FRIDAY FOTO 20 - A NEW WORLD (Leaving Norway)

My post this week is not a single family history photograph, but rather a video made up of a selection of photos which we have in our family archive.

(click above for video)

I have already written a couple of posts here on the website about my great-grandparents, Peder Ingebretsen and Elizabeth Douglas, featuring a couple of photos we have of them in our possession.

This video is an attempt to tell Peder's story in greater detail; pulling together photographic resources from our collection and also using other material freely available off the Internet.

For my 50th birthday I was taken by family members on a five-day Norwegian cruise holiday, making my first visit to the beautiful homeland of my ancestor. During this visit I saw first-hand the type of community he would have grown up in; seeing for myself the mountains and fjords, together with the types of towns, villages and farms with which he would have been familiar. I have used some of the photographic and video footage I shot during that visit to illustrate this video.

The video attempts to recount a short version of Peder's story; presenting images of what his life would have been like growing up within his Norwegian homeland, and his subsequent journey to England. 

Working as a mariner on ships which regularly sailed between Great Britain, Europe and the America's during the late 1880's, my great-grandfather found himself in Glasgow, Scotland. It was here that he first met my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Douglas, and her family who resided within the city.

The family eventually moved to Liverpool in England, and the couple were married in the city in 1890 and ended their lives here-- but not before founding the family groups from which myself and some of my cousins are descended.

The soundtrack is the beautiful ballad 'Into The West', as featured in the movie 'Lord of the Rings: Return of the King'. The music was written by Howard Shore with lyrics by Annie Lennox and Fran Walsh. I've always loved this song above all the others which appeared in the film series, and at the time I was putting this video together, I felt that the majority of the lyrics seemed to fit the story I was trying to tell.    

     

WALTER LAIT... an unknown Great Grand-Uncle....

Walter Lait... my great grand-uncle

This is a photo of Walter Lait, seventh child of Charles Graham Laite and Eleanor Kaye - my great-grandparents. Walter is a younger brother of Margaret Eleanor Graham Lait, my grandmother. 

He was born in February 1911 when the family lived in Moorgate Street in Wavertree with his parents and five older siblings. Walter was baptised in St Catherines Church, which was just a little way up Tunnel Road. This has since been demolished and replaced by new housing. 

He appeared in the 1921 census when the family were residing in 23 Moorgate Street, and was ten years old... his occupation given to be a scholar. By this time his parents family had grown with two further children, so Walter was living with seven siblings - two younger than himself. 

In 1938, now living at 48 Uxbridge Street, he married Susan Margaret Wardrope... a twenty-two year-old laundry presser of Swallowhurst Crescent, West Derby. Walter was twenty-seven years old and was working as a window cleaner. When the 1939 register was taken however, prior to WW2, Walter could not be found. This could be because he had signed up to go off to war. His wife however was living back at her parents address in West Derby. She was recorded as being married and employed as 'unpaid domestic duties'... another way of saying she worked as a housewife.

In the end, the couple are reported to have had at least four children - two girls (their names unknown), a girl Jean and a son called Frank. This information had been entered into a tree on Ancestry and I have yet to substantiate the data, so this has been flagged for further investigation in my records.

Walter's entry in the Lait family bible (bottom of page) - the date of his death was entered by an unknown family member in blue ink.

Walter died on 22 June 1977. No record has yet been found to substantiate this, but the date has been recorded into the Lait family bible against his name. One day I'll pick up the research on his family to try and fill in some of the gaps.

(c)2024 Graham Seaman

FAMILY FOTO 36 - THE WELSH GIRLS (undated photo)

The Welsh Girls

This photo was one which came into my possession from my Aunt's collection, and found when we had to clear her bungalow for her to go into a nursing home in 2010. 

I gave the house clearance team (i.e. the other family members), a clear instruction - "....anything that looks remotely like 'family history' keep to one side, and then we'll put it into a box with 'DO NOT THROW AWAY!' written across its sides in big red letters. This unknown photo was only one of many  lovely items I came across in that box which I had never seen before.

I'm assuming the photo would have been taken by my grandad, William John Welsh, on his Kodak 'box brownie' camera, which I remember being brought out on a few occasions. The location is not at all clear, but I'm assuming that it will be one of the parks in Toxteth - Princes Park, which was a short walk from where the family lived in Hughson Street - or perhaps Sefton Park, which was a little further away. I don't think it is anywhere near their home, for I don't recall ever seeing a green space such as this anywhere near Hughson Street, which was surrounded by terraced houses and large tenement and court property. No... it is clear to me that the photo was probably recording a Sunday day out for the family... one that many families would have taken at that time.

My Mum Joan is the child standing in the front of the group. Aged about three years old, she is dressed in her 'Sunday best' dress, with a hairband holding back her tousled auburn hair. As she was born in 1933, this would place the date around 1936/37. Betty, her elder sister, is standing behind her... and potentially aged between 11 and 12 years old.

My grandmother Elizabeth Welsh (or Lizzie as everyone tended to call her) is also dressed in her Sunday best dress, just like her girls. 

Lizzie was employed 'in service'... working as a maid in one of the larger houses in Toxteth or Aigburth for an affluent family. Her duties might include cleaning or cooking... the latter of which she was really good at as I recall, but I have little hope of finding out which. There is a photograph of her in her younger years, with a team of other girls in uniforms, which implies that her services would be hired from an agency. One of my regular genealogical searches is to see if I can find any such local agencies whose books might have been transcribed and placed online somewhere.... I certainly haven't found it yet, but I'll just keep on searching - just in case. 

    

(c) 2024. G.Seaman

OCCUPATIONS IN GENEALOGY - THE TGWU BADGE

                                                         OCCUPATION - THE TGWU BADGE

In amongst the personal items, removed from my late Aunts bungalow when she moved into a care home in 2010, I found this small non-descript union badge for the TGWU... the Transport and General Workers Union.

She herself had no recollection of where it had come from. It wasn't hers she was sure, (although by this time her memory was failing due to suffering with dementia). I could only think that it belonged to either my grandfather, who worked for a time on the Liverpool docks, or my uncle Johnny Erlis, who was an engine driver on the docks. 

The badge was photographed and put away in a cupboard, along with the rest of my 'family heirloom' items... but thinking now that I should begin to resurrect the many facts (and tales) connected to the Seaman Family History in Liverpool, I've decided to make an effort and see if I can find out exactly who the badge actually belonged to. 

I might, of course, fail.... but at least I will have tried. I can't quite believe it that I haven't started looking into this earlier, and its now spent around fourteen years locked in a cupboard!

I'll now add it to my 'things to do list' and start my research online... then possibly I'll have to make a phone call or two ( and possibly a visit) to the union HQ itself, wherever that now is.

Wish me luck, for this could take some time... but hopefully not fourteen years!  

 

FELICE & MARY - THE D'ANNUNZIO FAMILY IN WHALE STREET, LIVERPOOL (1906)

The photograph above features the family of Felice Andrea D’ANNUNZIO, the great-great uncle of my wife, Sandra. Also in the photograph are his wife Mary Agnes DOUGLAS, and two of their children. The couple look to be approximately in their early thirties. 

There is no firm identification on the photograph for the names of the children nor an indication of when it was actually taken, but looking at the data I already possess on the family, I believe the older child would be their first surviving son, Henry Edward D’ANNUNZIO (b.10 June 1902). He is only young in the photograph, but Henry was reported to have lived to a ripe old age of 93, eventually passing in 1995, after having a family of his own. 

A previous son of the couple, Anthony D’ANNUNZIO (b.31 Dec 1900), survived for only a few months, and unfortunately passed in 1901. 

However, I’m finding that I can not be so certain of the identity of the younger child, in whose honour the photograph would seem to have been taken. 

The couple had a third son, Francis D’ANNUNZIO, who had been born in 1904. It is not known if he survived very far through infancy, as I have not been able to locate a death record for this child. However, if the baby was indeed Francis, then that would suggest Henry’s age to be around two and a half years old. In my mind this does not seem to correct as Henry appears to be a little older in the photograph - perhaps three to four years old.

If the above theory is accepted, then it might indicate that the baby could actually be the couples’ fourth child, Maria Eleanora D’Annunzio (b. 7 May 1906). It is known for sure that Maria survived into adulthood, again having a family of her own after marriage, although at this time no evidence of her death has been found. 

Furthermore, with the couples’ previous three children having been boys, the birth of a girl might also be imagined to be an excellent reason why the couple might employ a professional photographer to take the familys’ portrait. Which proud parent would not want a memento of such an occasion? 

With these facts in mind, for the time being in any case, I will identify the baby to be Maria in my records, until such time as I receive firm proof that I am mistaken. 

This highlights just how difficult it is to identify a persons ancestors from unmarked photographs. It is something we have all come across and each of us knows how virtually impossible and downright frustrating it can be at times, but it can also be so worthwhile if you can work out the details successfully by looking for the smallest clues.

Finally, one last snippet of information about this family.

While researching the various censuses, I decided a while back to try and find photographs of the properties or even streets, where our ancestors lived. As well as keeping the photographs connected to my local family dataset, I also upload them to Google Earth and fix place-markers into the locations where the properties once stood. 

In searching for the D’Annunzio family’s address on the 1921 census, which I found to be 7 Whale Street, Liverpool, I located the above image on one of the Liverpool Facebook local history groups which post old photos of the city.

Obviously, there are no property numbers to be seen in the photograph (above), but Whale Street itself is physically tiny. It can therefore be safely assumed that the family resided in one of the properties on the left of the photo, as the street possessed more odd numbers than even ones.

But a feature which caught my eye almost immediately was the small wall which stood at the very end of the street (see the enlargement above). 

I was already aware that the D’Annunzio family had been photographed out in the open in front of a similar brick wall, possibly due to a lack of suitable light being available within their own home. Looking at the family photo further one can just make out what appears to be the edge of the brickwork as it would frame a door or gateway. In addition, there is also what would appear to be a small step behind the child on the left, at the base of the wall.

It appeared to me that there was little doubt that, as in the enlargement of the Whale Street photograph above, one could clearly see the gateway which led to the rear of an adjacent property, and also the pavement kerbside (the small step in the photograph) laying in front of it. These small details almost certainly confirmed where the family portrait had been taken. 

Call me daft if you like, (my other half certainly did at the time!), but I was genuinely overjoyed to find this information just by chance - two totally separate photographs which could be linked together to show the actual location where the original family photograph had been taken.

For this might indeed only be a small unimportant detail in the overall history of the Liverpool D’Annunzio family, but I believe it is one which brings them a little closer to us, and gives us a clear indication as to how closely family history and social history can be related to each other.  

Sources: Ancestry, Find My Past, D’Annunzio ‘Generations’, Seaman Family History

AN UNKNOWN BRIDESMAID - ST.PAUL'S CHURCH, PRINCES PARK, LIVERPOOL - 9th MARCH 1955

 

Pictured on her wedding day to my father, Charles SEAMAN, is my mother, Joan WELSH, together with her three bridesmaids.

On the right is her cousin, Marion ERLIS, and on her immediate left her chief bridesmaid, her sister, Elizabeth WELSH. 

However the identity of the lady on the absolute left is unknown. A replacement for my father's sister who was not able to attend, she was reported to be a friend of a cousin, and was said to not actually be a member of our family. Unfortunately, my mother cannot recall her name, and as far as I'm aware we don't have any other photographs of her apart from these, and certainly none with her name written on them. If anyone does happen to recognise her, I'd therefore appreciate if you could let me know, so I can let my Mum know once and for all!

The couple were married in St Paul's Church, Princes Park, Liverpool which had been situated on Belvedere Road. The church was demolished in 1970 and replaced by the new Belvedere School... now a successful preparatory school and Academy.

Further information about St Paul's Church can be found < here >....

#familyhistory    #genealogy    #seamanfamilyhistory

  

'REPAIR SHOPPING' THE FAMILY HEIRLOOM!

 

Following on from my earlier post regarding this treasured family heirloom, I found that I had two choices when the 91-year-old stool came into my possession. Either leave it as it was-- a bit beaten, battered and careworn-- or do what they would do on the popular hit TV programme, 'The Repair Shop', and repair it so that it lives again.

The two photographs above are the result.

Now with the wood strengthened, cracks glued and filled; nails taken out and painted; the child's stool created around 1930 by my Norwegian great-grandfather, Peder Gerhard Ingebretsen, now looks pretty much like it did when he first made it for his grand-daughter, my aunt, Elizabeth Welsh.

With one exception... the footmarks of our grandchildren-- Paige, Phoebe, Charlie, Demelza and Pearla. Space has also been left on the sides of the stool, just in case any further little additions to our family come along.

The item might not get used as it previously had, but to be sure it will continue to be loved and treasured by a new generation of the family.

Original post here: FAMILY HEIRLOOM - CHILDREN'S STOOL

#familyhistory #genealogy #familyheirloom

 

JABEZ GRAHAM - CAUGHT TRESPASSING - 1850

Jabez Graham - Lincolnshire Chronicle article - 1850

The image above is taken from the Lincolnshire Chronicle, representing an 1850 newspaper cutting giving details of the trial of Jabez Graham who had been caught poaching with a J Silvester. The trial occurred in a magistrates court in Spilsby, Lincolnshire on July 1 1850. The ages of the two men are not given but a Rootschat entry seems to imply that the two men could be cousins. This supposition is probably based on the fact that Jabez Graham (b.1821) in Lincolnshire, the son of William Graham and Elizabeth Taylor, was employed as an agricultural labourer. This fits with the occupation stated in the newspaper article. The other link is the man's companion - a J.Silvester who also was being charged with the same offence.

The Jabez mentioned in the article above had an older brother, Taylor Graham who was born in 1812. Taylor was my direct ancestor, my x3 great-grandfather. Taylor went on to marry a girl from Hagworthingham in Lincolnshire, a Harriot L.Silvester, and it can be assumed that the 'J.Silvester' mentioned in the report was related to her. This connection between the two families may go some way to explain the claim that the two men appearing in court could be cousins. Before this fact can truly be claimed as true however, further research would need to take place into the Silvester family themselves.

#SeamanFamilyHistory

EDMUND HIGHTON (1744-1805) - MILLER AT MOUNT SION (ZION)

 

(Photo: St James Cemetary)

A depiction of one of the two mills situated at Mount Sion (or Zion), Toxteth, Liverpool in the late 1700's. St.James' Mount (it's more common name), was also known as 'Quarry Hill' at one time as a large quarry was built and mined there.

My sixth great-grandfather, Edmund Highton (b.1744 - d.1805) was of the Church of England faith, and worked as a miller on the site when he was 35 years old. This had been recorded within the baptism data for the christening of his daughter, Ann Highton (b.1770 - d.1847), my fifth great-grandmother. 

Edmund married his wife, Ann Barton (b.1749 - d. n/k), in Liverpool on the 5 November 1765. They went on have at least four children that we know of so far (Jane (b.1767), Thomas (b.1769), Ann (b.1770) and Mary (b.1773).

Edmund's occupation of miller was still recorded as such in 1805, when he was 61 at the time of his death. He was buried on 12 February 1805 in St James' Cemetary... the site of his workplace throughout his life.

(Photo: St James Cemetary)

The site was later developed as St James' cemetary and was chosen to be the site of the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, the fifth largest cathedral in the World.

The quarry access tunnel can still be seen in situ within the graveyard below the cathedral itself, and the windmill depicted above would have been on the site of where the current Oratory building now stands.

(Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, St James' Mount)

(Photo: Graham Seaman)

(Text Source: Seaman Family History / St James Mount by Reginald Threlfall Bailey M.B.E) 

 

William John Welsh - Grandad's Birthday - 6 June 2019

Graham with his grandad William John (aka Jack Welsh)

...another photo of Graham with his Grandad William John Welsh (b.1897 d.1965)

Remembering my grandad, William John Welsh, who would have been 122 years old had he still been with us today. 

Happy birthday Grandad - missing you. x. 

#familyhistory #seamanfamilyhistory

FAMILY FOTO 35 - MURIEL FRANCES HOLMES (nee SEAMAN) (b.1920 - d.2006)

(Muriel Frances Seaman)

From today, the title of these posts are going to change. I'm moving the focus away from them being 'Friday' photos to 'Family' photographs instead. The past few weeks have been a bit frantic for me for a number of reasons, and I've found it impossible to keep to my weekly posting schedule. Hopefully, doing this now, I should be able to remove some of the pressure and leave me with a little less guilt than I have been feeling of late!     

The post today gives details of my great-aunt, Muriel Frances Seaman, who was related via my paternal side of the family.

1920 - Muriel Frances Seaman was born on 1 Nov 1920 in Liverpool, Lancashire. She was the fifth of six daughters born to Joseph Frederick Seaman and Sarah Ann Smith, my paternal great-grandparents. Only one of her sisters was younger than herself - Daisy - who was born in 1922.

1939 - In the 1939 register Muriel was found to be living with her parents, at their home in 4 Lily Grove, Wavertree. As well as Joseph and Sarah, her brother William and sister Daisy were also in residence. On the original register entry, her name had been given as Muriel F Seaman. This surname had been crossed out however, and the name 'Holmes' entered, with a date of marriage being written alongside of 3 January 1945. Muriel's occupation at the time that the register was taken was given to be a 'general office clerk'. 

1944 / 1945 - According to the marriage indexes, Muriel married Dennis E Holmes in the 4th quarter of 1944. This is contrary to the evidence of the note made on the 1939 register entry which states that their marriage date was 3 January 1945. This fact is also confused by the fact that she featured on the Electoral Register for 1945 by her maiden name of Seaman. The actual marriage certificate would need to be ordered to try and resolve this discrepancy.

1944 / 45 - The couple were reportedly married in St Cyprian's church, Edge Hill, Liverpool. The church itself is still standing, although it has now been converted into a modern block of flats for student accommodation.

1944 / 45 - Married Dennis Edwin Holmes in Liverpool on 3 January 1945 (evidenced by a note made in the 1939 register). The couple went on to have at least three surviving children.

2006 - Records were found in the Death indexes stating that Muriel passed away on the 13 November 2006. She was 86 years of age when she died.

Both Muriel and her sister Daisy were known to my father, Charles Seaman during his lifetime. He went to visit them on a number of occasions, although sadly I can't recall if he ever took my brother or I to meet them. I know that at least one of them used to live in Woolton village quite near to where we live now, in Cavell Close, which is off School Lane in the village, although unfortunately I now cannot be sure which sister it actually was.

FRIDAY FOTO 34 - MAL ERLIS & KING BILLY - THE ORANGE LODGE

This photograph shows Marion Erlis, centre-right, taking up her role as Queen Mary in one of the annual parades organised by the Orange Lodge in Toxteth.

Her 'husband' - William of Orange (or 'King Billy' as he was known) - is standing to her right holding up his sword.

The exact date the photograph was taken is unknown, but the parade's traditionally take place on or around the 12th July each year. Judging by Mal's apparent age, the year was potentially around the early 1950's. 

I personally recall the parades passing through Toxteth as being a grand spectacle, consisting of marching bands, decorated lorries used as floats, and members of the order marching in lines behind the Protestant King and Queen, all wearing the familiar orange sashes across their chests.

These were colourful, noisy, exciting events that we kids living in Toxteth would look forward to.

I remember well how my grandad, William John Welsh, would stand at the front door and listen out for the bands playing, then pick me up and run along to Park Street to watch the parade as it passed.

Looking at this photo brings back nice memories of both Mal and also the times when we were growing up in Toxteth.

   

FRIDAY FOTO 33 - LAURENCE D'ANNUNZIO - HMS DRAKE

My wife's grandfather - Laurence D'ANNUNZIO - seen here sitting second from left in the photograph, with his shipmates on the stoker training ship HMS Drake. The ship, previously known as HMS Marshal Ney, had been renamed 'Drake' in 1934 by the Royal Navy.

Laurence served in the Navy following his marriage to his wife 

Agnes SAUNDERSON in 1934. 

He was originally trained on HMS Eaglet, the shore-based training centre for the Royal Navy based at Salthouse Dock, Liverpool, before taking up his role as a wireless telegraphist, 1st class Petty Officer, as denoted by the ranked insignia on his uniform. 

FRIDAY FOTO 32 - TOXTETH, LIVERPOOL - WHERE I GREW UP

(Terraced houses in Hughson Street)

An official photo, taken around 1963 by the City Council, prior to the properties being purchased and subsequently demolished under a Compulsory Purchase Order.

Hughson Street in Toxteth, Liverpool was where I spent my formative years, up until the age of seven years old. 

Number 25 in the street had been the home of my grandparents, William and Elizabeth Welsh, prior to my birth. Following this, my parents, brother and I also lived in the same property, which only had two bedrooms - one front and one back - and a small back kitchen and front reception room on the ground floor. My aunt slept on a pull-out couch downstairs, while my grandparents had the front bedroom. My family, the four of us, all slept in the rear bedroom. 

There was no bathroom in the house, an outside WC being supplied instead which had been situated at the bottom of the back-yard. A large brick coal-shed also stood outside in the yard. This had formerly been built as a bomb shelter and used by our family during WW2 when German bombers attacked the city during the Liverpool Blitz of 1941. The gap between the two blocks of houses to the right of the photograph was where numbers 27 and 29 once stood. 27 took a direct hit from a bomb and 29 had to be demolished as it had been too badly damaged to repair. The subsequent 'bommie' which was created, (the bulldozed area of land where the houses had once stood), then became a play area for two generations of our family. 

This photograph brought back so many memories for me when I found it posted on one of the Liverpool Facebook pages, but it was to surprise me even further when I enlarged it and looked at the image more closely.

The front door of number 25, next to the bommie is open and there are children playing outside. The boy outside our home looks suspiciously like my brother Gary.  

Amazing to think that the official council photographer chose that particular moment to record the properties which were to be demolished in just a few years time, as well as recording my brother and his friends at play.     

FRIDAY FOTO 31 - HENRY & ROSE SEAMAN - THE CLASSIC BRICK WALL

For some time now I've been wondering what could be going on in this photograph.

It shows my great-uncle Henry Seaman, his wife Rose and some of his family. It would appear that they are enjoying a warm sunny afternoon in the back garden of their home with their two dogs. I only know the identities of the couple because of their names written on the rear of a couple of other photos I have of them. Of the boy and the woman drinking her beer straight from the bottle, I don't have a clue.

I have tried to find other information on them from time to time, but seem to draw a blank when I do. It is a classic 'brick wall' in our family tree. Perhaps it is. Or maybe it just means that I should do what a few of my teachers used to write on my school reports... 'must try harder'.

The fact is, this is what I like so much about family history research-- discovering the unknown details about our relations, checking out the facts, filling in the gaps. Playing the detective and bringing our forebears back to life again. But in the end, just keep in mind that there's no such thing as a brick wall. You only need the determination to keep looking and find the answers, with perhaps an element of luck being required along the way.

Oh... and maybe a large sledgehammer to knock the bricks out if they're stuck a bit too tightly might help from time to time as well!

FRIDAY FOTO 30 - A LIFETIME IN LIVERPOOL CINEMA

A tiny, grainy photograph of my father and a colleague in their 'office' - a cinema projection room in Liverpool.

Charlie Seaman (pictured left) spent his entire working life working in the cinema's of the North West, and I'm lucky to have a small selection of his photos in our collection to remember him by.

Dad was first employed as a trainee projectionist, aged only 16 years old. He worked initially in the Magnet cinema, which was situated in Picton Road, Wavertree and we have several photographs of him sitting on the roof of the cinema in the sunshine with some of his colleagues.

He went on to work in the Gaumont, Dingle-- along with my mother and aunt-- and I have many happy memories of attending the matinee shows which were played there.

He then went on to work at the Hippodrome in Everton and also the Odeon, Stanley Road, Bootle.

During one memorable Saturday, my father was full of flu and felt awful. He took me into work with him (I was around 16 years old at the time) so I could run the show for him, while he sat at the back of the projection room, reading his newspapers and drinking lots of tea.

During his time working as firstly a projectionist, and then as Chief Projectionist in the cinemas, Dad covered work at several of the key cinemas in the north-west including the main Odeon branches of Liverpool, Southport and Chester.

After more than 25 years service he finally retired from working for the Rank Organisation and obtained a projectionist job in the newly built Studios 123 in Mount Pleasant, Liverpool during the early 1970's.

The picture featured above shows Dad and another operator, identified as Jimmie, standing alongside one of the big projectors used at the Trocadero, Camden Street, Liverpool.

FRIDAY FOTO 29 - WILLIAM HENRY LAITE - 'Uncle Bill'

William Henry Laite was born in Liverpool on the 11 December 1915. He was the brother of my grandmother, Margaret Eleanor Graham Laite.

William is seen here in his uniform when he was serving with the East Lancashire Regiment. The date on the rear of the photo is 11 February 1945, alongside a simple message - 'To My Darling Wife with Love - Love Bill'   

Uncle Bill, as I knew him, had married his wife Madeline Milne in 1939. The couple helped look after my Dad and his siblings following the early death of my grandmother in 1947.

I remember them as a lovely couple. They both had rather deep gravelly voices and also had a keen sense of humour and laughter.

Bill, in particular, had the most hearty chuckle on him - I can just hear him now as he shared a joke with my Dad during one of their visits!

FRIDAY FOTO 28 - ARTHUR & EDNA TEESE - OUT FOR A STROLL

Out for a stroll on an overcast Sunday afternoon perhaps?

I found this undated photo in the collection of my aunt, Elizabeth Welsh after she had passed away.

The young couple is Arthur Teese (b.1918) and Edna Irvine (b.1921) - and they are taking a walk through an unidentified park, possibly one of the local ones in Liverpool. 

The family connection to the two of them was through Edna, who was my mother's cousin.

I remember the couple fondly from when I was young, and I recall how my brother and I would need to be on our best behaviour during their visits. 

Edna would act as if she was a stern school-mistress. Gary and I would have to tidy the toys up in our bedroom prior to them arriving, just in case she decided to inspect our bedroom to see if it was untidy. Arthur, on the other hand, would follow along behind his wife... cheerily calling me 'Haircut' and showing me the hair-clippers which he had hidden away in his jacket pocket. He'd walk past us and give us a friendly wink, and then pull a face and throw us a gurning smile, leaving my brother and I doubled up in stitches laughing.

I can't recall seeing this photo prior to finding it in Betty's archive a couple of weeks ago, but I'm so glad I found it. It brought back nice memories for me of the couple - especially to see them so young and apparently carefree together.

A lovely couple... and a nice photo of them both to treasure.

FRIDAY FOTO 27 - FAMILY HEIRLOOM - GERMAN BEER STEINS

Focussing on examples of some of the family heirlooms this week. 

In the photo are two German beer steins given to me by my Dad before he passed away. 

He was left them by his uncle, William Laite, whom he became close to after his mother died. Bill was in the Army and the rumour was that he brought them home after a posting over there. 

They are lovingly kept as heirlooms pride of place in our french dresser now. 

#BeerSteins #SeamanFamilyHistory #FamilyHeirlooms

FRIDAY FOTO 26 - WEBSTER FAMILY WEDDING

This is the kind of photograph we each have in every family album. The wedding of my cousin, Michael Webster, at St Gabriel's church in Toxteth in the late 1960's. And as with many of those photographs, there are faces I remember and can identify, but also faces which I cannot.

In the shadows at the rear, I can see my uncle Arthur Teese and also my Aunt Betty, mum's sister. I can't identify the man standing at the back on the far right, although his face appears to be familiar. 

Moving forward is my grandmother Elizabeth Welsh (nee Englebretsen), standing toward the centre of the photograph. As to the elderly lady standing to her left or the taller gentleman on her right, I have no clue as to who they are.

The smiling man on the right wearing the glasses is my uncle, Johnny Erlis, who used to drive the goods trains up and down the Dock Road in Liverpool. The lady in white on the left of the photograph is again familiar to me, but I have no evidence of her actual identity.

And then comes the group I'm most sure about.

My Auntie Ann - Hannah McAulay (nee Irvine) - is in her trademark 'ocelot' hat and coat and has her hand on the shoulder of my brother, Gary Seaman. The woman standing next to her in the trendy 60's hat and coat is my Mum Joan Seaman (nee Welsh), while my Father, Charles Seaman, is standing on the right. Finishing the list off is my younger cousin, Tracey McAulay, who is standing between my brother and myself.

The church and doorway are still there to this day, as evidenced in the photograph from Google Streetmap below. Indeed the church doorway showed up on television relatively recently as a couple of scenes in the popular television biopic 'Cilla', starring Sheridan Smith, were filmed nearby on the steps in Yates Street. Knowing the area relatively well I recognised it at once.  

Hopefully, there will be a postscript and an update to this story at some point, as I intend to take the photo down to show my Mum when I visit her later today. I have all my fingers crossed that she will be able to identify a couple of the other people featured in the photograph. 

For me, this is not just another photograph of an ordinary family wedding. I see it as an opportunity to possibly fill in some gaps in our family tree and maybe expand, even just a little, on the story of how we all grew up in Toxteth in Liverpool.