Reflection
Digging up the Grandparents
I
f you believe the advertising, nothing could be more natural than researching family history. Hidden heroes and exciting stories can be found, for a fee, of course.
‘The past is a happy valley that can be formed and reformed at will. Most people keep devising paths that lead from back there to the present...’
The truth is sadder. Our dullest ancestors were good, safe and, in the long run, happiest. The more interesting ones weren’t so lucky. Those who were passionate, individual and wilful found their freedom but, metaphorically or literally, they often met an early death. It is easier to be one of the nobodies. The history of one half of our family is well-documented, partly thanks to The Marlburian Club Magazine. Three generations of Jacksons have attended the College. The Magazine carries many features which bring to life their experiences, friends and even school jargon from their time at Marlborough. Other members of our family are more obscure, shady even. Both my mother’s parents were elusive characters. The same could be said of my mother-in-law’s father. All sorts of secrets and surprises were turned up by simple birth, death or marriage certificates. Enquiries were met with silence or excessive loquacity. On reflection, this wasn’t surprising. The past is a happy valley that can be formed and reformed at will. Most people keep devising paths that lead from back there to the present. These winding paths can be as devious as the human soul. The same family story can be told by the same person in several ways, depending on how he or she is feeling. This is a scientific fact, true both for simple folk and for those who should know better. It guides our reminiscences and our deeds. Judgements about applicants for employment, medical treatment or education can depend, would you believe it, on the weather. The same applies to criminals awaiting sentences. If judges, doctors and teachers can err, how much more will Granny or Uncle Albert when she/he reminisces. So-called first-hand witness accounts were once much valued as primary sources of history. These days, learning about the past from Granny, and Granny alone, is not to be recommended. With every
appearance of sincerity, she may simply be repeating a good story she once heard. Oral history can include fictions, tarradiddles and whopping lies. All the same, some memorial is the result of a forgotten, plucky individual. Despite mistakes, exaggeration or defensive smokescreens – yes, there are plenty of those – the truth can often, nay usually, be found. The past is like a distant island, far away but possible to detect. Sometimes we see a change in the cloud patterns, or wildlife, noise or scents. A skilled navigator
can even feel interference patterns in the waves. Sometimes, we can even see the island. An experienced navigator can sense the position in ways that he or she may be unable to articulate. ‘It’s a seat-of-the-pants skill,’ says the admiring but puzzled passenger. Just as an experienced judge or teacher can sense the truth, so it is possible to sense the character of an interesting person. Just don’t fall overboard trying. Sarah Wright (B2 1968-69) The Marlburian Club Magazine 107
