Taunton

Tues 22 Apr

Holly Lodge is a lovely old home in Staplegrove Road.

They have a weird wooden thing in the front hall that Sue tells me is a boot-remover. You push your foot through the middle bit, then wedge your heel in the U shape. It looks like it would work quite well.

You can just see the edge of the mosaic tiled floor. Trust me, it is not lino!

I don't know if I have mentioned it yet, but I am enjoying collecting pictures of the different post-boxes. There are two interesting ones in Staplegrove Rd, where I am staying. Right outside Holly Lodge is this - 

That says ER VII - Edward 7th, son of Queen Victoria, who reigned 1901 -1910. I think on a previous trip I saw one for Edward VIII, he who abdicated before he was crowned, but they are very rare. 

 

Further down the same road is this GR, with no numbers after or in it. 

I am guessing George V (1910 - 1936), as I think I - IV were early nineteenth century, before the PO was thought of. And I know I have seen some with George VI, so maybe since #5 was the first, (speaking postally), he didn't need to be identified. Although Edward should not have needed to be either, in that case. There are always so many things to ponder on in this country, and to look up after I go home.

Spent the day at the Taunton Record Office. I got a lift both ways with my host, David, who works very near there. 

The Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School Account Book, had some of the TAYLOR family there William was the Secretary, and wrote the book. Tom SAVIDGE was paid for weeding on occasion at 6d a time. In 1802, a new brush cost 2s 6d, but a broom only 4 &1/2 d. I love these little snippets that give you a glimpse of real life.

The Zion Church Record Book would be a goldmine for some lucky researchers, as it contains some wonderful off-the-cuff obits for members who had died. There was a lot of dissension, as one of the ministers recorded when he resigned. There are also periodic membership lists, where our family names appear, so it will be interesting to see if I can relate them to any actual relatives.

Reading: Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen

Evening: The English Parish Church by Russell Chamberlin

Wed 23 Apr

SRO all day, wet morning, clearing later. Got a lift in with David again,then walked home.

Looking at more Ilminster stuff, cemetery transcriptions and the like, and went thru the Campbell Index, which a lovely man created of lots of the southern Somerset parish BDMs. 

I put 'Waterloo' into their catalogue search, just in case, and came up with an1835 list of pensioners who were fit to serve - John CLEAL or CLAYHILL was not on there, - I thought his hand might have been wounded very badly, since he got a permanent pension out of it - but a Silvester CLAIL was. I had also made a note of him when I was checking the Pension Rolls at TNA. I will have to find out more about him one day.

Reading: Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen

Thurs 24 Apr      

                        

Slept very badly, so after breakfast went back to bed for a while. Then caught up with emails.

Strolled down to Debenhams for lunch, did a heap of errands, and later had a brief wander around St Mary’s (just after they closed) taking pics of West Front. 

I have seen it several times before, and the inside had been spoilt by having a large shop in the West End on my last visit, completely ruining the peace and serenity of the beautiful interior, so I was quite happy not to be able to go inside.

Reading: Making Money by Terry Pratchett

Fri 25 Apr

My Goons friend Kim collected me at 10 am, we found a park in the town (eventually, after she got lost a few times) found her favourite coffee place (again after getting lost), walked for a while, talking non-stop, she had another tea, we had lots of laughs, & lots of good genealogy talk. I felt much refreshed afterwards.

Then we found our way to the train-station, and I got a direct one to Paddington.

 

Staying at the Shakespeare Hotel in Norfolk Square, very close to the one I stayed in previously. It is more expensive without being a lot nicer room but the breakfast is great, and I could not handle the thought of the ultra-grumpy & unhelpful guy on reception at the Continental.

Evening: A Lust for Window-sills by Harry Mount

Easter and Lichfield Cathedral

Friday 18 Apr

Met some nice folk at the Good Friday service - one lovely little old lady informed me with a twinkle that she had won the war for me, as she had been in the WAAFs. Of course I thanked her profusely! We stayed for a cuppa and hot cross bun afterwards. 

Later we had afternoon tea with Val, who is 93 & acts like a young 70. She is interested in family and local history, and one line of her family came to NZ. She was also in the WAAFs, so had some good war stories, and was just fascinating to talk to. Sheila thought I might like her, and was so right.

Reading: Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen

Sat 19 Apr

Lichfield Cathedral. Sheila wanted me to see it, so we drove over but could not find a close enough park for her, so she dropped me off, and said she would be back in three hours. Then she drove home and had lunch there and a rest before returning to collect me – two hours driving just so I could visit a cathedral I have never seen. What a friend!

The bad news is that I left my camera behind - duh!

From a personal point of view it was totally worth it. I visited the café across the road first, and had a delicious mushroom soup, then found the main entrance at the West End. The first building, dedicated in the year 700, held the bones of Saint Chad, and was a place of pilgrimage. The current building has been here for over 800 years, and is the third one on the site. There are Gothic arches everywhere, and when they ran out of spaces to arch over, they created ‘blind arcading’ – arches set against blank walls. Along the lower edges of the arch the carvers made faces, probably of some of the worshippers of the time. These are called 'head stops', as opposed to ordinary 'stops' which are any other sort of carved ends. Although the more worn of these were replaced by the Victorians, there are many of the old ones still surviving, and they are a delight.  

The chapter house holds some of their real treasures. The book of St Chad’s Gospels has been dated to 730, and is one of the oldest books in Britain. The stone 'Lichfield Angel' was dug up during the recent excavations to install a new altar, and the surviving mediaeval paintings here are stunning.

One of the delights for me was to come across a memorial to Bishop Selwyn, who is buried just outside. There is a tiled wall around his monument which shows scenes from his time in NZ – a Maori chief, canoe and Whare. Not exactly great art, but neat to see. I nearly said to the folk nearby ‘That’s my home’ but managed to restrain myself. I suppose I knew that he had returned to England, but certainly had not remembered it. 

The Quire has been extensively restored by the Victorian architect Sir George Gilbert Scott. The Victorians liked things very ornate, which makes for a great display but is not really my taste. 

I picked up the obligatory book and bookmark from the shop, and then walked across the Close to have a look at the home of Erasmus Darwin, Granddad of Charles. Turns out that Charlie got his brains from Gramps, who was a leading physician, scientist, inventor and poet.
Among other things, he studied evolution, weather patterns, and windmills – even inventing a horizontal windmill for Josiah Wedgewood to use in his Potteries. He was also ahead of his time in the matter of advocating education for girls – I must find a good bio of him when I get home.

Next door is a larger shop for the cathedral, with a wide range of gifts, memorabilia and books. I confess that I succumbed to temptation and picked up two interesting looking books on architecture, one with great drawings to illustrate all the different points, and one called A Lust for Windowsills – who could resist a title like that. I do like an author with a sense of humour. 

Reading: Set To Music by Constance White (one of the hundreds of Sheila’s that I want to read … )

Sunday 20 Apr 

Sheila gets a cheap rate for calls to NZ, as she has a daughter in Auckland, so with her permission I rang Mum to say Happy Birthday – 85 today, and doesn’t look a day over 70!

After the Easter Service at church, we enjoyed a delicious lunch with Sheila’s other daughter and family. It was a real family affair – Gavin cooked the chicken, while daughter Isi did the veg. Toby set the table – without being asked, I noticed - poured our drinks and cleared the plates afterwards. Ruth made an amaizing Lemon Meringue Cake for dessert. Gavin bakes cakes for a living, but is obviously not the only talented one in the family.

Monday 21 Apr

Travelled to Taunton. One change at Birmingham New Street, then a direct cross-country trip to a familiar place. Yay!

Staying at Holly Lodge in Castlegrove Rd, a rather nice eighteenth century house.

Reading: Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen

Evening: Lichfield Cathedral and Carvings of Lichfield