My Great-Grandfather, Francis Duncan, who died 93 years ago today is a bit of a mystery man to me.
The only photo I have relating to him is one of his headstone in Cobar Cemetery.
When I started writing this post an hour ago I decided to see if I could find any new information on Francis who had been born in Victoria and who died in Cobar. As he never "married" his wife, Harriet Holmes (nee Magick), I don't know when or where he met her and as the births of his children weren't registered I cannot confirm their birth places and discover where frank and Harriet were living at that time. I have visited the Museum in Cobar but they have no information on Frank.
Where did I turn? Trove of course. In a short time I have placed Francis in Cobar from 1900, discovered that he was a carpenter, lived in Prince Street, leased land and ran sheep on it, did contract work for the local council and that his estate was probated (I hadn't found this at State Records - time for more investigation there). Two In Memoriam notices confirm the names of some of his grandchildren.
This post did not go where I expected it to go thanks to Trove., I am excited and on the hunt. The source of my joy today is The Cobar Herald (NSW : 1899 - 1914 that must have been recently added to Trove. I must away aand thoroughly read the articles I have found and conjure up a few more search strings to test out The Cobar Herald.
Maybe one day I'll find a photo of Francis and Harriet.
The only photo I have relating to him is one of his headstone in Cobar Cemetery.
 |
| Frank Duncan and Harriet Magick are buried in Cobar Cemetery |
Where did I turn? Trove of course. In a short time I have placed Francis in Cobar from 1900, discovered that he was a carpenter, lived in Prince Street, leased land and ran sheep on it, did contract work for the local council and that his estate was probated (I hadn't found this at State Records - time for more investigation there). Two In Memoriam notices confirm the names of some of his grandchildren.
This post did not go where I expected it to go thanks to Trove., I am excited and on the hunt. The source of my joy today is The Cobar Herald (NSW : 1899 - 1914 that must have been recently added to Trove. I must away aand thoroughly read the articles I have found and conjure up a few more search strings to test out The Cobar Herald.
Maybe one day I'll find a photo of Francis and Harriet.
Congratulations on your new findings Jill. It always pays to re visit doesn't it I love re checking Trove even though it sometimes takes me a while to find out about new additions.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've done the same myself. Follow up any random person on the family's tree and Trove comes up trumps!!
ReplyDeleteJill, Pays to keep looking doesn't it. I found a picture of my G grand father in a Wellington newspaper. A few year later and it still makes me happy when I see it. Fran
ReplyDeleteI read about Trove on your blog, as I just found a possible Gt gt uncle on an ancestry Public tree [no sources] He disappears from Scotland in the early 1880.The funeral notices and his childrens names are helping me to confirm I am on the right track.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite an impressive headstone Jill. Not sure you will find a photo, they seem a bit shy that generation, I don't have a lot of photos. Trove is certainly going to give you pointers where you might find more information.. Regards Anne
ReplyDeleteIf you need any more photos in Cobar, Jill, I'm here until tomorrow morning.
ReplyDeleteI love it when I start out a blog post with a mystery and solve it by the end of the post because of the research I've done to write it. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Jill, I had just replied to a potential DNA match re DUNCAN in Scotland (re my mother-in-law's cousin in the UK, not me) when I read your daily post in my email. Have you done your DNA test yet? :) A DUNCAN descendant in Sydney has had his DNA kit sitting on his shelf for 3 months... promises he'll finally do it this weekend! Also, PROV has lots of DUNCAN wills free online, in case any clues can be found there?
ReplyDeleteRegards, Louise (another Trove addict!)