Notes of Aunt Mamie

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Fisher, Hardy, Waldreaon, Schmeltz

This page is to document and preserve the genealogical notes left by Mary Elizabeth (Mamie) (Waldreaon) Schmeltz (1878-). They are of interest for a number of reasons. Descendants will enjoy having something of hers to cherish. These also exemplify what goes into making "an unsourced family tree handed down." Every effort has been made to link to, and source, all the information to the profiles of the people who are mentioned herein. Click on the thumbnails to view larger images.

The Notes

Maternal Grandparents	Maternal Aunts/Uncles	Maternal Grandparents	Maternal Grandparents	Family Record
John Hardy	Sarah Mary Hardy	John Hardy	John Hardy	John Hardy
Sarah (Wicks) Hardy	Victoria Emma Hardy	Sarah (Wicks) Hardy	Sarah (Wicks) Hardy	Sarah (Wicks) Hardy
	Pauline Estelle Hardy			Sarah Mary Hardy
	Ann Amelia Hardy			Victoria Emma Hardy
	Emily Hardy			John Thomas Hardy
	William Hardy			Pauline Estelle Hardy
	Isabella Leland Hardy			Ann Amelia Hardy
				Emily Hardy
				William Hardy
				Isabella Leland Hardy

Putting it Together

These notes were used, in part, to help determine the identity of John Hardy. The following was written by William Scott Fisher, a great great grandson.

Nottinghamshire map from 1787.

A. In the heart of Nottingham stands St. Mary's Church where, according to church records, a John Hardy was christened by his parents, William and Sarah on May 2, 1802. The family Bible tells us our ancestor John Hardy was born on April 25, 1802, just seven days earlier, which is an ideal fit. Handwritten notes left by Aunt Mamie (Waldreaon) Schmeltz tell us he was from "Thorney More Woods" in Nottinghamshire. mamie's mother, Victoria (Hardy) Waldreaon, was John Hardy's daughter ad would have shared that information with Mamie.

B. Marriage records of Wollaton, a section of Nottingham, tell us that William Hardy of the parish of Arnold married Sarah Pinkney of Wollaton on 19 February 1802. Wollaton is very close to St. Mary's Church, just over two miles.

C. The parish of Arnold is found just five miles north of St. Mary's in Nottingham. An Arnold parish record of the christening of William Hardy is found there from 1772.

D. As shown on the map, Arnold is surrounded by "Thorney Woods," also called "Thorney Woods Chase," This areawas enclosed by the Crown in 1792 preventing locals fromhunting in the woods as they had for years on end.

This scenario perfectly fits the clues left by Aunt Mamie. The difference of "Thorny More Woods” and “Thorney Woods” is likely due to a popular old English protest song whose topic was the closing of woods by the Crown throughout Nottinghamshire in the late 1700s. The song was called “Thorneymoor Woods In Nottinghamshire.” ^[1]

In Thorneymoor Woods in Nottinghamshire,
Thorneymoor Woods in Nottinghamshire,
Three game-keepers' houses stood three-square,
About a mile from each other they were
Orders they were to look out for the deer.
Fol de rol, tora lie day

Now me and me dogs went out one night
The moon and the stars were shining bright
O'er hedges and ditches, fields and stiles
With my three dogs trotting close by me heels,
To catch a fat buck down in Thorneymoor fields.
Fol de rol, tora lie day

That very first night we had bad luck,
One of me very best dogs got shot
He come to me all bloody and lame
Right sorry I was for to see the same
And not being able to follow the game.
Fol de rol, tora lie day

I searched his wounds and found them slight
'Twas done by a game-keeper out of spite
Well I'll take a stick right tight in me hand
I'll search the woods till I find that man
I'll thrash his old hide right well if I can
Fol de rol, tora lie day

Now I come home and I went to bed
Limping Jack went out in me stead
O'er hedges and ditches, fields and stiles

He found a buck lying on the ground
My little dog has gave him the death-wound.
Fol de rol, tora lie day

And Limping Jack he cut the buck's throat
Tied his legs with good stout rope
And I had a laugh to see Limping Jack
Up in a lane with that buck on his back
Carried it just like a pedlar's pack
Fol de rol, tora lie day

Now we got us a butcher to skin the game
Likewise another to sell the same
And the very first joint as we offered for sale
Was to an old girl she sold bad ale
She had us young lads up in Nottingham gaol
Fol de rol, tora lie day

In Nottingham assizes are you and I
Us three young lads we go to be tried
But the magistrate laughed her all to scorn
He says the old bugger should be forsworn
Into little pieces torn
Fol de rol, tora lie day

In Nottingham assizes are gone and past
Us three young lads go free at last
The bucks and the does will never roam free
A poacher's life is the life for me
A poacher I will always be
Fol de rol, tora lie day

Sources

1. ↑ Briggs, Anne. Thorneymoor Woods Lyrics; online lyric repository, elyrics.net (https://www.elyrics.net/ : accessed 8 May 2021); View here

See also:

• https://haresonthemountain.com/album/it-will-only-hurt-forever [listen to Thorneymoor Woods for free]
• https://www.mainlynorfolk.info/louis.killen/songs/thorneymoorwoods.html [more information about Thorneymoor Woods]