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

(114 Posts)
mama238 Sun 02-Jan-22 01:48:36

Apart from homes , currently the kitchen table has gone through 3 generations

TerriBull Mon 03-Jan-22 19:14:35

I have letters, copies of wills, records of sea voyages and photos all from the 19th and the same again from the early 20th century. One of the photos is of a 4 times great grandmother who was born in the 18th century but reached nearly 100 by the time photography had come into being, she looks incredibly ancient in it. I have various art deco plates, but not a set, that belonged to one of my grandmothers and a bowl which has been passed down for a few generations, been broken and carefully put back together which I think came from my mother's side of the family, but I don't know from where or when exactly. I have my mil's lovely bone china tea set, including one of those tiered cake stands things, not particularly old, but really pretty.

HillyN Mon 03-Jan-22 20:14:46

I have a boxed set of dessert knives with mother-of-pearl handles that my grandfather gave my grandma when they got engaged, a christening gown that my father, aunt, sister, I and our daughters all wore and various other bits and pieces. None of them are of the slightest interest to my children, who chose not to have my grandchildren baptised.
I also have a beautiful deep red peony that came from my parents garden when they divided it. I had to divide the clump myself a few years ago and my DDs are very pleased to have it growing well in their own gardens.
My sister and I remember our grandma showing us a family Bible when we were girls but when we asked our parents about its whereabouts after she died they never even knew it existed. We'd love to know where it went.

Bijou Mon 03-Jan-22 20:31:15

Photos of my grandparents taken in 1880.
A round mahogany coffee my mother bought when I was a baby in 1923.
My husbands and my Services Pay Books from the war..photos of myself taken in 1924.
An ashtray my father bought in Egypt in 1915.
Wooden toys my husband made in 1946.
My mothers wedding ring.

TheKevin20 Mon 03-Jan-22 21:05:24

My son and his family will have an 18th century tea caddy (maternal great grandmother) 18th century silver cutlery (maternal grandmother) architectural paraphernalia etc (paternal grandfather). When I die, he will have a 18th century nursing chair and a large library of equine and naval history!

Lyndag52 Mon 03-Jan-22 23:42:04

It's of my grandmother's things esp glass ornaments and kitchen utensils cheese graters

Severnside Tue 04-Jan-22 01:26:49

I have a gnarled extending toasting fork which we used to cook lumps of cheese in front of the fire. The cheese often dropped off into the ashes. It always tasted of smoke from the coal.. It’s a wonder we didn’t all get stomach cancer.

Kiwibird Tue 04-Jan-22 03:01:16

I have a small boot strap hook for pulling laces through boot eyelets with a lovely 'mother of pearl' handle. I'd say belonged to my Great Grandmother.

Quichette Tue 04-Jan-22 05:23:17

The oldest thing I have is a walnut commode made in 1601 for my maternal grandmother's family from trees grown on the estate. It weighs a great deal, takes up the bay window in the dining room and is a specialist job to have moved. We also have my Grandfather's Verdun medal and a Napoleonic Moscow medal from an ancestor of my Grandmother. I have paintings by my great-great uncle Simon Bussy, who married Lytton Strachey's sister Dorothy and has work hung in the Tate and National Gallery.

LtEve Tue 04-Jan-22 07:42:31

I have a mahogany corner cupboard dated mid 1700's which comes from my mothers family. It was apparently given to my great great grandma as rent payment by a woman who had left her large house in Pocklington when her husband died and her son took over the Lord of the manor. She ended up penniless and paying for a room in my relatives house near Manchester with pieces of furniture. A rather sad story but a beautiful piece of furniture, I've left it to my daughter in my will.

I also wear my Grandma's wedding ring, I never knew her as she died when my Mum was young but I am named after her so a nice connection.

SachaMac Tue 04-Jan-22 09:15:36

Lots of very old photographs from all branches of the family, a very old Lloyd Loom chair that was my mother in laws, which I’ve renovated, my grandmas wedding ring, an antique brass inlaid rosewood box and two beautiful green stemmed wine glasses. Another little keepsake I have is a Sherwood Foresters brass button from one of my grandmas brothers WW1 uniforms, she lost four of her big brothers in the war and always spoke about them with pride and treasured the button as will I.

JdotJ Tue 04-Jan-22 09:21:04

Medals, presented to my paternal grandmother by the London County Counci for school attendance in and around 1909/1910 with ribbons attached. They are treasured.

Jaibee007 Tue 04-Jan-22 13:11:19

A beautiful and functional wooden work box my dad made for my mum-I still use it every day, holds all my sewing equipment
A Christmas cactus my dad gave me about 30 years ago that flowers spectacularly every spring and Xmas
My dad's field glasses, clunky and heavy but still good for watching the birds in lockdown

sunglow12 Tue 04-Jan-22 17:28:33

My grandfathers football club ( Newcastle) from 1923 that my sister didn’t want as looked black but polished up well , my father in laws old clock from 1927 , my great grandmothers tiny cup and saucer ( she died 1963-aged 93) -not much really