Blanche was the last of the five sisters to 'leave home', caring for their father until his death. Therefore I, as her only child, inherited a few precious photographs and other mementoes of our ancestors. Thanks to this media I can now share these wonderful memories with my cousins throughout the world. So far I have only gone back as far as the records I hold at home - to my great-grandparents; James Farrar McKinnell and Mary Oliver, who married around 1840 at

Mirfield Parish Church

Below is I believe a very early daguerrotype picture of Mary Oliver, probably taken after the death of her husband - note the headdress and black dress.The original picture is on glass - like an old slide, but amazingly it scanned on my ordinary scanner. Mary's family were not too pleased when she chose to marry James Farrar McKinnell - a 'tradesman' - as she was the daughter of a wealthy Cleckheaton landowner. However, someone was obviously able to afford this very expensive new amusement of photography in those early Victorian days!

James and Mary were blessed with three sons and one daughter. My grandfather James was the first born, on 11th April, 1869 and given the same name as his father. He was also given his mother's maiden name as his second name - both popular traditions in many cultures still to this day. He was therefore:

James Oliver McKinnell