Doesn't time fly

So much has happened in the last few months that I have really neglected my Blog and the updates have not been coming. Sorry.

If you look at my previous Blog, my life was turned on edge when we were informed that we had been approved for emigration to Australia.

Update: Our house is sold and we will be

moving shortly into rented accommodation

until we move to Australia next year.

Also in my previous Blog; I needed to make decisions about adding to my Family Tree, information regarding my great great grandfathers possible parents, brothers and sisters.

Update: I have added those names shown in

my previous Blog and I'm in the process of

gathering information, documents etc.

Also in my previous Blog; I said I would have to give up my allotment at the end of this year.

Update: I'm really pleased that my daughter

Joanne will now be taking over the allotment.

One of the other problems I will have over the next few days is that I will lose access to continue to update this Blog. This is due to losing the email address that the Blog is attached to when we move.

So I will be starting a new Blog;

Growing Family Trees and English - Australian Vegetables

and this will be found on:

http://garry-growingfamilytreesandvegetables.blogspot.com/

My first post on my new Blog will be published in the next few days and I hope you can follow me.

If you cannot, thank you for your interest, it's being a pleasure to have

Blogged you.

And finally;

Bad spellers of the world untie
Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then tell you why it isn't

He who smiles in a crisis has found someone to blame
A man who was attempting to walk around the world…drowned today
Proof read carefully to see if you any words out
People who live in stone houses shouldn't throw glasses
You know, I started out with nothing & still have most of it left

Decisions, what decisions????

Remember from my last Blog about Decisions? Decisions? Decisions?

(If you can't remember, have a look now and then read on......)

(If you can remember, read the jokes below until everyone else has caught up!!!)

Making decisions:
An American fighter plane was flying over Afghanistan when he noticed a flying carpet on each side of his plane, both with a machine gunner on board. Sensing danger he made a decision to shoot them down. Back at base he got a right telling off – apparently they were Allied Carpets

I was driving to work this morning when I saw an RAC van parked up. Curious, I made the decision to go over to the van and saw that the driver was sobbing uncontrollably and looked very miserable. I thought to myself ‘that guy’s heading for a breakdown’.

The government has made a decision and have announced that for the new school curriculum, boys are going to study the workings of the female mind. The lessons, however, will be changed on an hourly basis!


Back to my Blog:

I needed to make a decision about adding to my Family Tree, information regarding my great great grandfathers possible parents, brothers and sisters. This was because I could only presume that the information was correct and not fully prove it.

I also needed to make a decision about planting out the seedlings from the greenhouse to the outside areas of the allotment, due to the very cold weather we were having at that time.

Well the decisions were made for me as life was turned on edge when we were informed (after 5 years of applying) that we had been approved for emigration to Australia.

So;

• I need to start the process of adding the new members of my family to the Family Tree as it would be easier, and cheaper, to purchase documents etc. whilst in England.
• In the allotment the seedlings will need to be planted out as I would be giving up the allotment by the end of the year, and after a month, here is the result below.

The right decision, everything is growing really well.

More about the allotment later in the Blog.

Making decisions:

A married couple was celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. At the party everybody wanted to know how they managed to stay married so long in this day and age. The husband responded "When we were first married we came to an agreement. I would make all the major decisions and my wife would make all the minor decisions. And in 60 years of marriage we have never needed to make a major decision."

The decision about adding to the Family Tree.

Who is now going to be added?

My new great, great, great grandparents:
Charles Nickisson (1771-1852) married (1799) to Elizabeth Stubbs (c1775-1850), .

Their children:
Henry Nickisson (already in the Family Tree)
Sarah Nickisson (1802-?)
Charles Nickisson (1805-1864) married (1832) to Elizabeth Oseland (c1805-?)
George Nickisson (1811-1842)
William Nickisson (1816-1866) married (1842) to Mary Ann Parkes (1823-1904
Mary Ann Nickisson (1821-1840)

Their children:
Robert Nickisson (1837-1880)
Charles Edwin Nickisson (1845-1871) married (1865) to Mary Elizabeth Hallam (1846-1905)
Alfred Parkes Nickisson (1840-?) married (1874) Harriet Frances Hancox (1854-?)
Ellen Nickisson (1845-?) married (1866) Edwin Willis (1842-?)
Elizabeth Nickisson (1847-1891) married ( 1871) Carl Casper Franklin (?)
Frederick Nickisson (1857-1941)
Louisa Nickisson (1863-1875)

Their children:
Charles Edwin Nickisson (1869-1870)
Polly Nickisson (1866-?)
Alice Jane Nickisson (1867-?) married (1906) James Howard Small (1860-1915)
Fanny Emily Nickisson (1871-1910) married (1892) John Harvey (?)
Joseph Arthur Nickisson (1876-?)
Frederick W Nickisson (1878-1878)
Herbert S Nickisson (1879-?)
Alice Eva H Nickisson (1882-1882)
Louisa Nickisson-Corbett (1884-?)
Carl Frederick Franklin (1872-1936)
Mary Louisa Franklin (1874-1875)
Ellen Elizabeth Franklin (1878-1931)
William Edward Franklin (1876-1937)

Lots to add to the Nickisson Family Tree.

Will keep you up to date with how its going and more about their families

Correct decision:
Two men applied for the same position. They had the same qualifications. In order to determine which to hire, the applicants were asked to take a test. Both men missed only one of the questions. The manager said to the first applicant, “Thank you for your interest, but we’ve decided to give the job to the other applicant.”
“But why? We both answered 9 out of the 10 questions correctly,” said the rejected applicant.
“We based our decision not on the correct answers, but on the question you missed,” said the manager. “Your fellow applicant put down for question 5, ‘I don’t know the answer.’ You put down, ‘Neither do I.’

Now the decision about planting out into the allotment, it went really well.

We didn't lose any plants to the weather although it took sometime for

the vegetables to really get growing. But its going really well now.

We have already picked some Turnips, Lettuce, Cabbage, Rhubarb, Radish, Peas and our first Cauliflower.

We still have Runner Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Beetroot, Carrots, Leeks, Broccoli, Sweetcorn, Broad Beans & Courgettes to pick when they are ready.

We have also had plenty of Strawberries to pick.

In the greenhouse we have,

Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumber, Lettuce and the Grape vine.

And finally. a smart decision:

Two gas servicemen, a senior training supervisor and a young trainee, were out checking gas meters. They parked their van at the end of the road and worked their way to the other end. At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two men as they checked her gas meter. Finishing the meter check, the senior supervisor challenged his younger colleague to a race down the road back to the van to prove that the older guy could outrun a younger one. As they came running up to the van, they realized the lady from that last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath, she replied, "When I see two gas men running as hard as you two were, I figured I'd better run too!"

See you soon

Decisions? Decisions? Decisions? What decisions???

Decisions? Decisions? Decisions?

What do I do?

My Family Tree wants to grow more but I won't let it!!!!!!!!!

My seedlings want to grow more but I won't let them!!!!!!!!!

 Let me explain; My Family Tree wants to grow more but I won't let it!!!!!!!!!

If you have read my Blog before, you know that I have proof that my Family Tree goes back as far as my Great Great Grandfather, Henry Nickisson (c1810-1846). I also have information that suggests that his father is a Charles Nickisson (1771-1852) and his mother, Elizabeth Stubbs (c1775-1850). If this was true, I also have information that my great great grandfather had brothers and sisters.
But because I cannot prove these connections, I will not let my tree grow

What do I do?

One Liner: Deciding not to choose is still making a choice

I have a subscription to "Family Tree" monthly magazine and I wrote to them for advice on the above subject and asked the question; When do I stop trying to prove a connection and take this information on face value?
I had a reply, by email, from the magazine letting me know that an answer to my question would be published in the February edition (2010).

I eagerly awaited the magazine to be delivered by the postman, it came and I immediately turned to the "Your Q&A" page. Their was my question, the first on the page (of four pages), Did the Editor think that it was such an important question?

Stop letting your head get bigger and bigger Garry. Read Read Read the answer!!

I was disappointed!!

The answer was as I thought it would be;
"In the ordinary course you should look for at least two sources (aim for three) to prove parentage or other relationships. There are occasions when you have to make assumptions about parentage, but it is important to document them as such, and keep an open mind and to recognise that an assumption is just what it is."

What do I do?

One Liner: Make a firm decision now... you can always change it later

I have so much information to add to the tree about my great great grandfathers possible parents, brothers and sisters.
Parents;
Charles Nickisson and Elizabeth Stubbs - Charles occupation was a 'Dyer', at the age of 72 he was tried for Larceny but found Not Guilty. What other stories to tell?
Brothers and Sisters;
Sarah Nickisson (1802-?) Perhaps married to a Joseph Chapman? More investigations.
Charles Nickisson (1805-1864) Married and had two children and four Grandchildren. Occupation, Saddler and and harness maker in Birmingham.
George Nickisson (1811-1842) That's all I know at the moment.
William Nickisson (1816-1866) Married with five children and many grandchildren. After he died, his wife and four of his children went to Australia. Then the story unfolds.
Mary Ann Nickisson (1821-1840) Such a short life.

What do I do?

If you can help, advice, update, please let me know.

One Liner: A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice

Decisions? Decisions? Decisions?

What do I do?


Let me explain; My seedlings want to grow more but I won't let them!!!!!!!!!

With this lovely warm weather, all the seedlings in the allotment greenhouse and 'conservatory' are growing so well we really do need to put them out into the allotment plots.

What do I do?

One Liner: I was always indecisive, but now I'm not so sure

The problem is that in the evenings the temperature is dropping so dramatically, even the possibility of frost, that we are worried about how the plants will cope with the extreme changes in temperature.

You can see from the pictures below how well the seedling have grown

Runner Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Lettuce, Beetroot, Carrots,

Leeks & Broccoli are still inside ready to go out.

Peas, Sweetcorn, Broad Beans & Courgettes are outside in the coldframe.

What do I do?

In the last few days we have taken a chance with the Cauliflower seedlings and

put them in the same plot as the Cabbage that have grown through winter,

hoping the net frame will protect them.

We have also planted out the Turnips hoping that the fencing/boarding

around this area will protect them from any frost.

One Liner: In my house I'm the boss, I just allow my wife to be the decision maker

Remember the Grape Vine (Hybrid, Vitis 'Regent') Joanne bought me last birthday?

Would it survive the winter in the allotment 'conservatory'? Yes, look at it now.

 The grapes are already forming on the vine.

Lets hope we can put the remaining plants out in the allotment in the next week or so,

we will let you know.

More than One Liners:
- My wife and I have an agreement that works... She is responsible for the small decisions, and I am responsible for the big ones.She decides things like where to take our next holiday, the colour of our next car, and the budget for interior designs. I decide whether or not the Prime Minister should extend trading status to China, how high the Banks should go with short term interest rates, and the timetable for the elimination of CFCs from automobile air conditioners.

- One day, after a man had his annual medical, the doctor came out and said, "You had a great checkup. Is there anything that you'd like to talk about or ask me?"

"Well," he said, "I was thinking about getting a vasectomy."

"That's a pretty big decision. Have you talked it over with your family?"
"Yeah, and they're in favour 15 to 2."

And Finally:
- Many years ago, a young reporter was given the opportunity to interview a very successful, very wealthy banker. The reporter asked him, "Sir, What is the secret of your success?"
He said "Two words, young man."
"And, Sir, what are they?"
"Right decisions."
"But how do you make right decisions?"
"One word." he responded.
"And, sir, What is that?"
"Experience."
"And how do you get Experience?"
"Two words"
"And, Sir, what are they?"

The banker replied with a wry smile, "Wrong decisions."

See you soon.

What's in a Word?

Definition One Liner:

Compromise: n. The art of slicing a cake in such a way that everyone
believes they received the biggest piece.

In one of my previous Blogs I talked about the names in my Nickisson Family Tree and which ones were the most popular, but one of the main questions I'm asked is;

Where does the word/name "Nickisson" originate from?

When I started looking at my tree some 6 years ago I dreamed we originated from some Scandinavian country and came over here with the vikings, pillaging and........ well you know the rest!!!!!!

I was ready to pack a case, pen and paper in hand, and travel to Norwegion fjords, eat danish pastries in Denmark and enjoy the winter sports of Sweden (whilst listening to Abba) .
But no!
Even going back to the early 1700's we were still living in Stone, Staffordshire, so where does 'Nickisson' originate from?

• The internet Surname Database;

The ultimate origin of the given name is from the ancient Greek "Nikolaos", from "nikan", to conquer, and "laos", people; this was a very popular name among Christians throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, mainly through the fame of St. Nic(h)olas, a 4th Century Lycian bishop, about whom a large number of legends grew up, and who was venerated in the Orthodox Church as well as the Catholic. The given name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Nicolaus", while the short form appears in Yorkshire in 1316, when "John son of Nyk" is listed in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield. The modern surnames formed from patronymics of "Nick" include: Nix, Nicks, Nickes, Nixon, Nixson, Nickinson, Nickisson and Nickerson.

• 'Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary' By Henry Harrison 1996

NICKIN = Nick (q.v.) + the Fr. dim. suff. -in.

The French form is Nicquin.

NICKINS, Nickin's (Son)

NICKINSON,  NICKISSON } Nickin's Son } v. Nickin.

• 'Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames'By Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley 1996

Nickinson, Nickisson
Baptised 'The son of Nicholas'
Nickinson is probably a coruption of Nicklinson and Nickisson an extension of Nickson (v Nix)

CLEAR AS MUD.....

• I'm not even going to mention the possible connection to Santa Claus!!!!!!!!!!

If you know the meaning of 'Nickisson', please let me know.

Definition One Liner:

Smile: n. A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

What's in a Word?

Definition One Liner:

Etc.: abb. An abbreviation that makes others think
you know more than you actually do.

"Allotment"

Noun
allotment (plural allotments)

1.The act of allotting; assignment.
2.That which is allotted; a share, part, or portion granted or distributed; that which is assigned by lot, or by the act of God; anything set apart for a special use or to a distinct party.
3.(law) The allowance of a specific amount of scrip or of a particular thing to a particular person.
4.(UK) A plot of land rented from the council for growing fruit and vegetables

So what is going on at the allotment?

We are starting this week to fill seed trays in the greenhouse.

We have the usual variety of plants: Beans, Peas, Leeks, Brussels Sprouts, Raddish, Beetroot, Lettuce, Turnips, Courgettes, Sweetcorn, etc. We are going to try Parsnips and Broccoli for the first time. Onions and Early Potatoes are now ready to go in the ground and we have the late potatoes in a tray "chitting".

Talk about "What's in a word"!!!!

Chitting is a method of preparing potatoes for planting. The seed potatoes are placed in a tray in a light and cool place. All but three or four of the "eyes" (sprouting parts) of the potato are removed, leaving the strongest growths only. Once the sprouts are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, the seed potatoes are planted in the ground.

(We sound really clever don't we, not really!)

Lets hope the frosts have now finished or are at least, less severe. We have Cabbage and Cauliflower that have wintered under fleece and netting, see photo above. We want to remove the fleece but is the sun were having giving us a false impression? We'll leave them for another week.

We are now ready for the growing season.

It seems to have been a long time coming, cannot wait any more.

And finally:

Definition One Liners:

Avoidable: v. What a bullfighter tried to do.
Burglarize: n. What a crook sees with.
Counterfeiters: npl. Workers who install kitchen cabinets.

Eclipse: v. What an Cockney barber does for a living.

Eyedropper: n. A clumsy ophthamologist.

Paradox: npl. Two physicians.

Parasites: npl. What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Pharmacist: n. A farm hand.

Relief: v. What trees do in the spring.

Rubberneck: vp. What you do to relax your wife.

See you soon

Romance or no chance?

As it was Valentine's Day yesterday, I was thinking about marriages within my Family Tree and relationships that had developed, or not, over the years.
One of the difficulties in Family Tree research is that in these modern times, couples do not always get married now and therefore you lose your way a little in identifying relationships.

So I decided to look at the Nickisson's in my Family Tree and how many had actually got married (perhaps more than once).

In my Family Tree there are:

• 387 person's.
• 172 were born Nickisson's, 90 of them being male.
• 97 Nickisson's got married.
• 19 married twice.
• 2 married three times.

A few interesting Nickisson facts:

Brotherly love!!!!!!!!!

John William Nickisson (1903-1934) married Sarah Ann Harvey (1909-1996) in 1933. When John William died, Sarah Ann married John William's older brother Herbert Nickisson (1908-1980) in 1942.

Sadness.

Leonard Nickisson (1921-1992) married Marjorie Kitchen (1924-1944) in 1943. They had a child, a Marjorie Shirley Nickisson (1944-1944) and it is believed that mother and daughter died in childbirth. Leonard married again in 1947.

True Love (I like to think)

William Nickisson (1871-1951) married Annie Dobson (nee McDermot)(1883-1951) in 1946 at the age of 74. Annie Dobson was 63. They had three children before they were married so why wait so long to get married?
William married a Sarah Ann Colclough (1876-1946) in 1893 and had 12 children, then around 1915 William went missing. The first world war military service record of one of their sons states: Name and address of next of kin - Father - William Nickisson; Address not known.
William Nickisson must have then met Annie Dobson some time around that period and their first child, of three, was born in 1921.
Going by the date of their marriage in 1946, it suggests that they could not marry until Williams first wife (Sarah Ann) had died.

I like to believe that William and Annie loved each other so much that they

wanted to prove it in marriage, even if it was so late in life.

They died within a month of each other.

Romance or no chance - One Liners?

I still miss my ex-husband, but my aim is getting better.

Love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye opener.

My wife says I never listen to her....or something like that.

I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her.

Marriages are made in heaven. So is thunder and lightning.

My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.

And Finally:
Get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day

Fact or Fiction?

One of the best ways of adding information to the Family Tree is to have proof that what you add is actually fact. The information added could be of a new person, a birth, a marriage or a death. It could be someone's occupation or where they lived, how old they are, the list goes on.

But, are you sure that it is FACT, or FICTION?

Are you sure that it is true or are you only assuming that it is right?

FACT One Liner: Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people
appear bright until you hear them speak.

Todays Blog will look at my Great Great Grandfather,
Henry Nickisson (c1809-1846) and the facts, or fiction?

Birth and baptisms, marriage and death records/certificates give you a lot of information including name, age, parents and residence.
UK Census records from 1841 to 1911 give you so much information about where people lived, where they were born, age and occupation. The 1911 Census included so much more than previous census, even asking how many children had been born and whether they were still alive or had died. This Census has caused me a few problems as we have a Nickisson who I believed had four children, the census states that there are six children.

The investigation into finding out these facts is

what I really enjoy about Family Treeing..............

It's not as easy as you think though. There are so many ways of getting information, from the many Internet sites, these can be available free of charge or by subscriptions. There are libraries and archive centre's you can visit. Publications to read such as Commercial Directories, local newspaper archives and even the telephone book.

FACT One Liner: Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is

not putting it in a fruit salad.

So lets look at our Henry Nickisson.

You will have noticed from above that his birth was c1809 (circa), that means I have an idea when he was born but cannot prove it.

FACT: Henry was married to Ann Tipper (c1814-1845) in 1832. This is proven by following back from my own birth certificate to my Fathers birth certificate, and so on to my Great Grandfathers birth certificate. Each certificate states their fathers name and their mothers including her maiden name. On my Great Grandfathers birth certificate it states that Henry Nickisson and Ann Nickisson (formerly Tipper) are his parents.
So why not go back further and look at Henry's birth certificate? There was no birth certificate.
In 1837, Civil Registration was introduced for all births, marriages and deaths, so from this date more information was recorded. Anything before 1837 was dependant on parents having their children baptised and this being recorded in the local Parish Register.

So when was Henry born?

FACT or FICTION: I have a copy of a recorded birth in the Parish Register (Stone, Staffordshire) for a Henry Nickisson.  He was born 27th August 1809, baptism 29th August 1809, the parents being a Charles and Elizabeth Nickisson.

Why can I not accept this as FACT?

• There were three more Henry Nickisson's born in Stone, around the same period. Although I have investigated them and really discounted that they are my Great Great Grandfather, can I be sure?
• Looking at Henry's possible brothers and sisters, nothing shows in any documents that could connect Henry to the potential parents. Even the documents associated with Henry and Ann's four children show no connection to the possible Grandparents.
• December 1831: The wedding banns for Henry and Ann showed Henry age 21 yrs. He was also 21 yrs. when he married in January 1832. Was he born 1810 or 1811? Incidentally, the marriage was recorded in the Parish Register and showed no parents names (perhaps when your aged 21 yrs. you did not need to have your parents consent).
• 1841 Census shows Henry (and family) aged 31. Was he born 1810?
• February 1846: Henry died (a year after Ann, his wife), his age shown on the Death Certificate as 36 yrs. Was he born 1810?

In that period of time, the age of a person included in many documents was rounded to the nearest full year. If so, then Henry Nickisson could have been born to Charles and Elizabeth in 1809. FACT or FICTION or do you ASSUME that they are his parents?

FACT One Liner: Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to

speak and remove all doubt.

Some other FACTS about Henry Nickisson:
Married: Source: Copy of Marriage Licence & Parish Record of Marriage.

• 13 December 1831: Marriage License; St Peters Church, Stoke, Stoke on Trent
• 02 January 1832: Marriage; St Peters Church, Stoke, Stoke on Trent

Death: Source: Death Certificate.

• 07 February 1846: Cause of Death: Phthisis.
• 12 February 1846: Burial in Longton, Stoke on Trent;

Occupation:

• 1834-1835: Innkeeper, Castle Inn; Source: Copy of History, Gazetteer & Directory of Staffordshire, 1834 - Pigot & Co's Directory of Staffordshire etc. 1835
• 1838-1846: Carpenter / Joiner; Source: Copy of 1841 Census + Death Certificate + Birth Certificates for three of his children.

Residents:

• 1834: Lane End (now named Longton), Stoke on Trent; Source: Copy of Baptism Record for George Latimore (1834-1859)(first son).
• 1834-1835: Castle Inn, High Street, Lane End (Longton), Stoke on Trent; Source: See above (Occupation).
• 1838: High Street, Lane End (Longton), Stoke on Trent; Source: Copy of Birth Certificate & Baptism Record for Thomas (1838-1859)(second son).
• 1840-1846: Wood Street, Lane End, (Longton), Stoke on Trent; Source: Copy of Birth Certificate & Baptism Record  for Elizabeth (1840-?)(daughter) + 1841 Census + Birth Certificate for William (1842-1901)(Third son)(my Great Grandfather) + Death Certificate for Ann Nickisson (Tipper)(Wife) + Death Certificate for Henry.

FACT One Liner: A bargain is something you don't need at

a price you can't resist.

FACT or FICTION?

What about the allotment?

This time of the year is about planning, what are we going to grow, where is

the best place to grow it and when is the best time to plant it?

FACT: This is what the allotment looks like now.

The greenhouse just as empty

FACT or FICTION?

Will the allotment and the greenhouse look like this later in the year?

We hope so, cannot wait.

FACT One Liner: A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a

train stops. On my desk, I have a work station..

FACT One Liner: Why does someone believe you when you say there are

four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

And finally, the last FACT One Liner:

 If you keep your feet firmly on the ground, you'll have trouble putting on your pants.

Here, There and Everywhere

What a period the last 2 months has been! The weather has been so cold with frosts (minus 12 degrees), then snow, now its changed to being warmer!!!! Christmas time has seen us at home or visiting family around the country. And the allotment???? Its been covered in snow, frozen with ice, open to the winds and not possible to do any work.

The last 2 months of weather, celebrations and growing family trees and

vegetables has really been so much - Here, there and everywhere!!!!!!!

The picture of the allotment below was taken just a few days ago, in the milder weather. It is hard to believe that at the end of November and into December, you could not access the area for the amount of snow. Protected (hopefully) by the frame of fleece and green netting, is where we planted winter Cauliflower and Cabbage.

Are they still there?

Have they survived?

Let you know later in the Blog.

On the theme of being here, there and everywhere, I thought for this Blog I would look at where the Nickisson's in my Family Tree have lived and where they are now.

200 years ago my Great Great Grandfather, Henry Nickisson,

was born in Stone, Staffordshire, England.

Stone is an old market town situated about seven miles north of Stafford and around seven miles south of the city of Stoke on Trent.

The local story is that the town was named after the pile of stones taken from the River Trent raised on the graves of the two princes, Ruffin and Wulfad, killed in AD 665 by their father, King Wulfhere of Mercia, because of their conversion to Christianity.

Since originating from Stone (I don't mean of the statue type), the Nickisson's

can now be found in many parts of England and around the world. The chart below

gives you an example of where we started from, where we have lived and where

many of us are living now.

As you will see from the map above, there are still lots of us living in the Staffordshire area. As with the Nickisson's were here, there and everywhere

Now,

what about those plants under the frame in the allotment?

Are they still there, did they survive?

Look at these, really surprised

I wasn't expecting that they would be still alive under the protection of the frame. The weather has been so up and down, I thought they could not have survived the frosts, snow and the severe temperatures. Lets hope they will continue to grow through the coming weeks of winter.

The allotment really does look dreary at the moment.

Not a lot to do and far to early to plant anything in the greenhouse.

Really looking forward to the spring season in the allotment, cannot wait to be

busy here, there and everywhere!!!!

Thought I would leave you with a letter I came across whilst Family Tree growing, it's from a mother to her child:

Dear Child,

I am writing this slow because I know that you can’t read fast. We don’t live where we did when you left home because, your dad read in the paper that most accidents happen within 20 miles from your home, so we moved.
I won’t be able to send you the address, as the last family that lived here took the house numbers when they left so that they wouldn’t have to change their address.
This place is real nice. It even has a washing machine. I’m not sure if it works too well though. Last week I put a load in, pulled the chain, and haven’t seen them since.
The weather isn’t too bad here., it only rained twice last week, The first time it rained for three days and the second time for four days. The coat you wanted me to send you, your Uncle Steve said it would be a little too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets.
We got another bill from the funeral home. They said if we don’t make the last payment on Grandma’s grave, up she comes.
John locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were worried because it took him two hours to get me and Shelby out.
Your sister had a baby this morning but I haven’t found out what it is yet, so I don’t know if you’re an aunt or an uncle. If the baby is a girl, your sister is going to name it after me, she’s going to call it Mom.
Some sad news. Uncle Pete fell in a whiskey vat last week. Some man tried to pull him out but he fought them off and drowned. We had him cremated and he burned for three days. Also, three of your friends went off a bridge in a pick-up truck. Ralph was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. Your two friends were in the back. They drowned because they couldn’t get the tailgate down.


There isn’t much more news at this time. Nothing much has happened.


PS, I was going to send you some money but the envelope was already sealed.