George E Belcombe: Who Do You Think You Are?

 Recently I began dabbling in family history and have become a bit obsessed. Much of my Dad's side is well documented but Mum's side less so. In the few weeks I have been delving into our ancestry I have uncovered some great stories and some desperately sad ones. If one online tree linked to my family is to be believed there is even some German nobility deep in the 17th century branches  Like many Scottish families there are the fair share of emigrations, placing descendants in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA and there are lives cut short in childbirth, poverty and disease. Mostly they are farming families from either Orkney or Aberdeenshire living their lives as best they could.

I will get around to telling some of those stories but today I got side tracked and followed a name that is not a family member but who appears in Orkney firstly on the census of 1881 as a 21 year old 'visitor' in the family home. His name is George Edward Belcombe. In the 1891 and 1901 census he is listed as a 'boarder' and was 'living of his own means'. In the 1911 census he is still listed as a boarder and living on 'private means'. He died in the family home in 1916 with 'No occupation (single)' recorded on the certificate in the place of profession and marital status.

So, who was he? Well, he was born in 1859 in Edinburgh to Frances, a 'cleric in holy orders' and Francis Belcombe (m.s. Leigh). Their address is recorded as a parsonage in Cheshire which begs the question why they were in Edinburgh at the time of the birth. I have found George as an infant and as a child at the Cheshire address in the 1861 and 1871 censuses. There doesn't appear to be a family connection to Orkney or indeed to Aberdeenshire where the Orkney family originally lived. George moved to Orkney as a young man and his 2 brothers continued to live, marry and die in England. Going back in time, Frances, George's father was born in York and died in Cheshire and Francis, his mother, was born and died in Cheshire giving no clue to a Scottish/Orkney connection.
He is not a blood ancestor (as far as I can make out) but I would really like to know how George come to be living as a 'visitor' and stay as a 'boarder' with my family in Orkney? And where did his 'private means' came from? I don't suppose 19th century parsons in Cheshire earned a huge sum of money but George was able to live without employment for more than 30 years in Orkney. He is intriguing enough for me to want to follow his trail but at the same time not a family member and there are hundreds of them I need to find out more about. 

On Morality, Duty and Public Office

There used to be a time (fuddy-duddy alert) when elected public servants would resign when their extra-marital affairs became public knowledge. I remember Cecil Parkinson resigning after his affair with Sara Keays and her pregnancy was made public in 1983. There was, however, much made of the letters of support he supposedly received and Edwina Currie, who herself famously had an affair with John Major, stated her support by saying "I fell very, very sorry for Cecil and his family Most of my thoughts on Sara Keays are unprintable. Perhaps the most polite thing to say is she's a right cow." I wonder if she thoughtfully told Cecil of her qualms about the suitability of Ms Keays as a lover or if she voiced any concern for his family before the news broke.

Not ten years later a media storm broke over the affair Paddy Ashdown, then leader of the Liberal Democrats, had with his secretary, Patricia Howard, which earned him the nickname Paddy Pantsdown. His career and marriage survived and I remember talk at the time of whether extra-marital affairs SHOULD bring down a politician or if it was simply, excuse the pun, a private affair. The general consensus, I seem to recall, was that it was private and they should carry on with their lives and careers. Ashdown's wife forgave him and so should we. Since then it seems the general  feeling has continued to support the view that it is private, if regrettable behaviour.

It may seem old-fashioned but I do believe that public servants need to meet and be held to high standards. In standing for elected office I expect them to perform their duties conscientiously, responsibly, truthfully and with the interests of their constituents and the general public at the forefront of their decision-making. If these qualities are not evident in their private lives how can we trust they are available in their public lives?

Few, if any, of these qualities are evident in the current government. Matt Hancock, teh former Health Secretary, has actually resigned after news and video evidence of his affair surfaced. He held one of the senior offices of State but somehow could not bring himself to tell his wife that he wanted to move on. He could not make a tough decision to end his marriage while starting and continuing a relationship with someone else. I dare say, there were lies told to his family to cover up his indiscretions and betrayal. His wife and three children, old enough to understand what has happened, deserve to be allowed to come to terms with his betrayal in private but he needed to resign be sacked immediately.

He has resigned, eventually, but for the supposed offence of ‘breaking the rules.’ Breaking the rules of social distancing in a pandemic are so low on the list of his offences! His department was caught napping at the beginning of the pandemic, he catastrophically failed to prevent care home deaths and botched the procurement of adequate PPE for our NHS. If a questionable source (Cumming) is to be believed, Hancock has also lied to Cabinet and the country. And now our morally bankrupt Prime Minister has allowed the Health Secretary to resign over breaking social distancing regulations, not even for the reprehensible behaviour of having an affair with a woman he had appointed as a non executive director of the Department he was in charge of!

Morality and duty are words that seem to have fallen out of fashion. In our secular society it has perhaps lost its meaning and impact because of previous religious connotations and yet its definition as ‘principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour’ should still have a central place in modern society. Duty, as ‘a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility’ similarly conjures a more shared obligation to each other than our individualistic modern world might allow. I don’t want to be an old fuddy-duddy, harking back to a ‘better’ time but I do think that the principles of morality and duty are central to our lives in an ordered and well-functioning society…and are so evidently missing in the highest offices of the land. Morality and duty are not among the seven principles of public life which are accepted as selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. They wouldn’t be a bad place to start though. 

 Hello?...Hello? *looks around big empty space* Hello?
I'm not surprised there is no-one here. It is so long since I was here myself. And it has taken over an hour to figure out how to get in. Who, after all, has not forgotten passwords or password/e-mail address combos for long unused sites? What? Just me then? Same old same old.
Looking back over the posts here my blogging was intermittent at best. I started this blog as a way to share stories from the archives, study, conferences and work on my thesis but there were forays into holidays and other adventures too. However, life has moved on and somehow the blog got a bit left behind.
Recently I have been thinking about renewing my posts as life has changed so much over the last few years. Turning 60 has been a big milestone and while I still feel like I am 25 (in my head) I wish I had reached 60 before! It is liberating in all sorts of ways and my interests have changed too. Those new (and old) interests will be shown here in the coming weeks and months hopefully. What can you expect? Well, I am reading for pleasure again and not just for 'work' so a few book reviews or thoughts, I walk the dog and ponder life, I am re-finding a love of baking, knitting and crochet, friendships have had a new meaning since the world turned upside down with the pandemic and family is as important as ever, especially since I am now babushka to a wonderful little girl who is light and joy in our lives. I have a new-found obsession with family history and am creating our family tree so there will definitely be stories from the branches but mostly it will be the same tales told by an idiot full of sound and (hopefully not too much) fury, signifying not very much really. Mine is a life, not a lifestyle but I hope you will again enjoy popping in for a wee read of my peripatetic ponderings. Until then, I'll turn the lights out and close the door but please do come along and visit.

Day 3. Rowardennan to Inverarnan

Day three took us to the half way mark in our Scholarship of the Way. It was an eventful day. We had been advised that the first part - to Inversnaid - was easy but after that it got difficult. Immediately after Rowardennan there was a steep climb which then promptly took us back down to a short distance along the road we had left. Seemed a bit pointless really! Also, we had been told that there were two paths, the higher route through the forest was easier but not so interesting. I didn't see where the path divided but whichever path I was on (I think it was the lower one as it was along the lochside) it was not 'easy'. In fact this was where I stopped thinking of the West Highland Way as being a 'walk'! There is so much clambering up and over rocks and then down the other side that it should be called 'mountaineering'!
Unfortunately I took a tumble crossing a stream and pulled a muscle in my calf quite early in the day. Thankfully, at that point I was on my own and the undignified and rapid acquaintance with the ground was not witnessed! I was able to continue but it was eventually going to become a problem. A second problem was my much hated waterproof trousers which restricted movement and, unsurprisingly, given their tightness and the effort needed to get over some of the hurdles, eventually gave way to pressure in the nether regions! They would not be worn again!
After a long and wet 5 hours I made it to Inversnaid where we all met up for a well earned rest. While the other Drs were ready to continue I decided to retreat to the ferry across the loch and on to Inverarnan where I would line up the beers for the others arriving. The Drover's Inn at Inverarnan is something to behold. From the outside it looks like Disney's Tower of Terror or a haunted house. It is a 18th century building after all! Inside the reception area the guest is met by a host of stuffed creatures including a full sized standing bear! Quaint, is the word I think, to describe it all!
The second half of the journey was even more difficult than had been expected with one intrepid Dr announcing, while sliding down the side of a large rock, that she felt like Lara Croft. It is an image that has stuck in our minds to recall our journey! Large beers were needed. And I had to apologise to one of the Scholarship sisters for being very tetchy with her while she offered a hand to steady me on the way up an inconvenient boulder. I had wanted to swear very loudly at the rock and vent my anger and had misdirected my rudeness.
'Rude?' said the helpful Dr, 'You can't be rude to me. I'm German!'
All was smoothed over and with food and whiskey inside it was time for bed before the next stage.

Day 2: Drymen to Rowardennan

A good sleep and a hearty breakfast set us all up for the second day of walking. The weather was good which was a bonus but not too hot to drain us of energy. We were soon off the road and heading up hill through trees and some stunning views, especially as we came in sight of Loch Lomond. Drs Crerar and Metze decided to take the route up Conic Hill while Dr Roexe and myself took the low road to Balmaha in order to preserve feet from too many blisters and knees/ankles from too many aches. The low road probably wasn't as scenic and much of it was along a road but we arrived in Balmaha with plenty of rest time before the others caught up with us.
Lunch in the local hostelry recharged the batteries somewhat and we were ready to set off on the next part of the journey. The Scholarship of the Way were in good spirits and as our overnight accommodation was actually en route to Rowardennan we decided to call ahead to see if we could drop off our backpack as we passed to save us carrying them the last few miles.
This was an excellent plan as it turned out. The last part of the day's walk was harder with lots of up and down climbing. On one particularly horrible, stepped section I was despairing (and swearing) when Dr Crerar had the most excellent idea of naming each step after a Cabinet member. As a consequence there are now steps on the Way that will forever be called F*cking Michael Gove, F*cking Theresa May, F*cking David Davis, Boris f*cking Johnston etc (there were a lot of steps and all were named!) Each step got a whack with my walking poles (named Biff and Boff) as we named them. It was surprisingly therapeutic and morale boosting.
The Clansman in Rowardennan provided a welcome retreat for food and beer at the end of the day before Ivor from the B&B we were staying in came to collect us to take us to our very welcome overnight rest on the shores of the loch. Ivor and his wife Izzi were fabulous hosts and after what was undoubtedly the best breakfast on the walk, Ivor dropped us back in Rowardennan the next morning with packed lunches provided by Izzi. I heartily recommend staying at Anchorage Cottage with Ivor and Izzi (and Haggis the cat) if you are in that neck of the woods. You will have a warm welcome and a very comfortable stay. http://www.anchoragecottage.co.uk/

A Late Update

Wifis, or lack of wifis, did not permit me to keep a running commentary of my walk along the West Highland Way. Since I completed the walk and returned home 'life' has got in the way and I have been remiss in updating you good readers of my escapades from Milngavie to Fort William. I will try to update here and thank all those who so kindly donated to my fundraising page. There is still some time to add a small donation if you find my efforts in any way worthwhile or amusing. Every little helps a great cause.
Day1. Milngavie to Drymen. First of all I have to offer huge thanks to The Other Dr Crerar who kindly transported the walking Drs from Edinburgh to Milngavie for the start of the walk. We arrived at the starting point in good time and in comfort and began with a photo opportunity and a quick coffee. I had imagined the first part of the walk to be through suburban shopping centres or industrial units but in fact the path immediately enters the wooded Mugdock Country Park and gives the walk a real country feel from the outset.Unfortunately the last part of the walk to Drymen is along the road which is not so pleasant although the countryside is still beautiful.
For some reason, which we never discovered, the approach to Drymen had road signs saying 'Drive Carefully. Hobbits' and 'The Shire'. As we were also on an adventure and all adventurers need a collective name we decided to call ourselves The Fellowship of the Way.
In Drymen we stayed at Kip in the Kirk. The bunk room (2 sets of bunk beds) was small but it had a fabulous en suite shower room! A large walk in shower with flip flops and micro fibre towels provided - just what weary walkers needed to freshen up. We were welcomed with tea and scones - a real treat after a day's walking!
The weather was mostly good, although after a break for lunch it looked like it could rain so I put on my waterproof trousers, which leads me to my rant. Walking is considered one of the best forms of exercise and as such should surely be encouraged, especially among the under-active and overweight. As I fall into those categories I was more than disappointed to discover how difficult it was to get large sized walking gear. Staff in Cotswold's were more than helpful and I really appreciated the advice and tips I received regarding my walking boots and shoes but getting my size in walking trousers, fleeces etc was problematic. I eventually bought trousers and waterproof trousers on ebay and I had to buy a man's fleece.
The waterproof trousers were 2 sizes bigger than I usually wear but were still very tight. Getting them on was a problem and once they were on I really didn't want all the effort of getting them off again when it stopped raining! Furthermore, they stopped water getting in but they also stopped sweat getting out with the result that by the time I got to Drymen my leggings were soaking and very uncomfortable! So, come on outdoor companies! Get a better range of clothing for larger women (and possibly men too - I didn't really study the options for men). I hope that walking will mean that I will not always continue to be a larger woman but it would be nice to be able to get activity-appropriate gear while I am.

Time to put the walking boots on...

When we began to plan walking the West Highland Way seven months ago it seemed a distant event. And now, suddenly, it is here! I think I have prepared fairly well and now I am all packed. I have the blister plasters, sunscreen, midgie repellent, knee and ankle supports quality snacks (and chocolate) and all the other bits and pieces needed for a successful walk. All I have to do now is actually walk it! I will be walking with some wonderful fellow doctors - a Chapter of Doctors, perhaps, and I have no doubt that we will get each other to the end in Fort William. In a moment of confidence loss this morning I said to The Wing Commander, 'What if I don't manage it?' He replied 'You will manage.' Damn, he has good answers! We will all manage and I will keep you up to date with our adventures on here, wifis permitting.