One of the highlights of summer 2014 for me was the discovery of a whole ‘lost’ branch of our family and facilitating a wonderful reunion party.
Alex Bern meet… Alex Bern
Rewinding to my blog earlier this year about discovering Moses Geldard in an East Marton graveyard on my 50th birthday, you may remember that I was excited that Alvin Hickling of http://www.discoveryourroots.co.uk/ had uncovered my hitherto unknown Yorkshire roots while researching my family tree.
During the course of his work he had also found someone called John Bern who had posted on a Great War forum asking about his great grandfather Alexander Jarvis Bern in the Black Watch regiment. My Mum’s maiden name is Bern, and her grandfather was Alexander Jarvis Bern. Such an unusual name couldn’t possibly be a coincidence, this had to be MY great grandfather too that John was researching. The post was a couple of years old, so not holding out much hope, I posted a reply explaining that we must be related and leaving my contact details for John to get in touch. Nothing. Until six months later, an email arrived out of the blue when John happened to revisit the forum and found my reply.
Between us we pieced it together. His parents and my parents hazily remembered each other as children. A volley of emails ensued as both sets of aging parents (his grappling with the technology for the first time) rediscovered their family connection. John’s Dad’s name is Alex Bern.
I hatched a cunning plan; a family reunion at our house in Grassington for the two Alex Berns to meet again for the first time in about 60 years.
Sadly John was unable to make it, but his Dad, (Alex) and Mum (Anne) travelled up by train from their home in Swansea. Mark and I had a lovely, but quick, meal with them at our local hostelry http://www.forestersarmsgrassington.co.uk/ before having to dash off to a rehearsal.
Meanwhile the Australian contingent rocked up at my parents in Silsden.
The following afternoon, at the end of July, everyone duly landed at ours, including my Aunty Ella who came down from Richmond. As the man who had made it all possible, Alvin the genealogist was invited as an honorary guest, travelling up from Sheffield with his wife, Linda.
My son Dan brought along his girlfriend Emma for everyone to meet for the first time, and Mark’s parents came along for the fun armed with baking for the buffet and copious amounts of alcohol.
It was a magical, memorable day. Everyone got along like a house on fire and the atmosphere of celebration was amazing. Having started in the afternoon as a garden party, and given that several of the guests were in their dotage, I’d imagined an early finish, but it was a delight to be waving them off not far short of midnight following 7 hours of laughter, singing, memories and discoveries.
Needless to say, we are all still in touch. Plans are afoot for travelling to France next year to commemorate the centenary of the death of our common ancestor Alexander Jarvis Bern who gave his life at the battle of Aubers Ridge in a pointless, nil gain campaign near Arras on 9th May, 1915.
And still the story unfolds more. Just a few weeks ago an email came out of the blue from a Jeni Bern who had been researching her family roots. She said “forgive the unsolicited email, however, I found your email address on a forum regarding the ancestry of Alexander Bern, WW1 Black Watch. I have been researching him recently because I wondered if he was an ancestor of mine and I wanted to see if we had any family member to commemorate for the centenary of the Great War. He is the only Bern listed that I could find who was killed and since it is not a common surname, I felt he must be related. As it turns out, I believe we are, through my great great grandfather George Gray Bern (b1824). He had an older brother Alexander (b1820), who’s son(1851) also Alexander produced our Alexander Bern b 1881-1915.”
Confused? Well yes, I know, it’s difficult to follow. Jeni has done extensive research and has a theory that the family name may have evolved into Bern from Bearn and that they may have been immigrant weavers from Gascony who settled in Scotland. Certainly our ancestors worked in the mills of Brechin. There is a lot more work to be done to follow the threads (I can never resist a pun) and we look forward to hearing more from Jeni. The photos we have shared of our respective children show a striking family resemblance which amazed us all. Hopefully we will get to meet when she is singing in Leeds next. More resonances from previous blogposts; like my Godmother who featured in a previous piece, Jeni is a professional opera singer. It transpires my parents have even seen her perform without even realising she is related!
No doubt I shall be posting on this theme again; watch this space, as they say!