Thursday, September 28, 2023

Why Can't I Find My Ancestor's Immigration?

As we research our family history, we all want to trace our ancestors movements, especially when they emigrated between countries.  As an Australian of British and European descent, tracing how and when my ancestors made the journey out to the colony is fascinating to me.  It can, however, be extremely challenging - it appears several of my ancestors might have swum out to Australia!

For a couple of my ancestors, making the assumption that they moved directly from A to B let me astray, in one case for several years.  The family of my great grandfather, James Nicholas Clark, came from Bristol in England.  They left England at about the time James was born and eventually settled in Melbourne, Australia.  It took me several years of fruitless searching for their immigration details before I widened my search to find the family first arrived in Launceston, Tasmania, which is where James was born shortly after they arrived.  The family spent at least 5 years in nearby Port Sorrell before travelling across Bass Strait to settle in Melbourne.

So why is it so difficult to find some of our ancestor's immigration records?

  • Consider alternate spelling of their name.  The clerk who recorded their embarkation or arrival was unlikely to ask about spelling and just recorded the name as he heard it.
  • If the person travelled in steerage/was an unassisted immigrant/was a crew member who jumped ship, the details recorded about them may be scant or non-existent.
  • Females, children, servants and steerage passengers were frequently left off the passenger lists altogether.
  • Did they migrate in stages?  Not everyone went straight from A to B – some visited other points along the way, sometimes taking years to arrive at their final destination.
  • Prior to 1852, ship's masters were not required to record the names of unassisted passengers travelling from Britain to the Australian colonies.
  • Port Phillip District of New South Wales was established on 10 April 1837.  Victoria was not proclaimed a separate colony until 1 July 1851.  Check NSW records if your ancestor arrived earlier.
  • After 1923 records of people arriving by sea and air are held at the National Archives of Australia.
  • Not all records have survived the passage of time and remained legible.

Monday, September 25, 2023

Who Do You Think You Are Magazine

The latest issue of Who Do You Think You Are magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue:  

  • House history Melanie Backe-Hansen from A House Through Time explains how to research the history of your home
  • The future of family history societies
 What do family history societies do, and are they under threat?
  • Reader story Ian Cooper's ancestors were Victorian policemen
  • Military medals
 How to discover what medals your ancestors were awarded online
  • The history of rationing How our ancestors ate during the Second World War
  • Somerset family history Everything you need to know to research your ancestry in the county
  • And more.....

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

RootsTech Registration is Open

The  RootsTech 2024 "Remember" Conference will be held February 29 to 2 March 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Once again it will be run as a paid in-person and a FREE virtual conference.  Registration starts on Monday, 18 September 2023 for this conference at https://www.rootstech.org.
 

 
In Salt Lake City:
  • 250+ exclusive sessions only available in SLC
  • 120+ exhibitors/sponsors in the Expo Hall
  • Be the first to learn of industry innovations
  • Be part of the energy of the general keynote sessions
  • Develop new friendships and reunite with old friends
  • Get personalized help at the FamilySearch library
Online:
  • 200+ new online sessions in over 26 languages
  • Join keynote sessions live from the comfort of your own home
  • Chat online with other attendees worldwide
  • Get digital syllabi and class handouts

So take a look at what RootsTech has to offer and take advantage of the many online talks and sessions that are available to those, like me, who are unable to attend the conference in person.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Journeys Into Genealogy Podcasts

Journeys into Genealogy podcast is now two years old with 69 episodes covering a wide range of topics.

 

You will find lots of interesting interviews with people sharing stories about their family histories, experts who can help with research, specialist advice for looking after objects and much more…

Journeys into Genealogy was setup in 2020 by Emma Cox, a family historian and genealogist based in Kent, UK.

The podcast is an eclectic mix of genealogy based topics, stories and people. Sometimes it may stray outside the boundaries of genealogy and include local history and other related topics.

I have always found podcasts to be a great learning tool, helping me to expand my research knowledge and find out about the latest developments in Genealogy.  Journeys Into Genealogy is another opportunity to learn, free and from the comfort of home whenever I have some spare time.

The podcast is available via the following apps

Friday, September 15, 2023

Family Tree UK Magazine

The latest issue of Family Tree UK magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue :  

  • Supercharge your search: evidence discussed
  • Notice the witnesses : keep an eye out for the names of our wider family
  • 26 top tips! Find out how to use MyHeritage better
  • DNA Workshop : with DNA advisor Karen Evans
  • The power of memories
  • Using wills
  • Spotlight on... The Railways: Work, Life & Death Project
  • Preserving your family’s oral history
  • Orphan to heiress
  • Flamborough lives : the Flamborough Lighthouse and its people
  • Thoughts on... : Diane Lindsay firmly believes we need to learn the lessons of the past, and reminds us that forgiving is not forgetting

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

New Records on FamilySearch

The people at FamilySearch have been busy adding records to their database over the past few months.  Below are a selection of their new record sets.

New Records on FamilySearch include :

  • Australia, Albany, Inward Passenger Lists, 1873-1924
  • Australia, New South Wales, Immigration Papers, 1877-1882
  • Australia, Victoria, Wills, Probate and Administration Files, 1841-1926
  • England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957
  • England, Cumberland Parish Registers, 1538-1990
  • England, Middlesex Parish Registers, 1539-1988
  • England, Military Pension and Service Records, 1702-1933
  • Find A Grave Index
  • France, Manche, Parish and Civil Registration, 1546-1912
  • Germany, Bavaria, Catholic and Lutheran Church Records, 1591-1963
  • Germany, Bremen, Catholic and Lutheran Church Records, 1746-1970
  • Germany, Lübeck, Catholic and Lutheran Church Records, 1797-1961
  • Germany, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Catholic and Lutheran Church Records, 1639-1943
  • Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, Wuppertal, Civil Registration, 1810-1930
  • Germany, Prussia, Catholic and Lutheran Church Records, 1580-1974
  • Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1740-1900
  • United Kingdom, British India Office, Births and Baptisms, 1712-1965
  • United Kingdom, Royal Air Force Service Records, 1912-1945
  • And much more

So check out this free worldwide database and see what records it holds for your family history research.

Monday, September 11, 2023

First Nations Family History

 
Are you researching your First Nations ancestors?

walata tyamateetj is a guide to assist researchers locate records about First Nations people in Victoria, held at both Public Record Office Victoria and the National Archives of Australia, in particular the various government agencies overseeing the administration of Aboriginal affairs in Victoria since 1838.

You can order a free hard copy version of this publication by contacting  koorie.records@prov.vic.gov.au or you can download a free pdf version.

Friday, September 8, 2023

New on Trove

Newspapers

NSW

  • Araluen Star and Miners' Right (1863-1864) [Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council]
  • Braidwood and Araluen Express (1899-1907) [Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council]
  • Daily Mirror (1941-1944) [National Library of Australia]
  • Pastoral Times and Deniliquin Telegraph (1859-1861) [Deniliquin Genealogy Society Inc]
  • Pastoral Times: incorporated with the Southern Courier (1861) [Deniliquin Genealogy Society Inc]
  • Pastoral Times and Southern Courier (1861-1862) [Deniliquin Genealogy Society Inc]
  • Pastoral Times and Deniliquin and Echuca Chronicle (1862) [Deniliquin Genealogy Society Inc]
  • Pastoral Times and Deniliquin and Moama Reporter (1863) [Deniliquin Genealogy Society Inc]
  • Pastoral Times and Echuca and Moama Chronicle (27 June 1863) [Deniliquin Genealogy Society Inc]
  • Queanbeyan Age (1955-1971) [Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council]
  • South Sydney News (1940) [Bayside Council Library]
  • South Sydney Sentinel (1932-1935) [Bayside Council Library]
  • Wagga Wagga Express & Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (1875) [Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society]
  • Wagga Wagga Express (1875-1876)  [Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society]

QLD

  • Northern Planter Ingham (1907-1908) [Hinchinbrook Shire Library]

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Look History in the Eye - Episode 12

Episode 12 of the Public Records Office of Victoria podcast series Look history in the Eye "Finding Fanny Finch" shares an entertaining musical performance about 1850s goldfields businesswoman Fanny Finch.

 

Fanny Finch's legacy as a trailblazer for women's rights, and her courageous survival story as a single mother on the Castlemaine diggings, has only recently been uncovered.

The episode was recorded on International Archives Day 2023 at the Victorian Archives Centre. Performed by historian Kacey Sinclair, alongside Finch's descendants, Bill Garner and his daughter Alice, with accompanying music by Friends of Wendy Cotton.

Kacey’s research makes a welcome addition to the histories of people with African Australian ancestry. 

Episode 12: Finding Fanny Finch

Duration: 50 min

Saturday, September 2, 2023

Family Tree US Magazine

The latest issue of Family Tree US magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines.  

Inside this month's issue :  

  • New Partnerships for NGS
  • 1931 Census of Canada
  • Now Online : English and Welsh Vital Records
  • Family Oktoberfest
  • Importing a GEDCOM
  • Tips for Building Family Trees
  • Middle Management : Don’t stop at first and last names—your ancestor’s middle name (if they had one) can provide valuable clues.
  • Between the Lines : Despite its importance, the US census can come riddled with genealogical errors. Here’s how to avoid them.
  • Find Your U.S. Ancestors
  • Reformation : Huge collections of German church records are now online and expanding. Find, interpret and use them in your research with these tips.
  • Finding Your Ancestor’s Hometown
  • Church Record Search Strategies
  • A Nation of Immigrants: legal restrictions your immigrant ancestors faced when coming to the United States.
  • Subject: UnidenTINfied • Period clothing in a tintype casts the subject’s identity into doubt.
  • Church Records
  • Browsing Records in FamilySearch Historical Images
  • Saving Watches and Timepieces
  • Germanic Alphabet Chart • Compare three styles of German script: Fraktur, Sütterlin and Kurrent.
  • And more...