A fair number of Chinese antiques from a great uncle. I just thought he liked Chinese art, My uncle had many of these pieces in his home, that had belonged to his father. Years later I discovered in an old newspaper article about his death, that they were gifts to him by the Chinese community in Washington D.C. In the late 1800s he had an office near Chinatown, where he worked for the railroad. He often helped newly arrived Chinese people with paperwork and such if they came to his office. This had nothing to do with his job. On Chinese holidays the community would give him gifts in thanksgiving for his kindness. It made me treasure the pieces even more, and I have passed some to my children along with the story of their great-great uncle.
I have a Monopoly set that belonged to my grandfather. Much loved and well used, the board is separate from the (very compact) box with the pieces, reputedly because paper and card were still very expensive in the immediate post-war period when it was purchased.
I, and all the rest of my family, have inherited a Big Nose. My Grandad was one of seven children and they all had the same conk.
I have inherited my father’s aquiline nose, which my aunts and my cousin had too. Three of my children have it, which is ok for the boys but less so for the girls.
We also have odd shaped feet which are hard to describe. The girls don’t thank me, as it restricts the shoes available.
I have my mother’s looks with my father’s darker skin; my mother’s facility with words with my father’s voice; my mother’s love of adventure with my father’s sense of humour.
Also various belongings which came from departed family, and which I love having around to help me feel connected.
I seem to have inherited all the stories the older generations of my family had to tell. As the oldest child/grandchild, and naturally a questioner/listener, I have a raft of family stories that my brother and cousins have never heard! When my 99 year old aunt dies these stories will be down to me to pass on. Big responsibility!!
A bride chest reputedly originally made for a 16th century ancestress who never married - it has her initials carved into the front. Some years ago the wood was tested by a dendocrinologist and the timeline is plausible, plus the lid appears to be a pew front, presumably from a dissolved religious house.
Never mind all that, it is incredibly useful, serving as the storage place for all the Christmas decorations.
I've inherited all the family recipes, being the only grandchild willing to learn how to make them (they go back four generations or more). We found they were very popular when we hosted a Lenten dinner this year--and easy to make. So that's our new go-to menu for large events.
I’ve inherited my father’s eyebrows and bent fingers. I’ve inherited or adopted many of my parents’ values, their frugality, their resilience. And a few pieces of jewellery, plus a barometer with an interesting inscription, dating back to their marriage in 1939, when my mother was obliged to leave the Salvation Army as Dad wasn’t a member.
Artefacts I have inherited are a child's size amethyst ring from some Canadian relatives of my mother, the children of her aunt who was sent off to Canada by Barnardo's as a child.
Also two antique dolls, not in very good repair, one originally belonging to my aunt who was given it as a gift in 1917, when my mother was born,and the other was my mothers own doll, probably dating from about 1920.
Oh, and two coverless volumes of Strand Magazine, from 1890something, which I have loved since I was a child, especially the Sherlock Holmes stories, so to some extent I inherited my love of detective stories from them.
I can see traits inherited from my father - oddly I brush my hair the way he used to, and I think my nose and eyebrows came from him. Unfortunately I have inherited his selfishness, although being aware of it I hope I confine it to more trivial things and try to keep it under control.
I also seem to have have inherited my mother's feelings of not being 'good enough' although that may not be genetic as my brother thinks it was instilled in to me, and looking back I can see that is likely.
I also understand that I inherited Great-Uncle Charlie's weight problem, but I have no recollection of G-U Charlie, so cannot confirm.
I inherited my father's love of mechanical clocks...and inherited 6 of his clocks (I let my brothers get some of the other clocks).
I also have a ring from my maternal grandfather. It's simple design and amethyst stone gets a lot of notice.
My mother collected bread plates. Again, my brothers and I shared them, although I ended up with a bunch...and then when my nieces got married I made them a gift of some of their grandmother's bread plates.
Well, in literal terms, Mum and Dad's house, which we are now happily living in, but also their china, glass and books which are proving difficult to winnow down to the things we actually want to keep!
I think I've inherited Mum's bizarre observations such as "It's been a good journey, all the traffic has either been going our way or coming in the other direction".
Also two antique dolls, not in very good repair, one originally belonging to my aunt who was given it as a gift in 1917, when my mother was born,and the other was my mothers own doll, probably dating from about 1920.
I rescued 'Rosie', a very deformed rag doll about 18" tall when my Mum died a few years ago. She was just about the only 'thing' my Mum cared very much about. She's a bit frightening but you kind-of get used to her, though her head is threatening to fall off. Mum would probably have made a joke about that. I think Mum had her from birth in '33, and knowing their life she would not have been new then. At the moment she lives on a pile of spare tent bits in my room, because I don't know where else to put her, and 'Ee-he' (a small panda who was mine) sits on her lap. Ee-he is oddly flat because I used to jam him under my right arm - I did that to age 7 or 8, odd child that I was. Dad told me quite recently that his Mum made him burn his teddy bear. FFS, I'd rather be this kind of odd.
I have the ship in a bottle that my father gave to my mother when they were courting in 1939. I was named after the name on the small pennant on the mainmast, not noticed by them until I was actually soon to be born.
Disconcerted when a cousin posted a photo of our great grandmother - same broad face and slightly asymmetrical mouth. Given her likely age then, and mine now, stick me in bombazine and a bonnet, and I could pass.
I inherited my grandad's silver cigarette case, and a miniature boxed set of Shakespeare, which he had started to annotate. He bought it, and a miniature chess set, to put in his kitbag when he joined up for the Second World War. Alas, he didn't survive very long.
When we were kids, my sister and I played with the chess set until most of the pieces were lost. The box of the Shakespeare set is falling apart, but the books are still in good condition.
I also have a blue glass and silver metal sugar bowl that my gran used to keep in a glass fronted cabinet with all her other treasures.
My dad left me an unfinished pre-war car restoration project. To begin with I thought I was lucky but now, several years later, it has had more spent on it than it would now be worth on the market and the engine still doesn't run (due to faulty magneto) so as soon as it is running with a coil ignition I'm going to sell it as a (still) unfinished restoration project...
And I'll be glad to see the back of it!
My dad left me an unfinished pre-war car restoration project. To begin with I thought I was lucky but now, several years later, it has had more spent on it than it would now be worth on the market and the engine still doesn't run (due to faulty magneto) so as soon as it is running with a coil ignition I'm going to sell it as a (still) unfinished restoration project...
And I'll be glad to see the back of it!
That reminds me of boat ownership. There are only two days. The day you buy it and the day you sell it.
My dad left me an unfinished pre-war car restoration project. To begin with I thought I was lucky but now, several years later, it has had more spent on it than it would now be worth on the market and the engine still doesn't run (due to faulty magneto) so as soon as it is running with a coil ignition I'm going to sell it as a (still) unfinished restoration project...
And I'll be glad to see the back of it!
That reminds me of boat ownership. There are only two days. The day you buy it and the day you sell it.
I have my mother's very blue eyes, one grandmother's optimistic outlook on life and the other grandmother's figure. I like the eyes, the optimism probably drives everyone else up the wall, and I'd rather like a different figure than the one I have.
As for material things I have some of my mother-in-law's jewellery and some of my father's painted canal ware, including a picture he did of how to paint traditional roses. My godson, who's an artist, used that to produce some pieces of his own which made me and my brother so happy that a skill my father learned from someone who worked on canal boats hasn't been lost.
I inherited my baby-fine hair from my father's side of the family. My cousins and I struggle with it. My brothers got my mom's hair - lovely full and dark.
I bought silverware when I was young and kept the set aside for special occasions, as one did. In my sixties now and without anyone to inherit it, I've promoted it to the kitchen utensil drawer and use it for every meal.
I inherited what Mrs Rogue calls "that Rogue-family sense of humour". I am delighted to announce that the Roguelings have also inherited this from me but for some reason Mrs Rogue isn't so happy.
I am this spitting image of my mother and see her every time I look in the mirror. I also see sister no 1 there. I hear sister no 2 when I play back my tutorial recordings.
I have also inherited from my mother a connective tissue disorder (mostly likely Sticklers syndrome) which means I developed osteoarthritis early. This could be worse as it is also the likely cause of my twin brother’s blindness.
Possession-wise, I value a children’s storybook annual given to my grandmother’s sister when she was a little girl in 1919 by her mother for Christmas; her mother died a month later. It is worth little and I have plenty of possessions far older but this has sentimental value as it was treasured by my grandmother.
From my mother’s mother’s mother going back, my Jewishness.
From Cubby, so much stuff. His opera stuff and so many things. So much stuff we kind of held in common though.
Daddy Vern gave me a mug and a ring and of course my collar, but while the ring’s stone was in his family for many years, those weren’t inherited per se.
Comments
I have inherited my father’s aquiline nose, which my aunts and my cousin had too. Three of my children have it, which is ok for the boys but less so for the girls.
We also have odd shaped feet which are hard to describe. The girls don’t thank me, as it restricts the shoes available.
Also various belongings which came from departed family, and which I love having around to help me feel connected.
Never mind all that, it is incredibly useful, serving as the storage place for all the Christmas decorations.
Also two antique dolls, not in very good repair, one originally belonging to my aunt who was given it as a gift in 1917, when my mother was born,and the other was my mothers own doll, probably dating from about 1920.
Oh, and two coverless volumes of Strand Magazine, from 1890something, which I have loved since I was a child, especially the Sherlock Holmes stories, so to some extent I inherited my love of detective stories from them.
I can see traits inherited from my father - oddly I brush my hair the way he used to, and I think my nose and eyebrows came from him. Unfortunately I have inherited his selfishness, although being aware of it I hope I confine it to more trivial things and try to keep it under control.
I also seem to have have inherited my mother's feelings of not being 'good enough' although that may not be genetic as my brother thinks it was instilled in to me, and looking back I can see that is likely.
I also understand that I inherited Great-Uncle Charlie's weight problem, but I have no recollection of G-U Charlie, so cannot confirm.
I also have a ring from my maternal grandfather. It's simple design and amethyst stone gets a lot of notice.
My mother collected bread plates. Again, my brothers and I shared them, although I ended up with a bunch...and then when my nieces got married I made them a gift of some of their grandmother's bread plates.
I think I've inherited Mum's bizarre observations such as "It's been a good journey, all the traffic has either been going our way or coming in the other direction".
I rescued 'Rosie', a very deformed rag doll about 18" tall when my Mum died a few years ago. She was just about the only 'thing' my Mum cared very much about. She's a bit frightening but you kind-of get used to her, though her head is threatening to fall off. Mum would probably have made a joke about that. I think Mum had her from birth in '33, and knowing their life she would not have been new then. At the moment she lives on a pile of spare tent bits in my room, because I don't know where else to put her, and 'Ee-he' (a small panda who was mine) sits on her lap. Ee-he is oddly flat because I used to jam him under my right arm - I did that to age 7 or 8, odd child that I was. Dad told me quite recently that his Mum made him burn his teddy bear. FFS, I'd rather be this kind of odd.
My father had a large straight nose; my mother a small turn up nose. Guess what I ended up with!
When we were kids, my sister and I played with the chess set until most of the pieces were lost. The box of the Shakespeare set is falling apart, but the books are still in good condition.
I also have a blue glass and silver metal sugar bowl that my gran used to keep in a glass fronted cabinet with all her other treasures.
Hu-ge-nose.
I'll get me coat.
Take your hat, scarf, shoes and walking stick too.
Bad jokes thread is over there →
And I'll be glad to see the back of it!
Yes, I've done that too 😆
As for material things I have some of my mother-in-law's jewellery and some of my father's painted canal ware, including a picture he did of how to paint traditional roses. My godson, who's an artist, used that to produce some pieces of his own which made me and my brother so happy that a skill my father learned from someone who worked on canal boats hasn't been lost.
I bought silverware when I was young and kept the set aside for special occasions, as one did. In my sixties now and without anyone to inherit it, I've promoted it to the kitchen utensil drawer and use it for every meal.
I have also inherited from my mother a connective tissue disorder (mostly likely Sticklers syndrome) which means I developed osteoarthritis early. This could be worse as it is also the likely cause of my twin brother’s blindness.
Possession-wise, I value a children’s storybook annual given to my grandmother’s sister when she was a little girl in 1919 by her mother for Christmas; her mother died a month later. It is worth little and I have plenty of possessions far older but this has sentimental value as it was treasured by my grandmother.
From Cubby, so much stuff. His opera stuff and so many things. So much stuff we kind of held in common though.
Daddy Vern gave me a mug and a ring and of course my collar, but while the ring’s stone was in his family for many years, those weren’t inherited per se.