The Roll of Honour

 This is a wonderful idea - and makes me all choked whenever I hear of it.


It is an event happening during September, October, and November 2014 to mark 100 years since the beginning of World War One.  Every evening, the Last Post will be played at the Tower of London, and the names of soldiers who died in the War will be read out.  (You write in and nominate names.)

Today I submitted the names of Livingstone MURCH, Angus MURCH (his brother), Eli BALL, and Walter Harold BALL (his brother).  The MURCHes were my 1st cousins 4 times removed on my father's side of the family, and the BALL brothers were my great-uncles on my mother's side.


The moat itself is being filled with 888,246 red ceramic poppies (one for every death in the British forces), and, even at the start was impressive:

UPDATE: The four names were read out on 23 September 2014 at sunset.
Reader: Yeoman Warder Rob Fuller
Last Post: Drummer McKenna

Then came the verse from the poem by Laurence Binyon 'For the Fallen':
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Then the Last Post was played.

Fearless Females 2014: Interaction with children: Bertha Damerell BALL

There is a family story about my great grandmother, Bertha Damerell BALL.  Apparently, the reason she died (from pneumonia) was because, in her weakened state, she got up to tend to the children (and the inference is that she dropped dead on the spot when she got up - hmmm).

Now, having done some research, although Bertha did indeed die of 'acute lobar pneumonia' and 'heart failure', some of the children were in their twenties by the time she died on 22 June 1909.  It is quite conceivable that she was looking after the youngest children in the family: my grandfather, William Hubert BALL, would have been about 11, and his younger brother, Wilfred Norman BALL, would have been 10.  And the death certificate does not say '10 days' or however long the person was ill for...

But I wonder just how true the family legend is?  After all, as a genealogist, I have found that family tales seem to be the most muddled of all, and some of them could almost start 'Once upon a time...'

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Once again, in honour of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.  I know this is really US-centric - but that's not going to stop me honouring my own Fearless Females...  

Fearless Females 2014: Surprising Fact: Where Audrey Ball Came From

When I began tracing my family history, it seemed as though all my mother's side of the family came from Devon.  Audrey Ball HAYWOOD was born and married in Devon; her parents ditto; all her siblings ditto; uncles and aunts ditto...

Until I came upon a surprising fact - actually, several surprising facts.

Her mother lived for a time in Northern Ireland, and on Achill (an island off the coast of Ireland).
Her maternal grandmother came from Sussex.
Her paternal grandparents came from Warwickshire.
Her maternal great-grandparents (and further back) came from Mevagissey in Cornwall.

No longer could I say that the family stayed in one place for generations!

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Once again, in honour of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.  I know this is really US-centric - but that's not going to stop me honouring my own Fearless Females...  

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday: William John BALL and family

William John BALL (1859-1937) and family

I know that this is my maternal great-grandfather, William John BALL, and the fact that his wife, Bertha, is not there, suggests that the photo is after 1909, when she died.  But the daughters?  There is a suggestion that one is Florence Annie, and 1909 would make the baby William John JARVIS, her son. And who is the other girl?

Something else I noticed: Great-Grandfather William, a widower, is wearing his wedding ring on his little finger, next to his wedding ring finger.  Is this significant?  Was this a custom?

Fearless Females 2014: Photo: Great Aunt Ellen BALL

"Here is one I made earlier" (shows your age if you remember that phrase!).  It is a post I made in July 2010 about this wonderful lady.

Ellen Elliott BALL, 1848-1935

She looks quite fearsome in this 1929 photo, doesn't she?  You imagine her being incredibly strict, quoting from the Bible at every turn, and disapproving of all children at all times.

Yet apparently she was totally different.  She always had a soft spot for children, and was well-known in the family for giving out sweets (and extra cash to those who asked).  She was known as 'Great Aunt Ellen' (even if she wasn't your great aunt) and even today, 79 years after her death, everybody in the family, whether or not they actually know any other ancestors, everybody has heard of 'Great Aunt Ellen'.  My mother recalled their living arrangements when she was small.  Granddad, Grandma, and seven children all in one bedroom, and Great Aunt Ellen in the other (amazes you that they managed to have seven children...).  I have seen the house they lived in, and it is TINY.

Great Aunt Ellen never married, but was obviously beloved of all who knew her - and reverenced even by those who didn't.

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Once again, in honour of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.  I know this is really US-centric - but that's not going to stop me honouring my own Fearless Females...  

Motivation Monday: Grandparents

Julie Boucher of the Angler's Rest blog, has started a 15-month set of weekly prompts to create The Book of Me, Written by You.  She describes it as "...not just about genealogy or family history. It is about a personal journey; a journey of rediscovery of yourself and perhaps your loved ones through your eyes."

This week's Prompt is for you to write about your grandparents.

• What were their names? Edmund George HAYWOOD, Elsie Beatrice BLAGDON (my paternal grandparents), William Hubert BALL, and Minda Mary EDGCOMBE (my maternal grandparents).  Yes, they were married, but as a genealogist I have grown so accustomed to noting ladies down with their maiden names...

• Where were they from?  Edmund George and Elsie Beatrice were from Millbrook, Cornwall, UK; William Hubert was from Kingsbridge, Devon and Minda Mary was from Ringmore, also Devon.

I wrote about them in my post on 3 February here.  I was in the middle of another year's "Family History Writing Challenge" (which happens every February), writing "Faith and Silk" and stumbling AGAIN.  So writing about my grandparents was a fresh start.

"The Family History Writing Challenge is an opportunity for all genealogists, to set some valuable time aside for the next 2[8] days and commit to writing their family history stories. No more excuses. There are so many benefits to writing your family history."
http://familyhistorywritingchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/welcome.html

I like challenges.  Perhaps I should like motivations first...

Fearless Females 2013: Day 21: Tender Moments in Reading

Describe a tender moment one of your female ancestors shared with you or another family member.

When my mother, Audrey Ball HAYWOOD, passed away suddenly in 1995, one of my clearest memories is one day going to the local supermarket to buy some bread, milk, whatever - and the girl at the checkout saying, "I remember your Mum; she taught me to read."  (My mother used to work as a teaching assistant at St John's Primary School in Glastonbury, Somerset).  To me, that is one of the proudest moments of my life.

I remember her teaching me to read, too.  I still have a recording, converted from a reel-to-reel tape (showing my age here!) of a very small me, aged 4, reading Beatrix Potter's "Peter Rabbit" in a very posh little voice.  And yet, you can hear in the background, when I stumbled on some of the larger (and therefore harder) words, my mother's voice gently prompting me with the correct pronunciation.

One of the most tender moments we shared.

Audrey Ball HAYWOOD, 1990s

Once again, in honour of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.  I know this is really US-centric - but that's not going to stop me honouring my own Fearless Females...

Fearless Females 2013: Day 3: Mahala

List the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.



Mahala EDWARDS 1815 and Mahala Edwards BALL 1854

When I first came across the name 'Mahala' in my family tree, I was not even sure the owner was a female.  I had to do quite a lot of research to find out more about it.  It turns out that it is of Native American origin (although I doubt my very-static ancestors knew that!).

Once again, in honour of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.  I know this is really US-centric - but that's not going to stop me honouring my own Fearless Females...