October 2008
T he brewing industry theme of this issue was suggested back in April by Family Tree Forum member, Margaret in Burton, who was appalled at the announcement that the Coors Visitor Centre, the museum of brewing in Burton upon Trent, was to close this summer.
The museum opened in 1977 in the joinery shops of the Bass Brewery, to mark the company’s bicentenary, and holds a wealth of artefacts, all serving to bring Burton 's proud heritage to life. The closure has been a sad blow to the town and efforts to reopen it are still ongoing. Most of the photographs illustrating Margaret’s group of articles were taken at the museum before its closure
Whilst researching my family I have experienced some bizarre coincidences and spooky happenings. I wanted to know if I wasn’t alone, and what with Halloween approaching I thought I’d ask the members of FTF for their spine-chilling tales. Members share their stories in this issue. Continuing the ‘Family Treasures’ feature, Jessbowbag explains why one particular ornament in her garden is very precious to her.
Velma Dinkley
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History of brewing
T he production, serving and consumption of beer is a very important factor in the lives of all our ancestors, not only from its use as a safe alternative to water but because so many of them were involved in its production.
Many farmers were also listed in census returns as brewers and how many of us have found an ancestor listed as a publican or barmaid?
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Brewing heritage
B urton Upon Trent can trace its brewing roots back to the 11th century, and during the latter half of the 19th century, a quarter of all beer sold in Britain was brewed in the town.
Burton stands on the River Trent on the A5121 and close to the A38 and A50 trunk roads. It is situated in Staffordshire, but is very close to the border with Derbyshire. Location of Burton on Trent.
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The Salvation Army
I am sure that most of you will have heard of the old joke about the Salvation Army bra, "It lifts the fallen!". Seriously though, this is the exact aim of the Salvation Army; it always has been and hopefully always will be.
The Salvation Army was born in 1878 from a name change of The Christian Mission (and previously The Christian Revival Society), founded by William Booth in 1865.
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| Brewing ancestors | Brewery workers
M y husband’s great x2 grandfather, Thomas Anderson, was one of ten children, born in the farming community of Bisham in Berkshire between 1814 and 1830. His grandfather, also called Thomas, who had his origins in Scotland, had leased Cross Roads Farm in 1796 for a term of 100 years, and this is where he grew up.
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| Landlords | Publican ancestors
I had been researching my Meller ancestors in Shropshire for several years without turning up much in the way of exciting information, until a chance search on A2A - Access to Archives revealed a hit that indicated details contained within the Quarter Sessions related to my great x3 grandparents, James Meller and Elizabeth Scale.
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| Taynton Squash Perry | Taynton cider
M y maternal great grandmother was called Julia Holder. The Holder family were descended from Huguenots who had settled in Taynton, Gloucestershire, in the 17th century.
At the time the area was renowned for its orchards, in particular in the growing of the 'Taynton Squash Perry Pear', which produced a cider considered equal to Champagne that was sold far and wide.
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| Spooky Genealogical Tales |
Spooky tales
H alloween originates in Ireland, as the ancient Celtic festival known as ‘Samhain’, which was celebrated at the end of the harvest to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The Celts believed that on 31st October the boundary dissolved between those alive and dead, so that the dead could cause damage to the crops. The festivities would include a bonfire, to ward off evil spirits, and masks would be worn in attempt to mimic or
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 | The Ghost of Mary Buck
I n the summer of 2006 I made a visit to Adderbury in Oxfordshire, where my great x2 grandparents, George Henry and Mary Buck, had lived their married life together.
George and Mary were married in 1858. He was a commercial traveller in tea and met Mary through his work, as her family owned a grocer's shop in Witney which he visited in the course of his business.
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 | Deja Vu
W hen we got married, my husband and I decided to spend our honeymoon touring around Northumberland, which is where my mother was brought up, and where I later discovered that a number of my ancestors on that side of my tree were born. I think that even then I was interested in the areas where my family had originated, and that influenced my choice of honeymoon destination.
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Spiritual assistance
L ast year my husband and I went to a nearby town to photograph a church where his cousin had married, as we were doing a 'then and now' photo album for a anniversary present for them.
As I was sitting in the car outside the church, a thought suddenly came into my head - why not go to a nearby village to see if we could find my husband's maternal grandfather's grave? ...
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| My Family Treaure |
The fairy house
I only ever knew one grandad and he was as special to me as I was to him. He would have moved heaven and earth for me, so special was our relationship. He spent all of his working life on a farm, but took a part-time job, after his retirement, in the local ironmongers, Woods, and we would visit him there on the way back from shopping.
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