Family Treasure: Joy's Valentine

 A Family Treasure

This pendant belonged to my mother,

Alberta Joy Gardner Brown.

It was given to her by my father,

Delbert Keith Brown.

My father liked to sketch a quick heart on notes or cards to my mother. He'd draw a heart with an arrow through the center. Inside he'd write 'DK + Joy' or 'Joy'. 

On one special occasion he went to a jeweler and had his sketch made into a black onyx & diamond pendant for my mother. She wore it many times.

Now it is a family treasure.

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Family Treasure: Joy's Valentine

A Family Treasure

This pendant belonged to my mother,

Alberta Joy Gardner Brown.

It was given to her by my father,

Delbert Keith Brown.

My father liked to sketch a quick heart on notes or cards to my mother. He'd draw a heart with an arrow through the center. Inside he'd write 'DK + Joy' or 'Joy'. 

On one special occasion he went to a jeweler and had his sketch made into a pendant for my mother. She wore it many times.

Now it is a family treasure.

Delbert + Joy c 1947 NY

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Family Treasure: The Old Writing Desk

My great aunt Marion (Coyle) McCall Kunemund lived in New York City for most of her life. When we visited her there in the 1950s & 1960s we saw her writing desk, her secretary.  In the 1970s she moved to Florida and the writing desk came to our house.

My mother had always admired the desk and she loved having it in a place of honor in our living room.  My mother kept her writing papers and photographs inside.

The desk now has a place in my bedroom. The dark wood matches our bedroom furniture nicely.  I keep a collection of framed family photos on the shelves and greeting cards in the drawers.  I am very happy to have my turn with this family treasure. 

Family Treasure: Name that China

Noritake China Pattern #N3151

Our family treasures take many forms: Bibles, jewelry, documents and photographs. Among the treasures passed down to me are dishes and glassware. They are treasures because they belonged to other women in my family, not because of any monetary value.

I have an old black and white family movie of Christmas dinner at the New York City apartment of my great aunts. When the home movie camera pans around the table I can see my mother, as a young girl, seated between her parents. My great aunts, my grandparents and my mother wave to the camera and smile. It is brief but it grabs my heart every time I watch it. I have had it transferred to a DVD and shared it with my brothers.

In the movie the dining table is elegantly set with fine china, candles and bowls of food.  I have that china and other sets of china and glassware owned by my great aunts. I display it in a glass front cabinet in my dining room and I use it. My brothers and I sit down to holiday meals and use the same china. That makes it a treasure.

Celeste by Meito

However, I wanted to know more about the china. What is the name of the pattern? When was it made? Where was it made? Is it of any monetary value?

I found the perfect website to answer those questions: 

Replacements, Ltd.

I found it when I was searching the internet to find out if I could buy more pieces of my mother’s Christmas china. Replacements, Ltd. had the Nikko plates I wanted and more accessories for the same pattern. I ordered the dinner plates and they arrived a few days later in perfect condition.

Then I wondered about my great aunts’ china. Looking at the back of the pieces I found ‘Noritake’ who made a couple of the sets. On the website I went to China/Noritake and then, in the search bar, added ‘gold rim, blue roses’. Looking the long list of results I found Noritake, Mystery #42 pattern, circa 1915 – 1919. The sugar bowl & lid are selling for $27.99 and the gravy boat sells for $33.99. Other items are out of stock. If I wanted to I could sell my pieces through Replacements, Ltd. Or, I could ask them to search for more pieces for me.

Another set of china was also Noritake but I could not see a photo of it in the long list of china. No problem. I photographed the pieces & photographed the logo on the back. They have a ‘Pattern Identification Request Form’. Add your photos and your contact information. They got back to me in less than a week with all the details on the china pattern I was seeking. This search was free.

Noritake Mystery 42

You can also ‘Register Patterns’ and they will watch for pieces you want as they become available.

The website also has crystal, silverware & collectibles. If you have family treasures that you’d like to learn more about, go to this website. Or, if you just like old china and glassware, this is the place for you to spend an afternoon!

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Family Treasure: Grandma’s Blue Plates

Family Treasures

These blue plates, bowls & cups were owned by my paternal grandmother, Ivy R MarkBrown. The platter has a different pattern but coordinates well. My aunt & uncle recently shared some of Ivy’s treasures with the family in a ‘No Tag Tag Sale’ that allowed family members to select items once owned and used by Ivy.

I know my Grandmother’s favorite color was blue so I am not surprised she liked these plates. They look well used and they make me wonder about those special pieces of china and glassware I have that spend most of the time in the glass front cabinet, too fragile to handle. I should pull them out more often. After all isn't every day of our lives unique, special and deserving of that delicate china plate and crystal wine glass?

These were manufactured by the Johnson Brothers, like the four pink plates owned by my grandmother and mentioned in an earlier post.

I passed these plates on to our son & daughter-in-law. Our daughter-in-law has teacups for each of her great grandmothers and was delighted to have these items from Adam’s great grandmother. It is good to know they are being passed down in the family.

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Family Treasure: Golden Pitcher & Glasses

This pitcher & six glasses were owned by my paternal grandmother, Ivy R Mark Brown. My aunt & uncle recently shared some of Ivy’s treasures with the family in a ‘No Tag Tag Sale’ that allowed family members to select items once owned and used by Ivy.

The color of this glassware caught my eye. The orange/peach color shines like gold when held in the light. Then I noticed the Dutch design on each piece. I wonder if the windmills reminded my paternal grandmother of her German & Swiss roots.  Her ancestor, Heinrich Ritter, sailed from Rotterdam, Holland in 1732 with his family and made a new home in Pennsylvania.

I know nothing about the manufacturer of these pieces. I don’t see any name or logo. I doubt that they are of any great value except that they were once owned and used by my grandmother. I plan to use them when the family is gathered so we can share memories and raise a glass to Grandma.

Family Treasure: Rock of Cashel Plates

Family Treasures

These four pink plates were owned by my paternal grandmother, Ivy R Mark Brown. My aunt & uncle recently shared some of Ivy’s treasures with the family in a ‘No Tag Tag Sale’ that allowed family members to select items once owned and used by Ivy.

First I noticed the pretty pink color of these four plates and then I looked closer at the design. The picture is the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary, Ireland. I was surprised because this is not the Irish side of my family. Perhaps these were once a gift. Perhaps the color or design just appealed to her.

Besides the fact that these plates had belonged to my grandmother and the pretty color, I wanted the small lunch sized plates because I have visited the Rock of Cashel. My oldest daughter & I visited Ireland in 2012 and the Rock of Cashel was one of our favorite spots. On my next visit to my daughter, I plan to give her these lovely plates.

The plates were made in England by the Johnson Brothers. According to Wikipedia, 

“The  four original 'Johnson Brothers' were Alfred, Frederick, Henry and Robert. Their father married the daughter of a master potter, Alfred Meakin. In 1883 Alfred and Frederick Johnson began production at a defunct pottery known as the Charles Street Works they had purchased at a bankruptcy sale in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.” The brothers “developed a product known as "semi-porcelain", a range of earthenware that had the characteristics of fine china, but the durability of ironstone. This kind of tableware soon became very popular in the United States due to its durability and low cost.”

Rock of Cashel, Ireland

Family Treasure: World War I Souvenirs for a Sweetheart

These delicate handkerchiefs were sent to my maternal grandmother, Helen F Coyle, in November 1918 by Private Herman L. Englander: HQrs Co. 358th Infantry: Amr. Exp. Forces, France. He wrote to my grandmother from France, asking to see her once he returned to New York City. I do not know if they did see each other but he was not the man she did marry in 1921. However, she did save these precious items all her life. They are now so fragile that you can almost see through the fabric.

Family Treasure: Bermuda Cedar

Wedding Cups from Bermuda

My husband & I took a cruise to Bermuda for our honeymoon in early June more than 3 decades ago. While we were on those beautiful islands we wanted to buy something that could be only be found in Bermuda and decided on a couple things made from Bermuda cedar. We bought wedding cups, wine glasses with double wedding rings around the stem, and a pair of bookends. The wooden cups were especially romantic because we had only been married a few days. We still keep these on shelves in our living room.

According to a Bermuda website:

Cedar trees have significant cultural value to Bermudians. The wood of the Bermuda Cedar was historically valued for construction, ship building and furniture. It was also used for carving, boxes and firewood. The soft, red wood is still highly prized by woodworkers and the signature smell of cedar is known to most Bermudians. A Cedar seedling is often placed atop Bermudian wedding cakes to be planted by the couple.

Cedar Bookends

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Family Treasure: Mom's Little Vase

This little treasure is not a piece of fancy Belleek pottery or anything fancy at all. However it is still special to me. This little vase belonged to my mother, Alberta Joy Gardner Brown. It always sat on the right side of our kitchen windowsill, just over the sink. It was often filled with assorted items like a stray button that was waiting to be sewed back on a shirt or sweater, a paper clip or safety pin. Sometimes my mother would take off her engagement ring and drop it into the vase while she scrubbed a dirty pot.

Now it sits on my kitchen windowsill. I like to fill it with a blossom from my garden and think of my mother and smile.

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Family Treasure: Belleek Tea Party

Teacup, Saucers & Small plate

These delicate items, once owned by my great aunt, look just perfect for a tea party and I am tempted to brew a pot of tea but I keep them safely in my glass front cabinet. At one time there must have been more cups but just this one cup remains. I wonder if my aunt and her sisters used these pieces or just displayed them.

Sugar Bowl & Creamer

These all belonged to my great aunt, Kathleen G Coyle. I believe my aunt bought her various Belleek items during her trips to Ireland. I have passenger lists showing Kathleen visiting Ireland in August 1928 & September 1935.  These pieces of pottery all have the' Third Mark' which means they were made between 1926 - 1946. 

When my daughter and I visited Ireland in 2012 we enjoyed our tour of the Belleek factory and shop. Naturally, I bought a few items of my own!

Belleek Shop, Ireland

Outside the Belleek Shop with my purchases. 

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Family Treasure: Belleek Vases

Family Treasures, Belleek Vases from Ireland

These vases  were once owned by my great aunt, Kathleen G Coyle. I keep them in a glass front cabinet to keep these delicate vases safe for future generations. I took them out recently to photograph them as a part of my New Year's resolution to document the various family treasures for the future.

This wonderful vase has small flowers and leaves all around. The mark on the bottom is not clear. It may be the 'Fourth Mark', made 1946 – 1955 or the 'Fifth Mark', made 1955 – 1965. 

I am still searching the internet to find a specific name for this vase which may help me to narrow down the years it was made. I may take it to a local Irish shop to see if they can help me discover more about it.

This Belleek Thistle Vase with the 'Fifth Mark' was made between 1955 - 1965. I keep small dried or artificial flowers in this pretty vase. It is a nice touch of spring.



Each Belleek item is hand made. My daughter and I took the tour when we visited Ireland in 2012. We watched vases and bowls being formed. We saw craftspeople making each petal, leaf and flower to adorn various items. Others craftspeople painted tiny shamrocks on pottery. Every step in the process is fascinating to watch and highlights how special this pottery is.

Belleek Pottery in Ireland

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Family Treasure: Belleek from Ireland

My New Year’s resolution for genealogy is to photograph and label the family treasures in our house. I want our children to know something about these treasures when we are no longer here to remind them where each candlestick and teapot and bowl have come from.

 Belleek Bowl

It is March and the sun is shining in our back porch and the right time to begin. So I took my camera and some delicate Belleek pieces out to the sunshine for photographs.

This three footed bowl, probably a sugar bowl, has the ‘Third Mark’ on the bottom showing that it was made between 1926 & 1946. I have been searching on the internet to find more details about the Belleek pieces I have inherited. I hope to discover more about this small bowl.

This bowl was owned by my great aunt, Kathleen G Coyle. I am sure she bought each of her Belleek pieces during her visits to Ireland to visit her Mullane family.

Belleek Marks

This is a poster I photographed when I visited the Belleek Store in Ireland in 2012. 

It shows the various marks that help to date their pieces.

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New Year’s Resolution

Happy New Year! 

A new year means new opportunities to learn more about our families. I have a big project in mind to preserve the past for the future. I plan to:

o   Go through my house and photograph family treasures

o   Label those items with dates & stories

o   Burn the information on CDs for my children

o   Print a paper copy of the photos & details

o   Post the photos on Treasure Chest Thursdays

Here are some examples of the miscellany I want to document:

o   The painting of the Irish countryside purchased about 1895 by my great grandfather, Michael Coyle, for his wife to remind her of their home

o   My great aunts’ china sets purchased c 1930

o   Family jewelry including a tiny bracelet purchased by my great grandmother for my mother when she was born

o   A Bible owned by my great great great grandmother

o   A pair of cedar bookends my husband & I bought on our honeymoon in Bermuda

As I photograph each item I plan to label it with a description, a date [if possible] and any story related to the item.

If I don’t do this there will come a time when my children will own these items and may not remember their significance. Like a photograph without the people labeled, the items will be of limited value.

Time to charge my camera & get started!

Family Treasure: From my Nana’s House

My Nana, my mother’s mother, Helen (Coyle) Gardner, moved from New York City to a little house in the country. I have a couple little items from that house.

This heavy metal key was one of her door keys. When I was little it was larger than my hand.  I didn't know anyone else who had such an interesting key. I can picture her standing on her front stoop, head bent as she turned the key in the lock and then dropped it into her handbag. Then my mother would steady her mother's arm as we all stepped off the stoop and climbed into our station wagon to take Nana to her doctor's appointment or shopping. 

Nana’s house had no close neighbors. There was a farm up the road and beyond that was the cemetery. Because she was rather isolated she had a string of bells attached to her front door. They jingled prettily when we opened the door. This brass bell was one of those bells and it reminds me of many happy visits to my Nana.

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