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Natasha Whittam
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« on: 11 July 2011, 02:33 PM » |
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When we were in Kirkby Lonsdale at the weekend I went for a Sunday morning stroll round the town, mainly hoping to bump into my new best friend, Gary Megson.
We ended up heading towards a place called Devil's Bridge, and to get to it we had to walk through a cemetary. I do love looking at old gravestones, particularly the ones pre-1900.
One jumped out at me because it was extremely fancy in the shape of a boat. The inscription was really interesting, it basically said the man buried there was Italian but they didn't know his name, and he drowned in the River Lune in 1867. They had named him John Smith, rather like John Doe I guess. Don't you think it's wrong that this chap should remain namesless? Even 140+ years later he may have family who wonder what happened to Uncle John?
I need your help. I need to find who this chap was. Any ideas where I can start?
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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DaveBWFC
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« Reply #1 on: 11 July 2011, 02:38 PM » |
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Strange how he had a fancy gravestone in the shape of a boat if nobody knew him. Who paid for it? How did they know he was Italian? Some information must be available as it seems he can't have been totally unknown.
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Natasha Whittam
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« Reply #2 on: 11 July 2011, 02:39 PM » |
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Strange how he had a fancy gravestone in the shape of a boat if nobody knew him. How did they know he was Italian? Some information must be available as it seems he can't have been totally unknown.
Good points. I'm considering flying to Italy to see if I can find anyone who is missing an Italian uncle who liked boats. |
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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Big_Sharps
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« Reply #3 on: 11 July 2011, 02:41 PM » |
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I dont like Italians anyway, fcúk him the diving greasy cúnt.
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Natasha Whittam
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« Reply #4 on: 11 July 2011, 02:42 PM » |
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This is serious Sharps, I will not rest until the guy has a name.
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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Mr Magoo
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« Reply #5 on: 11 July 2011, 02:43 PM » |
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I dont like Italians anyway, fcúk him the diving greasy cúnt.
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"If you're going through hell, keep going."
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DaveBWFC
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« Reply #6 on: 11 July 2011, 02:44 PM » |
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You need to look into what was happening in the country around that time and you might find a link to why an Italian was there.
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Natasha Whittam
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« Reply #7 on: 11 July 2011, 02:48 PM » |
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Just found this: NEARLY 150 years ago a young Italian man drowned in the River Lune at Kirkby Lonsdale.
We know this happened because a gravestone in St Mary’s churchyard tells us so.
The 19-year-old’s headstone was erected in 1869 by his ‘fellow workers’ in Kirkby.
We don’t know why the young man left Italy or what he did for a living, but it may be his native name was difficult for locals to pronounce because they called him John Smith.
I’ve been fascinated by this rather fine tombstone since moving to Kirkby three years ago - but this week I’ve become even more intrigued after seeing that someone had placed flowers on the grave.
I would love to know why.
It reminds me of a similar act some years ago in Knottingley, the West Yorkshire town where I grew up.
In the cemetery, set apart from the main burial area, is the solitary grave of a freed black slave.
Apparently, he was taken in by the townspeople following the abolition of slavery.
He was provided with work and shelter and after he died a local friendly society paid for his burial and erected a gravestone.
His story would have been lost in the mists of time were it not for a fascinating occurrence in the 1980s. Visitors to the cemetery noticed that someone had begun to periodically place flowers against the solitary headstone.
This went on for a while before the mystery grave visitor - an elderly pensioner - was finally spotted. A local reporter traced the woman to her home and asked her why she was paying her respects to the ex-slave in this way.
The old woman replied that the slave had died alone, far away from his family and had no one to visit his grave.
She said her own son, a soldier, had been lost in battle while fighting far from his home in the Second World War. His body had never been found but she hoped he, too, had also been given a proper burial and that someone, like her, cared enough to put flowers on his grave
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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DaveBWFC
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« Reply #8 on: 11 July 2011, 03:00 PM » |
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I expect whoever he is he's long since been forgotten.
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Natasha Whittam
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« Reply #9 on: 11 July 2011, 03:01 PM » |
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I expect whoever he is he's long since been forgotten.
I'm going to do more research, I love stuff like this. |
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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Jamster26
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« Reply #10 on: 11 July 2011, 03:03 PM » |
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Credit to you, Natasha.
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"Just when they think they have all the answers, I change the questions".
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DaveBWFC
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« Reply #11 on: 11 July 2011, 03:04 PM » |
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Don't go praising the Pope. She's been bad.
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Natasha Whittam
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« Reply #12 on: 14 July 2011, 01:57 PM » |
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For those of you on the edge of your seats waiting for news I can confirm this morning that I received an e-mail response to a message I posted on an Italian messageboard.
This person claims his great, great grandfather went to England in 1863 and never returned. Now I somehow have to link this man to the chap buried in Kirkby Lonsdale. Any ideas?
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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Jamster26
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« Reply #13 on: 14 July 2011, 02:03 PM » |
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FamilyTree.com
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"Just when they think they have all the answers, I change the questions".
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Natasha Whittam
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« Reply #14 on: 14 July 2011, 02:21 PM » |
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FamilyTree.com
Are you taking the piss? This poor bloke was thrown in the River Lune without armbands and you want me wasting my time looking for Auntie Flo on some crappy family tree site. Apologise. |
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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DaveBWFC
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« Reply #15 on: 14 July 2011, 02:25 PM » |
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What other information did this person give you in the email?
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Le God
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« Reply #16 on: 14 July 2011, 02:26 PM » |
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Are you taking the piss?
This poor bloke was thrown in the River Lune without armbands and you want me wasting my time looking for Auntie Flo on some crappy family tree site.
Apologise.
lol! |
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Natasha Whittam
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« Reply #17 on: 14 July 2011, 02:30 PM » |
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What other information did this person give you in the email?
He gave me his name, age, and for some strange reason, his inside leg measurement. He is sending a lock of hair belonging to the deceased (that has been in a biscuit tin for 150 years) for DNA analysis. He fully expects me to exhume the body. |
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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Mr Magoo
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« Reply #18 on: 14 July 2011, 02:31 PM » |
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Dig him up, And have a DNA test done. O beat me to it. Sorry
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"If you're going through hell, keep going."
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Jamster26
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« Reply #19 on: 14 July 2011, 02:44 PM » |
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Are you taking the piss?
This poor bloke was thrown in the River Lune without armbands and you want me wasting my time looking for Auntie Flo on some crappy family tree site.
Apologise.
You said you wanted a link to the man. Well I've given you a tree instead, which, trust me, is a very specfic site and goes back pre WW1 time, Natasha. If you're serious about all this, then give it a shot. I guarantee you'll find the contact. |
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"Just when they think they have all the answers, I change the questions".
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DaveBWFC
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« Reply #20 on: 14 July 2011, 02:55 PM » |
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I've just typed several different names into familytree.com and not got any results.
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« Last Edit: 14 July 2011, 03:23 PM by DaveBWFC »
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Natasha Whittam
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« Reply #21 on: 14 July 2011, 03:21 PM » |
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I've just typed several different names into familytree.com and not go any results.
Blame Jamster, he's the only one not taking this seriously. |
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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Fred Scuttle
Hot Prospect
 Offline
Posts: 46
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« Reply #22 on: 14 July 2011, 09:32 PM » |
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Are you taking the piss?
Not half as much as the 19th century locals - buying a drowned man a stone boat indeed. Tsk! |
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Would we be dreamers? Helplessly so!
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Natasha Whittam
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« Reply #23 on: 14 July 2011, 10:34 PM » |
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Not half as much as the 19th century locals - buying a drowned man a stone boat indeed. Tsk!
This site is full of ignorant wankers. What if this was your long lost uncle or something, wouldn't you want to know where he was buried? You're all dead to me. |
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Fair play to you then if you're willing to share your knickers with a willy.
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DaveBWFC
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« Reply #24 on: 14 July 2011, 10:38 PM » |
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I think his nephews and nieces might be dead by now.
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