FHF Really Useful Family History Show

The Family History Federation are holding their second 'Really Useful Family History Show' on Saturday 10 April 2021.  The event will be completely online, allowing those of us on the other side of the world - or just down the road but in lockdown - to attend Covid safe from the comfort of home.  

They have lined up a great list of speakers and early bird tickets at £7.50 are available until 31 January. 

The current list of speakers includes :

• Muck & muscle : canal & railway navvies – Ian Waller FSG
• Wills Pre-1858 – Les Mitchinson
• Missing from home – David Eniffer
• Coram’s children : the history of the Foundling Hospital – Jane King
• Searching for ancestors when you are adopted – Penny Walters
• The family detective : a forensic look at the history of family photography – Stephen Gill
• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Ian Everest
• Deaths at sea – Simon Wills
• Using Irish wills and testamentary records – Natalie Bodle
• From Victorians to Elizabethans : some sources for tracing our English ancestors from 1901-1952 – Janet Few
• DNA for dummies – Linda Hammond
• Give your research the WDYTYA? treatment – Sarah Williams

 So take a look and consider attending another great online event.

A Sad Demise

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 Farchens and 4 siblings.  The family arrived in Adelaide in 1847 on the ship Pauline, with the ship's passenger list describing Carl Beseler as a shoemaker.  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.  Emma was born 19 September 1841 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales and died 1 August 1882 in Donald, Victoria.  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 below 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.

Asylum Record page 1

Asylum Record page 2

Asylum Record page 3

WDYTYA 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 RB Digital eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue

• Ancestry & Findmypast Discover the free records on family history's biggest subscription sites
• Transcription Tuesday Don't miss your chance to get involved in our online volunteer event on 2 February
• Reader story "A twist of fate saved my mother from Auschwitz", says Debra Barnes
• Irish ancestry The best websites for this tricky area of family history research
• Adoption records
How to break down brick walls and trace adopted children
• Plus: The lives of carpenters, how to save money on General Register Office orders, Medical Officer of Health records and much more...

 

Free Records from The National Archives UK

Although TheNational Archives UK is now reopening after lockdown on a limited basis, it is continuing to offer free access to thousands of its digitised family history records.

To access these , you have to register for an account on its website Discovery. This is free, and enables TNA to check that you are complying with its ‘fair use’ policy. The main restrictions are that you can’t put more than 10 items in your basket per visit, and you can’t download more than 100 items over the course of a 30-day period.

What you can access free includes :

• Army and military records - Many records have been digitised and are now hosted on the major subscription websites, but there are a good number of useful records that are now freely available on TNA’s website. Some, like the First World War Medal Index Cards (MICs), are also available on commercial websites.  Other collections include the service records of First World War nurses, the Household Cavalry records which cover both the First World War and earlier service and Recommendations for military honours and awards 1935–1990.
• RAF records -  These include the Royal Air Force Operations Record Books (ORBs), the Women’s Royal Air Force service records, and combat reports from the Second World War. The last is an incomplete collection and can only be searched by pilot, air gunner or date, but is fascinating nonetheless.
• Royal and Merchant navy records -  The collections include service records for both officers and ratings, as well as medal records for merchant seamen covering both world wars and the unpaid pensions claims from 1830–1860 which often include supporting documents such as wills, death certificates and marriage records.
• Wills from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) - Dating all the way back to 1384, these wills can be a gold mine of information if you find an ancestor in them. PCC wills are available on various commercial sites as well, but there are other records here that can’t be found elsewhere. 
• Migration records - These include the aliens’ registration cards 1918–1957, which usually include photos; and the naturalisation case papers from 1801–1870. If you see “naturalised” in the “Where born” column of a census record, then the case papers would be worth investigating.
•  First World War service appeal tribunal records from Middlesex - Tribunals were set up across the country to listen to those who appealed against conscription. Although conscientious objection was allowed as a reason not to serve, the records show that most people appealed for other reasons. This is one of the few sample collections that survive – the rest of the tribunal records were destroyed after the war.

So take the opportunity to explore this wonderful free access to records you would normally have to pay to obtain, yet another example of how  many companies are changing their practices to keep people going through the pandemic.

Divorce Procedings

Until fairly recent times, divorce was fairly rare and a difficult and lengthy process to navigate.  One of the few pre mid 20th century divorces in my family if that of James Nicholas Clark and Eliza (nee Hawley).  The couple, who married in 1886, had two children before their marriage broke down and they separated in 1891, Eliza leaving the children with their father.

Divorce then was a lengthy process, and was not finally granted to James until 1897, six years after the couple separated.  While James alleged his wife had committed adultery as well as abandoning him and their children, he was unable to provide the court with proof of this, despite naming two men who Eliza had lived with since their separation.  As a result, the divorce was granted on the grounds of desertion only.

There is no mention in the report below of Eliza attending the court or responding in any way to the allegations made against her.

Caulfield & Elsternwick Leader, Sat 14 August 1897, p2.

Widow's Application for Relief

One of the saddest stories I have found in my family history is that of Eliza Pummeroy (nee Beseler).  Eliza was born in 1871 in Learmonth, Victoria to Edward Beseler and Emma (nee Flower).  Eliza married Alfred Pummeroy in1895 in St Kilda, where Alfred worked as a plasterer.  They had four children before Alfred suddenly became ill with pneumonia and died on 6 Feb 1901, leaving Eliza with 4 young children and in a desperate situation.

The family lived in rented housing and had little by way of savings.  With four children to look after, the eldest 4 years old and deaf and mute, the youngest (my grandfather William) only 2 months old, Eliza was unable to do much by way of paid work.  She took in washing to make a little money, and was given 3 shillings a week by the local Ladies Benevolent Society.  It wasn't enough.

After struggling for a month after her husband's sudden death, Eliza took the step of applying to the local court for help, risking having her children removed from her custody and placed in an orphanage, something she was adamant she did not want.  The judges hearing the case awarded her 10 shillings from the poor box and committed the children to the department, with the recommendation they be handed back to their mother.

This appeal was reported in several newspapers.  Two reported the case with a fair amount of detail, including the fact that the children all appeared clean and well cared for, while a third much briefer article gave a somewhat different impression, especially with the heading 'Neglected Children'.

Prahran Telegraph, Sat 9 March 1901, p3.

The Argus, Sat 9 March 1901, p15.

The Herald, Fri 8 March 1901, p5.

RootsTech 2021 Goes Virtual

RootsTech, which has been held in Salt Lake City, Utah annually for the last several years, will be held virtually in 2021 due to the current global health issues.  For the first time ever, this major international genealogical conference will be completely online, and completely free.

Features of the virtual conference include :

• Celebrity Keynote Speakers : Keynote speakers for this year's conference are Lorena Ochoa, former Mexican professional golfer, mother and entrepreneur ; Francesco Lotoro, Italian musicologist ; Sharon Morgan, founder of OurBlackAncestry.com,  writer and genealogist and Nick Vujicic, international motivational speaker and New York Times best-selling author.
• Classes from Speakers around the Globe : There will be dozens of classes in multiple languages on topics including as discovering your family story, tracing your ancestors, and preserving your memories.
• Virtual Marketplace : The Virtual Marketplace will provide opportunities to see the latest innovations, interact with companies from around the world, and find answers and resources to aid you in your work. There will also be opportunities to get real-time help via video or live chat.
• Cultural Activities : Celebrate the world’s cultures with activities such as homeland cooking demonstrations, yoga, and music from around the world. These experiences will be available throughout the online event and on demand. 
• Access to Content Year-Round : All recordings and videos will be available to you on demand throughout the year, allowing you to access the many talks and classes at you own pace.