B is for ......... Boggy Bill

Even after years of researching my family history I can still be Blown away by Bits of information that I didn't know.

Saturday just gone we had a small get together reunion for our Morgan cousins at Carmel (nee Morgan) and Len's lovely home at Strathfieldsaye, near Bendigo in Victoria.

I took along the treasured photo album of my nana, Daisy Fleming (nee Morgan).

My third cousin, Shelley (nee Morgan) was looking through it and spotted a photo of my nana's father, William Thomas Morgan.

"Oh there's Boggy Bill", Shelley commented.

I was gobsmacked to say the least.  

I'd not heard him called that before.  

Shelley said her Grandad had always called his Uncle Bill

 "Boggy Bill" because he lived at Boggy Creek.

My great granddad, William Thomas Morgan, known as Boggy Bill, was born at Euroa, Victoria in 1872.
He was the fourth son of Thomas Fitzherbert Morgan and Mary Ann nee Pike.
He married Ada May Hulme in 1905 and they had five children.
Four girls and one boy.  Bill died at Wangaratta in 1950.

Boggy Creek is near Myrrhee in Victoria.

 My family history through the alphabet list

A is for … Addicted

 "Family History Through the Alphabet challenge" ......  introduced by Alona Tester at Gould  

You just need to use the current letter for the week

(A, B, C etc. whatever week we’re up to, right through to Z), 

and connect it to someone, something, or a topic relating to 

your family that you’d like write about.

My immediate thought for A was ADDICTION.  

I am TOTALLY addicted to genealogy and researching my

family history.  

I love the thrill of the chase and the excitement of the discoveries.

I can't say I'm quite this bad but I do come close.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE AN ADDICTED GENEALOGIST
...when you brake for libraries.
...if you get locked in a library overnight and you never even notice.
...when you hyperventilate at the sight of an old cemetery.
...if you'd rather browse in a cemetery than a shopping mall.
...when you think every home should have a microfilm reader.
...if you'd rather read census schedules than a good book.
...when you know every town clerk in your state by name.
...if town clerks lock the doors when they see you coming.
...when you're more interested in what happened in 1697 than 1997.
...if you store your clothes under the bed and your closet is carefully stacked with notebooks and journals.
...if you can pinpoint Harrietsham, Hawkhurst, and Kent on a map of England, but can't locate Topeka, Kansas.
...when all your correspondence begins, "Dear Cousin,"
...if you've traced every one of your ancestral lines back to Adam and Eve, have it all fully 
documented, and still don't want to quit.

 My family history through the alphabet list

Tombstone Tuesday - But there is no Tombstone

John Kelly died at Yackandandah on the 28th of July 1905.  He seemed to have rather a tragic life.

An Inquest was held and John was buried at the Yackandandah cemetery on the 30th of July 1905.  There is no headstone but his grave has been photographed for me by Peter Ross.
He used his green folder as a marker.


The following articles appeared in the Melbourne Argus and the Advertiser Newspapers on the 29th of July 1905. From Trove 

Then the following article appeared in the Evening Post newspaper in Wellington New Zealand where John Kelly's brother, Thomas and their nephew Alexander Morgan were living. From Papers Past news archives

John was born at Dualla, Tipperary around 1840. Parents Cornelius Kelly and Mary Moloughney.
His Baptism record was dated 20 Jun 1840 at Newpark, Sponsors were William Mahony, Mary Ryan.

Along with his brothers Thomas and William he arrived in Australia from Ireland just in time for his elder sister's wedding in Melbourne on the 30th of June 1858.

John married Mary Ann Francis at Tarraville, Gippsland, Victoria on the 6th of February 1869.  They may have had a son John born in 1869 but I have found no further record or proof of his connection.

Mary Ann and John then had a daughter they named Mary Francis.  She was born in 1871.

Then came Alice Francis about 1874.  In 1900 Alice married a Denis Winters.
Alice died at Fitzroy in 1939.

Both John Kelly's wife Mary Ann and daughter Mary Francis died in Melbourne in 1888.  I have yet to purchase their death certificates and find out where they are buried.

Matrilineal Monday - Mother's Day Honours

Yesterday was Mother's Day here in Australia so I thought I'd write this post to honour my mum and her maternal ancestors as far back as I could.

I miss you mum.

The earliest known ancestor in my maternal line was Mary - (not Joseph's Mary) - maiden name unknown.
My 5th great grandmother, Mary, married Frederick Schultz and they had a daughter, my 4th great grandmother, Anna Dorothea Schultz in Brandenburg, Prussia (Germany) on the 18th of March 1796.

Anna Dorothea Schultz married Georg Nebel in Prussia and they migrated to Australia with other family members in 1855.  Georg died on the 2nd of September, 1877 and his wife Anna Dorothea died on the 29th of October, 1877 at Westgarthtown (now Thomastown) Victoria.
They are buried in the Lutheran Cemetery there along with many other German immigrants who settled in that area.

They had 3 known children, the youngest being Anna Dorothea Nebel born about 1826 at Hohensaaten, Brandenburg.
Anna Dorothea Nebel married Johann Heinrich (John Henry) Bartsch in 1850, Bukau (or Buckow)  Prussia (Germany).  After his death in Australia in 1866, she married her second husband, Johann Christian Voigt.

Anna Dorothea and her second husband Johann Christian Voigt.

With John Henry Bartsch she had 6 children, the third being my great-great grandmother, Anna Dorothea Bartsch who was born on the Danish ship "Acmel" on which many members of the Shultz, Nebel and Bartsch families emigrated to Australia in 1855.

Anna Dorothea Bartsch

Anna Dorothea Bartsch married Joseph Hulme on the 16th of March 1875 at Beechworth, Victoria.  Joseph was a farmer.  They settled at Horseshoe Creek, Moyhu and had 10 children.
The fifth child (fourth daughter), Ada May Hulme, was my great grandmother.

Ada was born on the 10th of May 1884 at Oxley, Victoria and married William Thomas Morgan in 1905.
She died at Wangaratta on the 22nd of April 1965 aged 80 years.
Ada and William Morgan had 5 children.  Four girls and one boy.  Their second daughter was Daisy Marion Morgan born on the 10th of August 1908 at Moyhu in Victoria.  Daisy was my much loved nanna.

 Daisy grew up in Moyhu, Victoria.  She married my grandfather, Archie fleming, on the 8th of October 1932 at her parents home "Willow Bank" at Moyhu.
My dearly loved mum, Amelia Joan Fleming, was born at Wangaratta on the 9th of September 1937.
She has only recently passed away (23rd of April 2012) and I miss her terribly.
I knew it would be hard to lose my mum but I didn't realise just  how heart-wrenching.

Me and my Mum xx

Merry Month of May Music Meme

I love music and when I saw the following geneameme it sounded fun.

 "The Merry Month of May Music Meme: a meme for your amusement" by Pauleen Cass

Song(s)/Music from your childhood: Kookaburra sits in the old gumtree,  Botany Bay, Click go the shears, Bridge over troubled water, Wild colonial boy. Eidelweiss and christmas carols.
Song(s)/ Musos from your teenage years: - Oh wow that list is soooooo long!  The pushbike song.  Daddy Cool: Eagle Rock,  Don McLean: American Pie,  Dr. Hook: Sylvia's mother, jam up and jelly tight, anything by Elvis, Joy to the World - Three Dog Night.
First live concert you attended: - Country music festival featuring Chad Morgan!!  eeek
Songs your parents sang along to: My mum sang along to everything.  Dad couldn't sing and I inherited that
Song(s)/Music your grandparents sang/played: Irish ballads, country music, boogie woogie, jazz.  My maternal grandmother owned a zither and a violin. I can vaguely remember her playing the zither but not violin.
Did you have a musical instrument at home: one of those screechy recorders for school.
What instruments do you play (if any): none now but I love the organ.
What instruments do you wish you could play:  The organ, guitar, flute  .... oh everything except a banjo
Music you fell in love to/with or were married to:  Roy Orbison and Elvis.
Romantic music memories: Unchained melody
Favourite music genre(s): Pop, rock, 50s, 60s and 70s, country, Boogie-woogie
Favourite classical music: not a real fan
Favourite opera/light opera:  Phanton of the opera
Favourite musical: Rocky Horror Show
Favourite pop: All of it
Favourite world/ethnic: Nana Mouskouri
Favourite jazz: Louis Armstrong, 
Favourite country or folk: The seekers, John Denver, Roy Orbison, Charlie Pride and more
What music do you like to dance to: Credence Clearwater revival and any Rock and Roll, classical, country
What dances did you do as a teenager: Jive, Ballroom, Old time, modern square dance.
What songs do your children like or listen to:  Country, pop and modern
Silly music memories from your family: Dad singing "I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch"
Silliest song you can think of: I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch,
A song that captures family history for you: It's a long way to Tipperary
Favourite artists (go ahead and list as many as you like): Credence (John Fogarty), Dr Hook, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Jim Reeves, The Platters, Andrew Sisters, Louis Armstrong, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Marty Robbins, Daddy Cool, Elvis Presley, John Farnham, K.D Lang, Nana Mouskouri, Patsy Cline, Bette Midler, Lynn Anderson, Ray Stevens.

Unnamed photos - Anyone know who these people are?

Photo labelled "Unknown taken in Melbourne".  

This lovely lady may have had some connection to the Cross Keys Hotel at Essendon. 

These photos are some that belonged to my GG Uncle Alexander Morgan. He was a son of the Morgan family who owned the original Cross Keys Hotel.

Alexander went to New Zealand in 1886 and was the head accountant for the New Zealand Treasury Department in the early 1900s.  

The following photo was labelled "unknown, taken in Wellington"  

I'm posting them on the off chance that someone may recognise them.

And the next photo is labelled Miss Annie (or Bessie) and Miss Kate - Unknown

Wedding Wednesday - Lilian Myrtle Fleming

Lilian Myrtle Fleming and Duncan McLaren were married on the 25 April 1928 at Whitfield, Victoria, Australia.

Lilian Myrtle Fleming, known as Myrtle or more commonly "Myrt" was the older sister of my maternal grandfather, Archie Fleming.  Myrt was born at Whitfield on the 5th of May, 1907.  She was the 8th child of  the 11 children of Donald Fleming and Margaret nee Hart.

Wangaratta Chronicle - Wedding - McLaren - Fleming

Much interest was evidenced in a pretty wedding celebrated at the Whitfield Presbyterian Church on April 25th.  The contracting parties were Mr. Duncan Herbert McLaren eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. A McLaren ("Hillside" Whitfield) and Miss Lillian Myrtle Fleming (youngest daughter of Mrs.  D. Fleming ("Valley View" King Valley)  The Rev E. C. Day of Wangaratta officiated, assisted by Mr. Ian Munro, of Whitfield.  The bride (who entered the church on the arm of her Uncle Mr. J.K. Fleming) looked charming in a frock of silver lame, and finished with hand made roses of white georgette.  Her embroidered tulle veil fell in graceful folds from a coronet of pearls and back wreath of orange blossom, confining her veil cap fashion.  Her bouquet was of white dahlias and chrysanthemums intermingled with maiden hair and asparagus fern.  The bride was attended by her cousin (Miss Gladys Fleming) who wore a pretty frock of pink georgette and lace with felt hat to match and carried a bouquet of pink rosebuds, chrysanthemums and fern.  Mr. Arthur McLaren (brother of the bridegroom) was best man.  During the signing of the register,  Mrs.  Milbourne rendered the solo "God be with you" accompanied by the organist, Mrs. Lowry, who also rendered the wedding march as the happy couple proceeded down the aisle.  After the ceremony Mrs. Fleming entertained friends and relatives at the Whitfield Hall.  The tables were beautifully decorated with dahlias and chrysanthemums and the usual toasts were honoured.  The happy couple left by car for Wangaratta en route for Melbourne, where the honeymoon was spent.  The bride travelled in a frock of mushroom shaded wool crepe-de-chine and hat in blue and mushroom tonings.  She also wore a black fur coat, the gift of her mother.  The bride's gift to the bridegroom was a travelling rug and that of the bridegroom to the bride a wallet, and to the bridesmaids a xylonite clock.  The future home of Mr.  and Mrs. McLaren will be at "Greenfields" Whitfield.

Matrilineal Monday - My grandmothers' maternal ancestors

Mary Mulloughny (various spellings on various documents) was my great-great-great grandmother.

The only thing I know about her is that she married Cornelius Kelly in the Parish of Boherlahan, Dualla, Tipperary, Ireland on the 6 Feb 1834. 
Witnesses to this Roman Catholic marriage were Rev. D. Corcoran and Daniel Mahony.  

Mary and Cornelius had 6 children.  Only one was a girl and she was my great-great grandmother, Margaret Alice Kelly who was born in 1834.  
She was baptised at Dualla and the sponsors of her baptism were Lawrence Mockler and Judith Walsh.

Margaret Alice Kelly came to Australia sometime in the mid 1850s.  I haven't found exactly when or on what ship she came.  Her son John Felix Morgan was informant on her death certificate and he stated she had lived in the colony of Victoria for 52 years.  If he had the years correct she would have arrived in Australia in 1852.

In searches of passenger lists there are a few Margaret Kellys and only a couple of Alice Kellys.  I could find no Margaret Alice Kellys.

On the 30th of June 1858 she married John Morgan at St. Francis church Melbourne.  Three of her youngest brothers, aged 16, 13 and 12, arrived in Australia just in time for her wedding.  
Could this have been because their mother, Mary Mulloughny, had died?  
Their father, Cornelius Kelly, had died around 1851.  

The certificate for her wedding was the last record of Margaret Alice Kelly being called Margaret.  From then on any record, document and news article referred to her as Alice.  Read more about Alice here

Margaret "Alice" Morgan nee Kelly

My great grandmother, Mary Agnes Morgan - daughter of Alice and John Morgan, was born on the 17th of October, 1864 at Moonee Ponds in Victoria.

Young Mary Agnes Morgan

Mary Agnes Morgan

Mary Morgan married John Adams in Essendon, Victoria on the 7th of November, 1887.  They had 7 children - 4 boys and 3 girls.  The second youngest child was my grandmother, Brenda Mary Adams, born in Kensington, Victoria on the 12th of February, 1905.  Mary and John's marriage did not continue happily though.  You can read that story here

Mary died of cardiac failure on the 24th of August 1933 at 10 Molesworth Street, North Melbourne, Victoria.

Mary Agnes Morgan about 1930

Some of the life story of Mary's daughter (my grandmother) Brenda Mary Adams  is very sad but later she married my grandfather, had my father and then I came along and I'd like to think they lived happily ever after.

Myself and my grandmother Brenda Forsyth nee Adams