2024 Week 21: Nicknames #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

My mum's name was Helen, but for as long as I can remember my dad called her Nellie and as a child, my dad and I used to sing 'Nellie the elephant' together, in a nice way, not unkindly. My dad's brother George also addressed her as Nellie and, although we never called her that when talking to her, both my husband Martin and I referred (and still refer to her) as Nellie.

But not everyone called her that. Her brother and sisters called her Ellen. Her friends used her 'real' name Helen.

My dad's name was John. You wouldn't think there was much that anyone could do to change that, but his sister in law, George's wife, Margaret always called him Jake. And she also called her husband, George, Mac!

John (Jake), Helen ( Nellie, Ellen) George (Mac) and Margaret.

My paternal grandmother's name was Christina and virtually all of her children who had children themselves named a daughter Christina. I had 4 cousins christened Christina, all of whom ended up being called Chrissie. My dad seemingly insisted I be called Christine and never called Chrissie. One of those Christina cousins is still alive and well and she told me she hated being called Chrissie and that I should call her Chris.

I know these are not really nicknames in the real sense of the word, but it is interesting how others change the names we have been given. I can hold up my hand and say I too am very guilty of this - our daughter's name is Caitlin, but we have always called her Katie!

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2025 Week 26 : Favourite name #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

As well as researching my own family, one of the other trees I have spent a lot of time on is that of my daughter-in-law, Lucy. Whereas my heritage is Scots and Irish, Lucy's is English and therefore some of the names I came across were quite different to those found in my own tree. One of my first favourites was a Francis Badger who appeared in the 1851 census for England! He wasn't actually a relative, but an apprentice to Lucy's 3 x great grandfather and who also lodged with the family. I did wonder how that surname came about - did the original Badger have a funnily shaped face? or perhaps a white streak through his hair?? Or was he just an annoying person?? I'll never know, but it was fun to find him! Francis Badger's entry at the bottom in the 1851 census for England. Source: Ancestry.co.uk However, my all time favourite name - and character - from Lucy's tree is a man named Golden Bridge ! He is Lucy's 5x great grandfather and he was born in Essex...

2024 Week 19: Preserve #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

A few years ago, I came into the possession of a family bible. It was the family bible of my paternal grandparents, John McAra and Christina Walker. Until her death in 2018, the bible had been in the hands of my Aunt Inez, widow of my Uncle Will McAra. When I started enquiring as to its whereabouts, I found that it was her grandson, John, who now had it. John himself had no real interest in it at all, so he was quite happy to hand it over to me. However, it was, to say the least, in a bit of a state. The front cover was completely detached and there were many loose pages as the spine of the book was also damaged and detached. I had no choice but to take it to a book repairer in Glasgow, where it was repaired as best it could be. The bible itself had been originally published in Glasgow in the late 19th century. In Victorian times it was common for Christian families to have such a large bible in which they could record events such as births, marriages and deaths. The one I have al...

2026 Week 2: A record which adds colour #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

My husband's paternal grandmother, Janina Ciupka, was born in 1902 in a small town, Nieszawa, north of Warsaw, Poland, on the banks of the River Vistula. She was the youngest of 12 children, only 8 of whom survived to adulthood. At this time Poland had been occupied by their three neighbours, Germany, Russia and Austria and Warsaw was under Russian control. Her family were very wealthy, owning granaries, bakeries, brick factories and carriage factories and they also bred white horses for the Russian Tzars. As with her elder siblings, Janina was taught by a private governess and the family had many servants, including cooks and cleaners. She obviously was leading a very privileged life. There was little known about the period of her life from about 1909-1919, The family had moved south eastwards to Haczow around 1909. The reasons for the move seems to have been a combination of business and politics, as Haczow was under Austrian rule, considered more liberal than that of the ...

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