The Maternal Brooch

 A little while before my mother died she gave me a brooch. A large ‘C’ shaped silver one with different stone sections. Mum explained that it had been her grandmother's - Eleanor Palmer neé Wells. She passed it on to her daughter - Violet Cottam neé Palmer, Mum’s mother. Because she had two daughters she decided to have a jeweller cut it in half and re-clasp it, for them - my mum, Lilian and my aunt Eleanor Burkitt neé Cottam. 

It is an unusual brooch and quite heavy, but of course very special.  

Eleanor Palmer was born on 17 February 1840 in Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. I wonder if the stones were from around that area or maybe even the brooch had been handed down from the previous generation - Eleanor Fry/Price born 1821 in Speldhurst. This Eleanor emigrated to Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia in 1853 with her husband, Thomas Wells and family.  

A few years ago I found in my inherited mother’s photos, one of my great grandmother and lo and behold she is wearing the original brooch on the collar at her throat!  Seeing it on her brought me a strong feeling of connection.

                                            

                                                 Eleanor Fry/Price wearing brooch

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Australian Local and Family History Bloggers. Family History Month August 2022. Part Four.

MONTHLY CHALLENGE

WEEK 2: Travel, Part Four — ENGLAND

Leaving Scotland our drive down to England took us past Hadrian's Wall. We stayed in the grand old George Hotel in Penrith. It was like living in a bygone era. Then we took the slower road through all the lovely villages enjoying England, to get to Herefordshire, where we found a guest house/hotel down on the picturesque Wye River at Symonds Yat.

Symonds Yat straddling the Wye River, Herefordshire

An enchanting holiday place

Herefordshire: 
The origin of my mother’s father’s side. Palmer, Wall, Bellamy, Lewis, Bennet, Bullock, Cowmeadow and Gough. 

Sunday, we attended the church service at the Broad St, Baptist Church in Ross on Wye, where the Wall family had been heavily involved. Unfortunately, the graves had been cemented over for a car park, and no past records were held there anymore. 
The Ross Library informed us that their old newspaper records were now held at the Hereford Library, and it was temporarily closed for Health and Safety reasons due to asbestos in the building. Some you win, some you lose.

We looked at local houses the families had lived in and also St Mary’s Church where some attended, and my GGGGt Grandparents Levi Wall and Sophia Pritchard married. This church was open, allowing us a good sticky-beak around inside and out. Beautiful enormous old trees in the churchyard amongst the old graves.

St Mary's Church, Ross on Wye

On the main street, John established where our 1905 postcard picture was taken, showing the Wall's ironmongery, belonging to my Gt Gt Grandparents. 

Broad Street, Ross

The former residence and business of the Palmer and Wall families at 50 Broad St still looked much the same on the outside. However, it was covered in scaffolding for renovations -- sadly stopping us from having a peep. 

We got lost driving to find the old Ryeford cemetery, but eventually were set back on track by a local vet. A lass in the ex-chapel, now community hall, walked us around the back through the overgrowth in the pouring rain. People can be so helpful. We found graves for Wall and Lewis, took photos and recorded inscriptions on our mobile phones. It was too hard to use the alfoil in the wind and rain with raincoats and umbrellas. Without realising till later, I left a memory to the deceased relatives, my crafted silver ring from a silversmith in Darwin.

Many broken and fallen over stones were indecipherable.  But such a wonderful feeling is experienced when you discover ancestors and learn more of their stories, you feel that connection with them.

Baptist burial ground, Ryeford Herefordshire

At the bakers in Ross, a little touch of home. We tried the 'Australian Chocolate Crunch slice’ with Cornflakes, coconut and cocoa.

Next stop Hereford. Wandered through the Hereford Cathedral which had banners telling the story of the Magna Carta for the 800-year anniversary from 1215. Hereford Archives had some great helpers who set us up on 2 microfiche machines, where we found some good records. Also, Pigot's Directories listed the Wall members who were district ironmongers. 

We drove past Monmouth, and Abergavenny where my brother died. A rainbow appeared across the sky -- wow.

In the morning we set off doing the touristy thing -- visiting the Roman baths at Bath, a pretty little town at the bottom of a steep hill. Followed by Stonehenge, where we took far too many photos! It was so interesting with little round huts built recently to experience how it would have been then.

Stonehenge near Salisbury

After a 15-minute drive to Salisbury, we spent a unique time in the Cathedral. The spire is the tallest in the UK. Once through the medieval gateway, the pathway was lined with large caricature 'Barons' representing those who fought for justice against unpopular King John. The Magna Carta was drawn up to make peace between them. 

'The Barons' at Salisbury Cathedral

It is a magnificent cathedral with beautiful stained-glass, especially the blue piece at the altar. We were welcomed by a loudspeaker and joined in the Lord's Prayer, followed by an attending school chorus singing the African American spiritual slave song 'Kumbaya'. Very moving.
We saw part of the actual 'Magna Carta' calf skin sheet on display under cover.

And so we made our way back to London, passing Winchester Cathedral, and arriving at a lovely old mansion house on Chelsea embankment, our Air BNB. Later we walked by the Chelsea Pensioner's Hospital and grounds where a life-like red uniformed pensioner statue rested on a bench. 

Chelsea Pensioner at gate of Hospital.
Photo credit Jenette Russell/ArtHQ

Shouted ourselves dinner at another of Jamie Oliver's restaurants to celebrate. And on the last evening, as a farewell to London, we ate luscious steaks, dining at ‘Restaurant Gordon Ramsay’ in Chelsea. Very lucky to get a walk-in table and enjoy great service. 


And so our ancestral trail of UK came to an end. With all the information gleaned on our long exciting travels, we now relaxed into full-time tourist mode. We had oodles of information to take home and work on for years to come!

Australian Local and Family History Bloggers. Family History Month August 2022. Part Three.

 

MONTHLY CHALLENGE

WEEK 2: Travel, Part Three — SCOTLAND

On our return to Scotland via the Stena line ferry, we delighted in a lovely blue day with only a small swell.

Stena line ferry from Cairnryan Scotland to Belfast Ireland

Landed feeling all ready and looking forward to commencing the Scottish Family Trail.

My ancestral names are McIntosh, Lumsden, Pearce, Gray, Clark/e, Cairns. A lot of miners and woollen mill workers who lived around the Border country and Edinburgh area.

Our first stop was the Dumbarton library, going through microfilms of old newspapers. Ventured out to follow up a burial, where Bob Hope the cemetery supervisor assisted. The only possible one, an unmarked grave, was listed as Pryce, not Pearce. His referral to the Burials Office in Clydebank brought us a positive answer. We travelled to the office and were shown an enormous ancient book, the original register of burials. And we could examine it there and then with no gloves! It didn't take long to find the entry where Richard Pearce paid 15 shillings for his wife's 'lair', the plot Bob had thought. 

We drove round photographing many relevant houses and buildings in the area.

Lawned gravesite for Richard Pearce's
wife and child, sadly no headstone

Arrived in Edinburgh and dutifully impressed by the imposing Castle above us. Then moved on to family towns —New Winton, Ormiston, EastHouses, Newbattle and eventually Peebles. In Peebles, I stood outside the house where my father was born. A very emotional experience. Sadly, no one was home to show us inside. 

Dad's first home, Peebles.

At St Ronan Wells, William Pearce my Gt Grandfather was the gardener and caretaker. There is now a museum there as well. Inside we found old Pearce cordial bottles on display, and information about the factory.

Early Lemonade bottle

Bottle crates carted on the horse drawn tray

Called at Innerleithen Local History office where the attendants joined in our search. Such a keen group dedicated to genealogy and community history. They talked about drinking Pearce's Lemonade as children on local picnics. I paid membership to their local Family History association to receive online newsletters when home. 

Window display at Borders Family History Society

Also met with a second cousin who still runs the Pearce drinks factory from the natural spring there, which my Great Grandfather set up in the 1870s.

My second cousin and his wife at the drinks factory

Wandered through the Innerleithen cemetery and paid respects to Pearce ancestors and relatives. 

My Gt Grandparents, James Finley Lumsden and Isabella McIntosh buried 
with daughters Ellen, Agnes, Mary and Euphemia
Cemetery Innerleithen.

From there we had a beautiful country drive through the Scottish border country on our way down to England which would be the final part of our family history trail.

You can now follow our continuing English trail in Part Four.

Australian Local and Family History Bloggers. Family History Month August 2022. Part Two.

MONTHLY CHALLENGE

WEEK 2: Travel, Part Two — IRELAND

IRELAND -- First we visited Northern Ireland/Ulster.
Belfast: We had deliberately booked in at the Titanic Quarter, Premier Inn, just over the road from PRONI. So handy.

PRONI. Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast

We obtained our ID cards there and spent the next couple of days searching, microfilm, books, and of course the PRONI catalogue. Very helpful staff allowed us to spread table size maps out to discover land holdings and our course. Found a will and quite a lot of info. To relax we enjoyed Irish pub food and music for dinner at the oldest pub in Belfast.

Co Down: 
Mum's Grandmother Eliza/beth Shanks was 25 years old

when she emigrated to Australia on the passenger ship 'Ocean Monarch'. The ship left England in 1855 but was stalled for four months in Rio Janeiro for repairs after being dismasted. Seven months it took to reach Australian soil, I imagine Eliza witnessed some frightening storms. Originally the surname was Cruikshanks or Crookshanks, and earlier the family probably sailed over to Ireland from Scotland. Eliza had five other sisters who also came to Australia. Two brothers stayed home and one sister went to America. 

Other family names were Allen, Graham and Johnson who lived around the Poyntzpass area. 

With the mud map I had drawn at PRONI from table-sized land grant maps, we came across Bann Road, Lisnabrague, just outside Poyntzpass. Managed to pinpoint the Shanks brothers' farms and mill location. We discovered that a Shanks family still lived on one of the farms. So to my joy, I met a 4th cousin there, and we have communicated online ever since, making great discoveries, and linking up other  related families around the world. 

Original stone farm sheds at Shanks' farm, Bann Rd Lisnabrague, Co Down.

Samuel & Margaret Shanks, my GG Grandparents.
Grandson George & son Samuel Shanks.
Headstone, Poyntzpass Presbyterian Church

And then three graves at the Fourtowns Presbyterian graveyard. The old-time parishioners secretly met nearby at a rock during 'the troubles'. 

Alfred and May SHANKS, Fourtowns Church

Rockmeeting road 

At Rices' Pub in town, a great meeting place for the locals, Gavin the proprietor kindly gave us some local family history group magazines to read.

A page in one of the Poyntzpass magazines showing the early days Friday Market

Rice's hotel, Poyntzpass, Co Down

It was time to head to Dublin. Taking the back road through Newry we admired the Mourne mountains. A granite mountain range including the highest peak of Northern Ireland — 'Slieve Donard'. We strayed of course to the Abbey Monasterboice to see the old 5th Century ruins and graves in Louth, north of Drogheda. Amazing tall Celtic crosses, towers and remains of the monastic settlement.

'Muiredach's Cross' c. 521 at Monasterboice, Louth

At Skerries, we saw the watermill, the four sail and five sail windmills, bakery and associated mill races, pond and wetlands. Flour has been milled there since the 12th century and shows how wind and water energies were harnessed by our ancestors. A lovely little coastal village.

Five Sail Windmill, Skerries

IRELAND -- NRI 
Dublin: We visited the National Library of Ireland (NLI) where a researcher helped us and then we progressed on to the National Archives Office of Ireland (NAOI). The archivist sorted our ID cards where we checked the 'Outrage Papers of 1848' for Waterford re: convict crimes. It was a large set of papers we handled with white gloves and the archivist supervised. No Flynn, but plenty of reports describing the excitement, nervousness, and violence of the upsurgings and a request for a steamship to sit in port for support. Will books were also scoured. We lunched in 'The Swan Inn' which showed off its pockmarked front masonry from artillery attacks when the republicans barricaded in there. A noisy night with the celebrating of the Hurling and Gaelic football finals.

Bullet marks at the 'Swan Inn'

The next day we joined a 'Hop on Hop off' bus and toured around Dublin streets with the lovely old Georgian buildings, then out to Phoenix Park, with roaming deer in the large green parks. A statue of the Duke of Wellington (1817) towered over us. Two large houses there for the US Ambassador and President of Ireland. Back to town past the Guinness Brewery and acres of property, then the Jameson Irish Whisky Distillery. At Trinity College, we admired the 'Book of Kells' and the library 'Long Room'. Amazing.

The Long Room, library. Trinity College

Co Waterford -- In Waterford we were met by the town's artistic celebration of their early Vikings.

Viking mural on bridge in Waterford, Ire.

Carrignagower near Lismore, was where the Flynn family had lived. We drove past the big Lismore Castle and wound up the hills at the back about 5 km, passing some trout fishermen in the river trying their luck.

River Blackwater at Lismore, Co Waterford.

Finding the area the Flynns worked was on the side of the steep hill. It was not that different from the hillside in the Huon where they eventually settled in Tasmania. Nice for John to be standing on the townland of his ancestral family. We realised how far Mary walked into town, and later visiting the men, when they were first locked up. And then traipse back up the steep hill home! Discovered some Lyons graves at St Carthages RC church.

One of the barely legible Lyons family grave

St Carthages Cathedral, Lismore, Co Waterford

In Dungarvan local studies building, we attended a lecture by Genealogist, Tony Hennessy. He presented information on Irish BDMs and Burials. It was very informative, and he was a fun lecturer. We took copious notes. 

Tony Hennessy lecture, Dungarvan

The Archivist was extremely helpful too, assisting with searching microfilm, as well as Applotments and Tenant's Agreements. Schools had not yet been set up. Found what we think could be John's ancestors' rental and his GGGrandparents marriage record and children's baptisms, just as our eyes were going blurry. We were advised to check the Devonshire Estate (Landlord) Records held at Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire Dales, England. The seat of the Duke of Devonshire belonged to the Cavendish family since 1549.

Baptism: Maria Flynn to Laurence and Maria Flynn, 04 Mar 1835
Cappoquin Parish, Co Waterford 

Co Cork: – From Cork, we drove to Cobh in the pouring rain.

A  lovely village  port built on a very steep hill. Unfortunate Irish passengers boarded the Titanic here.  

Cobh. 'Up the hill for the best fish and chips!'

The next day, we ferried over to Spike Island where John's GGGrandfather Laurence Flynn was imprisoned as a convict for 2 years before being sent to Van Diemen's Land. We were lucky there was a 'Back To' for families who were ex-residents of the island, and we could join in a tour of the buildings, cells, etc. of the convict station. Very sad and touching to walk the land he walked and see the place he was jailed in -- to imagine him along with the others working all those rocks -- making walls, bridges and building houses, etc. It is amazing that any of them survived. (These skills though, would come in handy once in Tasmania, when Laurence and sons did bridge building.)

Farming implements used by the prisoners at Spike Island

A cell window at the Spike Island prison

At Kanturk, home to Duggan, Reardon and Mulcahy families, we searched the RC graveyard to no avail but were able to look inside the church and admire it. It was a pretty little village with its two rivers and rapids.

 

Our next port of call was the 'Cliffs of Moher', a very picturesque place, even with the mist and rain that day. 

The Cliffs of Moher, Burren region of Co Clare

We took the ferry across the Shannon River, a tranquil trip in the mist. Sadly not a good day for seals or dolphins. Followed the Burren along to Ennis.

Co Clare: Ennis and Killaloe, were original locations for the Sheehan, Reidy and Brazil families. Spent quite a lot of time in the Clare County local studies centre having heard so much about it, and it certainly was a fantastic resource. We were so appreciative of Peter who provided a resources list and guided us through a process of research:
1.parish, 2.townland, 3.names, 4.original applotment and 5.tenancy books.
What a busy place with people coming and going all the time. We found lots of info to assist us in finding out more about the Sheehans and Reidys -- the Irish side of Grandma Flynn's family. Had to buy another exercise book to put all the information in! 

Leaving here, we went up through the Midlands back to Belfast, to return the rental car. Off to Kelly's Cellars to enjoy the Irish jamming and craic, before moving back to Scotland.

Our Scottish trail in Part Three is now ready to read, and after that I continue England's trail for Part Four.

Australian Local and Family History Bloggers. Family History Month August 2022. Part One.

 

MONTHLY CHALLENGE

WEEK 2: Travel, Part One — England.

(We will return to England for Part Four)

In 2015 my husband John and I went on a family history trail of the United Kingdom. After listing all the direct line families on both our sides, we realized that we had to cover just about all of England, some of Wales, go up into Scotland, over to Northern Ireland, and see quite a bit of territory in the Republic of Ireland for John's convicts. A little daunting, but we worked out where the relevant archives/record offices/churches /cemeteries were, to help us out and emailed some beforehand. We had responses from a few of the offices which helped us when we arrived at their location. All the little villages to visit would turn out to be a delight.

We headed off on the 30th of July and didn't get back home until the 6th of November. We took a slow trip over with three stopovers for a few nights each, (Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, and Istanbul), before arriving at Venice. My favourite place. Then train to Paris (John's favourite place) for 6 days and another train to England via the Chunnel. 

Our ancestral trail started in earnest on the 18th of August -- with great weather for 95% of the way. Only rained in a few places. During the trip, in the evenings, I kept a diary and we entered as much as we could on computer, whilst fresh in our minds. After our family history adventure, we eventually returned to France and hired another car to Barcelona for the end of September to join the cruises home -- 2 weeks to Dubai and 2 weeks to Singapore, then flew the last bit home to Australia. Of course, by now we were loaded with masses of photos, documents, etc., some on our laptops and others in hard copy. 

A rough map following our journey showing the four parts of the story.
Orange highlight black is England Part One. Includes the lower red marking on Scotland 
Blue is Ireland Part Two
Red is Scotland Part Three
Plain black is England Part Four.

In ENGLAND we visited
Sussex: 
The Church of the Parish, St Albans, in Frant where my GGGrandparents Thomas Wells and Eleanor Fry were married. There we found history information sheets and a wonderful list of all gravestones, helping us find relatives.

St Albans Church, Frant Sussex.

Helpful list of churchyard grave, Frant.

Kent: Locations of East Peckham, Speldhurst, Lyghe, Tunbridge Wells, Pembury, and Sutten Valance for my ancestors Pearce, Haysman, Towner, Fry, Nye, Sales, Welfear, Simmons, Barton, France, Putland.

St Mary's Speldhurst, Kent

Entrance to St Mary's, Speldhursp/f0.t

'Here lyeth the Body of Mary Fry daughter of Robert and Mary Fry'

So many graves for the Nye family, some illegible

We drove up to the now-closed St Michael's Church at East Peckham, sitting romantically atop the hill amongst ancient beech trees. What glorious views over the Medway valley to the Weald. A worker was doing some maintenance, so we were able to go inside and photograph, whilst it was open. Graves were found for Barton, Towner, Welfear, Fry and Simmons families.

St Michael's East Peckham, Kent

In Tunbridge Wells at the library, we copied some pertinent pages in books. Given a referral for Atlas of Tunbridge Wells, a very large-sized book, beautifully pictured, which we bought at a bookstore. Inside some of my families were mentioned in the feast of local information.

The great Tunbridge Wells book we managed to purchase.

Travelling north we deviated to see the enormous Newmarket Racecourse. In the villages, thatched rooves were now visible on the cottages.

Huntingdonshire:
In Ramsay, we registered for a CARN card (County Archives Research Network) and found the archives very helpful for Edgley and Clarke families, using the Red books. There were numerous graves for Edgley and Unwin families in the churchyard.

In Loving Memory of Rebekah Edgeley

Cambridgeshire:
At St Mary's Church in Doddington, we discovered family graves to photograph. Also, a row of old townhouses in Blenheim St. (as number of the relevant house unknown).

St Mary's Church, Doddington

Leicestershire:
We stayed at an enormous Best Western Hotel (a change from the old Air BNBs and hotels). There were hundreds of rooms and fire safety doors in the long passages. Accommodation addresses to find are given as postcode, and map coordinates at Junction Number. Unfortunately, our Sat. Nav. couldn’t cope with this.
At the Records Office, we signed for temporary ID cards. All were very helpful and other Australians were there busy researching. Found parents of Jane Pratt and Henry Castings, John’s direct line. Yay! The city was full of football fans and Bobbies -- chaotic.

Took a lovely trip on through the wolds and dales passing the 'Archery Centre' in Nottingham!

Lincolnshire: 
In Scartho/Grimsby we visited the local history library. Helpful volunteers at the Family History centre, where we found Susan Ashley's (John’s direct line) baptism and marriage records. They were to email us more information later. At Scartho St Giles Church cemetery we used alfoil to copy the grave inscriptions for Ashley and Croft. Worked well. 

Foil was a good way to read difficult inscriptions, 
although difficult in bad weather conditions!

We learnt that Grimsby was a village founded by Vikings in the 9th Century. A Danish fisherman named Grim supposedly named the place after himself and added the suffix 'by' meaning village, in old Norse. 

As the weather had been unusually hot so far, we drove to the beach nearby at Cleethorpes to cool off. It was cloudy with a slight breeze as we walked in the evening and were introduced to the fun parlours and English pier. Apparently the ubiquitous fish and chip shop was originally a ballroom.

The Pier, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire
Image from BBC News Friday, 20th May 2022

On much of our travels the beautiful golden paddocks surrounding us had been given a ‘haircut’ -- hay cutting and baling season. Enormous tractors and harvesters on most lanes, making driving a challenge, and we were to find them all over the UK. Rows and rows of wind turbines stretched to eternity. In Lincoln, we stopped at the Cathedral and Tennyson's statue. Signed for another ID card at the archives. Again great assistants. Used the fiches, Green and Red Books for district marriage indexes. Photocopied ten pages.

        Lincoln Cathedral with Tennyson's statue

 On our way to Lancashire we just had to stop in Bakewell and try their well known Bakewell tarts.  Couldn't make up our minds i we liked them or not. But another new experience to add to the diary.

Bakewell Tart, Derbyshire

Lancashire:
Family ancestors: Cottam, Johnson, Dixon, Towner, Partington, Munkes at Croft, Culcheth, Winwick, Warrington, Risely, Leigh, and Bedford. 
Culcheth: Found the Newchurch church next to a little pub, the 'Pack Horse Inn'. The church bells rang every quarter-hour, keeping us on our toes. Tragic to see piles of old gravestones stacked up higgledy-piggledy and many used as fences. Most had inscriptions hidden or broken. 

Newchurch church

A fence of unreadable gravestones

Some of the Partington family were interred near the entrance, so easy to find. Had to clear embedded moss and later purchase a nail brush to clean my dirty, mossy nails! 

Grave for one of the Partington family

Into the pub for lunch, discovered a list of owners over the years displayed on the wall, and John Dixon ran it from 1914-1918 (so not at war) May be a Dixon relative. Also an old picture in the passage showed a George Towner in the cricket team. Could be another relative.

It is always a good idea to visit the local pubs for wall photos and chat with the publican and locals re: surnames.

We viewed St Oswald's Church in Winwick, the main church for the family BDMs (Births, Deaths and Marriages). Then we had a special time meeting up with Christine, originator of the Facebook site Genealogy Time Travellers UK and Worldwide. She showed us Lewis Carroll's Church at Daresbury with its stained-glass Biblical figures and Alice in Wonderland figures below.

Alice in Wonderland figures at base of stained glass windows, Daresbury, Winwick

Drove through Croft where my GGGrandfather farmed, a lovely agricultural area but no church there. Lovely to follow the lush green carpets of verdant farmland.  

In Preston Archives Office, we scrolled through Microfilms having some success with the Cottam family. They are to post some wills to us. 

Cumbria: Carlisle. It is England nowadays, but John’s ancestors -- Grahams and Bells were raised as Scottish here. The library in Carlisle was open, and we had luck finding Graham records in the local family history section. Thousands of Graham families, with so many sons named William. 

The old family naming pattern for children can be a blessing and a bind in Genealogy, can't it?

And so we journeyed to Scotland on north through the lovely landscapes with some bare hills and purple heather, deep green grass and wildflowers. A mixture of yellow, pink, mauve and white.

We decided to leave our Scottish family trail till after Ireland. Instead we had a quick tourist visit about for a bit of a break.

Drove through Dumfries where Rabbie Burns was born.  Checked out some ruined abbeys and on to our Air BNB out in the hills driving between the roadside stone walls. Enjoyed a Scottish 'Tattoo' in a nearby town, listening to the swirl of the pipes. The next morning the usual enormous full English/Scottish breakfast was served, even when we said no. Far too much for us. Our host suggested we go north to Glasgow via the coast road. 

Leaving Solway Firth, a little way along the road, we received a shock. A gigantic alien looked above the green hedges peering down upon us. We had no idea what it was. 

A Straw Man who had survived one year standing tall, frightening the tourists. 

Next we sought out the ancient 'Sweetheart Abbey' at Newabbey village. It has such a sad romantic history to it. Lady Devorgilla of Galloway, the widow of a powerful nobleman, John Balliol, loved him so much, that when he died in 1268, she had his heart embalmed. She always carried it with her in an ornate ivory casket, until her death nearly 22 years later. Because she had fulfilled many charitable acts including funding the Cistercian abbey, the monks named the monastery after her, 'Dulce Cor' = 'Sweet Heart'. She was buried before the high altar with her husband's heart clutched to her bosom.

'Dulce Cor' Abbey, Newabbey

Glasgow: 

As we returned the hire car here, we utilised the 'Hop on Hop off' red bus to see the sights. Hours were spent in the beautiful Botanic Gardens, they even had some Australian Manferns. 

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

The bus took us along to the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, where we caught a curator's talk on 'The Glasgow Boys and 'The Colourists' artists.  We also took in some of the amazing museum specimens, especially the animals. 

Art Gallery, Kelvin Grove

Deer at the Glasgow Museum

The Glasgow Archives were expensive to visit, 15 pounds plus photocopy charges. As we would probably be able to get our info' at local societies, etc, we, instead splurged on dinner at the Jamie Oliver Italian city restaurant. Naughty but bonny. 

The next day we bussed over to the west coast of Scotland, passing by the Ayr Racecourse and Troon Golf course and onto the ferry. We were in for a wave lashing time to Ireland.

You can check out our Irish trail in Part Two, then soon Scotland Part Three and down to continue England for Part Four.