UK / Australia Genealogy

Influenza Epidemic: Quarantine Registers

2013-05-12T17:59:00.000+10:00

Quarantine camp at Wallangarra, 1919

A Web page that I check regularly is 'new Australian and New Zealand records' at FindMyPast. One of their latest additions is an index to Wallangarra quarantine admission registers 1918-1919.

The influenza pandemic of 1918-1920 killed millions of people (between 3% and 5% of the world's population at that time). To reduce the spread of this highly contagious disease, people entering Queensland for the first time, or returning from interstate, were detained in quarantine camps at Wallangarra on the Queensland/NSW border.

Queensland State Archives hold admission registers for those camps. Information in the database at FindMyPast includes name, year, marital status, occupation, address, what date the person left Queensland (if applicable), and the camp number and Archives reference. The original registers have extra details such as remarks and signatures.

There are many reasons why someone could have been travelling between NSW and Queensland, so check whether any of your family are listed in Wallangarra quarantine registers.

Coffs Harbour genealogy seminar: Queensland and Beyond

2012-11-12T10:36:00.001+10:00

Queensland and Beyond: A Family History Smorgasbord

On Saturday 17 Nov 2012, 10am to 4pm, I will be presenting a genealogy seminar at Coffs Harbour in New South Wales. The seminar (Queensland and Beyond: A Family History Smorgasbord) will consist of four sessions. The first will focus on Queensland, but the other three sessions will deal with sources and techniques that are relevant to research in many areas.

North of the Border - an Overview. An introduction to some of the main repositories and resources for research in Queensland. This talk will highlight major differences between Queensland and NSW research, and it will demonstrate why you should look in Queensland for information about people who lived or died in other States or overseas.
Black Sheep and Vanishing Relatives. Sources and strategies for researching the 'black sheep' of the family and people who 'disappeared' (either temporarily or permanently). Problems and sources to be discussed include unregistered deaths; aliases; family stories that hide the truth; illegitimacy; mental asylum records; electoral rolls; inquests; 'no-inquest' preliminary enquiries; police and prison records; Police watchhouse records; murder files; registers of criminal depositions; maintenance records; Police Gazettes; and various series of Court records. For those with Queensland research, this session will provide a wealth of specific advice; and because most Government archives hold similar records, it will also help you with research in other areas.
Using Indexes: Tips and Traps. You are less likely to miss relevant entries in indexes if you are aware of indexes' idiosyncracies and the many mistakes that indexers make (especially when handwritten documents are involved).
Who else is Researching Your Family? Distant relatives are likely to have photos, letters and other precious items from your branch of the family. Learn about many different ways to find and contact these 'new' relatives.

The seminar will be held at the Community Village, Earl Street, Coffs Harbour. The cost (including morning tea and a light lunch) is $25 for members of Coffs Harbour District FHS and $30 for non-members.

Bookings by Wed. 14 November are necessary for catering purposes. Phone Stan Gordon (02 6658 7955) or Jane Gow (02 6658 3355) or email the Society (coffsgenie [at] gmail.com).

There will be time for questions during the seminar. If you intend to ask me for advice, please come prepared with copies of certificates and details of names, dates, places, and sources that you have used.

Details of my future talks are on my Web site.

Update re Obituaries of Civil Engineers

2012-07-06T16:41:00.000+10:00

After reading my question about an index to obituaries in Minutes of the Institution of Civil Engineers (Great Britain), Darryn emailed me with details of a Web site that I somehow missed. (Was I blind? Did I do something stupid in my Google search? All I can say is 'Oops' and 'Thank you, Darryn'.)

For some unknown reason, the Web page with the Obituaries Index says it only covers 1880-1904, but the lists of names do in fact include entries for deaths up to the 1930s.

Unfortunately the link to L-M surnames was not working when I tried it.

The Web site says that the obituaries "contain very full descriptions of the life and work of the individual, and often list names of parents, and occasionally wives and children. Although the majority of them are British born, there are those born in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India, as well as other distant places. Many of them worked and died in these countries and left family there."

I is for In-Letters and Invalid Pensions

2012-07-05T17:40:00.001+10:00

The 'Family History Through the Alphabet' series is now up to the letter 'I'.

I is for...

In-letters. Queensland State Archives' Brief Guide to Colonial Secretary's Correspondence 1859-1903 explains how to search the series called In-letters (letters received). This can be slow and frustrating but it is often very rewarding. About eight hundred names from in-letters are on my Web site. Thousands more will be added when I have time! The emphasis is on items of interest for family history, such as correspondence about women, children, certificates, naturalisations, requests for assistance, missing friends, orphans, inmates of mental and benevolent asylums, etc.

Invalid Pensions. I have created a partial index to Police Department correspondence 1908-1952 that mentions hundreds of invalid pensioners and old age pensioners. Some lived in New South Wales and Victoria but most were in Queensland.

You will find more tips for family history in my other articles in this series. If the information and advice is useful, have a look at this page.

H is for Hackney Cabs and Helen Harris's indexes

2012-07-04T15:07:00.000+10:00

With this post for 'H' I am at last up to date with the 'Family History Through the Alphabet' challenge.

H is for...

Hackney Cabs. Bill Shute compiled an index to hackney cab licences 1848-1853 and 1871 from Sydney City Council archives and Metropolitan Transit Commissioners records. The index is at State Records NSW, Sydney City Council Archives, the Society of Australian Genealogists and Gosford Library. (This is an extract from the book Specialist Indexes in Australia: a Genealogist's Guide, described on my Web site.)

Helen Harris's Indexes. Helen Harris has compiled indexes to many fascinating sources. Although the emphasis is on Victoria (Australia), there are references to many interstate and overseas residents. Indexes on Helen's Web site are Missing People; Wife and Child Deserters; Infant Life Protection Act Indexes; Criminal and Other Case Files; Victoria Police; Employment Applications; Women Lecturers in Victoria; Theatrical, Literary and Artistic Lives and Lies.

You will find more tips for family history in my other articles in this series. If the information and advice is useful, have a look at this page.

G is for Gypsies, GENUKI and Gold Coast

2012-07-04T14:40:00.000+10:00

I was eight weeks late starting the the 'Family History Through the Alphabet' challenge, but I am determined to catch up! Here is my contribution to the letter 'G'.

G is for...

Gypsies. The Romany and Traveller Family History Society is dedicated to researching British Romany Gypsy, Traveller and Fairground ancestors.

GENUKI. The huge GENUKI Web site is the best starting point for genealogy in the UK and Ireland.

Gold Coast. Somerville Funerals undertakers records include overseas and interstate residents who died while holidaying on the Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia). The records give name, age, dates of birth/death/burial, where from, cause of death, next of kin and other remarks. Names from 1965-1983 have been indexed by the Gold Coast Family History Society. (This is an extract from the book Specialist Indexes in Australia: a Genealogist's Guide, which is described on my Web site.)

You will find more tips for family history in my other articles in this series. If the information and advice is useful, have a look at this page.

E is for Evidence, Engineers and Emigrant Siblings

2012-07-03T15:22:00.000+10:00

I am now up to 'E' in the 'Family History Through the Alphabet' challenge.

E is for...

Evidence. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, by Elizabeth Shown Mills, is the definitive guide to the citation and analysis of historical sources, especially original and unusual items used by family historians. Elizabeth Shown Mills also has some very helpful articles on her Web site. They include 'Working with Historical Evidence', and various titles under the heading 'Cluster Research (FAN Principle)'.

Engineers. Minutes of the Institution of Civil Engineers (Great Britain) include very detailed obituaries. Many of the engineers lived or died in the colonies or in South America. Antonia Jones of Hamilton, New Zealand, compiled an index to obituaries for 1880-1918. Specialist Indexes in Australia: a Genealogist's Guide, described on my Web site, has an address for Antonia, but it may be out of date. Can anyone tell me whether this index is available in a library? -- [UPDATE, 6 Jul 2012: I now know where the index is - and it includes deaths up to the 1930s!]

Emigrant Siblings. Did your ancestor have a brother or sister who emigrated to Australia? Death certificates in our eastern States are extremely informative, and may give details that are not readily available in the UK or Ireland.

You will find more tips for family history in my other articles in this series. If the information and advice is useful, have a look at this page.

The British in India

2012-06-20T12:21:00.000+10:00

Tracing Your British Indian Ancestors, by Emma Jolly, is a superb resource for family historians with a connection to India during the centuries of British involvement with that country.

The book discusses many sources for genealogical research, including British Library India Office Records, The National Archives, records of the armed forces, civil service and railways, and religious and probate records. A concise and vivid social history of the British in India makes this book even more enjoyable.

When I was in London last year I had the pleasure of meeting the author, Emma Jolly. In addition to being a well-known genealogist and writer specialising in London and the British Empire, Emma is also the author of Family History for Kids.

Australia Day 2012: Wealth for Toil (William Donald Webster)

2012-01-26T08:57:00.000+10:00

For this year's Australia Day (26 January) genealogy blogging challenge, Shelley of Twigs of Yore has chosen the theme 'Wealth for Toil' (words from the Australian National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair).

My favourite unit in the Local, Family and Applied History course was Oral History. For one of the assignments I interviewed my father. Here, in Dad's own words, is a description of the work done by his father (my grandfather, William Donald WEBSTER, son of James Campbell WEBSTER and Ellen BUTLER).
---

My father was born in New South Wales, but his family lived in the Cunnamulla area [Queensland] during the late 1880s and 1890s. At Stockyard Creek near Helidon, where the family lived for a while in the early 1900s, Dad worked for a man who used to break in horses, until he learnt how to do it himself. That was his first paid job.

Later he worked for Cobb and Co. That's when he came out west again, working at different Cobb and Co. mail changes. They used to have horses out on the runs, in the paddocks, so that they'd have a change of horses for the mail coaches. His job was to break the horses in, and to keep the supply of horses at every mail change - broken in to harness, and for saddle use. There was a mail change at Barringun, and one halfway to Cunnamulla (at old 'Woggonora', over the river from what's known now as Job's Gate Turnoff), and then Cunnamulla. He would handle about six young horses at the same time, until they were right through to the riding stage.

The mail changes were just a good set of horse yards and a tin hut. They had wells put down for a water supply. In that stretch of the Warrego River there were no permanent water holes, and it was before the artesian bores. They had to have some permanent water, so they had wells for stock and drinking water. There weren't any pumps at first. They had buckets and ropes and pulleys to bring the water up. I remember him saying how there was nearly always a water boy whose job it was to have the tanks filled with water. It's a slow process, filling the tanks one bucket of water at a time! They had the tanks filled so that when the coaches came in, the horses would be given a drink immediately they were unharnessed.

Later my father worked at 'Burrenbilla', which was owned by Rutherford and Company. They had other stations down in New South Wales, and he used to go down to those properties and break in their station horses. After he was married he was manager on various properties. A local stock and station agent lent him the money to enter the ballot for land, and he drew 'Plain View'. [These recollections are continued in Outback Story.]

---
For last year's Australia Day challenge I wrote about my earliest document for an ancestor in Australia. I look forward to seeing what theme Shelley chooses for 2013.

Vote for Your Favourite Genealogy Speakers and Authors

2012-01-24T08:39:00.000+10:00

It is time to vote for your favourite genealogy speakers and authors - the ones who give 'must attend' presentations at genealogy conferences and/or write 'must read' family history articles or publications.

Before you vote, consider both content and style. Good Content + Irritating Style equals No Vote! Please do the right thing and only vote for speakers whom you have personally heard and would publicly recommend. Don't just automatically vote for your buddies. That won't help conference committees to invite quality speakers!

After attending eight Australasian Congresses, a British National conference, a genealogy conference cruise, various family history fairs and Expos in Australia and London, and countless State conferences, 'Lost In' weekends and shorter seminars, I am a tough judge - but fifteen of the seventy-four nominees won my vote.

~~To vote, go to Anglo-Celtic Connections and follow the link.~~

UPDATE: Not many Australians and New Zealanders voted, so the rankings don't mean much - but I confess to being just a little bit thrilled! The AUS/NZ results are on Anglo-Celtic Connections. I have not heard Nick Barratt or Dick Eastman speak, but I can personally recommend all of the others.

Who are your favourite genealogy speakers?

2012-01-20T08:19:00.001+10:00

It's good to see some genealogy speakers who are known and loved in Australia, New Zealand and the UK in the list and comments on Genealogy Rock Star Nominations Update. I've nominated three (I had to draw the line somewhere!)

Let's join in and ensure that the list is not too biased towards the USA (no offence to my American friends!) [UPDATE: You can vote now. You should only vote for speakers whom you have actually heard and can personally recommend.]

Incidentally, the great Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers is planning a speaking tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2013, and has asked which events and societies he should target. If you would like to hear Thomas (I certainly would!) please leave a comment here, mentioning a city, society or 2013 genealogy event where you think Thomas should speak.

UK and Australia: genealogy news

2011-10-06T15:08:00.001+10:00

In these family history 'items of interest' for the United Kingdom and/or Australia, links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page.

The Romany and Traveller Family History Society is dedicated to researching British Romany Gypsy, Traveller and Fairground ancestors.

2011 'Who Do You Think You Are' handouts from talks and workshops are free to download.

British Parliamentary Papers are very useful for both British and Irish family history.

A programme and booking form are now available for the Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry (Adelaide, South Australia, 28-31 March 2012). I'll be there! I've only missed one Congress since 1986.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Family History Fair and State Conference at Inverell last month. The next two NSW and ACT State Conferences will be at Botany Bay (14-16 Sep 2012) and Canberra (2013).

There are three possibilities for another history and genealogy cruise in 2013. You have until 10 Oct 2011 to cast your vote or say why you wouldn't go to a conference like this. (You may have seen my description of Unlock the Past's first conference on a cruise.)

Other news for Australian and UK research is in Updates Genie No.9. Note the item about temporary free access to some Ancestry databases.

You are invited to take part in the 'Genealogists for Families' project. Our motto is, We care about families (past, present and future). We believe that our small actions can make a big difference to those who are less fortunate. This project was initially a way for me to honour my father's memory by continuing his tradition of 'good deeds'. Now others are joining in and thus establishing the tradition in their own families.

Some Australian Commonwealth electoral rolls up to 1980 are now on Ancestry, but scroll down and read 'State and Years Presently Included'. Years with no asterisk have not been indexed. Remember that Queensland has three series of electoral rolls, and the annotated State rolls are much more useful than the Commonwealth rolls on Ancestry.

Thrifty Thursday: This Week's Freebies

2011-04-22T11:10:00.000+10:00

There are some interesting freebies and discounts available at present:

LostCousins is totally free to 2 May 2011. This is probably the only web site that has virtually 100% accuracy in matching people who share the same ancestors. You do not waste time corresponding with people who are not related to you. To use LostCousins you need to have found relatives in one of these censuses: USA 1880; Canada 1881; Scotland 1881; Ireland 1911; England and Wales 1841, 1881 or 1911. Be sure to enter data for brothers and sisters of your direct ancestors, as it is their descendants who are most likely to have letters or photos from your line. Start by reading the LostCousins 'How-to' page. Remember to log in periodically, go to your 'My Ancestors' page and click 'Search'.
Free access to Gale's historical newspaper and periodical collections, including more than 10 million digitised pages, to 24 April 2011.
In honour of ANZAC Day, free access during this Easter long weekend to Ancestry's 40 million military records for Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and USA.
Ancestry's England & Wales marriage indexes 1837-2005 are free to search to 30 April 2011.
Until 5pm AEST 27 April 2011, order a New South Wales full certificate transcription for just $16.

One Lovely Blog Award

2011-04-02T07:05:00.000+10:00

I would like to thank Ros for nominating this blog for the One Lovely Blog Award. Now I am supposed to pass the award on to 15 other blogs that I have recently discovered. In alphabetical order, they are:

I hope you find them interesting, informative and entertaining.

Campbell immigration 1839: my earliest Australian document

2011-01-25T17:10:00.005+10:00

Graphic by Shelley

To celebrate Australia Day (26 January), Shelley at Twigs of Yore invited us to write about the earliest piece of documentation we have for an ancestor in Australia.

The earliest Australian document I have is an immigration record for my great-great-great-grandmother, Ellen (Helen) CAMPBELL. On 28 Feb 1839, Ellen and her thirteen children arrived at Sydney NSW on the British King. (NSW Immigration Department: Persons on Government Ships, 1839. State Records NSW: 4/4780, pages 230-231.)

The ship sailed from Tobermory in Scotland, but the family came from the Isle of Tiree. Ellen was a widow aged 49. Her children's ages ranged from 3 to 24. One daughter (Anne) was accompanied by her husband, Dr. Donald Rankin MACDONALD, and an infant who died on the voyage.

Helen CAMPBELL, in a letter dated July 1839 (NSW Colonial Secretary In Letters 39/7892 and enclosure; AONSW ref. 4/2454.3) says that her elder daughters obtained situations on arrival, but one was attacked with fever, which obliged one of her sisters to leave her situation to nurse her, and she being also attacked with the same disorder, another sister was also obliged to relinquish her situation to nurse her sick sisters. She 'arrived in this Colony without funds' and 'what little money she has been able to obtain by her own exertions and that of her other children, is now expended and she has no further means of assisting her child who is lying very dangerously ill, and in a state of wretched destitution'.

Ellen's three sons (John, Malcolm John and Archibald) became well known pioneers of Gippsland, Victoria. I have some information about most of Ellen's daughters, who married COCKBURN, COULSON, HOLMES, LAMONT, MACDONALD, McKENZIE, McNAUGHTON, WEBSTER and WELLS.

Believe it or not, Ellen's youngest daughter was named Duncan (her late father's name). She remains a mystery. A Scottish baptism register, NSW shipping records and NSW Colonial Secretary's Office correspondence all say that Duncan was a girl. Her mother's death certificate, 26 Apr 1858, lists Duncan as 'living'. If you are related to a Miss Duncan CAMPBELL born about 1835, please contact me!

Tuesday's Tip: School registers - parent or guardian?

2011-01-25T08:20:00.001+10:00

If someone 'vanished', it may be because they changed their name. If children are involved, try using school admission registers. I once overcome a genealogical dead end by finding a school admission register entry that listed the child's 'parent or guardian' as the mother's new partner. She did not marry him, but she and the children used his surname. Once I knew what that surname was, the research progressed in leaps and bounds.

Australian school admission registers should be either at the school or in State Archives. By law, historical societies or museums should only hold copies, not originals. Many indexes to school registers are listed in the book Specialist Indexes in Australia: a Genealogist's Guide (1998 edition and 2006 Supplement). For specific advice about Queensland school records, see the latest edition of the book Tips for Queensland Research. Those books are described in more detail on my Web site.

Some indexes to Queensland school records can now be searched via FindMyPast. They are in the category 'Miscellaneous Records and Reference'.

('Tuesday's Tip' is a theme used by Geneabloggers.)

On This Day - HUDSON, PORTER and HARLEY

2010-11-14T04:00:00.003+10:00

14 Nov 1831 (179 years ago) - John HUDSON was born at Barton-le-Willows, North Yorkshire, England. He was a son of William HUDSON and Christiana MATTHEW, and the husband of Hannah WRIGHTSON. [Great-granduncle]

18 Nov 1766 (244 years ago) - James PORTER and Catherine HARLEY were married at Battersea, Surrey, England. James was a son of George PORTER, shoemaker of Douglas in Scotland. I do not know his mother's name. [Great-great-great-great-great-grandparents, Webster line]

If you are researching these families, I will gladly provide full details of my sources, which include parish registers and private family papers. My thanks to Joe Hudson and Michael Flynn for their help.

The idea for this weekly feature came from Linda McCauley's Documenting the Details. I use On This Day, a companion product for The Master Genealogist, to generate a list of events for the week.

On This Day - RIENECKER and MERCER

2010-10-17T04:00:00.008+10:00

22 Oct 1891 (119 years ago) - William Albert RIENECKER was born at Ropeley, Queensland, Australia. He was a son of Carl Ludwig RIENECKER and Emilie Auguste Albertine HAHN, and the husband of Margaret Wilson RITCHIE. [Mother's uncle]

23 Oct 1823 (187 years ago) - Ralph MERCER was baptised (as MARCER) at Kirbymoorside, North Yorkshire, England. His parents were William MERCER and Ruth AGAR. The baptism register names both sets of grandparents. [1st cousin 4 times removed, Peacock line]

If you are researching these families, I will gladly provide full details of my sources, which include parish registers.

The idea for this weekly feature came from Linda McCauley's Documenting the Details. I use On This Day, a companion product for The Master Genealogist, to generate a list of events for the week.

On This Day - CAMPBELL and HUDSON

2010-10-10T04:00:00.005+10:00

15 Oct 1791 (219 years ago) - Helena CAMPBELL, daughter of Archibald CAMPBELL in Scarinish, was baptised on the Isle of Tiree, Argyllshire, Scotland. Her mother was probably Anne McCALL. Helena (elsewhere referred to as Helen or Ellen) married Duncan CAMPBELL in 1810. [Great-great-great-grandmother]

15 Oct 1838 (172 years ago) - Matthew HUDSON was baptised at Crambe, North Yorkshire, England. He was a son of William HUDSON and Christiana MATTHEW of Barton-le-Willows, and husband of Sarah (maiden surname unknown). Matthew was a joiner/builder in Leeds and Middlesbrough. [Great-granduncle]

If you are researching these families, I will gladly provide full details of my sources, which include parish registers, directories and census records.

The idea for this weekly feature came from Linda McCauley's Documenting the Details. I use On This Day, a companion product for The Master Genealogist, to generate a list of events for the week.

On This Day - HUDSON, WEBSTER and SHERRING

2010-10-03T04:00:00.005+10:00

4 Oct 1881 (129 years ago) - Florence HUDSON was born at Fairfield, Durham, England, the youngest child of George HUDSON and Mary PEACOCK. The family previously lived at Stockton-on-Tees. Florence spent her sixth birthday on board the ship Merkara bound for Queensland. She married William Donald WEBSTER and died at the age of 99. [Grandmother]

6 Oct 1890 (120 years ago) - Jessie Anne WEBSTER married George William SHERRING at Guildford NSW Australia. [Great-grandaunt]

If you are researching these families, I will gladly provide full details of my sources. My thanks to Warwick Sherring for his help.

The idea for this weekly feature came from Linda McCauley's Documenting the Details. I use On This Day, a companion product for The Master Genealogist, to generate a list of events for the week.

Unregistered deaths: look for inquests (Tuesday's Tip)

2010-09-21T05:00:00.007+10:00

If you cannot find a death registration, look for an inquest. You will often find an inquest file (Justice Department or similar) and/or a newspaper report for a death that was not registered. This definitely happened in Queensland and Victoria. Have you seen the same thing elsewhere?

For advice on Queensland's inquest files see the tips page on my Web site and the latest edition of the book Tips for Queensland Research.

('Tuesday's Tip' is a theme used by Geneabloggers.)

On This Day - WEBSTER and GIBLETT

2010-09-19T04:00:00.003+10:00

23 Sep 1829 (181 years ago) - George WEBSTER and Sarah GIBLETT were married at Finsbury St Luke, Middlesex, England. George's brother (James WEBSTER) had previously married Sarah's sister (Mary GIBLETT). [James and Mary were my great-great-great-grandparents]

25 Sep 1889 (121 years ago) - Thomas WEBSTER died at Petersham NSW Australia. He was a son of James WEBSTER and Mary GIBLETT, and the husband of Julia CAMPBELL. [Great-great-grandfather]

If you are researching these families, I will gladly provide full details of my sources, which include parish registers and a death certificate.

The idea for this weekly feature came from Linda McCauley's Documenting the Details. I use On This Day, a companion product for The Master Genealogist, to generate a list of events for the week.

London 1886-1903: Charles Booth Enquiry (Follow Friday)

2010-09-17T04:54:00.003+10:00

'Follow Friday' is a theme used by Geneabloggers. This week my recommendation is the Charles Booth Online Archive, a searchable resource giving access to maps and original notebooks created during an in-depth study of poverty, industry and religion in London, England, 1886-1903.

It is fascinating to learn about the streets where your ancestors lived and worked. Colours on maps indicate the income and social class of the inhabitants of each street. The maps cover a section of London from Hammersmith in the west to Greenwich in the east, and from Hampstead in the north to Clapham in the south.

Before you search by street, surname or occupation, read the guide for family historians.

Casino NSW: genealogy seminar, Nov 2010

2010-09-14T15:06:00.000+10:00

Casino Family History Group is hosting a seminar on Sat. 20th Nov 2010, commencing 9:30am and ending about 2:30pm. I am giving a talk on 'Black Sheep and Vanishing Relatives'. The other speaker is Brad Argent from Ancestry.com. More details (venue, cost and how to book) are on my Web site.

On This Day - BARBER, BIRKS, CAMPBELL and PORTER

2010-09-12T04:00:00.004+10:00

13 Sep 1764 (246 years ago) - Edward BARBER and Mary BIRKS were married at Bolton upon Dearne, Yorkshire, England. Was the Elizabeth BARBER who married William HUDSON their daughter? [Maybe my great-great-great-grandparents?]

13 Sep 1810 (100 years ago) - Duncan CAMPBELL and Helen CAMPBELL were married on the Isle of Tiree, Argyllshire, Scotland. After Duncan died, his wife Helen (or Ellen) and her children emigrated to Sydney, NSW, Australia on the British King. Her sons were pioneers of Gippsland (Victoria). [Great-great-great-grandparents]

18 Sep 1768 (242 years ago) - Elizabeth Harley PORTER was baptised at Stockwell Chapel, Lambeth, Surrey, England. Elizabeth was a daughter of James PORTER and Catherine HARLEY, and the wife of William WEBSTER. I am still looking for a record of Elizabeth WEBSTER's death (maybe about 1851). [Great-great-great-great-grandmother]

If you are researching these families, I will gladly provide full details of my sources, which include parish registers. My thanks to Michael Flynn for his help.

The idea for this weekly feature came from Linda McCauley's Documenting the Details. I use On This Day, a companion product for The Master Genealogist, to generate a list of events for the week.