Lydia Gowan

[lolmac3]

Hi Vicky

I have emailed George Matthews as Ellen is out on the road at the moment. I looked on the family tree and I just have that her father was Henry Davis Son of Eliza Matthews and Leonard Davis but there is nothing for her mother. I am sure during conversations I have had with her she has mentioned the Townsend family, I will let you know what George says when he replies as I want to know now as well!

I had to buy a special family tree package it was so worth 50 quid, you just click this person and that person and tell the computer its the same person and it merges them, so worth the month with our family !!!

Did Lydia Smith & Francis Townsend have a daughter called Eileen? I have them on the family tree but they are under James (chewbacca) sister Mary Ann not Jemmy & Fambridge's Mary Anne 

[cheeky bird]

Hi Lorraine,
Eileen was my grannie! Yes, she was daughter of Francis William (Frank) and Lydia (Lil) my great grannie and grandad. Grannie's full name was Eileen Lydia but we called her Helen. 13-1-1918 to 4-11-08. I sent you a huge email to your lolmac email address but if your computers on the blink you might not have got it yet. Grannie had a brother Frank Harold 3-11-1914 to 11-5-1991 and a brother George William 26-12-1932 to 11-9-2001. Grannies gran was Mary Ann Smith nee Matthews and her great grannie was Famebridge. I think I was really lucky to have known my great grannie. I was 16 when she died. She was the one that got me interested in family history by telling me the story of great grandad Townsends brother who died in the Great War, and the story of his sister who drowned in Weymouth Harbour in 1907 aged 3. Obviously the family weren't in a position to own a camera so the only picture in existence is of Annie Elizabeth in her coffin propped up on a table. It really is a pitiful little picture. I also have the newspaper article that goes with it. If you'd like to see it let me know. If your friends grandad was my gg grandads brother she may well have heard the story but not seen the picture. All I've asked in the past is that people treat it with respect and don't plaster it all over the 'net! I wish I had the genealogy bug properly when she was alive. She'd have been sick of the sight of me bless!
It'll be interesting to see what George says won't it. Must say I'm incredibly curious. It probably isn't really that strange. They always married into traveller families after all.
I've had my family tree pc package years and years and its transferred to every computer I've had. The gut buster comes when the info has to got back in! I've got every branch of my family on there, over 20 years of hard graft and I'm nearly at the 6000 individuals mark. They are so good for working out relationships for anyone I choose, or telling me how old someone was when they died. What day of the week they died on back in 1720 etc etc. Couldn't manage without it now!
Who were Chewbacca's siblings? I haven't got anyone down. I didn't even have parents until Jenny posted them this morning. Was his mum really called James?!
Anyway, Ive got some more bits to send so look out!
Vicky

[lolmac3]

Hi Jenny

Just popped on to say that Vicky has emailed me tons of stuff which I am working through!

I will keep you and Jenny posted. I will print everything off for Jenny and send it to her or bring it over when I come Christmas. I have promised to give Jenny a ring when I have received her letter she is sending.

Well what an exciting day! I don't think that I am missing alot of data now on the famiy tree, the main areas I was missing were Jenny's and Vicky's how amazing is that 

Anyway I am off to my bed now and I will speak to you tomorrow.

Night

Lorraine x

[jenwren13]

Hi Vicky
Just a correction!  James (Chewbaccy)'s parents were John and Jane - got James on the brain!  Sorry!
Jenny

[cheeky bird]

Back on line after the hottest day of the year so far! Too warm to be sitting in front of a laptop that's for sure!
Been rooting through boxes and boxes of photos and found lots of lovely ones. Lorraine, I'm going to be busy, busy, busy scanning this lot!
I forgot to mention it but have you seen the film "Far From the Madding Crowd" (from the novel by Thomas Hardy), the one with Julie Christie, Alan Bates and Terrence Stamp? Great grannie Lydia Townsend nee Smith had a bit-part in the film. If you ever get to watch it (and I recommend you do - (my fave film despite great gran being in it) look out for the part where Fanny Robbin meets Sergeant Troy in the stables and tells him she is going to the workhouse. We see her walking up Gold Hill in Shaftesbury. When she knocks on the door of the workhouse the little slidy window opens and you see a face. Great grannie!!! The door then opens and Fanny is ushered into the workhouse by none other than.....great grannie!!! Fanny Robbin dies (sorry to spoil the plot), and as her coffin leaves the workhouse it is followed by ......great grannie!!!
Even after all these years I never tire of that film and 23 years after she died it is so lovely to see her in the film. She will always be alive in the film which is what I love about it. I also have the letters from John Slessinger (the director)  to her, the original film program, the original tickets and photographs of great gran with some of the cast. Priceless!
Vicky

[lolmac3]

I will have to get a copy of it and watch it! I didn't get back on today either as I have guests arriving next week and have had to spring clean a bit ha ha can't sit down because its boiling hot coz every day is boiling 

Anyway I will get back to it tomorrow.

L x

[mhanson84]

hi i am looking in for info for this person too my great grandfather was richard matthews....born to william matthews and mary ann holman..william was born in battle...perhaps 1852 or so... richard matthews has a bro named Joseph or Joe..and also a sister named mary among others...i believe his grandparents were james matthews and lydia gowan