Superb story, Tina .Thankyou for sharing it. I understand more where your strength comes from! Best wishes, Liz.24/10/01 0:34:09, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>Hi everyone, > >back late this afternoon from Adelaide - a flying visit to honour and >celebrate the life of my Aunt Yvonne who died last month. As sad as >it was the reason for our coming together as family united in our >grief at her passing, twas bizarre mending 'broken bridges' and >healing 'old wounds' and remembering 'old times' as children growing >up and such wonderful times shared. > >At a family gathering at lunch today I was given a true gift from my Great >Aunt and Uncle - a book of our family history dating back to 1852 when my >ancestors made >the journey from Plymouth in England, on the ship "Gloucester" to >Port Adelaide in South Australia (my mother is a 'crow eater' he >he...)- a journey that took some 105 days, and that saw the death of >22 children (all under three years and predominantly btw 10-18 months) >from measles and a few from scarlet fever. Five women also gave birth >on the epic journey across the seas. It was interesting to read in >the ship surgeon's log the distress Re: the deaths of so many >children in his care - it was particularly interesting in his notes >that he wrote where he acknowledged the following of which the >word 'weaned' was underlined.... > >"......The measles nearly caused the destruction of every child in >the ship..in May we had 43 cases of measles..in June 9 cases. The >children were weakened by the illness - they nearly had all been >WEANED." > >My Great Great Great Grandparents were passengers on this morbid trek >across the ocean nearly some 150 years ago. What pioneering spirit >and endurance against such great adversity and oppression these >people faced but never the less successfully overcame. My Great ..G.. >G..Grandmother (Mary Ellen Lloyde) gave birth to her first child a >daughter (Mary Ellen Lloyde) just one year after their arrival in >Australia, and went on to have twelve more children (three still >born). They moved to a small settlement, Mintaro, where my families >roots (maternal) are deeply embedded and a place I spent many years >as child growing up visiting my great grandmother and grandmother. My >Grandmother Dot was one of nine home born children all in Mintaro - >I've even slept in the bed where they were conceived and birthed, the >first some 85 years ago - BIZZARE!!!! > >Most of this precious story I new, but today I learned of something >new from my Uncle (my grandmothers brother) on his seeing my "midwives hold >the future T-Shirt" that I was proudly wearing today - that their >grandmother, Mary Ellen Lloyde - who came out on that ship from Plymouth - >was a wait for it - A MIDWIFE !!! > >He proudly flicked through the book to the page that states, "Mary was >mid-wife to many mothers in the Mintaro/Clare district and it is >stated that she never lost a patient". Mary Ellen Lloyd, woman, wife, >mother of 13, and midwife, went on to live a full and rich life dying >at the wondrous age of 96 years. My Uncle was chuffed to think that >I, four generations on was aspiring to be 'with woman' in birth as >was our 'founding mother' all those many years ago. > >This discovery today enriches my sense of being 'with woman' and this brief >history to my 'being' marks a passing of time and signifies that we 'should >honour the past... make the most of the present... and plan well for the >future.....and to reflect on how much we owe to those who paved the way.' > >Yours in birth >Tina Pettigrew >Descendant of Mary Ellen Lloyde >Midwife. > > > > > >-- >This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. >Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
