Deep Roots Family Tree Blog

This post card stuck out to me because the handwriting is so pretty and I imagine the writer, Mary, took her time writing it. If you look closely, you can kind of see pencil lines that were drawn, likely to help keep the words from slanting. Despite the lovely handwriting, the content of the card is a bit sad. I’m guessing that Mary’s aunt had passed away recently.

10/11/1906
Dear grandma,
I was sorry to hear from Dada about Auntie. I hope she is now free from pain. Dada is not so well. Love from both.
Mary

I was hopeful, but as I suspected, I wasn’t able to find anything about Mrs. Benham or her granddaughter, Mary. I just didn’t have enough information. I do have access to Ancestry’s World Explorer, but the number of Benham’s in Brighton, England is massive. I then used Brighton as a keyword on newspapers.com, dates ranging from 1900-1906 (when the postcard was sent), looking for newspapers in England but came up empty handed. To be honest, I didn’t search very long… The front of the postcard held more interest for me.

The front of the postcard is of Prebends Bridge in Durham, England, located on the River Wear. Prior to its construction, there was only a small footbridge across the river. Construction on the bridge started in 1772 and was completed in 1778. At the time, the bridge had been constructed to be a private road for the Dean and Chapter of Durham who were in charge of Durham Cathedral.

At 36 years old I am just now taking an interest in world history and had no idea what or who the Dean or Chapter of Durham was; I had to look it up. The Dean is the senior Anglican clergy member in charge of the cathedral and the Chapter is a group of senior clergy members who serve as the governing body and provide strategic leadership and direction for the cathedral.

Today, Durham Cathedral, which was built between 1093 and 1133, is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site and it is open to the public for tourists. It is still a functioning church and opens its doors earlier for those who want to participate in morning worship and later for evening song.

Fun fact: Durham Cathedral was a prominent filming location for the Harry Potter movies. I belong to house Hufflepuff.