Christmas at Rest Harrow and Little Cucknells

When we were young, Christmas was a very special time for my siblings and me. We lived in Edinburgh, but our Grandparents, and most of our relations, lived in the south of England, or even further afield. Although I have written about going to Pickwick for Christmas, my father’s parents must have moved when I… Continue reading Christmas at Rest Harrow and Little Cucknells

Burns Night

On or around the night of January 25th, many Scots celebrate the life of Robert Burns with a Burns supper, eating haggis and neeps, drinking whisky and listening to the works of Robert Burns. My Great Great Grandfather, John Robert Box, although not born in Scotland, may well have celebrated the night. He had a… Continue reading Burns Night

My first home

When my mother brought me home from the Simpson Memorial Ward at Edinburgh’s Royal Infimary, the house she brought me to was 2, Lovedale Grove, Balerno. In those days Balerno was a village outside Edinburgh, although it is now a suburb. Although quite small, the house had enough garden to keep my parents occupied, and… Continue reading My first home

Pictures of Pickwick

When my Grandparents left Grove Farm at Box, where they had been farming, they moved in to 141, Lordship Road, Stoke Newington with my Great Grandfather, Joseph Lines. This was around 1925, and may have been prompted by the death of my Great Grandmother, Jane Lines (nee Fitzhenry) on 7th June 1925. They lived with… Continue reading Pictures of Pickwick

The Toy Wheelbarrow

When I was very young my parents gave me a toy wheelbarrow, probably around 1959. Although there are no markings on it, it was almost certainly made by Lines Brothers, with whom I have a family connection. Three of the Lines Brothers were my Great Uncles (three Lines make a triangle, hence the name Tri-ang,… Continue reading The Toy Wheelbarrow

Family Mysteries

My main incentive for posting about Family History is the collection of letters and other documents which I inherited am am attempting to curate. I am filling in the gaps by Internet research, but there are some things I have not been able to find. I am listing them on this page so I can… Continue reading Family Mysteries