A photograph captures a moment in time, never to be forgotten, to be treasured, to shed a tear or a secret smile, only you know the meaning to.
Photographs are most probably the most important part of our history. They help us remember those moments that get a little muddled in our constant busy minds.
They freeze time so we can forever remember the faces, the souls, the love of the people who we have captured in the them.
So when one is lost, part of your heart is lost with it.

My husband’s family know the pain of losing something so important, and the reason for this post, in hopes that we can track down this precious piece of their history.

My sister-in-law Sarah Harris, nee Green has been tracing her family tree for as long as I can remember. Her passion for her ancestors is humbling, she truly respects, loves and honours the lives of the people who gave us ours.

At the moment she is researching her maternal branch of her tree, starting with her Nan Robina Maude Ellen May Wallace known as Bee, daughter of Robert McIntyre Wallace and Edith Ellen Southwell.

Robina’s father Robert was born on the 27 January 1898 in Southampton, Hampshire, England, the son of John McIntyre Wallace and Maude Elizabeth Clark.

Robert grew up in Southampton and became a fireman, working in one of the fire stations in Southampton, which one is yet to be confirmed or if it was during the war years. 🚒
He was also a taxi driver at some point.
His life was heartbreakingly cut shot at the age of 27 leaving his wife Edith Ellen with three young boys and heavily pregnant.
Their daughter Robina was born two weeks after her father’s death.
I’m sure you can all imagine the pain, heartache and loss that the family would have been going through. The heartache that Robina would never get to meet her father.

While Robert was working in the fire service, a photo was taken on him in his service uniform, which was framed and treasured by his grieving family.
Robina often talked fondly of this photo of her father, unfortunately when Robina, her husband Norman John Hillier known as John and their two children Robert and Janet Hillier moved from their home Oakleigh, East Dean, Hampshire to Carters Clay, Lockerley, Near Romsey, Hampshire, the beautifully framed photograph couldn’t be found while unpacking.
Robina never saw the photograph again, though she often reminisced and wondered where it could be.
Was in the loft space of Oakleigh? Is it still there?
Had someone found it and thrown it away? Or is it somewhere safe waiting for the family to track it down, so it can once be hung upon the wall, so those smiles, those tears, those memories can live on through his portrait.

Robina unfortunately never got the answers as she sadly passed away.
Her family is desperate to find the missing photo to reunite it with Robert’s grandchildren, great grand-children and hopefully pass it down to their great, great grand-children.

I know it’s a massive long shot, but if you remember Bee and John from Carters Clay or know of anyone that has lived at Oakleigh, East Dean, or the surrounding areas, please may I ask you to put the word around and help us track the very important piece of our history.
It would really mean the world to our family.

🦋🦋🦋