Wednesday, October 15, 2014

A PHOTO A DAY.....number ELEVEN

This is a dreadful photograph but the only one I have (not sure where the purple came from).  It would have been taken in about 1912 and it is of my (birth) father and his two sisters Lilian and Winifred taken outside their home in London.  It seems their mother decided she couldn't keep the children (she said  her husband had left her but I have many doubts as have heard conflicting stories about what really happened).  Her eldest girl was sent to a Bernardo Home and the younger daughter and her son were cared for by a grandmother and an aunt respectfully.   Grandma went on to marry another man and have 3 more children (one died as an infant) and the four of them emigrated to Australia in ca 1920.


The children appear to be well dressed but I feel there is a tragic story behind it all.  Lilian was sent to Canada as a domestic but apparently was fortunate to work for some people that furthered her education and she married well.  Winifred and my father eventually emigrated to Western Australia under their own steam and then were reunited with their mother, their step-father and half brother and sister.

I have been in touch with my 3 cousins (children of Lilian) two of whom live in Vancouver, Canada and one in Napa, California.  I did have contact with the two daughters-in-law of Winifred and with help I found out a few years back I do have a half brother and a half sister (children of my birth father0 with whom I am now friends and have met their families as well.

I am not sure this is of much interest to anyone other than my family but I submit it here for your consideration.

6 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    Oh Mimsie, this is redolent with mystery crying to be resolved!!! I immediately think of the show 'Who do you think you are' and how so much can be found out from records offices and suchlike. It is a delight to read that you have been able to reconnect with later family.

    (The purpling probably a result of the scanning process - nothing to worry.) YAM xx

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    1. I have done all the digging I can so alas, the mystery will never be completely solved. I still think this particular grandmother was a bit of a 'doer'.

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  2. Poor little souls must have been so scared to be split up and sent away.

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    1. Turns out the three of them had very satisfactory lives, one in Canada and two right here in Western Australia. It's poor grandfather I feel sorry for but I know I will now never get to the bottom of the story (scandal perhaps a better choice of words).

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  3. I was thinking how hard it must have been to give away your children, perhaps because you couldn't afford to keep them, but then to go on and have more children seems a bit wrong to me. And maybe to me only, but why not bring home your first children? I'm sure there must be reasons we will never know. I suppose there are parts of everyone's history that isn't so sweet and nice. My own included.
    This reminds me of a sad story I read in a newspaper years ago here in Adelaide.
    I wonder if the purple colouring indicates the original colour pigments are breaking down?

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    1. Although I shouldn't speak ill of the dead and particularly people in my own family I still have doubts about grandmother's moral integrity. I am only pleased that she finally got together with the son and daughter who emigrated to Perth and contact was made with the Canadian family as well.
      The photo I have here is terribly faded so I wasn't expecting a good copy to come through.

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