Website Wednesday - New Records on Ancestry

It is always worthwhile checking to see what new records have been added to the database at Ancestry.  Below are some of the recent additions for Australia and the United Kingdom.

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

Singleton, New South Wales, Australia, Church Records, 1840-1899

Newcastle and Singleton, New South Wales, Australia, City Directories and Residency Records, 1866-1901

New South Wales, Australia, Mineworker Fatalities, 1869-1939

New South Wales, Australia, List of Convicts and Deserters, 1790-1868

New South Wales, Australia, Early Newspaper Index, 1828-1919

New South Wales, Australia, Occupation Records, 1832-1921

New South Wales, Australia, Government Gazettes, 1832-1885

Government Gazettes, Queensland, Australia, Gould Genealogy 1859-1918

South Australia, Australia, Government Gazettes, 1841-1889

Victoria, Australia, Crown Land Licenses, 1853 and 1856

New United Kingdom Records

Suffolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1949

Suffolk, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812

Suffolk, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1999

Suffolk, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1924

England and Wales, Tithe Maps and Apportionments, 1775-1936

Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1924

Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812

Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1950

Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1997

Registration of Liberated Former Persecutees, 1945-1950

Birmingham, England, All Saints Hospital Records, 1845-1931

Birmingham, England, Petty Session Registers, 1892-1923

London, England, University College Hospital Staff and Patient Records, and Middlesex Hospital Medical School Student Records, 1828-1945

Isle of Man, UK, Civil Birth Marriage & Death, 1849-2013

 

Week 31 (July 30-Aug. 5) Earliest Ancestor

For 'Earliest Ancestor' I am going to focus on my great great grandparents David Mulholland and Eliza (McCrae).  They are by no means the earliest ancestors in my research, but they are the earliest ancestors where I hit a brick wall and am struggling to go further with my research. 

David Mulholland died in Eurobin, Victoria, Australia on 10 April 1902 at the age of 71.  He left behind wife Eliza Jane (nee McCrae) - although I have never found a marriage record for the couple - and 7 surviving children.  David's death certificate records his parents names as David Mulholland and Margaret (McGee) and his age at death 71.  Death notices describe David as being 71 years of age and a colonist of 42 years, putting his birth at around 1831 and his arrival in Australia around 1860. His headstone in Bright Cemetery states he is a native of County Antrim, Ireland.

Eliza - or Elizabeth, survived her husband for 23 years, dying 28 October 1925 in Myrtleford.  Her obituary, published in the Albury Banner and Wodonga Express on 6 November 1925, describes Eliza as having "reached the advanced age of 85 years, 63 years of which were spent at Eurobin" and states that she was born in County Belfast, Ireland.  This puts her birth at around 1840 and her arrival in Australia around 1862.  Eliza's death certificate - under the name Eliza Mulholland - gives her parents names as James McCrae and Mary.

I have, thus far, found no records for either family in Ireland.  Neither have I found a marriage record for David and Eliza in Australia or Ireland.  I have located a marriage record for David Mulholland and Eliza McGee who married 14 July 1854 in Kilmore, Armagh, Ireland listed in the Catholic marriage registers.  I am very doubtful this is my couple, as Eliza would have been only 14 years old and the county does not match the data I have for either of them.

I will keep looking, however, in the hopes of breaking through this brick wall and continuing further back along my Irish ancestry, finding even earlier ancestors on this line.  Any relatives out there with any information about this family - please get in touch!

Website Wednesday - Dissolution of the Monasteries

The dissolution of the monasteries was a process initiated by King Henry VIII of England between 1536 and 1541, where he disbanded the established religious houses (monasteries, priories, convents, and friaries) in England, Wales, and Ireland. This involved seizing their assets, including their land and wealth. The dissolution was driven by Henry's desire to break with the Catholic Church, gain control of the Church's wealth, and secure his own power.

Part of the National Archives, Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries maps the many religious establishments that were suppressed and dissolved.  For each, the map provides the Town, County, Order, Type, Members, Year of Dissolution and Net Income in 1535.

One example is the Harrold Priory.  Town - Harrold ; County - Bedfordshire ; Order - Augustinian ; Type - Austin Friars ; Members - Canonesses ;  Year of Dissolution - 1536 ; Net income - 40.

The website covers religious establishments in England and Wales.  It does not extend to Ireland. 

Week 30 (July 23-29) Religious Traditions

For many families across the world, religious traditions are a cornerstone of life, no matter what faith you follow.

New Year's celebrations, for example, vary widely around the globe, with many cultures observing the Gregorian New Year on January 1st, while others celebrate based on lunar or lunisolar calendars. Beyond January 1st, numerous countries and cultures observe their New Year's Day on different dates and with unique traditions 

Gregorian New Year (January 1st)

 

Many countries and cultures celebrate the Gregorian New Year, with traditions often including fireworks, countdowns, and festive gatherings. New York City's Times Square, Sydney's fireworks display, and London's celebrations around the Thames are well-known examples.

 

Kiribati is one of the first places to see the New Year due to its location on the International Date Line, while some uninhabited territories in the UTC-12 time zone are among the last.

LuniSolar New Years

The Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, occurs every year on the new moon of the first lunar month, about the beginning of spring (Lichun). The exact date can fall any time between January 21 and February 21 (inclusive) of the Gregorian Calendar. 

 

Songkran is the Thai New Year, celebrated in mid-April. It is renowned for its water festival, during which people splash water on each other as a symbol of cleansing and purification. Songkran is a time for paying respects to elders, visiting temples, and participating in traditional ceremonies. 

 

The Lunar New Year is celebrated in East Asia (China, Vietnam, Korea, etc.) and other regions, often overlapping with the Chinese New Year.

 

Other New Years 

 

The Islamic New Year, also known as the Hijri New Year, is observed by Muslims worldwide. It marks the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar year and typically occurs in the first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram. The exact date varies each year based on the lunar calendar, so it falls on different dates in the Gregorian calendar. 

 

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is observed on the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (September or October), focusing on reflection and atonement.

 

Nowruz, the Persian New Year, celebrated on the spring equinox (around March 20th), marking the beginning of spring in Iran and Central Asia.

 

Ethiopian New Year, known as Enkutatash, it is celebrated on September 11th.

 

The Balinese New Year, based on the Saka Calendar (Balinese-Javanese Calendar), is called Nyepi, and it falls on Bali's Lunar New Year (around March). It is a day of silence, fasting, and meditation: observed from 6 am until 6 am the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection.

 

Diwali, also known as Deepavali or the Festival of Lights, is a Hindu festival celebrated across India and by Hindu communities worldwide. While it is not the official Hindu New Year, it marks the victory of light over darkness and is a time for spiritual reflection and new beginnings. 

Website Wednesday - Hearth Tax Digital

Hearth taxes were levied in medieval and early modern Europe, notably in France and the Low Countries, but were not levied in the British Isles until the late seventeenth century. Following the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660, the hearth tax was levied in England and Wales from 1662 until 1689 (it continued to be collected in Ireland until the early nineteenth century). It was charged according to the number of fireplaces in dwellings, and it was collected twice each year at one shilling per hearth. It was also levied in Scotland in 1691 with collection lasting until 1695.

Hearth Tax Digital enables curious members of the general public, students, scholars, family historians, and genealogists to explore the information in the records on individuals' names, communities, whether heads of households were men or women, their titles (e.g. Mr, Mrs, widow), and for some their roles in society, including medical (e.g. doctor, midwife, apothecary) and military professionals (e.g. captain, lieutenant).

The documents are published unabridged and set out according to the layout in the original manuscripts. The editors have dated the documents and they are available without having to search through catalogues. The records are also available to browse and search without early modern palaeography skills, and Latin text is transcribed, with indications of abbreviations and translation into English. The Hearth Tax Digital team has used Logeion, (University of Chicago) for its translations, and professional palaeographers and records consultants to find, date, and check the transcripts undertaken by the volunteer transcribers of the British Academy Hearth Tax Research Project. Thus, Hearth Tax Digital enables remote access not only to The National Archives, (Kew, London), but also to local archives from Bristol to Kendal (Cumbria), providing perspectives from national to household levels upon English society and its relationship with the state during the Restoration period. New records will be added to Hearth Tax Digital on a regular basis until 2026.

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 : 

• WDYTYA? expert tips TV researcher Sara Khan on how to trace your family history
• V1 raids The deadly flying bomb attacks on wartime Britain
• Smuggling The criminal gangs who worked undercover on 18th century Britain's coasts
• Jewish ancestry The best websites
• Reader Story Sarah Le Marchand's family lived through the German occupation of Jersey
• Around Britain Oxfordshire family history
• And more.... 

 

Family History Month

August is Family History Month and Campaspe Library is offering a range of activities.  From author talks to classes to 1 to 1 research sessions, there is something for everyone.  

All sessions are free and bookings are essential as numbers are limited.  Book via the library homepage or talk to our library staff.

The Echuca Moama Family History Group will also be available to assist you with your family history enquiries.