The problem is that I get so involved in promoting the society that I often have little time to investigate my own family.
I like nothing more than setting aside an evening to research my ancestors and am intrigued when I find out interesting information. I'm not one of those people that get upset when I find out that ancestors died in sad circumstances, but I was touched by something I found out last night and I need some help with information on this.
I was researching my Dew family and came across some cousins. Cecil Drummond Dew and Margaret Dew (nee Russell) had two children. They ended up in South Africa. How or why I don't know at the moment. Their children - Dorothy May Dew and Cecil Stanley Dew - tragically died within a day of each other on 21st September and 22nd September 1919.
I have a photograph of their graves in South Africa's Western Cape but no information on how they died. Was it illness or something more sinister? After putting a request on Facebook a number of people pointed out that 1919 was the time of the deadly Spanish flu and i would imagine this is what killed the two youngsters.
Their father had an interesting name for me. My research into the Dew family has established that for decades members of that family were superintendents at the non denominational Rosary Cemetery in Norwich. Britiffe Dew was the first superintendent and the founder of the cemetery was the the Rev Thomas DRUMMOND. It's always interesting when surnames are transported into Christian names.
Still on the family history theme, I found a programme on Ancestor that beautifully enhances and colours black and white photographs. I applied this to a wedding group and think you will agree that the photo attached is wonderful even if the colour of the uniform is far too blue. It is the wedding of my grandfather Arthur Steward to my grandmother Florence Payne in July 1915. Also in the photo are my great grandfather George Steward and my great grandmother Sarah. I cannot identify the two young girls who obviously acted as bridesmaids. Again any help will be gratefully received.
Now onto other matters:
There was a heart-warming piece on Breakfast television yesterday about former England rugby player Tom Youngs and how he is coping with the death of his wife. Tom comes from Norfolk and still farms in the county and it was a very poignant piece.
And finally I must talk again about the MP for South Norfolk Richard Bacon. The local Conservative party are at last beginning to realise that this man is a vote loser and a liability. I don't know him as a person and so cannot comment on his character but as an MP he leaves much to be desired. As I have written on numerous occasions, he doesn't answer e-mails or respond to telephone calls, he is rarely seen in the area, rarely understands or supports the needs of South Norfolk and his website is horribly out of date (still).
It took him over 100 days after she stopped being Prime Minister for Mr Bacon to take a welcome notice to Liz Truss off his site. It is rarely updated. Despite this Mr Bacon has voiced his intention to once again stand at the next election. Now his own party are beginning to wonder whether this is a wise move. I will help them a little by saying that it would be foolish to keep him bearing in mind the current political situation. What South Norfolk needs is an MP that stands up for us, understands our needs and doesn't go AWOL
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Overheard on the bus. A lady was talking exceedingly loudly and patted a dog which had just got on.
"Dogs seem to like me, They always make a beehive for me."
I think she meant beeline.