Annus Horribilis

Annus horribilis, a horrible year, when everything that could go wrong does and then it when you think it can’t get any worse, it does.   The only saving grace it normally does not last more than a year.  We all have had them and if you don't know what I am talking about,  count your blessings.

I came across some articles that by themselves are not great – but when you add them all together I think you will agree this Palin family had an annus horribilis.

AGRICULTURAL MEDALS

I have written about my great great Grandfather, William Palin, and about his being an esteemed farmer, but never in detail.  Today I want to expand on some of the prizes that he has won at Agricultural shows.   It is amazing to find newspaper articles that list every prize that was awarded at the shows.  

I would not have been able to do this with out the help of cousin, Elizabeth, who painstakingly went over each medal and transcribed the writing on each.  Thank you Elizabeth!

Sad Northwich Case

Last year I wrote about a very tragic story about Elizabeth Ann Palin (nee Williams) that ended up dying after being taken prisoner for public drunkenness.  The poor woman had lost four of her six children at a young age and I had wondered if that might have been a reason why she drank herself to death.

I strongly encourage you to familiarize with that blog before you continue reading on. 

Spare the rod.....

I am still going through the Northwich Guardian looking for mentions of our Palins.  There are quite a few articles that mention where a Palin has won an award for best flowers, best pie or something at school.  I have also come across articles where a Palin has been fined for being drunk or for swearing.  There was even a charge for not having a licence for a dog!

Unsung Hero

So many times in life we see a young person's life has been cut short.  I find this a lot while researching the family tree.  Accidents, disease or war have been attributing factors to their deaths.

I have also read in fictional books many times where one might contemplate why they were born or the purpose of their life.

These two thoughts came together today like fast speeding trains heading for a collision.

DEATH OF AN OLD NORTHWICHIAN

Very exciting news today – findmypast has just uploaded The Northwich Guardian newspaper.  We have many Palins that lived in that surrounding area in our family tree.   There were 1378 articles listed when I did a general Palin search, so who knows what I may come across.

Today’s article comes from May 19, 1910.  I have uploaded a scanned image of the article, but it is hard to read and so the transcript follows.