Friday night we took off with do a little family history exploration. I knew that my family on my father’s maternal side (the Holleys) came from Orcop (pronouned “Orcup”), England and lived on a property called the Cherry Orchard Farm. I also knew that in 2007, there was a Holley reunion in Orcop and that a local by the name of Sue Rice seemed to know all the family history (though not a Holley descendant herself). I have been trying for months to make contact with her to no avail. So, I thought if I could just go there and ask around, I could find her. No dice. I did make contact with a very nice woman by the name of Joanna who happens to own a B&B and pub in Garway (right next door to Orcop). We stayed at her place Friday night and were treated very nicely. She was not able to find Sue Rice, but she did have a couple of books on local history which she loaned me. I read them that night. One of them, Garway Hill Through the Ages, has about 15 pages on the Mormon experience in the area–including the conversion of the Holley family and their immigration to America. I was so grateful for her lending me the book that she got up early Saturday morning and went into town and bought one for me.
Joanna’s Inn where we stayed
A “full English breakfast” at Joanna’s inn (including back pudding on the far right) which we ate for the first (and probably last) time.
This is the village where the Holleys lived
Tim in front of what we believe was the Cherry Orchard Farm in Orcop
After taking a picture of a beautiful landscape, I turned to get in the car and saw this sign, Spelled different, but…hey. No one was home.
Kathy, in front of the pond at Benbow Farm where Willford Woodruff and his colleagues baptized hundreds–including Kathy’s GG Grandfather, Thomas Henry Clark
One of those baptized by WW was Thomas Henry Clark, the second in command in the United Brethren. This list hangs in the Gadfield Elm chapel (which has been reconstructed by the Church) showing the Sundays when T. Clark would preach (See far right column, third name down).
The Hereford Cathedral at night
Mappa Mundi. A map of the world and heaven drawn in 1300. This is the only original.
The chained library in the Hereford Cathedral. These are all ancient books (mostly religious) kept by he monks for over 1,500 years. They are all chained to a rod across the front of these cases
Sunday we attended church at the Hereford Ward. Very friendly people. I asked one of the men in the bishopric whether there were any Holleys in the ward. He said he knew only one, a young woman named Holley Jackson….Uhhhh.
For me, there is something meaningful about standing where your forbearers stood and seeing the world as they experienced it and to ponder what happened and how they felt about their lives. Their challenges are so different than ours. About all they have in common is that they sometimes test us to the limit–whatever that limit may be. Generally, I think their limits were less vulnerable than ours.
A word about the American elections. The British cannot believe what is going on in the States. Donald Trump scares them to death and they wonder when America will wake up and stop playing this game. We are, in a word, embarrassed. There is only one thing that may force me to vote for either of the Democratic candidates this election–and that is Trump. For now, all I can do is offer my apologies to the Brits.
That’s it for now. I drove about 10 hours this weekend IN BRITISH TRAFFIC–so I deserve a rest.
Ciao