My maternal family history is quite colourful; you may remember my astonishment at finding out recently that my great grandfather had a ‘second family’ in Ghana and that I was related to British TV personality Reggie Yates.
My paternal family history is much more straightforward, they were Sussex farming people. My father recently unearthed this photo dating back to about 1910 showing my great-grandmother and grandmother Alice (centre) outside their farmhouse, the lady on the right hand side was a neighbour. Violets Farm in Slinfold still stands in the form of a rather upmarket residence nowadays.
My grandmother went into service and worked as a maid at Field Place (birth place of the poet Shelley) where she subsequently met my grandfather who worked there as a groom. They married when he eventually returned from the Great War.
That's an interesting old photo. I love looking at old photos and trying to imagine what life would have been like. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteI had never seen it before so I found it fascinating.
DeleteDid your grandfather groom your grandmother Sue?
ReplyDeleteSee http://www.yourlocalweb.co.uk/west-sussex/slinfold/pictures/4079424-violets-farm/
Thanks for the link. The garden looks a bit tidier nowadays doesn't it? As far as I know he only groomed the horses!
DeleteIsn't it interesting the things we learn about our ancestors, I had one set who came to America as indentured servants and another who was killed by Indians when coming back from California where he'd been searching for gold. No 2nd families that I know of. What a great house, I'll be it's upmarket.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know more about my ancestors and I wish I had asked more questions when my grandparents were still alive.
DeleteDid they fall on to hard times all of a sudden?
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about them to be honest but they were certainly not wealthy.
DeleteBeautiful house. I hope someone has done it up and is looking after it these days.
ReplyDeleteIt's in a far better state these days!
DeleteTo a Sussex person, such as myself, there is no better sight than a Horsham stone roof. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a listed building now.
DeleteBeautiful. I see that it is an hotel now. Why was it called Violets Farm?
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
I thought it was a private house now.
DeleteI went to look at YP link, I think some kind of hotel advert was at the side, maybe that confused me, Sue x
DeleteHello. I am tracing my family tree. According to Slinfold burial records, my great-great-great-grandmother Sarah Farley was living at Violets when she died in 1819,aged 25. Could there be any connection? Thanks, John
ReplyDeleteHi John. That's interesting. Unfortunately I don't have any other information about my great grandparents except that their name was Etherington and he worked as a carter on the farm.
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