General Chat

When I was a boy I used to watch my Grand Father wind up his heavy silver pocket watch.

When he died my Mother got it.
When Mother died I got it.
I gave to my Aunt May
Aunt May died.
I assume her daughter Jennifer got it.

2 items of no monetary worth, which are packed away, but valued never the less.

My grandfather's half hunter watch made of Base Metal. The watch fob is inscribed with his name and dated 1906 and that it was given to him for good attendence at school. Not quite the same as the book tokens now dished out!

My grandmothers rather dog eared OT bible, inscribed to her from *her* grandmother. That must date from the late 1800 - early 1900's as well. There is even a pressed flower left inside the pages. If only it could talk - lol

I have my Grandads war photos all in albums many of which was taken when he was away in South Africa....also all his cigarette cards hed collected ..........I have my Great Grandfathers dining table which was only given to me recently so ive put it into storage an the 1st time im going to use it is when i make a valentines meal for my boyfriend and I ........

Also have my Nans 1st childhood wooden chair......its so tiny but so beautiful.......

yesterday I wrote an entry and the pressed the wrong button so another try today.
I am fortunate to have quite a lot of precious family items

in no particular order
1. My great Aunts tiny wedding ring, It is a simple band withe two hearts in oposite directions on the front and one has her initials and the other her husbands. It is very thin now and one of the hearts has a split but I would not throw it away, She was a lovely lady who I met when she had been a widow for many years.
2.. A baptism/christening Robe which is nearly 150 yeras old. It has been in the family for all of that time and two of my children wore it for their christening along with a natching hat and a cape from my first husbands family. Couldn't use it the next time as I had identical twins!!
3, A totally intact afternoon teaset which was handed down to me from my Grandmother, It is so pretty with blue birds painted on it.
4. My mothers' and fathers wedding rings and some bling which my mother just loved,
5. Lots of old photos
6. My grandfathers army records and many notes in his handwriting,
7. Many many old photos which I keep in special albums. from the onset of photography to more modern times.

I used to have a complete set of Whitby Jet, neckless, broch, a belt piece in that it was two clasps which could be used either on a belt or on a necklace,and they were all in the original box with the name of the person who had made the jewelry.
They were all in the original Case and then very sadly in early 80s we were robbed several times even though we had alarms etc and on one of these ooccassions this jewelry was taken.
Two years on the people involved were caught and admiited that they had stolen my treasures but none were ever recovered,, So sad.

I Like this thread it must bring back so many memories.

I have a bottle of champagne which was given to my father in 1953 coranation year. i did try to open it when i was a child i got the foil off saw the wire and left it i got a good hideing still have a laugh about it to this day.

I have a white gold and amethyst pendant with matching bracelet that my gt grandad gave my gran on her 14th birthday in 1908. I made sure I wore it on her birthdate in 2008 to celebrate its' centenary.
I also have a china lady with a dog - not high quality china but something I always liked to look at when we were allowed into the 'front room'.

I have some of m-i laws jewelry too although that doesn't have quite the same sentimental value for me.

Sadly some things we wish we had now were disposed of at some time.
Kate

I have a traing chair for children that I think my g grandad made and has been handed down, it must be about 120 years now, It was fine when it was handed down to me, but when my daughters had it for her children one of the boys distroyed the seat so I have taken it back and am restoreing it.

I also have a vegatable dish from g grandmother, and I have my mil wedding ring.

I have Mothers rolling pin, some of her cutlery which I use every day. My OHs 75 year old christening gown, last used 52 yrs ago, but too small for most babies now. Little cap that goes with it is minute. We also have father-in-law's shoe mending kit.

I had my Grt Grt Grandmas' cut glass salt cellars from the days when each guest at dinner had one at each setting, I passed them on to my eldest G/daughter when my first Great Grandson was born.

A lovely thread, will be back later to have a good read.

Awdrey.

I have a ruby ring that has been passed down to all the Catherines on my mothers side of the family on their 21st birthdays. I am the only one left at the moment so dont know what will happen to it when I'm gone although my eldest daughter is Kate so I will probably leave it for her.

Cath xx

I don't have any jewellery belonging to either of my Grandmothers, unfortunately I never met one of them as she died aged 39 in 1916 from breast cancer, I had sent for her death certificate and that revelation was quite a shock but it did alert us to the fact that that disease was in the family.
I do have one brass boot out of a pair belonging to the other Grandmother, which I absolutely treasure, it was made and given to her by an old boyfriend on her marriage to my Grandfather in 1898. She used to have them either side of the mantlepiece, my sister has the other one. It looks like a boot Victorian ladies might have worn with button fasteners.

A book of Longfellow poetry that belonged to my grandmother who was murdered age 23, she left two small children age 2 & 4 (my dad and his brother) my dad carried the book with him through WW11. My dad died in his 50's in 1974.

I have many of my grandparents and parents and mil.

2 China dogs from my maternal grandparents, both the left hand of a pair,the little one is 7inches high which was one of their wedding presents in 1908, never knew my nan, but gramps who died when I was 5 used to let me 'play ' with the little dog. None of the family know what happened to the' right hand' dogs. I was the youngest of the cousins ( most of them old enough to be my parents ) so never had any jewellery.
I have an Ebony elephant 7 inches high from my paternal grandmother, and beautiful red gold ring, which shows roses entwined on it. I wear it often. Again didn't know that grandfather but have treasured photos of him.

Of mum and dad's have too many too many to quote :)
My most treasured are my mum's engagement ring , which is very fragile now, as she wore it every day ( tho my sister had it 'built up some yrs ago). Dad's 'engagement' ring , mum bought it him at the same time as she had hers. He was in the RAF in WW2, they married in 1941, engaged in 1940, he always wore it on his wedding finger.But he was an repair engineer in the RAF and the constant toll on it cause to split. When mum died, I was into jewellery making so he gave it to me to see if I could use it.
I had it rebuilt for him and he was so pleased, he wore it again until he died... even putting wool on the back of it when he lost weight.
Mum always said she wanted us to have her jewellery after her passing, she used to let me wear her ring, when I was a teenager :)
Sister has their wedding ring, dad was going to wear it on a chain around his neck,( he did for 2 weeks) but he never treated either of us differently, and when my sister came home from the US for the funeral he decide to give it to her.
Dad must have been destined for the RAF at some time, tho he was a Postmaster and Manager of what was the Employment Exchange, cos on a Sunday school trip to a local seaside resort as a child, he bought his mum a condiment set in the shape of an aeroplane. Pride of place in my glass unit :)

Have my MIL first wedding ring, she was widowed when hubby was 11 months old. I wear that quite often too.

Reading some of the messages reminded me that I have two silver brooches, one with the word Mizpah which belonged to my grandmother. The stories are so interesting that it has just prompted made me to compose a list of material things which are meaningful to me so that when anything happens at least I hope my family will consider not throwing them out. -jle

I stil use some cutlery,very ordinary stuff,that belonged to my grandmother.I have some of her furniture,dressing table and kitchen chair but I don't think anybody will want them after me.There is only one great-grandaughter and I don't think she wants them.
Sewing machines that belonged to each grandmother.
The real gem is a small red exercise book.Grandfather's brother was a horseman.He used to walk the shire stallions around the farms to service the mares.He had a collection of remedies and cures written in a small book.His great-grandson has this original book but the son copied the book at some time before the Great War into the red book I now have.
I keep meaning to put some of the cures on here.

My mothers wedding ring became my daughters wedding ring, she was the closest to her grandma. My grandma's fob watch, and rings etc from my Mum. Thing that means the most though is a Christmas decoration of a glow in the dark cherub!!! It still glows after 62 years!!!!!!!!! My brother thinks its probably radio active he he.

Thank you all for your lovely stories. These old items obviously mean alot to most of us and its so interesting to hear about them.
I also have my Grans wedding ring, and grandfathers WW1 medals.
Love the story of cutting a lemon on horseback.!!
Rose, do you use the rolling pin?

I wonder what happened , there I was writiing along full of memeories and I thougt that I had pressed the submit button, Came back and I am not here, well i know I will be when you al read this but where have I gone. will write again this evening

I love the Mizpah verse..
I had a brooch with it on that was my great granma's.
I lost it but always remember the verse.
Sue

I have a ruby and diamond ring that my father bought my mother for their ruby wedding anniversary. I also have a Mizpah ring which I bought many years ago, as my father had the word Mizpah tattooed on his arm.