I Wonderrrrrrrrr

[teadealer]

Hi everybody
When my grandfather climbed over Hadrians Wall and came south of the border,he was lodging in Bury,Lancs in 1861 and was gainfully employed as a grocers assistant.
He then came further south and stayed in Newcastle Staffs,where I might add,a certain young lady caught his eye,and they got married in 1867,he had a grocers shop in town for about 20years.
But I often wonder how far south he might have gone or changed his mind and climbed back over the wall.
Makes you think.
Peter

[Jamys]

Hello Peter

My g.g.g.grandfather William was born in 1800 in Stoke Damerel.  By 1824 he was in Birmingham marrying Eliza.  Why on earth did he decided to make it to Birmingham when there must have been more than enough work available in Devonport?  And, what a journey!!!

I'll probably never know, but so grateful he did otherwise I wouldn't be here now posting to you.

Jamys

[teadealer]

Hi Jamys
I think its called the spirit of adventure,or either that he took the wrong stagecoach.
Cheers
Peter

[Siamese Girl]

Hi Jamys
I think its called the spirit of adventure,or either that he took the wrong stagecoach.
Cheers
Peter

Or walked - people walked ridiculous distances. I know of someone who walked form Nottingham to Somerset in the 1760s..... they could make good sponsorship money out of that today 

Carole

[Jamys]

Carole, have you any idea how long that took, and where did they stay, and what time of year was it?  Could they sleep outside, in a barn or what?

I'm fascinated by what some of our ancestors undertook and what maybe motivated them to do these things.

Jamys

[justmej]

Story in our family is, that two brothers walked from Northumberland to London in 1895.  One settled there, the other came back, after five years, although, not back to Northumberland, but Co. Durham, where he remained.  Maybe Northumberland was just a bit too far on the return journey .  I might add they both became policemen!

justmej

[Tricia_2]

Birmingham was like a magnet for people seeking work.
The population grew phenomenally around the time you ancestor moved there, Jamys.

[LizzieW]

I've mentioned it before, but my adopted son thinks nothing of walking miles just to get somewhere, if he can't afford petrol for his car.  He has no appreciation of distance, like our ancestors I suppose.  They were so used to walking that it wouldn't occur to them that Nottingham to Somerset, Northumberland to London etc were too far to walk.

Today (possibly with the exception of my son), if we know somewhere is say 5 miles or 50 miles away, we know approximately how long it would take to walk there and decide it's too far.

Lizzie

[Ros Fornaro]

Hi All,

My great grandfatherRobert Lusty went from Minchinhampton to Glasgow about 1850.  I have no idea why.