A Little Of My Family History

My Great Great Uncle and his Sisters c 1885 

This photograph was found among my Grandfathers possessions in a family album. For many years we had no idea who any of them were. Since tracing my tree I discovered that a great great uncle served in the Navy. On searching the 1881 census I found him aboard the HMS Triumph, this led to further research about the ships travels; this then explained the sailors uniform in the picture. He was not married at this time and we have assumed the two ladies with him are his Sisters. 

I was able to order his papers from the 'National Archives’, which gave me not only his height and hair, colour but also that he had a tattoo. It also gave the ships he served upon his rating and a wealth of other information.

In the 1901 census I found him living as a coastguard in Christchurch in Bournemouth, this was a position given to many men who had served at sea; this census also gave me his Wife's and children’s names.

Fortunately the family knew the rough date of this photograph. My Great Grandmother (standing) would have been about 19/20. My Great great grandmother (sitting) was born 1844.  

 Along the way I have found many living relatives in New Zealand, Australia and America and have been in regular contact with them all, I have discovered one or two bigamous marriages and exactly where I originated from despite oral protestations from my grandparents, at the end of the day they don’t always know them selves.