Mary Tyler (Week 10 - MFMMM)

[Merry]

Regarding Mary Tyler - when I was going through a box of stuff I'd inherited years ago and had looked at many times before, I found a lock of her hair which I'd not come acrss before (In an envelope with her name on it, I think written by her dau, my gg-grandmother). As she died in 1841 I think this is my oldest hairy relic lol She had pretty hair - between strawberry blonde and a light red auburn. You don't find that info on census records unfortunately!!

[ElizabethHerts]

Originally Posted by Merry

Regarding Mary Tyler - when I was going through a box of stuff I'd inherited years ago and had looked at many times before, I found a lock of her hair which I'd not come acrss before (In an envelope with her name on it, I think written by her dau, my gg-grandmother). As she died in 1841 I think this is my oldest hairy relic lol She had pretty hair - between strawberry blonde and a light red auburn. You don't find that info on census records unfortunately!!

Merry, do you think the lock of hair could have faded over the years (after death)?

OH's mother, now 94, had red hair, quite auburn. As she got older, rather than going grey it went paler to a strawberry blonde colour.

[Merry]

Merry, do you think the lock of hair could have faded over the years (after death)?

I don't know really. It has been in the dark all the time. I also have the hair of her daughter and son-in-law. One of them appears to be absolutely white and the other black. I am not 100% certain which is which (they are together in an envelope marked 'Mama and Papa' written by their daughter), but the point being one is virtually black, so that has probably held it's colour. Maybe it depends on the individuals hair? My mum had her very long hair cut off when she was 21. She still has the offcut in a box in her dressing table drawer (she is now 86) and it is dark auburn, but her hair was black until she was around 60, so that cut hair has faded.

I have to say I do find all this hair rather macabre! I presume each lock was cut after death, but I don't know that for sure. I also have a little stub of baby hair cut from a cousin on the day of his birth in the 1860s. My family are definitely hoarders! lol