Elizabeth's Poetry Haven | a place of peace, love and freedom of expression

For many years I researched my family history (1975 - 2004). This page has been created on which to place poems which record experiences I had during these years ....

Q IS FOR QUALTROUGH

Q is for Qualtrough
and Q is for quality
Manx is my origin
the cause for frivolity

Since early in life
been Qualtrough inclined
my grandmother Maggie
Dad's ancestral line

Maggie was Kiwi
NZ born and bred
her father from Manxland
the story was said

From childhood onwards
I loved my Manx history
an adult I was when
I solved my Q mystery

Searching and seeking
I went far and wide
found thousands of Qualtroughs
all round the world wide

For 30-odd years
give take but a few
Qualtroughs my passion
and worthwhile too

For all of the rellies
their interest was heard
recorded and written
the history in word

Family reunions
were held round the world
of many Q branches
their flags they unfurled

Many knew not
that their history was Manx
the work has been done
and for that I give thanks

The years of research
is now on the Net
for all of the Qualtroughs
there is no regret

Retired am I
I leave satisfied
I know there is more
so the gate's open wide

Time for another
to continue the work
much more to be done so
there's no time to shirk

Not only my history
but that of the many
whose ancestry Qualtrough
worth more than a penny

So Q is for Qualtrough
and Q is for quality
from Isle of Man
a cause for frivolity

Notes:

Qualtrough is a surname peculiar to the Isle of Man and is the Manx gaelic form of McWalter. I became interested in the research of my Manx Qualtrough ancestry in 1978 when still living in New Zealand and subsequently began searching the name world wide knowing that all with Qualtrough ancestry had their roots in the Isle of Man. A book was written (A QUOTA OF QUALTROUGHS) and several family gatherings organised. All the research is now online at the family website The QUALTROUGH Family, (www.qualtrough.org ) and its several subsites. The above poem I consider my swansong from my many years of research.

GRANDPA HENRY

Grandpa Henry, Texas born
In 1885
In Boerne town his family was
Good place to be alive !

Henry's dad a chemist was
He trained in old New York
German born from Gengenbach
His life then met a fork

Study over, Hermann went
Off down Texas way
To see his sister Pauline there
In Alamo town his stay

'Twas there he met my Grandpa's Mum
Dear Emma was her name
Her Dad restored the Alamo
A sure good claim to fame !

Emma married Hermann Feisst
In 1885
And soon there came along a son
My grandpa was alive

Soon more sons they came along
Adding to the nest
Two they died and Emma cried
This caused her much unrest

El Paso then became their home
As Hermann bought a store
For selling drugs, dispensing too
So who could ask for more?

Emma with her family
Of many growing lads
Worked beside her hubby now
I'm sure enjoyed the fads

On the Rio Grande they lived
With Mexico across
Was a tempting place for boys
But Hermann was the boss

In 1900 Emma died
A sudden,sad demise
She pleaded that her hubby take
Her lads to clear blue skies

Sadly soon the family left
El Paso town one day
As Hermann knew of pastures new
So very far away

A whole, new life was calling him
So off to 'Frisco Bay
To catch the ship to Kiwiland
His boys excited they !

They landed in December
Year 19-01
To Cambridge went and bought some land
And then began the fun

Herman and his growing boys
And Henry now a man
Living in a tent they were
A house then was the plan

No lady in their lives was sad
Yet living right next door
A large and loving family
Of girls of Vannin lore

Eventually there came a time
For Henry to get married
He chose his bride, dear Maggie Q
Next door was where he tarried

As life went on and years passed by
Their children they grew up
And Maggie died during WWII
Leaving Henry so cut up

More years passed by and Grandpa grew
A much, much older man
He lived with us a short, short time
I 'member some, I can

There came the day when Grandpa chose
To leave this world of our's
He died with daughter Ida near
I sent him many flowers

Grandpa, he was Texas born
In 1885
He died in 1970
I'm glad he was alive !

© Elizabeth A Feisst 26 November 2005

Notes:

1. Boerne is a small Texas town about 80 miles north-west of San Antonio in Kendall County. Henry FEISST, my grandfather, was born there on 18 October 1885.

2. Gengenbach is the town in Baden, Germany where Hermann FEISST/FAISSTwas born and grew up. He was born 31 March 1858. At age 15, in 1873, he avoided conscription into Bismarck's army of the day, by emigrating to New York, (via Ireland) where he had at least 2 married sisters. He did his pharmacutical studies there and then went on to Texas about 1879/1880. His parents, Karl and Justina (nee BEH) Feisst/Faist/Faisst also emigrated to New York and on to Texas.

3. Alamo town is of course, San Antonio. Emma's father was David RUSSI, a stone mason, who was one of the two stonemasons commissioned by the Texas Army to restore the Alamo, in 1849. His initials, D.R. are carved above the main entrance way to the building. I was lucky enough to see this on a visit there in 1977. David Russi had emigrated from Diersheim, Baden, Germany in the 1847, to San Antonio via New Orleans. He married Eliza RIPPS (also of German descent) in 1850 in San Antonio. Emma was born in San Antonio 27 April 1857.

4. 'Frisco Bay is of course San Francisco the port where the family left for New Zealand on the "Ventura" on 14 November 1901 arriving in Auckland just prior to Christmas.

5. Cambridge was a small town (now much larger of course) about 100 miles south of Auckland. Here Hermann purchased land which he and his sons developed and farmed. The land was in the family for the next 3? generations but it may now have been sold, I am not sure.

6. "Vannin" is Manx Gaelic for "Mann", referring to Ellan Vannin = Isle of Man

ANCESTRAL ROAMING

Pursuing genealogy is rather like an allergy
A thirty year pleasure for my ancestral treasure
Has seen me doth roam far away from my home
The land of my birth now the end of the earth

In searching and tracing 'twas so much like facing
My own self reflection whichever direction
For much did I learn wherever I turned
Can honestly say that the journey did pay

Where were they from all these ancestral fronds?
A hotch-potch collection it is my reflection
Yet all of these people they rise like a steeple
I honour them all as my genes do recall

Ancestry German, Feisst grandfather Hermann
Who married dear Emma - it was no dilemma
She also from Baden to Texas to "harden"
Her family was Russi but not really fussy

Together nine sons kept them both on the run
Then Emma did die so they said their goodbyes
With Hermann asunder, with sons went Down Under
To farm in the free land of dear New Zealand

From Three legs of Mann the Qualtroughs did ran
To start a new life they left all the strife
And moved to New Zealand to farm in the free land
A family of females living next to Feisst he-males

For Henry no tarry,dear Maggie did marry
Grandparents they had four children - not bad
So Eric and Keith and Joe underneath
And Ida the daughter whose love flowed like water

The Frasers and Lovies were all lovey-dovey
From Scotland they came to Auckland remain
From Hexham and Belsay the Forsters through hearsay
To Niton first moved then New Zealand removed

The Creeths were from Niton; a marriage was right on
'Twixt Alice and Robert for none they could fob it
To New Zealand they sailed where they never failed
To settle with ease; a family a breeze

Robert and Alice, their children became thus
"Twas Moya and Frank with dear Lorna as last rank
With Nan and young Tot thus five was the lot
And together they grew as Kiwis a few

So who were my parents? To make it transparent
'Twas Joe aforementioned and Nan his intentioned
The Forsters and Feissts did together unite
The result it was I - I do not deny !

So to the beginning return after spinning
The yarn of my background 'tis now in the foreground
This hobby of mine is now in recline
I no longer need to follow this steed

Born Kiwi was I then to Aussie did fly
Now settled as Manx for which I give thanks
The land of my birth now the end of the earth
Consider me rational to be international