Family Tree Frog

Week 8 – Genealogy Libraries : Genealogy libraries (and dedicated departments in regular libraries) are true treasures in the family history community.  Tell us about your favourite genealogy library. What or who makes it special? Well you probably know what I’m going to say already but yes, the QFHS library at Gaythorne is my favourite Genealogy library. And yes, my experience is very narrow, I realise.  I wish I could astound you with facts and figures about the collection but they are not at my fingertips. Suffice it to say, that I find it pretty hard to beat. You can find the library here. Amongst thousands of records, researchers also have access to: Ancestry (Library Edition) Emerald Ancestors FindMyPast – Australasia FindMyPast – UK FindMyPast – Ireland The Genealogist World Vital Records You can search the catalogue here. The LDS Film Service is available here too.  Don't forget that you can order ...

Week 7 – Historical Documents : Which historical document in your possession are you happy to have? How did you acquire this item? What does it reveal about your ancestors? I’m a bit bamboozled by this challenge in that I don’t think I have any historical documents really.  Original ones that is....I have lots of copies of historical documents. Perhaps we need to define historical document…I’m assuming we are talking about a primary source.  My History teacher in High School Rowena Danziger hammered in the importance of primary sources as opposed to secondary sources.  My rather ham-fisted attempt to explain the difference is that a primary source would be one written at the time by someone with first hand knowledge of the event.  I guess we’re talking diaries and letters. But wait….I do have some….my mother’s letters.  And I am happy to have them.  They are a mix of handwritten and typed letters dating back to 1983.  She w...

Week 6 – Family Heirlooms: For which family heirloom are you most thankful? How did you acquire this treasure and what does it mean to you and your family? We have a few family heirlooms for which we are very grateful.  The photo above for example is of some of the Daw pioneers: namely William Doig Duncan and Rose (nee Gorrian) with their daughter Alice Cecilia Hinde (my husband's great grandmother).   We also have the family bible as pictured above. I really treasure a scrap book that my father kept of our trip overseas when I was very young as it contains beautiful pen and ink drawings of the places we visited and all the usual ephemera such as menus, napkins, and cabin baggage tickets - not to mention photos...  Beautiful no? But the heirloom I treasure the most and that I can't pick up and run out the door with in the event of a fire is my mother's desk.   You can barely see the poor thing as it groans under the weight of ...

Sometimes the challenges in life provide the best learning experiences. Can you find an example of this in your own family tree? Which brick wall ancestor are you most thankful for, and how did that person shape your family history experience? George Birrell - Sea Town  My first blog was called Luvvies Musings...and I have been musing long and hard about this question ...so much so that I'm now late...terribly late and need to get on with it! The ancestor that I will posit for discussion today is not really a brick wall but she's a good example. My ancestor's name is Isabella Sinclair (nee Birrell).  She was my 3rd great-grandmother and came out to Melbourne, Australia with her husband Peter Sinclair in 1857 on the " Horizon " with their six children: Isabella, Margaret, Ann, James, Ellen (Helen) and Emma.  Somebody sent me a message on Ancestry this week asking me a bit more about the family and so that motivated me to have a play with Scotlands...