Friday, March 27, 2009

The Twouble with Twitters

In this video a young man struggles against the pressure to Twitter his life away. This funny little video really highlights the problems I have with some genealogists who twitter. I don't want to know what restaurant they are dining in, their visits to the dentist or other things associated with everyday lives. I use Twitter as an information source to hear of new resources and ideas.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

DNA reveals story of dad's disappearance | ScrippsNews

DNA reveals story of dad's disappearance | ScrippsNews

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British Probate Survey needs speedy response.

From Ancestors Magazine Blog:

John Briden HMCS (Her Majesty's Courts Service) is hoping to get the Probate Calendar Indexes to Wills and Grants, issued since 1858 in England and Wales online. The index includes the full name and address of the deceased and date of death. See http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1226.htm He has put together a short questionnaire and would like to receive as many responses as possible by Friday 27th March. I realise that this is very short notice but if you are able to help by responding to John it would be appreciated.

Copy and paste the questions below into an email, add your answers and send your responses to john.briden@justice.gsi.gov.uk

Q1. If the probate calendar was available on the internet, would you use it?

Q2. If you would use it - how often would you use it?

Q3. What probate information would you be interested in seeing online, and why that particular information?

Q4. Would you like to order copies online, and be prepared to pay for them online?

Q5. Would you prefer to access the calendar online, but order and pay for copies by post, or by telephone?

Q6. Would you be prepared to pay a premium to the fee, in addition to the normal cost for a more immediate service?

Name shame causes Cock shrinkage but Wang is on the rise | The Australian

Name shame causes Cock shrinkage but Wang is on the rise | The Australian

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Story about the history of surnames has humourous reader comments.

MormonTimes - 9 ways to find hiding ancestors in databases

MormonTimes - 9 ways to find hiding ancestors in databases

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Some ancestors may seem like they are hiding. You know they are there, but normal record searches are not finding them. Michael Mansfield, a product manager at FamilySearch and a database expert, recently shared his top nine ways to coax ancestors out of the nooks and crannies of searchable databases.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Race on to identify diggers at Fromelles - National - BrisbaneTimes

Race on to identify diggers at Fromelles - National - BrisbaneTimes

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A team of historians and amateur researchers in Australia and Britain have been on the case, gathering as much evidence as they can to come up with a list of soldiers they believe lie at Fromelles.

If you’re enough lucky to be Irish... You’re lucky enough!


I must be lucky as all the ancestors on my father's side are Irish and there are a couple on my mother's side.

Going back through my pedigree the surnames I find are:
Bowe Connolly Cregan Curry D'arcy Gleeson Harrington Kealy Molloy Moore Ryan Tierney Wade.

Of these names I find the D'arcy, a French sounding name, intriguing. From this site I learn that "In Ireland the surname is of dual derivation, being either Norman-French as above, and originally followers of Strongbow, earl of Pembroke, who invaded Ireland in 1169, or as an anglicized form of the native Gaelic "O'Dorchaidhe", meaning a descendant of the dark one."

The earliest D'arcy ancestor I have located was John D'arcy from Templemore, Tipperary who was born in the late 1700's. He was married to married Mary Wade and had at least 5 daughters: Mary b 1814, Eliza b 1816, Bridget b 1820, Margaret b 1821 and Ellen b 1826.

John had died some time before 1839 when my 2nd great-grandmother Eliza b 1816 and her husband, Denis Tierney, emigrated to Australia on the ship "China". Eliza's sisters Bridget and Margaret also settled in Australia.

My grandmother claimed that the famous Australian fighter Les D'arcy, who came from Maitland, NSW near her home town of Dungog was her cousin. I would love to be able to find evidence to support her claim.

The luck of the Irish may assist me to one day find out more about my D'arcy ancestors.

This post was written for the 13th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture: "Irish Names"

Other side of the track | The Australian

Other side of the track | The Australian

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In Perth last week, the National Museum of Australia formally took custody of a collection of nearly 100 paintings and artefacts, 200 recorded oral histories and 15,000 photographic images by Aboriginal people with close links to the "whitefella" track (The Canning Stock Route), arguably the most comprehensive account of black-white relations in Australia's western desert region.

Community Heritage Grants from NLA - 2009

Genealogical Societies may fit the criteria to apply for one of these grants from The National Library of Australia.

"Community organisations such as historical societies, museums, public libraries, archives, Indigenous and migrant community groups which collect and provide public access to their cultural heritage collections are eligible to apply"

Applications close on June 5th 2009.Further information is available from the Library's Community Heritage Grants page.

Official Google Australia Blog: Expanding Street View in Australia

Official Google Australia Blog: Expanding Street View in Australia

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Good news for genealogists who want to check out far-flung Australian locations.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Readers in the Mist: National Biography Awards Shortlist

Readers in the Mist: National Biography Awards Shortlist

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Titles in this Australian shortlist will appeal to genealogists with interests in the areas covered.

Great Online Resource for Google Users

Google Guide is a comprehensive guide by Nancy Blachman, president and founder of Variable Symbols, Inc. (Mountain View, California), a company that specializes in consulting and training in technical software.

Particularly useful is the Cheat Sheet. A printer friendly .pdf copy of the Cheat Sheet is also available.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Cul De Sac — Gocomics.com: Comics, editorial cartoons, email comics, comic strips

Anzac Day-Weekends Broadcasting from Hyde Park

Snipped from an ABC 702 Blog - Share your correspondence from war zones

Alexander_kelly This Anzac Day, Weekends will honour our men and women in our defence forces.

Simon Marnie is broadcasting ‘live’ from Hyde Park (Saturday 25th April) as we bring you the pride, sadness and joy associated with Anzac day.

A couple of years ago Simon read out on-air, letters, sent to his family from his Grandfather - a WWI veteran.

As anyone who’s received correspondence from a war zone knows, letters written in time of war or conflict are written from the heart, some are chatty, some funny and some are full of pain.

One thing is certain, when you’re alone and so far away from home, letters, emails, phone calls are so important – they become a lifeline to Australia and to those they’re fighting for.

This year we want you to share your Grandfather’s story. … Or indeed, any family member who may have written from a similar situation.

Simon would love to share them with the audience by reading them out throughout the broadcast.

If you’ve ever had a loved one or relative serve in the forces, or if you’ve ever marched on their behalf then we want to hear your story.

Send an email to 702@your.abc.net.au Include a photo of the letter writer if you have one.

Unfortunately because of limited air time, letters should be no more than 1- A4 page in length otherwise we’d never be able to read them all. 702 reserves the right to published on the web and read on-air any letters sent in."

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Do you have ancestors from Blayney?

On a listserv this morning came news that a new Pioneer Register for the Blayney District is being compiled. Included in the Register to be published by Blayney Local & Family History Group Inc. in 2010 will be details of families from settlement to federation.

Further information is available from the society's website.

Top of the mornin to you

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish cousins.

From an ABC blog this morning comes a couple of Irish jokes:

Why can't you borrow money from a leprechaun? Because they're always a little short.

How can you tell if an Irishman is having a good time? He's Dublin over with laughter.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Media Diary Blog | The Australian

Media Diary Blog | The Australian

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"A unique online and television project will see people posting their personal history through photos, home movies, live webcams, sound recordings and text to a dedicated website http://www.makingaustralia.com.au for possible inclusion in a television series"

Friday, March 13, 2009

Queensland News

From Queensland State Archives

New Series

Two further burial registers which may be of particular interest to family history researchers are now available at Queensland State Archives. Series ID 18812 is a register of burials for the Ipswich General Cemetery from 1868 – 1979 while Series ID 18826 is a register of burials for the North Redland (Redland Bay) cemetery from 1908 – 1960. Both these series are open and available for perusal in our Public Search Room.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Australia's oldest man

Australia's oldest man

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An Australian super-octogenarian has recorded his family history for future generations.

Free women's history month event

From The State Library of NSW:

"To celebrate Women's History Month, we're opening our Members' Room to the public for a special open viewing of 16 rare and remarkable items relating to eight significant women in Australian history, including Ethel Turner, Nancy Bird Walton, Elizabeth Cook and Dorothea MacKellar. Library experts will be on hand to answer any questions about the intriguing treasures, such as Dorothea MacKellar’s hand-written first draft of her famous poem "Core of my heart" (later re-titled "My Country")
Tuesday 24 March, 10am - 3pm, Members' Room, Free"

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Albion loss strikes heritage battle - Local News - News - General - Forbes Advocate

Albion loss strikes heritage battle - Local News - News - General - Forbes Advocate

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Residents in Forbes, NSW, mobilise to save their heritage

Brothers and Sisters

This is posted as part of 11th Edition of Smile For The Camera (http://shades-smileforthecamera.blogspot.com/



I was an only child and, although I had a very happy childhood, feel that I missed out by not having brothers and sisters to share the ups and downs of family life. Being an only child influenced my decision to have four children. I revel in the times when my family gets together and watch with pride as my offspring enjoy, help and support each other.

My Mother was from a family of five girls with an older step-brother. These photos from Mum's family album show her with her brother and sisters.


Mum and her sisters were members of The Junior Red Cross in Cobar, NSW.
Clockwise from left: Kathleen, Elsie, Mother Ethel, Eileen, Lillian, Father Frank and Mary Duncan. c. 1936.



At a Family Wedding in Sydney, NSW in 1978
L-R Kathleen Duncan, Elsie Duncan, Eileen Duncan, Mother Ethel, Brother Bill Chatfield, Lillian Duncan, Mary Duncan.

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