Welcome to the British countryside!
Pictured is a Cathedral in Gloucestershire.
Although they met in Rhode Island, my 4th great-grandparents Caleb and Emma (Brown) Merritt both grew up in Gloucestershire. Their ancestors can be traced back to the 1600s in Gloucestershire.
Gorgeous Gloucestershire
This beautiful British countryside has seen some violence in the past. In Sudeley Castle lived Queen Katherine Parr, the 6th and last wife of King Henry VIII, and King Charles I when he sought refuge during the Civil War. In Berkeley Castle, Edward II was murdered. (historic-uk.com)
It borders Wales, which may explain why my DNA story includes Wales even though I have no record of ancestors from there in my tree yet.
The woolen textile industry using sheep was huge from about the 14th to 18th centuries. Iron working and coal mining also made a debut during the industrial England, but now it's mostly farms again. (Britannica.com)
Again, I fall in love with the old British town from which a Massachusetts town gets its name. While, Gloucestershire, England boasts castles and history, I love that Gloucester, Massachusetts boasts a greasy pole in the middle of the water where each summer men try to run across in competition.