What do you own that have been passed through the generations?

I had (until recently) my Granny's beautiful trifle bowl. My friend was transporting Wellington, my goldfish, back to me after a holiday, braked very suddenly and fish and bowl were thrown to the floor. Fortunately, Wellington was saved - not so the bowl!

I have my great grandfather’s letters written from Australia 1911-1914 . They are a cracking read of adventure and privations in the Western Australian outback. I also have a jar that was decorated by my great grandmother with all the stamps and postmarks from the letters.

runnerbean I also have my GM's old Singer machine dated 1906. Still sews like a dream.

And just remembered the big deeply cut crystal bowl that I make trifle in every Christmas. Estimated to be about 120 years old. I have to watch no-one puts it in the dishwasher!

It's heartening to know so many people still treasure things from the past.

Almost nothing, my mother died when I was a child and then, when my grandmother subsequently died, her possessions were divided amongst her remaining adult children.

My Great Grandmother who lived til I was in my 20’s and attended my wedding made a christening gown for my Grandmother it has been passed down and two years ago my own granddaughter was christened in it. I also have a small prayer book printed in 1861 passed down to me, and a silver broach watch which my great grandmother saved up her first wages to buy, she could pin it under her apron when she was in service. This goes down to the eldest child on their 21st birthday and my son now owns it. In time it will go to my 4 yr old grandson.

My great grandfather was a carpenter and made a carved mirror as a wedding present for my grandparents in 1918. This is now in my daughter’s hallway. I have my fathers WW2 naval medals and my grandfathers and great uncle’s WW1 medals, including the large one signifying that uncles’ death at the age of 18 in 1918. I had the medal framed with photos by a military medal specialist and they hang proudly in my house.

I have a lot of old fashioned table knives that I use for spreading. I won't share them with my children because they'll go straight in the dishwasher after their first use and the handles will fall off.

This interesting thread inspired my daughter to fetch down the family rubies to show my grandson. Not what they sound like but a 3” high jar of tiny stones, some of them rubies, brought back from Australia by his great great great great grandfather in the mid 1800s. He had joined the gold rush, not to pan for gold rather, as a master joiner, to build accommodation for those who did.

We knew there was a pile of letters he sent home but to our extreme dismay they were destroyed when my grandmother died, along with all possessions which could not be sold. We lived a 10 hour drive away with 4 small children in the family and my parents weren’t on hand to rescue anything. So very frustrating but we have the ‘rubies’.

My grandfather on my mother’s side was also a joiner and I have two simple large storage boxes which he made. He died in his 30s, pre insulin medication, from type 1 diabetes. I inherited that too!

Thanks to the greedy grasping money oriented woman married to my uncle when my Great Aunt died we were robbed of all of my Grandmothers belongings. Auntie was around 90 & shared a house with my GM aged 88. We took my DGM to my parents house as she had found her sister & it had really upset her. Went back to pick up clothes etc about 3-4 hours later & the house was already cleaned out. Only DGM’s still made bed & some clothes in the built in wardrobe were left! Every stick of furniture, personal items, collections of books & ornaments were gone! Excuse was that they were not sure what belonged to who so got the lot picked up & dumped. She made sure as we found some weeks later that anything of value was taken by her first! Regardless of what belonged to who! Would have been nice to have had some of the silly little things kept when my Scottish Grandparents moved to England before their children were born! Was not allowed to talk about this as it was ‘Family Business’ until everyone involved had died a while back so sorry everyone venting now! My DM made sure she had only the barest minimum of property to as she said ‘dispose of’ so have nothing of my family left.

I should have inherited some family jewellery but it was all taken by burglars some years ago. Still have lots of sewing items, linen and a sewing machine.

SillyNanny321 something similar happened in my family. My GM remarried, after being widowed, and her children didn't take to the man. When she died he sold everything she owned. The family were very upset. It was a spiteful thing to do.
I was only 6 when she died, and barely remember her as we only met a few times. All my other GPs died before I was born.
My mum would give you the clothes off her back, and my sister took good advantage of the fact. She asked for, and was given pretty well all the family momentos before mum died. There are a few things that I would have liked, but it's not worth fighting about. I have my memories.

An old Waltham fob watch, which was left to me by my Great Aunt Fan.

Occasionally, I've worn it with a chain, but it's usually sat in a drawer.

I still have the satin shoes my grandmother wore at her wedding in 1920. They are TINY! I’ve also got a toy clothes washing set, complete with miniature dolly tub, mangle and pegs that DM said she was given when recovering from illness in the early 1930’s. DH has a family bible dating back to 1848, which has been really helpful when working out the family tree.

My grandparents lightup Santa (still working) I’m guessing that it was bought in the 1950’s.

I have a family bible from my husband's side of the family, but on my side grandmother's rings, my great grandmother's recipe book and a pair of portraits of my great-great grandparents

Beautiful but slightly battered snuff box,photos of my husbands ancestors from 1850’s,named,which say copies always available !

I have a piece of shrapnel from the bomb that destroyed my both my great- grandmother's house and also the home of my father who lived with his parents and brothers, They lived in a Tenement, so many lost their homes that fateful night.

My children took it school as part of their WW2 history lessons.

I expect my grandson will do the same quite soon, when it is his turn to do the WW 2 history lessons.

I wear my husband’s grandmothers wedding wing. It is simple: a wide ring made of Welsh gold. I treasure it greatly!

Christmas decorations
Photos
Cameo brooch
Christening gown
Variety of tranklements - my mum often used her own words for stuff ? I was often called obstroculous ?

Oh, Tabitha! You must get it out and buff it up. What a treasure!

Wine glasses from my OH's grandparents wedding presents. Some blue and white teapots, water jugs and serving dishes from my great grandparents.

It hasn`t passed through many generations as yet, but I have a gold ring set with sapphires, it was bought for my mother by my grandma when I was born, so it`s passed it`s 78th birthday, and will be passed on to one of my daughters when I pop me clogs.

My grandmother's China cabinet my grand aunt's tea trolley and my ex MILs kitchen table amongst smaller bits and bobs

Letters from my uncle to my aunt when he was a Japanese prisoner of war. Plus a slip of a photo he smuggled out.
Jewellery
Paternal both great- grandmothers cup and saucer
Silver teapot
Paternal mothers wedding ring.
Scrap book composed by aunt, plus loads of photos of course.
Black silk taffeta Sunday Dress (it is so tiny) worn by great grandmother
Great aunts tea service -Paragon
Lots of other stuff all treasured and wrapped

My most treasured is a very rustic bookcase that my dad's best mate made for him when he & my mum married.Because they weren't well off & were country people, it's made from oak from a fallen tree from the woods I grew up with, My dad died quite young, so it's long been a source of memories of him and of my home patch.