This book invites the reader into the household of Elizabeth, her extended family and many acquaintances. 'I shall miss my daily commute accompanied by Elizabeth Anne Galton. Her reminiscences are well put together by her sister's descendant, Andrew Moilliet and he has compiled a useful index' - A N Swinfin () Her relationship with her own family, husband and children was a happy one and the accounts of family holidays, together with visits to London for Queen Victoria's Coronation, the Great Exhibition and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee make fascinating reading.

She attached great value to family relationships and travelled extensively within the British isles, both visiting and sightseeing so that the accounts of these often uncomfortable journeys give yet another glimpse of life in another era. 'This is a lively and reliable account of life in a particular class of English Society in the 19th century given firsthand by a lady with a keen and discerning eye. He and his wife have three grown-up children and two grandchildren. He is well known in Family History circles having served on the Executive Councils of three societies in the North-West of England. Except for three years in Edinburgh, where he did a considerable amount of work on his Scottish ancestory, he and his wife, Diana, have always lived in Cheshire and they are founder members of both local family history societies. To access the Index, click hereĪndrew Moilliet is a retired chartered accountant who spent his working life with ICI in Cheshire at both Northwich and Runcorn and worked for that company latterly in insurance. The index can be consulted on-line, so that you can see if there is mention of a person, place or event of interest to you. To assist genealogists and local historians the book has been comprehensively indexed by the editor. There are gems of all kinds on every page, including the defeat of Bonaparte, dancing bears, highwaymen, the first trains, the 'science' of phrenology, life at a Regency spa, her 'season' as a debutante, the death of George III, a lavish dinner for the Duke of Wellington, his grand public funeral - and the blissful arrival of elastic shoulder-straps for stiffly-corseted women. Her memoirs have been edited by Andrew Moilliet, a descendant of her sister Lucy. In 1897, as a spritely 89-year-old, she watched Victoria's ('very long') Diamond Jubilee celebration procession as it passed through London. In 1838, Elizabeth Anne attended Queen Victoria's Coronation at Westminster Abbey, which she described at the time as the happiest day of her life. These illustrious men and their friends appear in her memoirs in a very human light. She and the great Charles Darwin shared a common grandfather, Erasmus Darwin FRS, who was the moving spirit in the famous group of scientists, the Lunar Society of Birmingham - nick-named the 'Lunaticks'. Among his other accomplishments he pioneered the use of fingerprints as a method of identification. Through him she was related to many families of importance including the Barclays, Frys, Gurneys and Lloyds, in addition to those like the Wedgwoods whose forebears had helped to make the Industrial Revolution.Įlizabeth Anne's brother, Sir Francis Galton FRS, is regarded as the founder of the science of eugenics. She was the daughter of an influential Birmingham banker who managed the city's affairs as High Bailiff - today's equivalent of Mayor. She was a devout philanthropic woman, much influenced by her Quaker relations, but her strong principles were leavened with a great sense of fun.Ī list of her friends, relations and acquaintances reads like a scientific, financial and commercial 'Who's Who'. Her long life fitted almost exactly into the 19th century and, in the fascinating reminiscences from which this book is taken, she chronicled its changes with an observant eye. Published by Leonie Press, November 2003.Įlizabeth Anne Galton's mind was as sharp and enquiring in her nineties, when Edward VII was King, as it had been in her youth during the Regency period. Previous_Book Next_Book Anne Loader Publications Home

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