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- Anita Burgh
- I am a writer - late developer since I wasn't published until I was 50. I have now written 23 novels, numerous short stories and articles.
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Sunday, 27 July 2014
Many of the
events of history are nearer than we think.
Take the first World War, it has always been in the background of my
life – stories of relatives who survived and those who didn’t. I’d read the poems and wept over them and Goodbye
to All That – by Roert Graves, a
great book.
I toured the cemeteries of France, my
fascination with the history made more real.
July 1st, 1972 we found ourselves, by accident, having a
picnic on the front line of the Somme offensive but also on the very
anniversary of its start. We all shivered as history clustered around us – the
dawn start, by nightfall 20,000 of our soldiers dead. ‘That’s only 56 years ago.” My eldest son had worked out.
“And Ma, only 21
years before you were born” I told him
no to be ridiculous, he wasn’t it was
true. History is old, history is ages
away, but you know, it’s not!
Between the wars,
in 1922 my father, got talking to an old man outside a pub in Bourton on the
Water. Asked what he did, he replied he
was in the navy. “Then this will
interest you. You see, my father fought
at the Battle of Trafalgar.”
At first my father was cynical but then
working out the dates it became clear that it could be true. Dad was born in 1900 so 95 years separated him
from the battle. The old man was, it
transpired, in his mid-nineties. He
would have been born in approx. 1827 so
his tale was likely to be true. So I
knew a man, who met a man, who was sired by a veteran of Trafalgar.
Now for the story
of the ring. In the late 50s I admired a
ring worn by my husband’s grandmother who was a very imperious woman. The ring was made of two large pearls, one
pink and one black. “Would you like to try it on?” Would I?
“It was Marie Antoinette’s.” she announced as if possessing such an
object was routine. I too was cynical.
“How do you know it was?” In retrospect this was rather rude of me.
“Because when I was a very young gal, I
knew a very old woman whose mother had been lady in waiting to the Queen – it
was a present from her.” This was
accompanied by a withering look of such ferocity that I vowed never to question
anything she said, ever!
I should have asked for her name but
even without I think it is true.
Phyll Burgh was born in 1877 so she was
separated from the Queen’s death by 84 years.
She said she was very young and the gift was from a very old lady -why
didn’t I ask how old they both had been?
If the Queen’s attendant was young did she marry and become a mother
after the execution of Marie Antionette?
If so, it is feasible.
And the ring? Was I left it? Sadly no.
As she grew older she became very vague and no one knows what happened
to it. I just hope that whoever has it
knows its story.
If any of you
have had these brushes with history, please tell us.
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