Waiting time

Sitting at my computer waiting for a video to upload I went looking for a monument on the Monument Australia website, It didn't take me long to find what I was seeking so then I started playing around. I noticed that many of the monuments were dedicated to People  and Bing! My inbuilt Genealarm went off. Could this site be a good place to search for people?

In addition to the monuments dedicated to people and looking at a few of the descriptions on other entries I realised that many of them included names. Had I  found a new-to-me genearesource?

One of the tabs on the home page of the site is "Search", so I selected that and went to the Search Page. As many of my genimates know I am doing a surname study for the Curry surname in Australia. I simply entered the word Curry on the Keyword area and hit search.

I was rewarded with quite a few irrelevant hits as the search also returns results where Curry is part of a word so there were many mentions of  Cloncurry and Tuncurry. However hidden among this list were a few mentions of Australian Currys.

There were Currys on several honour rolls and a Memorial Tablet. I'm keen to find out more about Les Curry who is memorialised on a plaque in Bellrive, Tasmania.

Due to the limitations of the Search facility on this site if you have a common name this database will probably not be too useful for your purposes. If your ancestral names are less common you may find some surprises. It behoves us as genealogists to look under every possible rock.

Capital Punishment Database

As I was scouting around searching for details to add to persons in my CurryAus surname project I came across a new to me database, The NSW Capital Convictions Database.

While it was not intended as a genealogical database it contains the sort of information that we  family historians love to find. The database contains searchable particulars on prisoner, victim, conviction, and execution. So if your ancestor was a perpetrator or victim of crime in NSW you may find some interesting facts to add to their stories.

Of the two Currys I found in the database one was executed while one was found to be Not guilty.

Trove Tuesday - I love Trove

This morning @TroveAustralia tweeted:

After reading that Tweet I realised that I hadn't been loving Trove on #TroveTuesday much lately. Sure I had been searching for articles and correcting the text in some of them. I also included some slides about Trove tags and lists in an upcoming presentation about "Cousin Bait". 

In my talk I will be showing people how to use tags as cousin bait and how to search for ancestor tags. I always try to tag posts about my ancestors. My search for my grandfather "Frank Duncan"brings back 65 results most of which are tags I attached to articles about Frank. 

I love lists on Trove. I use the CurryAus list to keep track of articles I find for my CurryAus surname study. I can add and edit notes to the items in the list. This is useful when I have added the details from an article to my database, I can keep track of articles I have not yet worked on. 

List result from a  simple Trove search for CurryAus

The results for lists show up on the main Trove results page, note that my blog is included under the Archived website category. 

Result for simple Trove search for CurryAus

One can also just search the lists. When I search Lists for Curry I found more than mine. Some of these lists directed me to articles I could add to my list.

Results for a Curry search in Trove Lists

Overdose

For better for worse I decided to participate in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2016 and it has been a real challenge. You can see my posts over at my CurryAus blog.

It has just dawned on me why I am finding it such an onerous task. Actually my mate Fran alluded to this in her challenge post today.

I chose to write about individuals from my surname study and each entry required quite a bit of Troveing. It has taken me hours to research and put together each post. While it has helped me progress my Surname Study it hasn't helped my mental state. Next year if I participate I will prepare my posts well in advance and at a leisurely pace and I will select a topic that doesn't require too much research.

To date I have scheduled posts to the letter S and hope to work on T today but, as I have just been notified that my L post is a wordless wonder, I must go and find where Lilian is hiding.

Meanwhile the poor old GeniAus blog is resting in the wings.

Family Historian Data Matching

One of the first messages I read on Facebook this morning was from my genimate Shelley who was excited about the latest upgrade, 6.2,  to our favourite genealogy software package, Family Historian. Shelley's glee was soon matched by Colin Spencer who also shared the news.

Not to be outdone, when I had finished my morning chores I set about downloading the Family Historian upgrade and it took ages, I usually don't download upgrades so promptly so I was keen to get this upgrade as were probably many other FH users.

The FH site told me "Users of version 6 can now download a free upgrade to Family Historian 6.2 (the full 3-digit version number is 6.2.0). The new version adds automatic record matching and ‘hints’ for Findmypast databases. To learn more, see Automatic Internet Data Matching".

Well I have a sub to Findmypast that I don't use a lot so I thought I'd give this a try. Family Historian already had data matching with MyHeritage but, as I only recently won a sub to that site at Rootstech, I hadn't set up this facility.

After taking ages to download I installed the upgrade in a minute or two and following the instructions from Family Historian I set up data matching. It took me a while to get the hang of using the tool and I had to read the instructions (something I don't often do) but now I have it down pat. 

One must use the Focus Window view in Family Historian to see the matches. A little green icon in the bottom right hand corner of a person's name indicates there are matches available.

Family Historian - Focus Window View

When one hovers over the green icon a little box appears indicating how many matches have been found in each database. Selecting one of the databases opens a web search window within Family Historian where one can view and accept or reject the suggestions. One can use an external browser which is the way I started but I found the inbuilt browser easier for me.

Although one can't directly import into Family Historian I am not perturbed, it makes me stop and think before hastily adding something. One does not have to type data into FH (which is a boon for this hunter and pecker) one can use copy and paste or drag and drop to move data from the Web Browser into Family Historian. I have added quite a few records to my CurryAus study database via this method today. Of course I am concentrating on indexes at My Heritage and giving the user submitted trees a wide berth!

Am I happy - You bet your life I am. I am sure that after some more tweaking by the developers this feature will become even easier to use. 

My genealogy software package has become even more useful and I am about to get more value from two of the databases to which I have access.

Who wouldn't be smiling?

April Alphabets

This post first appeared on The worldwide Genealogy blog on 2 April 2016.

Yesterday I made the rash decision to join the 2016 A-Z Blogging Challenge. Now I am wondering when I will get time to eat and sleep as I follow some of the close to 2000 blogs that are on the list of participants.
I am hoping to give my CurryAus Surname Study a boost by blogging stories about Australian Currys (people not food) on my CurryAus blog. It's barely day two and the blog statistics have already spiked.

One of the reasons I joined the activity was because many of my friends were taking part and secondly I wanted to meet and learn from some new bloggers - I've hooked up with a couple.

If you haven't time to join as a blogger please consider taking a a look at the list of participants and visiting and commenting (an important part of the event) on their blogs.

Some of the newtome blogs I have discovered so far are:

Genwest UK http://www.genwestuk.blogspot.com
The Curry Apple Orchard https://argonautsite.wordpress.com
My Genealogy Challenges http://genealogychallenges.blogspot.com
Southern Graves http://blog.southerngraves.net/
Springhill History http://www.springhillhistory.org.uk/blog-3/index.html
treetrack'n http://treetrackn.blogspot.com

Surname Study - Q&A time

My post last week on Surname Studies elicited a long reply containing a few questions which I will attempt to address here.

So.....was your choice of ONS host price-based, or do all the ONS websites do basically the same thing as far as support?

My choice of The Surname Society was not just cost based but that was a big factor. The cost to register each surname study with the Guild is 12GBP on top of your subscription, there is no extra cost with The Surname Society. I had been a member of the Guild for a number of years but realised that The Surname Society was a better fit for my purposes. 

I did not need a body to host my study I needed somewhere to list, describe and promote my study. The Surname Society provides that facility for me.

The Guild may provide more resources but, as The Surname Society is new, it  has fewer resources but the collection is growing. There is immediate help available via the Surname Society Facebook Members' Group.

Have you advertised the study in any magazines or any online methods?

I initially advertised my study via several social media channels and received some helpful responses from genies with Curry connections. I have a Wordpress blog/website for the study which I hope will act as "Name Bait" for anyone doing searches on the internet. Having my blog preserved on The National Library of Australia's Pandora Archive will ensure that the Curry stories are preserved. I have added the Curry surname in Australia to a few Members' Interests lists.

http://curryaus.wordpress.com

Because I am still at the data gathering stage and there are lots of resources, both print and online with Curry information available, I don't see the need to promote widely yet. I need to organise  the mountain of data that I have recorded before I start sharing. I've yet to decide how and if I will publish the database I am developing.

With a less common surname with fewer resources available I would probably promote to find connections at an earlier stage. For this I would consider non-genie print publications like major newspaper RSVP columns and any magazines that would provide free or low-cost advertisements.

Have you written to all the Curry names in the White Pages (for eg) to attract other family members who might have information?

With a less common surname with fewer resources available I would probably contact potential family members via the White Pages etc. but for the foreseeable future I will deal with the list of resources I have and organise the information I have gathered from them. There is so much on Trove that I don't think I'll get much further than the organising stage in my lifetime, that is why I chose the CurryAus blog for my A-Z blogging challenge. 

What are you hoping to find out from other Curry family members? In my case I'd like to fill in some blanks back in Ireland, just before the Catholic records start.

Before I move offshore I want to sort out the various Curry families in Australia and record their stories so that they are not forgotten. Another reason I chose The Surname Society to register my study is because their rules aren't as prescriptive as the Guild (although I think the Guild  has loosened up recently).

Are you combining your ONS with any DNA testing? 

Not yet but definitely on the cards. I found my first potential Curry match just this week and have a few possibles who also have Curry in their trees - I may yet just find some Irish cousins..

Following the crowd

As I have been reading the posts in my RSS feed this week  I realised just how many of my geneablogging mates from downunder are participating in the 2016 A-Z Blogging Challenge.

I had avoided this activity in previous years but this morning I just couldn't help myself, I didn't want to be a wallflower. I'm a party animal and just had to join my mates. I decided that I would give my CurryAus Surname Study a boost by nominating that blog for the challenge. 

What made the difference was the  very first piece of advice on the challenge sign-up page "We recommend short posts", that sounded like me "short and sometimes sweet". 

Should you wish to follow the URL for CurryAus is http://curryaus.wordpress.com.

Answer to a Facebook Message

I recently got this message in my Facebook stream:

"Hi Jill! Happy Easter!Have you done any blog posts or instructions about how to start a one name study? A man in Vic &  I have *Surname* from County Clare &  we're keen to start a study, but not sure where to start. Thanks".

Well, I have started a Surname study, CurryAus, but even though I am a beginner I have some ideas to share. I thought it would be easiest to do this in a video where I can share my screen so here goes.

Otherwise engaged

I haven't posted on this blog for a couple of days but I have been a busy little Geneabee.

With an upcoming presentation to a local Probus Genealogy group this week I decided that my Google Search talk was a bit tired so I gave it a major makeover and I am rather pleased with the result. I usually update this talk with local examples before delivering it (and that takes a couple of hours) but it has taken me considerably more time to rejig the whole thing.

Of course Mother's Day Week was busy. Instead of hosting the family for a meal on Mother's Day we celebrated with Mum and each family in turn and that took some time but it was nice to share a meal with each of three families and have time to chat. Celebrations started on Thursday with a Mothers' Week event at a grandchild's preschool and will conclude when we catch up with our out of town daughter and family next weekend. Our wedding anniversary was wedged in there too and of course we had to celebrate our stayer status.

My family history database is still getting a going over. I have carried out first aid on several hundred more records but I have a lot of cleaning up to do. I try to devote  time to this exercise each day. I must upload the changes to my GeniAus Family site this week as it's a few weeks since I have done so.

The CurryAus Blog

I have blogged today but it has been over at the Geneadictionary and at my CurryAus blog. Do pop over and visit them sometime. CurryAus is the surname study I am working on very slowly; I use the blog to record my progress. I find it useful to record what I am doing and feel that by sharing my journey I may help others.

The Geneadictionary

Time for reflection - Accentuate the Positive Geneameme 2014

I am responding to the recent Accentuate the Positive 2014 geneameme that I posted here on this blog a couple of days ago.  If you have time I would love you to use these questions to reflect on the positives from your Geneayear.

1.  An elusive ancestor I found was..
I was delighted to go back another generation on Mr GeniAus' tree and to make an impromptu visit to the beautiful village of  Cuddington from which his ancestor, Joseph Piddington, hailed.

2.  A precious family photo I found was...
My cousin lent me a suitcase of  her mother's photos. I scanned all the contents and found many, many treasures. Thank you Jane.

3.  An ancestor's grave I found was...
Mr GeniAus' grandmother's unmarked grave at Liverpool Cemetery. We are negotiating with cemetery authorites to have a memorial erected on the plot.

4.  An important vital record I found was...
a death record at The London Metropolitan Archives for for my ancestor Susannah Harris. It pays to visit archives in person to see what one can find from local indexes.

5.  A newly found family member shared...
Several generous folk shared certificates and photos, this is a direct benefit of posting one's information on blogs and my family website.

6.  A geneasurprise I received was...
being named as 2014 Bronze Medallist Rock Star Genealogist Australia and New Zealand.

7.   My 2014 blog post that I was particularly proud of was...
it wasn't a post it was the birth of a new niche blog, the Geneadictionary. I am proud that I came up with the idea, am mastering Wordpress and that the blog is being so well received.

8.   My 2014 blog post that received a large number of hits or comments was50 blogs you need to read.

9.  A new piece of software I mastered was am on the way to mastering is...
Family Historian Version 6. A great help were the two one-day courses given by Jane Taubmna that I attended recently in Somerset.

10. A social media tool I enjoyed using for genealogy was...
Google+ remains my social media fave.

11. A genealogy conference/seminar/webinar from which I learnt something new was...
a fascinating talk at The Society of Genealogists in,London in November "How our ancestors died" with Dr Simon Wiills.

12. I am proud of the presentation I gave at/to
The one day workshop/seminar I gave to members of the Wyong Family History Group. They were such an enthusiastic group of learners who made my time with them so enjoyable. I love sharing my knowledge with interested audiences.

13. A journal/magazine article I had published was...
the third annual list of  50 Blogs you need to read for Inside History Magazine.

14. I taught a friend how to...I have convinced two close friends to use Family Historian so I have become their online Help Desk, 

15. A genealogy book that taught me something new was...I'm stumped. I learn something new everytime I opne the pages of a book.

16. A great repository/archive/library I visited was...It would have to be the Local Studies Centre at Touchstones in Rochdale, Lancashire where the staff who were so interested in our research went the extra mile to help us make our time there worthwhile.

17. A new genealogy/history book I enjoyed was...
Putting your ancestors in their place: a guide to one place studies by Janet Few (9781906280437)

18. It was exciting to finally meet...
Maggie aka iwikiwi at The Guild of One Name Studies seminar in the UK in November. I had met Maggie online in Hangouts on Air but actually became tonguetied when I finally met her in the flesh. It was such an unexpected surprise.

19. A geneadventure I enjoyed was...
Part of my recent holiday in the UK where for three weeks I dragged Mr GeniAus around visiting archives, societies and libraries and attending some lectures and courses.

20. Another positive I would like to share is...
I continue to enjoy blogging. I am getting so much pleasure from sourcing and sharing words and phrases in my new Geneadictionary. My latest publication is CurryAus in which I am recording progress and stories from my new Surname Study.

Blogging has connected me with so many interesting and generous people who share my passions. It has added a rich dimension to my life.

Trove Tuesday - Curry Family History

I have recently registered a Surname study for my maiden name, Curry, with The Surname Society and also started the CurryAus Blog to record the progress  of that study so today I turned to Trove.

My readers know that I am easily distracted so it's no surprise that, although I am not nearly ready to start delving into Trove's treasure for my infant study, I could not resist taking a look.

Firstly I set up a CurryAus Surname Study list in my Trove account for filing away all the interesting snippets about Australian Currys that might come my way ( these just fall into ones lap!). I found a couple of articles and added them to my new list - one can't have an empty list can one?

Then I searched for "Curry Family History" and I discovered that someone else has been tagging Curry articles with this tag. On examination I see that these refer to the Curry family from Emu Plains.  I popped these articles into my list for later use as I am trying to go about this study in an orderly fashion. I will, however, share one of these with you as it is Trove Tuesday.

Because of the poor imaage quality of the original I'm sharing a transcription. The wealth of information in this article demonstrates how valuable Trove will be for my surname study

1949 'Obituary.', Nepean Times (Penrith, NSW : 1882 - 1962), 20 October, p. 8, viewed 30 December, 2014, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article117914501

MR. W. CURRY

Mr. Walter Curry died at his resi-dence, Brougham Street, Emu Plains,on October 2, at the age of 64 years.

Mr. Curry was born at Emu Plainsand lived there all his days, greatlyrespected by the community. His fath-

er was killed in a railway accidentwhen he was only a lad. For someyears he was employed by Blue Moun-tains Shire Council, and afterward,for a lengthy period, by the Main  Roads Department, with the positionof ganger.

Mr. Curry was a keen cricketer and  captained Emu "B" team for someyears, and was captain of an Emu "B"team which defeated Penrith "A" in achallenge match in 1923. He was quitea good player.

He is survived by his wife, formerlyIvy Dukes, daughter of the late Mr.and Mrs. Thomas Dukes, of EmuPlains, and by two daughters and foursons - Ruby (Mrs. F. Smith, Penrith),Arthur (Emu Plains), Freda (Mrs. El-lison, Albion Park), Irwin, Edward,and Colin, all of Emu Plains.

The funeral took place on 4th instand was largely attended. The inter-ment took place in St. Paul's ceme-tery, Emu Plains, the last rites beingconducted by the Rector, Rev. W. A.Watts. The many wreaths includedtwo from the Main Roads staff andone from Emu Plains Cricket Club.

Gathering with the GOONS

I am taking a break from touristing today. Mr GeniAus has gone off sightseeing while I am attending the Guild of One Name Studies Seminar near Brighton in the UK.

I hope to pick up some good pointers for my CurryAus Surname Study.