We have circles of ancestors – the individuals who populate our family tree, the individuals and culture from whom we receive our traditions, and our ancestors in the faith. I have had the great good fortune to connect with all of these circles of ancestors during my sabbatical time.
I wrote about some of them in earlier blog posts from Ireland. But in England, I’ve been able to connect with the ancient and not so ancient ones. our first stop after arriving in England was Stonehenge. Now, I’m not someone who senses “energy”, not usually. On very rare occasions I have had a physical sense of the presence of an energy. (not trying to sound “woo-woo”). I think most of us do, although we might ignore it. I’ve had that feeling in a few places (Auschwitz and Wounded Knee, for example). Stonehenge was another. A palpable energy flows through that place and I could feel it. I think that is what has drawn people to this site for 5000 years.
A day later we headed to Wales, the country of some of my ancestors. I began working on my ancestry in earnest only a few years ago. Welsh records have been hard to come by, but we had some information, and I was able to find a bit more via the internet. The searching and piecing together led us to the town of Abberfraw – the place that my 2nd great grandparents emigrated from – and to Trefdraeth – the place where my 3rd great grandparents lived and died and are buried.
We searched all over the cemetery at St. Beuno’s Church and finally Annika found it! William and Ellen Jones.
We also spent some time exploring the town that my 2nd great grandparents are from: Abberfraw. The town has a rich history, but for me it was about being in the place that my ancestors came from. I don’t know the circumstances of their emmigration, but did find in this place my love of the sea, and a simpler way of life for which I am longing. It was a rich and meaningful few days and I feel more connected to myself and my people.
