My Ancestors!

Tuesday. 8.05 a.m. Yet another bright and sunny morning. The digital thermometer is reading a far more comfortable 25ºc.

I have mentioned that I was doing family research on Ancestry. Well, it continues, with over 35,000 people on my tree! I have to admit that it's somewhat addictive. Once you start, you have to keep going. I can get back to well before the Norman Conquest of 1066, which is quite amazing.

My late mother kept on saying that 'we have Dick Whittington as an ancestor.' That is, obviously, on my maternal side. As Whittington had no children, I can't get a direct connection with him. The connection comes through his wife, Alice Witzwaryn. A connection nevertheless. I'm glad I've found it.

My mother also said that we were also supposed to be connected to Lord Nuffield. William Morris, set up and ran the Morris motor car business in Cowley in Oxford. I have done a lot of research and I cannot see any sort of connection, although I will keep on trying. I am glad that I might not be associated with him because I found out he had fascist leanings and helped to support Oswald Mosley in the 1930s.

I have also discovered the Gilkes family, who lived in and around the village of Deddington in Oxfordshire. Thomas Gilkes was a Quaker, as were many others of my ancestors. They weren't allowed, as Quakers, to go to university, or join any of the professions, such as law (and other professions.) As a result, they turned to clock-making. This was during the 18th Century. Some of these clocks are now valuable antiques, and, at auction, can sell for several thousand pounds.

Next on my list of discovered ancestors is  Thomas Early. (1734-1809). His family lived in Witney and were involved in blanket-weaving. Thomas Early was the first person to use the flying shuttle in the weaving process.

As we have just had the Olympic Games in Paris, I'm quite excited to discover that I have an Olympic medal winner in my family tree. His name was Charles Moss (1882-1963) and he won a Silver medal for cycling (Team Trial Race, Men) at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.

Now, for my most exciting discovery. I have had to check thoroughly that this is correct, and as far as I can find out, it is. I have a connection to William Shakespeare, not actually to him, because his family line died out, several generations after he died. My connection is to his wife, Anne Hathaway. (c1582-1623) Although I'm not DIRECTLY related to Shakespeare, the connection to Anne Hathaway is enough for me!

Now for my paternal side. I have found Mungo Park (1771-1806) who was an explorer, who discovered the source of the River Niger in West Africa and died there. I had heard of him, but never imagined he could be an ancestor.

Busy, Busy!

 Saturday. 7.50 a.m. I got up a good deal later than usual. It's a bright and sunny morning and the digital thermometer currently reads 23ºc, so much more of a temperature which is easier to cope with.

I've just come back from Sainsbury's. It was quiet in there, no doubt- and I think I've remarked about this elsewhere in these blog posts- because it's a Saturday, most people don't get up too early and probably do their shopping a good deal later. I suppose you can't blame them, but there was a lot of space to park the car in the underground car park.

Sunday. 10.15 a.m. There's no church this morning, but there is what's called 'Messy Church', which is intended for children and families, although I don't intend to go. If it's too 'messy' I do hope they clear up after themselves when it's finished!

Thursday. 8.05 a.m. What on earth am I doing? I now get up a good deal later than I have in the past, which is a good thing. This is mainly because it's now darker for longer in the morning. As I write, there is a strong wind howling around outside (well, it would be worrying if it was INSIDE!

The Thursday Morning Life Group isn't meeting today, so I shall go shopping at Sainsbury's. Things should be back to normal next week. My pension was in my bank account yesterday. I had an idea it wasn't going to be there for at least another week, so it was somewhat of a surprise, which meant I could go shopping.

Friday. 6.15 a.m. It's wild and windy out this morning. A strong wind and rain is lashing the building. It's enough to blow you off your feet. This is Storm Lillian, and it's forecast to reach 80 M.P.H. in some parts of the United Kingdom.

Saturday. 3.20 p.m. It's been raining heavily most of the day, but as I write this, it has stopped, and it seems quite calm on the weather front. I just hope it stays dry because this is a Bank Holiday weekend. Next weekend it will be September.

I was supposed to have a telephone call from the cardiology department at Milton Keynes Hospital, in response to the upload of the data from the electronic device which was put in my chest some six weeks ago. I did as I was supposed to on Thursday, and sent the data as requested. I was supposed to get a call at 1p.m. on Friday. I sat dutifully near my phone but no call came. I don't know what happened, so I was somewhat annoyed.

Sunday. 7.55 a.m. I was up even later than yesterday. As I write this, it's sunny and bright outside. The digital thermometer reads 24ºc, so a good deal cooler.

Hot And Humid

Friday. 7.30 a.m. I am waking up a good deal later than usual, which is a good thing. It may be because it's so warm at the moment. I am working on Ancestry until quite late. I have fans running in my bedroom and the lounge, and the window is open. The digital thermometer is currently reading 26ºc. 

Saturday. 10.10 a.m. Incidentally, it's not the Saturday following on from the Friday of the above post. It's about two weeks later. 

The digital thermometer currently reads 24ºc, a good deal cooler than of late, thank goodness.

I had my hair cut on Wednesday. It was getting to the point where it needed trimming, so I booked an appointment online on Tuesday. 

Thursday morning, the Bible Study group met up at Mursley Farm Shop. I drove to the Oaktree Centre and was taken by Jennie, who leads the group. Virtually the entire length of Chaffron Way was lined with yellow traffic cones. I suspect that it was because of some sort of concert at the Bowl, which is en route to the Oaktree Centre. I imagined that any concert at the Bowl would be either in the evening, say, after 5 p.m., or at the weekend. But I am totally wrong on that count, so we have been bludgeoned over the head (or so it seems.) by loud drumming sounds coming from the direction of the bowl. This morning (Saturday) it started early, around 9 o'clock. At first, I thought it was from a car radio outside in the street, but, having stuck my head out of the window to have a look, I couldn't see a car and then realised it was coming from The Bowl. Considering that The Bowl is around two miles away from Oldbrook, it showed how loud it was. I can't imagine I would be the only person to be annoyed by such noise.

Sunday. 1.55 p.m. It was my turn on the rota to set up for Communion. I had to provide bread, which I had bought in Sainsbury's and then set up the trays which hold the little plastic cups which take the wine (actually not wine but blackcurrant squash.) It's then quite fiddly to put just the right amount into these cups with a bottle which has a tube in its cap which allows you to squeeze just the right amount into each cup.

I was expecting a clear run-up Chaffron Way to church this morning, but I soon discovered that many roads were closed off because of the 'event' at the Bowl, and, as a result, I had to make a detour to get to the Oaktree Centre.

Tuesday. 6.35 a.m. It's a sunny morning. The digital thermometer currently reads 26ºc, so a much better temperature to live with.