Jax Trax

We found Ballantarsin!

2016-06-07T13:08:00.000+10:00

Well, I didn’t but Mum and Dad did.

They’d tried the closest historical societies in Mortlake and Terang and although not finding Ballantarsin, they did find a ‘new’ cousin of Mum’s who drove them around the district.

They went to the biggest town in the area, Warrnambool Historical Society and they had old parish plans showing subdivision of “Long’s Estate” for closer settlement. They could locate some roads and lanes on these and some fire maps.

Parish map: numbers above the asterisk on W Graham block is about where the house is.

Ballantarsin today

So off Mum and Dad went, driving all around the district in freezing gale force winds – you have to admire their determination!

Finding nothing, they gave up and started for home.

Still keeping their eyes open, they found something but it was on the wrong side of the road.

They met the owners of the property who were very excited to learn some of the history of part of their very large dairy farm. They had never heard of it being called Ballantarsin.

The dairy farmers were using the house for a share farmer and it was empty until this day – the new tenants turned up just as Mum and Dad were finishing their photos inside and out – amazing timing.

The property is now called Crieve Hill.

House datestone AD 1876

Ballantarsin was owned by mum’s grandparents from 1918 to 1922.

The map above has an asterisk on the ‘W Graham block’ and this is probably the milking shed. The house is closer to the numbers above and right of this.

So now Mum and Dad are busy dating some old photos, and noticing how grand the garden and house had been. The old stone fence that is still on the property today can be seen in the background of some of our photos.

Inside Ballantarsin today

Dad’s put some of the old photos together to take to the current owners who are very keen to have them.

Ballantarsin today

Of course this leads to more research:

The closer settlement subdivision of Long’s Estate.

and

Locate the Long’s previous property Warrawong at Glenormiston North. Edward and Sarah Long had sold this property to O’Keefes who had taken possession on 1 Oct 1918. The Longs sold Ballantarsin through McDonald Bros Mortlake on 15 Aug 1922 and took possession of their next property Watch Hill on 18 May 1922.

Many of the snippets of information, and dates of purchases and sales have been gleaned from mum’s aunt’s (our Auntie Jean) diaries and newspaper clippings. In amongst the day to day activities are little snippets of gold, it just takes someone with the time and patience to read through them all – lucky Mum kept them!

Stone fence at Ballantarsin today

My Nanna and her horse.
Is this the same stone fence in the background?

Inside Ballantarsin in the 1920s

The author of the diaries, Auntie Jean (Long) driving my Nanna
in the family Adler at Ballantarsin

Edward, Sarah and son Bill in Adler at Ballantarsin

A very surprising death notice

2016-05-21T14:29:00.001+10:00

I was visiting Mum and Dad recently and arrived by train.

Pretty much as soon as I got in the car, Mum pushed a newspaper page into my hands

“Look at this!”

It’s a death notice for a lady with the same name as my Mum, and living in the same area.

I photographed it and texted it off to my brothers, sure of a couple of interesting responses:

One brother: "She should have told us!"

The other:

"Not sure if I can take time off for the funeral as I’m about to go on leave. Any chance we can delay for a few more years?"

Mum went into her favourite coffee shop to a greeting of

“Oh! I’m so glad you’re not dead!”

The age (and family names) does give it away but if you were only skimming headlines, you could easily draw the wrong conclusion.

Of course the next question is:

Are they related?

Where is Ballentarsen (Victoria)?

2016-04-21T14:48:00.001+10:00

I’m spending a week at my parents and Mum raised one of her ‘mysteries’:

“I wish I knew where Ballentarsen is / was.”

Ballentarsen / Ballantarsin / Ballentarsin was the name of one of the properties where her mother (Mavis Garrett nee Long) and grandparents (Edward Long and Sarah nee Stonehouse) lived.

(We have different spellings on various documents and photographs.)

It was in The Sisters / Ellerslie / Ballengiech area of the Western District of Victoria (see map below).

Sometime in the 1970s, Mum’s sister drove her mother, aunt and uncle to the house but now doesn’t remember exactly where it was.

She took some photos (included).

The house looks like it’s made of solid stone, so could be still there.

Our timeline seems to show that they lived there between 1918 and 1922.

They sold their property at Glenormiston Warrawong to O’Keefes with possession date of 1 Oct 1918.

They sold Ballentarsen through McDonald Bros, Mortlake on 15 Aug 1922.

The purchase of their next home Watch Hill in Beeac was on 18 May 1922.

I’ve written about the beautiful Watch Hill a couple of times previously, including here.

The only thing I’ve found that relates to any spelling of Ballentarsen on Google or Trove is a reference on the Terang Cemetery Index to a James Graham who died in Feb 1919 at Lake View Keilambete, which is in the same area.

Lake Keilambete was featured in some of the old photos from my Nanna’s collection.

This reference states that James Graham was born in Ballantarson, Inniskillen, Ireland about 1835.

Perhaps he lived on the property prior to my ancestors and had named it after his home town? Perhaps he gave it the name?

Perhaps he sold it in 1918 because he was ill? And moved to his elder son’s property?

Searching for James Graham reveals:

· his youngest son, Gunner Jack (John) Graham died 31 July 1918 aged 32, from effects of gas poisoning during WWI service.

· another son, Harry died in 1908 aged 25.

· at the time of enlistment (15 Sep 1914), Jack Graham’s next of kin was his older brother Charles Augustine Graham who lived at Lake View via Terang.

· Jack had two service numbers: 1136 in 1st Bn on enlistment and then 1235 in 14th FAB

· at the time of his death, James Graham had been ill for several years: possibly why Jack put his brother down as next of kin. His mother had died in 1900.

· The children of James Graham and Margaret Armstrong were: George (1867-1956), William James (1869-1939), Mary Ellen (1870-1954), Eliza Jane (1873-1966), Matthew Armstrong (1875-1954), Charles Augustine (1878-1940), Thomas (1880-? in Tasmania), Henry / Harry (1882-1908), Robert Johnson (1884-1969), John / Jack (1885-1918).

· Margaret Armstrong d1900 was the daughter of a Western District pioneering family.

· They married in 1866 in Victoria.

Ellerslie / The Sisters / Ballangeich / Keilambete area from Google Maps

5 generation Health History / Cause of Death chart

2016-04-13T14:05:00.000+10:00

Many of my family and friends know I studied biochemistry and immunology, and worked in hospital pathology laboratories for many years.

So, with my own fascination and inspired by Helen Smith’s blog including her health history charts, here is my own ancestral health history / cause of death chart.

It was hard to know what colours to use as there are many different causes of death, and multiple causes for some.

For most of these, it was hard to tell which was the overriding cause of death, and which just symptoms or other conditions that existed at the time of death.

I coloured the boxes or text of those with heart disease as that seemed to dominate my family’s chart – a fair warning to us all to take care of our heart now.

I’ve entered the age at death too.

Many lived long lives (especially for those early times) so no surprises that a number died of organ failure or senility.

I'm back / 5 (6) generation charts

2016-03-30T16:40:00.002+11:00

I’m back!

I made a new year’s resolution to resurrect my blog this year.

5 Generation charts

I’ve seen so many of these charts on other blogs and Facebook lately that I couldn’t resist giving it a try – and testing out my rusty old excel skills.

My places of birth chart is pretty boring compared to most of the others I’ve seen:

Everyone back to and including all my great grandparents were born in Victoria.

The 5th generation adds a little more colour with a few from Tasmania, and the rest from England, Wales and Scotland.

Then I tried a places of death: even more boring: only one death outside Victoria, in NSW.

It was so monochrome that I added a 6th generation to get some colour!

Then of course I had to add a 6th generation to my places of birth chart.

Here are the results:

Thankful Thursday(s) - a surprise win

2014-09-04T10:32:00.000+10:00

This time last week I got an email from Shauna Hicks, co-ordinator of National Family History Month sent me an email to say I had won one of the fabulous prizes from the many sponsors of NHFM.

I won a full registration to Congress 2015 in Canberra next March - the 14th Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry 26-30 March 2015.

What a wonderful prize!

There’s a great program of talks and workshops, and some amazing venues for the welcome function and dinner.

Then today, it arrived in the post - not just a note on how to register but beautifully presented - a special prize indeed.

I had been intending to register before the early bird registrations end on 31 Oct but hadn't got around to it.

Just like I haven't got around to writing my blog for ages.

Here’s my excuse: This is what I’ve been up to in the meantime: the first Volume of our Society’s WWI Commemorative books.

Maybe this is just the inspiration I need to get back to blogging.

Sepia Saturday – There were three in the bed and the little one said...

2014-05-24T19:24:00.000+10:00

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt is of girls on a bed with dolls and other ‘toys’.

As kids, my brothers and I were always climbing onto each others beds and ‘reading’ stories or making up stories using our toys.

There’s only 3½ years between the three of us so despite living on farms, there was always ‘someone to play with’, or to fight with!

Sepia Saturday – The (lost) innocence of youth

2014-05-17T08:56:00.000+10:00

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt is of a lady filling a sandbag - and a little boy in a sailor suit.

Straight away it reminded me of a photo of my father-in-law Arno van Bergen taken in Limburg, Netherlands around 1930 and wearing a ‘sailor suit’, and so a good prompt to begin writing his fascinating story.

Arno was born Johannes Arnoldus van Bergen in 1925 in Maastricht to carpenter Johannes Jacobus van Bergen (b1895) and tobacconist Maria Elisabeth Hardy (1898-1993). Many generations of both sides of his family had lived in Limburg, with his mothers family going as far back as I could trace - all from Maastricht.

The innocent looking boy in the photo knew nothing of what was to become of him as war broke out in his country by the turn of the decade. He had a very strict Catholic upbringing so he is almost certainly not wearing a sailor suit at all – it is probably a choir or altar boy’s outfit, and he is likely to be holding a bible or prayer book in his hands.

He was a mischievous boy who loved to run and play soccer. He was very good at maths. By 1940 he had probably finished school, or was in his last year.

Despite the destruction of the Wilhelminabrug and the Sint Servaasbrug (pictured)
German troops passed Maastricht, a vital traffic hub, relatively quickly.
Photo taken 10 May 1940 in Maastricht (from Wikipedia)

A month after his 15th birthday, on 10 May 1940, German troops invaded the Netherlands. The inexperienced Dutch Army held out for four days until the Germans bombed Rotterdam and 800 people were killed. The Royal family and the government went into exile in England. Anyone in a government position who stepped down was replaced by a member of the NSB, the Dutch Nazi Party. Some government officials tried to stay on to protect the Dutch people from things like conscription into the German army. Some newspapers and radio stations were banned or shut down in an attempt to control.

The aftermath of the 1940 bombing of Rotterdam from Wikipedia

Before he turned 16 years old, the first ‘roundups’ of Jews occurred, on 22 Feb 1941 and this shocked the Dutch so much the illegal Dutch Communist Party called for a national strike (and marches) three days later. It started in Amsterdam and spread to outlying towns. The Germans were caught by surprise and reacted by shooting at groups of strikers. The strikes didn’t prevent further persecution of the Jews but it did strengthen the disgust for National Socialism in the Netherlands.

In 1941 every Dutch citizen over 14 years (so including Arno) had to carry an identity card. Propaganda was increased, with an overwhelming amount of cinema newsreels, pamphlets, brochures and posters. Aversion to Jews was stirred up.

The Netherlands had pride in their educational system, with different religious groups having separate schools. The Germans had trouble gaining influence in the schools apart from giving preference to NSB teachers, banning school books and increasing the hours of German study. Pupils and teachers were fiercely anti-German so jokes and songs circulated.

Many more people became church-goers as protests were preached from the pulpit and clergymen urged their congregations to help those in hiding.

Catholic and Christian trade unions came under National Socialist leadership in 1941 and when the churches urged members to cancel their membership, 95% took their advice.

The standard of living dropped, imports were impossible and many goods were transported into Germany. There were long queues at shops, petrol became scarce and bicycle tyres were replaced with wooden ones.

Just after he turned 17, at the end of April 1942, all Jews were required to wear a Star of David, and deportations began in that summer. About 80% of the Dutch Jewish population was murdered in the extermination camps.

As Arno turned 18, the Germans decided they needed labour forces and announced 300,000 Dutch soldiers would be transported to Germany. Spontaneous strikes broke out and spread across the country. Known later as the ‘milk strikes’ because they were mainly in country areas where farmers refused to deliver milk to the factories. The German occupiers responded, executing strikers and shooting at groups of strikers. They insisted on all radios being handed in, resulting in many being hidden.

In May 1943, all men between the ages of 18 and 35 had to report for forced labour – this included Arno, aged 18 years and one month – bad timing!

About 140,000 Dutch citizens were taken to Germany and forced to work very long hours in factories that were Allied bombing targets. There were promises of good meals, cigarettes and payment, that in reality didn’t eventuate.

About 120,000 more were used to dig trenches and build fortifications in northeastern Holland – “soldiers without guns”. Arno was one of these - moved from his home in Maastricht, Limburg over 200 kilometres to the area around Lochem, Gelderland.

Many of those in forced labour died or suffered long term physical and/or psychological effects. Many tried to go into hiding but this was difficult as they had no money or ration coupons, and they were fearful of what would happen to their family.

This move was in one sense a good thing for Arno as it is how he met his future wife, and mother of my husband.

This post is long enough – I’ll talk to my mother in law and write more later – including how Arno escaped!

Treasure Chest Thursday – WieWasWie is now in English!

2014-05-15T21:09:00.000+10:00

Ever since the wonderful genlias website was ‘taken over’ by Wiewaswie, the ability to search (and read) Dutch records in English disappeared.

I was able to fill in lots of gaps in my husband’s family with genlias. It wasn’t completely in English but with the help of my mother in law and google translate, I was able to get lots of answers.

I’ve just seen on a blog from January this year that the new website is now in English! I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to notice.

I guess that’s what comes from bookmarking favourite websites and just clicking on them.

So now, a whole new (Dutch) world has opened up.

The WieWasWie (translates to WhoWasWho) database includes civil register records, church records, passenger lists of the Dutch East India Company and - for now - rarely memoranda of succession. Apart from these historical records, you can search user generated content, family trees and biographies by other users.

There’s even a video to help you use the site – produced by familysearch as part of their FamilySearch Learning Centre.

So much easier to read than the previous view - see below

Sepia Saturday – It’s OK to play games at the table

2014-05-11T21:52:00.003+10:00

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt is of two little girls playing games and an outdoor table.

I couldn't resist despite being swamped with proofreading for our Society's WWI book.

Among the large number of photos I scanned last time Mum and Dad visited there are a good number of kids (and some ‘grown ups’) having fun around tables. Who said you couldn’t have fun at the table?

The first: My great grandfather with his step children at the main table, and his children at the side table. My grandfather and his brother were close in age and had similar mischievous personalities as men, so I’m sure they were a handful as youngsters. This was taken around 1910 at Black Rock where they had a ‘weekender’, a little beach shack.

My mother in law pouring a cup of tea in the late 1920s – or maybe coffee as this was in the Netherlands. She lived in Lochem, Gelderland.

Then:

My mum and her sister having a tea party,

and then a bit older playing ‘shops’.

Then my 2nd birthday party with a couple of neighbours.

A Christmas party in my grandparents’ lounge room, with my brothers and cousins, the children of Mum’s sister - and of course - silly hats!

My brother’s 5th birthday party around a table in the backyard with the same cousins who at that time lived next door - and more silly hats!

Now living in the Wimmera, the back of the Kingswood station wagon became the table, this time probably in the Darlot swamp near Longerenong where we lived. I’m guessing this is my 10th and my brother’s 8th birthdays because there are two cakes – our birthdays are two days apart. My grandmother is also in this photo, holding her newest grandchild.

And the last:

Same clothes, different table, different cousin (my favourite ‘big’ cousin – really Dad’s cousin but only 3½ years older than me), and a special guest seeking food – a kookaburra. This one was probably taken at Zumsteins in the Grampians (Victoria, Australia).

Sepia Saturday – Lovely ladies

2014-05-04T20:21:00.000+10:00

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is a photo of five ladies taking part in what is described as a 'Greek Cymball Dance’ at a Sufragette Ball. It is suggested we may wish to hang on to that description as a possible avenue to explore if inspiration deserts you. Otherwise we have May Day, dancing, folk traditions or very silly poses; take your pick or forget about themes altogether.

I couldn’t come up with anything related to this but do have a photo of four lovely ladies posing for the camera.

My mother is the bride.

She made her own dress and those of her bridesmaids.

Mum and Dad will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary this year.

I’ve been very distracted from my blog lately.

I’m working as part of a team in our local historical society to publish three books of biographies of local WWI soldiers. We are in the final proof reading stage of Volume 1.

Trove Tuesday – Life in the WW2 Camps

2014-04-08T16:03:00.000+10:00

I’ve been writing this month about my grandfather’s experience of WW2.

This is the 5th in ‘the series’ about him – Sergeant Keith Leo Grenfell.

I found a couple of general articles in Trove about life in the camps and the requirements of the men.

Things I wouldn’t normally have thought about, or thought to look for.

One of my previous posts contained a fabulous video clip of the Bonegilla march.

I found an article highlighting the problems encountered during that march with the knitted socks sent to the men by ‘well-intentioned’ knitters.

Another article talks about the huge logistics involved in getting them all home for Christmas in 1940.

…and another, about the need for handkerchiefs pyjamas, sandshoes and musical instruments!

Shows accommodation huts, several men sitting on grass nearby.

The donor's father Douglas West (1896-1980) was a carpenter who worked on the construction of the camp buildings in 1941. The buildings were later used as a hostel for European immigrants.

Douglas West collection of Bonegilla photographs. State Library of Victoria

Sepia Saturday – Grandfather’s Dangerous WWII Training

2014-04-06T08:24:00.001+10:00

c1940 anti-aircraft training at Bonegilla

This post continues on with a study of my grandfather, Sergeant Keith Leo GRENFELL (1911-1944).

I’m linking the Sepia Saturday photo prompt (related to dangerous activities) to his training at two WWII camps – Bonegilla (near Albury) and Darley (near Bacchus Marsh).

I’ve already written about some of his military service, and the 150 mile Bonegilla march (with the fabulous old film clip - sepia and crackly).

Here are some photos I found on Trove from the two training camps that I consider to be ‘dangerous training’.

It was certainly dangerous training for my grandfather as he was wounded during one training and never really recovered.

But that is a story for another day.

Here are some fabulous photos from the Argus Newspaper Collection of Photographs, State Library of Victoria.

c1940 training with a medium machine gun at Bonegilla

We don’t have many photos of my grandfather, so imagine my excitement when I was flicking through the photos and came across one among the Physical Training group.

What do you think – is the fifth from the back my grandfather?

I’ve included a photo from our own collection taken just a few years earlier for comparison.

c1940 training with a medium machine gun at Bonegilla

c1939 Learning the correct way to throw hand grenades at Darley

c1939 Climbing over and through barbed wire fences at Darley

c1940 Learning how to disarm a soldier at Bonegilla

2nd AIF NCOs training, at Darley. Is it Keith, 5th from the back?

Keith with his son (my Dad)

Wordless Wednesday - The Bonegilla March

2014-04-02T16:07:00.000+11:00

Continuing on with my last two blog posts about my grandfather Sergeant Keith Leo GRENFELL (1911-1944) who lived and worked in Yallourn and his WWII experience…

I found this YouTube clip of his battalion, the 2/21st on the Bonegilla march in September 1940.

There is no sound unfortunately, but exciting nonetheless to know that he was in amongst these soldiers.

The text that is included with the YouTube clip is:

The only video of the 2/21st Btn marching from Trawool to Bonegilla. September 1940. In December 1941 they were sent to defend the Island of Ambon, most were taken prisoners by the Japanese after an estimated 20,000 marines invaded the Island in 1942. By the end of 1945 after 3.5 years in captivity only few survived.   The death rate of the Australian force was over 75%.

I’ve also included another clipping about the Bonegilla camp,

and a photo of troops marching at Bonegilla, from the Argus Newspaper Collection of Photographs, State Library of Victoria.

Trove Tuesday – Sergeant Keith Leo Grenfell – Part I

2014-04-01T15:34:00.001+11:00

It seems appropriate to start ‘ANZAC’ month with the Anzac closest to me but who sadly I never met.

When researching my Yallourn post for Sepia Saturday, I came across a couple of other articles linked to my grandfather, Keith Leo GRENFELL (1911-1944).

There are photos of my grandfather on that post.

Keith was a boilermaker / fitter / engineer at the Yallourn Power Station.

I found this article from 1937 (when he was there) on the vast undertaking at Yallourn, attributed to Engineers.

I found another where the Yallourn SEC engineers went out on strike and wondered whether he would have gone on strike too.

If he was at all like his wife and son, I can't imagine he would have gone willingly.

After reading through his military file, I searched and found a couple of articles about the amazing march from Trawool (near Seymour) to Bonnegilla (near Albury) his training battalion undertook in 1940.

And another praising the value of the Militia men in training the soldiers of the AIF.

In 1929, Keith enlisted in the 52nd Battalion of the Citizen Militia Forces (CMF) at the age of 18, in Caulfield. He was promoted to Corporal by mid 1930, then to Sergeant in October 1933.

In January 1937, Sergeant KL Grenfell transferred to Yallourn and was promoted to Company Sergeant Major (CSM) a year later.

After less than a year as CSM, he “Reverted to Sergeant at own request” and transferred to the 37th Battalion from the 52nd. I can’t see anything in his record to indicate why he would request a ‘demotion’.

On 26 June 1940, he enlisted in the 2/21st Battalion AIF.

This was just before his 29th birthday, although he claimed to be 30 years old.

At this time he was married to my grandmother and they had a son, my father.

He was promoted to sergeant within days of enlisting, probably because of his previous rank and 10 years service with the CMF.

He joined the assembly of the 2/21st Battalion at Trawool in Central Victoria.

They trained in Trawool until 23 September 1940 when they were moved to the Bonegilla camp near Wodonga.

The battalion made the 235km journey ON FOOT!, arriving on 4 October.

This was the longest military manoeuvre ever undertaken in Australia.

This battalion was sent to Darwin in March 1941 – without my grandfather.

I'll continue his story in a day or so.

Sepia Saturday – Floods in Yallourn, 1934-5

2014-03-30T14:31:00.000+11:00

The Sepia Saturday prompt for this week shows a barge crossing a flooded river or lake.

I didn’t have any flood photos in my massive sepia collection, so turned to Trove, the wonderful National Library of Australia search engine.

Floods at Yallourn 1934-5

I found a large number of articles and some great photos of the 1934 flood that filled the open cut brown coal mine at Yallourn in Victoria’s Gippsland.

The first three photos are from the JP Campbell collection of glass negatives documenting industrial enterprise at Yallourn, ca 1920-1940 (and held by the State Library of Victoria).

On 1 Dec 1934, flood waters burst the banks of the Latrobe River and 65 million gallons poured into the vast open cut mine at Yallourn.

Floods in the open cut c1934-5

The coal, dredgers, and other equipment (valued at more than £500,000) were all submerged and this left Victoria with electricity for only a week.

The plant supplying drinking water to the town was also under water, creating further problems.

A special train had to be chartered to bring milk, bread and meat to the town as all roads were cut.

The rains that caused the floods were unprecedented and broke the 71 year records held by the Weather Bureau – in three days, the Gippsland region had around 1100 points (about 11 inches, or around 280mm).

Yallourn Power Station c1940

This was followed closely by another flood at Easter 1935.

But this time, the emergency levees quickly built after the Dec 1934 floods were able to prevent further flooding in the open cut.

Pumping was still proceeding following the 1934 floods – by February, the open cut still contained 3.65 million gallons.

The pumps were set up on pontoons and drew off 1 million gallons an hour.

This all happened just before my newly-married grandparents moved to Yallourn. My grandfather, Keith Leo GRENFELL (1911-1944) was an electrical engineer (on his marriage certificate) and a mechanic / fitter (on the electoral rolls).

I’ve written a little about him before.

You can read some personal accounts of the floods on the wonderful Virtual Yallourn website – brought to my attention by another regular Sepia Saturday blogger, Sharon of Strong Foundations.

Front page news

Keith Leo Grenfell

Sgt K L Grenfell

Sepia Saturday – Robert Raikes

2014-03-24T15:34:00.000+11:00

A bit late this week due to a big birthday in the family and a trip interstate to all get together and celebrate it.

The Sepia Saturday prompt this week is a statue. I can only think of one statue linked to my family:

This is a statue of my 5x great grandfather, Robert RAIKES (1736-1811).

In 1880, a statue of him was erected on the Victoria Embankment (between the River Thames and the Savoy Hotel, London) to celebrate the centenary of the Sunday School movement. There is a copy of the statue in Gloucester and I think another in Canada.

Robert Raikes inherited the business of the Gloucester Journal from his father but is best known for establishing the Sunday School Movement.

We grew up with stories from our grandfather John Raikes GARRETT (1908-1992) about all this.

Pa was quite a storyteller so we didn’t really believe him, especially as he never seemed to go to church himself.

Much later when I started my family history research, I learned that this story was true.

Robert Raikes started school on Sundays when he realised that crime was connected to lack of education. He opened the first school in 1780 with the aim of providing (initially) boys with the chance to learn to read when most of those from lower social classes worked six days a week. He used his own paper, the Gloucester Journal to promote the idea, and just 20 years after his death (in 1811) about 1.25 million boys and girls were regularly attending school on Sunday.

Robert had married Anne TRIGGE in 1767 and they had 10 children, (two dying by the age of two). My 4x great grandmother Mary RAIKES (1773-1812) was the second daughter to survive infancy.

Mary Raikes married Henry GARRETT (1774-1846) who went on to become Vice Admiral of the White. They also had 10 children who all survived childhood.

My 3x great grandfather, John Thomas GARRETT (1802-1852) was their second son. I have written about him and the family before, here.

It was John’s son, Henry Raikes GARRETT (1838-1876) who came to Australia in 1858.

Trove Tuesday - Finding John Williams

2014-03-18T15:51:00.002+11:00

In a continuation of my blog yesterday, trying to find out more about John Williams, father of John Brooks / Brookes, ancestor of my new cousin Barry, I turned to Trove.

John Williams is really not an easy name to search – so common, both names can be surnames or first names, and both names can be street names.

But, narrowing down year and state by using filters helped a bit.

I wonder if these articles could be referring to ‘my’ John Williams.

It would sort of make sense if he had been convicted and jailed for something and that is why he was out of Jane’s life.

Both these offences occurred in 1841, the year young John was born.

I also think maybe Jane and John weren’t married.

When Jane and Thomas Brook/Brooke/Brookes were to be married, they had to complete an Application to Marry (a convict).

On this, Jane listed herself as Jane Cundell, not as Jane Williams. This was 21 September 1843.

Their daughter Mary Anne was born in July the following year, 1844.

I also found the death notice for John Brookes (son of John Williams) and so now know he died in Glenormiston and was buried in Terang - both in the Western District of Victoria where so many of the Brooks / Brookes family lived (and died).

Another couple of pieces in the puzzle.

Mystery Monday - Who was John Williams, blacksmith?

2014-03-17T16:48:00.002+11:00

I’ve had contact from yet another new cousin.

Jane Brookes nee Condell

Barry is descended from the first child of my 3x great grandmother, Jane CONDELL / CUNDELL (1821-1904).

Jane had a child before she married my 3x great grandfather, convict Thomas BROOK / BROOKE / BROOKS (1810-1894) in New Norfolk, Tasmania in 1844.

This child was born on 16 June 1841 and baptised on 25 June 1841 as John WILLIAMS, son of John WILLIAMS, blacksmith.

After the marriage of Jane and Thomas, young John was raised as John BROOKS / BROOKES.

I have not been able to find any further mention of ‘the’ John Williams.

It’s a difficult name to search – being so common, and with the surname closely approximating a first name too.

After Thomas’ conditional pardon in 1845, he moved to Mt Shadwell, near Mortlake in Victoria’s Western District.

Jane and the children followed after the birth of my great great grandmother Frances Eliza BROOKS in 1846.

John Brookes married Angelina SANDERS (1855-1952) in Mortlake on 25 April 1877 and they had three daughters and two sons:

Angelina Elizabeth, born 1878 in Ballarat, married Jeremiah Thomas SINCLAIR and died in 1943.

Emma Jane, born 1880 in Ballarat, married Henry LONG (son of Frances Eliza BROOKS, see above) and died in 1953.

Ernest John Thomas, born 1884 in Mortlake, married Ruth SHARROCK and died in 1971.

Albert Arthur, born 1888 and was Killed In Action at Pozieres in WWI in 1916.

Vida May, born 1898 in Terang, and married first Stanley BAXTER, then Percy BENNETT.

John Brooks died in Noorat on 16 January 1915 age 73 years and was buried in Terang cemetery.

Angelina, his wife, lived to the remarkable age of 96 years, dying in 1952.

I've previously written about Jane and her family here, and here.

Sepia Saturday – Memories of the Polio epidemic

2014-03-08T10:26:00.000+11:00

My Dad (left) and his mate Brian,
up on the back trellis fence.

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt photo is from a series of images showing the areas in Sydney affected by the outbreak of bubonic plague in 1900.

The suggestion is fences, backyards and bubonic plague.

I have fences, a big backyard and a polio epidemic.

Australia’s first polio epidemic was between July 1937 and July 1938. In 1947-48 and 1951-2 Australia had its 2nd and 3rd polio epidemics.

Most of those affected were children under the age of 14.

My parents remember a little about these epidemics.

During one of these epidemics, my Mum’s parents sent her and her little sister to her grandparents farm in the Western District of Victoria for a month or so.

Mum thinks her mother was with them for most if not all of this time.

She can remember helping around the farm, feeding turkeys and lambs, and also having picnics.

Mum (right) and her sister on the farm with
some kittens (paling fence around backyard)

Mum said they went for a very long time but it may have only been a month – everything seems longer when you are a kid!

My Dad was still living in country Victoria, in Yallourn at the time of the 1947-48 epidemic.

He thinks they were probably a bit isolated down there so wasn’t aware of much.

Both of my parents were living in Melbourne at the time of the 1951-52 epidemic.

They can remember, “kids just disappeared from school, never to be seen again”.

Dad says he remembers friends (young people) in iron lungs.

They then reminded me of the fuss I made when taken to get my polio vaccine. Seems I was a source of amusement for my brothers!

Time to stop the questions :)

Mum (right) and her sister feeding lambs, and keeping an eye on their
cousin Tony and his mate (barbed wire fence - very big backyard)

Mum (right), her sister and Nanna (Sarah Long) feeding turkeys on the farm
with a post and rail fence

Mum (left) with her sister and cousin Tony on the farm
(fence in background and big backyard)

Sepia Saturday – A Family on the Rocks

2014-03-02T09:01:00.000+11:00

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt is a photo of three men on rocks with a telescope.

When I saw this it reminded me of two sets of photos in my collection – so this is the second two blogs I’ve done for this prompt.

The first blog was a day or two ago, and was of my Nanna and her family (and dog) in their ‘back paddock’.

This one is of my Pa and his family.

Strangely both these sets of quite similar photos were taken well before they met and married!

Pa, John Raikes GARRETT (1908-1992), used to tell my Mum (his daughter) about how he used to go on weekend drives.

Sometimes he would go by car with his father, brother and sisters, and other times on his motorbike.

They certainly look like they were having some fun clowning around and striking poses on the rocks – but again, look at the clothes – men in three piece suits and ties, ladies in court shoes...

Pa also told Mum he used to ride his motorbike out past the property where his future wife lived, not knowing her at the time.

Most of these photos are taken on rocks by the beach but I wonder whether some of these photos were taken in a different part of the same Stony Rises that my Nanna and her family also posed in.

My Pa is on the left, then his sister Shirl. Brother Noel is on right

Pa is in the front with all the ladies, his brother Noel is back left.

Uncle Noel is on the lookout - without a telescope

Sepia Saturday – Nanna’s Rocky Backyard

2014-02-27T15:04:00.001+11:00

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt is a photo of three men on rocks with a telescope.

When I saw this it reminded me of two sets of photos in my collection – so I’ll do two blogs for this prompt.

The first blog is of my Nanna and her family and the second will be of my Pa and his family.

Strangely both these sets of quite similar photos were taken well before they met and married!

When my Nanna, Mavis Fanshawe LONG (1906-1982) was in her teens, her family moved to Watch Hill, Beeac in Victoria’s Western District.

I've written about this beautiful property before, here.

Their ‘back paddock’ was known as ‘the Stony Rises’.

When I asked Mum (Nanna’s daughter) about the Stony Rises, she told me,

“We used to go for picnics to the Stony Rises when we stayed at Watch Hill. This was a volcanic area, very large and some of it was on their [her grandparents] property. It hadn’t been cleared of rocks. We used to go rabbiting there with Pa [Edward Long] and the sheep dog called Budgie.”

Nanna loved animals, especially dogs, so it’s no surprise to see her dog Nip with her amongst the rocks in quite a few of these photos.

What is a little surprising are the clothes and shoes that they went climbing over these rocks in – even a fur coat!

(NB you can click on each photo to see it larger)

Nanna at the front, looking very happy - with dog by her side.

climbing in a fur coat!

Trove Tuesday – Married for 65 years

2014-02-25T18:25:00.000+11:00

In fact, they made it to 66 years!

Yesterday, I had a very excited phone call from my Mum. She and Dad had been to the Sunday meeting of the Terang & District Historical Society.

When they arrived, Mum was pointed to sit on a couch next to another lady, Betty.

As they chatted, they realised they were related – 2nd cousins – their grandmothers were sisters.

Not just any sister of Mum’s grandmother (Sara Henrietta STONEHOUSE) either, but the sister that my Mum was named after: Mary Janet STONEHOUSE.

Mum commented on the longevity in the Stonehouse family – Mary Janet lived to be 92, her sister Jane Elizabeth was 85 and Mum’s grandmother Sara was 80.

Betty (on the right) is 89 years old – doesn’t she look great?

(Yes, Mum, you look great too, but you are not 89!!)

Mary Janet was born in Victoria in January 1857 and lived until after the end of WWII, dying in June of 1949.

What amazing changes she would have seen!

This prompted me to look up the local newspaper of the time to see if there was any comment regarding Mary Janet living to such a great age.

I found an article about her and her husband, Hugh McCONNELL celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary.

Seems her husband was also long-lived – living to be 92, and celebrating their 66th wedding anniversary shortly before his death.

The Mrs Edward Long mentioned in this article is Mum’s grandmother Sara Henrietta, the baby of the family, born in 1873 when Mary Janet was 16 years old.

What a small world!

From Trove: Camperdown Chronicle Tue 8 Jan 1946 p2

Couple's 65th Anniversary Of Marriage

Mr. and Mrs. Hugh McConnell, of "Raloo" Kolora, celebrated the 65th anniversary of their marriage at their home last week. The marriage took place at Warrnambool on January 3, 1881.

Mr. McConnell who is the youngest and the only surviving member of a family of ten, came to Australia at the age of 16, with his parents from Larne, Northern Ireland, 72 years ago. They travelled on the sailing ship, "Great Britain," which took three months to make the voyage.

Mrs. McConnell is a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Stonehouse of Laang, Victoria, and with her sister, Mrs. Edward Long, of Beeac, are the only surviving members of a family of 11.

Mrs. McConnell is aged 89, has good eyesight and is a splendid knitter.

Mr. McConnell is a keen gardener and attends to the spacious garden at his home.

Nine surviving members of the family of 12, with Mrs Long, were present at the celebration.

The couple have 30 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.

Tech Tuesday - Apps for Genealogy - CamScanner

2014-02-18T13:11:00.000+11:00

While on the recent Unlock the Past Genealogy cruise, I was asked about some of the apps I use for genealogy.

It was then suggested that I write about some of these on my blog.

I am by no means an expert.

Most of those I will write about are just some apps suggested by others or found in iTunes that I have tried and used in my genealogy research.

Here is the first:

Partial view of CamScanner for iPad in iTunes

My favourite is CamScanner.

This comes as a free app for both iPad and iPhone (different apps).

I love this app because turns my iPad or iPhone into a portable scanner.

And, until archives and libraries allow us to take our Flip Pals in and use them, this is the next best thing.

You have probably tried to take a photo of a document (or photo) with your iPad and found that you either get shadows (because you are blocking some of the light source) or the image ends up a bit skewed (because you weren’t able to line it up completely square).

CamScanner helps in two ways:

- it can provide you with a grid – to help you line it up

- it can automatically correct the orientation of the document.

Partial view of CamScanner for iPhone in iTunes

The latter is the real bonus.

First you take your photo – and you must take it through the CamScanner app, not using the usual camera on your device.

The app then detects what it thinks are the edges and corners of your document.

If these are not correct, which often happens when there is a lot of white space (such as a letter), you are easily able to adjust the borders using your finger.

When you touch the screen, the corner magnifies so you can really hone in on the edge that you want. This also allows to you crop the image.

When you have adjusted all the corners and edges, you press Next to move onto some editing features, such as rotate, lighten / darken etc.

Then you press Save

When you press the share button, you can choose to email it as a pdf or a jpg.

You can also share it via, eg print or uploading to the Cloud.

I haven’t tried all the extra functions that come with this app (yet), including OCR, annotations and even watermarks.

If you have tried these, I’d love to hear how they worked for you.

This app does all I need it to do without purchasing the premium version.

I believe there is also a version for android devices.

Googling a Cousin

2014-02-16T15:10:00.002+11:00

Mum and I have recently returned from the 4th Unlock the Past genealogy cruise.

Mum and her aunt, Sandy's mum

Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers fame was one of the main speakers and I attended most of his talks (probably all of them).

In the latter part of the cruise, many of his talks revolved around different facets of Google and how to use them in our genealogy.

Mum and I have had an experience that is a perfect example of the message delivered in these talks.

Some time ago, I had a message on my blog (Google product: blogger) from a researcher.

He had a Google alert on the names of two people he is researching for a book.

One of these men was Mum’s uncle, married to her father’s sister, who died in 1978.

Mum was particularly close to this aunt as they shared a birthday, and it was this aunt who had introduced Mum’s parents.

Mum and Sandy - one of the few looking at the camera
- they were too busy talking most of the time!

Mum’s last contact with her cousin Sandy, their daughter was at least 20 years ago at a funeral.

The email address we were given by another family member was incorrect but did give us a clue to Sandy’s business name, which we were then able to find through a Google search.

Turns out Sandy had moved to Tasmania – and the UTP cruise was docking in Hobart.

Google maps helped us find their farm and Mum had her reunion with Sandy, spending many hours (way past her normal bed time) chatting, laughing, looking over photos and generally catching up.

I’m sure it will not be another 20 years (or another funeral) before they see each other again.

My Nanna, Mum, Sandy, Mum's sister and Sandy's brother picnicking

Sandy's parents with Mum's mother (right)