A Memoir

Memoirs are extremely valuable to the family historian. They provide vital clues in our understanding of our ancestral roots.

This is an excerpt from the memoir of Charles French Folland entitled "Family Matters". Written when he was 92, this page deals with an incident on board the ship 'Resource' after a terrible storm:

"One might have thought we had been in battle. One of the mates, the carpenter, several of the sailors and emigrants after it was over were wearing bandiges or limping about. I was among the latter having sprained a leg. But after a storm there's a calm and things were soon righted. Mr.V, the doctor and I used to amuse ourselves sometimes in shooting at bottles & one day a strange bird pitched on one of our yards. The doctor wanted it and asked the captain if he shot it he would allow a boat to be lowered to pick it up. He said, 'Certainly not, do you think I am going to risk the loss of a boat and the lives of two men for a worthless bird!' I said to the doctor, 'shoot it and I'll fetch it out.'

There was a boat slung at the stern of the ship so Mr.V. and I got into where we could not be seen from the deck he taking his rifle in case of a shark. I pulled off my coat and waistcoat, and the doctor fired and I jumped off the boat into the sea. But to my surprise when I rose and cleared my eyes of the salt water, the bird was some distance astern. I did not think of currants and thought the waters of the ocean stationary. My sence should have told me that river tides must be occasioned by the ebb and flow of the sea, and that I was now being carried from the ship and in for a long swim. And my trousers tireing my legs I commenced to take them off. They on board not understanding my movements thought I was in trouble. As I rose on a wave I saw the captains tall figure by the bulworks and two men in the boat all ready for lowering. But when the captain saw my trousers float away he understood what I had been doing and the boat was not lowered but the sailors stood ready. But I saw that the captain intended I should have a long swim. So twisting my shirt round my neck and holding the bird in my mouth I headed for the ship.

I found I was gaining on her. Probably the currant had become weaker, but their was a danger of the wind rising, so I exerted myself to the utmost, and al last came near enough to lay hold of a rope with a noose they cast to me. I sat in it, so to move my legs and arms free to wade myself. They pulled me about 15 feet, when the ship giving a pitch. I dropt into the water again close to the rudder and the churning of it there was alarming."

'Family Matters' - pages 72 and 73 - by Charles French Folland.

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If Charles hadn't taken the time to write the memoir, and include this fascinating snippet of life on board a sailing ship, his descendants would never have known about it. It's also interesting to ponder on the likelihood of Charles ever having kept a diary or journal. Judging by the detail, I would venture to say that he did.

A man of ingenuity, initiative and, maybe just a little foolhardy, this incident illustrates perfectly why he went on to become a highly respected and successful businessman in Australia.

I've mentioned before about 'fleshing out' our ancestors. That's precisely what a memoir does. It adds dimension and character to what is no more than a name on a pedigree chart. Through his memoir Charles comes to life. We can appreciate to some degree how his life experiences moulded Charles into the man that he became. All because one day he made the momentus decision to write his memoir.

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