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  • Gloucester Cathedral

    Dec 8th 2015

    By: Kerry

    No comments

    I hadn’t had time to make plans prior to arriving in Gloucester.  I had little more than an intention to visit the archives and  Elmore, a neighbouring village which was steeped in ancestors and relatives.  Many  relatives had also lived in Gloucester but   mostly I was unaware of the locations beyond  an occasional street name.  I did  look for one particular pub to find that part of the street replaced by an enormous parking lot.  To keep it simple I spent the first day at Gloucester Cathedral and  generally becoming acquainted with the central parts of the city.

    Small section of cathedral illustrating door size ans building height

    Small section of cathedral illustrating door size and building height

    Main entrance with carved figures above entrance

    Main entrance with carved figures above entrance

    Vaulted ceiling

    Vaulted ceiling

    Ceilings

    Ceilings

     

    DSC04835 (2)

    There were many and varied tombs and memorials to important people.  The one above is from the early 1600s.  Sometimes there would be a description of family and or the positive qualities of the dead person.

    Also from the early 1600s and the small figures below signify the children

    Also from the early 1600s and the small figures below signify children of the couple above

    This one is more recent being about a death at sea in 1754

    This one is more recent relating to a death at sea in 1754

    The inscription below the sculpture

    The inscription below the sculpture

    This another one from the 1600s. Seems that they were the ones which most appealed

    This is another one from the 1600s. Seems that they were the ones which most appealed

    The inscription

    The inscription

    Monument to King Edward 2nd who is buried beneath.

    Monument to King Edward 11 who is buried beneath.

    Information sheet about the monument to Edward 11

    Information sheet about the monument to Edward 11

    Vestment cases

    Vestment cases

    Some of the richly carved choir stalls with their embroidered cushions

    Some of the richly carved choir stalls with their embroidered cushions

    An archaeological dig within the church

    An archaeological dig within the church

    A very mustachioed face on one of the columns in the crypt

    A very mustachioed face on one of the columns in the crypt

    One of the many faces high on the walls of the cathedral

    One of the many faces high on the walls of the cathedral

    Known as a fan vaulted ceiling and 650 years old. Its in the cloisters which were used in a harry potter movie

    Known as a fan vaulted ceiling and 650 years old. Its part of the cloisters which were used in a Harry Potter movie

    The cathedral from an internal square. The cloisters are the lowest sections of building on both sides of the lawn

    The cathedral from an internal square. The cloisters are the lowest sections of building on both sides of the lawn

    Family History, Gloucester

  • Lydney Harbour

    Dec 1st 2015

    By: Kerry

    No comments

    After leaving Brecon we headed north towards the city of Gloucester where we were to spend the night before parting company.  On the way we diverted to an old harbour on the Severn Estuary.  It was tucked behind a semi industrial area and apparently its importance extends from Roman times  http://www.wyedeantourism.co.uk/discover/all/i-4388-Lydney_Harbour.   This site has more information than most people would want to read http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol5/pp46-84.  It seemed like recent work had been done around flood mitigation and going by the number of boats in the canal recreational boating is important.

    Boats tied up on the canal

    Boats tied up on the canal

    Lock devoid of water

    Lock devoid of water

    View of the harbour and also the old gas light

    View of the harbour and also the old gas light

    Some laid up boats near the clubhouse and the water

    Some laid up boats near the clubhouse and the water

    Light falling on the eastern side of the Severn.  Ancestors traced so far have come from that side of the Severn

    Light falling on the eastern side of the Severn. Ancestors traced so far have come from that side of the Severn

    Panoramic view to the north and eastern side of the Severn.  Pity about the pole

    Panoramic view to the north and eastern side of the Severn. Pity about the pole

    Panoramic view of the eastern and southern side  of the Severn

    Panoramic view of the eastern and southern side of the Severn

    We then returned to the car and continued for about another 50 km to Gloucester where we stayed at the hotel near the station.  The next day son and partner headed north for an appointment and I settled in for a week of sightseeing, trawling through  archives and visiting another site of ancestral origin just outside the city.

    Family History, Lydney Harbour

  • More of Brecon

    Nov 21st 2015

    By: Kerry

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    Brecon is an interesting town in a beautiful setting and I’m told it often features in English home shows favoured in Australia.  Our B&B was a 17th century farmhouse with a townhouse fronting the street.  It’s attraction was off-street parking.

    View from my window with the camera on zoom. The building is part of Christ Church College established in 1541.

    View from my window with the camera on zoom. The building is part of Christ Church College established in 1541.

     

    Some of the farm buildings

    Some of the farm buildings

    Street frontage. My room was behind the left middle window. A very narrow wooden staircase led to the next floor.

    Street frontage. My room was behind the left middle window. A very narrow wooden staircase led to the next floor.

    Street view of the Market Arcade. its a couple of buildings down from the family pub.

    Street view of the Market Arcade. Its a couple of buildings down from the location of the family pub .

     

    Inside the entrance

    Inside the entrance.  Seems to be the place to find community notices.

     

    Rather slow day at the market. The butcher had some terrific chalk drawings on his sandwich boards. The market was looking a bit unloved.

    Rather slow day at the market. The butcher had some terrific chalk drawings on his sandwich boards. The market was looking a bit unloved.

    The fishmonger was selling samphire, an edible coastal plant I'd never seen before and which is often eaten with seafood.

    The fishmonger was selling samphire, an edible coastal plant I’d never seen before and which is often eaten with seafood.

    Our next stop was the church followed by the canal.

    Lone swan. Supposedly the Queen owns all the UK swans which I head on a TV show long ago and found in this article. http://mentalfloss.com/article/22425/queen-owns-swans-and-other-swan-stories

    Lone swan. Supposedly the Queen owns all the UK swans which I head on a TV show long ago and found in this article. http://mentalfloss.com/article/22425/queen-owns-swans-and-other-swan-stories

     

    The canal was an attractive area

    The canal was an attractive area.  It also had some big canal boats moored to the right of the picture

    Small bridge

    Small bridge and booth with a varied background.  We walked down the path a bit and then it was time to hit the road for Gloucester.

     

    Brecon, Family History

  • Brecon Cathedral

    Nov 21st 2015

    By: Kerry

    No comments

    We went to the church from which Ann Vick had been buried with the hope that it had a cemetery.  It was the medieval Brecon Cathedral, the Church of St John the Evangelist, which had been the parish church from the time of the closure of the priory in 1537 to 1923.

     

    Tombstones in footpath below cathederal

    Tombstones in footpath below the cathedral

    Back of the chuch

    Back of the church

    Cresset stone which contained candles used by the monks during their devotions during hours of darkness. This is the only one known of in wales.

    Cresset stone which contained candles used by the monks during their devotions in the hours of darkness. This is the only one known of in Wales.

    Main sector of church

    Main sector of church

    New crucifix hanging in the location of the original rood screen with gold crucifix which had been an object of veneration but was removed during the reformation.

    New crucifix hanging in the location of the original rood screen and gold crucifix which had been an object of veneration but was removed during the reformation.

    1000 year old baptismal font

    1000 year old carved baptismal font

    Tapestry to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the town with each square showing a major event of each 100 years.

    Tapestry to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the town with each square showing a major event of each 100 years.

    Carved wooden figure from the Games family tomb. It's the only one remaining of three which were destroyed during the Cromwellian period.

    Carved wooden figure from the Games family tomb. It’s the only one of three remaining  which were destroyed during the Cromwellian period.

    Cemetery side of the cathederal

    Cemetery side of the cathedral

    Nice ironwork

    Nice ironwork

    Cemetery

    Cemetery

    Cemetery

    Cemetery

    Cemetery

    Cemetery

    We had a good look around and while it was clear that the cemetery was still being used after the time of Ann Vick’s death we could find no tombstone.  It’s possible that none existed due to her husband’s  financial position.  Alternatively her mother or sister’s families could have provided one which has been damaged in the meantime.

    Lych gate into the cemetery

    Lych gate into the cemetery

    Cathedral grounds containing cafe, and shop

    Cathedral grounds containing cafe, and shop

     

     

    Brecon, Family History

  • Family Pub

    Nov 20th 2015

    By: Kerry

    No comments

    One of the things I wanted to do in Brecon was to look for the hotel which the Vicks managed in the second part of the 1840s and 1850.  A newspaper advertisement for the sale of hotel contents at the time of bankruptcy provided a hotel name.  A copy of a 1840  advertisement online at the National Library of Wales provided a beautiful engraving of the face of the hotel.  I knew what to look for.  Ann Vick’s burial record provided an address.  While loitering on a street corner prior to returning to our B&B after tea and a walk one of us looked across the street and upwards to find the street name of the required street.

    Advertisement of auction of contents of hotel on 15 December 1850

    Advertisement of auction of contents of hotel to be held on 15 December 1850

     

    1840 engraved advertisement for the hotel which offers a 23 hour coach trip to London. Found on the National Library of Wales

    1840 engraved advertisement for the hotel  offering, among other things, a 23 hour coach trip to London. Found on the National Library of Wales site

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The next morning armed with a copy of the advertisement so we could check building configurations with number and size of windows, chimneys etc, rather important in a place like Brecon, we back headed across the bridge and went pub hunting.  The street the pub was in was minuscule and while we found no pub we certainly found the original building, now very run down and with an open window through which birds flew, although Google maps show that not so long ago  businesses had inhabited the ground floor.

    Street name

    Street name

    The remains of the front of the hotel. The building to the left of the pink section is a replacement for the section of hotel demolished previously.

    The remains of the  hotel. The building to the left of the pink section is a replacement for a section of hotel demolished sometime previously.

    Notice painted onto wall just under the archway and leading to the back

    Notice painted onto wall just under the archway and leading to the back

    Passage to the rear of the property

    Passage to the rear of the property

    The back of the property looking towards the street

    The back of the property looking towards the street

    The rear of the property

    The rear of the property

     

     

     

     

     

    Rather nice stone building

    Rather nice stone building whose windows on the other side were boarded up too

    Brecon, Family History

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