The Journey Home, Windsor Castle and Harry Potter

 

Dear Family and Friends,

We had an interesting journey home from church last Sunday. Actually church was interesting. The Sacrament Meeting was great. I love the English speakers- they sound so articulate and elegant.  We always race out at 1:00 right after the meetings so we can catch the bus. If we miss the first bus we have to wait an additional half hour. So we rushed out and start waiting. We could see the black clouds rolling in and then it started to rain- HARD. We stood there for 40 minutes waiting for bus 234. My long black skirt was soaked through and I had pools of water in my shoes. Water was inside my umbrella dripping on my hair. I should have taken a picture of poor Ken huddled under his umbrella in his wet suit. We were so cold. Finally the bus came. It's a pretty long ride through the city to the East Finchley tube station and we were about half way there and the bus driver announced, “this bus terminates here". I don't like those words. So we had to get out and wait again. Finally another bus came, then we did 2 tube rides, another bus ride and finally got home about an hour and 15 minutes later than we normally do. I always say we we get home, “it's good to be home(kind of)”. I always say kind of because we're not really home.

 

Windsor Castle

 

Since we worked last Saturday, we had our P-day on Monday and took the train to Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror and is one of the official residences of Queen Elizabeth II. When the Queen is in residence, her royal standard flies above the Round Tower.When she is not in residence the Union jack is flown. She was in residence the day we were there.

 

  

A little history:

Windsor Castle is mentioned in the King Arthur legend as the site of an old Celtic camp where King Arthur once lived. In the dark ages, the Saxon Kings established a manor and held court at Old Windsor. Edward the Confessor and King Harold also held court at Windsor. The Battle of Hastings in 1066, marked the end of the Saxon Kings of England and the beginning of the Norman period. Duke William of Normandy was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey. He immediately began to build a series of 9 castles around London, Windsor being the first. New Windsor is 100 feet above the River Thames and was a day’s march from the Tower of London. It was intended to guard the western approach to London.

Ten monarchs are buried in the St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

 

Edward IV

 

Henry VIII with his favorite wife Jane Seymour

 

Charles I

 

George V and Queen Mary

 

Princess Margaret

 

Some interesting facts about Windsor Castle:

When the Bubonic Plague broke out in London in 1563, Queen Elizabeth I moved her court to Windsor and hanged anyone who came from London.

 

Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert died of typhoid at Windsor.

 

In 1917, the British Royal Family decided to change their Germanic dynasty name, House of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, to the House of Windsor.

 

During World War II, Windsor Castle was the home of the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.

 

Today Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family regard Windsor Castle as their home.

 

 

Harry Potter

Our grandchildren, and Grandma, were very excited about the premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. I wrote an email to our grandchildren and included some pictures that were taken when the film premiered in London. Here’s one of the pictures I found. I love the British ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ slogan  and thought this a clever twist.

Here are some of our Harry Potter admirers:

 

Many of the London double decker buses have ads for the movie.

Senior missionaries can go to movies and since I won’t be able to see the movie at home with our grandchildren, Ken has promised me that he will take me to see Harry Potter in London. That will be an interesting experience for someone who hasn’t been to a movie in years and doesn’t even know the difference between a muggle and a wizard!

 

Family History Centre News

We have some news about what will possibly happen to our Family History Centre when the Hyde Park building closes on the first of September. We thought we were going to have to close for 6 months during the refurbishing but we are in discussion to have a temporary home at the UK National Archives at Kew. Kew is a lovely town south of the River Thames and the National Archives sits right on the river.

 

Friday evening the Crandalls, Robertsons and Fugals fixed dinner for the Hyde Park Elders and Sisters at the Robertson’s flat.

Elders De Olivera and Silva (Brazil), Elder Connell (South Carolina), Elder Scruggs (Salt Lake City, Utah), Elder Healey (Lehi, Utah), Sister Johnson (Ohio) and Sister Santos (Portugal). Elders, Healey, Scruggs and Connell are the mission AP’s (assistants to the president). These young people are so outstanding. I’ve said before that one of the highlights of our mission is to be associated with them.  

 

Our love to all!
Love, Elder and Sister Fugal (aka Cheryl and Ken, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa)

The 4th of July in the UK, Family History and Transportation

 

 

Dear Family and Friends,

Last year on the 4th of July our family had a picnic and went swimming at Scera Park. Later that day we went out to eat. It was a typical hot Utah County 4th of July . This year was unusual. We are in a country where the 4th is just another work day but it turned out to be an American holiday we will always remember. Of course, it’s not a holiday here in England but we did have a few of our British patrons mention it to us. Because the 4th was on a Monday and every other Monday the senior missionaries get together for Family Home Evening, we decided to have a barbecue at our flat. We have a grill and a back garden and the weather was fabulous- sunny in the low 70’s.

 

 

 

 

 

The Fugals, Crandalls, Robertsons, Sprouses and Sisters Dewsnup and Groves celebrate the holiday.

 

After everyone had gone home and we had cleaned up, I got on the computer and noticed an email from the Sunset 2nd Ward Newsletter. It had a link to a presentation by the scouts in our Orem ward that is done every 4th of July. We watched the video of the scouts, including 2 of our grandsons, presenting each flag that had flown over our country. Two of those flags we now have in our flat representing Great Britain and England. The presentation was very touching and helped to make our 4th of July in England a very special one.

 

As missionaries in the Family History Centre one of our assignments is to make time to work on our own family history. I had recently been thinking about a family I have been researching for many years, my great grandfather and grandmother. Frank Henry Yartz and Eva Ruppert had come from Germany to the United States in the latter part of the 19^th century. They both lived for a time in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, where they met, married and moved to Erie, Pennsylvania to raise their family of 3 boys and 2 girls. Henrietta Eva Yartz, the youngest daughter, was my Grandmother. She was a funny vibrant personality who survived 3 husbands and had one son, my father Herbert.

  Frank Henry and Eva Yartz            Henrietta Eva Yartz

It’s interesting that sometimes you just can’t stop thinking about a family you are researching. I was discouraged because I had made so little progress finding the marriage certificate for Frank Henry and Eva. My grandmother Henrietta had given me the marriage date years ago so I knew when and where the marriage took place but if I could find the certificate I could possible find the names of their parents. I had been searching for this for over 30 years. In passing, I expressed my frustration to Barbara Robertson and she said that she knew of a marriage index for Germans in Brooklyn during the time period I was looking for. We tried the groom’s index for Frank Henry Yartz- no results. Then we tried the bride’s index for Eva Ruppert. There were results! The index shows that she married Franz H Jartz on the exact date my grandmother had given me. The name was Jartz on the certificate. Now I know the film number we can find the certificate. One thing I am learning about family history- you never give up and sometimes things happen in ways you don’t expect. I guess I had to come all the way to London to find the marriage certificate for my great grandparents who were married in  Brooklyn, New York.

Public transportation in London is amazing. One of the benefits in the UK of being over 60 years old and paying a council tax is that you get  public transportation without an additional charge. So we have a pass called the Freedom Pass that enables us to ride on the buses and underground with no charge. Since it’s very costly to keep a car in London and parking is hard to find, the majority of people rely on public transportation. Children take the bus to school, young mothers bring their baby carriages on the bus and the buses make it possible for a lot of elderly people to be able to get around. To go to the grocery you bring along your trolley on the bus or the tube.

Last Saturday Ken and I wanted to go to a larger grocery so we took bus 328 to Earls Court Station and then the tube to Gloucester Station where there is a large Waitrose grocery. We had our trolley that the Prices gave us before they left to go home from their mission. The store is very nice with so many good things to eat and large grocery carts and we got carried away. As we walked away with a very full trolley and another large grocery bag, Ken said I don’t know how I’m going to get this thing down the steps to get on the tube. I made an executive decision and said we’re taking a cab. So we walked out on to Gloucester Road and flagged a cab. The black cabs are all over the city. It was worth the 8 pounds.

Bus stops are everywhere but tube stations are more spaced out. The tube is where you head if you want to avoid the London traffic which can sometimes be very slow. There are 12 different tube lines in London. When we go to the Centre every morning we take bus 14 or 414 to South Kensington Station and then walk the rest of the way. We can go into the tube station and walk in the tunnel that runs under Exhibition Road or just walk above ground. The tunnel is interesting because there are usually musicians playing their instruments or singing. Some of them are quite good.

 

 

When there’s a choice Ken likes going on the tube.  

I prefer riding on the bus, even with the traffic. I like to see the sights and the people. From the upper deck of the double deckers I took these pictures- even one of Ken and I.

 

 

On a couple of bus routes there are some older types of buses for the tourists.

And so ends another week.  Ken has been battling food poisoning for the past few days but is on the mend. We are staying at home this weekend so he can get back on his feet.

Our best to everyone. We do so appreciate the sweet emails and words of encouragement we are receiving from home. We also want our children and grandchildren to know how much the messages from our wicker basket mean to us. Kelly said in one to me, “I remember a snow storm we had in Indiana. We were outside sledding and you were inside making fudge. I thought, it doesn’t get better than this.”

We love you family and friends!

Elder and Sister Fugal (aka Cheryl and Ken, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa)

Charlotte Bronte, Sherlock Holmes and other Musings

Dear Family and Friends,
Ken and I are preparing a power point presentation, Comparing Online British Censuses, to present July 26th. The British census was taken every ten years starting in 1801, with the exception of 1941 during World War II. Since the 1801-1831 censuses no longer exist, the only ones of value to those searching their family history date from 1841. I decided to use Charlotte Bronte as the person I was searching for in 1851. I found Charlotte living with her father, Patrick, in Haworth, Yorkshire in 1851. He was born in Ireland.

This image, of the original census document, shows Charlotte and her father, whose occupation is ‘Incumbent or Perpetual Curate of Haworth, Bedford, Yorks’. Charlotte is shown as having no occupation. A friend of Charlotte’s, Ellen Nussey, is visiting and there are 2 servants in the household.
As I started finding records for Charlotte, I became curious about her life and started digging a little deeper. I found her marriage registration in the second quarter of 1854 to Arthur Bell Nicholls, her Father’s curate, and her death registration as Charlotte Nicholls in the second quarter of 1855. She died carrying a child at the age of 38.

In the 1861 census you find Patrick, age 84, living with his son-in-law, Arthur B. Nicholls, and 2 servants. They are both widowers.

As we do this work and search out these people they become very real to us. The records tell their stories or at least part of their stories. The gaps just encourage us to dig deeper and find out more about these people who lived before us. It makes it even more emotional when you are searching our your own family.
 
One more word on the census. Since we are living in England during a census year, we had the opportunity to fill out the 2011 English census. Maybe a hundred years from now, someone will notice Ken and Cheryl Fugal, Americans, living on Fernshaw Road and wonder what they were doing in England.
 
 
Ken and I have always enjoyed stories about Sherlock Holmes and his associate and chronicler, Dr. Watson, so on our P-day a couple of weeks ago we took the tube to Baker Street Station and walked around the corner to 221B Baker Street.
 

 

 



Very fun stuff!

I was sitting in church at the North London Ward two weeks ago and  before church started a young man came and sat down next to me. I introduced myself and asked him if he was a member of the ward. He said his name was Chris Bishop and that he was from the United States. I asked where in the states and he started to explain that he was from a town not far from Chicago, called Elkhart. I was surprised and so was he when I told him that we had lived in Elkhart for 28 years and raised all of our children there! Chris just graduated from Concord High School and had attended Westside Middle School where I taught for 8 years. We had such a good time talking about all the people from Elkhart that we all knew. Chris was in England for a couple of weeks visiting his father, who is English. He asked me if I knew his seminary teacher, Vicki Gibson. He said that she had picked him up for early morning seminary every day. I told Chris that I had been Vicki’s seminary teacher and had picked her up for seminary every day.

We can tell that Chris is a outstanding young man and we were so pleased to be able to talk with him and reminisce about old friends.

Having a couple of free hours one day before we needed to be back at the Centre, we decided to take a bus over to Westminster and see Parliament and Big Ben up close.





We realized that the line was short and Parliament was in session and decided to go in and take a look. It was very interesting. We had to go through security much like an airport. They took our pictures and put them on lanyards that we had to wear. We were able to watch part of a session of the House of Commons. No pictures were allowed but I found this image online. We were in the upper gallery looking down on the proceedings. They were debating a law concerning circus animals. There was a lot of humor that we just didn’t understand but they did seem to be having a good time.

We learned that Parliament and government work together to form laws here in the UK. The government or Executive, develops and implements policy and drafts laws.Parliament is the legislative branch of the government and it examines and approves new laws and checks the work of government. The Parliament itself has three parts- the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Crown. In the House of Commons there are more than 600 elected Members of Parliament (MPs). Each MP represents a particular area of the UK. Most of the MPs declare allegiance to a particular party and the leader of the party with the most MPs is asked by the Queen to become the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister forms the government to manage the country.

On our last P-day we went to the Temple. We usually have to take the train but it was a Temple day for our ward and one of the members kindly picked us up at our door. We haven’t been in a car for months and it was fun to ride through south London and into the countryside. The Temple is beautiful and in a very peaceful setting in Surrey about an hour from London. It’s out of of our mission boundaries but we have permission to go once a quarter.





We wish a very happy birthday to two of our grandsons who both celebrate their birthdays July 7! What fine young men. We are so proud of you guys!

Happy 12th Bryan!                 Happy 5th Ryan!

Our going home count down is now under the year mark so we have been in London for over 6 months. The time has gone quickly. We have learned so much about family history and have met so many wonderful people. We feel that this mission is a  blessing to us and to our sweet family back home. We are glad we came.
Our love to all of you!
Love, Elder and Sister Fugal (aka Cheryl and Ken, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa)