Tuesday 26 March 2013

Digging up the Ancestors

A lady who lives across the street kindly offered to spend a few hours in the library researching my family tree, something I have always wanted to do but found I was absolutely no good at. Having tried and failed to find my grandparents on the 1901 census, I had given up.

My maternal grandmother was called Lucy Savage. She said she was related to old pop singer Terry Dene through his wife, Edna Savage, who was also a singer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Savage). Oddly enough, I spent several years vainly pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter and warbling away in obscure clubs and restaurants, so perhaps I inherited a smidge of the musical gene.

At first, my neighbour opted for the wrong Lucy Savage, but had an instinct that the details weren't correct, so now she has found the right one and, to my great joy, has unearthed an ancestor bearing the truly amazing, Dickensian name of Asquith Beedle! He was a glass-blower in Castleford, Yorkshire, and married a lady called Rose Pollett.

What I want to find out about now is my grandfather's family. I'd like to trace the Dickinson line back to see if my mum's tale of them having lived in Standish Hall, Wigan, Lancashire is true. She told us that my grandfather used to visit the family vaults in Standish every so often. However, the hall doesn't exist any more, having burned down in the 1920s and the land it stood on is now a pig farm. No reflection on my ancestors, I hope!


4 comments:

Jackie Sayle said...

Oddly enough, my other half has also just started researching his family tree and some wonderful names have popped up in that - Eliza Meek and Martha Duckyard to name but a couple. Love your Beedle fella - that's a wonderful name, too.

I started doing my family tree about 12 years ago but stopped because it was taking over my life. My uncle is now carrying on where I left off.

Teresa Ashby said...

Asquith Beedle - how wonderful! And the singer connection - it's clearly in your blood :-) My oldest son is in to all this family research and is is fascinating. Not sure I'd have the patience to do what he does, but I like seeing his results x

hydra said...

Martha Duckyard... wonderful name, Jacula! Couldn't you use it for a character in a book?

Perovskia said...

Asquith Beedle. Can't make up that name.
Fantastic on the heritage; hope you get to find out lots more!
x