General Chat

I have a lovely ruby and diamond ring left me by my mother-in-law. It was her engagement ring. I wear it on my right hand and it is a precious reminder of her. Ruby is my birthstone and diamond my husband's, so that is quite appropriate too. My mother recently gave me some handworked lace done by my great-grandmother. I also have some blue and white floral patterned china which belonged to my grandmother when she was little. H.

I fogot that I too have a big pile of old family photos. They don't go back futher than my grandparents, but that's my grandchildren's great-great-grandparents. The only thing is that I have no clue who many of the people are, so I have to make a trip to the UK with them soon to ask my father, before he forgets, or isn't around any more to tell me!!

I have the old photographs passed down from my Great Grandparents. One taken in 1881 with GGrandad in his Deep Sea Diving outfit their Engagement photo's and the Wedding one 1886...not worth a penny but priceless to me Sheila

anyone else?

Hi All I have an old christening gown worn by my mother and her mother who was born in 1882 and a few things which were my mothers not worth anything but all treasured by me. Margaret

My sisters and my Mum have various items between us. I have a brass shell case from WW1 which Granddad gave to Gran, inscribed 'To My Dear Wife'. We also have a collection of 'Bargeware', a dark brown, decorated pottery which I think was great-gran's - it has been inscribed with her name. Have lots of trinkets and bits of jewellry, nothing any value in money terms but precious!

I've got a pair of Staffordshire dogs, not chipped or broken but very old. My youngest son will have them one day as they have been passed down the family. Also I have a little rag doll with a pottery face that was my Nan's when she was very small. Jo.

I don't have any old samplers, but I have made them for each of my grandchildren, so they might become 'inherited' in time. I did inherit a green ring from my grandmother, just costume jewelery and worth nothing but everything - a lovely phrase, Donna! My nana gave me a victorian gold pendant when I was 18, set with 2 aquamarines and a seed pearl, that I treasure. She also bequeathed to me a solid silver tea service that was made in 1823 (I think) and passed to her as the eldest daughter in her family. She only had a son, my father, so it came to me as his eldest daughter. My mother gave me an antique sapphire ring when I was 30 and after she died my father intended that I, my sister and sister-in-law should have the rest of her jewelery divided between us. Before he could arrange for us to get together though, he went on a short holiday and his house was burgled while he was away. Everything except the bracelet he knew she wanted me to have and he gave me shortly after her funeral was stolen. My husband has 2 victorian watercolours that must be worth nothing because they were cut to fit oval frames years ago and the signatures cut off in the process. They hung in his house when he was a child and his mother gave them to him some years ago. We occasionally muse about who they may have been done by and how they might be lost masterpieces! Just in fun!

When my nana moved out of her flat and into a home (she died in 1999) I 'inherited' her video of the musical Oliver! We would always watch it together. Sadly, my nana gave away the hat I would wear whilst watching it (a Victorian hat) to , some neighbours and also some of the silver she had. Nana was very strange. My dad inherited her old cold collection, not much, the oldest coin dates back to 1816 and George III. I saw one of the coins in her collection in a window of a shop in London, marked as £75. Dad will give it to me when he passes away. My mum inherited her mother's jewellery when she passed away in 1999 (all my grandparents are dead). Not worth much. There is a ring that I loved as a child which I hope to get one day (my grandma was given it by her Aunt Cissie, one who was born in India in 1881). It's an opal clover ring with one diamond. No hallmark so guess it's from abroad. I did inherit my grandmother's opal earring studs just recently. Chloe

I have been given my G grandmothers bible, which she has written in the front cover 'Bessie Berry, 1909, Bickerstaffe' - from before she was married. Sentimental value. I have also been given a number of 'In Memoriam' cards given at peoples funerals, from late 19th century, which my foresighted ancestors kept. Very useful for genealogical purposes.

Hi Daniel, We too have a singer sewing machine, was my Mother's but I think it was passed down to her. I have a carved dining room chair once my Aunts but she obviously inherited it from someone. I have an upright wooden armchair that was my Great Aunts and a small curved 'Captain's' chair that was my grandfathers. again i don't know if they had them new. i have lace worked by my great grandmother. I have a ring passed to me by my Mother that i am sure was my grandmother's. I have a letter written to my Gt Gt Grandmother by her employer - dates 1834. I have a letter written to my Grandmother re starting employment - would you believe she was told she would work the first 6 months without wages, just her dinner and tea, she was to work as a bakery assistant. I have a photo of my Grandmother in its original frame dating to pre 1889 as it is before she married. A copy of this photo is on my Tribal pages (her name was Ada Warner. I have newspapers dating to the abdication of Edward V111 passed on by my Father. I have a full canteen of cutlery (bone handled), the 'box' is actually a table, it was a wedding present to my Mother's older sister in 30s but I think it was not new then. I too have a crystal necklace that was my grandmother's and several other pieces of jewellry that I have not a clue about how much they are worth. My parents' dinner service (well most of it) thatw as theeir wedding present in 1934 Just remembered I have my Mum's family bible, a very large one with dates in etc. As you say nothing valuable as far as I know but all interesting to me. Ann Glos

So you have a posh scouse accent Jude. Like the sound of that Necklace

hi daniel my mum gave me a cookery book, its in american measures done by cups copyright 1961, she had it when first married and i got it 26years ago, and i still use it. though no one died for me to have it. i do know that my mum has said that i will get a crystal necklace that is hers when she goes, its pretty with 3 strings of crystals and when the sun shines on it, its like a rainbow. lol sandra

I also inherited a picture of an old lady in white cap sitting peeling potatoes. I have it in my kitchen, where I also have a potato peeling machine!!! Also have a bracelet of old Dutch silver coins, more or less like the old silver threepenny pieces.

I did a thread about old samplers before and it gave me the idea of asking what things you have inherited. I have a victorian print of a young girl praying which was given to me 2 years ago when my G Granny died. Worth about £10.00 but it's sentimental value is quite high. There are little things which are worth next to nothing, but i have an old singer sewing machine which is in fully working order and has the original book, also from my G Gran. Worth about £20.00 as they were mass produced. What have you got?