Sunday 6 October 2019

Birth record of Anna Dorothea Bartsh "born at sea" found at last!

AT LAST!

I have finally found the Marine register birth of my great-great-grandmother Anna Dorothea Bartsh.
I wish I could share this news with her grandson Joe Bradshaw, my 1st cousin twice removed, and his wife Nancy.  Sadly they have both passed away now.  Rest peacefully, Nancy and Joe. 

I think Nancy and Joe are helping me along somehow.  
It is one day short of 12 months ago exactly that I found the Prussian marriage record for Anna Dorothea's parents Johann Friedrich Heinrich Bartsch and Anna Dorothea Nebel

Digital copy of this photo was given to me by Nancy and Joe Bradshaw. 

There was some contention amongst family researchers about Anna Dorothea being born at sea onboard the Danish ship "Acmel".  

Many said she was, others said she wasn't.

In searching for her birth record I had to use very broad search parameters.
Anna Dorothea Bartsch was born en route to Australia from Prussia to Johann Heinrich Barts(c)h and Anna Dorothea Nebel.

This is the result my search turned up in Victorian birth death and marriage "events at sea"



The transcription of this document is terrible but I do admit it is very hard to read and transcribe.

  • The surname is Bartsh or Bartsch not Bartiht
  • The ship's name was Acmel not Climel
  • Her mother's maiden name was Nebel, not Nobels.
So, along with the fact that Anna Dorothea stated on her marriage to Joseph Hulme that she was born at sea, finding this record and having learned of the German naming pattern at http://www.rieperoots.com/pages/Names/customs.htm  which shows that her elder sister known as Emma was named Anna Dorothea Emma, I am happy that this is all confirmation that my great-great-grandmother Anna Dorothea Bartsh was born at sea on the ship Acmel en route to Australia.


 Anna Dorothea's cousin Emile Nebel was also born on board the Acmel enroute to Australia.
His birth was recorded on the same page as his cousins.




The transcription of this document wasn't quite so bad.


  • The ship's name was Acmel not Climel
  • His mother's surname was Umlang not Unilang


Other related posts:








Friday 6 September 2019

Peter HART'S final resting place at Echuca cemetery

Today we went to Echuca, a bit over an hours drive from home, so I took the opportunity to go to the Echuca cemetery to find the grave of my great-great-grandfather, Peter Hart just a few days past the 119th anniversary of his burial on the 4th of September, 1900.




I had visited Echuca nearly 12 months ago but when I went to go to the cemetery I found the road closed for roadworks that day.  So I emailed the cemetery and Jodie, the lovely office manager, gave me the location of his grave which is Section A (Church of England), row number 22 and grave number 21.  Today Jodie showed me the actual site.
Section A (Church of England), row number 22 and grave number 21
In the earliest part of the cemetery, there are many unmarked graves (the grey squares)

Peter, a farm labourer at Kanyapella, died of apoplexy at the Echuca hospital on the 2nd of September 1900.


The Riverine Herald, 4 Sept 1900.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article114955051


Peter married Agnes Mason at Talbot, Victoria on the 18th of July 1870.
They went on to have eleven children, the eldest being my maternal great-grandmother Margaret Hart.

Peter's wife Agnes obviously held fond memories of Echuca.

"HOLIDAY AT ECHUCA"
Account of a holiday given to her grandson, George Rathbone, by Agnes Hart:
In 1883, after harvest time, Wlliam Rathbone took Elizabeth, Leah and George to Echuca for a holiday.    William who had taken his wheat to the Echuca flour mill, knew that this bustling town had the greatest inland port on Australia's largest river, the Murray, which with its tributaries the Darling, Murrumbidgee, Edwards and Goulburn were the highways for paddle-steamers carrying the squatters' wool and the merchandise for all the inhabitants of that vast area.

William put the cover back on the wagon which served as a safe sleeping quarters.  They loaded their bedding, cooking utensils (camp oven, black pots and a pan) as well as tent and hammocks.

Peter and Agnes were friends of William and Elizabeth Rathbone, in Talbot and they had travelled to Echuca in 1875 in a covered van drawn by one horse.  They carried their own goat for a milk supply for three little girls, Margaret, Hannah and Mary Ann.

Peter and Agnes conducted many tours during the Rathbones ten-day holiday in Echuca.


Friday 26 July 2019

Hephzibah HULME nee LAND of Horseshoe Creek, Milawa

Hephzibah HULME nee LAND was my 3 x Great-Grandmother.



Hephzibah Land was born in 1814 in Norfolk, England, the eldest daughter and first born child of Mary Bush and Joseph Land. She was baptised on the 14th of August at Guist, Norfolk.

She married William Clough/Cluff Hulme on the 4 of  March 1841 in St. James, Westminster, London, England. 
They had eleven children in 18 years. 

Hephzibah died on 26 July 1887 in Oxley, Victoria, at the age of 72.




MILAWA. (1887, August 6).
Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855 - 1918), p. 2
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198652087

Transcription - On Thursday the last remains of Mrs Hulme, wife of Mr W. Hulme, of Horseshoe Creek, Milawa, were interred in the Oxley General Cemetery. Mrs Hulme was very much respected by a large circle of friends, and at the time of her death had almost reached the allotted "threescore years and ten." The funeral train was attended by a large number of persons, who thus testified to the great respect in which the deceased lady was held, the Rev. A. Macfarlane conducting the funeral


Milawa CemeteryMilawa Cemetery (from http://milawa.vic.au/town-history/)

"The cemetery at Milawa is often known as the Oxley Cemetery. It was established in 1864, after considerable discussion about a suitable site. It was expanded in area by approximately two acres towards the west within the first twelve months – Robert Snowdon being the first interment there. The different denominations have their own areas, and all the graves face the east. The cemetery contains a number of European settlers, Aboriginals and Chinese, although the burial places of the Aboriginals and Chinese are not known, many early records having been lost, damaged or destroyed.” from Memories of Oxley, p. 46

Sunday 7 July 2019

Bible of Mary BIRD nee KELLAM

Jackie is my 4th cousin once removed and has shared with me some wonderful photos of the Bible that once belonged to my 3 x Great-Grandmother, Mary BIRD nee KELLAM.


Our most recent common ancestors are George Kellam born about 1772 at Waltham on the Wolds, Leicestershire, England and his wife Catherine Gregg born about 1768 Lincolnshire, England.
Catherine died on the 22nd of March 1825 and George died on the 12th of March 1858, both at Waltham on the Wolds.


Mary and her husband Mark BIRD both died rather young in 1834.  Mary aged 38 and Mark aged 46.

The Bible has been kept safe all these years by members of the KELLAM family.




We had a discussion in Facebook about the transcription of the writing and it was agreed that it read "George Kellam Bird
He was Bourn (born) February 3 1820 (Month unreadable but gleaned from parish records) 
5 Minnits Bee Four 4 Clouck (5 minutes before 4 o'clock)."

George Kellam Bird was a Wheelwright as was his maternal grandfather George Kellam.  

Jackie said that most of the village of Waltham on the Wolds had belonged to The Duke of Rutland and villagers were renting from him. The houses in the village were sold off to cover tax after WW1 which is when her grandfather purchased the house known as Wheelwrights in Waltham where the family had lived for generations.

Mary and Mark's youngest son Mark BIRD junior went to live with his grandfather George KELLAM after his parents died which is likely where the Bible also went.  Mark also became a Wheelwright.

The list of children has confirmed our genealogy  paper trail research.



Saturday 11 May 2019

Alice Morgan 1900 License prosecution or persecution?

In a re-visit to our wonderful resource Trove  this morning, I found yet another Licensing Prosecution for my 3rd great-grandmother, Alice Morgan at the Cross Keys Hotel.

Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Tuesday 20 February 1900, page 7

LICENSING PROSECUTIONS.
At the Footscray Police Court yesterday, before Mr. Keogh, P.M., Messrs. D. Mitchell, J. Cuming, and J. M'Phee, J.P.'s, Florence Horan, licensee of the Junction Hotel, at the intersection of Bunbury and Whitehall streets, was proceeded against by Inspector M'Gann with a dual breach of Section 129 of the Licensing Act, which forbids the acceptance for spirituous liquors of any pay-ment except money. Mr. Field Barrett appeared for the defence. On January 22 and February 9, a girl, aged nine, member of a family resi-dent in Bunbury-street, took to defendant's hotel each time a glass dish, which she gave to the licensee, who on the first occasion supplied the
girl with beer, on the second occasion with rum. The defence was that the articles were purchased by the defendant. Mr. Keogh, P.M., in an-nouncing his decision, said that in the opinion of the Bench the case had been fully proven, and the defendant would be fined £2, with 10/ costs, in the first instance. In the second case, in which practically the facts were the same, Mr. Keogh offered the opinion that the case was very gross, and inflicted the maximum of £10. Application was made for time to pay, which was acceded to. In the first instance a week was allowed, and in the second six weeks.
At the Essendon Police Court yesterday, before Messrs. Davies, Hollick, and Wilson, J.P.'s, Alice Morgan, of the Cross Keys Hotel, North Essen-don, was charged with having her bar door open
on Sunday, 4th inst. Sub-inspector Irvine prose-cuted, and Mr. C. J. M'Farlane appeared for the defence. On the date named the police on Sun-day duty visited the hotel. They gained admit-tance to the bar door in question through the licensee's bedroom, and found it only secured by a button, another door leading to the bar, which was the only one used for that purpose, being se-curely locked. The defence was that the offence was only a technical one, and since a proper lock, as provided by the act, had been placed in the
door. A fine of £5, with 7/10 costs, was im-posed.

LICENSING PROSECUTIONS. (1900, February 20). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 7. Retrieved May 11, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9049652

Monday 29 April 2019

Moloughney's from Ireland


Calling any descendants of Moloughney's from Tipperary Ireland.

For quite a few years now I have been trying to find more information on my paternal 3rd great-grandmother's ancestry.

Mary Mulloughny, in various records also spelt Moloughny or Moloughney, was born in Ireland, most likely County Tipperary.

In Dualla, near Cashel in County Tipperary in 1834, Mary married Cornelius Kelly.


If they followed the traditional Irish naming pattern, Mary's father's name may have been Edmond and mother Margaret.

Mary Kelly nee Moloughney, my 3rd great-grandmother.

Mary's daughter Margaret "Alice" Kelly, my 2nd great-grandmother.
They had a daughter they named Margaret Alice Kelly, later known as Alice.  Alice emigrated to Melbourne, Australia and married there in 1858.  Her younger brothers later followed her to Australia.  Further information about Alice, her brothers and children  HERE.

Alice and her husband, John Morgan from Armagh, Northern Ireland, were licensees of the original Cross Keys Hotel in North Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne.

https://morganandkellyfamilyhistories.weebly.com/

A fellow Moloughney family researcher, Nathaniel Miller and I have traded many jokes over the last few years about finding our families.  

A few months back someone in one of the Facebook genealogy groups suggested a file that was created back in 2001 by a Bill Moloughney who had gone to Ireland to research that family's origins in Tipperary.  

What a goldmine that was.   

It didn't actually lead to finding my Mary's direct ancestors but it did list many of the Moloughneys in Tipperary, their immigration to Fallowfield, Ottawa and New Brunswick in Canada and to Syracuse, New York in the U.S.A.

Recent DNA matches in a couple of the different companies have shown that my Dad, me and my brother share DNA with several of the descendants of these Moloughneys who settled in Canada.

I have sent them messages, now waiting impatiently for replies.  


Wednesday 24 April 2019

Private William Robert Musson WW2

My grandfather's older brother William Robert "Bill" Musson was born on the 27th of November 1903 at Belfast, Canterbury, New Zealand.  His birth was registered early in 1904.

Bill was the eldest son of James Christopher Musson (1873-1950) and Margaret Ann Hay Forsyth (1877-1928) of Belfast, Canterbury, New Zealand.



He had 2 older sisters, Jessie Catherine (1899-1969) and Mary Margaret "Molly" (1902-1970) and 6 younger siblings, James Richard (my grandfather 1906-1976), Walter Phillip (1908-1919), Esther Helen (1911-1966), Eric Mark "Mac" (1913-1991), Ian Alexander "Fat" (1915-1989) and Ivor Forsyth "Hip" (1918-1993).

Bill enlisted in the New Zealand Military Forces on the 14th of February, 1940.  He gave his birthdate as 28th of November 1905.  Perhaps he thought 1903 was getting a bit close to the cut off age for enlistment, perhaps a recording error was made.  He gave his address as Rangiora, his occupation as a tractor driver and next of kin  E. M. Musson (his brother Eric Mark)

Bill joined the 21st Battalion 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force and trained at Papakura Military camp South of Auckland.

This photo, from the family collection courtesy of Nola Bennett nee Musson, would have been taken around the time of Bill's enlistment.  Bill is the one in uniform. 
Nola, the baby in the photo, is Bill's god-daughter and niece, daughter of  Eric Mark Musson.


Bill served 38 months and 12 days Overseas service from the 1st of May 1940 until the 12th of July 1943 and had a total of 176 days leave.  

photo courtesy of Bill's daughter Judy and grandson Levi Simpson-Musson.
Bill 3rd from right back row

On the 29th of June 1940 after arriving in England Bill was transferred from E Company to H.Q. Company.

For a more detailed account of the Battalion's movements, I referred to Wikipedia:-

From Wikipedia - "By April 1940, training had been completed and 21st Battalion was preparing to depart overseas. It duly embarked aboard the Empress of Japan on 2 May 1940 and travelled in convoy with other troopships to Scotland[8] with its first port call at Perth.[9] The next stop would have been at Ceylon as the convoy travelled on towards its planned destination of the Middle East, but the invasion of Holland and France, followed by the entry of Italy into the war on the side of the Germans, forced a diversion. The convoy was now to make for England[10] and thus it stopped at Cape Town, and then Freetown,[11] arriving at Gourock, in Scotland, on 16 June."

Greece
The British Government anticipated an invasion of Greece by the Germans in 1941 and decided to send troops to support the Greeks, who were already engaged against the Italians in Albania. The 2nd New Zealand Division was one of a number of Allied units dispatched to Greece in early March.[13] By late March, 21st Battalion had arrived in Athens where it was to carry out guard duty of vital installations around the city while the rest of the division proceeded to the north of the country to garrison the Aliakmon line.[14] On 6 April, the day after Germany declared war on Greece, elements of the battalion guarding docks near Athens experienced a bombing raid which caused minor wounds to a couple of men.[15] On 8 April, the battalion began moving to the front to rejoin 5th Infantry Brigade, which was now stationed at Olympus Pass.[16] However, en route, the battalion was diverted to the Platamon Tunnel, which was 15 miles from the town of Larisa. The defences here had been prepared by D Company, of 26th Battalion.[17] Orders were to hold the position and should any part of it be lost, a counterattack was to be immediately made. The battalion, which arrived on 9 April, set to work further improving the defences, assisted for three days by the company from 26th Battalion until its departure.[18]
Casualties during the 21st Battalion's campaign in Greece amounted to 40 killed and wounded with 230 personnel captured and made prisoners of war.[19]
Crete
The Glengyle arrived at Crete on 25 April and 21st Battalion were unloaded at Suda Bay. Initially, it was believed that Crete was to simply be a staging point for the New Zealanders as they returned to Egypt. However, as military intelligence indicated a likely attack by the Germans, it was necessary to defend the island.[20] The 5th Brigade was assigned the defence of Maleme airfield, with 21st Battalion positioned to the east, guarding the beach and river mouth. It was also tasked with supporting 22nd Battalion if required. At this time, the battalion numbered 237 personnel, and two companies of New Zealand Engineers were attached to boost its numbers.[21] In early May several parties of men, including Macky, began arriving, having made their way to Crete from Greece by various means. However Macky was ill with dysentery and was soon taken to hospital, leaving Harding still as acting commander.[22]
On 20 May 1941, German paratroopers began landing on Crete. After the initial drop, during which several Germans were killed as they descended, the day passed relatively uneventfully for the battalion. Lieutenant Colonel John Allen had taken command just a few days previously.[23] After the Maleme airfield, defended by 22nd Battalion, was lost to the Germans, the entire 5th Brigade was withdrawn from its positions.[24]
It was evacuated from Crete on the night of 31 May aboard the light cruiser HMS Phoebe and reached Alexandria the following day. Total casualties during the Battle of Crete were 33 killed in action, 33 wounded, and 80 men were captured.[25]
North Africa
After a period of leave, the battalion's personnel reassembled at Helwan in Egypt. Reduced to about 270 men after the campaigns in Greece and Crete, it was brought back up to strength with over 500 reinforcements.[26] By August, the battalion, along with the rest of 5th Brigade, was involved in training in desert warfare and by the end of the month construction, of defensive positions, known as the Kaponga Box, commenced. It remained here for a month[27] before shifting further west to the Baggush Box.[28]
Its training was in preparation for the 2nd New Zealand Division's role in the upcoming Operation Crusader, which was planned to lift the siege of Tobruk.[29] The New Zealanders were to be one of the 8th Army's infantry divisions that were to surround and capture the main strong points along the front while the armoured divisions were to seek out and engage Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. At the same time, the Tobruk garrison was to attempt a breakout.[30]

Bill was recorded as safe in Crete May 1941, Egypt June 1941 and safe in December 1941 and September 1942 but no placenames were given for the last two dates.  
Much of the record is written in military abbreviations that I can't understand.

NZETC (New Zealand Electronic Text Collection) has a wonderfully detailed account of the 21st Battalion in a digitised electronic version HERE

Bill wasn't in all the battles written about as he had intermittent furloughs and hospital stays.
He was discharged in June 1944.

courtesy of Levi and his mum Judy
courtesy of Levi and  Judy.
Bill married Veronica "Vicki" Whittle.  Vicki had a daughter from a previous marriage.  Bill and Vicki went on to have another daughter, Judy.

Bill passed away in November 1979 at Rotorua and Vicki in 1980.
Burial is at Block 16 section B plot 11, Kauae cemetery, Ngongotaha Road



Wednesday 10 April 2019

Miss Grace Adams


My Dad's first cousin, Grace Adams was attending the Flemington training school in 1922.

She was one of the "5 best spellers" at the school at that time.
Grace is the girl on the far right of the photo.
Read more information about the Old Flemington Training School at Lenore's website 
Time Travellers in Essendon, Flemington and the Keilor Plains
Grace's contributed a composition to the Victorian Education Department's Jubilee exhibition in 1922 which is still in the possession of her sons Warren and Geoff Delbridge.


What amazing handwriting for a 6 year old!

"May and Annie are going to the country and May is taking her grandmother a bunch of flowers.  When they get to the country they will have lunch."

Education Department, Victoria
Jubilee Exhibition 1922
Exhibitor Grace Adams
Age 6
School 250 Flemington.

In July 1923 on hearing that she was unwell  Grace's teacher wrote her the following letter.



Essendon July 29th

Dear Grace,
I was very sorry to hear that you were unable to come to school but I hope you will be well again before long.
Your little brothers were quite excited as they told me that you had left school forever, but I hope it will not be long before I see you back.  
You would like to be back when we go over to the new school, wouldn't you?
Perhaps you will be put into a higher grade as you do such nice work.
Good-bye, now, dear Grace.  I hope you will soon be quite better.
Your loving teacher
B McFarlane


Grace's teacher 'B McFarlane' would most likely have been Helen Valetta "Blanche" McFarlane (1881- 1974) daughter of John McFarlane, an engineer and Emily Amelia McFarlane, nee Gray.



Warren tells me that both the envelope and note paper are bamboo paper.

The images on the writing paper and envelope are of the pagoda near the Sarusawa pond at Nara in Japan.  
The pond was created in 749. (see - https://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-parks-gardens/sarusawa )


Monday 11 February 2019

New family photos

Recently I have had the excitement of new contact with the son of my Dad's first cousin, Grace Delbridge nee Adams.  

Warren replied to a message I posted 7 years ago on the genealogy forum rootschat.com where I had asked about any living descendants of my grandmother's eldest brother John "Jack" Adams.

Jack was the eldest living son of John Adams and Mary Agnes Morgan. 

Mary Morgan's parents had owned the original Cross Keys Hotel in Essendon.

My grandmother, Brenda Forsyth nee Adams, was the second youngest child of John Adams and Mary Agnes Morgan.



Jack Adams and May McGee married in 1915 at Ascot Vale, Victoria.



May Adams nee McGee
From the Australian records, I had found Jack Adam's birth in Sydney in 1889.   His marriage to May Maude McGee in Ascot Vale, Victoria in 1915, and his death in 1983 at Tullamarine, Victoria.

I was later able to find birth, marriage and death information for his 3 children but that was as far as I was able to go at that time.

Grace, born in 1915, was their first child and only daughter.
  Two years later her brother Morgan John Adams was born in 1917 and then in 1919 came their youngest brother Leonard.

Jack Adams was a woolworker and a storeman and the young family lived at Ascot Vale, then Flemington and later Brunswick West.  
Grace Francesca, Morgan John, and Leonard Adams. 
Otherwise known as Gugg, Apps or Apples and Woo.
Grace attended the Flemington Training school where she was one of the 5 best spellers.
Grace is front right in this photo
Morgan and Len 1934

Lenore Frost and Alex Bragiola worked on pinpointing the location of the school using the buildings in this photo.  Lenore has written about it in her post LITTLE ZION CHAPEL, FLEMINGTON
Grace Francesca Delbridge formerly Taylor nee Adams. 








In 1940 Grace married Geoffrey Francis Taylor who was very sadly killed in WW2 on the 14th of April 1941. It took Grace a long time to come to terms with his death.


By 1943 Grace had moved to New South Wales, living at Cremorne and working as a textile worker.

In 1947 Grace married Jack Albert Delbridge at Waverley in New South Wales.



Jack was a RAAF Officer in the war.

Jack Delbridge

After the war, Jack was a real estate agent and they lived for many years at 15 O'Connell Street, Brighton -Le- Sands, which I think is now the suburb of Monterey.

I am fairly sure this would be the house at 15 O'Connell Street.
Image capture from Google street view 2017.
Grace and Jack had two sons, Warren and Geoff.

Morgan married Monica Gibbs.
L-R Grace, May, Monica and Morgan.

L - R Rona wife of Len,  Len Adams and Grace.
Jack Adams died at Tullamarine in 1983

May Adams nee McGee died in Sydney in 1968.

Grace Delbridge nee Adams died in 2009 I think at Narooma, New South Wales her husband Jack had predeceased her in 2000.

Morgan John Adams died in Melbourne in 1996, his wife Monica in 1999.

Leonard Adams died at Frankston in March 2010, his wife Rona just a couple of months later in June 2010.


I can't thank Warren and Geoff enough for sharing the above photos with me.