General Chat

Has anybody got any special heirlooms that have been handed down?, I have some very old table spoons, all worn away on the edges!, and a table oil lamp, (around 1900), and even Gt. Grandfathers old hand trowel, judging by the size of his garden, I bet that dug a few holes!..

One is a bible that belonged to my great-grandmother that had been given to her by her father John McCusker, and has his writing in it - that is very special to me. Joy

I was given some lovely heirlooms when i was home visiting family two weeks ago. My great gran had two brothers who died very young, within months of each other. My cousin gave me their beautiful memorial cards--very delicate, yet they've lasted since 1884. I was also given great gran's ration books. I have my Granda's medals, his WW1 bible and German phrase book, and loads of very old family photos. my most treasured heirloom is an album full of beautiful love cards sent between Granda and Gran during WW1. They are the kind with embroidery on them. I wouldn't part with them for the world.

hi christine I have the furniture my grandad made and most of my grandparents wedding gifts, a complete set of dickens books, my grandparents collection of postcards which I am scanning to disc and their photo albums, luckily my grandparents and aunt were great collectors and saved everything including their wedding gift list. jenny x

I've got a victorian bonnet which belonged to my gggrandmother - she had such a small head! It's black with lace and ostrich feather trim. The ribbons have rotted away but otherwise it's in a fair condition. I have a christening gown and a boy's dress of the same period too. I also have a jug and wash basin that belonged to my husband's grandmother that his dad used to be bathed in as a baby. The oldest thing I have is a small glass basket that my Gran gave me when I was about 10 years old which, by her reckoning then, would be about 200 years old now. She did tell me who in the family it had belonged to - but you don't think you will ever need to know that when you're young. Magsx

Sally, the love cards sound lovely, im not surprised you wouldnt part with them. The only thing ive got is a framed thing my ggrandad had in the late 1880's. Its a cloth with loads of different medal things from all the freemason lodges in northumberland and cumberland. Its not very nice to look at really but but my mum got it off my granny and then she gave it to me so it is sentimental. I must admit i keep it in my wardrobe!!!!

I've got an old silver spoon with a hallmark in the 1790s. We know which side of the family it came from..... Unfortunately, the monogram doesn't tie up with anyone in the family. Great granny was a cook. Did she pinch it?? Brenda

I have some thing that are old and some not so old. The family christening gown made by my Gt Gt grandmother. It is so pretty with all the embroidery hand done and the stitches so tiny. A sampler made by gt grandmother in 1880 of the British Isles. A leather clutch bag that was my grandmothers. A small victorian cane table which was handed down to my grandmother. lots of other things but one thing I will never open of throw away as it is a reminder of my late dad (been gone 18 yrs) is a bottle of brut aftershave, which I can still smell in my mind eye so to speak Lynn

I have the letters my grandfather wrote to my grandmother during and just after WW1. A small tablecloth worked with lace by my great-grandmother. My husband has a shove ha'penny board made from wood taken from the bar of the pub his grandfather used to run, when they had the place refurbished. He also has a beautiful handmade wooden chest for small tools, screws, nuts, bolts etc. made by the same grandpa. nell

Sheila, I know you may not want to part with it but I hear that Freemason things are very valuable collector's pieces. My Grandad was a 'Buffalo', whatever that is! My Dad said they organised his funeral and it was beautiful--very ceremonial.

My grandfather was a member of the Ancient Order of Buffaloes too. My mother described it as a "poor man's Freemasons" but they seem to have been a benevolent organisation in the days before the welfare state. I did find a website about them somewhere by googling "Order of Buffaloes". nell

i have an old necklace that belonged to my nan. my grandad kept it in an old vic jar (wonder it never got thrown out). he gave it to my dad and said when i was older to give it to me. it had diamonds type stones and lovely blue stones in it. no idea if its valuable but its so pretty. also i have a teaset my dad gave me from czechoslovakia made by ditmar urbach. that was also in my nans house when i was small and i always thought how lovely it looked. i have been on a website to see if i can get an idea of value but nothing found. not to sell just insure