Continuing on from my post of two weeks ago: MY GRANDMOTHER AT 100 YEARS OLD.
Continuing on from my post of two weeks ago: MY GRANDMOTHER AT 100 YEARS OLD.
Originally shared by Mike Perry
MY GRANDFATHER: HUSBAND OF MY 100 YEAR OLD GRANDMOTHER
A couple of weeks ago my post was a photo of my Grandmother on her 100th birthday. The gentleman lying down at the bottom of today's photo was her husband - my grandfather, Frederick William English. At the time he was a groom at Eggleston Hall, County Durham.
In the photo he was in his mid twenties, so the photo is circa 1889. I never knew him, as he died before I was born, he was much older than my grandmother, and a widower when they married.
Though I never met him I've always felt a strong connection with him for some reason. I have his spurs, horse shoe tiepins, cigarette cases and so on. Here's a story to illustrate the connection:
When my wonderful mother was at the end of her life we managed to transport her, in a wheelchair, to our house from the Nursing Home. It was very emotional and mum said she thought she would never see our house again.
She was in our living room, sitting in her wheelchair - she was unable to walk - and looked at our mantlepiece where I have two Buddha figures. She said something like, "How strange, my father always had two Buddhas on his mantlepiece and was a Buddhist."
All the times my mother had been to our house, often staying for two or three weeks at a time, she had never mentioned this previously. It had never come up in conversation over the years that my grandfather was a Buddhist.
This is the strange bit: I'm not a Buddhist, but have had an interest in Buddhism -thus the Buddha figures on my mantlepiece - from a very early age. I just wonder if this was some sort of influence via the grandfather I have never met.
Apologies if I have rambled on too long!
The photo of my grandmother on her 100th birthday is on: https://plus.google.com/+MikePerry-UK/posts/8VcENDi1zpw
#TheVintageLife #Ancestry #Grandfather #FrederickWilliamEnglish #Eggleston #Grandmother #100Birthday
Mike Perry I love this photo and the background story to it. You had a very dashing Grandfather.
ReplyDeleteSaras Corner Thank you. He certainly appeared to have 'something' about him. I wish I had met him, I'm sure we would have got on well.
ReplyDeleteMike Perry How wonderful that your mother shared such a fact before passing. Sometimes it's those little bits of information from the past that see us through when left on our own eventually.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the thought that they were the same didn't totally connect at the times when she visited previously. So much life happens when we are up and about our everyday lives, when those concerns are lifted the mind tends to page through thoughts long thought forgotten. It is one of the blessings of having our ageing parents and grandparents near us.
And yes, I agree that he is quite a dashing figure. One could mistake him for an early screen actor.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
What a great story. And what a great photo to have. I the same as you was always fascinated by buddhas and I have buddahs in my house and one day my mom told me that my father's mother which would be my grandmother was also into buddhas. But we are not Buddhist. But it's funny how likes and such pass on to generations.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting story and picture. Take care.
Margaret Siemers Thanks Margaret. I think you may be right how the routines of everyday life can mask memories. I know how, when my mum was in a Nursing Home, she would often say how she spent time looking at the past. There wasn't much more she could do.
ReplyDeleteEvelon Burley Thanks so much. How interesting that you also had that Buddha link with your grandmother. Perhaps we also inherit interests and beliefs from our ancestors as well as physical features.
ReplyDeleteI am very slow in catching up on the community posts here, but I'm so glad to see this now, Mike. Not only is the photograph priceless, but the story is also wonderful. I do think that there can be profound connections with our ancestors in ways we probably don't even realize and I bet that your mantle Buddhas do have special meaning in this regard. I think it marvelous that your mother was able to come to your home before she passed. Surely that was a very special opportunity for all concerned.
ReplyDeleteAnn Kennedy Thank you, Ann. Yes, a special moment with mum on her final visit. I feel we do have links with our ancestors, though I can't put this into words. Perhaps the Native Americans are on the right track with their reverence for their ancestors,
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