Family History Group

The next meeting of the Family History Group is on Thursday 6 July 2023 10.00am to 12.00 in the Hall.

Whether you are an experienced family historian, a beginner or just interested please feel welcome and come along. If you have just joined the 55+Club and wish to see what this group is about- you are most welcome to come along too.

We will have a guest speaker from ACT Heritage who is also a volunteer with the National Trust. All Club members are invited to come along.

 The DNA Workshop Group and the Family Tree Maker Working Group has combined into a single group ‘Family History Workshop Group’.  The Working group will next meet on June 15.

If you have a lap top/tablet with your research, DNA results or Family Tree Maker on board bring it along as we may be able to help each other with any issues we may have.

If you are interested in coming along to any groups you are most welcome.

An interesting book available through the Library is ‘A Colonial Woman’ The life and times of Mary Braidwood Mowle by Patricia Clarke.  If you have an interest in Braidwood, Eden and the general area its a fascinating look at life in the early 1800s through her diaries.

Updated 3 June 2023

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

June 2023

The topic was ‘Home, Sweet Home’. Knowing a little about the houses our ancestros lived in helps us understand them.

May 2023

We had a very interesting talk from member Vi on her experiences as an evacuee from Glasgow at the start of WW2. Shehad an extended stay with her aunt and uncle and considers she had many advantages over her sibling who was too young to leave their mother and stayed in Glasgow.  We also had a look at two websites for Scottish genealogical records; ScotlandsPeople and the National Records of Scotland.  If you are interested in the history of Scots emigration including to Australia dip into T.M Devine’s To the Ends of the Earth.

April 2023

 Topic: ” Is there a doctor in the house?”

Does it add to our ancestors’ life stories to investigate people who are not related to us? Their names appear on census records, certificates, journals and other documents. I’m thinking of witnesses at a wedding, officiating clergy at baptisms and doctors who certify cause of death.  Its the doctors that provide the topic for this next meeting.

March 2023

What happens to your family history research after you stop researching or when you die’

Many thanks to Lyn for presenting this topic. Websites she used  are listed below.

Ancestry

• https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Managing-a-Deceased-Person-s-Account?language=en_US

National Library of Australia

• Google =  nladonations  for details
• If you have items already to donate, email specific details to
• [email protected]    and
• [email protected]

ACT Family History Society (previously HAGSOC)

• https://www.familyhistoryact.org.au/

British Genealogy

• https://www.british-genealogy.com/forum/forums/167-Unwanted-Certificates/page3?s=05ca9dffa9d91edb5dcdeac60a30955a

 Roots Chat

 https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=search2

Family Search

• https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-donate-to-familysearch
• https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-tag-memories-of-my-ancestors-or-relatives-in-family-tree

Family Tree Magazine

• https://familytreemagazine.com/preservation/genealogy-will-what-to-include/

February 2023

“Lost children” – and they are very tricky to find…..

Several websites were mentioned in the presentation and these are listed below:

The Foundling Hospital Museum, London https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/

Information about UK workhouses     www.workhouses.org.uk

The UK National Archives   www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Information on UK 19th Century UK prisons https://www.prisonhistory.org/

Information on Children’s Homes in the UK http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk

The Alliance for Forgotten Australians https://forgottenaustralians.org.au/

History and Information about Australian orphanages, Children’s Homes and other Institutions www.findandconnect.gov.au

December 2022

The topic had a Christmas theme – ‘Childhood Christmas’

November 2022

Unfortunately our guest speaker was unwell so we improvised but kept to the convicts topic.

October 2022

Lyn presented on the topic  is ” Hints and links when you are stuck”. She suggested some websites that could assist us when we have a brick wall in our research.

Mark – who presented on Adobe Photoshop at the August meeting was unable to come along to the September meeting but presented at the October meeting on solving the problems of getting photos from our ipads and phones to our computers.

Many thanks to both group members for giving up their time and preparing presentations.

September 2022

Rick Sochrane from Canberra printing firm Bytes ‘n Colours gave a most informative talk about his company’s work including preparing files for printing your family history.  Note the minimum print run is just “one”! A write up will be in the newsletter.

At the August monthly meeting we looked at two topics: a brief look at immigration from a country other than UK – we looked at the UK at the July meeting, and ‘Restoring old photos’.

July Topic: “Australia – Land of Opportunity”

Since our convict days people have come from many parts of the world to live here in Australia.  Some paid their own way whilst others were assisted by organisations.  How did your ancestors reach this land of opportunity?

Websites that proved useful in finding information about immigration, particularly assisted migration, and the schemes which promoted migration included:

• The Australian National Archives – there are some great research guides www.naa.gov.au
• The National Archives of the UK – www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
• re descendants of the lace makers of Calais – https://www.lacemakersofcalais.com.au
• Immigration Museum, Victoria www.museumsvictoria.com.au
• National Museum of Australia – www.nma.gov.au
• History of the Department of Immigration – www.homeaffairs.gov.au
• Highland and Island Emigration Society (Scotland) -Scotlands People www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
• State Library of Victoria for info on assisted verses unassisted passage – www.slv.vic.gov.au
• Find and Connect website – historical resources relating to institutional care in Australia – www.findandconnect.gov.au
• Trove and other newspaper resources are a great way to find out about incoming ships and passengers and also about the schems such as the ‘Dreadnought Scheme’ and the ‘Barwell Boys’.

June Topic The weather and its impacts  on our ancestors’ lives. Many of our ancestors may have been affected by drought or famine, have moved to another country or lost loved ones – the weather can have a big impact on us. We can add interest and context to our family history stories by considering “The weather”. Sources of information include family letters and diaries and newspaper reports of weather events and weather forecasts just to mention a few.

I’ve listed some websites here which were referred to in the meeting:

Historic data for the UK – https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/historic-station-data

An archived website with fascinating information about hsitorical weather events – https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20130428155005/http://booty.org.uk/booty.weather/climate/wxevents.htm

and if you are lookingfor weather events 1700-1849 try – https://www.pascalbonenfant.com/18c/geography/weather.html

You might have to cut and paste into a browser.

For Australia – the Bureau of Meteorology  website has historical data for a range of sites and dates.

For any of you that were at the meeting – Elizabeth Stratton’s 13 month old baby did not drown with her in the canal in 1862.  The child had already been returned home before Elizabeth set off to walk her friend home.

And while I have your attention –  FindMyPast has a terrific collection of British and Irish newspapers on its website. I have just found my great grandfather at the Wexford Ireland magistrates court in 1890 arguing over an assault case. Searching by his name didn’t find this article but his address in Wexford did.  Just shows that broad searches sometimes brings interesting results.

Also – if you are considering writing the results of your research there is an interesting website by Carol Baxter who is offering online course (for a fee) on writing and publishing. She has written several books resulting from her research.  Check out www.writingfabulousfamilyhistories.com/home Thank you Beverley for the link.

Liz Dean

Updated 20 October 2022