When Uncle Jon passed away and his "bits and bobs" were gone through - a notebook was found. It was old and worn and the handwriting was difficult to decipher. The notebook was covered in brown wrapping paper, and on the inside it said:
Log kept on the Voyage to India
by the 16th Lancers
1865
Our dear AuntieM passed the notebook to my dad..... and so a trail began. We soon found that the writer had been one Thomas Parnham my grandmother's grandfather! and somehow by some strange quirk of fate it had remained safe and intact (if a little worn and grubby)
I am a huge believer in the history of the written word. This notebook started me on my quest to compile our family tree, and to find out a little about Thomas Parnham. This quest started some ten years ago, and really came to a bit of a dead end, apart from finding his pay records for the 16th Lancers in the Public records office in Kew, which was very exciting. But now with the improvement in internet facilities the search is once again pulling at my heart.
The family mostly have a photocopy of the notebook, but if theirs is anything like mine it is dog-eared and hard to read by now (it wasn't easy to read to begin with!). I did start typing it up in Word, but have now decided that I will try to put it on a blog to make it even more accesible. My aim is to publish one or two entries a week through the winter.
When I write my other blog, I often wonder if, in years to come it will be happened upon by a relative who never really knew me, but can find out who I am and where I came from, and that the blog will give an insight into how life in the "noughties" is for us, and for me in particular. So, it is with this log. it is mostly a transcript of a journal that was published on board the SS Golden Fleece, but was re-written by my great-great grandfather as there was not enough paper on board to publish enough copies.
I hope you enjoy it!
6 comments:
What a find and how precious. Shall look forward to a good read. A REAL bit of history. :o)
I feal sea sick already. I hope it as a happy ending! B...
x x
What a wonderful heirloom Noo! I am very much looking forward to sharing the journey :)
Excitment, will look forward to reading and have much puffed up ness knowing it was my Great Grandfather who re-wrote it...
Luv u
I have been researching my family tree for years. My family are spread far and wide across England. My husband born in Dorset, emigrated with his family to Rhodesia came back to the UK in 76. We met and married middle 80's and lived in London. Hubby was head hunted for a job and we moved to Wiltshire. He started to research his family tree about 2 years ago and the spooky thing is All and I mean nearly ALL his family for the past 6 generations (if not more)lived no more than a few miles from where we live now!!!!!!!!! How spooky is that!!!
I look forward to following this saga.
I was researching the 16th QL from 1865 and found your great blog.
FYI there is a 1853 cavalry sword marked to the 16th QL in the book by Harvey Withers "British Military Swords" and the sword is also engraved with the date 1865.
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