Family Heirlooms

 All my family know that I am the family historian, the keeper of all family history gems. So, recently when my aunt moved into a retirement village she gifted me some of the family heirlooms to look after. I am so fortunate that she entrusted them to me. I value and cherish each and every one.

The first instalment was a beautiful quilt sewn by my aunt depicting my grandfather’s life. Shown here you can see London where my grandfather was born, then a map of England the ship he left on to come to Australia in 1922, the Sydney Harbour Bridge depicting his arrival in Australia (though the bridge wasn’t built until 1932), his early life farming in Australia, St. Mark’s church where he married my grandmother, their family home and his old truck, his hobbies including wood working, chess, gardening, reading and bowling, and toy making. The final square is a family tree with the names of family members embroidered. I have always loved this quilt and begged my aunt to pass it to me, and I was ecstatic when she did. I never thought she would part with it. 

Since then I have received a few more trinkets and importantly they were accompanied by handwritten notes in my grandmother’s hand describing the origins of the items. We often look at signatures on certificates to see our ancestor’s handwriting, so this is not to be overlooked. You can see these cherished trinkets below.

Gran’s (Jean Wallace) 5th birthday present in 1917.

I have seen versions of this pin for sale online. They indicate 9ct gold and circa 1910s.

Powder box - early 1900s originally belonging to
Jane Wallace and used for her 4 children.
There is still a faint smell of talc.

In this note, “Gran” is referring to her own mother Jane as
she is the only one with 4 children mentioned.

Ostrich feather boa - c.1925. This was labelled by my Aunt as belonging to
Jane Wallace but my grandmother’s note indicates it belonged to
HER grandmother, so this would have been
Anastasia Horkings nee Colston?
Perhaps handed down from mother to daughter and worn across generations?
 I have yet to find it worn in a photo to identify it.

Walter Ernest Kinchin and Alice Mary Kinchin (nee Ireson).

These two images are different vintage to each other though they are mounted in the same type of frame. Walter was killed in a boiler accident in 1909 and the image appears to be a drawing or painting.  

The image of Alice is a photograph taken a bit later in her life, probably around the time of coming to Australia in 1922. 

These are my Pop’s (Wilfred Edward Kinchin) parents.

Jean Wallace studio wedding photo, 1934.
This was not taken on the wedding day but staged later.

King George V, Queen Mary and their eldest son,
the future Edward VIII,
 during a royal visit to the Western Front, 1917

I found this photo in the back of the print below. It is a silver print from 1917 and I found a copy of it on the Scottish National Library site. Propaganda photos taken by the British war photographers. Not sure of the relevance to our family history, but an interesting historical photo.

https://digital.nls.uk/first-world-war-official-photographs/archive/74547118#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=34&xywh=-44%2C81%2C2499%2C2284

Also shown in this article.

https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/the-british-monarchy-and-the-first-world-war-by-professor-heather-jones/

A print of a painting of the
 Calmady Children painted by
Sir Thomas Lawrence.
Original was painted in 1823.

My aunt told me that my grandmother Jean purchased this in Perth when she was only a child, after having been in hospital for anppendix or tonsils, and gifted it to her mother Jane Wallace. The story seems a bit unlikely but it is the story attached to it. I just love the wooden frame as well, it is very ornate.

See it here at the metropolitan museum of art. It was evidently a popular painting.

 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436850

There is one final heirloom that I wish had been included in this package but I am not sure where it has ended up. It is a fob watch belonging to my gt-gt-grandfather Johnny Wallace, given to him for one of the plays he was involved in. I know my Aunt has no time for Johnny so it may have been discarded at some time but it would also be a welcome addition to my family heirloom collection. Perhaps one day it will appear and I will display it here alongside these other treasures!