FACTS &
ARTIFACTS
I started interviewing family members about 30 years ago and listened to some of the stories
that have been handed down through the generations. The best part of hearing these stories
is that over the years I have been startled to find that many of the stories can be corroborated
with historical facts! I'll use this page to pass on some of these stories
and hope you enjoy hearing them.

Well, here it is. This is the ring that started all this!

When I was a little girl I always questioned my father (who wore this ring every day of his life), where his beautiful ring came from. He really couldn't tell me much about it except that it was very old and that his Grandfather had handed it down to his Father and he, in turn gave it to my father. I have always been fascinated about the ring and have wanted to know where it came from for as long as I can remember. Then, around 1970, I started the search and have been "searching" ever since!

The ring has now been inherited by my brother John Jeffery Pickering who is the last male descentant of Alexander John. The crest and shield is carved "intaglio" which meant it was to be used with sealing wax to seal letters back in the days before glue! Of course, it was also the official seal of the bearer to be used on official documents. The carving is so incredibly clear and precise that when you use sealing wax you can actually read the motto which is in Latin on the ribbon at the bottom! The craftsmanship is just wonderful! The gold around the stone is very old and of a different alloy than they make today. The band has been repaired many times but the gold around the stone is original.

Our first confirmation of its authenticity was when I received a drawing of our family's coat of arms from a lady in Florida who was married to a Pickering of our family. (He was a descendant of Henry Alfred.) I was truly thrilled to be able to match the ring to the drawing. And since then I have seen proof of our family crest from many members of our family who have been the recipients of the same drawings with Charles William Harrison Pickering's name at the bottom. I would certainly say that it's a safe bet that the ring originates from at least the mid 1800's and probably comes from CWHP. I'm still doing research to understand where our crest came from and what the motto means. I'll keep you informed.

Don't forget to visit the Family Crest and Coat of Arms page.

The silver cup shown here was passed down to William Harrison Pickering, Jr. [1917-1996] and has now been handed down to his daughter, Carol.

It's a cast silver cup about 10" high with the entwined initials of CWHP on one side and the "lion's paw through a ducal crown" on the other. There are also five markings from the silversmith. So we think this cup must have belonged to CWHP. I'm tracking down the hallmarks to see if we can date the cup through the maker.

Hallmarks on cup:

 

 This beautiful locket was owned by Clara Isabella White "Bell" Pickering [1852-1898] who was the wife of Charles William [1841-1928]. Bell's great granddaughter Corene Crissie Say Wilson inherited the locket from her Aunt Lillian.Corene and has kindly shared photos of this finely crafted locket with us.

Photos are courtesey of James W. Wilson, her husband.

 
FAMILY FACTS

On December 31, 1977 I had a phone interview with a descendant of Henry Alfred Pickering [1847-1940] and Frances Rosamund Martin [1844-1888]. Henry was the foruth child of CWHP. The following are family facts as handed down to him:

  • Henry received a copy of the family crest at Birkenhead, England. He was a Naval Officer and his great grandson will inherit a sword inscribed to Henry.
  • Henry helped lay the Transatlantic cable and his father relayed the first message.
  • Henry was an organist
  • He also worked vinyards in California and then returned to England to finish his education
  • He owned a model of the ship "Cestrian" which which is now owned by a family member
  • He thinks one of CWHP's daughters went to Australia (research shown a very large Pickering family group in Australia, Canada, Massachusetts, and Washington state.)

Check the personal page on Henry Alfred as there is an detailed history that was dictated by him to his granddaughter.

Meanwhile, just recently I discovered a web site that listed the history of the ship "Flying Scud" which was re-named the Cestrian and was owned by G.H. Pickering. I am making inquiries about the details of this ship and the ownership and will let you know what I find out soon.

Please e-mail with your comments, changes and additions
Webmaster: Connie Pickering Stover / cstover@fastq.com