourself. So conclusion Beryl the Peril got Denice the Menace.

Or should that be Beryl the Peril got Donnie the manace??

Have Stripped the bed today and washed it but have'nt got the sheets on the line yet!!!!! They can stay out over night.

OH has to help me with the quilt since we had a kingsize as I am not big enough or strong enough to lift it up on my own. It just swamps me and I get cross. It puffs me out and I have to have rests between things.

oh bless Fritz.s he sounds very nice I am glad you were able to help him. so many people breaking legs around me
it is scary I find myself walking really carefully. I will now go
and see what April and Megan are up to last time they were putting a hat on Jasper and trying to load him into the wheelbarrow poor dog I hope all is well with Hannah.
I will read more threads later. Shirl not been asked to be a flower girl she may ask me to carry her zimmer frame.sorry just being nasty.!!!!

Very good Mel poor Beryl but you have to laugh.

I WONDER.

England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915
about Edith West
Name: Edith West
Estimated birth year: abt 1864
Year of Registration: 1888
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
Age at Death: 24
District: Godstone
County: Surrey
Volume: 2a
Page: 118

Seems like our Fritz Family History research is coming on well.

I am Shattered!!!!!!! My exercise class was really hard going and I will be crippled tomorrow so the teacher says. It feels as if I have just been riding a horse for hour's , my legs ache, back aches, I could hardly eat my dinner as I am so tired , I went straight into the bath when I got home from babysitting Sofia. and OH has gone to do the weekly shopping by himself tonight as I am just to tired to walk round the supermarket.

It has been a beautiful day weather wise about 25 , had a lovely walk in the park with Sofia and we spent 1/2 hr sitting in the sun eating biscuites and drinking water.

Mel,Edith died in 1976 ( I think )
Just doing dinner now ,( I think) lol.Hannah has accepted the job in London.
Must go and stir the rice!!

Jane , i think Mel was wondering if this was Edith's mother !! as this Edith died in 1888!! is that right Mel??