April 17th

And I wonder who on our family tree has a birthday today????


Ainsley is not alone.


Your first cousin 4x removed, Margaret Coull, was also born on this day - 145 years ago.  Coull is one of the Ferryden names.  Margaret - or Maggie as she was known - was the fourth child of the five born to the fisher family of David Coull and Elspet West.  Elspet is your 4th great aunt being the daughter of your 3xgreat grandparents, John West and Helen Pert.  She was born at 2:30 a.m.




Also on this day, in 1964, Adam Christie Riddel died.  He is your first cousin 2X removed.  When his mother, Jean Christie (your second great aunt) left Aberdeenshire with her husband and a baby in 1890 they settled in Barre, Vermont - the area of the granite industry.  Within a couple of years of being in the states, Jean and husband George Riddel had Adam Christie Riddel.  He was followed by four more children.

Adam Christie Riddel - World War One

Adam Christie Riddell lived in Vermont all his life.  He began working in the granite industry.  He was drafted to fight in World War I.  His attestation papes describe him as slender, grey eyes,light hair.  After the war he married Mary Ethel Morris and they had three sons.  A neice of one of these three sons was in contact with me some years ago.  I got the hint that all was not happy in her world.  Some bitterness as to how her uncle had been treated by someone or ones or other.

Adam continued working in the granite industry and he and Mary were able to buy their own home - the address was happily 43 Home Street in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Adam was one of those guys who ended up fighting in two world wars.  He signed up in 1942.  Here he is described at 5'7", 140 lns, blue eyes, brown hair, light complexion.

Adam died on this day in 1964 in Brattleboro of subacute monocytic Leukemia.  He died in hospital after 10 days.  He was buried a few days later in Morningside Cemetary in Brattleboro.  He was 71 years old.

🎈🎈🎈And to complete what was started above ;  it was on this day in 1987 - the fifth annivesary of the charter a/c to Grant - Ainsley Catherine Mitchell was born.  She was the youngest of three daughters born to Grant Mitchell and Catherine Lambeth.  She started out very very tiny but quickly became  strong of body and mind and often leaves the rest of us in her wake!  Today she is 32 years old - married to you and the two of you are wonderful parents to our lovely Isla.  Happy Birthday Ainsley!