I mentioned in a previous post that I had a wonderful day with my cousins, talking about our family and looking at old photos.
Our great-grandparents have a fascinating story to tell; they came from different worlds, completely different worlds. He was a wealthy Jewish trader and stock-broker, she was from a family who had a basket making business (baskets were much more important than they are today; this was the 1880’s before plastic was invented and light-weight alloys!) He was born in Tasmania and did not come to England until he was in his thirties, she was born in a small Northampton village in a typical rising middle-class English family.
How did they meet? We have no idea? She was never recognized by his family as she was a Gentile, and was cut-off from her own family only keeping in touch with one sister. They had five children, four boys and a girl before he died just before his fiftieth birthday, leaving her with their young family.
I write from my imagination, but to tell their story I must put my own thoughts and ideas aside… but there are so many unknowns… I will tell their story one day, but as yet I don’t know how!
Lois Elsden 
Discrimination of this kind was the norm in the 19th century. One of my relations was the son of a respectable police officer but was “Cut off” when he fell in love and married a woman “Below is station!”
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I always joke (most truth is said in jest) that my Moore family always married up. I know I certainly did. That said families can make it very difficult on the couple who marry like this. They must have been very much in love and strong in their convictions.
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Yes… especially in those days. I think my great-grandmother suffered more because she was isolated from her own family and not recognized by his; he continued to have close connections with his mother and brothers, until he died so relatively young.
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