I finally got this book ready! Just in time to celebrate my father's Birthday on the 14th November.
Happy Birthday, Dad!
I have spent many months writing up all of the letters in this edition, and probably started working on it back in 2015! I definitely lost track of time...
The only reason I finally got it done was since this year, 2017, marks 150 years since the arrival of the first Beanlands on the Rock of Gibraltar, and I realised that after doing all the hard work I had to invest the time for the final leg of this journey to include the photos, edit, etc.
I am proud of my past and hope many from the North of England and Gibraltar find the letters left behind by my relatives of interest.
Thank you for taking a look & please share with anyone that might enjoy a window to the past.
Vanessa
The discovery of letters, diaries and a memoir, whilst clearing
out the Beanland home in 1997, led to family secrets being revealed, giving us
a window into the world of the 19th Century.
Bolton Beanland, born in Colne, Lancashire, leaves a life in the mills at the
age of 18 to join the army as a Gunner and through his accounts we find
out what it was like to be in service during 1861. Via numerous letters,
mentioning events such as the death of the Prince Consort in 1862, during his
time in Woolwich, and the conflict in Jamaica in 1865, we discover the life of
a soldier during testing circumstances.
His marriage to Emma Saword, in Jamaica, in 1865, and subsequent posting to
Gibraltar in 1867 are celebrated, in this publication, by the Beanland family
in Gibraltar to mark 150 years since their ancestors' arrival on The Rock.
However, tragic circumstances befall the family and are described by letters
written by his wife and brother, Emmett. In addition, Bolton's daughter,
Harriett, brings these years to life in a vivid and beautifully written memoir.
Two dairies written by Bolton's youngest son, Charles, also recall life in
Gibraltar during 1889 and life in England during 1895, when he visited his
relatives in Lancashire and London.
We then get a glimpse of the Second World War in Gibraltar, through the eyes of
Albert, the son of Charles, in 1942, and his warm views of his father on his
passing in 1851.
Finally, recollections from Bolton's great grandson, Malcolm Beanland.
By meticulously reviving these accounts and the addition of numerous
photographs, Malcolm and his daughter, V. J. Beanland, have managed to bring to
life family history that would otherwise have been forgotten or lost again in
time. Delve into the past and read accounts that were never intended for this
world-wide audience.
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