Looking up one's ancestors is always a serious venture. Like Forest Gump's mother said " you never know what you are going to get." In my case I got some of everything -- some patriots on both sides of the English Civil War and some patriots on both sides of the American Civil War. Some patriots in World Wars I and II. I also found tales of daughters who refused to marry unwelcome suitors, one scandalous divorce in the early years of the colonies in America, a tale of two twins who became priests and an ancestor who may have murdered his chef. There were some Catholics persecuted by Protestants and some Protestants persecuted by Catholics and many ancestors who just boarded big ships and set off for distant places. I also found Ashton Hall, a place located near Birmingham, England, which was probably one of the homes of my ancestors -- and said to be the inspiration for Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow. It was an excellent example of Tudor architecture, both Gothic and fascinating, gloomy and mysterious. There were stories in every room that whispered with sound of footfalls on carpets, breezes rustling curtains in windows, and the silence from the portraits staring down at unwanted distant relations.
AuthorTexas Mystic Poet is a published poet and author who loves Texas, poetry and The Great Piney Woods. All poetry and photographs on this site are copyright protected. All poems were written by Linda Koffel and all photos were taken by Linda Koffel. They may be shared on social media.... Archives
April 2016
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