Family history

My maternal grandparents came from at least 400 years of south Dorset stock. Here they seem to have just come out of hiding after years underground. Maybe they hadn't seen a camera before. I don't think she ever set foot outside Dorset. He was a hansom cab driver I think.

My paternal grandmother had over 400 years of Dorset heritage too - which doesn't mean that she knew how to have fun on the beach. My paternal grandfather's ancestors for centuries lived in the Coventry area. He came to Dorset (Bovington) as a soldier and never returned north. He was good at sport and drinking, getting banned from the odd pub (allegedly). He was a pipelayer - he dug holes. He smoked to the bitter end.

In short, I have an inauspicious family tree. More interesting are the "uncles" who don't appear in the official family tree, adopted at birth by a relative (a fact that they weren't always aware of until adulthood). One of them had a piano and started sing-alongs when we visited. His wife had a strong Spanish accent - they met in the war. They, more than my other relatives, have been source material for me.