RootsChat.Com

It was mentioned earlier that there is a record of Margaret Kirchener marrying Patrick Gahagan of in 1830 at St. Michael’s Limerick. She is described as a widow and I believe had been Simon’s wife. In the 1841 census Patrick is to be found working as a tailor in Swansea with his wife Margaret and some children. Also in the household is someone transcribed as Louisa Kirknon of an age which fits with the Louisa Kirchner who marries Samuel Parker in 1848 in Swansea. I have checked the name Kirknon and it appears nowhere else! I believe Louisa was the son of Simon Kirchener the cabinet maker and that because he had died her elder brother Benjamin - who had moved to England and who was also a cabinetmaker - stood in for him.

 'Possibly people who went to Australia have more interesting family histories since emigrating than those of us whose ancestors stayed put?'

Not in my case - for all the wrong reasons! 

Phil

Enjoyed the Ruth Jones episode. Given her strong personality it was no surprise to find her ancestors had been those who took charge whether it be the men (boats amd medical societies) or the women (coping with any number of kids while hubby’s away at sea). I thought the lady at the centre of the photo was the mother rather than the eldest sister.
I noticed that Ruth’s mam asked her to translate the Welsh of her ancestors and Ruth herself was delighted to find that they were fluent in Welsh which is an interesting insight into Welsh social history.
We tend to almost deify individual heroes of history, attributing much more to them than is merited. I felt that Aneurin Bevan was brought back to earth a bit in this episode. Like Shakespeare he built on the foundation of others and the way the old guard was treated leaves a bit to be desired. (Notwithstanding, the creation of the NHS was an immense achievement.)

Phil

I find speculation concerning whether Walter was or was not part of the family interesting as it mirrors the thoughts I've had about my step uncle Norman. He was the son of my gran's first husband (who had disappeared off to Australia by 1911) and in the 1911 census is recorded as living with her parents. She would have been heavily pregnant with twins and was living with relatives away from the area. She subsequently died in 1917 in Hull where my grandfather was stationed and my grandfather subsequently volunteered for more active service and was killed in 1918.  Whether Norman was part of his mother's second family I don't know and the 1921 census won't help! I do know that he ended up being sent to the sport's man C.B.Fry's school in Portsmouth which prepared boys for the navy. To say he had an awkward upbringing is probably an understatement but he lived to the ripe old age of 96!

Phil