52 Ancestor in 52 Weeks

Family Lore

OK, I'm going to try this again in 2024.  Getting back to blogging, even if it's a quick little blog!

    My Grandfather, George Henry Toulson was the youngest in his family, born in Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, England, when his Mother was 42. She had 8 children, 2 illegitemate, and 2 who died as infants.  My Grandfather, from family lore, fell out of a high chair when he was an infant, and did something to his back/spine, that stunted his growth.  He only grew to a height of approx 5 feet - about the size of a jockey.  

    His height limited his prospects (work as an agricultural laborer was common in the area), he was listed as a Stable Boy in 1891 and a Domestic Gardener in 1901.  In 1903, he emigrated to his Uncle in Clinton, Iowa.  He and a friend from Fulbeck, Arthur Hutchinson emigrated together.  The family story is they flipped a coin to decide if they'd emigrate to Australia or America, and America won.

    It is mind boggling for me to believe that I could have been an Australian - as I absolutely love that country and have visited 12 time!  I think my Grandfather must have also had the same fascination, as he ended up on the West Coast (San Francisco area), and in more Family Lore, he was saving his money to emigrate to Australia, when he met my Grandmother and well.....they had to get married, as my Father was on the way!

    So my love of Australia is clearly genetic!