Ancestors and other useless info

Hi All

Well I have had a disappointing day at the library. I arrived at 10am and left at 1pm and after searching all 3 papers that were printed at the time, I found absolutely nothing. I searched all the papers for the day they were tried, the following week or 2 and all the papers that had the Assizers trials for 1852. I was saddened to think my girls had been sent off to a convict life without so much as a record of it. There were many trials recorded, some more important but a lot that were less important. So now I have no idea what to do next. If I go back to Dublin then I would only be searching the same newspapers there. The folk at the library were really wonderful, very helpful and I am very grateful to them. I would not have had the knowledge to search properly without their help. I am just very sad that nothing came to light.

There was one case that made me smile. This is how it read:-
"Ten young vagrants, none of them 14 years of age, were charged with begging. They were discharged and left the Gillen shouting.
The Bridewell Keeper said that before they left the prison, they determined on a days excursion. They preposed walking to Queenstown, where on arrival, they would commence begging. For this they would be arrested by the police, and would be sent up by statement to the county jail, where they hoped to spend the Christmas holidays."
I assume that spending Christmas in Jail meant at least they would get a meal. We really have no idea how good we have it now days, do we?

So my day has been really quiet, I had lunch in cork, which only cost me an arm, I couldn't have an alcohol drink or I would have had to hand over the leg as well... Ireland is very expensive...

So as I have no news, I shall share with you some of the useless info I have picked up since arriving in Britain.

Bumble Bees - I had heard of them, but I assumed (wrongly) that they were just like our bees. They are not, they are weird little fat suckers, the ones I have seen are almost all black, with one or two yellow stripe and they get quite big, perhaps twice the size of ours..


Bumble Bee

Dutch Courage - Well I have two different versions of what this means, the English and the Irish.
In London the guide told us that way back when, during the plaque no countries would trade with England, only the Dutch would bring their ships into the harbour and unload goods, including gin. They then loaded up their boats and headed off. This is the English version of Dutch Courage, because of the bravery of the Dutch sailors.
Yesterdays Irish guide (Don) told us that when the English king William of Orange (who was Dutch) was ruler he had high taxes on everything except Dutch gin, therefore it flowed into Ireland, hence when people got drunk and did silly things it was called Dutch courage.
See I do listen to the guide when I am still concious... You can decide whichever one you believe.

Petrol over here is really expensive, about $2.40 per litre..... I have no idea how people can afford to drive anywhere. Note to self, I owe Ally a lot of money!!

Blinds/curtains
Well nobody in England or Scotland use them, they have them , they just don't close them, even at night. I was amazed, you can see in any window you like. I asked Sheonagh and she said she thinks it is a relic from WWII when they had years of black outs and so when they could finally open their curtains they said, "right I am never closing you again" and they didn't. It was really amazing. Ireland on the other hand must not have had a black out, as they all close their curtains/blinds like we do.

In Scotland I had my first Stovie.... now your wondering what that is aren't you?? It is a potato dish, with meat and stuff in it and it was delicious. Sheonagh gave me the recipe so I shall be making that when I get home. Yummmm. I also had a Forfar Bridie, which is kind of like a pastie, but different. It was also Yummy.. You can google the recipes if you like!!

Cheers for now

Lones

Sorry no pics today...