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Today, rather belatedly, i posted, on Facebook ,in commemoration of the NHS, my gran's receipt for a request for money 'up front' to have her baby in 1940, before the NHS.
Someone replied that This was a ;'Coincidence' as his gran had the same name - 'her husband (my grandad) was from Southampton area, He was in the Merchant Navy. Don't think there's any connection but interesting'
He's only my cousin!
Our grandad was in the merchant navy for a short time, but was actually a 'docker',
My mum and her siblings fell out - they thought she was 'above her station' - she moved around a lot - dad was in the Fleet Air Arm!
I'm not sure mum helped the situation much.
I've only met this cousin once, but recognise the surname, and how many men are called Ray, spelt Rae?
Fortunately, me and my siblings still get on, despite our different social standings,
I am of the lowest of the 'social standing', (I don't own my own house) but the most highly educated.. One brother (no children) is, apparently the 'most established and well respected bonsai potters' in the UK. But we don't care!
This means our children see their cousins and even their second cousins, or whatever my sibling's grandchildren are to each other.
Last year, we had a gathering, and my nephew was there with his 2 boys aged about 4 and 6. My 2 grandsons were there (12 and 14).
They saw the 2 youngsters, and just went to play with them (they're used to this, having 2 girl first cousins of a similar age - it's lovely seeing a teenage boy skipping with his 4 year old cousin, because she insists)
When the older boys were informed the younger boys were their second cousins, they introduced the youngsters to the 'cousin fist thump' :-D <3
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That's great Maggie.
Are you going to introduce your cousin to the rest of your family?
What an interesting receipt to have in the family.
My daughter was asking me this week whether you had to pay up front for treatment before the NHS.
How great that your grandmother kept a piece of paper safe so that it is now still within the family.
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I probably won't introduce Rae to the rest of the family, but will send him copies of anything I've got of gran's that he'd like.
Gran was a bit of a hoarder. I have Identity cards, fuel allowance documents for during the war, clothing cards and ration cards.
I've also got menus from the 'Empire Windrush', and 'Devonshire', from when we (not gran) came back from Malta. Birthday cards and Christmas cards - including one from 1892.
I've got love letters between my grandparents, and even notes grandad left asking gran to get milk! Letters sent from my great uncles during the war.
Boxes of the stuff!
I've also got my great grans handmade sewing table, her (probably second hand) piano stool, full of sheet music and ancient gramophone records - and gran's 1940's HMV Gramophone player. Though I need to source a handle and some new needles for this. I've seen a place online, I just need to do it!
What with all this, my penchant for old books, and my (and my late mum's) genealogy stuff - this is why I needed at least one spare bedroom :-S
Strangely, although I have things like mum's church cards, I have nothing personal to her siblings.
Once we realised gran would have to go into a home, we started clearing the house. Mum's brother and sister were invited over to see if they wanted anything personal, but mum's sister just took gran's clothes! Her brother never came over. Chances are, mum threw out anything referring to them.
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Maggie re social standing, I have 2 brothers. One has worked all his life since 17 and now runs his own business. He owns 3 houses(2 he rents out) But he left school with no qualifications! Other brother is totally useless married with 3 children!
I don't own my house now but I went to university so I am the most educated in the family. He always says I'm the brainy one but he is the most practical and nothing wrong with that.
In mums things I found my National savings certs in a book. They were 6 shillings each(30p todays money). I also found receipts for nannas early children for their funerals. They died very young 3 of them aged 12 hours (twins),4 yrs and 6 yrs
Even then the funeral cost a few pounds which in the 1930's was still a lot of money.
But I think most of my nannas papers etc went to my aunts home as she was in charge of the funeral. She is still living but now has dementia like my mum did.
I'm in touch every now and then with my cousin her son but I'm guessing a lot of the things that she has(boxes of letters, papers etc) will probably get dumped.
I only wished I lived nearer so i could look through things when she passes as my aunt is the elder historian in the family and will have interesting things in her collection.
How amazing to read about your cousin, great story.
Talking about the cousin "fist thump", I've never heard of it except my older female cousin who was rather on the "butch" side always came up to me at family gatherings and would fist thump my upper arm and she was so strong, I used to yelp!
Florence in the hebrides
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How lovely in many ways to have so much stuff. My Nan had quite a few photos which she'd let my cousin take home to look at (only lived across the road). Well they were never seen again my Aunt was a bit weird/spiteful they were probably thrown out. Such a shame there's none left.
Think my mum still has my old school report cards now those I'd like thrown out :-D
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Caroline, I have all my school reports from P1 to secondary 6th( 1966-1979) year plus all the school photos.
I have all my children's reports too and school photos as well.
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Florence I have all of my kids school photos and reports too you never know when you might need them! :-)
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Well recently sorting things out daughter saw them and now has hers in her bedroom. She's thinking of framing them all and then making a display on her bedroom wall.
Don't think she's realised the cost yet of all the frames lol
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Gran had more stuff - but unfortunately it accidentally got thrown out.
My sister and mum were staying with my brother whilst we cleared the house out.
I was going home, lugging granny's clothes with me , to wash and iron them, before we took them to the home - hence my annoyance at my aunt taking them!
Mum and my sister were going through a box in the front room at my brothers' - but had left two in the hallway. I know my sister in law - she hates 'stuff' laying about.
Before I went, I suggested mum put them in the room with her. I was told in no uncertain terms to 'mind my own business, and wasn't I going home?'
My mums attitude to me didn't change as I grew up!
So I went, and SIL threw the boxes out! The bin men came the next day.
In the last house, I had loads of things in frames - huge frames with lots of related things in each frame, up the stair wall - where the sun didn't fade them.
I no longer have stairs, so I'm putting them in folders.
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