My Dad

I have just realised it is father's day. I knew it already, but I just realised it and thought that I would write down some stuff about my Dad. Bernard Francis Gibbon.

Age about 12 in the garden at 81 Redland Stret

He was born in 1914, the fourth child of Frederic Gibbon and Margaret Annie Guilfoyle. He told me that when he was three he was knocked down by a tram on Malpas Road and was caught under the cow-catcher on the front. He didn't really remember his mother because she died when he was four and a half. He remembered sitting on a bed that had a woman in it. His big sister was there and his two brothers. He remembered a window in a high stone wall and Fred saying, "Our Mam is dead and she's in there on a slab." He remembered being at a grave with flowers on it. He grew up with Ma taking his mother's place and he always told me that she treated them all the same. It didn't matter if you were her step-children or her children if she took the boiler-stick to one she would use it on all. If she threw the carving knife at one you knew she would equally throw it at any of the others.

Sitting at my piano - obviously outside
 a few glasses of whiskey

 He left home after she did exactly that, she threw the carving knife at him and it stuck in the door next to his head so he decided that the time had come to leave. He moved into the flat in Clytha Square where Steve was living with two mates. He said he didn't last long there because they were pigs and never cleaned up or washed a dish and he was doing it all. They also never bought food but if Dad bought any they would eat it. He joined the Army by mistake around this time, that's a whole story on it's own so that'll be another blog.
Steve was in the Merchant Navy so he stayed with Muriel when he was ashore.
I thought I had told the tale of how he met my mother but I see that this is in a back issue of the Gazette. I'll tell it another time.

Most of you know that Dad lost his right leg at the end of WW2 and spent the rest of his life proving that he was just as good as any man. What he actually showed was that he would have been impossible to live with if he had two legs because Mum and I spent our whole lives trying to keep up.

He built the Nissen hut so that we had somewhere to live and then ten years later he built the bungalow in front of it so that we had a proper house to spend the rest of our lives. Then WIMPEY built a whole estate of houses in the fields next to us so Dad sold the bungalow and bought Llandowlais Farm. It had no electricity, no running water and no drains but that was no problem. We lived upstairs in the bedrooms using bottled gas for cooking and lights and until the water was brought into the house we made do with carrying it from the cold tap in the yard.

Then there was a brief stay at a post office on Cardiff Road - he often said it was the worst mistake of his life but from there he bought Rhiwlas Mill and we spent a very happy nine years there before my marriage fell apart and Dad could not accept this.
We fell out over it because he told me I just wasn't trying hard enough.
After I met Colin things got worse because Dad was convinced that Colin was after my money! I moved out and even though my mother was hoping to live in the Mill until she died Dad decided to sell it and spend the money on himself so that Colin wouldn't get it.

Ironic then that it was Colin that suggested they should come live with us after Mum had the stroke. That it was Colin that got up in the night to lift Mum back into bed when she fell out. Colin that drove them wherever they wanted to go.

But that's my Dad. Eventually they had to go to a nursing home because I didn't have the strength to lift Mum on my own and if she was going to a nursing home then he was going with her.
He was the Bravest, stubbornest, idiosyncratic man I ever knew. I loved him for being my Dad and I hated him for being that also. I miss him every day since he died in 2003, but I am glad I don't have to put up with him. I feel guilty for them having to go into the home but I know it would have put me in a strait-jacket to have continued caring for them.
Just for today I can remember all his good points and I can say Thank you Dad, I love you

More family stuff

Cousin Sandy has asked several times for more explanations about who fits where into this complicated family of ours. As Cousin Travis has now been dragged into our web I thought I should, perhaps, take another look at some of our ancestors.
I have ummed and aahed about putting names and dates on simply because of the paranoia that people happily share about identity theft. I will put a little bit about it in the next edition of the Gazette and then I will expect answers.
In the mean time let's take a look at the next generation of the Nathan family.

John Nathan, son of Samuel, married Sarah Green, daughter of Abraham HaLevi, at the Great Synagogue, London 20th August 1845.

Sarah was the granddaughter of Efraim Levi Green, who I am told be descendants came to England from Amsterdam in 1796 on a herring boat with his wife and two children.
I have not researched the Amsterdam connection yet, in fact I am hoping that someone else in the GREEN family will do that.

John and Sarah had quite a few children - 15 altogether.
Hannah born abt 1847
Rachel born 1848 married James Jacobs 1877
Samuel born 1851 died 1928 Melbourne Victoria, Australia. Married (1) Rose Waterman (2) Belle Minton
Sarah born abt 1852. married Alfred Bishop 1874
Silva born 1853. married William Linley 1882
Elizabeth born 1855. d 1930 London. married (1) Charles John Guilfoyle Seymour 1879 (2) David Waters 1920
Abraham born 1857. d 1938 Melbourne Victoria. married Emma Ottolangui 1884.
Jane born 1860 died 1865. cause of death, house fire.
Un-named child born 1861. died 1861
Fanny born 6 Sept 1863. died 7 sept 1863. according to the family prayer book she was born "with a quantity of black hair" died 10 past 5 in the afternoon.
Leah born 1865. married Samuel Lyons.
David born 1867 died 1940 Melbourne Victoria
Benjamin born 1868 died 1952 Melbourne Victoria
Henry born 1870 died 1871
Amelia born 1872. married George Basaglia 1894

Doctor Carlson will operate... Eeeek!

I was going to save this little story for storytelling Sunday but I decided I just couldn't keep it to myself a moment longer. It only happened yesterday and I have been chuckling over it ever since.

We went up the hill to see the Bluefunnels last night and had dinner there. We had fish and a tiny fishbone stuck itself into Ann's upper gum, right by her back teeth. I know, I know it sounds extremely painful, and while Ann didn't sob or anything it was pretty obvious that it was hurting a lot.
Doctor Bluefunnel agreed to operate so they went off to get tweezers and then there was a lot of muffled muttering for a few minutes and then they came back with grins on their faces so we knew everything was ok.
Colin and I had spent the time working out how we were going to get Ann to hospital and clear everything away and lock up etc. It was a relief not to have to do that I can tell you.
Anyhow, Consultant surgeon Bluefunnel said he was impressed with himself because even with his shakey hands he had managed to get hold of the fish bone and remove it. We all said how good that was and how well he had done it and then he continued "I think you are really lucky." "I suppose I am," said Ann, "You did very well"
"I know," said a very proud Mr Bluefunnel "Even with my shakes I didn't drop the tweezers down your throat!"

Cousin Travis

I promised you the web address of Cousin Travis

http://www.travismichaelholder.com/

I just think it is so exciting that the acting talent of Charles John Guilfoyle and Elizabeth Nathan have come down through the family to Travis.

Lets show you

Charles and Elizabeth had five children
John Daniel, born 16 December 1878. London
Harriet Sarah, born 24 November 1880, Dublin
Margaret Annie, born 23 June 1882, Darlington
Charles Seymour Aaron, born 28 July 1884, Southport
Bessie Hope, born 15 February 1896, Chorlton upon Medlock, Manchester.

Most of us are descended from Margaret Annie, who married Frederick GIBBON.

Roxanne, Renaye and Travis are descended through Bessie Hope. I am trying to discover how many times Bessie Hope was married. My Dad told me it was five times but I haven't had that confirmed.

Bessie married Harry Edward Holder, an american sailor, 27 December 1917 at the Register Office, Newport. Their first child, Harry Lewis Edward, was born 13 December 1918 at 81 Redland Street. This was the home of Margaret Annie and Frederic Gibbon.

Some time before the birth of their second child LeRoy in 1920 they went to America. They had two more children
Alice in 1921
Ralph Ernest in 1922.

Roxanne and Renaye are the children of Leroy

Travis is the son of Ralph.

There are other cousins from this branch but I will share those with you another time.
Take a look at Cousin Travis' website. I know some people will say I am imagining it but I can see a family likeness between him and several of the rest of us - poor man!