Trove Tuesday

I have recently been researching articles about my family in the newspapers, using the wonderful free Trove website to search historic Australian newspapers.  Over the years I have unearthed a number of fascinating articles and notices that have greatly enriched my research.

A recent find is the photograph below of the marriage of my great uncle Henry Montgomery Clark, published on page 18 of The Australasian on Saturday 19 January 1944.

 

The article is especially precious as I have few photographs of Henry, or of his brother Leonard who is also featured.  A wonderful find!

The Julian Calendar

Today, 1 January was regarded as New Year's Day and celebrated as such, but from the 12th century until 1751 the legal year in England began on 25 March (Lady Day). So, for example, the Parliamentary record lists the execution of Charles I on 30 January as occurring in 1648 (as the year did not end until 24 March), although later histories adjust the start of the year to 1 January and record the execution as occurring in 1649.

Most Western European countries changed the start of the year to 1 January before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. For example, Scotland changed the start of the Scottish New Year to 1 January in 1600 (making 1599 a rather short year). England, Ireland and the British colonies changed the start of the year to 1 January in 1752 (so 1751 was a short year with only 282 days). Later in 1752 in September the Gregorian calendar was introduced throughout Britain and the British colonies. These two reforms were implemented by the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750.

It is important to keep these dates in mind if you have been fortunate enough to trace you family back past 1752, as the calendar used at the time will skew the year in which events, particularly baptisms, marriages and burials, were recorded if they took place between 1 January and 25 March.

 
Consider the example of the baptism records above.  It records the baptism of Susannah, daughter of John Dixon and Susannah his wife on July 8, 1722.  It also records the baptism of Anna, daughter of John Dixon and Susannah his wife on March 17, 1722.   This is going to look very odd on a modern timeline, if you don't take into account that in the modern calendar, Anna is baptised on March 17, 1723 - approximately 8.5 months after sister Susannah and not 3.5 months before her.

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 : 

• Who Do You Think You Are? 2024 An interview with producer Lucy Swingler about the new series
• Who Do You Think You Are? at 20 The programme's 20 best moments
• Taiwan POWs The horrific ordeal of Japanese POWs on Taiwan during the Second World War
• The history of education How our ancestors gained access to schooling
• Irish Famine ancestors Tracing your family in one of the most tragic parts of Ireland's history
• Around Britain Bedfordshire research
• And more...
  

Week 35 (Aug. 26-Sept. 1): All Mixed Up

Many of us will come across times when your family tree becomes All Mixed Up, a complex web of intertwining relationships.  Mine has several instances when the mix of names and relationships produces a tangled tree indeed, and impacts on my research as well.

In my Irish ancestry, along the Mulholland line, I find myself All Mixed Up due to names.  As was a common custom at the time, all four surviving sons of my ancestor James Mulholland named their first son James after their paternal grandfather.  As the family all lived close, this results in me having 4 men names James Mulholland, all born within a few miles of each other and within a five year timeframe.  And two of them married women named Mary!  Trying to work out which James Mulholland each record I find is sometimes just imposssible!

A complex Step relationship I have is that of Thomas May, my 3xGreat Grandfather.  Thomas married a total of 4 times, losing his first three wives in childbirth.  Each time, he remarried within a year of his spouse's death.  It is his 4th wife, Susannah Balls (nee Hart), where the relationships become truly convoluted.  Susannah's daughter (also Susannah) was married to Thomas's second son William.  So Thomas became not only father-in-law but also step-father to Susannah Jr, and his new wife Susannah became mother-in-law and step-mother to William.

Then there is the relationship of my Aunt, Mavis Pummeroy, and Great Aunt Thelma Clark.  Mavis, born in 1924, married Ernest Horton on the 15^th of September 1947.  Her Aunt Thelma, born in 1914, had married Clarence Horton, Ernest’s brother, on the 6^th of April 1935.  Thus these two women were not only aunt and niece, but also sisters-in-law.  

 'All Mixed Up' indeed!

The Rats of Tobruk

The Rats of Tobruk Association announced earlier this month that Thomas Pritchard, Australia's last "Rat of Tobruk", has died aged 102. 

"Tommy was a stalwart member of our association and a most humble veteran, having served with the 2/5th field ambulance throughout the Middle East and the South West Pacific," the association wrote in a post.

 

The Siege of Tobruk started on 10 April 1941 when the German and Italian forces under the command of Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel surrounded the Tobruk garrison which was being defended by British Commonwealth forces including more than 14,000 Australians, under the command of Major General Leslie Morshead.

Heavy fighting continued for 242 days.  It was an epic battle and despite heavy casualties, the Tobruk garrison was held.  Finally on 7 December 1941, Rommel was forced to abandon the siege.  It was one of the longest sieges in British military history and gave rise to the legend of the 'Rats of Tobruk'.

The Rats of Tobruk Association holds an Honour Roll which lists the Australian Rats of Tobruk.  The Roll was created by Owen Carlton, who dedicated many hours to examining service records and other documents to create the list.  I was honoured to find my great uncle David James Clark listed on the roll.