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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Garden door, Crosby Lodge, Cumbria 2011
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 […]
Two views of Carlisle Castle built in the 12th Century by a son of William the Conqueror, a direct ancestor of Georgiana Molloy on her father’s side. The castle was immediately opposite the block of land where her family were living when she was born, just out of shot to the right in this photograph […]
Abbey Street is still paved with grey stone ‘sets’ as it was when Georgiana lived there as a little girl. This is the view from near the site of her home, her grandmother’s ‘mansion house’, looking towards the Cathedral at the end of the street. The ancient abbey gate can just be seen, looking very […]