L - Unit 7 - A2
A family history
David's family history
I come from Newcastle in England, but now I live in Perth, Australia. I've been here nearly ten years. My wife, Jodie, is Australian and our children, Russell and Alice were born here. Alice is named after my grandmother, her great- grandmother, Alice Bews. She's 89 now and still lives in Newcastle. Lately I've become really interested in my family history back in the UK. I've started speaking to my grandmother about it. I've found out that she was the youngest of nine children and the only one to have been born in England. Her eight brothers and sisters were all born in Scotland. They came from the very north of Scotland, from some islands called the Orkneys. They worked there as farmers over a hundred years ago. My grandmother told me that hundreds of years before that our family's ancestors were actually Norwegian they came over to Scotland in the 9th century. She says that's why we all have blonde hair in our family. Anyway, it became more and more difficult for my great-grandparents to make a living farming, so they travelled south. They finally arrived in the north of England, in Newcastle with their eight children. Alice was born soon after they arrived.
A conversation with his grandmother on Skype
D = David, AB = Alice Bews
D So Grandma, your parents were both born in the Orkney Islands, is that right?
AB Yes, my mother was called Jane. She grew up there and she married when she was just 17.
D And you were her ninth child?
AB Yes, I was the only one born in England. Times were really hard for my mother you see my father died when I was three. I can't remember him at all.
D So what did your mother do?
AB She worked as a cleaner and a dressmaker.
D She had two jobs and a big family, that's ...
AB Oh, yes, she was an amazing lady. But my two eldest brothers... -er they got work in the shipyards so that helped too. Ah all my brothers and sisters have died now - I'm the only one left.
D I know. Did you marry young, Grandma?
AB Oh, no. I didn't marry until I was 22.
D That's still young.
AB It wasn't unusual in those days. And I had only three children.
D But now you have lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
AB I do. They live all over the world not just in Australia.
D I know. I have cousins in New Zealand and America. But cousin Peter still lives near you, doesn't he?
AB Yes, he does. He helps me keep in touch with you all with this 'Skype' thing.
D Yeah, this 'Skype' is amazing, isn't it?
AB Oh, yes. I love it. I talk to all my grandchildren and I've seen all my great- grandchildren. I email sometimes too. Email, Skype, and texting isn't it? it's all really wonderful,
D It is, Grandma. It's just great talking to you. I've got lots more questions for next time.
