I’m clearing out the loft of the family home after my Mum’s death, and found a box of photos from my Dad’s family. I don’t know anything about my Dad’s family, so this was interesting, particularly as my Dad has named everyone and written the relationship to him, which will help with the family tree.
Anyway, there were two photos in a sealed envelope in the box. I opened it, and there are two photos, one of my great great gran and one of her brother. The studio is in London, and they are both dressed up in their finery. And they are both very clearly mixed race. My Dad had always said that his Dad’s family came from London and his Mum’s from Sussex. These two are from his Mum’s side. I’m now desperate to know who they were and how they got here. Looking at other family members, they all look white (though my Dad looked Mediterranean/Middle Eastern), although with this knowledge, my great gran definitely has black features (nose shape, mouth, hair) from photos, but looks completely white. They have a very common surname, so not sure how easy they will be to trace.