UPDATES
Thora O'Connor
Thora O'Connor (Digby's daughter, author's mother), died on 31st. March 2007. She had been unwell for several months, but had taken a keen interest in the biography, provided a huge amount of documents and memories, and delighted in the way that the project had brought different and distant family members together.
We found this old photograph of her wedding, taken with the Brand family at Estancia Blanche.
L-R: Jeff, Jimmy, Marjorie, Frank Adamson, Babs, Diggie, Pat, Vivien, Thora, Lottie, Molly
Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal
We found, among my mother's old books, a most interesting one that had belonged to Digby. It is "Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal", sub-titled "Eighteen Months in the Polar Regions in search of Sir John Franklin's Expedition in the years 1850-51". The author was Lt. Sherard Osborn, who commanded the ship "Pioneer", the first steamship to sail in those regions. The book was awarded by the Royal Naval School to "Master C. Brand, for distinguished attention to all his studies". It was he who later became Lt. Charles Brand, Digby's great-grandfather, the sailor and explorer who wrote the book describing his crossing of the Andes (see Digby Brand biography for details). The book was published in 1852, and gives a fascinating and detailed account of the search among the ice packs in the seas through which Franklin's lost expedition sailed in the attempt to discover a north-west passage to the Pacific ocean.
Spanish Translation
Work on the Spanish translation of the book is proceeding. Maybe published in 2008? Watch this space.
House at Estancia Rio Cisnes
The plan to restore the house that Digby built is proceeding. Hopefully it will be open for visitors before the end of 2008.
Visit to Barningham
My wife Ina and I visited the village of Barningham in November 2007. We explored the old church and the churchyard. We could find no trace of a gravestone for Hamilton, or any other memorials to the family. We were made very welcome at the old rectory, which is now the home of William and Brigid Martineau. It is a beautiful house set in fine gardens, with a fair-sized and beautiful artificial lake. It seems to be very little changed from the days when Hamilton was vicar, and when Diggie and Lottie visited from Patagonia with their two little girls in 1910 (see picture taken then, maybe in the same living room?).
(Barningham link is on home page).
