Chasing down the Elms

We went chasing Robert's Elms ancestors at Tower Hamlets Archive and Bancroft Road library in London today. 

The archive is housed in a beautiful old building which needs an injection of funds for some necessary maintenance. The mish-mash of furniture is at odds with the heritage features of the building. 

The public area of the Archive

The four staff we encountered were most agreeable and took an interest in our quest. There were many local resources available plus PCs with internet access that were loaded with several local and commercial databases. As use of the services and resources at this facility is free we did not quibble about paying the 7 pounds 50 cents fee to use our camera to take images of the resources/.

In addition to the main research area there is an entry foyer that has a selection of new and secondhand resources for sale.

Entry Foyer

While we didn't find as much information as we hoped we confirmed that the Elms were landowners in Poplar in the early 19th century. We were also able to pinpoint the locations of Elms Cottages in Poplar where the family lived for several decades. We have several photos of documents to review once we recover from our holiday.

We thank the local authorities at Tower Hamlets for their commitment to local and family history and preserving these resources for future generations. 

2021 #AtoZChallenge W is for ...The White Star Line

 I've been researching my family history for over thirty years. Along this genealogy journey I have been supported by hundreds of books, many of which I have listed on my Librarything page. 

During the 2021 #AtoZChallenge I will be writing about two of my passions, books and family history. I'll be taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of those books that have enriched my genealogy experience.

I came across, The White Star Line : an illustrated history 1870-1934 by Paul Louden-Brown, on a visit to The Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool England where, after looking at the excellent displays, I spent some time doing research in their Archives Centre.  

The Archives Centre at the Merseyside Maritime Museum

The book contained many images of postcards of ships of the White Star Line accompanied by detailed  explanatory text, in addition there were several colour illustrations. It wasn't hard to flip through the book to find illustrations relevant to ships on which Mr GeniAus' ancestors travelled to Australia. 

As well as consulting The White Star Line : an illustrated history 1870-1934  while at the Museum I was able to grab some photos of relevant immigrant ships and dip into a few other books.

One of the other books I perused at the Merseyside Museum

I am so grateful that Mr GeniAus is happy to join me in visits to local archives and libraries when we travel around. Although he says he doesn't do family history I think he may be a closet genealogist.

GeniAus - #AtoZChallenge - L is for Legal

During April 2020 the month of this #AtoZChallenge I will be sharing short posts on some of the 2,000+ descendants I have identified of my 3x Great-Grandmother, Elizabeth Phipps. 

Elizabeth Phipps 1785-1869 was a convict who was transported from England to New South Wales in 1814 per Wanstead. 

---

Jessie POWELL is great (x2) granddaughter of Elizabeth PHIPPS.

Jessie's details

Jessie had been married less than 8 years to Allen Bush when her life was cut short. I do not know the cause of Jessie's death or if she left any children. Perhaps a cousin who reads this may be able to fill me in.

1945 'Family Notices', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 12 January, p. 10. , viewed 05 Apr 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17937553

Barely three weeks after Jessie's death this notice appeared in the Legal Notices Section of  the local newspaper.

1945 'Advertising', Hawkesbury Herald (Windsor, NSW : 1902 - 1945), 31 January, p. 5. , viewed 28 Mar 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66362244

Finding this notice in Trove alerted me that there should be a Probate Packet for Jessie Bush at NSW State Archives and Records. The probate packets I have previously viewed are full of documents and letters that tell so much about the deceased's life.

It was a simple task for me to use their Collection Search to see if this was so.

State Records - Collection Search Box

It took less than 5 seconds for me to have an answer.

Of course I want to see what's in the Probate File, I have three options.

If I was in a a hurry I could pay to have the file copied and sent to me for $AU32.50

As the Centre's Reading Room is currently closed due to Covid-19 the second option of engaging a researcher or asking a friend to copy the file for me is not an option.

I'm a patient old girl so will take the third option and wait until I can next visit the Reading Room. I can preorder the file from the website so that it will be waiting for me when I arrive.

How will I remember to look for it? I have that covered in my genealogy software program. The Family Historian allows me to create lists, I have created lists for several of the repositories I visit. So I have put a note with details of Jessie's Probate Packet in the List for the NSW Archives that I will consult prior to my visit.

I love to connect with cousins and fellow researchers. Should you find any errors in my post or have additional information please contact me. 

A Day at the Microfilm Reader

I was delighted earlier this year when I  found an online index listing the daily contents of the Haddingtonshire Courier (now the East Lothian Courier) from October 1859 up to December 1902. The newspaper collection on microfilm  is housed in the Local History area of the John Gray Centre in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland.

Now it just so happens that Mr GeniAus has Gowans and Sibbald ancestors who were in the Haddington area during that period so I checked the index and found more than 30 reference to family members. I saved these on a spreadsheet. As we were planning a trip to the UK I added Haddington to our itinerary. Once I had a date I emailed the John Gray Centre and booked a microfilm reader for the day.

I was most impressed when Mr GeniAus dropped me off at the Centre and went to find a parking spot. When we visited a number of years ago the local studies collection was stored in an inadequate area in a loft. The new  John Gray Centre houses the local library and archives in a lovely light filled environment.

When I marched up to the reception I was given a right, royal welcome. Bill Wilson, Local History Officer,  and his staff settled me at a microfilm reader and organised  retrieval of the films I needed. Robert joined me and we bunkered down for a morning of research.

GeniAus at work

Local studies collection

 While I played with the microfilms and downloaded the newspaper articles onto a thumb drive  Mr GeniAus browsed the book collection looking for references to his ancestors.  Bill offered us a behind the scenes tour of the archives but I declined as I wanted to complete my task. Mr GeniAus accepted Bill's offer and found the tour very interesting.

Behind the scenes in the John Gray Centre 

An innovative display highlighting local identities

 When I announced on Facebook that I was headed to Edinburgh and Haddington my fellow geneablogger, John Laws, who lives in the neighbourhood suggested we meet up. Knowing that we would need a lunch break we made a date to meet John at a local cafe, The Loft. 

It was lovely to meet John in the flesh, through blogging and genealogy we had been online friends for several years.  John is kept busy with a surname study for the Laws (and variants) name. He blogs about it here at The Laws Family Register.

Meeting up with genimate, John Laws

 After our break we returned to the John Gray Centre so I could complete my task. My head was swimming after spending several hours at the microfilm reader so I was pleased to set off towards our next stop at Galashiels.

I was not so pleased when, that evening, I discovered that I had left my thumb drive containing all my saved images in the microfilm reader. Mr GeniAus displayed great restraint the next morning when we had to trace our steps to  collect my thumb drive.

I cannot thank enough Bill Wilson and the staff at John Gray Centre  who made us so welcome. I owe a debt of gratitude to the team of volunteers who have created such a valuable resource in the newspaper index.

101 Reasons to Attend #congress_2018 - SAG

The Society of Australian Genealogists or SAG is hosting our conference. If you stay an extra couple of days in Sydney around Congress time you should pay a visit to the Society's sites.

In this video the Society Archivist, Ralph Hawkins, talks about manuscripts and images at the Society.

From the Archives: The Old School Tie

This post first appeared on the GeniAus Blog on 3 September 2010. The Sydney Grammar School and SCEGGS Darlinghurst links from 2010 are dead so these have been updated. In a recent project undertaken by a Society of which I am a member local school archives have been a source of much relevant information.
________________________________________________

Having worked in and had my children educated at Independent Schools in Sydney I am aware of the amazing amount of information these schools have in their archives about alumni.

If you have an ancestor who attended such a school in Sydney or elsewhere it would be worthwhile approaching that institution to see if they have any photos on file of granny in the orchestra or great uncle playing cricket.Perhaps you might read your Dad's literary contributions in a school annual.

Sydney Grammar School on its Archives Page states:
Sources available to assist Old Boys, biographers and others interested in the school are: 

• Registers (on disc and printed), 1835 +
• Prize Lists, 1859 +
• The Sydneian Magazine (indexed), 1875 +
• Oral recordings
• Photographs
• Correspondence 

The SCEGGS, Darlinghurst Archives Page says:

The SCEGGS Darlinghurst Archives is responsible for the care of SCEGGS' records of permanent value. The Archives were established in 1983. Since then it has grown to include the School’s official records and publications, an extensive collection of photographs and school and student memorabilia including school uniforms. The Archives also hold some records from the SCEGGS Branch Schools....

Researchers who would like to use the Archives are asked to make an appointment with the archivist. Some records held in the Archives may have restricted access.

MLC School, Burwood  on its Archives Page states:

(The archive) includes an important collection of historic photographs, progressing through the years from an extraordinary picture taken of the first pupils and staff in January 1886.
All records, photographs and museum items are meticulously catalogued with the Australian Series System, and can be easily located by a number of computerised databases.

The air-conditioned room can be used for research by visitors, and photocopy facilities are available.

The Archives Page of St Ignatius College, Riverview states:

The purpose of Riverview Archives is to promote and share the rich heritage of the College and the Jesuit tradition with the students, the wider Riverview community and the general public.  

Just as a person can not function properly if they have lost their memory - neither can an organisation such as Riverview. Knowledge of where we have come from helps us to understand the present and gives us direction for the future.

The Archives is open by appointment only Monday to Thursday during term time.

Temperance

A day spent in Local Studies, Touchstones, in Rochdale.

We discovered that our surnames are very common in these parts.

Children, we also discovered that your 2xGreat-grandfather, James Ball,  was President of The Temperance Society in Rochdale. What's happened to the teetotalling gene?

Trove - Pandora Archive

A couple of years ago I was contacted by The National Library of Australia asking for permission to archive this blog in The Pandora Web Archive. I put the email aside to deal with later and promptly forgot about it.

When I was approached again earlier this year I acted immediately and gave the library permission to archive my blog.

The Pandora site explains:
"PANDORA, Australia's Web Archive, is a growing collection of Australian online publications, established initially by the National Library of Australia in 1996, and now built in collaboration with nine other Australian libraries and cultural collecting organisations.

The name, PANDORA, is an acronym that encapsulates our mission: Preserving and Accessing Networked Documentary Resources of Australia."

Here is my blog's entry on Pandora:

I notice that several of my genimates including Shauna Hicks and Kerry Farmer have also had their blogs or websites archived on Pandora. You can see a full list of Genealogy and Family History sites in Pandora here: http://pandora.nla.gov.au/subject/80

I am thrilled to have been chosen for the Pandora Archive.

A Place of Refuge...

Christine Yeats at Hawkesbury today

....is not what comes to mind when I think of an Asylum but after hearing Christine Yeat's illuminating talk, Tracing Ancestors in Asylums, at The Hawkesbury Family History Group meeting today I have changed my thinking.

Christine, who is recently retired from State Records NSW, focused her talk on accessing patient identifying records from mental health facilities and government asylums in NSW.

After giving a brief history of asylums (places of refuge) in NSW and indicating the classes of people who may have been admitted  Christine told us of some of the records available and showed images of some of  those records.  One particularly grisly case was that of Martha Elizabeth Rumpf; take a look on Trove to see how this poor soul made the headlines.

Christine gave us lots of tips and a handout with many sites to follow up. I know that I have someone who died in the Liverpool Asylum for the Destitute later known as The Liverpool State Hospital and Home so I am going to read this Archives in Brief document suggested by Christine to see what I can find.

Christine suggested that if in your research you come across

• Unexplained absences
• Gaps in employment
• Gaps in birth of children
• Links on family tree who disappear
• Silence when a name is mentioned

you should check Asylum records.

My main takeaway from this session was - If there is an index (any index of names) available check it for your family names.

Should you get a chance to hear Christine talk on this subject grab it.

Out in Kingswood Country

My trek to State Records at Kingswood last week was most rewarding. As I stated on Twitter " Worth a visit @staterecordsnsw Had a wonderful visit yesterday-found some juicy info in probate packets and divorce papers #genealogy".

Main Reading Room

Microforms aplenty

As it had been a while since my last visit I read all the info on their website before setting out. I would only add "wear clothing with lots of pockets".  One must leave bags in a locker before entering the Main Reading Room. I had a laptop, pencils, wallet, smartphone (for browsing the internet while there) , digital camera and extra battery and SD card (for photographing documents. If I wouldn't have had pockets in my trousers and cardigan it would have been quite a juggling act! If they supplied transparent plastic bags for bits and bobs, like the National Library of Australia does, this would be most helpful.

Pencils only

During the seven hours I spent in the Reading Room I did quite a bit of eavesdropping. I was most impressed with the manner in which the female members of staff on the information desk dealt with requests from members of the public. There was a range of enquiries from basic to complex; all users were treated with courtesy and a genuine interest. These staff members went out of their way to make the users feel comfortable with using the records and gave the impression that each query was important. Unfortunately the one male who worked on the desk at times did not demonstrate the same level of interpersonal and listening skills.

Glimpsing the past at State Records

I can recommend the trek to Kingswood to anyone with an interest in genealogy in  NSW.  The parking is convenient, the facilities good, the staff helpful, the rewards surprising and it's free.

Kingswood here I come....

I had set today aside for a visit to State Records at Kingswood so last night decided to pre-order the documents I wanted to peruse. But it was not to be :-((

Firstly the State Records Website was down: in frustration I tweeted about this and commend State Records for ther reply this morning "staterecordsnsw   @geniaus Oh good. Automatic website updates occur overnight and may affect your browsing session. Hope you have a succesful research day! "

After a short time I discovered that the site was back up. I thought I would read the tips for visiting. I learnt that to look at original documents I needed a current Reader's Ticket. Alas, my  ancient ticket had expired but I was able to apply for a new one online. As I thought this government instrumentality wouldt take a while to process my Reader's Ticket request I gave up on planning for the visit, had a hot bath and an early night. 

Oh ye (me) of little faith!  When I opened my email box this morning there was a message from State Records indicating that my Reader's Ticket was ready for collection. I am now planning to request my documents for a visit on Wednesday (as one needs to give at least two working days notice for retrieval of documents).

Thank you State Records for your prompt feedback and attention to my request. I  look forward to uncovering some family secrets on my visit. 

The Old School Tie

Having worked in and had my children educated at Independent Schools in Sydney I am aware of the amazing amount of information these schools have in their archives about alumni.

If you have an ancestor who attended such a school in Sydney or elsewhere it would be worthwhile approaching that institution to see if they have any photos on file of granny in the orchestra or great uncle playing cricket.Perhaps you might read your Dad's literary contributions in a school annual.

Sydney Grammar School on its Archives Page states:
Sources available to assist Old Boys, biographers and others interested in the school are:

• Registers (on disc and printed), 1835 +
• Prize Lists, 1859 +
• The Sydneian Magazine (indexed), 1875 +
• Oral recordings
• Photographs
• Correspondence 

The SCEGGS, Darlinghurst Archives Page says:

The SCEGGS Darlinghurst Archives is responsible for the care of SCEGGS' records of permanent value. The Archives were established in 1983. Since then it has grown to include the School’s official records and publications, an extensive collection of photographs and school and student memorabilia including school uniforms. The Archives also hold some records from the SCEGGS Branch Schools....

Researchers who would like to use the Archives are asked to make an appointment with the archivist. Some records held in the Archives may have restricted access.

MLC School, Burwood  on its Archives Page states:


(The archive) includes an important collection of historic photographs, progressing through the years from an extraordinary picture taken of the first pupils and staff in January 1886.
All records, photographs and museum items are meticulously catalogued with the Australian Series System, and can be easily located by a number of computerised databases.

The air-conditioned room can be used for research by visitors, and photocopy facilities are available.

The Archives Page of St Ignatius College, Riverview states:

The purpose of Riverview Archives is to promote and share the rich heritage of the College and the Jesuit tradition with the students, the wider Riverview community and the general public. 

Just as a person can not function properly if they have lost their memory - neither can an organisation such as Riverview. Knowledge of where we have come from helps us to understand the present and gives us direction for the future.

The Archives is open by appointment only Monday to Thursday during term time.

Public events - National Archives of Australia

Public events - National Archives of Australia

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Now&Then

The latest edition of this newsletter has too many interesting snippets to list. It is worth reading online.

Now&Then 39 - August 2009 — State Records NSW

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Seminars 2009

Details of free seminars at Queensland Archives in Brisbane.

Seminars 2009

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Queensland Resource

From Queensland Archives

"The Index to Register of Immigrants 1864-1878 is now available on the Queensland State Archives website. This index was compiled from Series ID 7454 , a register of immigrants created by the Assistant Immigration Agent, Toowoomba. This register contains details of applications for passage certificates for immigration, registered in Toowoomba. The date, name and age of immigrant, trade, where living (country of origin), amount paid, name of depositor and relevant remarks as to where living in the district are included in the details."

National Archives of Australia - Memento

National Archives of Australia - Memento

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Wonderful free online journal from the National Archives of Australia

Announcing the Article Search API - Open Blog - NYTimes.com

Announcing the Article Search API - Open Blog - NYTimes.com

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Wow! There will be some gems for genealogists in this new article search of over 2.8 million New york Times articles from 1981–today

BBC NEWS | Politics | Secret papers face faster release

The 30-year rule on publishing confidential UK government papers should be reduced to 15 years, an official review has concluded.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Secret papers face faster release

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Seminars 2009 - Brisbane, Queensland

Seminars 2009

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