Family Tree Frog

It's my favourite time of the year when I get to reflect back on what I've done over the past 12 months - in a good or positive way - thanks to geneabuddy GeniAus. Wanna join me?  Copy and paste the relevant items below and then email Jill or comment on her blog post here to let her know you're participating too. So here goes me.... Accentuate the Positive ! (Please delete the items that are not relevant to your situation.) 1.  An elusive ancestor I found was barp on this one I'm afraid.  Who are my elusive ancestors?  Well I guess Margaret Jones from Caernarvonshire, Wales (can I actually find her and her family in Wales?) and Robert Forfar from St Ninian's, Stirling, Scotland (where did he die?).  On my husband's side of the family we would be delighted if we could find the burial place for Robert James Daw born in Brisbane in 1873.  I suspect we will never find him as he was on the run from the law.  Last heard of at Augathella.  I am reading ...

I woke up this morning a bit like a kid on Christmas Day.   I had worked like a navvy yesterday to try and clean up my desk so that I could be prepared for the Genealogy Do Over.    I have literally put all my old research behind me.   Look! See!  There are all my old lever arch files.  I won't show you all the crap that is now lying in the hallway waiting to be chucked.   Honestly - I am in heaven.   This was my mother's desk.  And I've had that bookcase on top of it for the past 20 years. It worked well but I do love having all the desk space to work on rather than only half of it. The way it is positioned now, I can talk to Robert in the kitchen face-on, if I need to....and if he can hear me, over the sizzling saucepans....see?  And I can also see people straight away when they come to the front door.  Yay!   I can also see all the photo albums that need to be sorted...oh well... you...

Emperor Gum Moth Lovely Jill Ball of Geniaus encourages us to reflect on our achievements again. I am particularly keen to embrace this challenge as today is my blog's third Anniversary - who'd a thunk? 1.  An elusive ancestor I found was Zip really in this regard but I'm not complaining because it was a very full and productive year all round. 2.  A precious family photo I found was There were lots of precious family photos found this year on my husband's side of the family.  You can read more about the discovery here.   The important thing I learned was to go through everything carefully e.g. old papers....what might look like crap e.g. old newspaper articles might be protecting something more valuable.... Alexander Duncan and mate 3.  An ancestor's grave I found was No graves found this year but I did discover that Royston George DUNCAN has no known grave but will be commemorated on several occasions this year at the Australian W...

The fabulous Jill from Geniaus encourages us to reflect on our efforts in the past year with the following questions: 1.  An elusive ancestor I found was The article below is about my paternal 2nd-great-grandfather Edward Connor (yes the spelling of Conner/or is up for debate).  My gran always told us he shot himself but we were sceptical, shall we say.  Well, Gran was right.   Portsmouth Evening News 24 April 1897 Where on earth did Edward get the gun???? He didn't die until 1903 as per this notice. Portsmouth Evening News 6 October 1903 I suspect it was something to do with this.... Portsmouth Evening News 7 June 1893 I ordered the death certificate and received it in May but English death certificates are not as fulsome as Australian ones.  I have just realised that I was so excited to get the certificate that I gave it to my father without making a copy first (silly me).  I don't think it even tells us where he i...

This post is a continuation of Julie Groucher's fantastic meme The Book of Me, Written by You. There is a useful You Tube video here too if you need some inspiration. . The prompt for week 6 is Journals and Diaries Do you keep a journal or diary? How far back do they go? What do you record? Where do you keep them? Do you always buy the same one or vary them? Have you inherited any? Do you intend to pass along your journals or destroy them? Pictures Do you have a favourite? What do you use to write with – biro, pencil, ink or fountain pen? Diaries I've had a few. Like this green one...not sure what the year is.  But it is the one after the one written in hieroglyphic code when I was going through my Egypt phase.  I seem to have mislaid that particular one for the minute which is a bit of a shame. The green diary has some really boring entries but then some little treasures like this one....which tell you the year.... Good...