Mysterious Photo

[Catling121]

Hi All,

Another random topic starter for you but going back through some of my old photos I came across this one...

Now, about 6 years ago when I first started researching my family history my dad showed me a large photograph of my Great Great Grandfather, his wife and 13 children, taken in roughly 1909. Shortly after he went to get it reframed. When he did, this photo, in full size (roughly A3), printed on a hard cardboard-esque material, was found in the frame behind the family photograph.



We have no idea who it is, from family resemblance or anything else. I have contacted the original framing company (since my great grandfather being a stickler for records seemed to keep the receipt!), and the Oxfordshire Freemasons and neither of them can tell me any details about this photograph.

I'm just lobbing it up here to see what people can tell me about it, if anything!

Regards,

Chris

[John915]

Good evening,

I am no expert in matters masonic but he appears to be wearing a craft masters full dress regalia with levels. He also has a chest full of masonic awards or medals.

There doesn't appear to be a lodge no in view or that would tell you exactly where to look for him.

I don't understand why Oxfordshire Freemasons can't tell you anything about the photo. I would try them again.

John915

[Mowsehowse]

I am no expert in matters masonic but he appears to be wearing a craft masters full dress regalia with levels. He also has a chest full of masonic awards or medals.

I don't understand why Oxfordshire Freemasons can't tell you anything about the photo. I would try them again.    John915 

Agree, but...... since they have "denied knowledge"..... could it be the Buffs, or Loyal Order of Moose.  Not sure if these might be just local to Devon??  Perhaps they have other such orders in Oxfordshire?

[John915]

Back again,

Definitely Masonic regalia, it's just working out exactly what and who he is.

John915

[Flattybasher9]

It's an Masonic Junior Warden apron and cuffs/gauntlets.

REgards

Malky

[Cell]

Hi All,
...

Now, about 6 years ago when I first started researching my family history my dad showed me a large photograph of my Great Great Grandfather, his wife and 13 children, taken in roughly 1909. Shortly after he went to get it reframed. When he did, this photo, in full size (roughly A3), printed on a hard cardboard-esque material, was found in the frame behind the family photograph.




Chris

Hi,
I don't know anything about the uniform, this is in regard to the actual photograph; we have a photo of my husband's grandmother that sounds the same as yours in material and size ( except ours is oval shaped) . I know  that ours was taken around 1909/1910 as  grandmother looks the same age as my son, who is 9 yrs old  ( she could be up to about age 12 at very big push) - grandmother was born in 1900.
So maybe your photo was taken around the same time as your other photo that you estimated to be about 1909, it seems it's spot on with the date of our photo we have that's made from the same materials and size.

Could  the framers have accidently left an unrelated photo in the frame  which he then used to frame your family's photo? Just another possibility.

It's a really lovely photo by the way, they certainly don't make them like they used to. Grandmothers one was crumbling and was broken in two halves ( stored really badly!) - we copied the two halves and it gave the photo a good clean up , lucky we did, because my hubby's aunt ( who lent us the photo for us to copy, which was given to her by, the girl in the photo - grandmother) has since died and the actual photo has probably long since been binned now along with the other piles of old photos that we scanned and photographed ( her children are not in to history) .

Kind Regards

[bugbear]

The wooden diamond panelling on the wall in the background is quite unusual.

EDIT; and the number of Masonic Halls in Oxfordshire is quite limited

http://www.oxfordshirefreemasons.org.uk/centres.htm

 BugBear

[Catling121]

Hi All,

Thanks for your contributions so far. It is a great photograph isn't it?

Now might be the time to mention that my family were from Chipping Norton...

Regards,

Chris

[John915]

Good evening,

There are 60 lodges in Oxfordshire, including Evenlode in Chipping Norton.

John915