Family Tree Frog

  How to solve a mystery Well first up, I've got to assure you that really I have no idea how to solve this mystery so I am just going to steadily chip away at it and encourage you to chime in if you have any suggestions.  Those of you who have read my blog lately will know that I have in my possession some very old letters from a father to his son; namely A.C. Keep to Henry F Keep in 1883.  I would like to try and work out why they came into my maternal grandfather's possession. The importance of timelines Tonight, I am trying an experiment which is creating a comparative timeline of Henry F Keep, Walter William Forfar and Kate Amelia Ellis.  The two latter individuals were my maternal great-grandparents i.e. Kit McLoughlin (nee Forfar's) parents.  This is what I have created so far.   Henry F Keep Walter W Forfar Kate Amelia Ellis 1863 Henry b. 27 January          

  Another short one today. This photo is by no means contemporary.  I'm not sure that there are any markers there at all now. Transcription The grave marker says: In memory of our dear father and mother  John MCLOUGHLIN died 14th November 1953 aged 86 years  Margaret ... 12th June 1957 aged 79 years. R.I.P. Death Notice Here is John's death notice in the Sydney Morning Herald, 16th November 1953. I could not find a funeral notice and as he was buried on the day this was published, I think this is all there was. We won't be able to find one for Margaret as Trove only goes up to 1954. Death Certificate John's death certificate (Number 722 in the Register) says he died of chronic myocarditis.  He died at the Sacred Heart Hospice for the Dying at Darlinghurst.  He usually lived at "Ravola" 11 Irene Street Abbotsford.  He was born at Browns River, Bowenfels in NS.W.  He married at the age of 30 to Margaret Taylor.  His father was Patrick McLoughlin and his mother w

  Another quick one from me today.  All the photos of men in hats that I could find. I've probably overshared this one.  Sorry.  My grandfather Tom McLoughlin and his niece Joy Jeffery (nee Wingfield) walking in Sydney city, possibly Castlereah Street somewhere near Martin Place.  Sydneysiders put me straight on this one. A couple more from Tom's photo collection.  The woman in the first photo is my maternal grandmother Kit McLoughlin (nee Forfar).  No idea who the blokes are.  McLoughlin cousins please come to the rescue.  Is the woman in the second photo the witness to her marriage - Helen Reily?  I have no idea.  I never met or heard anything about Helen but I do think this was in courting days. And this one from the other side of the family.  Not sure if I've shared this before.  I just love it.  It looks like it might be taken at a train or a bus station doesn't it?  Ted and Ethel CONNER (nee CARRETT) are in the middle and then there's Ethel's parents on ei

  Book Review Crikey!  That week came around quickly. Description I have been meaning to read this book for a long time.  Let me say that again ...a loooong time.  When I worked at Gold Coast Libraries there was an author talk which I would have loved to have attended and I think that was last year.  Yes, this book was published in 2019.  Isn't the cover great?  Yes, I am very shallow and always judge a book by its cover.  Sorry.  But all hail to the marketing people.  I reckon they got this right. I finally borrowed it from Brisbane City Council Library service and it came in reasonably quickly.  I wanted to read it so I could make a sensible vote in the Queensland Literary Awards which are on again very soon if I haven't missed them already. Drat! I haven't missed them, but I have missed out on voting for the People's Choice.  Sorry Melanie! I hope you win :) So as you've probably guessed from the cover, this book is set in WWII Brisbane and was a real delight for

  Transcribing Letters to solve a mystery Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis will know that I am steadily going through my family archives.  I wish I could say there was a method to the madness.  There isn't.  I'm a frog after all.  Jumping from one treasure to the next.  Today's task which may take me a few weeks at this rate will be transcribing at least one of a bunch of about ten letters. These letters are dated 1883. Crazy huh?  These were with other papers relating to my grandfather so I can only assume he kept them for some reason.  They are not addressed to him.  They are addressed to someone called Harry from someone who signs themself as Your aff father A.C. Keep which I interpret as your affectionate father A.C. Keep. But what do you think?  A.C. Keep writes from Wollaston . I do not have the envelopes in my possession so do not know if the letters are from within Australia or from overseas The reasoning process I'm going to describe my modus op