Society Pages Surprises

I love how years ago the local newspapers would list the coming and goings of people.   Which distant cousins were coming for a visit,  who was getting engaged, and even who had a bridal shower.  I would expect to see this in small town newspapers, but I did not expect to see this in the Montreal Gazette.

Which Palin Family Branch Are You In?

Many times I have been asked how are we related?  Sometimes this is not an easy question to answer.

1233 Days

Every person has a story to tell.  Some stories are remarkable and some are horrifying. Last month I wrote about a man who was thought dead during WWI but was alive in a Prisoner of War Camp in Germany.  In honour of Remembrance Day,  I am writing about another man who was also held captive in a Prisoner of War Camp in WWII.

John Palin

The wails could be heard all down the street that cold grey morning.  Every one stepped out their front door wondering where it was coming from.  They could see the telegram man on his bike riding away in the heavy fog and wondered whose house he visited and also thanking the Lord above that he did not call on their front door.

The horrors of war at home was the dreaded telegram informing all within that their love one was dead or missing in action.  The young bride with 3 young children, the widow that had already lost a child.  There was no racial discrimination here.  It did not matter the financial status, religion or the colour of the skin, all risked their lives.

We have many young men in our family tree that gave up their lives fighting in the wars and did not make it home.  Thankfully we have more more that did come home.   This is the story of one of these men whose family at home experienced both sorrow and joy.

Great Aunt Muriel

Every once in a while you come across something found on line that is a surprise.  The surprise being that you found something about some one in your family tree and something that you never knew before.

Girls Grow Up Too Soon

Many years ago, I had the great pleasure to meet my first cousin once removed, Esther Palin Schofield.  She had opened her home and heart to my mother and myself.   I had asked her a gazillion questions about family history and she graciously answered them all to the best of her ability.  (When asked if she knew how my mother's father had died - she was not sure but she sort of remembered that it was a burst appendix and she was right!  She would only have been nine years of age when he died.  Amazing!)

I had even asked her how she met her husband and she told me that he had come for an interview after reading an article about her school and what she thought about the problem was with young Canadian girls.  What she did not tell me, or to be honest I may have forgotten,  is that she had written the article herself!

Imagine my delighted surprise when just this week I found that article that changed her life!  This was found in the The Winnipeg Evening Tribune, October 1, 1955.

Helen Grace Palin

I always knew at some point I would write about Helen Grace Palin.  Then this past week I found a new database of a British newspaper called the Daily Sketch .  To my wondrous surprise there was a picture of Helen dated 1915 after being mentioned in Sir John French's dispatch from the front.

Daily Sketch Wednesday June 23 1915

Which George Palin is which?

We do the best we can with the knowledge that we have at the time and then when new information comes up we have to look at it all over again.

There was a George Palin born in 1805 in Coppenhall to William Palin and Elizabeth Burgess.

There was a George Palin born in 1811 to Nancy Palin in Warmingham.

There was a George Palin born in 1812 in Warmingham to Thomas Palin and Paddey Cooke.

I have wrestled with the above men so many times, it is almost painful!!!

For the longest time the George Palin that married Fanny Cooke in 1836 in Warmingham I had as the son of Thomas Palin and Paddey Cooke and I had also thought that George son of Nancy  went on to marry Sarah Yates in 1839 in Lancashire.  Now I know I was wrong.

Back on Track

It has been far too long since the last post.   Last fall I started adding my Palin Guru's branch to the tree.  I have only now just finished adding that line and I know there are many holes that need to be filled.  Those gaps of information nag at me.  Not just on the new line, but the entire site.   Did the women marry and I cant find the marriage or did the men or women immigrate and if so where?  What happened to them?  I decided today to get back on track and start filling some of these gaps.