52 Ancestors --2015 Edition: #6 My Paternal Great Grandmother Frederica Augusta Inniss Murrell

Flag of Barbados

I've been so fortunate to have been able to find so much information on my maternal ancestors. Luckily, my folks came from areas where good records were maintained. My father's side of the family has been a bit trickier. My father's maternal grandmother I've just begun to make some progress on. You can read more about my latest findings on my great grandma Ella in these posts:

Great Grandma's Name Was Ella. After That It Gets Complicated.

Great Grandma's Name Was Ella. After That It's Complicated --Part two

My father's other grandmother has been a challenge researching due to distance and seemed to be a perfect fit for this week's prompt.

Week 6 (Feb 5-11) – So Far Away. Which ancestor is the farthest from you, either in distance or in time/generations? Which ancestor have you had to go the farthest away to research?

My paternal grandfather's roots come from Barbados. Harold O. Murrell left his parents and siblings to come to the United States in hopes of finding a better life. How does one become so brave to leave everything and everyone you know behind. How do you say goodbye to your parents. How do you hug your mom and know that will probably be the last time you ever see her. I give my grandfather mad props for being able to do what he did. I couldn't bear to leave my mother behind. It would hurt too much. What about my great grandmother Frederica? How tough it must have been for her to know that she must let her child go so he could go out in the world to find his life.

A few years back, I spoke with a cousin of mine from Barbados via telephone and learned the names of my great grandparents and my great grandmother's mother. My great grandmother Frederica Augusta Inniss was born in St Philip Parish, Barbados sometime prior to 1871. Whether she was an infant or a young child at the time of her baptism, I do not know. 

Image courtesy of FamilySearch.org

I really don't know much about her. I know that she along with her husband, George Murrell lived in an area called MarleyVale.

Images courtesy of Google Maps

I hope to someday be able to take my kids to the island to visit. I visited Barbados with my parents and brother back in 1998 long before I became interested in genealogy. Oh how I wish I could go back in time and have scheduled in a trip to the Barbados National Archives to do some research.

Frederica Augusta Inniss had with her husband George Murrell four children: Edna, Lillian, Rupert, and my grandfather Harold.

I wish I had stories to share about her Frederica. I don't. I wish I could glance at her face to see if my grandfather resembled her. I wish I could give her a hug and say thank you for raising such a fine son.

Thank you, Frederica! These flowers are for you.

Pride of Barbardos

The national flower of Barbados.