Pro Patria Mori

Image courtesy of foxypar4 Dulce Et Decorum Est Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; … Continue reading Pro Patria Mori →

Isles of Scilly – a place my ancestors called home

My great, great, great, great grandfather, James Thomas Shipley was born on the island of St Marys in the Isles of Scilly in 1805. Like his father John Shipley, James worked as a gig pilot, a perilous job which involved rowing out to sea to meet incoming ships, climbing aboard - often using nothing more … Continue reading Isles of Scilly – a place my ancestors called home →

Meet the Family – Mary Anne Renham

The lady in the photo above is my great, great, great grandmother, Mary Anne Renham who was born in Cambridgeshire in 1820. I think this photo was taken sometime in the 1860s by which point she had been married to my great, great, great grandfather, Charles Gilby for over 20 years. Mary had quite a … Continue reading Meet the Family – Mary Anne Renham →

Photo (not mine)

(Photographer: Ian Britton Photo courtesy of freephoto.com) Rather nice photo from my home town of the Bancroft Gardens with, if I remember correctly, a wood yard in background. It always seemed an odd place to have one, but I'm guessing it predates the touristy elements of Stratford.