I’ve seen my Grandfather for the first time.

Growing up as a child I never knew my paternal Grandfather. My Dad had emigrated from England in his 20s and really never spoke at all of his childhood . I knew a few things. I knew my Grandparents were divorced. I knew my Grandfather was an engineer or a scientist. I knew they lived in a big house.  I knew my Dad felt pressured by him to follow his career path and I knew my father rebelled against that.

I’m my early 20s I met my paternal Grandmother when she came to visit and I subsequently visited her in England and met other relatives there.

At the time I  didn’t have the same interest in my family history that i do now, mores the pity because I could have learned a LOT more.

In any case – I didn’t know what my Grandfather looked like, but now I do!

Early in this genealogy process I discovered my Grandfather had a sister who was still alive living in the US. I made contact and that  been one of the most exciting parts of this journey. Learning about a whole new part of my family that  I’ve never met.

 

Yesterday she sent me a few photos and included in them was one that has my Grandfather in it. That’s him on the far right

I certainly know now where I got my lack of height from!!- he wasn’t a tall man!!-

Interestingly I can see my father in him though not as much as I thought I would I can see my brother in him too.

This photo also includes my Great Grandparents Samuel and Edith POOLE. ( he is the older man in the middle and she is the woman in front of him.

There is another photo of them below. Meet Samuel Richard POOLE( 1882-1962), and Edith POOLE nee BENNETT(1885-1952)

 

As soon as I saw this photo I realised I already had a photo of Samuel. In the small bag of photos and documents I have of my fathers there was a photo of a man with 2 small children on his back . I had wondered if this was my grandfather but now I know it was in fact my Great Grandfather Samuel.

This line of my family is the line I really know the least about so its very exciting to be able to have these great photos.

Ill have to do some work on restoring these photos as  much as I can as they are quite precious to me.