My Family Trivia Quiz

Answer: Blackpool

Blackpool in Lancashire developed as a major seaside resort once the railway reached the town in the 1840's. Many of Blackpool's most famous attractions were built in the second half of the 19th century including 3 piers, the famous Tower in 1894 and the gigantic wheel at the Winter Gardens in 1896.

The Golden Mile is a stretch of Blackpool's seafront with amusement arcades, shops, cafes and other attractions.

Answer: Preston

Preston grew from a medieval market town into a cotton-weaving town during the Industrial Revolution. It became the administrative centre of Lancashire after the First World War but city status eluded the town until 14th March 2002 when the Queen granted it city status in her Golden Jubilee year.

Answer: Dahlia

Dahlias originated in Mexico where they are the national flower. The plants were sent to the Netherlands in the 19th century and plant breeders have since produced many different varieties of this brightly coloured flower. The flower was named after an 18th century Swedish botanist, Andreas Dahl.

Answer: Lucy

Charles M. Schulz created the 'Peanuts' comic strip which debuted in seven newspapers on 2 October 1950 and continued until his death in 2000. Lucy was the crabby, bossy member of Charlie Brown's gang, the one who shouted and yelled a lot and who dispensed advice whether anyone wanted it or not.

Answer: Lancaster

John of Gaunt was a son of King Edward III and inherited the lands and title of his father-in-law, the first Duke of Lancaster, in 1362. The Lancastrian estates were seized by Richard II when John of Gaunt died in 1399 but Richard was then ousted by John's son, Henry Bolingbroke who became King Henry IV.

Henry undertook a huge building programme at Lancaster Castle which included a twin-towered gateway which was named after his father.

Answer: Spain

Catalina is a Spanish name meaning 'pure'. Variations of the name include Catherine and Kathleen. Although the name goes back in my grandmother's family to the 17th century, I have not yet found the Spanish connection!

Answer: Primitive Methodists

Hugh Bourne developed a reputation as a zealous preacher and when he refused to accept the Methodist leadership's ban on outdoor meetings in 1808, he was expelled from the movement. Bourne and his followers became known as Primitive Methodists and sometimes as 'Ranters'.

The first Primitive Methodist Chapel was build at Tunstall in Staffordshire in 1811. By the mid-19th century the membership had increased to about 80,000 with 500 travelling evangelists and more that 1,200 chapels. All my great-grandfather's nine children were born in different places in the Midlands and Yorkshire.

Answer: Lady Isabella

'Mona's Isle' was the first of the company's steamships and went into service in 1830, taking about eight hours to sail from Douglas to Liverpool. The 'Ben-my-Chree' (1851) was the first of the steamers to be built of iron; her name means 'Woman of my Heart'. 'Mona's Queen' was my great-grandfather's last command in the 1860's and had a figurehead which was supposed to be a likeness of Queen Victoria. 'Lady Isabella' is the name of the waterwheel at Laxey in the Isle of Man.

Answer: Farmer

The term 'yeomen' was used in the 19th century to describe men who owned land and farmed it himself, in contrast to 'gentlemen' who did not labour with their own hands. The term dates from the Middle Ages when a yeoman represented the status between a knight and a household servant. Incidentally, my great-grandfather was also all of the other answers during his very versatile life!

Answer: New York

Luzerne, in Warren County, New York state, is at the confluence of the Hudson and the Sacandaga rivers. It was once a centre for the manufacture of bookbinders' leather. The industry declined with the shortage of hemlock bark needed for the tanning process. The museum in Luzerne was once a family home and is named after a descendant of the family who gave the house to the town.