Roots

I came across some old notes I had taken after talking with my mother years ago. I was trying to piece together some history on my materal grandfather's side of the family and my paternal grandmother's side. It is a bit piecemeal, but I found out enough to give me some knowledge of the times and thoughts of those days.

There are gaps as to be expected, where individuals broke with tradition and were ostracized by family and society at the time. Yes, every family has some skeletons in the closet and mine is no exception.

What started all this was an image sent by a cousin some years ago of my great grandfather. My sister had an art student at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College translate it into a drawing (this was before I rediscovered art) and she gave me a copy (not a very good one) of it. I always think he's rather forboding looking and wonder what he was like in real life. William Henry Reid, who was my maternal grandmother's father. Like most family roots, he was from England. In fact, on my maternal side, geneology was traced back to the 1600s to a small town in Dorset in England.

Since then others have dug deeper on various sides of the family and came up with regimental records. It was interesting to have a glimpse into other's lives and speculate how they got where they did in their lives.

The one I have particular interest in is my own grandfather. I have clear memories of him and his patience as I seemed to be stuck like glue to him from an early age until his death. He never turned me away or refused me anything. He played with me, made mudpies in the garden, walked with me, amused me and loved me. I spent every waking hour with him close by.

I must get some photos of him from my mother and do a portrait of him. I think I would enjoy that process.

Technorati tags: art, drawing, geneology, dorset