Morris Family Tree

One storm, one tree, two ideas of childhood

The last of the old tree is gone.

The guy with the grinder came and removed the ragged stump two weeks ago while I was out shopping. I got home to find the corner of my yard raked strangely smooth, as if the tree had never been there at all.

Our property came with just this one tree, a scraggly conifer of some sort. It was a very tall tree, straight up, no shape to speak of. It provided no shade, no aesthetics, no branches for climbing. Pretty useless, as far as human-tree interaction goes. About as interesting as a pole.

Still, we hadn’t planned to remove it. After all, it was our only tree. And we did wonder if it could have been one of the original pines of the Pine Hills: in his pre-1920 Pine Hills nature study , Henry Slack notes that original trees were preserved here and there in the back yards of the newly built neighborhood.

But some things change because you change them. Other things change with or without you.

The tree came down some years ago on the night our new playhouse came in, a symmetry we appreciated. Their tales are woven together in the story of how our house became, little by little, our own.

When I was a kid I had always wanted a playhouse. I had a swingset in my yard, which was fun, but I was a story-making girl: A playhouse could be a log cabin, a school, a little shop, whatever I wanted. And the fun I’d have decorating it, with tiny everything! (Sigh.)

Now I have two daughters. And one of the side benefits of being a mom is the roundabout indulgence of your childhood self. I tracked down a playhouse on Craigslist from a Guilderland family whose girls had outgrown it, and I set my husband to the task of figuring out how to get it here.

Let me point out from the start that I was not home for any of this, and that my husband and his crew of heroic friends — who might not have understood exactly what they were getting into – all deserve medals. The Backyard Cross, for valor in the face of crazy ideas. And by “crazy” I mean “stupid,” except that it all worked out in the end.

The truck rental place had told my husband that all the flatbeds had been reserved for the next two months, so he ended up with a huge moving van – only a big one was tall enough to accommodate the 7-foot-plus playhouse roof. I have no idea how they got that playhouse into the truck. The thing was thick-walled, solid. (It easily fits two kids and a grown up for a tea party, plus a toy oven, a little table, two chairs, some shelves …) There was some rolling on logs, some heaving and ho-ing, a great deal of cursing. This part would be easy, it turned out, compared with getting the playhouse into our yard, but that won’t be part of this story.

Pork Pie Makers Dickinson & Morris Launch Family Tree Challenge ...

There aren't many businesses that can boast a heritage as far back as Dickinson & Morris. To celebrate their 160th year of trading, the company announced the launch of their 'FamiIy Tree Challenge' on 6th May 2011. The firm will be working alongside the popular Ancestry website in a bid to discover the living descendants of the business founders John Dickinson and Joseph Morris.

The Dickinson and Morris Business Founders John Dickinson and Joseph Morris

The now-famous pork pie business of Dickinson and Morris started out all those years ago in a shop in the town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. John Dickinson opened the shop in 1851. Thirty-five years later he employed an apprentice called Joseph Morris, who would go on to become a fully-fledged partner in the business in 1901.

The shop still stands proudly in the middle of Melton Mowbray, and the Dickinson & Morris pies can be seen in supermarkets all over the UK. The business has grown to sell not only its famous pork pies, but Stilton cheese, chutneys, sausages, bacon and also some cakes.

How Will People Find Out If They Are Related to The Dickson & Morris Founders?

Dickinson & Morris have enlisted the help of the Ancestry genealogy website, which encourages people to register to find out more about their family history. In addition, the pork pie firm have set up a special part of their website where contributors can share family photos and email specific details of their family trees, including any interesting documents and letters.

Stephen Hallam, Managing Director of Dickinson & Morris Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe said that the aim was to find "living descendants" of the original founders' families, adding that "it would be a fantastic opportunity to interact with those relatives and celebrate our shared heritage in this special year".

Those wanting to participate are also encouraged to use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to drum up interest and share family stories.

The Challenge Could Spark an 'Exciting Discovery'

At a time when there are still fears of economic stability in the UK, this campaign also raises awareness of the success of a local business which opened its doors over 150 years ago and still commands a strong presence today. As well as providing a boost to the Dickinson & Morris brand, the challenge reminds us that businesses can cope with ups and downs over almost two centuries and could raise morale among local businesses.

Morris family tree, Tapuae, 1880-1993

Morris family tree

The Morris family tree, a genealogy with history and biographies, compiled and published by Oliver M. Morris

The family tree, Schuster, Morris, Hollander

The Family Tree Problem Solver, Tried and True Tactics for Tracing Elusive Ancestors