Elizabeth Grace Porter – Week 5.

We all know to well that life is very good at throwing us endless stress, more bad days than good. Life is hard at times, truly hard.
We all go through struggles, some days we cope, others we don’t cope as well.
Not matter what happens in our lives, good, bad or ugly, we are all heading down the same path, to the same ending.
Life for some may be rich, some poor, some happy, some sad, all the while we are making memories, memories that leave a mark on the people around us. Making history.
This week 52 weeks challenge is about one of the most heartbreaking stories in our family’s history, I hope that through learning about the heartbreak, Elizabeth Grace Porter would have left behind her, the memories she would have embedded on her love ones, you’ll see that no matter what life throws at us, life isn’t always as awful as we think, it could be so much worse.
Life is short, way to short for many and that’s why we should live our life’s the best we can.
Love the ones around you, cherish every single person in your life because we really do not know how long we have the people we love, adore and cherish.

My great, great, great-grandfather Isaac Porter, his wife my great, great, great-grandmother Jane Porter nee Gibbs, and their children, lived at Alum Bay, Freshwater, Isle of Wight. Alum Bay is a bay near the Western most point of the Isle of Wight, England, within close sight of the Needles rock formation, the perfect place to bring up a family.

Elizabeth Grace Porter, my great, great, great-aunt was born on the 14 June 1869 at Alum Bay, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England.

Her father Isaac was a Life-guard at the time of his daughters birth, your hear more about his life over this 52 week challenge. Its an interesting one.

Elizabeth Grace was christened on the 25 July 1869 at Freshwater

Not even a year later, Elizabeth Grace died, on the 19th July 1870 at Alums Bay, Freshwater, Isle of Weight.  😢

When I started researching this branch  of my tree, a good few years ago now, I came across the awful fact that she had died, I had an awful feeling come over me, I needed to know why, what was wrong with her? Why did she leave this world so young?
I knew that a lot of children died young but for some unknown reason, Elizabeth Grace death weighed heavy on my mind.
I brought her birth and death certificates. It seemed to take forever for them to arrive, she was never far from my mind.
Two brown envelopes land on my door mat, the answers were finally there in front of me.
Normally when I receive certificates I can not wait to carefully open them and discover a little more about my ancestor who’s history I hold in my hands.
This time was different. Fear of the unknown came over me, why I will never know but I knew I had to open them even though I was uncertain what they would uncover.
In that moment I wish I hadn’t. I was horrified by the words written.

ACCIDENTALLY SUFFOCATED BY FALLING INTO A PRIVY.

What an awful way to die. My heart wept for her and her family.
Of all the hundreds of certificates I have brought over the years, little Elizabeth Grace Porters death certificate stays forever foremost in my mind. I just can’t come to terms with the fact this 13 month baby girl had suffocated in a excrement.

An inquest was held at the Needles hotel, Alum Bay by E.F.Blake, esq deputy coroner to enquire into her death.
The Jury without the least hesitation returned a verdict of
“Died from Suffocation”

Elizabeth Grace Porter was laid to rest on the 22 July 1870 at Freshwater, Isle of Wight, Hampshire. Plot H5 788.

Her monument inspiration reads, Elizabeth Grace, fourth daughter of Isaac and Jane Porter, died July 19th 1870 aged 13/15 months.

 

When your life is giving you nothing but hard times, when each day is faced with dread, just think of this poor little soul, who had the world at her feet, who should have fallen in love, married and lived until she was grey and old. Think of her family who lost their daughter in the most horrific way, who never got to see her grow up, marry, or hold their grandchildren in their arms.
Life really isn’t that bad when you put it into prospective.

🦋🦋🦋