Whilst on pc a town I use to live in came up, and things mentioned on it reminded me of old friends at that time . So just for interest went on it and asked anyone know of one of those friends , well amazing got a reply from his sister that he is in hospital at moment but gave me his history in the past 60 odd years. Further to me what was more amazing how we seemed at times to have led a apparel life. A lot of younger people were asking about history of places in that town which got me going on there more . A sad note is that many places have been changed like the local cinema is now a shopping centre . House prices were mentioned . My Mum and Dad said would I like to buy their house £250, I said no as i was about to buy an BSA 500 twin motorcycle . The house in question last buyer was £425 grand.
Town memories
- Thread starter Robert_374373903
- Start date
We have learned much about our old family home town, but ours came about by researching the family tree. For many many years we only knew that my Great Great Grandfather had been killed in France during The Great War, and that was as far as the whole family knew. By the end of our research into him, it led us to do the whole family tree. On my side we got back to 1200 ish in Scotland ( great shock to learn that) but on madams side, 7th Century France.
By the end we could see the family homes from 200 - 300 years ago, many still standing, but the most poignant thing we learned is from GG Grandfathers service number. He was 28 when he went, quite old in comparison to his compatriots, but the service numbers either side of him were assigned to his next door neighbours either side. One a chap in his early twenties, the other a boy of 18. Its an easy picture to see in your mind the three of them walking off down the road together to join the others from the town. None of them came back, but we can now trace the footsteps of our man right through the Great War until his death on the old Somme battlefields a year ofter the main battle of 1916, during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in 1917. Luckily, his battalion commander had written his memoirs and that, combined with transcripts from the battalion war diaries has given us an incredible picture of his war. His neighbours were both killed in the first month of service, but our man saw action in a number of battles whose names are forever linked with slaughter.
His Regt btw was 2nd Bat Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). His company officer (from the diaries) was one 2nd Lt Richard O Connor. In WW2, my grandfather was commanded by the same man, General Sir Richard O Connor in the western desert.
However, back to the town. The same history led us to their grandfather and father, who was well known as the drunken blacksmith. We have countless court reports from the 1800s on said worthy via the newspaper archives and it led us back to the 1600s in the same profession and as wheelrights.
By the end we could see the family homes from 200 - 300 years ago, many still standing, but the most poignant thing we learned is from GG Grandfathers service number. He was 28 when he went, quite old in comparison to his compatriots, but the service numbers either side of him were assigned to his next door neighbours either side. One a chap in his early twenties, the other a boy of 18. Its an easy picture to see in your mind the three of them walking off down the road together to join the others from the town. None of them came back, but we can now trace the footsteps of our man right through the Great War until his death on the old Somme battlefields a year ofter the main battle of 1916, during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in 1917. Luckily, his battalion commander had written his memoirs and that, combined with transcripts from the battalion war diaries has given us an incredible picture of his war. His neighbours were both killed in the first month of service, but our man saw action in a number of battles whose names are forever linked with slaughter.
His Regt btw was 2nd Bat Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). His company officer (from the diaries) was one 2nd Lt Richard O Connor. In WW2, my grandfather was commanded by the same man, General Sir Richard O Connor in the western desert.
However, back to the town. The same history led us to their grandfather and father, who was well known as the drunken blacksmith. We have countless court reports from the 1800s on said worthy via the newspaper archives and it led us back to the 1600s in the same profession and as wheelrights.
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