Welcome to the June 2003 edition of our family newsletter.

Preserving the memories and experiences of family members adds flesh to the bare bones of dates and plaes and helps to bring family members to life. This month I have included and article on gathering infromation. The list of areas to explore is quite long however they should be used as prompts rather than questions that must be answered. I would encourage everyone to tackle at least one senior family member before the end of the year and document their responses. In this way we will preserve a bit of them for our descendants and other interested parties.

If you have missed the opportunity to actually interview someone, check to see if there is an obituary for them. Obituaries can be rich sources of information. If you find an obituary for any family member please pass it on so that it can be added to our collection.

In this edition of the newsletter we look at:

• A Sawyer bit of the family
• Scrap booking ... a way of preserving family memories
• More of Frank's work but this time with a slightly different slant

I hope you enjoy learning more about your extended family.

Contributions to the Newsletter are most welcome. If you find something that you would like to share please send it to me so that it can be included in a newsletter or post it on the family web site. My email address is lwuth@hups.net

Lorraine Wuth

Editor

The Sawyers

Back in June 2001, the Sawyer part of the family was introduced. Mary Brangwin, the daughter of Edward Brangwin and Sarah Deane, born in 1758 in Hambleden, BKM, married Edward Sawyer on December 31, 1783 at Hambleden. Edward had been born in the neighbouring parish of Medmenham where a number of other family connections also resided. Medmenham comes up quite often in our family records.

1. John born in 1784 died 1837.
2. Sarah baptised at Hambleden on August 27, 1785.
3. Edmund baptised at Medmenham on December 10, 1786. He died in early 1788
4. Daniel baptised at Medmenham on June 8, 1788.

Edward's Will, signed on December 23, 1823, only mentions two of his children: John and Sarah. In 1823 Sarah appears to have been still single. At the time of his death, Edward was living in Great Marlow.

John Sawyer, the son of Edward Sawyer and Mary Brangwin, was born in Hambleden and baptised there on June 27, 1784. John married Sarah Underwood, a Medmenham local, by banns, at Medmenham on May 15, 1804. Witnesses were Francis Brangwin, Sarah Sawyer and David Burfoot. They went on to have 13 children.

John died in Medmenham aged 52 and was buried there on March 20, 1837. He was a farmer of Bockmoor End, Medmenham at the time of his death. Sarah, too, is buried at Medmanham.

John and Sarah had thirteen children:

1. Mary born May 21, 1804 at Medmenham. She did not marry. She died at Greenfield, Watlington, OXF in March 1876, aged 71, and was buried at Medmenham on March 15.
2. Elizabeth was born on October 25, 1805 at Medmenham. She was baptised on November 17, 1805. She married Thomas Simmons Painter, when and where unknown. In 1851 she and Thomas were living at Turvile Court, Turville. She was 44 and a farmer's wife. Thomas was farming 285 acres and employing 22 labourers. His age was given as 50 and his place of birth as Radnage, BKM. Elizabeth died on February 15, 1876 at Greenfield, Watlington, aged 70.
   
   According to the probate index she was a widow. Administration was granted to her brother Owen, gentleman, of 41 Heaton-road Peckham Rye, Surrey. The value of her estate was under £2,000 - quite a tidy sum.
   
   Thomas had been born in Radnage in 1799, where he was baptised on July 13. He died on October 8, 1959, at Greenfield, Watlington.
3. Sarah was born on February 17, 1807 at Medmenham and baptised there on March 22. It would appear that she married John Rixon of Turville on May 22, 1824 by licence at Fingest, BKM. Witnesses to the marriage were Mary Sawyer and Elizabeth Sawyer, Sarah's sisters. John was a farmer, born about 1787 at Lewknor, OXF.
   
   Sarah and John had a son, John, who was baptised at Turville on May 12, 1826. The families address was given as Turville Heath. Unfortunately John only lived 10 months and he was buried at Fingest on January 9, 1827.
   
   It is not known when Sarah died but by 1840 John was married to Fanny when their son, another John, was baptised at Turville. This latest John is of more general interest us as he went on to marry Jane Smith the sister of Augusta and Stephen Smith.
   
   At this stage it is unknown when Sarah and John died or where they are buried.
4. William was born on May 30, 1808 at Medmenham. He was baptised on August 5. He died, aged 19, and was buried at Medmenham on September 19, 1827.
5. Anne was born on August 16 and baptised on December 10, 1809 at Medmenham. She, too, died young. She was buried on July 8, 1828 at Medmenham, aged 18.
6. Henry was born on August 29, 1811. He was baptised at Medmenham on September 29 of that year. He was 30 when he died and was buried at Medmenham on April 2, 1842.
7. John was born on April 12, 1813. He was baptised on May 16, 1813 and buried at Medmenham on June 23, 1814, aged 14 months.
8. Eliza was baptised at Medmenham on June 12, 1814 having been born on April 27. I am yet to determine what happened to Eliza.
9. George was born on November 6, 1815 and baptised at Medmenham on December 17, 1815. He married a Fingest lass, Emily. The date of marriage is currently unknown. He died aged 30 and was buried at Medmenham on December 20, 1845. The burial register gave his abode as Bradenham.
   
   The 1851 census recorded Emily still living in Bradenham. Her occupation was given as farmer of 314 acres employing 14 labourers. She was 33 years old. Living with her was her brother-in-law, Thomas, who was listed as a farm bailiff.
   Obviously marrying into this branch of the Sawyers was as big a health problem as being born into it as Emily died aged 39 and was buried at Medmenham on March 14, 1857.
10. Edmund was born on February 16, 1817 and baptised at Medmenham on March 23. He married a Wargrave lass, Mary, who was born about 1826.
    
    The 1851 census recorded Edmund and Mary living at Saunderton Lee, Saunderton, BKM. Edmund was 33 and a farmer of 227 acres employing 9 labourers. Also in the household were three children: Thomas, aged 6, who had been born at Fingest; John, aged 4, born at Fingest in 1846; and Elizabeth, aged 3, who had been born at Saunderton in 1848.
    
    What happened to the family after 1851 is unknown.
11. John was born on September 5, 1818 and baptised at Medmenham on October 25, 1818. In 1851 he was living with his brother Edmund at Saunderton. His occupation was given as butcher.
    
    John appears to have remained single. He died aged 52 at Turville, BKM and was buried at Medmenham on June 12, 1871.
12. Thomas was born on February 17, 1820 and baptised on March 26 at Medmenham. In 1851 he was working as a farm bailiff, ie. a farm overseer, for his sister-in-law, Emily, at Bradenham, BKM. He died aged 35 at Bradenham, BKM, and was buried at Medmenham on March 17, 1855.
13. Owen was born on November 9, 1821 at Medmenham. He was baptised on December 30, 1821. [See below for further details for Owen]

Of John and Sarah's thirteen children most died young. Mary lived to be 71 and Elizabeth 70. Sarah could not have been older than her mid 30s when she died and could still have been a teenager. William was only 19 and Anne 18 when they died. Henry managed to make 30 but the first John only lived 14 months. Eliza's longevity is unknown. George also made 30, Edmund vanished and John held out to 52. Thomas made 35 and Owen 73. The surprising thing is that most of the children survived childhood only to die as young adults.

Back to Owen.

Owen Sawyer married Ann Palmer on October 19, 1847 at the parish church at St George Hanover Square, Middlesex. Owen gave his abode as Medmenham, he was of full age (21+) and a farmer. His father was stated to be John Sawyer, a farmer. Ann was a spinster of full age of George Street [in St George Hanover Square]. Her father was Edward Palmer, a carpenter. Witnesses were James Palmer and Jane Price. They were married by licence.

Owen and Ann had at least four children: Sarah Jane born at Medmenham on August 22, 1848; George born at Medmenham on November 2, 1849; John Henry born on August 20, 1853 at Medmenham and Mary Anne born September 4, 1858 at Bockmer End, Medmenham. More on these later.

According to the Medmenham parish records, Owen was a farmer of Bockmoor End, Medmenham, as was his father before him. In 1861 he was farming at Bockmer End, Medmenham. [The spelling does vary across time]. He had 183 acres and was employing 4 men and 2 boys. At the time of the 1881 census he was living at 2 Godman Road, Camberwell, Surrey. He was out of business. His age was given as 59. Ann was 60 and her place of birth was given as Leicester Town, Leicester, England. Also in the household were daughter Sarah, aged 28 and a school governess and son John, 26, cheesemongers assistant.

Ann appears to have died prior to when Owen wrote a new will:

This is the last Will of me Owen Sawyer of No 2 Godman Road Peckham Surrey retired Corndealer

I give and bequeath all my estate and interest in the leasehold house No 2 Godman Road Peckham in which I now reside to my son John Henry Sawyer absolutely together with my household furniture

I give my books and ornaments to my said son and my two daughters Sarah Dry and Annie Vanhouse in equal proportions

I appoint my said son John Henry Sawyer sole executor of this my will

As witness my hand this twenty eighth day of October one thousand eight hundred and eighty nine

OWEN SAWYER

Signed and declared by the said Owen Sawyer the testator as and for his last will in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other having hereunto subscribed our names as witness

W M DRY            H DICKENS DALLIMORE

Owen died in late 1894 and probate of his Will was granted to John Henry Sawyer the sole Executor on January 15, 1895.

Owen's Will provided clues as to what happened to his children. He names his daughters as Sarah Dry and Annie Vanhouse. Vital clues in tracking them down. His will had been written in response to the death of Ann, his wife. The indicators were that George was no longer part of the family and a death for him should be found somewhere in the records.

Sarah Jane Sawyer, daughter of Owen and Ann, was born on August 22, 1848 in Medmenham, BKM. In 1861 she was living with her family in Medmenham and was 12 years old when the census was taken. In 1881 the cesus recorded her living with her parents and brother John. Her age was given as 28 and occupation as school governess. She was still single.

In 1885 Sarah married William Moody Dry, a witness to her fathers will. William had been born around 1852 in Newington, London. He was a clerk and eventually became a company secretary. He was the son of Robert J Dry.

By 1901 Sarah and William were living at 1 Godman Rd, Camerwell, Surrey, next door to her brother John. There were three children:

1. Edith Jane born about 1887
2. Elisie Annie born about 1890
3. William Owen born in 1892

At this stage further research is needed to determine what happened to Sarah, William and their children.

John Henry Sawyer was born on August 20, 1853. He was the third child of Owen Sawyer and Ann Palmer. He married in 1890. His wife, Elizabeth, was born about 1859 in Walworth, London. John and Elizabeth had at least one child, a daughter Eva P born in 1891. The family was still living at 2 Godman Rd, Camberwell at the time of the 1901 census.

The fourth and final child know to have been born to Owen Sawyer and his wife Ann Palmer was Mary Ann. Mary Ann Sawyer was born on September 4, 1858 at Bockmer End, Medmenham. She married Thomas Osmond Vanhouse in 1877. Thomas had been born around 1851 in Deptford, Kent. At the time of the 1901 census the family was living at 26 Halesworth Road Lewisham, London. Known children are:

1. Annie Gertrude Vanhouse born in 1877. In 1901 she was living at home with her parents aged 24 with no listed occupation.
3. Archibald Stuart Vanhouse was born in 1878. In 1901 he, too, was still living at home and his occupation was given as commercial clerk.
4. Edward Owen Vanhouse was born in 1880. In 1901, 20 year old Edward was also a commercial clerk living at home.
5. Mabel Grace Vanhouse was born in 1885.
6. Hilda Winifred Vanhouse was born in 1893.

As you can see we ar far from finding all the descendants of Mary Brangwin and Edward Sawyer however we have made some progress over the past two years. As new information becomes available it will be included in future newsletters.

Yoshijirô Urushibara
1888 - 1953

[This article has been supplied by Margaret Branwyn along with the wonderful selections of illustrations taken from the combined work of Frank Brangwyn and Yoshijirô Urushibara.]

Monastry ... and for comparison, below, a picture of the subject

Yoshijirô Urushibara was born in Tokyo, but in 1908 he was one of a small group of Japanese artists hired by the British Museum to make copies of a fourth-century Chinese scroll painting by Gu Kaizhi. Urushibara travelled first to Paris, where he worked for two years before travelling on to London. Working at the British Museum as a freelance picture mounter, he also worked restoring paintings and scrolls. He became expert in woodblock printing and his prints are highly prized amongst art collectors today.

Mosque

To make a woodblock print one woodblock had to be carved for each colour to be used, plus a key-block. Carving these multiple blocks required a high level of skill and craftsmanship, as well as a great delicacy of hand. Making the prints was a long and difficult process. A press was not used to make the prints, but the paper was placed on the block after the colour had been applied to the block, then the paper rubbed at the back. For each impression the paper was damped, making it liable to stretch, so ensuring each colour was printed in precisely the right place to build the picture was an exacting task.

Shepherds

Whilst in England he met Frank Brangwyn and translated some fifty Brangwyn drawings into woodblock prints. In 1919 they collaborated to produce a number of Brangwyn's watercolours meticulously reproduced as woodblock prints in a portfolio entitled "Bruges". Again in 1924 they worked together to produce another portfolio "Ten Woodcuts by Yoshijirô Urushibara after Designs by Frank Brangwyn". Only 270 copies of this book were produced, of which only 250 were for sale. Of the ten pictures in this book seven are signed by Urushibara and the other three bear his seal. All the woodblock prints are still unmistakably "Brangwyn" and yet at the same time there is very Japanese look about them. Occasionally the woodblock prints are offered for sale singly, which sadly must mean they must have been removed from a portfolio, but they are so beautifully appealing each one is a picture to treasure.

The Mill

Urushibara died in England in 1953.

Gathering Your Family History

I came across the following material and thought it useful to all of us as we attempt to provide background on family members. I well remember spending a couple of hours with the half sister of my maternal grandfather. My great aunt was in her nineties and was reluctant to discuss family background as there were things that she would have been happy not to know. As she said to me "If I had lived to an ordinary age I would never have known and that would have been OK". Fortunately for me Mavis did talk about her mother, my great grandmother, her father, brother and growing up. She also remembered my great great grandfather and quite a few other family members who had already departed. I was able to repay her by supplying copies of photos of her mother and herself that I had tracked down through another family member.

I was aware of Mavis' reluctance to talk about some aspects of her past. With this in mind I did not take a notebook or tape recorder with me when I met with her. I did spend a couple of hours writing notes immediately after leaving her. Ideally I would not have been alone and would have had a notetaker present. When gathering family information, care must be taken to manage the sensitivities of the individual being "interviewed". I am very grateful for the opportunity I was given to meet and talk with Mavis and thrilled that an Aunt had given me an entering line. I had met Mavis at my grandfather's funeral. At that stage there was nothing special as it was believed that she was his niece when in actual fact she was his sister. So, the opening line of "I believe we met at Bert's funeral" provided a starting point. It is useful to start with something that is likely to break the ice and then to go from there.

I would be delighted to recieve any scraps of family recollections that you gather.

Scrapbooking is not just a craft. It's about preserving our family history and trying to collect as much past history as we can to preserve it. In the end these written memories are at least as valuable as the photos and maybe even more valuable....

I feel that this list of questions is a very valuable resource for collecting your family's past history. There are many books on the market to help you gather grandparents memories, but books seem to overwhelm. At your next family gathering take this list and start interviewing your family members. You can go through the entire list in one sitting or break it up into many sessions. You may want to consider audio or video taping the session for an additional record of the conversation that will include the emotions of the story teller. Such a tape would make a priceless record of your family and their stories.

This list of oral history questions was compiled from a variety of sources by Joanne Todd Rabun in 1993. They included a 6th grade class project of her daughter and a college-level Women's Studies class project of her nephew. She used them to produce a booklet entitled "The Life and Times of Winnie Lacklore" to commemorate Winnie's 90th birthday celebration.

 

• What is your full name and why were you named it?
• Were you named after somebody else?
• Did you have a nickname as you were growing up?
• If you did, what was it and why did they call you that?
• Have you had other nicknames as an adult?
• What do family members call you now?
• Where were you born and when?
• Do you remember hearing your grandparents describe their lives? What did they say?
• Do you remember your great-grandparents? What do you know about them?
• Who was the oldest person you can remember in your family as a child? What do you remember about them?
• Do you remember your family discussing world events and politics?
• Was there a chore you really hated doing as a child?
• What would you consider to be the most important inventions that have been made during your lifetime?
• How is the world now different from what it was like when you were a child?
• What kinds of books did you like to read?
• Do you remember having a favorite nursery rhyme or bedtime story? What was it?
• Do you ever remember not having enough food to eat because times were hard for your family?
• What were your favorite toys and what were they like?
• What were your favorite childhood games?
• What were your schools like?
• How did you get to school?
• What was your favorite subject in school and why?
• What subject in school was always the easiest for you?
• What was your least favorite subject in school and why?
• Who was your favorite teacher and why were they special?
• How do your fellow classmates from school remember you best?
• What school activities and sports did you participate in?
• Did you and your friends have a special hang-out where you liked to spend time?
  Where was it and what did you do there?
• Were you ever given any special awards for your studies or school activities?
• How many years of education have you completed?
• Do you have a college degree? If so, what was your field of study?
• Did you get good grades?
• Did you like school?
• What did you like the most and the least about it?
• What did you usually wear to school? Describe it.
• Were there any fads during your youth that you remember vividly?
• How old were you when you started dating?
• Do you remember your first date? Describe the circumstances.
• Name a good friend that you have known for the longest period of time? How many years have you been friends?
• Has there ever been anyone in your life that you would consider to me your kindred spirit or soul mate?
  If so, who were they and why did you feel a special bond to them?
• How did you meet the person that you would later marry? Describe them?
• Do you remember where you went on the first date with your spouse?
• How long did you know them before you got married?
• Describe your wedding proposal.
• When and where did you get married?
• Describe your wedding ceremony. Who was there?
• Did you have a honeymoon? If so, where did you go?
• How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?
• How long have you been married (or were you married)?
• What wise advice would you give to a grandchild on their wedding day?
• How did you find out that you were going to be a parent for the first time?
• How many children did you have all together?
• What were their names, birth dates and birthplaces?
• Do you remember anything that your children did when they were small that really amazed you?
• What is one of the most unusual things that one of your children did regularly when they were small?
• What was the funniest thing you can remember that one of your children said or did?
• If you had it to do all over again, would you change the way you raised your family? How?
• What did you find most difficult about raising children?
• What did you find most rewarding about being a parent?
• Did you spoil any of your children? How?
• Were you a strict or lenient parent?
• Did you find that you had to treat each of your children differently? If so, why?
• How did you first hear that you were a grandparent and how did you feel about it?
• What advice do you have for your children and grandchildren?
• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
• What was your first job?
• What kinds of jobs have you had?
• How did you decide on your career?
• Did you make enough money to live comfortably?
• How long did you have to work each day at your job?
• How old were you when you retired?
• What were the hardest choices that you ever had to make? Do you feel like you made the right choices?
• Who was the person that had the most positive influence on your life? Who were they and what did they do?
• Is there a person that really changed the course of your life by something that they did?
  Who were they and what did they do?
• Do you remember someone saying something to you that had a big impact on how you lived your life?
  What was it?
• How would you describe yourself politically?
• Are you Conservative or Liberal and why?
• What wars have been fought during your lifetime? How did you feel about them?
• If you served in the military, when and where did you serve and what were your duties?
• If you served in the military, were you ever injured in the line of duty?
  What were the circumstances and what were your injuries?
• What world leader have you admired the most and why?
• As you see it, what are the biggest problems that face us today and how do you think they could be solved?
• How tall are you?
• What color was your hair as a young child and then as an adult?
• What color are your eyes?
• Where have you lived as an adult? List the places and the years that you lived there.
• Why are you living where you are today?
• Do you wish you lived somewhere else (If so, where would it be)?
• Describe your general health.
• What major illnesses or health problems do you remember having?
• Do you have any health problems that are considered hereditary in nature? If so, what are they?
• What do you do regularly for exercise?
• Do you have any bad habits now or in the past? What were they?
• Have you ever been the victim of a crime? What happened?
• Have you ever been in a serious accident?
• Has anyone ever saved your life? Describe.
• Have you ever saved anyone else's life? Describe.
• Have you ever been hospitalized? If so, what for?
• Have you ever had surgery? If so, what for?
• If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?
• Have you ever had an experience that you would consider to be super-natural or psychic? Did you ever know something was going to happen before it actually did? What was it?
• What do you usually dream about?
• What church, if any, do you attend regularly?
• Describe your religious beliefs.
• Do you believe in an after life?
• What was the most stressful experience that you ever lived through? What helped you get through it?
• What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you personally?
• What kinds of musical instrument(s) have you learned to play?
• Would you consider yourself creative?
• What things have you made that others have enjoyed?
• How would you describe your sense of humor?
• What is the funniest practical joke you ever played on anyone?
• What activities have you especially enjoyed as an adult?
• What are your hobbies?
• What did you like to do when you were not working?
• What is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to you?
• What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?
• Have you ever met any famous people? Describe what happened.
• What organizations and groups have you belonged to?
• Have you ever won any special awards or prizes as an adult? What were they for?
• Describe a time and place when you remember feeling truly at peace and happy to be alive.
  Where were you and what were you doing?
• What is the most beautiful place you have ever visited and what was it like?
• What is the longest trip that you have ever gone on? Where did you go?
• What has been your favorite vacation? Where did you go and why was it special?
• What was the favorite place you ever visited and what was it like?
• What pets have you had?
• Do you have a favorite story about a pet? What is it?
• Is there anything you have always wanted to do, but haven't?

FAVORITES

• What is your favorite style of music?
• What is your favorite musical instrument?
• Who is your favorite musical group?
• What is your favorite song?
• Who is your favorite singer?
• Who is your favorite movie star?
• What is your favorite movie?
• Who is your favorite artist?
• What is your favorite painting?
• Who is your favorite poet?
• What is your favorite poem?
• What is your favorite TV program?
• Who is your favorite author?
• What is your favorite book?
• What is your favorite season?
• What is your favorite tree?
• What is your favorite flower?
• What is your favorite holiday?
• What is your favorite color?
• What is your favorite sport?
• Who is your favorite athlete?
• What is your favorite animal?
• What is your favorite meal?
• What is your favorite fruit?
• What is your favorite vegetable?
• What is your favorite candy (lollies)?
• What is your favorite cookie (biscuits)?
• What is your favorite cake?
• What is your favorite drink?
• What is your favorite restaurant?
• What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
• What is your favorite board game?
• What is your favorite card game?

IF YOU HAD TO PICK A LABEL FOR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS (your spouse, children, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts & uncles, cousins), WHO BEST FITS THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTIONS? The best cook; The hardest-worker; the quietest; the best memory; the best gardener; the funniest; the best-looking; the animal lover; the most politically-active; the most mischievous; the calmest; the most athletic; the most intelligent; the most educated; the best career; the most creative; the wildest life-style; the most sociable; the biggest tease; the best housekeeper; the most reclusive; the most colorful; the most relaxed; the most frugal; the most generous; the tallest; the shortest; the best story-teller

I hope you have found this edition of the Brangwin Family Newsletter of interest.

I would like to thank Maraget once again for her contribution to the newsletter. I look forward to seeing some of your family "interviews" in the near future.

That's it for this month.

If you have anything you would like to contribute to the newsletter it would be most welcome.

Until then next time

Lorraine