History

I was watching 'Who Do You Think You Are Tonight'. Not a great episode but I did learn about the Ulster Covenant, signed in 1912 by Ulster Protestants against Home Rule for Ireland. PRONI have digitised the signatures which are available on-line.

Fanny Hyndman was my sons' great great grandmother. She was around 42/46 in 1912 when she gave her declaration that she supported the men who had signed the Ulster Covenant. In 1911 she lodged with her son in law (who gave his mark on the Covenant) aged 23, her daughter also 23 and her young granddaughter. Also lodgers were her father in law aged 76, her 3 daughters and 2 sons aged between 16 and 5 and her son in law's sister aged 17. 11 people aged from 1 to 76 in the one house. Less than 4 years later Isaac Richardson, her son in law, was killed on 1 July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He was 29 and left 4 young daughters, the youngest of whom was less than 6 months old.

The PRONI records show that not all the Covenant signatures were collected in Ulster. Some were signed in Edinburgh, in Greyfriars Kirkyard, echoing the National Covenant.

There was another set of family news today. Paula, my third cousin, had a daughter, Georgia May, in Mercy Hospital, Heidelberg, Victoria, 9.12 BST today. Welcome Georgie.

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