MEETING LONG-LOST RELATIVES

We have had a great day today with the cousins from America and Bath and I wanted to blip the first photograph of the day where Al was teaching Mr. HCB and me to play "Kings in the Corner" - a card game - whilst his two daughters caught up with some emails in their room.

Don't think I have ever played cards at 9 o'clock in the morning before!  However, Mr. HCB thought that wasn't a good idea (I think he just didn't want to be my blip again - but little does he know, I can put another photograph in Extras - so have a look there!)

We were collected from our hotel at 10.30 and Graham, Mr. HCB's cousin from Bath, who has done a lot of work on the family history, thought it might be a good idea to start in Lacock, where Daniel Hillier, the 4th Great Grandfather of the three cousins was born.  He was married in 1785 to Mary Escott in this very church, St. Cyriac's, which is a 14th century Anglican church.  I wanted to get a good photograph of the church - and it's good to see the cousins too.  

On the left of the photograph is what was the Workhouse in Lacock - built in the 1700s and which started as a workhouse for children only.

After wandering around Lacock and seeing many of the places where their ancestors would have lived, we went into The George Inn, where we met up with Graham's wife, had a great Ploughman's lunch and several of our company had a pint of 6X beer - but neither Mr. HCB nor I imbibed!!

I had done enough walking by then, so we took our leave and came on home, but the cousins were going to see other places in the area where their relatives had lived - North Wraxall, Chapel Knapp at Gastard and Colerne.  

It was great to see them all - and we really appreciate all the work that Graham has done.  Who knows we might even get over to Portland to visit the American cousins one day!

Thinking of Daniel and Mary, this quote seems appropriate:

The roots of a family tree
     begin with the love
          of two hearts.