New on Ancestry

It is always worthwhile checking to see what new records have been added to the database at Ancestry, as well as which record categories have been updated to include new information.  This may mean there is new data waiting for me to find, so I like to check back every few months at least.  Below are some of the recent additions for the United Kingdom and Australia.

Don't forget that you can search the Ancestry database for free at any branch of Campaspe Libraries using our public access PCs or wifi through our subscription to Ancestry Library Edition.

New Australian Records

• Queensland, Australia, Immigration Records: Passengers and Crew, 1852-1899
• Queensland, Australia, Commonwealth Electoral Rolls, 1906-1969
• Queensland, Australia, School Admission Records, 1860-1992
• South Australia, Australia, Adelaide Hospital Admission Registers, 1841-1952
• South Australia, Australia, Incoming and Outgoing Passenger Lists, 1845-1940
• South Australia, Australia, Supreme Court Criminal Records, 1837-1918; Reports to the Police Coroner, 1842-1961
• South Australia, Australia, Destitute Asylum Ledgers and Admissions to Industrial and Reformatory Schools, 1849-1913
• South Australia, Australia, Select Tax and Financial Records, 1838-1928; Returns of Census, 1841
• South Australia, Australia, Prison Registers, 1838-1912
• New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842

  New United Kingdom records

• UK and Commonwealth, Law Examination Records, 1836-1946
• UK, World War II Index to Allied Airmen Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
• UK, World War II Allied Prisoners of War, 1939-1945
• Web: Global, Gravestone Photograph Index, 1265-2014
• UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
• UK, Mechanical Engineer Records, 1847-1938
• UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
• UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947
• UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1856
• UK Surgeon Superintendents' Journals of Convict Ships, 1858-1867

Family Histories Podcast Series 4

It has been announced that The Family Histories Podcast is returning with Series Four about to launch.  Family historian Andrew Martin will return to host the show, and there will be seven more episodes, life stories, and brick walls to add to the growing collection that remain available to listen for free.  

As in the previous three series, genealogy obsessed guests will share how they got hooked on family history, tell a story of one of their most fascinating relatives, and then turn to you for help in a hope that one of the podcast listeners has a research idea or clue to help solve their annoying ‘brick wall‘. 

In episode 1, Swedish genealogist Linda Kvist tells the story of a man who dies twice, and we're looking for an Estonian wrestler and his wife.

So take time to have a listen to these free podcasts and find out about how others became interested in family history and the successes and challenges they have faced in their research.

#52Ancestors - Week 44 - Shadows

The prompt for Week 44, 'Shadows', made me pause and think about the shadows that could loom over a family.  The shadows of war, poverty, prejudice, illness, disasters and more were - and still are - shadows that impact us all.  With water all around as we emerge from a major flood in my home town which saw many friends impacted, businesses closed and roads cut, the shadow of a natural disaster is certainly on my mind.

A major shadow that could impact an entire family was the impact of mental illness, especially in times when many illnesses were misunderstood and prejudice against those with a mental illness was extreme.  Even what was a genuine mental illness was misunderstood, with many people with a variety of conditions hidden away in lunatic asylums.  Children born with illnesses or birth defects could be abandoned to orphanages and sent to asylums, and men (and women) impacted by war with what we now know as PTSD seen as malingerers and worse.

Over the years of my research I have discovered several ancestors who spent time in institutions such as workhouses, orphanages and lunatic asylums.  Two of my Great Great grandfathers died in lunatic asylums, both from what we understand today to be dementia.

For many families, caring for an elderly relative, especially one who had developed dementia, was simply not possible, and before the rise of affordable nursing homes and old age care there were few places where the elderly could be cared for.  In times when dementia was little understood and any kind of mental illness carried a weight of social stigma for the family as well as the sufferer, hiding the person away in an institution was a frequent solution.  Others, unable to care for themselves because of their deteriorating mental state, were arrested for various reasons and ended up before the courts.  Many ended up in lunatic asylums, spending their declining years in conditions that today we would consider inhumane and totally unacceptable.  For my ancestor Edward Beseler, this was to be his fate.

Edward Beseler was born in 1836 in Neubukow, Germany and emigrated to Australia as a child with his family, father Carl Friedrich Beseler, mother Susetta Eva (Lisette) nee Farckens and 4 siblings.  The family lived in Adelaide for several years before travelling to Victoria, settling on a farm in Ercildown.  Edward was naturalised as an Australian citizen in 1863, and married Emma Flower in 1865.  Together the couple had 10 children.

By 1900, Edward was in his 60s and showing signs of dementia.  Matters came to a head in 1909 when he appeared in court (see report below) on the charge of having insufficient means of support, was found to be insane and an order of commitment was made.

From the Ballarat Star, 4 February 1909

Edward was admitted to the Ararat Mental Asylum, where he was assessed, found to be suffering from senility, and committed to the wards.  In his asylum record he is described at the time of his admission as being in fair bodily health for his age, clean and tidy but difficult to communicate with as he was quite deaf and illiterate, and described as suffering from delusions.  While there are only a few doctor's notes in his file, by 1917 Edward's health was deteriorating and he died in the asylum on 7 December 1918, only a few months short of 10 years after his admission.

#52Ancestors - Week 43 - Organised

Keeping our records, papers and other family history treasures organised is an ongoing challenge for even the most dedicated researchers, and I am no exception.  I admit I struggle to keep my files and papers properly filed and up to date.  Every now and then I find I have to step back, stop actual researching and catch up on the less glamorous task of filing, cross-referencing and getting myself properly organised. 

I expect we are all guilty of occasionally letting filing and updating get a little behind.  Many of my printed family sheets, that I use when researching, are covered in scribbled notes and references to new documents I have found and need to be typed up properly and new clean copies printed out.  My 'new' folder of documents that I need to check are properly referenced on my family group sheets and filed in their appropriate folders is starting to bulge.  My backup files could do with updating too. 

While visiting my sister recently I spent a happy day digitising family photos, so I now also have a folder of digital photos that need to be labelled and filed properly.  I really have a fair bit of work to do.

Organising our research is one of those ongoing tasks that can easily get away from us if we are not vigilant.  Over the next few weekends I plan to spent time getting my files up to date and properly organised.  Then for a few days I can bask in the glow of accomplishment, looking at the results of my work, before I start researching again, make some finds, and before I know it I will once again have a folder of papers waiting to be organised properly.....

Family History Down Under

Family History Down Under is rapidly approaching and will run from 8-11 November 2022 at the Castle Hill RSL Club, 77 Castle Street, Castle Hill NSW 2154

The conference will feature 4 tracks - each running across multiple days

• DNA: Genetic Genealogy
• Researching Abroad
• Australia & New Zealand
• Methodology & General

There will be 30+ speakers from Australia, New Zealand and other countries and  approximately 76 Presentations across the 4 days of the conference.  Recordings of all presentations (excluding workshops and dinner talks) will be available to view until 28 February 2023.  There will also be an Exhibition both at the conference and virtual until 28 February 2023.

You can choose how you wish to participate : in person or online.  There are several different tiers to choose from with different pricing and access.  Visit the conference homepage for more information on pricing, speakers, a list of presentations and more.

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:

• Build your own digital library The free online books that can help you grow your family tree
• Tips for birth certificates Go back to the basics with our tips for finding your ancestors' births
• Irregular marriage records Trace your ancestors who married in secret
• Reader story Stephen Browness organised a tribute to an ancestor who fought in the Napoleonic Wars
• Plus: The best websites for sound and film archives, using militia records, the history of rugby league and more

#52Ancestors - Week 42 - Lost

It is interesting that the theme this week is 'Lost' as I sit writing this post as the flood waters rise throughout my community in Victoria.  While my home is on slightly higher ground and should remain safe, the same cannot be said for many friends, colleagues and neighbours, and many people around the state are certainly feeling lost as they try to save homes and businesses as the flood water approaches or begin the sad, slow process of cleaning up and assessing what they have lost.

Which brings me to focus on 'lost' ancestors.  Virtually every family tree has them - the family members who for whatever reason just vanish.  They disappear from census records, can't be found in church and cemetery records, somehow manage to leave no traces at all - there suddenly seems to be no paper trail to follow them anywhere. 

A single missing person can leave a large gap in the family narrative, not only because you're missing a potentially tantalizing bit of history but also because there could be a number of documents from the person's later life that you're missing out on because you don't know where to look.  Dealing with these spectral ancestors can be a tricky proposition, especially when you have little information to go on. 

Sometimes people completely changed their names when they disappeared.  Perhaps they emigrated to another county and changed their name to better fit into their new community.  Perhaps they had a past they wanted to leave behind and a change of name allowed them to build a new life.  Perhaps they had a criminal or scandalous past they wanted to leave behind.  Maybe they were evading responsibilities or simply wanted to start again.  For whatever reason, they simply didn't want to be found - and perhaps their family didn't want to find them either.  People disappeared for a number of reasons.  

Their disappearance may not have been deliberate.  Not all records have survived the passage of time and some have been deliberately destroyed because they were not deemed to be worth preserving.  Some records have not been kept to a standard we would expect today.  Some names have been so badly recorded - our ancestors were considerably less focused on things like consistent spelling than we are today - that connecting the dots becomes almost impossible.

Finding elusive, lost ancestors is a task all genealogists face at various points in their research, and the triumph of successfully breaking down the brick wall of an elusive ancestor is something that hopefully we all experience as well.