On this All Souls Day or Day of the Dead, I take an in-depth look at what led to the demise of my direct ancestors.
Category: Death
A life full of loss: Mary Scott Mitchell
My great-great-grandmother Mary Scott Mitchell was widowed twice and outlived four of her six children. And death by drowning would play a prominent role in her family’s story.
Profile: William Patrick Walsh
My great-great-grandfather William Patrick Walsh was a Crimean War veteran who ended his days tragically in a veteran’s hospital.
The children of William Douglas & Mary Smith
A look at the lives of the children of my 3G-grandparents, William James Douglas & Mary Augusta Smith.
Lest we forget
In remembrance of members of my extended family who made the ultimate sacrifice. Lest we forget.
A life cut short
On this day in 1915, my paternal great-grandparents lost a son, a victim of the sea.
A smuggling tale
Two of Scotland’s most infamous gin smugglers were my 4G-grandfather John Kennedy and his brother Philip, whose notoriety resulted from a violent encounter with government excisemen in 1798.
Pie day
Today is March 14. Pi day, as many call it, 3.14. I think of it as “pie” day, a reminder of the exact date of my mother’s death, since she loved to bake, including many types of pie.