Friday 9 March 2012

The Gardners

 An entry to Sepia Saturday. "Using old images as prompts for new reflections"

There appears no extravagant facial hair in the Gardner family album for  this week's theme of the hirsute. There are quite a few bushy black beards, but instead I'll start with the mutton chop
 
just because I like the look of him and his nonchalant pose.   The cap is military but the jacket looks as though it should be on board a ship. I have no idea who he is. There were three thick family albums of the Gardner family which on my Grandparents 's death would have gone to my three uncles but only two went that way as my Uncle Stanley had disappeared without trace (he recently made contact from Australia, after fifty years, to much family rejoicing) so my mother as the eldest received the third and now I have it.  There are lots of gaps where it looks as though photos have been removed but still enough to browse through for beards.
 
The striped effect. These two look as though they have a story to tell, wearing her tea-cosy hat and day dress
 she looks a no nonsense type of person.  Their clothing looks late Victorian., with his beard and twinkle he could make a great Father Christmas.  Lastly here is
 
 the chinstrap.  An unknown hand has written underneath the photograph Tom Gardner, Grandfather and mother (on reverse of photo "Joseph Cross, Photographer, Lancaster").  Looking on my cousin Alan's family tree I thought this was my Great, Great Uncle, only drawback was he had never married, try again.  I had to do a bit of my own research and added another Great onto that Uncle and came up with Thomas born in 1819 in Quernmore and married to Grace Winder (christened in Christ Church, Wyresdale 1822) and married on 25 August 1844 at St Mary's, Lancaster so our sitters now have names AND I noticed Grace has a finger inside a book, gosh I could have used this the other week for the Sepia Saturday books theme.  They lived at Crag End Farm, Ellel.  Yes shake a Gardner and a farmer will fall out, even those whose parents who have come away from the land go back to it, must be in the DNA.  Thomas (1819-1892) and Grace (c1822-1900) had six children and are both buried at Quernmore Methodist Church.  This was a surprise I had always looked at this my maternal family as high church (Church of England) whereas my fathers family were nonconformist. Guess these two were the exception, the little Wesleyan Methodist Church in Quernmore  with its graveyard was only built in 1877.  Lastly a photograph for no other reason other than I like the lettering on the lynch gate at the Lancashire church where my Great, Great, Great Aunt Grace was christening which says
"I am the door of the sheep"
        Sometimes called 'The Shepherds Church'

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Nice picturesque church indeed!

Kristin said...

and the church with it's calm green lawn is a bit of a relief after over an hour of looking at various beards!

Wendy said...

I'm loving all the names for the various styles of beards and moustaches and sideburns.

Postcardy said...

I am learning a lot about facial hair styles today. The striped effect looks unusual.

North County Film Club said...

If you enlarge the third photo, the faux paintings look very ghost like, almost transparent. Interesting technique.
Nancy

Abby Normal said...

Wow, to have so many 19th century family photographs in your possesion. I like the beards - of course, but I also like the huge Victorian dresses.

Bob Scotney said...

A fine collection of beards, topped by the lynch gate and church.

Wibbo said...

Those mutton chop whiskers are really something!

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

The Muttonchop, The Stripe and The Chinstrap, lol. The remind me of some names for professional wrestling moves.

Just kidding, I loved your post and you have some wonderful photos. That is neat that you got the third family photo album and that you guys have heard from your uncle after all this time.

Kathy M.

Little Nell said...

Great selection of photos, but the church is a lovely shot.

21 Wits said...

All great photos, but I favor the church and its surroundings so much.

Teresa Wilson Rogers said...

Mutton chop, I'd forgotten they were called that. So funny....

Jo Graham (images past) said...

Nice selection of beards (especially the "badger" stripey one) but the Shepherd's Church makes a nice "green" change after all the Sepia Saturday beards I've been viewing today :-) Jo

EG CameraGirl said...

It's so hard to tell anything about the personalities of people in old photo, I think. They had to stand or sit so still for such a long time for the photo to tun out well that it's amazing anyone had a twinkle in their eyes. :))

Sallie (FullTime-Life.com said...

I love this meme and my goal is to join after I scan some old photos --when we get back to Oregon (where my albums are stored).