Inherited things

I inherited a lovely gold Waltham fob watch, from my Great Aunt Fan. She had a sister called Poll, and she left her gold watch to my cousin. I occasionally wear the watch on a chain.

Both were maiden aunts, never married, and when Aunt Fan died, most of her belongings ended up in the loft of my Dad's barn. With hindsight, they should have been sorted through properly.

I inherited seven tea sets, five great aunts, one grandmother and one great grandmother , the joy of being the eldest girl in the family. Also grandmothers wedding band

Absolutely nothing, not even something sentimental.

My great-grandmother left me her beautiful caryatids (and a desk, which I no longer have ), and I also have her Victorian silver standard lamp which came via my mother.

when we cleared mum and dad's house after they passed everything was "up for grabs". my brother and i were disappointed to see that several "good" pieces we would have liked had been taken by my sister without any consultation.

my brother and i consulted with my sister about everything we eventually had but because of my sister's attitude [and that of her husband] i haven't spoken to her since - almost 10 years now!!

however we did decide that the gifts we had bought for them should go back to the donor [bad time getting one of them back from my sister as she'd appropriated that but i wanted it back!!] and i had lots of lovely things.

my sister asked if i wanted some towels [mum had loads of lovely fluffy towels so i said yes]. when i got to see what had been left for me they were all without exception worn out and holey!! i left them behind!!

one lovely thing i had was a diamond ring. however, although it upset me tremendously, i had to sell this a few years ago as i had written off my car and desperately needed another one as i am disabled and rely on a car to get out and about [at the time i couldn't get a motability car as i couldn't manage without my dla coming in].

As an only child, married to an only child, I inherited everything from my DM, and all the 'girly' things from my DMiL.
I have an abundance of tea/coffee sets; dinner services; lead crystal bowls, vases and dishes; and a lot of good jewellery. My MiL got a new engagement ring 3 years before she died, it's from Tiffany's and is beautiful. I occasionally wear it on my right hand, as even though it's a stunner, I wear my own engagement ring all the time.
After my mum died and I was sorting through her wardrobes, at the very back of a top shelf I found a Cuban cigar, still fully wrapped. It was one of my dad's, he'd died 22 years previously and I wept buckets when I found it! It's now in a Whitefriars vase in a mahogany display cabinet, both inherited from mum, there's no way I can ever part with it.
I also have my grandad's medals, 'dog tags', and his 'oak leaf cluster' and the letter announcing his award. They mean a lot as Grandy and I were very close.

I have a huge number of photos, and artefacts that have been handed down - my problem is what to keep and what to pass on to others or charity shop. I don't want to regret parting with things but I can't keep everything especially if we ever down size.

My cast iron girdle....no, not what keeps you in shape but what South of the border you call a griddle. Still makes the most fantastic scones, pancakes and oatcakes, even tho' it's about 120 years old.

My mother collected pig ornaments. She had hundreds! I chose a nice blue, piggy bank. My dad collected accordions! We sold them and kept photos of him playing them. Sadly, inheritance can cause bad feeling amongst siblings. I've been amazed at the jealousy and resentment that's been expressed by one of my sister's since my dad died. It's shocking and very sad. Also, from a practical point of view, we've inherited a house that no one wants to buy ?.

A small coffee/side table made as a wedding present for my parents by my grandfather, two inexpensive rings from mum and one from a great aunt I never knew. Glass galore.

Like Maggiemaybe my mum gave away my first edition Enid Blytons to the child over the road.

My Dad, who had PD was unable to lift his arm to look at his watch, so we spent £10 on a watch which spoke the time if you pressed a button. DH and I spent a whole night at his bedside in the nursing home as death was imminent. Things were sad and tense. At 7.00 a tinny, Japanese voice said suddenly "time to get up". It made us laugh. That was the only thing that I wanted.

I have my Gran's wedding ring which I wear on my right hand, it was made in 1922 and is very special to me.

I kept a lot of furniture which we very much appreciated when we were hard up. Over the years some have been replaced and during the massive clear out prior to downsizing I got rid of a lot of bits and bobs. I kept token pieces, but my most important inheritance has been the unconditional love my grandparents gave me during a difficult childhood.

I inherited an old iron shoe last which my grandfather (a tailor, not a cobbler!) used to mend the family shoes 1930's/1940's...now used at a door stop and a few hot water stone pigs. I remember my grandmother putting one of these in my bed wrapped in an old towel. Suggestions on what I could do with these would be welcome...artistic not rude please!

I have inherited a beautiful grandfather clock. It has been passed down through the female line. It was originally made in Wales as a wedding present. The couple went on to have four children, then the father was lost at sea. His widow began a baking business, selling her wares from door to door. That's how she supported her family. She never wanted to sell her clock and I'm so glad to have it.

A truly ghastly masonic ring from my FIL - finger down throat icon!

Oh dear I really shouldn't be reading this thread. As an only child and daughter of an only child I have inherited lots of pieces of furniture and ornaments from wAy back in the family, not valuable but things I've always had around me.
Trouble is now I'm on the verge of downsizing to a tiny two bedroomed home and the auctioneers and charities are poised to come in and I can't make decisions about what has to go. Reading all your posts makes me realise how much I love these old things and what a hoarder I am!

I had a very kind and caring friend, who, whilst at a Jumble Sale many years ago, bought an old Edwardian studio photograph of a Lady posing in her Sunday best.
It was the only photograph on the table.
She bought it because she could not bear the thought that this Lady, whoever she was had either been forgotten by her modern day family, or had no family left to keep her memory alive.
I guess you could say that my Friend 'adopted' her into her own Family.
How kind and thoughtful was that

How lovely, someone said (can't find post now!) that they inherited love?
Sad to hear of family disputes too. When my MIL died her will revealed she left everything to her youngest (of 6!) daughter. I think she might have made said will when youngest daughter was the only one not in her own home. At the time of MIL's death, said daughter had been married and comfortably off for several years. Even if the will had been challenged it still leaves a bitter taste that MIL favoured one child over the others which had always appeared to be the case Three sisters have always been trouble makers inc the one who inherited. One other sister has hit on hard times and feels so downhearted about the matter. Families eh?

When my mother in law died my husband brought most of her possessions back to our house. I loved MiL but she had nothing which would have even sold in a jumble sale. Woolworth's ornaments, crocheted doilies, her 1940s Hoover and an ancient twin-tub washing machine "to keep as a spare" my husband said. My sister told me to get rid of it immediately or I'd never get a new one. Words of wisdom.

I have a tea set, inherited from my grandmother. It has been used only three times, at the weddings of her three sons. It is currently in a strong wooden box in the loft. I have never used it. It will be passed on to my DD.

I too have a utility dressing table in the hall which is so useful and looks good. My mother hated it in later years and wanted white mdf furniture in her bedroom which she never got. I also have a large meat dish which was my Grandmother's and she was married around 1900. I use it most Sundays for roast meat.

2 very pretty tea sets from my mum and an aunt of my husband's
An old flat iron (used as a door stop)
Various bits of jewellry,including mum's wedding and engagement rings
My great grandmothers christening jug (it has her name and the date on it)
Old family photos
brass jam pan
2 inlaid wooden boxes that were travelling writing desks I think
A very pretty plate covered in strawberries (MIL thought it was valuable. It isnt)
A pink glass elephant from a now dead neighbour(I love elephants)
The family bible
3 huge meat plates (I use for parties)
My dad's watch (my brother had it but he died recently and SIL has insisted I have it )
Dads walking stick

I have a daguerreotype, but I do not know of whom.
It cannot be the person my mother said it was, as she was too young when they were made. I have a choice of two women, but cannot find anyone else who has a photo of either of them. It's a puzzle.
I also have a Wedgewood vase which is dated five days before my mother was born.

J52, my gran had a complete set of Dickens. They had to go when she gave up being a headmistress, so had to give up the schoolhouse, and library, where they lived. I would love to have them now.
I have her birthday book, with weddings and funerals listed as well, the ideal start to family research.
Something else that's really poignant is my mother's autograph book from the war, all the airmen and soldiers who used to go to the schoolhouse, as my grandmother had a piano and they used to have singsongs. That's how my parents met.

I have a huge mixing bowl - terra cotta outside and glazed cream inside which belonged to my great gran, gran, Mum (born 1894). It comes down every year for making the Christmas puddings - the recipe similarly handed down. My seven year old granddaughter does all the mixing now, under my supervision. Puds are then boiled for hours and hours ! in the black steel, oval shaped, lidded pan - the bowl's partner. My daughter knows they will all be hers eventually and surprising for her generation is quite happy about it.