Christmas Chronicle

As November draws to a close Mr GeniAus asked me what I am going to do about Christmas cards and the annual epistle this year. I thought that I'd prune down the Christmas card list and forget about accompanying letter.

Then my son who is a doctor called me. He is very serious about respecting the confidentiality of his patients but, if the patient says to say hello to your parents, then he tells us. And so the phone call went "Guess who I saw today?" and my response was "I don't know". The next clue was that it was a lady who loves getting our annual Christmas letter. Another clue and I said "Was it Barbara?".

This elderly friend of my late mother-in-law told my son how much she enjoyed getting our newsletter and keeping up with the news of my husband (whom she has known for 50+ years) and his family. Other recipients of our letters over the years have expressed similar sentiments.

So the answer is "Yes Barbara, there is a Santa Letter". I just have to write it

A search of my blog archives reveals that I have written on this subject several times. I am resharing two of those posts below.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2010

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2010 - December 4 - Christmas Cards

Enclosed with my Christmas cards for the last ten years or so has been a family Christmas letter in which I summarise the hatches, matches, dispatches, trials and triumphs of immediate family members. I have heard people scoff at these annual epistles by calling them "brag bulletins" and other derogatory names. To these people I say "Bah, Humbug".

When I look back at my collection of Christmas Letters I find that I have a neat summary of important family events for the last decade. If I continue the practice for another couple of decades I will have a rich resource to pass on to future generations who may not be simply interested in the dry Birth, Death and Marriage facts in my family tree but in our activities.

I must admit to not fully reading some of the Christmas letters I get as they are just too long. I love hearing of the doings of other families but prefer an "executive summary" rather than a novel. I edit, edit and edit again and make sure that my letter is no more than an A4 page in a font size that is readable.

As it's now 4th December I must away, reflect on the past year and write my Christmas Chronicle".

This post was written for the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Christmas Newsletters - Trash or Treasure?

As we will be overseas before Christmas I am thinking of what I can do so that when I return, on December 23rd, I will be prepared for the Yuletide festivities. I write an annual Christmas letter (never more than one A4 page) so I can make a start on that. Elderly aunts and old neighbours tell me that they enjoy reading it each year

I just spotted this post in an online forum "Does anybody get those annoying Christmas letters EVERY YEAR EVERY DETAIL of the families history???...I dont even read them anymore I just trash them."


Trash them? As the writer unwittingly said they contain details of a family's history.They are precious resources for future generations Sure people brag about how clever their kids are but they also convey news of hatches, matches and dispatches and other family milestones. There is no way I would trash these epistles that give a potted (but often skewed towards the positive) history of a family's events during that year.


For those newsletters that come from  family I record the details of births, deaths and marriages that I glean from them into my genealogy database. I then file them in my family history files in the author's file. I have over ten years of newsletters from one cousin's family that when read sequentially tell a beautiful story, warts and all. She is not into genealogy but one day her descendants may be; there may be nowhere else that this story is recorded for these youngsters. I am pleased that I can curate this collection for the future.

Do you send out a Christmas letter? Do you enjoy reading them? Are they trash or treasure?

Trove Tuesday _ Help sought with Genealogy

Less then 30 years ago letters and articles like the one I share below were a major means of seeking assistance to solve genealogical mysteries. Although people today still put notices in newspapers the internet and social media have opened up many more avenues for communication and collaboration.

1985 'Help sought with genealogy.', The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), 16 July, p. 2, viewed 21 October, 2014, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127208497

I wonder if Mr Shearer was able to get any response to his plea.

Today I can sit in my study and find immediate answers for David. In less than a minute I found Public Trees on Ancestry for Charles Michael Woodward. I found there also many references to Richard Gabell. On Trove and at the Australian War Memorial I found information on Richard and Elizabeth's son, also named Richard.

1918 'ROLL OF HONOR.', Forbes Advocate (NSW : 1911 - 1921), 17 September, p. 2, viewed 21 October, 2014, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article100308886

I could have gone on and on finding more information for David but my other duties called.

We are fortunate these days to have such easy access to online information.

Christmas Newsletters

Goaded on by Mr GeniAus I have completed our family Christmas letter for 2013. This reminded me of two of my posts from 2010 and 2011 which I am resharing below.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2010

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2010 - December 4 - Christmas Cards

Enclosed with my Christmas cards for the last ten years or so has been a family Christmas letter in which I summarise the hatches, matches, dispatches, trials and triumphs of immediate family members. I have heard people scoff at these annual epistles by calling them "brag bulletins" and other derogatory names. To these people I say "Bah, Humbug".

When I look back at my collection of Christmas Letters I find that I have a neat summary of important family events for the last decade. If I continue the practice for another couple of decades I will have a rich resource to pass on to future generations who may not be simply interested in the dry Birth, Death and Marriage facts in my family tree but in our activities.

I must admit to not fully reading some of the Christmas letters I get as they are just too long. I love hearing of the doings of other families but prefer an "executive summary" rather than a novel. I edit, edit and edit again and make sure that my letter is no more than an A4 page in a font size that is readable.

As it's now 4th December I must away, reflect on the past year and write my Christmas Chronicle".

This post was written for the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Christmas Newsletters - Trash or Treasure?

As we will be overseas before Christmas I am thinking of what I can do so that when I return, on December 23rd, I will be prepared for the Yuletide festivities. I write an annual Christmas letter (never more than one A4 page) so I can make a start on that. Elderly aunts and old neighbours tell me that they enjoy reading it each year

I just spotted this post in an online forum "Does anybody get those annoying Christmas letters EVERY YEAR EVERY DETAIL of the families history???...I dont even read them anymore I just trash them."


Trash them? As the writer unwittingly said they contain details of a family's history.They are precious resources for future generations Sure people brag about how clever their kids are but they also convey news of hatches, matches and dispatches and other family milestones. There is no way I would trash these epistles that give a potted (but often skewed towards the positive) history of a family's events during that year.


For those newsletters that come from  family I record the details of births, deaths and marriages that I glean from them in my genealogy database. I then file them in my family history files in the author's file. I have over ten years of newsletters from one cousin's family that when read sequentially tell a beautiful story, warts and all. She is not into genealogy but one day her descendants may be; there may be nowhere else that this story is recorded for these youngsters. I am pleased that I can curate this collection for the future.

Do you send out a Christmas letter? Do you enjoy reading them? Are they trash or treasure?

Patricia Constance Hall

Last night I shared on Google+ a letter of condolence to Jackie Kennedy on the death of John Fitzgerald Kennedy from Patricia Hall of Corrimal Street, Wollongong. The letter had originally been shared by the US National Archives.
My interest was piqued because the typed letter the Archives chose to publish was from an Australian.

As I don't want to breach copyright I won't paste a copy of the letter to this post; it can be seen here: http://blogs.archives.gov/prologue/?p=12997.

I started wondering about Patricia Hall.  A quick trip to Ancestry and a check of the Electoral Roll told me that her full name was Patricia Constance Hall, a Secretary living at 128/130 Corrimal Street, Wollongong in 1963. There were no other people with the name Hall registered at the same address. That Patricia was a secretary answers my question as to why she typed her letter of condolence.

A search of the NSW BDM Indexes told me that a marriage between Patricia Constance Comerford and Parnell Hall was registered in Wollongong in 1941. It is highly likely that this is the Patricia who wrote the letter. A visit to the State Records NSW site tells me that they hold divorce papers for Patricia and Parnell who divorced in 1952. A search on Trove returned several articles referring to the divorce case, one of these from November 1953 named three children of the marriage : Stuart Hall 10, Annette Hall 7 and Louise Hall 4.

I hope that one day Stuart, Annette, Louise or their descendants come across this post and are able to view letter that their mother sent to Jackie Kennedy in 1963.

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2010 - December 4 - Christmas Cards

Enclosed with my Christmas cards for the last ten years or so has been a family Christmas letter in which I summarise the hatches, matches, dispatches, trials and triumphs of immediate family members. I have heard people scoff at these annual epistles by calling them "brag bulletins" and other derogatory names. To these people I say "Bah, Humbug".

When I look back at my collection of Christmas Letters I find that I have a neat summary of important family events for the last decade. If I continue the practice for another couple of decades I will have a rich resource to pass on to future generations who may not be simply interested in the dry Birth, Death and Marriage facts in my family tree but in our activities.

I must admit to not fully reading some of the Christmas letters I get as they are just too long. I love hearing of the doings of other families but prefer an "executive summary" rather than a novel. I edit, edit and edit again and make sure that my letter is no more than an A4 page in a font size that is readable.

As it's now 4th December I must away, reflect on the past year and write my Christmas Chronicle".

This post was written for the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories and first published in 2010

Christmas Newsletters - Trash or Treasure?

As we will be overseas before Christmas I am thinking of what I can do so that when I return, on December 23rd, I will be prepared for the Yuletide festivities. I write an annual Christmas letter (never more than one A4 page) so I can make a start on that. Elderly aunts and old neighbours tell me that they enjoy reading it each year

I just spotted this post in an online forum "Does anybody get those annoying Christmas letters EVERY YEAR EVERY DETAIL of the families history???...I dont even read them anymore I just trash them."


Trash them? As the writer unwittingly said they contain details of a family's history.They are precious resources for future generations Sure people brag about how clever their kids are but they also convey news of hatches, matches and dispatches and other family milestones. There is no way I would trash these epistles that give a potted (but often skewed towards the positive) history of a family's events during that year.


For those newsletters that come from  family I record the details of births, deaths and marriages that I glean from them in my genealogy database. I then file them in my family history files in the author's file. I have  over ten years of newsletters from one cousin's family that when read sequentially tell a beautiful story, warts and all. She is not into genealogy but one day her descendants may be; there may be nowhere else that this story is recorded for these youngsters. I am pleased that I can curate this collection for the future.

Do you send out a Christmas letter? Do you enjoy reading them? Are they trash or treasure?

Australia Post - 200 Years old Today

Australia Post is celebrating 200 years of postal service in Australia.


In "The Letters of a Nation Project" Australia Post is creating an interactive gallery of letters that have shaped Australia over time.

Members of the public are invited to become part of Australia's history and submit their letters to the site.

Details of celebrations to be held this weekend (26-28 June), including a concert at Darling Harbour with David Campbell, can be found here.

Anzac Day-Weekends Broadcasting from Hyde Park

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

"from New South Wales by june cowle

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

Simon Marnie is broadcasting ‘live’ from Hyde Park (Saturday 25^th 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."

Robert Burns letters blog

"The Robert Burns Letters seeks to recreate the letters of Robert Burns from November 1787 onwards by printing them on the days they were originally written by Robert Burns.

It is part of the work by the National Trust for Scotland to not only celebrate Burns’ 250th anniversary and raise awareness of the man and his letters, but also the upcoming new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum."

These letters present a unique insight into the life and times of Burns in 18th century Scotland. One can subscribe to this blog at http://burnsletters.wordpress.com/feed/

Holiday letters a gift of family history

As one who encloses an annual "Family Update" with my Christmas Greetings I found this article by Stefani Evans in the Las Vegas Sun affirming.