A Distinguished Ancestor - Francis Jollie Gowans

On the eve of Remembrance Day we remember Francis Jollie Gowans who served in both the First and Second World Wars.

There is no need to write a blog post about Mr Geniaus' ancestor, Francis Jollie Gowans, as there are several biographical accounts online including this:  https://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/story/12283/. Frank's obituaries in The Times (London) and The British Medical Journal also provide accounts of his career and his Naval Record from The National Archives (UK) which contains many letters gives further details of his career.

What I can offer are some images from a family collection generously shared by a Gowans cousin in Wiltshire.

Francis Jollie Gowans

Highlights of Francis Jollie Gowans' career were his appointment as Honourary Surgeon to the King in 1937 and his subsequent award of The Companion of  the Order of the Bath (Military).

Source: Morning Post 9/7/1937

The Award

Francis Jollie Gowans (Right) at Buckingham Palace February 1938

Tell the World at #RootstechConnect

 Let's use this opportunity to tell the world about our Australian culture and share our stories from downunder.  YOU can submit your stories to RootstechConnect.  It's a great way to share a story or highlight someone or something in your life that's made you who you are today. 

Read all about it here:  https://www.rootstech.org/get-involved?lang=eng

An invitation to join Heather

Australian GeneaGuru, Heather Garnsey, will be the guest speaker via Zoom on 14th November at The Lake Macquarie Family History Group meeting. As President of the Group I am honoured that Heather will be addressing our Group.

Heather's topic is The Sydney Benevolent Asylum and its triangle of care.

In 19th century Sydney the Benevolent Asylum was a place of temporary refuge for destitute ex-convicts, deserted wives and abandoned children and by the 1870s it was the main lying-in hospital for single pregnant girls. From the 1850s it also forged close relations with the Randwick Institute for Destitute Children and Liverpool Asylum. The surviving records can tell us a great deal about the people it helped.

I have previously heard this talk and learnt so much about the care of destitute people in New South Wales in the19th Century and beyond. I commend it to you.

The Group has allocated 20 spaces for visitors. If you would like to attend please email lakemacfhg@gmail.com. We still have several spaces available for genimates to attend.

Twelve years and smiling

Twelve years ago I was recovering at home from ankle surgery and on the verge of retirement. I had been blogging for work and wanted to keep up the blogging habit once I retired but I needed a focus for my blogging efforts.

Twelve year old Jill

I chose to blog about genealogy in which I had an interest. In the twelve years since I started this blog my interest has become a passion which Mr GeniAus would call an obsession. When I started this blog I was like the twelve year old Jill who was setting off for secondary school in her hat and white gloves and carrying her precious new briefcase. I did not know what lay ahead of me.

Over the years I have started several blogs for myself and for organisations with which I am involved. I have given up on some of my blogs. Others I set up for organisations  have languished in the hands of their new keepers. Although my posting schedule has been erratic at times I have nurtured this GeniAus blog for twelve years and am committed to seeing it through its teenage years.

The GeniAus blog has opened many doors for me. It was through my early blogging efforts that I was invited to be an official blogger for the first Rootstech Conference and I have served as an Official Blogger or Ambassador for each Rootstech event. The blog also has brought me invitations to speak at many events and to join genealogy boards and committees. I am a committed Lifelong Learner!

What I treasure most about the bounty the GeniAus blog has delivered are the friendships with a collection of dear Genimates. Mr GeniAus and I have made  friends around the world through my involvement in geneablogging and social media. 

Initially my blogging focus was news and resources, while I still share some of these items on my blogs I now use my Facebook GeniAusPage to share topical news and events and use the blog more for reflections and family stories.

In my very first post I said "I thought I would like a place to share progress, reflections and resources as I solve my genealogical jigsaw so here goes - another blog is born."  One thing I omitted is that now an important part of my purpose is to preserve the stories of my ancestors and my living family for future generations. The importance of this element was brought home to me when I received the following comment on my blog in 2012.

I accepted that invitation which reminded me of the importance of recording our social and family history in Australia. I am honoured that, as a result, the posts I write will be preserved for the future in what is now called The Australian Web Archive at Trove Australia, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/collection. 

As I reflect on the GeniAus blog and my other blogging activities I have a smile as broad as that of the 12 year old Jill soaking up the Australian sunshine in her new swimsuit. 

 

Twelve year old Jill