Inherited things

I have inherited a pair of brass candlesticks which belonged to my great-grandparents. They have no monetary value but my GGPs used them to hold candles as they had no electricity. I like to think of that.

What I should have inherited are the first edition Richmal Compton William books bought as they were published for my dad - guess what his name was?! Sadly they will have been inherited by whoever snapped them up at the jumble sale my tidy-minded DM sent them to when I was 12 because "you've already read them".

I have a variety of family heirlooms – treasures to me, but not of immense value financially. With my mother's blessing, we used my grandmother's wedding ring for my second marriage and I have some other rings and various pieces of jewellery from family members. I also have a Vienna clock that I think was a wedding present to my grandparents in the late 19th century, as well as some family silver.

The clock was stuffed in the back of a cupboard in my aunt's bedroom and didn't work. Mr absent spent a lot of time cleaning it and mending it and I spent a lot of time lovingly polishing the case with beeswax. Unfortunately we can't hang it on the wall where we are currently living as it is a rented house and we are not allowed to put screws into the wall. I just hope it is still working when it eventually comes out of storage. Absentdaughter hates it because of the chimes. Tough!

I have a Georgian mahogany chest of drawers, far too big for my small house, but I couldn't part with a piece that has been passed down for a good 200 years and there's a walnut card table that came from my grandparents' house by way of my parents. I wear my granny's engagement ring which has the date of May 1904 inside. I also value the Mouseman stools and cheeseboard my parents bought about 40 years ago.

Every day I clean my nails out with my Mum's nail clippers? It's about all she had really. I make a special effort when flying to put them in my case-I would be upset if they were confiscated.
When our DM died my sister and I did the clearing out and I was so anxious it would all go well. A wise friend said to me is there any one thing you would like above all else-yes, our Dad's war medals. So dear sister and I stood shoulder to shoulder sorting through everything very smoothly. We came to the medals and she said straight away these are yours-they always have been. She was sure and I was so at peace then-such a wise friend, don't we need them?
We agreed to take back the gifts we had bought her too.

I have got my grandparents' Arts and Crafts sideboard which I have always liked (Funnily enough DS has got his grandparents' Utility sideboard which he is very fond of for some reason) I've also got a big copper pot - jardiniere? from my grandparents. It's Newlyn copper covered in weird birds and plants - I love it! And I always wear my mother's sapphire and diamond eternity ring.

I have my Grandmothers leather 3 piece suite , had it recovered in new leather 20 years ago , still comfortable

thanks for sharing such lovely gifts and memories

I have my grandmother's pink gold watch, given to me by my mother when I was 16. I used to wear it always, but it stopped working somewhere in my late 30's. I was absolutely delighted when my DH had it cleaned, repaired and restored for my 50th birthday. Sadly, though several years later parts of the gold case became so thin that a couple of almost invisible holes appeared, which let in damp and the poor old watch once again gave up the ghost. I still treasure it though.
My DH has his DF's gold pocket watch that he wore for his wedding in 1937, and also the two long service gold watches that were awarded to his DF and DM who both worked for the same company in London virtually all their working lives.
My DH has also inherited his DF's hair loss pattern, which he has in turn passed onto our DS (ungratefully received by him )

I inherited from my granny Gog and Magog. Two Staffordshire green and white Wally dogs.
They belonged to her granny who I presume bought them new.
Granny must have been born about 1900.
I've seen them in other colours but never green and white.

I inhereted my Granny's completed set of Dickens. They were awarded to her in 1912 for being the best Latin student in her year. The following year she was the best Latin, French and English student and received the same collection, but bound in Leather. They went to an Aunt.
It was interesting that she stayed in the same small town for all her life, becoming a local primary teacher and raising 4 children.

x

When I got married I had my old granny's wedding ring. She had a good marrige, so do I. Will pass it on to gd.

I inherited a tea set and an oak tea trolley from an aunt. On first using the tea set two of the cups leaked through cracks and the 'oak' trolley most certainly is not oak !!

Apart from said trifle dish, a brown Denby coffee pot, a side table with barley twist legs and my father's war medals, not a lot - oh, and my mother's famous Irish temper !

I inherited my Mother's Mother's Edwardian, diamond-chipped engagement ring and my Mother's modern white gold aquamarine and diamond ring. In monetary terms one is worth very little, the other quite a lot but to me they are, in sentimental terms, invaluable.

I have my grans brass warming pan , my Mum had it in the hall and she used to clean it till it shone, sadly I'm not so diligent and it hanging in my garden shed in need of a damn good clean.
We have a family bible which my sister used to update and take care of its over 150 yrs old, sadly she died last year and somehow one of my nieces took on the job which I was mad about as I thought it should of been put into the care of the oldest sister and then passed down to her daughter.

Ah yes of course, clocks. My dad's family's original Neuchâtel clock made by a very famous maker dating 1750s ish- and my grans 19C reproduction Neuchâtel clock- a bit smaller and the only pink (antique dusk pink so OK) thing I've got in the house.

Your DH might be interested in something else I inherited from mum's mum - her beautifully made 1930s (?) upper set of false teeth, set on a thick plate of 22c gold - in a lovely box. Keep meaning to have ti melted and made into earrings - or wondering if it would be of interest to a dentistry Museum?

Sadly, nothing at all. My sister is the eldest and inherited the lustre jug set which is passed down to eldest girl of each generation.

My granny's grandfather clock, MiL diamond and sapphire engagement ring, Auntie Florrie's diamond ring and bracelet. Lots of beautifully embroidered table linen done by both my Nan and my Mil. Small pieces of silver, china and cut glass (none of it complete sets!) from various places.

Best of all a Birthday Book which has been in use in DH's family since the early 1800 and is full of interesting dates and notes.

Oh, and an extra wedding ring made from the first two well-worn ones of my DM. She was buried with the most recent one, which was very new.

Not enough, sadly - over-enthusiastic minimalists and the odd grasping relative (think the Steptoe family funeral episode where Albert left with an heirloom under his hat) put paid to that But I am currently wearing a silver necklace I had made from a pocket watch chain that belonged to my Great Grandmother. I love it. My son has the watch.

I also have inherited a copper jam pan and it sits on my hearth with a dried flower arrangement in it.

Many things, I am lucky to say. I have a massive thick copper jam pan with a huge wooden laddle I love- and also many lovely pieces of furniture, from my grand-parents.

Whoops! meant pan is very old not my lovely gran