"...to seek and to find the past, a lineage, a history, a family built on a flesh and bone foundation."

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Travel Thursday: Monday Fun Day in London

The National Archives UK
Over the last few years, part of what I have been working on for my history work entails that I visit the National Archives UK [NAUK] in Kew, London. It is a first class facility with plenty of helpful staff, and a wonderfully QUIET reading room in which the only sounds you should hear are those of crinkling old paper and the pages of books being turned. It is a positively blissful atmosphere in which to work.

When I go over to Kew, I often fly into London Heathrow very early on a Monday morning. NAUK is closed on Mondays, so flying in early allows for a free day to play the tourist in London, while saving the cost of staying over on Sunday night. Some people avoid Heathrow because it's the biggest and the busiest airport in London, but I love the energy of Heathrow. Best of all, it is the closest airport to Kew, it runs like clock-work and you can catch the underground train just a short walk from Terminal 2.

In today's Travel Thursday post, I am offering some travel advice for heading to Kew from Ireland, as well as some ideas for ways in which you might spend your time on the Monday you arrive. You will note that what I am suggesting here comprises more than one jam-packed day in London. You may want to choose only one or two sights to visit, depending on your fitness level and your stamina. Also, if you stay out all day, keep in mind your choices for travelling back to Kew. Personally, I feel comfortable travelling on the Tube in the early evening and at night, but you may feel otherwise. Though it will cost you more, taxi cabs are always an option.

If you are in Ireland and you decide to pop over for a little research, in the autumn Aer Lingus commuter flights leave Dublin Airport as early as 6:30 am. To keep things economical, be sure to take one small overnight bag for clothes, MacBook/laptop/iPad etc., and a very small crossbody bag for passport, money, protein bar etc. — nothing else. Also, if it will be your first time visiting the Archives, you will need to register for a reader's ticket. Visit National Archives UK online for full details to ensure your visit will be a successful one.

Before you go...

Left: Service updates on London Tube App; Right: Google Maps.
Be sure you have both apps on your phone.
Before you travel, set yourself up for success by buying and loading your Visitor Oyster card online. An Oyster card is the most popular payment method for public transport in London. Also, download the London Tube App. It is invaluable for getting service updates. The Tube system is extensive, and closures and delays are part of the daily operations, so knowing about them in advance will make your day go more smoothly. Be sure you have the Google Maps app on your phone too, as this will allow you to plan your walking route more effectively, as well as provide you with further information on public transport. 

Well in advance of your trip, book your stay in Kew, the location of the National Archives. There are a couple of small independent hotels in Kew that are about 10 minutes walk to the Archives. My favourite is the Coach & Horses on Kew Green. It’s a lovely little boutique hotel that is only about a 10 minute walk from Kew Gardens Station, and from the Archives. A little further afield from the Archives is the Kew Gardens Hotel (best avoided in my experience, as I stayed there twice, and it was awful on both occasions. However, I understand it may be under new ownership). If you prefer a more conventional hotel, there is the Premier Inn London Richmond. It is located in Richmond, as the name says, and is about 25 mins walk from the Archives. There are also a couple of B & Bs in the area, and of course Air BnB is always an option. 

When you arrive at your accommodation, you’ll be too early for check-in, so call in advance to ensure your hotel will allow you to drop off your bag (Be sure it will be held in a secure spot). Drop off your bag, and you’re ready to go.

When you land…

Once you’re set to leave Heathrow Airport, travel to Kew Gardens Station on the London Tube. Heathrow has three London Underground stations. One serves Terminals 2 and 3 — it’s in between them, and there is a walkway to get there. There is also an underground station at Terminal 4 and one at Terminal 5. 

To get to Kew Gardens Station, you will need to take the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith (District & Piccadilly Line), then make a quick switch at Hammersmith to the District line to Kew Gardens Station. Then walk to your chosen accommodation and drop off your bag. 

Head out for a day in London…

Off we go...

From Kew Gardens Station, take the District Line to Hammersmith; switch to the Piccadilly Line to South Kensington Station (about 25 mins total time). This will bring you to the heart of Albertopolis. There are also a number of lovely shops and restaurants close to South Kensington station.

Left: Royal Albert Hall; Right; The Albert Memorial.
Two of the sights you might visit in Albertopolis.
What is Albertopolis?

In the South Kensington area of London, following the fabulous success of the Great Exhibition of 1851, Prince Albert, prince consort to Queen Victoria, had the brilliance of forethought to create a metropolis of art, science and culture. Albert was worried that the British Empire was lagging behind the rest of the world, and so he wanted to create schools for learning, as well as archives and museums, which would celebrate all the best of the British Empire, and mark out Britain as the world leader in the areas of art, science, and culture. 

After Albert's death in 1861, Queen Victoria continued to add to this area, which had become known colloquially as 'Albertopolis'. Laying the cornerstone at what was to be named the Central Hall of Arts and Sciences, Queen Victoria officially christened it Royal Albert Hall. In effect Victoria ensured that the area serves as a national memorial to the memory of her husband.

In addition to Royal Albert Hall, there are numerous sights to visit in this area including the Albert Memorial, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Royal College of Music, The Royal College of Art and the Museum of Natural Science.

Where Pussy Cat went...

Once you’ve had your fill of Albertopolis, you may want to go on to see Buckingham Palace. You won't be able to visit the Queen, as the storied Pussy Cat did, but you can get an outside view of one of the palaces in which she lives. Also, the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of the palace, at the top of the Mall is a sight to behold. It is only a 20-25 minute walk from South Kensington to Buckingham Palace (or 15 minutes via the Tube on the Piccadilly, Circle or District Lines to Green Park Station, then 8 minutes walk to Buckingham Palace).

Buckingham Palace on a sunny/rainy day.
From Buckingham Palace, a 15 minute walk up the Mall and through the Admiralty Arch will take you to Trafalgar Square, home to Nelson's Monument, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, — the royal parish church and church of the Admiralty — and a number of statues of historical import.

Left: The Admiralty Arch; Right: Nelson's Monument dominating Trafalgar Square
You may want to travel to the Palace at Westminster, with Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. Be aware that the Elizabeth Tower in which the clock is located is currently scaffolded and will remain so until 2020. These extraordinary buildings are directly over the road from one another, and are only a 15 minute walk from Buckingham Palace. Also, on the grounds of Westminster Abbey is St. Margaret’s Church. Consecrated in 1523, it is the Church of the House of Commons, and is worth a visit.

Left: Entrance to Westminster Abbey; Right: The Abbey Cloisters.
Consider walking to and from all of these sights, because if you take the underground you’ll miss a number of sights along the way. For instance if you follow Bird Cage Walk, you'll see St. James’ Park, the Guards Museum, Flanders Fields Memorial Garden, and the Imperial War Museum (at Horse Guards Road), to name a few.

Up in the air or down on the Thames...

The London Eye
Cross over Westminster Bridge and take a spin in one of the pods on the London Eye (it's actually called the Coca-Cola London Eye) for extraordinary views. In advance be sure to book online to get into the fast-track line up. You will still have to line up, but it will not take quite so long. Be aware that they are strict about what you can take into the pod. No professional camera equipment, luggage or huge rucksacks, tripods etc.

The Palace at Westminster & The Elizabeth Tower that holds Big Ben. I shot this from a boat on the Thames.
Currently, the Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben are completely covered by scaffolding and will be until 2020.  
If heights are not your cup of tea, hop onto a Thames River Cruise. Be sure to take the cruise that travels out to the Palace of Placentia at Greenwich (the primary palace of Henry VIII and birthplace of the very first queen named Elizabeth). Greenwich is the home of the Prime Meridian, where east meets west, and GMT - Greenwich Mean Time. Nearby is the Cutty Sark and the National Maritime museum. On the trip you will also see the Shard, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, The New Globe Theatre, and numerous other sights of interest. Google ‘Thames River Cruise’ for cruise company options and to get full details.

A few sights I've shot along the way on the Thames.
Clockwise: Tower Bridge, The Shard, The Tower of London, and The New Globe Theatre.
To visit in Kew...

Given that you’ll be staying in Kew, if you have no interest in travelling far afield, be sure to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens, aka Kew Gardens. The Elizabeth Gate entrance is 4 mins walk, just over the road from the Coach & Horses. Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage site. With more than 50,000 different types of plant life, it is the most biodiverse place on our planet. As well, it boasts the largest Victorian glass house in the world, along with Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte’s cottage. Visit kew.org to learn about all Kew Gardens has to offer.

St. Anne's Church & churchyard, Kew Green.
If your taste runs to that of the taphophile, St. Anne's Churchyard on Kew Green is directly over the road from the Coach & Horses. Among those interred here is English portrait and landscape painter Thomas Gainsborough, likely best known for his portraits including 'The Blue Boy', 'The Lady in Blue' and 'Georgiana, The Duchess of Cavendish'. William Aiton, gardener to King George III, and widely recognised as the first 'true keeper' of the gardens at Kew is also buried here, along with a number of other 18th century notables. A little further away — about 20 mins walk from NAUK — is the Old Mortlake Burial Ground. Notable burials here include Charles Dickens Jr., first born son of the famous novelist, and Georgina Hogarth, sister-in-law of Dickens Sr.. Georgina is the woman who edited and published two volumes of his letters after Dickens' death.

Throughout the day be sure to stay well hydrated and well fed. I always carry protein bars with me; they are perfect if lunch options are limited. In Kew there are a number a traditional pubs, including those connected to the hotels. Also, if you’re interested in delicious French food try ‘Ma Cuisine’, a bistro near Kew Gardens Station. Owned by two ex-pat French gentlemen, this lovely little bistro has wonderful food, service and atmosphere. It is a little slice of Paris in Kew.

Travel safely, and be open to seeing as much as you can. Have a wonderful Monday in London, and good luck with your research at the National Archives on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...and so on.

Disclosure: Any suggestions made in this blog post are based purely on my own experience. I am not compensated in any way by any company of any description for making reference to any particular hotel, sight or website, nor am I in any way responsible for the content, URL changes, opinions, or any other matter expressed on the sites to which this blog is linked.

©Jennifer Geraghty-Gorman



Friday, April 5, 2019

In the little grey cottage, a portrait trimmed in black crepe...

When you think about relatives whose homes you visited when you were a child, what do you recollect about those visits? What sorts of things struck you about those family members? Is it names or faces you recall? Maybe something else stands out for you, perhaps a piece of furniture or a portrait hanging on the wall in a reception room?

Such was the case for my mother. Mam recalled that when she was a very young child, her father Patrick would take all his children on visits to a family whose surname she believed was Pells. These jaunts to the home of the Pells were something my mam and her siblings excitedly anticipated. Although she did not know the exact nature of the relationship between the two families, my mother did recall some details about the family and the home in which they lived.

Visiting the Pells usually meant spending tea time with them, as they lived a long walk away from Ringsend. In fine weather the family would travel along the Liffey quays, delighting in all the sights of busy Dublin City. When they arrived at the Pells, there would be warm embraces from the mother and father of the household, greeting each child as they passed through the doorway of the little dove grey cottage on Liffey Street. When the tea was presented, it was with thick slices of warm bread slathered in creamy butter. There was the tiny table laid out especially for the children by the Pells' beautiful adult daughter, Rosanna, a girl with perfect posture who wore her mass of auburn hair piled high upon her head.

At the forefront of my mother's recollections of these wonderful visits was a photograph that enthralled her. In a beautiful dark wood frame, trimmed with a ribbon of black crepe, the picture hung above a side board in the front room. It was a portrait of a handsome young man in the uniform of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, a tender looking man with an open face and bright clear eyes, a young man with the same perfect posture as Rosanna, a young man about whom no one ever uttered a word. 

When my mother was still very young, the family visits to the little dove grey cottage inexplicably ended, and the family, together their name, was forgotten for a long time. Their name re-emerged during a conversation I had with my mother a few months before she died. Mam recollected those lovely childhood visits and that intriguing portrait of the handsome young soldier. She felt sure their surname was Pells, spelled P-E-L-L-S.

While following a thread in the line of my maternal great-grandmother Jane Early, I discovered the surname is Pell, not Pells. The error is an understandable one, given that a visit to the family was probably preceded by the explanation, 'We're going to the Pells'; one Pell becomes all Pells. Also, I learned that Mrs. Teresa Pell had died in 1939 and Mr. John Pell had passed in 1943, thus the probable reason for the end of my mam's childhood visits. Better still, I uncovered the likely identity of the young man in the photograph.

*********************

William Francis Pell was born in Dublin Ireland on 8 September, 1891. He was the second born child, and first born son, of Teresa Early and John Pell. Teresa Early Pell was the youngest sister of my maternal great-grandmother, Jane Early Ball. At various times in the late 19th and early 20th century, the two sisters and their respective families lived together. William's first cousin, my grandfather Patrick Ball, was six years old when William was born.

The Pell family in toto appears on the 1901 Irish Census; William is notably absent from the 1911 Irish Census. He may have already been serving with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (RDF); however, I have not yet found evidence to support such a conclusion.

William Pell served in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, as part of the 10th Brigade, 4th Division; his regimental number was 8328. Thankfully, over the years, I have been able to find some military records for young William, including the diaries of his battalion, William's medal card, the casualty list for his battalion, the Personal Effects Registry in which he is mentioned, and his entry in Ireland's Memorial Records, and I have been fortunate to visit his grave in Belgium.

Upon enlisting, William served in the rank of Private; however, both the casualty list and William's gravestone attest to the fact that he held the rank of Lance Corporal when he was killed. Other casualties among the ranks may have led to this 'promotion' or appointment. No matter the reason for this promotion, it meant that less than 3 months before his death, this young man was in command of a section of his battalion.

The war diaries of the 2nd Battalion, RDF, composed by their commander Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Loveband tell us that everyday from 9 October 1914 — the date William officially entered the theatre of war — as the battalion marched from Pisseleux to Hazebrouck, Sylvestre, Fontaine, Meteren, to Armentieres, on to Frelinghein, and on into Belgium, they faced heavy shelling, reverse fire and sniper fire. Every single day soldiers were killed or wounded 1.

On 24 Oct the brigade waited all day for a general attack by the 6th army, an attack that never came. It was on this day that William chose to write out his last will and testament on a page in his 'Small Book'.2 After all he and his comrades had been through, perhaps William had a presentiment that he was not long for this world. The rest of October saw a couple of quiet days. On 29 October the diarist Loveband noted it was a fairly cold and wet, but quiet day. The decision was made to build another trench.

November was marked by bitter cold, snow and icy rain, along with shelling and heavy sniper fire. On 22 November they marched to Nieppe where they were billeted. The only bright spot in these difficult months emerged at Nieppe, where the men were finally allowed to bathe. In a local brewery, the huge vats were filled with hot water so they could bathe. The soldiers were allowed to strip down and jump in en masse. While they bathed, local women repaired any uniforms in need of new seams or a stitch or two. Afterward they were issued clean underwear, and feeling refreshed, they happily marched to their billets on the outskirts of Armentieres.3

December brought more of the terror that November had brought, and with little respite.

7 January 1915 was a miserable day. It had snowed the day before and was bitter cold. On the 7th it rained all day long in trenches that were already in very poor condition. The enemy shelled the left trench rather more than usual on that particular day, and engaged in significant sniper fire. It was on this day that young William was killed; he was the only casualty in his brigade.

In an extraordinary coincidence, William Francis Pell is interred in Prowse Point Military Cemetery in Belgium, the same cemetery in which my paternal great-grandmother's brother William Dunne is interred. They are two among a total of only two hundred and twenty-five interred, and their graves are only a few metres away from one another. I do not know how well William Pell and William Dunne knew each other, if at all. Their families were not yet connected, and would not be for some forty years to come. (See ...Following the road of my two Williams)

William Pell's grave marker, caressed by a rose.
According to his medal card, William Pell was awarded the 1914 Star, the Victory Medal, and the British War Medal. The card bears the telling phrase 'K. in A.', the benign way of noting that he was killed in action. The medals card also states his qualification date as 9 October 1914. As I noted earlier, this is the date on which William first entered the theatre of war, just three months before his death. The medals would have been sent to his family.

At the time of William's death, the Pell family was living in the little dove grey cottage on Liffey Street, the home my mam visited when she was a child. Although there is no slip of paper bearing the signature of his mother or his father for receipt of those medals at their door, I wonder what that day was like when those medals arrived, and just when it was that the Pell family added the ribbon of black crepe to the portrait of their handsome young man.

In July of 1915, William’s mother Teresa was sent his personal effects comprising £5. 1s. 6d (read 5 pounds, 1 shilling and 6 pence). In June of 1919, Teresa was sent a war gratuity of £3.4 Less than £10 for the life of her beautiful boy, William, lost to her when he was only 23 years old.

Some of records that helped to fill out William's story.

Endnotes:

1. National Archives UK (NAUK); Kew, London, England: reference WO 95/1481/4: War Diaries 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, August 1914 - Oct 1916. (Accessed Sept. 2012)

2. Each man who served in the British Forces during the First World War was given what was referred to as a Small Book. All of the regulations of the branch in which these men served were laid out, chapter and verse, on the pages of this little book. There were also blank pages on which the soldiers could record information about the details of their training. Among these blank pages was the one entitled ‘Will’. When a soldier was called to active duty, this completed page usually would be given to his local army office. Sometimes the will page was not removed from his book until after his death, and some of these pages no longer exist at all. Although over 35,000 Irishmen were killed during the First World War, only 9,000 of their wills are extant.

3. National Archives UK (NAUK); Kew, London, England: reference WO 95/1481/4: War Diaries 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, August 1914 - Oct 1916. (Accessed Sept. 2012)

4. National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1915; Pell, William/ Personal Effects, entry #153041. (Accessed Sept. 2012).


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Unless otherwise credited, all photographs ©jgg.

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Stepping into the Looking Glass: Reflections of ourselves in our family trees

This is a post about questions, rather than answers, but I believe they are questions worthy of contemplation.

In the whole of your life if you never saw an image of yourself, would you wholly know who you are? What would your perceptions of yourself be?

These questions were inspired by a late 19th century image in Aoife O'Connor's book Small Lives, an image in which a group of farm children from Connemara Ireland are pictured (See the photos here: NLI Tuke Collection). The photographer, Major Ruttledge-Fair, showed the children a copy of a photograph in which they appear. While the children pictured could easily point out their friends in the photograph, they did not recognize themselves in the image. Fair accounted for this lack of recognition saying,

"[The children] know each other at once, but not one recognises himself or herself never having seen that same — looking glasses being unknown." (O'Connor 26)


Those of us who are blessed with eyesight are accustomed to the image in the looking glass each morning, even as that image changes over time. Even without a mirror in the house, like Narcissus, at some point we might find an obliging pond that would reflect back a wavy and watery shape which we would probably recognize as our individual self. Also, for better or worse, we receive 'reflections' of ourselves from friends and family who let us know how we look from their perspective — pale, ruddy, fat, thin, happy, sad — and who they believe we are — brilliant or stupid, succinct or verbose, creative or unimaginative, compassionate or indifferent, and many other things along the continuum between these extremes.

Are we not also reflected through the optic of our family history?

This works on two levels.

First, whose stories do we choose to share, and whose do we leave untended? What do those choices say about us as individuals?

Second, in whom do we see ourselves reflected? Which ancestor or relative do we most resemble, be it in the way that he/she looked, or how we imagine their visage, his/her manner of comportment, or the life he/she led?

Many identify with ancestors who emerged as heroes, whether in the battles fought in wars, or as workers for social justice, or in simply raising the fortunes of the family. However, is it perhaps too easy to see ourselves in the heroes? What if you found someone on your family tree who ended up in a workhouse? Would you be willing and able to see any part of that individual in yourself?

Some of us have ancestors and relatives who have suffered from mental illness. Can we see ourselves reflected in them? Are we able to tell their stories or are they kept under wraps?

As you look at your family tree, with whom do you truly have the most in common?

Who do you believe you would like most of all, and who would you honestly admit disliking?

With whom could you see yourself arguing, and upon whom can you see yourself heaping praise?

If you stepped inside the looking glass and down into your family tree in whom would you see yourself reflected?

Think about it.

Copyright©jgg2019.
This post previously appeared in February 2013.
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