Family visit of a different kind

Hi Guys, You guessed it, this is not what you may call a normal family visit with biscuits and a discussion about the latest events on Corrie.

Nope, I have come to discover the family graves in St. Hilda's Church graveyard in Ampleforth. I was born Benson.

 

My cousin, Maureen has been doing a family tree forever and often she mentions family members that I am vaguely aware of.  She has an impressive photo collection from many years ago of my family ancestors. Pretty impressive and really dedicated to finding out all the family history.

So the family name in Ampleforth was Benson and I know my grandad was what is called a cabinet maker and after a spell in the First World War, he came back to Ampleforth and made furniture and coffins for the locals...a bit spooky really. I think he also did a bit of work as a blacksmith as well as producing 11 children with my granny, Anne!

The family lived in a really run down house then called Brook House, my father loved it there and I will post photos of the house now and then when my father was a little tot on his mum's knee. I will post shortly.

Brook House still stands proud and has a brook of water running past it. I think the water runs from the woods behind the house where my father spent his childhood playing with his brothers and sisters and also after his death, the place he wanted his ashes to be scattered.  Dad wanted always to return to his beloved Ampleforth and West Woods.

It never left him, such was the power of a loving home, though I know life for the locals in the 1920s in a little Yorkshire village was not easy and pretty brutal.

Above are pictures of St. Hilda's, the absolutely beautiful church which I was baptised in. With its Norman archway.  Amazing and beautiful; this House of God is so serene.

So to my ancestors graves....really interesting to have so many Bensons in the small graveyard.

One of my more notorious family members, the fighting Luke Benson, according to research, Luke was a real troublemaker and always in bother with the law.  Hope I have got the right Luke, as there were numerous over the years.

I think he must have been a real character and a bit of a bad boy to say the least!

More Benson graves.

Here quite clearly is Henrietta; I am sure she is a relative and I will have to ask my cousin who she was?

I can definitely make out the name Fanny here and I am pretty sure she was a great grandmother but again I need to find proof.

Phoebe most definitely is a relative and I have a picture which I will eventually share, she was amazing!

Another Luke Benson and I believe pretty much also quite notorious, more research to do!

More Bensons

And more Bensons!

Another lady, she has the name Benson, as yet I know nothing about her!

Not a Benson, but grave trouble.

Here I just thought I would share this beautiful grave, at the top of the hill, this gravestone has stood for years in the freezing cold wind, hot sunny days and snowdrifts!

Still standing but only just, I kinda got the feeling, the inhabitant of the grave was blowing through the ground somehow, to stop the grave from toppling over! Too much imagination, I know ;)

Guys I really hope you enjoyed a little insight into the family graves and as I find out more, I will keep you in the loop xx

Stay safe my lovelies :)