Thursday, December 22, 2022

Merry Christmas to all

2022 has been another year of unprecedented circumstances which have again impacted the lives of many.  While Covid still exists and causes some to be cautious about travelling and attending large gatherings, it is no longer felt so heavily.  This does not mean the year has been smooth sailing.  Recently unprecedented floods locally have hit the community hard and for many this Christmas will again be unusual, with the floodwater slowly receding, cleanup and recovery ongoing and many businesses assessing their losses and opening up again.

It is still, however, Christmas, and no matter how we celebrate this year there are still many Christmas traditions we will still follow.  For me, Christmas means that the tree is up - in fact it has been put up several times thanks to the enthusiasm of my cat who sees the Christmas Tree as his own personal climbing gym - and the house is decorated.  The fridge is full, the presents wrapped, cards sent and received.  Work is about to shut down until New Year, a lovely week of relaxation.

Tonight, my sister and I will continue the annual tradition of watching The Muppet Christmas Carol.  I have written about this tradition several times, and soon we will happily settle in to recite lines, sing the songs, munch mince pies and thoroughly enjoy our evening. This is our Christmas.

Whatever your traditions and however you celebrate the end of 2020, I hope everyone out there enjoys the festive season and I look forward to 2021.  Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Accentuate the Positive

I am responding once again to the wonderful Jill Ball with her annual challenge.  I'm looking forward to reading all the responses from my fellow Genealogists out there.


1. 
I was happy to go back to visiting archives and running genealogy classes at my local library after a Covid absence

2. In 2022 I was particularly proud of writing regular blog posts throughout the year, especially the #52 Ancestors challenge.

3. A new software package or web application I embraced was the newly revamped Campaspe Library website which will go love in the New Year

4.  My sledge hammer did great work on this brick wall - finding new details of my great grandfather's visit to America in the 1870s

5. A new genealogy/history book that sparked my interest was the wonderful fiction series by Alison Weir on the wives of Henry VIII

6. A geneasurprise I received was a Christmas gift subscription to the British Newspapers Online

7.  In 2022 I finally met- no one new but did finally get to catch up with geneamates I hadn't seen since preCovid

8.  Locating new newspaper articles on family members gave me great joy

9.  I am pleased the Covid situation caused me to change the number of conferences and meetings I could attend during the year, with so many being offered online

10. I progressed my DNA research by loading my test results onto more websites

11.  An informative journal or newspaper article I found was an obituary of my great great grandfather

12. I was pleased I could contribute tothe monthly Kyabram Genealogy Chat

13.  Trove taught me how to better search their website

14. I got a thrill from opening someone's eyes to the joy of genealogy when people come into the library asking what resources we can offer

15. The best value I got for my genealogy dollars was online meetings and conferences saving me a lot of travelling costs

16. A DNA discovery I made was more relatives to share information with

17. I enjoyed my first post Covid face to face event because I finally could!

 
18. Another positive I would like to share is2023 is another great opportunity for more research!


Monday, December 19, 2022

#52Ancestors - Week 50 - Traditions

Every family has their traditions, and as we approach Christmas it is time for me to observe a few of my own family's festive traditions.

While my family has always had the traditional Christmas tree, wreath and turkey for Christmas lunch, some of our particular traditions were more unique to us - like watching "The Muppet's Christmas Carol" on Christmas Eve.  It is a tradition that we have had since I was a child and we watched it one Christmas on TV.  Much searching from my mother produced a video of the film and even as teenagers the tradition of watching "The Muppet's Christmas Carol" on Christmas Eve prevailed.  It continued as we became adults and spent Christmas with our parents, was tolerated by baffled partners and friends, and after our parents passed was continued by my sister and I.  Eventually while on a cruise I located a DVD copy (in April!) and after explaining the significance to several bemused holiday aquaintances, that night seven adults sat in front of a television and watched the brilliant Michael Caine, so shiningly evil as Scrooge before he finds the spirit of Christmas, as he seamlessly interacted with his Muppet costars.

Some of my Christmas traditions have also changed over time.  After the year of my tinsel-obsessed cat caused in a rather expensive Christmas day visit to the family vet,  tinsel no longer features in my festive decorations.  The same cat has also implemented the rule that my Christmas Tree is put up undecorated for a week until he has finished treating it as his own personal climbing gym!

Below are some unusual Christmas traditions from around the world.

Giant Lantern Festival, Philippines

The Giant Lantern Festival (Ligligan Parul Sampernandu) is held each year on the Saturday before Christmas Eve in the city of San Fernando.  Eleven barangays (villages) take part in the festival and competition is fierce as everyone pitches in trying to build the most elaborate lantern.
Originally, the lanterns were simple creations around half a metre in diameter, made from Japanese origami paper and lit by candle. Today, the lanterns are made from a variety of materials and have grown to around six metres in size, illuminated by electric bulbs in a kaleidoscope of patterns.

Gävle Goat, Sweden
Since 1966, a 13-metre-tall Yule Goat has been built in the centre of Gävle’s Castle Square for the Advent, but this Swedish Christmas tradition has unwittingly led to another “tradition” of sorts – people trying to burn it down. Since 1966 the Goat has been successfully burned down 29 times – the most recent destruction was in 2016.

Krampus, Austria
In Austrian tradition, St. Nicholas rewards nice little boys and girls, while Krampus is said to capture the naughtiest children and whisk them away in his sack. In the first week of December, young men dress up as the Krampus (especially on the eve of St. Nicholas Day) frightening children with clattering chains and bells.

Kentucky Fried Christmas Dinner, Japan
Christmas has never been a big deal in Japan. Aside from a few small, secular traditions such as gift-giving and light displays, Christmas remains largely a novelty in the country. However, a new, quirky “tradition” has emerged in recent years – a Christmas Day feast of the Colonel’s very own Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Not sure this will catch on elsewhere!

The Yule Lads, Iceland
In the 13 days leading up to Christmas, 13 tricksy troll-like characters come out to play in Iceland.
The Yule Lads (jólasveinarnir or jólasveinar in Icelandic) visit the children across the country over the 13 nights leading up to Christmas. For each night of Yuletide, children place their best shoes by the window and a different Yule Lad visits leaving gifts for nice girls and boys and rotting potatoes for the naughty ones.

Saint Nicholas’ Day, Germany
Not to be confused with Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas), Nikolaus travels by donkey in the middle of the night on December 6 (Nikolaus Tag) and leaves little treats like coins, chocolate, oranges and toys in the shoes of good children all over Germany, and particularly in the Bavarian region. St. Nicholas also visits children in schools or at home and in exchange for sweets or a small present each child must recite a poem, sing a song or draw a picture.
But it isn’t always fun and games. St. Nick often brings along Knecht Ruprecht (Farmhand Rupert). A devil-like character dressed in dark clothes covered with bells and a dirty beard, Knecht Ruprecht carries a stick or a small whip in hand to punish any children who misbehave.

Norway
Perhaps one of the most unorthodox Christmas Eve traditions can be found in Norway, where people hide their brooms. It’s a tradition that dates back centuries to when people believed that witches and evil spirits came out on Christmas Eve looking for brooms to ride on. To this day, many people still hide their brooms in the safest place in the house to stop them from being stolen. 

Venezuela
Love Christmas, but think it could be improved by a spot of roller-blading? If the answer is yes, visit Caracas, Venezuela this year. Every Christmas Eve, the city’s residents head to church in the early morning – so far, so normal – but, for reasons known only to them, they do so on roller skates.
This unique tradition is so popular that roads across the city are closed to cars so that people can skate to church in safety, before heading home for the less-than-traditional Christmas dinner of ‘tamales’ (a wrap made out of cornmeal dough and stuffed with meat, then steamed).

Day of the Little Candles, Colombia
Little Candles’ Day (Día de las Velitas) marks the start of the Christmas season across Colombia. In honour of the Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception, people place candles and paper lanterns in their windows, balconies and front yards.
The tradition of candles has grown, and now entire towns and cities across the country are lit up with elaborate displays. Some of the best are found in Quimbaya, where neighborhoods compete to see who can create the most impressive arrangement.

Cavalcade of Lights, Toronto
In wintry, wonderful Toronto the annual Cavalcade of Lights marks the official start to the holiday season. The first Cavalcade took place in 1967 to show off Toronto’s newly constructed City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square.
The Square and Christmas tree are illuminated by more than 300,000 energy-efficient LED lights that shine from dusk until 11 pm until the New Year. On top of that, you’ll get to witness spectacular fireworks shows and engage in some outdoor ice skating.

Thursday, December 15, 2022

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 Libby eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue 

  • Websites to watch What family historians can look forward to online in 2023
  • Animal magic The origins of the British love of pet ownership
  • Reader story Anne Ward found a mysterious piece of embroidery from the First World War
  • Understanding Scottish burial records 
  • Tracing the First World War Women's Royal Naval Service 
  • Understanding your DNA with Ancestry 
  • And more

Monday, December 12, 2022

#52Ancestors - Week 49 - New Horizons

New Horizons is the theme for this week, and I immediately think of those brave ancestors of mine who sailed off to new horizons as they emigrated to Australia.  For many is meant leaving their homelands and extended families forever for a strange place with strange customs, strange landscapes and strange animals.  For a few it even meant learning a new language.

What prompted these people to take such a step?  For my father's family, his parents left England within weeks of their marriage in 1907 to sail to Australia to start their married life.  Frank and Rosa (Pike) Green married 10 October 1907 and arrived in Australia 1 December 1907.  They enjoyed a much faster and safer journey than other ancestors who emigrated in earlier years.  The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 had given ships from Europe an alternative route to Australia and by the early 1900s, steamships had become the established method of transport. No longer dependent on the strong winds encountered on the 'Great Circle' route, many shipping lines by this time travelled via the Suez Canal, reducing the length of the journey to Australia to 35 or 40 days. My father's parents were lucky indeed.

For my mother's side of the family, most branches travelled to Australia in the 1840s and 1850's, a much longer and riskier voyage.  A diverse group, they came from many different places.  The Pummeroy family travelled from London to Melbourne around 1849.  The Davis family came from Kent, also to Melbourne, making the voyage in 1853 with wife Margaret tragically dying at sea giving birth to twins, neither of whom survived.  The Beseler family came from Hanover in Germany, emigrating from the port of Bremen to Adelaide in 1847 before moving overland to Ercildown, where they settled to farm.  The Flowers came from Glamorgan in Wales to Melbourne in 1863.  The Clark family came from Bristol around 1855 to settle in Port Sorrel, Tasmania for over 15 years before moving on to Melbourne, and the Mulhollands and McCraes came from Ireland in the 1850s to settle on farmland near Bright.

For all of these families, their new horizons in Australia  were permanent, with no return to their homelands so far away.  They built new lives, raised their families and spread out across their new homeland.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

New Records on FamilySearch

The people at FamilySearch have been busy adding records to their database over the past few months.  Below are a selection of their new record sets.

New Australian Records

Australia, Albany, Inward Passenger Lists, 1873-1924  226,067 records

Australia, Victoria, Wills, Probate and Administration Files, 1841-1926  38,081 records

Australia, Tasmania, Civil Registration (District Registers), 1839-1938  70,861 records

Australia, Western Australia, Fremantle, Inward Passenger Lists, 1890-1911  365,185 records

New British Records

England, Gloucestershire Non-Conformist Church Records, 1642-1996  204,664 records

England, Lancashire Non-Conformist Church Records, 1647-1996  1,436,324 records

England, Surrey Parish Registers, 1536-1992  2,566,198 records

United Kingdom, Merchant Seamen Records, 1918-1941  240,481 records

England, Cheshire Bishop's Transcripts, 1598-1900  2,179,329 records

England, Warwickshire, Parish Registers, 1535-1963  2,900,867 records

England, Middlesex Parish Registers, 1539-1988  5,996,379 records

England, Derbyshire, Church of England Parish Registers, 1537-1918  2,953,523 records

England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957  8,572,759 records

England, Devon, Parish Registers (Devon Record Office), 1529-1974  167,845 records

England, Herefordshire Bishop's Transcripts, 1583-1898  1,603,017 records

England, Oxfordshire Parish Registers 1538-1904  103,414 records

England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991  14,994,376 records

England Marriages, 1538–1973  12,143,153 records

England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975  46,619,345 records

England, Lincolnshire, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1574-1885  135,981 records

England and Wales Census, 1871  12,983,349 records

England, Isle of Wight Parish Registers, 1538-1983  170,353 records

Currently there are over 16 billion records searchable in the FamilySearch database, with more being added constantly, so check out what they have to offer.

Monday, December 5, 2022

#52Ancestors - Week 48 - Overlooked

A danger for any genealogist is overlooking something - an obscure resource, a hidden set of records within a bigger database, a spelling variation or change of name.  Overlooking any of these things can mean we miss vital records that could help progress our research.

Another danger for the family history researcher is overlooking facts that just don't fit.  In earlier posts I have listed some of the overlooked but quite obvious errors that I have seen all in online trees : 

  • 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 2 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.

Overlooking opportunities to further our research can be another huge mistake.  The opportunity to question older relatives should not be overlooked when the chance arises - it may not happen again.  The chance to visit a cemetery or library or other place for research when travelling should also not be overlooked.  Revisiting our own research to see if we can spot overlooked errors or areas that need further investigation is another common error.

So don't overlook the value of revisiting your research and see what you may have overlooked.