Richard Alfred Lane & Alfred Richard Hayward, my 1st cousins thrice removed

191/365 Sunday 07/10/2011

This is a picture of two distant cousins—first cousins 3 times removed. Their parents were my great grand aunt Annette Lane, who married a Military Chaplain named John Hayward and my great grand uncle Alfred John Lane, who married “a daughter of Lane from Jersey”. This is only family connection I can find to Jersey, the “other” Channel Island. Most of my family connections are to Guernsey. 

Interestingly, both the Balliwicks of Guernsey and Jersey are not considered to be part of the UK or the European Union. They are British Crown dependencies. I wonder what that would mean if I decided I wanted to live there…

Anyway back to the picture. The boy on the left is Dick (Richard) Lane and on the right is Alfred Hayward.  I've spent a good chunk of time surfing the internets for information on either of them.  Dick was the youngest of five. All I could find was a brief death notice for his older brother (the oldest of the five) Alfred Ambrose Lane, who died in Pilton, UK on June 16, 1889 at the house of his aunt, Mrs Hayward (the mother of Alfred in the picture).  My Lane pedigree tells me that Richard married Anne Elizabeth Harlof, but I cannot find anything about her.

Regarding Alfred Hayward: born in Leix, Ireland - became a Major in the Army and married Maude Mary Kemmis, about whom there is quite a bit on the internets. Her father, e.g. was John Olphert Kemmis and he and her mother (Mary Louisa Needham) lived in Canada and India.  She also had a second husband.

Probably the most interesting genealogical document I found during this particular internet escapade is this obituary of Alfred’s older brother, John Alfred Le Mesurier Hayward, who apparently at some point moved to Quorn, a village in Leicestershire, England. 

Captain Bartholomew "Bartle" Teeling -- Papal Zouave and Private Chamberlain to the Pope

174/365 Thursday, 06/23/2011

I had originally planned to post a different picture as the pic of the day for this day and Friday, but silly Cathie managed to inadvertently delete both of those from her phone.  So these are the two pictures that I am posting instead.

I spent most of the day researching this relative’s family. His name, as one can see on the picture was Bartholomew John Joseph Aloysius Teeling, and he was the husband of Theodora Lane Clarke, my first cousin thrice removed. (I will definitely write a blog post about her at some point as well as her mother, Louisa Lane Clarke my great great grandaunt).  

The Teelings are a famous Irish family who go waaaay back. Captain Bartholomew, or Bartle as he was called, was a member of the Papal Zouaves, an international infantry force formed to defend the Papal States.  (Here’s a blog post about them that mentions him). He was also appointed Papal Chamberlain. His grand-uncle (of the same name) was a leader in the 1798 Irish Rebellion who was executed on September 24 1798 by the British.

I'm glad I have this old photograph of him.

116/365 Tuesday 04/26/2011

It's dead relative day here once again on Auspicious Alltag!! This charming image is of my paternal grandmother: Gertrude Prietz, who I'm pretty sure is the one sitting on the bench with her twin sister, (sitting on the arm of the bench) (whose name I don't have--if I find it I'll add it). I'm not sure why, but I truly love this picture--their faces, the pretty white dresses, their hair, the soft focus that makes it all kind of glow. It's a very sweet photo. 

Madgeline Ratahi Taylor--my great grandmother

86/365 Sunday, 03/27/2011

One of the reasons I went to Germany was to go through some of the family documents that Louisa had in a box which she had brought back with her from New Zealand, when she and Ralf moved back to Germany from there at the end of 2002. (They lived there for about four years).

The box contained many interesting documents and photos. Quite a few had to do with my (maternal) great-great-grandfather’s family, the Taylors. And because I found out that Philpotts's middle name was Wright I have even come across an account of a stash of his letters that were found in the British Society of Genealogists basement some years ago. (I’m paying the researcher who found them to make digital copies of them for me).

This picture is of my great grandmother Madgeline Ratahi Taylor. She was a nurse and she married my great grandfather, Philpotts’ youngest son Colin McKenzie Taylor after his first wife died due to illness. (I think that is how Ratahi and Colin got to know each other, she came in as a nurse for his first wife).

Her grandfather was Frederick E. Maning—a very interesting character in New Zealand history. I have not been able to find out which of his children parented Ratahi. Her grandmother was Moengaroa of  Te Hikutu hapu (=the Hikutu tribe/clan). I have to admit I have always been excited and proud, as well as intrigued by the fact that I have Maori ancestors. 

12/365 Wednesday, 01/12/2011

A picture of my great grandfather Major Colin McKenzie Taylor there on the far left with the cane. I wish I knew where they were-I need to do a bit more research--he lived mainly in New Zealand. (Born 1844 in what is now Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, grew up in England and in 1863 he went via Sydney, Australia to New Zealand. I think he went back to England for a period of time, but he did return to New Zealand. 
My great grandmother Magdeline Ratahi Watkins-Taylor was a part-Maori nurse who I think looked after his first wife until she died and then he married her and they had two daughters one of whom was Mamari Augusta Lane Taylor, my maternal grandmother. I think the above must have been taken in New Zealand--that big cannon does not bode well for whoever it was being aimed at..