The Five Sons of Charlie Gisby
In the third week of June 1859, Charles George Gisby was coaxed, squalling, into this world in the prosperous Victorian seaside resort of Margate. But young Charlie was not born into that prosperity. His birthplace was a house up a narrow lane called Alkali Row, which was then (and still is today) no more than an insignificant gap between the grand facades of the buildings on King Street sweeping down to the harbour.
In a lifetime spanning nearly eighty years, Charlie would rise above his humble origins. He would become a fisherman, a shopkeeper and a businessman. He would serve in the defence of his country during the Great War. He would meet and marry two striking women, and suffer the dramatic loss of one of them. And he would father four fine sons, one not so fine and a daughter. His story and the story of his five sons are narrated in this family saga.
It is a saga rich in colour and drama. Wars are fought in the course of it. There’s a memorable patriarch. There are untimely, mysterious and tragic deaths. There’s a plane crash and an accidental suicide. And there’s a larger-than-life cad and bounder.
Charlie and his sons may have been “ordinary people”. But this is no ordinary saga.
In a lifetime spanning nearly eighty years, Charlie would rise above his humble origins. He would become a fisherman, a shopkeeper and a businessman. He would serve in the defence of his country during the Great War. He would meet and marry two striking women, and suffer the dramatic loss of one of them. And he would father four fine sons, one not so fine and a daughter. His story and the story of his five sons are narrated in this family saga.
It is a saga rich in colour and drama. Wars are fought in the course of it. There’s a memorable patriarch. There are untimely, mysterious and tragic deaths. There’s a plane crash and an accidental suicide. And there’s a larger-than-life cad and bounder.
Charlie and his sons may have been “ordinary people”. But this is no ordinary saga.
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Reviews |
George Polley, Author (Japan)"What's in a Name?" Brendan Gisby asks in the title of the Foreword to this interesting history family saga. "What's in a name?" is a question that millions of people ask every day, often chasing down the origin of their own family name. It's a question that intrigued one of my own ancestors, Benjamin Kendall Emerson, that he traced the history of his own family from the time they first arrived in Ipswich, Massachusetts. A great-aunt gave me the book he had privately published in 1900; my eldest son now has it. Out of curiosity, I just now looked it up online and discovered that it's been reprinted by Kessenger Legacy Reprints and is available on Amazon.com. So who knows where The Five Sons of Charlie Gisby will end up in years to come? Hopefully read and reread as often as I read that book about one branch of my family.
But even more interesting than the question "What's in a name?" is the question "Who is there?", because this tells the stories of the people, where they were from, how they got there, what happened to them during their lives. It's an interesting adventure, and Brendan and his cousin Phil Gisby have written a most interesting history of their family. If you enjoy reading family histories, if the name "Gisby" shows up somewhere in your family tree, or if you're just curious, buy yourself a copy of this fine book. Brendan Gisby, by the way, is the author of several fine books, including a memoir of his father (The Bookie's Runner) and The Island of Whispers, being his most recent. Tiffany Harkleroad, Reviewer (USA)Having grown up thinking he had few blood relations, Brendan was surprised when Facebook brought so many Gisby family members out of the woodwork. Through the miracles of social media, the progeny of Charlie Gisby were able to connect and learn the rich tales of their family history.
I am a sucker for a great memoir, particularly when it involves family lineage. Having come from a family with its own rich history, I simply adore learning about other families, particularly of the same time period. Brendan and Phil allowed me, through this book, to glimpse the drama of their family. Since my own grandmother was born in the early 20th century, I was able to relate to a lot of the issues that the Gisby family encountered, including both World Wars, having seen the impact of the same issues on my own family. I love that the history of this family blends personal accounts with historical documents from the same period. It helped to reinforce the living history which all our families hold. I found myself really rooting for all of Charlie's sons, and feeling quite connected to them. If you are interested in genealogy, and the types of personal stories that can be revealed through genealogical studies, I think you will love this book. Additionally, the book will appeal to fans of historical writing and memoirs. |