Kenilworth Castle and ancient graffiti.

A few years ago now, I visited Kenilworth Castle. It is close to where I live but had never visited. The castle is in ruins, but is fabulous to walk around and climb the scaffolding steps to the upper floors.

The reason, we visited was to see and walk where my ancestors had. I had discovered that my Scottish great-great grandmother had only been born in Edinburgh. In fact her family had travelled from Kenilworth, where they had originated from. No mean feat for the early 1800s. The above photograph was taken in the lovely Elizabethan garden showing some of the ruins.

  

Kenilworth Castle

The castle had apparently lay in ruins from around the 1600's, when it became known as Castle Farm. This gave rise to easy access for many to the ruins themselves. It was a tourist attraction from very early on. With many visitors taking to carving their names in the remaining stone. Some of the names were dated - so here are a few pictures 

Kenilworth Castle gardens 

Just readable on the graffiti - 1872 Milly

Another view of the gardens at Kenilworth Castle

Some of the stonework remining of the castle

View over the gardens

More open brickwork of the castle

Think this is A Rainsforth 1887.

Views of the terrace from the garden

More of the remaining brickwork

Views of the garden from inside the castle remains

R F and P F 1944 I think.

Ian and Ruby 2015, WBD 1806

D Beal 1808 I think. Many other graffiti above. 

BFCK 1877

MH 1868, JH, J M Hayward, CEO, S, 1935.

LMP 19/69, AO JE, HC 80, RF,

Lots of jumbled letters here. Some look like Roman numerals

A clearer picture from earlier RF PF 1944. I wonder if they and their love survived the war.

FCB JH  16/8/44 another end of war love affair. Where are they now? 

WFS 1817

Can't work a lot of this out other than maybe 1945

Cindy and Guy 1983, 

HVV 1871, Lee N P???, HT, LHHP

JD DOR, HF, Silas Alamicitram ordery HR Feoit.

WA New York 1871

WE 1908

AB 1894

AR 1859

Bob Grindle 1850

IS LH 1870

D Smith C Kennelly

TH 1940

W Stuart 1850

MJT 1944

WB Dent

Tony 2005

1940

J Booth

Most of the letters are worn. But this is just a small sample of the graffiti that covers the brick work around the ruins of the castle. Some dates are very old. Others just a few years ago. And no I haven't seen any with Leeson on dating from the late 1700s to early 1800s. 

 

 Ordering wrong birth, marriage and death certificates in family history research

If you are researching your ancestors the proper way - That is by obtaining birth, marriage and death certificates to verify that you have the right family as you track back in time. You will invertible find some are wrong when you have ordered and paid for them. Very frustrating and a waste of your money. But at least it will eventually sort out who is wrong and eventually you will get the right certificate.

I have a few that I want to share, that I brought but they are not my family.

This is a death certificate for Harold Hands who died in 1939. He was 48 and lived at 105 Pool Farm Rd, Acocks Green. His son was the informant. As my Harry Hands didn't have a son. He was the wrong one.

I hunted high and low for the birth certificate of John Thomas Welch. A very popular name in the early to mid 1870s. This is a birth certificate that was in the same quarter and year of the one that was my relative. John Thomas Welch born the 5th February 1876 to Harriet Hannah Welch of 7/2 Court Loveday Street. No father named so was illegitimate.

This death certificate was discovered amongst my uncle's things. With letters to a genealogist in London. It looks as though my uncle was looking to see if this poor lady was related. However, Hart was not her birth name. Sarah Hart died on the 1st January 1845 by poison administrated by John Tawell. She died in Yarnham Royal in the county of Bucks, Eton. The poison according to extensive newspaper reports was Prussic Acid. The trial of John Tawell was carried out in Aylesbury on March 12th 1845. John a Quaker wore a black suit and apparently had a "small shrewd looking eye with a slight caste" He was a chemist and druggist by trade. After his first wife died. Sarah Hart of about 30 years of age became his housekeeper. There relationship developed and Mrs Hart became pregnant. She then left John's home and lived in London, Slough and eventually Salt Hill. Sarah had two children, the first child of John Tawell was born in 1841 and she depended on John for support. John married again to a Sarah Cutmore. Supporting two women was a bit too much for John. He became deeper into dept. 

So he visited Sarah and after she went and brought a bottle of porter, he added the Prussic Acid. She died in agony shortly after. Whilst her neighbours attended her, John left quickly and went home. But the police were quick to follow him and arrested him the next day. First he said he wasn't there and knew of no one living in Slough. Then he said she had pestered him for money, threatening to kill herself if he did not give her some. So when he went to her home. She had poured a beer and added the poison herself via a small vial. It was discovered that John had purchased not once but twice the poison, saying he had lost the first bottle. A friend gave evidence that previously after a visit by John and Mrs Hart drinking porter - she had been very ill for a few days but recovered. Eventually John Tawell was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging

 Newspaper reports of John Tawell's life and subsequent death by hanging. At no point did he confess to the murder. But all the evidence supports the fact that he did kill her. 

Welcome 2022. Hope this year is a lot better than the last few!!

 Welcome 2022.

I can not believe the year has flown so quick. Last time I posted on here was in April last year. Been a bit busy since then. Welcomed a new grandchild to add to the other 2 brilliant grandsons. He is lovely but unfortunately became ill with RSV a few months old. After a week in hospital he is now fine and bouncing back. By the end of this month, we think he will be crawling and soon after walking.  

At the end of December, my youngest child got engaged. So now both my children intend to get married at some point. Looking foreword to this. Haven't been to a wedding in ages. 

Researching my family history.  

I never realised on how much information was around for my family and ancestors. Researching my family history is an ongoing journey. It is never finished as another source of information opens up. Later this month the 1921 census will be available. Haven't quite got my head around who I want to look up first. It is pay per view, so will have to be selective until it is available free on the normal Find My Past subscription. 

My German Ancestors?

A photograph was shared to me recently that I did not know existed. My cousin and I think it is of our German great grandmother and her family.

This is Margarette Piske who went under the name Margarette Feege. She was born in Germany and emigrated first to England and later to Canada.

 From the above photo, we think the young girl is Margarette Piske with her parents and brothers. There is a string family resemblance with the older brother. But who are they and what is the significance of the Lily of the Valley flower sprig that several of them are holding/wearing?