Snapshots from the Georgiana trail
Finding the details in a story that stretches across Europe and from Scotland to Western Australia has meant doing much of the research remotely, using the Internet and accessing digital files sent by email. Seeing something new on screen is exciting but by far the most wonderful times have been visits to explore the places in John and Georgiana Molloys’ lives.
Here are some photographic memories of our travels in Cumbria, Scotland, London, Warwickshire and Western Australia.
Little blue flowers
The research journey of discovering more about Georgiana Molloy and her life has been a long one – more than a decade – and it continues now, even after the publication of the new Picador edition of my book. I think that’s what it is about research that fascinates and motivates and keeps you going […]
One quarter of a penny
This is an 1829 George IV farthing. Prince George acted as Regent during the mental illness of his father, King George III, giving the name ‘Regency’ to a distinctive period of English design in clothing and architecture based on his lavish tastes. In 1821, Georgiana was at boarding school in London when the coronation of […]
Lodes and loads
Old documents fascinate for so many different reasons. Here’s an example of the way a writer’s own world is almost made real again in the words used. This builder was writing to Georgiana’s father requesting payment for materials and work on the family home, Crosby Lodge, in 1807. The amounts owing on this invoice were […]
Tiny details
Minutiae… Small pieces of information can fascinate. They don’t usually answer the big questions but they work together in magical ways to bring the past to life. An individual is placed in a more detailed setting and their world is populated with real objects, against a background of colours and sounds. Even now, for most […]
John Molloy and the Battle of Waterloo
Two hundred years ago today, 18 June 1815, John Molloy survived the Battle of Waterloo. As dusk fell, and after a day of fierce fighting near a country crossroads in Belgium, the men still left alive in his battalion were desperately trying to defend the now famous farmhouse ‘La Haye Sainte’. Lieutenant Molloy was seriously […]
The Augusta homesite of John and Georgiana Molloy
Over the last eighteen months I’ve posted many photographs of places in England and Scotland, and of documents in archives there. Australian readers say they enjoying seeing them. Looking through some video today reminded me that there are lots of people reading these posts who don’t live in Australia or, if they do, they’ve never […]
A wintery update
The beginning of June is the beginning of Winter in Western Australia. The native plants in the garden are coming into flower and there are lambs in the paddocks but the rain isn’t stopping for a while yet so time today to get on with some indoor jobs – like posting an update. Good news […]
Snapshots from the Georgiana trail
Garden door, Crosby Lodge, Cumbria 2011
St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square, London
A quiet moment in 2011, enjoying the beautiful interior of the church of St Martin, on a visit to follow in the footsteps of John Molloy. This was the day that we found the white marble font where Molloy was Christened in 1786. John Molloy had a long life both before and after his years […]