Week 47 (Nov. 18-Nov. 24): Random Number

I was a bit baffled about this week's prompt of 'Random Number' before it was suggested picking a random number between 1 and 100 and blogging about the corresponding person in my family tree.  So I asked a friend to pick a number for me, and it led me to John Thompson Argent, my paternal great great grandfather.

 

John Thompson Argent was born on 3 November 1819 in West Bergholt, Essex, England and baptised 10 December 1819 at St Mary's Church.  His father was also named John Thompson Argent, and his mother was Amy, nee Watts.

John became a corn miller like his father, and he married Emma Noble 29 October 1846 in the nearby city of Colchester.  Emma was born 6 July 1824 in Brightlingsea, some 11 miles from West Bergholt.  The couple lived at Newbridge Mill (pictured below) in West Bergholt (1851-1891 censuses) where their 5 children were all born.

 

The couple's five children - John Thompson Argent (1848 - 1907), Emma Noble Argent (1849 - 1935), Ada Emily Argent (1851 - 1929), Constance Minna Argent (1857 - 1929) and Isabella Mary Argent (1858 - 1936).

John Thompson Argent died 22 January 1894 at his home in West Bergholt and was buried at St Mary's Church, the same church as his baptism, alongside his wife Emma who had died in 1880.

John's youngest daughter Isabella married Walter Proctor Green of Manor Farm, Fordham in 1879.  Their only son, my grandfather Frank, would emigrate to Australia in 1907.

Week 46 (Nov. 11-Nov. 17): Cultural Tradition

Many families have any number of cultural traditions they follow faithfully.  No matter where your family comes from, there will be traditions you will follow.  Some are specific to a particular area or nationality, some are religious, others are created within families and handed down.

Traditions govern much of our daily existence whether we’re aware of them or not. For example, we begin our mornings with some sort of ritual that gets us ready for the day, usually ending with (or involving) breakfast. Millions of people worldwide perform the sacred ritual of preparing coffee, without which, for me, life simply cannot exist. And many holidays are secretly devoted to surviving beloved family traditions so as not to disappoint 'the Family'.

I have previously blogged about Christmas, when my family always observed a traditional gathering.  For me today, Christmas means putting the tree up and decorating the house, cooking turkey and roasting veggies, mince pies and Christmas cake laid on.  Brightly wrapped presents are tucked under the Christmas tree to be opened (one by one with everyone present watching, to prolong the Christmas morning fun).  Some of my Christmas traditions have changed over time.  Tinsel does not feature in my decorations any more after the year my tinsel-obsessed cat caused a rather expensive Christmas day visit to the family vet.  The same cat has also resulted in the rule that my Christmas Tree is put up undecorated for a week until he has lost interest in it.

Halloween in Australia is a rapidly growing tradition, with a growing number of houses in my area decorating and being visited by neighborhood children.  Back when I was younger it was much less popular, and I never went 'trick or treating' as a child back then.

With no young children in my close family, the traditional Easter Egg Hunt no longer features in my life - although I will admit the odd chocolate egg still finds its way into my shopping trolley each year.  Watching the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal remains a feature of my Easter holiday.

Why do we continue to observe these traditions?  Why do I still cook a hot Christmas dinner in the often 40 degree heat of an Australian summer?  But that’s the beauty of tradition. It doesn’t need to be logical or make sense. It just needs to be done. In an increasingly unpredictable world, tradition offers a sense of stability. Tradition.

Week 45 (Nov. 4-Nov. 10): Colorful

The theme for Week 45 is 'Colorful' and I started thinking about all the more colorful ancestors in my tree, and then came across the wonderful hand colored image of my father in his Australian Air Force uniform and promptly became sidetracked. 

This treasure was only discovered when the removalists were loading up my furniture to take to my new house when I sold the old family home back in 2017.  This colored print of my father was taken from a photograph from when he enlisted in the Air Force, during World War 2.  

It is hand colored on cardboard - and had spent who-knows-how-long lying behind a wardrobe in my parents bedroom.  Neither my sister or I can recall ever seeing it, although we are both familiar with the photo from which it is taken (below), and how or when it was created I have no idea.

My next project is to investigate restoring the colored image and having it framed.  I even have the spot for it picked out in my study!

Week 44 (Oct. 28-Nov. 3): Challenging

The prompt for Week 44 is "Challenging", which pretty much describes most aspects of family history research at times.  How to pick just one area upon which to focus?

One aspect of research I find truly challenging is the amount of misinformation and inaccurate research I find out there.  Incorrectly transcribed records, inaccurate original records, outright lies, and poor research skills can cause all sorts of problems for the unwary.

Online trees on any website I find can be full of errors, many of which are perpetuated by other researchers simply copying the incorrect information without  trying to verify it - even without noticing that the information is impossible!

Some of the impossibilities to keep in mind :

• Children cannot be born before their parents. 
• Children cannot be born to a mother who is 6 years old.  Or 94 years old. 
• Children are highly unlikely to be born to a father who is 89 years old.  While this MAY be biologically possible, it is unlikely and deserves a bit of fact checking.
• A child cannot be christened 4 months before they are born. 
• A woman cannot marry 3 years after she has died.
• A man cannot enlist in the army 5 years after he has died.
• Full siblings cannot be born 4 months apart.
• Travel takes time, especially before the age of the airplane.  In 1883 a child could not be born in England and christened in Australia 5 days later.
  

I have seen all of these, and more, in online family trees.  And trying to contact the tree owner to get their errors corrected?  Challenging indeed! 

Week 43 (Oct. 21-27): Lost Contact

During my family history research I have often reflected on the enormous step taken by my ancestors when they migrated to Australia.  Various branches came from England, Ireland, Scotland and Germany, all seeking a new life and leaving behind family, friends and their old homes.

None of my migrating ancestors would ever see those they left behind again.

For whatever their reasons, my original Australian immigrant ancestors made a huge leap of faith to leave their homelands and travel to a distant country, most with little chance of returning to their homeland if their new lives proved less than they hoped.  Settling into a new country is not easy. Immigrants have to adapt to an unfamiliar environment and lifestyle, while maintaining aspects of their previous culture and way of life.

Even maintaining contact could be difficult, or close to impossible.  Not all my ancestors were literate.  How do you maintain contact with family on the other side of the world before telephones and international calls, when the only real way to communicate was by letter?  Not only could it take months for a letter to make its way across the seas, such letters also cost money to post.  Then there would be a wait, possibly for several more months, for a reply to arrive.

There was more difficulty to overcome if either party (or both) lacked reading and writing skills.  In the 1800s when most of my family lines arrived in Australia, literacy levels were low, especially among the poorer classes.  Not all my ancestors who emigrated could read and write, and frequently those left behind in the 'old country' lacked literacy skills themselves.  Perhaps they could have sought assistance in writing to loves ones and reading their replies, but this would have been another cost to pay.  Little wonder so many lost contact.

Week 42 (Oct. 14-20): Full House

The prompt 'Full House' immediately makes me think of the many large families in my family tree, and how many people were often packed into small houses.  In past generations, large families were quite common, with not only numerous children but also extended family often sharing a home.  

While some of my ancestors were fortunate enough to have sizeable homes, those of poorer working class backgrounds often lived in smaller houses of only a few rooms, or even a single room for the whole family.  Children shared beds, and in poorer conditions the whole family would have slept huddled together.  Space was limited and conditions poor.

For my father, the second youngest of 10 children, all of whom survived to adulthood, it was a full house indeed.  Often the family lived in small farmhouses, with only a few rooms.  They moved several times during my father's childhood, but none of the homes the family occupied would be called spacious.

While the eldest children had generally left home by the time the youngest were born, it was still a full house indeed.

Week 41 (Oct. 7-13): Most

The prompt for Week 41 is 'Most', and Like last week's theme of 'Least' it is a prompt that is open to interpretation.  The most children in one family?  The most spouses to one individual?  Most likely to succeed (or fail)?  Most confusing family relationship?

In the end I have chosen a combination of most spouses and most confusing relationship, both titles would have to belong to Thomas May, my 3xGreat Grandfather.  Thomas married a total of 5 times, losing several wives in childbirth.

Thomas May was born 20 September 1762 in West Mersea, Essex and was baptised 16 October 1762 at the church of St Peter and St Paul.  He died on 27 February 1843 in West Mersea and was buried on 7 March 1843.  He outlived all 5 wives.

Wife 1 – Elizabeth Godwin
Born 1763 Thorrington, Essex
Married 27 March 1787 Thorrington, Essex
Died 25 August 1790 West Mersea, Essex
Children – Thomas, Edward

Wife 2 – Sarah Sadler
Born 1775 West Mersea, Essex
Married 1792 West Mersea, Essex
Died 7 January 1799 West Mersea, Essex
Children – Betsey (Elizabeth), Sarah, Hannah, John Tickell

Wife 3 – Henrietta Stevens
Born Unknown
Married 12 May 1801 St Mary, Lambeth, Surrey
Died 2 May 1812 West Mersea
Children – Henry John, Mary

Wife 4 – Susannah Balls Green
Born 7 June 1770 West Bergholt, Essex
Married 10 November 1818 Fordham, Essex
Died 11 February 1828 West Mersea, Essex
Children - Nil

Wife 5 – Mary Ann Pullen
Born 13 October 1791 West Mersea, Essex
Married 9 August 1829 West Mersea, Essex
Died 1838 West Mersea, Essex
Children – Edward, Sophia Mary Ann

It is his 4th wife, Susannah Green (nee Balls), where the relationships become truly convoluted.  Susannah's son Isaac (from her first husband John Green) was married to Thomas's eldest daughter Betsy (Elizabeth).  So Thomas became not only father-in-law but also step-father to Isaac, and his new wife Susannah became mother-in-law and step-mother to Betsy.

Week 40 (Sept. 30 - Oct. 6): Least

This week's prompt of 'Least' has required a bit of thought.  What area of my family history do I know the least about?  And why?

The answer would probably have to be immigration records.  It is an area in which I have always had difficulty finding information, and several branches of my family seem to have swum their way to Australia.

Why can shipping records be so problematic?  Over the years, I have found a number of issues with shipping and immigration records.

Firstly, I need to consider alternate spelling of the passenger’s name.  These were times when literacy levels were low, and often our ancestors were not the ones who actually recorded their name.  It was the officials – the secretary, clerk, shipping or immigration official, etc who filled in the records, and they frequently wouldn’t stop to ask about spelling, or even check they had heard a name correctly.  Some people also used as alias for a variety of reasons, making their records difficult – or impossible – to find.

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.  It is also worth noting that prior to 1852, ship's masters were not required to record the names of unassisted passengers travelling from Britain to the Australian colonies.

Did our ancestors 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.  My Clark family, for example, migrated from Bristol, England and settled in St Kilda, Victoria.  I searched for their immigration records in Victoria for years – until, almost by accident, I discovered that they originally arrived in Australia at Launceston, Tasmania.  They lived in the nearby Tasmanian settlement of Port Sorrell for at least 6 years before making the journey across Bass Strait to the mainland and settling in St Kilda.  I had been searching in the wrong state.

Finally, not all records have survived the passage of time and remained legible.  It could be that the records we are seeking simply haven’t survived, or a damaged or faded beyond legibility.

So, for a variety of reasons, immigration records are my least successful are of research.

Week 39 (Sept. 23-29): Homestead

To me, 'Homestead' conjures up the few memories I have of the sheep station called 'Para' on which I was born.  My father worked there as a stockman for approximately 20 years, and my mother became station cook after their marriage.

Para Homestead

My sister and I were both born during our parents last years at the station.  Just before we reached school age, our family moved to the small town of Moama, where we lived for the rest of my childhood.

Woolshed, clean and ready for shearing

I have only a few clear memories of our time at the station.  I remember the homestead beside the Darling River, the creaking verandahs and gum trees all around. Trailing my father into the old woolshed, the smell of sheep and wool overpowering.

1971 flood, from the back doors of the homestead

My family was resident at the station during the 1971 flood, an event my mother has described to me, during which the road from the homestead to the highway was cut by floodwater for several weeks, isolating us all.

Both my parents were fond of telling stories about their time on the station, which both looked back on with fondness and nostalgia.

Week 38 (Sept. 16-22): Symbol

The prompt for Week 38 is 'Symbol' which links to last week's theme of 'Tombstone' and has me thinking more about my collection of family headstone photographs and especially the symbolism included in the various monuments.  While the majority of the examples in my collection are fairly plain, there are still many symbols included.

The following are some of the more common symbols found on gravestones and their meanings.

ANCHOR - a symbol of hope, or the deceased was a seaman.
ANGEL - a guide to Heaven.
ARCH - symbolizing a triumphant entry into Heaven or victory over death.
ARROW - symbolizing mortality or martyrdom.
BEEHIVE - symbol of abundance in the Promised Land or piety or domestic virtue or faith.

BELL - a symbol of religious faith or religion.
BIRD - a symbol of eternal life, spirituality, Messenger of God, or peace.
BOOK - a symbol of the Divine Word or the deceased's lifetime accomplishments.
BURNING FLAME - a symbol of eternal life or resurrection.
BUTTERFLY - a symbol of resurrection.
CELTIC CROSS - a symbol of faith and eternity.
CIRCLE - a symbol of eternity, life never ending.
CLOUDS - a symbol of the Divine abode, Heaven.
CROSS - a symbol of faith and resurrection. Many military markers, in particular for Veterans of World War I, have a cross etched into the gravestone.
CROWN - a symbol of glory of life after death.
DOVE – a symbol of love, purity, resurrection and or the Holy Spirit.
EAGLE - many gravestones of Civil War veterans were engraved with images of eagles.
FINGER (pointing downward) - a symbol of calling the earth to witness.
FINGER ( pointing upward) - symbolizing the pathway to Heaven or the deceased found Heavenly reward.
FISH - symbolizing spiritual nourishment, faith, or deceased was a Christian.
FLOWER - a symbol of immortality. 

FLYING BIRD - a symbol of rebirth.
GARLAND - symbolizes victory over death.
GRIM REAPER - a symbol found on many early gravestones, meaning the inevitability of death.
HANDS (CLASPED) - a symbol meaning farewell and the hope of meeting again in eternity.
HARP - a symbol of hope.
HEART - a symbol of love, devotion, joy, and/or mortality.
HOURGLASS - a symbol of the swift passage of time, as in the shortness of life on earth.
LAMB - a symbol meaning innocence; used primarily on an infant's or a child's gravestone.
LILY - a symbol of purity and/or chastity.
MYRTLE LEAVES - a symbol of undying love and/or peace.
OAK LEAVES - a symbol of faith and virtue and/or endurance.
OBELISK - a symbol quite popular during the 1880's through the 1930's, meaning rebirth, connection between earth and Heaven.
OLIVE BRANCH - a symbol of peace, forgiveness, one's humanity.
OPEN GATES - a symbol of afterlife and the deceased's soul entering into Heaven.
PYRAMID – a symbol meaning resurrection, eternal life, enlightenment, spiritual attainment.
RAINBOW – a symbol of union, fulfillment of the promise of resurrection.
ROPE CIRLE - a symbol of eternity.

ROSE - a symbol of love, victory, triumph, and/or purity.
SCYTHE - symbol of a life cut short, death, or the final harvest.
SHEAF of WHEAT - a symbol of old age, a fruitful life.
SKULL - a symbol used in the early to mid-1800's representing mortality and or penitence. A winged skull meant that the deceased ascended into Heaven.
SLEEPING CHERUB - a symbol of innocence used primarily on an infant's or a child's gravestone.
SWALLOW – a symbol of motherhood, the spirit of children, or a symbol of consolation.
SWORD - symbolizes the deceased's military service.
SWORDS (CROSSED) - symbolizes that the deceased died in battle.
TREE – a symbol of life, knowledge, the fall of man through sin, or human frailty.
TREE STUMP - symbol of a life interrupted.
TRUMPET - symbol announcing the resurrection of the deceased's soul entering into Heaven.
URN - symbol for the soul, immortality or penitence.
WHEEL - symbolizes the cycle of life, enlightenment, spiritual power.
WREATH of ROSES - a symbol of Heavenly joy and bliss.