Ancestral Hair Locks Rediscovered in Family Home

Richard Baxter, 47, of March, Cambridgeshire, experienced an unusual connection to his ancestors. While tidying his deceased mother’s residence in the town, he discovered two brown paper bags inside a bedroom wardrobe. Mr. Baxter reported an astonishing find: hair belonging to his great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers, preserved in immaculate condition. He indicated his intention to retain these hair samples, some originating from 1897, “for posterity.” Mr. Baxter recounted, “My mother told me years ago that the hair had been thrown out.” He added, “I had seen the locks as a youngster, and can remember my grandmother telling me that the sandy ones were from my great-great-grandmother.” Ann Walton (née Bailey), born in Somersham in 1847, resided in Whittlesey and married Benjamin Walton, a builder. Mr. Baxter expressed his belief that Mr. Walton constructed numerous buildings in Whittlesey that remain standing today. Her hair is presumed to have been gathered and preserved as a keepsake following her death in 1897. Within the second paper bag, Mr. Baxter located a significantly darker, denser “pony tail,” which bore a striking resemblance to one he himself wore some years prior. He stated, “Again, the information had been passed down that this was a lock from my great-grandmother, Emma Marie Walton.” Born in 1877 and deceased in 1910, she also resided in Whittlesey. Mr. Baxter mentioned, “We were told that around 1908, she got a job working as a nanny in Montague Street, in Bloomsbury.” He learned that a photograph of his great-grandmother was captured approximately when she secured this London position, as the role necessitated shorter hair, leading to the pony tail being cut at that time. Mr. Baxter affirmed his intention to retain the hair samples “for posterity,” noting that despite some family members and friends considering it “a bit bizarre,” he regarded them as integral to his life and was “very pleased to have them,” particularly after believing they had been discarded years ago. Robert Bell, a curator at the Wisbech and Fenland Museum, commented that preserving hair locks as keepsakes for both living and deceased individuals has been a longstanding practice. He explained, “The choice of hair as a physical reminder of a person probably arises from hair’s chemical make up, which helps it escape the decay of the rest of the body.” Bell further elaborated, “The trend for producing mementos using the hair of the dead peaked with the Victorians, who would place locks of hair from their deceased loved ones in jewellery, such as lockets and brooches.” Mr. Bell concluded, “Whilst familiar with jewellery and small envelopes containing locks of hair, I have never before seen such long tresses as those of Mr. Baxter’s ancestors.” For updates on Cambridgeshire news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.