52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 11: Lucky - Crusader to New Zealand

In December 1874, Captain Renaut sailed his ship The Crusader into Lyttleton Harbour, 

New Zealand with 374 passengers on board.

The Crusader departed from Plymouth on the 25th of September and made the passage in 97 days 

with very little illness reported.  

The surgeon superintendent was Dr. John Guthrie who settled in Christchurch.  

On the voyage Dr Guthrie found it necessary to appoint two nurses, Mrs Cleaver and Mrs Lindon.

The Crusader developed a hole and the well was taking in water.

The water was successfully pumped out throughout the voyage but the pump kept breaking down and not too much water continued to come in.  It is said that on arrival at Lyttleton harbour a fish skeleton was found in the well and so it was thought that the fish body had blocked the hole thus stopping the ship taking on more water and sinking!

My great great grandparents, Robert Forsyth and his wife Jessie nee Farquhar were on board the Crusader with their little son Alexander.  

They were very LUCKY to arrive safely.

Robert and Jessie Forsyth went on to have a large family in New Zealand

Photo A Large Sailor's Woolie of the Clipper Ship The Crusader at Anchor in New Zealand
Circa 1875-85courtesy of Paul Vandekar  
 http://www.vandekar.com/archives/details.asp?inventoryNumber=NY07221

The Press newspaper reported the Arrival of the Crusader in its edition on the 1st of January 1875.
Everyone spoke most highly of the Captain  "The passengers and Immigrants alike testifying to his unwearying care and devotion during the passage".

An excerpt from that newspaper article.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 10: Strong Woman

There are plenty of strong women in my family tree even though they may not think so.

Some of their stories are heartbreaking, all are inspiring.

Most inspiring to me at the moment is my first cousin Denys in New Zealand.

Denys and I didn't know each other existed until we did an AncestryDNA test at almost the same time 10 months ago.  

We are actually half first cousins, sharing the same paternal grandfather. 

Click the link to read about  Our DNA discovery

Despite not having met in person yet we have grown very close.  

Denys has been through the heartbreak of losing a younger brother who was only 17 years old, enduring an awful first marriage, losing her second eldest daughter to suicide and now supporting her dearly loved current husband in his battle with terminal cancer.

Your heart is one of the best Denys xx

Strong women in my family tree that I have previously written about:

Mary Agnes Adams nee Morgan   My paternal great-grandmother

Brenda Mary Forsyth nee Adams (formerly Daniels).  My paternal grandmother

Isabella nee Beaton (married surnames Pike, Harrison, Garrett)  My maternal 3rd great-grandmother

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 9 - Herbert Hulme's Will

Herbert Joseph Hulme
photo from the album of my
maternal grandmother
Daisy Fleming
nee Morgan.

The theme for week 9 of the 52 Ancestors challenge is 

"Where there's a Will". 

My grandmother's maternal Uncle Herb was born Herbert Joseph Hulme at Oxley, Victoria in 1892.

I think Uncle Herb must have been a bit of a character judging by this photo that is in my Nan's album.

Front left is my Nan, Daisy Morgan, behind her is "Aunt Chub" who was Herb's sister Pleasance Alice Hulme.  Nan couldn't remember who was hidden behind the pole. The young girl peeping around the post is Herb's niece, Dulcie Simmonds (the executor of his Will, Dulcie Simmonds), then Herb pulling a face and in the background is Nan's father Bill (William Thomas) Morgan.

Herb never married and died on the 8th of October 1969 at Wangaratta aged 77 years.

He was the second son and second youngest child of the ten children of Joseph Hulme and Anna Dorothea nee Bartsh of Milawa.

Herbert and his sister Pleasance, who I wrote about in week 6 of this challenge, were both unmarried and were left the family farm when their father died in 1920.  Their mother had died in 1908 at the young age of 53.

Pleasance had died in 1965 so Herb may have sold the farm.
I am awaiting the Probate inventory to find out but Herb left quite a sum of money to both the Wangaratta Technical School and St. Paul's Church at Milawa for scholarships in his name as described below.

The family Bible was left to his niece Jessie Jean Pollack, nee Hulme who was the only daughter of Herb's older brother, Sydney Frederick Hulme.

One day I will take a trip to Milawa to see the Church.

*Updated - A couple of months later my son took me on that trip to Milawa.

More information and photos of St. Paul's Church can be seen at the
website of Australian Christian Heritage
ChurchesAustralia

Transcription.
THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of me HERBERT JOSEPH HULME of Milawa in the State of Victoria, Farmer.

1. I REVOKE all former wills and testamentary dispositions made by me and declare this to be my last will and testament.

2. I APPOINT John Kenneth Gibb and my niece Dulcie Enid Collier, hereinafter called my Trustees, to be the executors of this my will and Trustees of my Estate.

3. I GIVE AND BEQUEATH to my niece Jean Pollack my family bible.

4. I DIRECT my Trustees to divide my household furniture and effects in accordance with any directions I may leave.

5. I DESIRE that my body be cremated and my ashes deposited within the Church yard at St. Paul's Church of England Milawa and that a suitable memorial Tablet in bronze be placed over my ashes at a cost not exceeding the sum of Forty dollars to be paid out of the residue of my Estate.

6. I GIVE AND BEQUEATH the sum of Six thousand dollars to the Wangaratta Technical School Advisory Council upon trust to invest the same and to apply the Income from time to time therefrom arising, for the provision of Scholarships for students at the said school studying a course in Agricultural Science such Scholarships to be known from time to time as the "Herbert Joseph Hulme Scholarship" and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer for the time being of the said Council shall be a full and sufficient discharge for my Trustees.

7. I GIVE AND BEQUEATH the sum of Eight thousand dollars to the Church of England Trusts Corporation of the Diocese of Wangaratta upon trust to invest the same and to apply the Income from time to time therefrom arising for the provision of Scholarships for students at St. Columb's Hall Theological College Wangaratta or at such other Theological College as the Bishop in Council of the said Diocese may from time to time decide such scholarships to be known from time to time as the "Herbert Joseph Hulme Scholarship" and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer for the time being of the said Trusts Corporation shall be a full and sufficient discharge for my Trustees.

8. ALL THE REST RESIDUE AND REMAINDER of my real and personal property whatsoever and Wheresoever I give devise and bequeath to my Trustees upon trust to sell call in and convert the same into money with discretionary power to postpone such sale calling in and conversion for such time as they shall think fit and after payment thereout of all my just debts Funeral and testamentary expenses Federal Estate and State Probate duties to hold the same upon trust for the Church of England Trusts Corporation of the Diocese of Wangaratta and I direct that the same and the Income from time to time therefrom arising shall be applied by the said Trusts Corporation for such general purposes fo the Church of England in the said Diocese including the provision of homes for elderly
people or the maintenance education and benefit of children as the Bishop in Council of the said Diocese may from time to time in its absolute and uncontrolled discretion decide and I further direct that the receipt of the treasurer or other proper officer for the time being of the said Trusts Corporation shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Trustees without their being bound to see to the application thereof.

IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of May One thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 8: Heirloom

When my maternal grandparents Daisy Marion Morgan and Archibald William Finlay Fleming married on the 8th of October 1932 my Nana wore this necklace.

 

The wedding notice in the Wangaratta chronicle below described it as a "Necklace of crystal beads"

I don't actually know what it is made of.  

I must find out.

"A quiet but pretty wedding was celebrated at the home of the bride's parents "Willow Bank" Moyhu, on Saturday, October 8th, when Daisy Marion, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, became the wife of Mr. Archie W. F. (third son of Mrs. D. Fleming "Valley View", King Valley, and the late Mr. D. Fleming).

The Rev M.C. Day of Wangaratta officiated.  The charming bride, who was given away by her father, was tastefully gowned in ankle length white satin with a yoke of silk lace.  A fitting bodice and slender skirt with fullness given by inlet pleated flares.  Her beautiful veil of embroidered tulle (lent by her sister Mrs. D. Jones) was worn cap fashion, and held by a wreath of orange blossom.  She also wore a necklace of crystal beads, and carried a bouquet of semi-sheaf arum lilies, intermingled with maiden hair fern and white satin streamers.  The bride was attended by her sister Miss Mavis Morgan, whose pretty ankle-length frock of powder blue  satin, with puff sleeves, looked very attractive with her head band of satin and flowers.  Her pretty posy was of arum lilies, maiden hair fern and pink satin streamers.  Mr. H Fleming was best man.  Immediately after the ceremony satin horse shoes were placed on the arm of the bride by her little brother Bert, and little Graeme McLaren (nephew of the bridegroom) and Caroline Jones (neice of the bride).  After the ceremony a reception was held at the home of the bride's parents.  The tables looked charming, the central decoration being a tiered wedding cake.  The bride's travelling frock was of maroon crepe-de-chene with hat to tone.  The bride's gift to the bridegroom was a travelling rug and that of the bridegroom to the bride a xylonite toilet set and to the bridesmaid a xylonite clock.  Many beautiful presents were received, including many cheques.  The future home of Mr. and Mrs. Fleming will be at "Greenfields" King Valley."

The necklace can only faintly be seen in Nana's wedding photo.

Different backgrounds change the stone colours.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 7 : Valentine's Day for Carstairs in St. Andrews.

The "VALENTINE" theme for week 7 of the 52 Ancestors challenge had me a bit stumped as Valentine's Day didn't seem to me to be celebrated much here in Australia until recent years. 

There are varying stories of how Valentine's Day came about.

I searched through my family tree for any ancestors married on that day and found my 5th great-grandparents, Thomas Carstairs and Janet Bell were married on Valentine's Day, the 14th of February 1772 at St. Andrews.

I don't know if it was celebrated in Scotland in the 18th Century but it has given me cause to set out and record some of the information I have on my Carstairs ancestors from St. Andrews in Scotland.

14/02/1772 CARSTAIRS, THOMAS (Old Parish Registers Marriages 441/ 20 163 Kingsbarns) Page 163 of 289 National Records of Scotland

Carstairs } January 16th, 1772 Were contracted, Thomas Carstairs in the Parish of Kingsbarns & Janet Bell in this, married 14th February.

Their son Andrew Carstairs, my 4th great grandfather, was born in 1780 at Kingsbarns.  There is a record for an earlier Andrew born to them in 1776 but he must have died and they named their next son, born in 1780 Andrew as well.

Andrew married Betty Stewart in 1812

12/12/1812 CARSTAIRS, ANDREW (Old Parish Registers Marriages 453/ 160 147 St Andrews and St Leonards) Page 147 of 187 National Records of Scotland

On 27th Nov 1812 were contracted Andrew Carstairs at Bonnytown of this parish and Betty Stewart in the parish of Dunino - proclaimed & married 12th of Dec by Mr Roger.

Andrew and Betty's daughter, Margaret Leslie Carstairs, my 3rd great-grandmother, was born at Cupar, Fife in 1823

10/09/1823 CARSTAIRS, MARGARET LESSLI (Old Parish Registers Births 420/ 40 37 Cupar) Page 37 of 395 National Records of Scotland

Margaret Leslie Carstairs married Peter Webster Mason on the 15th of November 1842 at Cupar, Fife.  They emigrated to Australia in 1848 on the ship "Cheapside". 

A death certificate in Australia has never been found for Margaret.

In 2002 my Mum purchased a book from the St Andrews University Library called "Living in St Andrews" by Catherine Forrest 
A history of the Carstairs family from the 15th to the 19th century.

As yet I can't with any certainty connect my Carstairs ancestors to specific families in the book but perhaps one day.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 6 : Favourite Name - Pleasance Hulme

A favourite name in my family tree is Pleasance Alice.

Pleasance Alice Hulme was my maternal great-grandaunt.
She was born at Oxley in 1890 the 2nd youngest daughter of Joseph Hulme and Anna Dorothea nee Bartsh.

Photo labelled "Auntie Pleasance Hulme" in my grandmother's album.

The first entry in the Victorian electoral rolls for Pleasance is in 1917 when she is a Nurse living at Gray Street in Wangaratta.

In 1917 her sister Lucy Jemima Simmonds nee Hulme died.  Family members have said that pleasance raised Lucy's only surviving daughter Dulcie who was a year old at her mother's death.

From 1918 to 1920 she was nursing her father who was ill for 2 years.
"Excerpt from Obituary in "Wangaratta Chronicle" 3-10-1920
After an illness of two years duration, Mr Joseph Hulme died on Sunday, at his home at Milawa, the cause being heart failure.  Throughout he was attentively cared for by his daughters."

In 1921 Pleasance was a Nurse at The Women's hospital in Carlton South.

From 1924 to 1936 she was a Nurse living in Milawa.

This photo is also from my grandmother's photo album.
Labelled Aunt Chub, Dulcie Simmonds, Daisy Morgan, Uncle Herb and Grandad Morgan.
It looks like they are in the tomato patch!

Pleasance, behind the post, was known as Aunt Chub. Why I have no idea.
Uncle Herb is Herbert Hulme her younger brother.  I am fairly certain Dulcie is the girl in white.  I don't know who the girl far left is.  My grandmother Daisy is beside the post, "Grandad Morgan" is her father, William Thomas Morgan. He married Pleasance and Herb's older sister, my great-grandmother, Ada May Hulme.
The photo was possibly taken around 1926 at Moyhu.

In 1937 Pleasance occupation was Home duties at 34 Hotham Street Ballarat.  No further details found as yet.

1943 her occupation was Sales and she was living at 475 Burke Road, Kooyong.  No further details found as yet.

1949 to 1963 saw Pleasance living at 27 Peate Avenue, Camberwell/Glen Iris. Again her occupation was Home duties.

Living next door was her niece, Dulcie Enid Collier nee Simmonds who Pleasance raised after the death of her sister,  Dulcie's mother, Lucy Jemima Simmonds, nee Hulme in 1917.

Pleasance died on the 5th of July, 1965.

In her Will, she left everything to her niece Dulcie including her house at 27 Peate Avenue.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 5: In the Census

There aren't many early census records surviving in Ireland as the vast majority of pre-1922 records were destroyed in the Irish Civil War by a fire at the Public Record Office.

 This means looking for alternative records.
A great census alternative is Griffith's Valuation, an extensive property valuation undertaken by Richard Griffith and published between 1847 and 1864.

The following website produced this list of Morgans in Derrynoose

The wonderful website ASK ABOUT IRELAND has a searchable function for records and maps in Griffith's Valuation.

Using the map function in which you can overlay the old map upon the current I was able to create an image that shows where each Morgan family lived.

(Unfortunately, this image seems a bit small to read easily but I can't seem to enlarge it here any further).

My Dad, brother Ross and I have made DNA matches with third cousins in my Morgan line from Armagh, Ireland.
Marcella and Kathleen are great-granddaughters of Ann Morgan who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1865 where she married a John Courtney.
Ann was the youngest sister of my great-great-grandfather, John Morgan. John emigrated to Australia in 1855 with two sisters, Margaret and Bridget.
They were children of Alexander Morgan and Ann/Nancy Lennon of Derrynoose, Armagh, Ireland.

If my hunch is correct a recent new DNA match is a fourth cousin to me and also a descendant of Ann Morgan and John Courtney.  The Mellon surname is known to be connected to their family.
I so wish AncestryDNA had a chromosome browser!

When I looked at matches shared with this new person it showed an older one that I had flagged as a likely Morgan descendant also.  The surname was Hennessey so I searched for any other Hennessey matches and sure enough, there was another quite small one.  On looking at their trees (THANKFULLY they had them) I saw they were both descendants of a Patrick Morgan born about 1827 Ireland.

I've found the following baptism records for Derrynoose:

Patrick Morgan - 1 Feb 1827.
Parents Alexander Morgan and Nancy Lennon
Sponsors Bernard Morgan and Rose McGeough

My great-great-grandfather John Morgan - 30 Jun 1829
Parents Alexander Morgan and Ann Lennon
Sponsors James Lennon and Mary Morgan

Bridget Morgan - 1 Feb 1833
Parents Alexander Morgan and Ann Lennon
Sponsors Bernard and Ann Barka

So it looks like the Hennessey matches may confirm another Morgan line.  Patrick apparently married an Annie Bloomer and they emigrated to America as well.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 4 : Invite to Dinner

I have so many questions that I'd like to invite every one of my deceased ancestors to a huge dinner party but that's being a bit greedy isn't it.

So the relative I would choose to invite to dinner is my great-great-great-grandmother Mary KELLY nee MOLOUGHNEY.

Photo courtesy of Mary Stacey and the Lavin family, who are also great-great-great grandchildren of Mary and Cornelius Kelly.

Mary was born sometime in the early 1800s, somewhere in Ireland, possibly Tipperary.

I don't know when or where Mary died.

I'm extremely nosey so I would like to ask her: 

1.  When and where she was born, who her parents and siblings were and what her childhood was like.

2.  How she met her husband, Cornelius Kelly, what he was like, how he died and where he is buried.  

3.  About their life together in Tipperary.

4.  How they managed through the Great Famine?

5.  More about her 6 known children.

6.  About her relatives, friends and neighbours.

7.  How are the Moloughneys related who are mentioned in the baptisms of her children?

8.  Did her son Edmond Kelly remain in Tipperary whilst his siblings all emigrated or did he die young?

9.  How did she cope with all her children emigrating so far away?

10. Where did she die and where is she buried?

What I have found since beginning my research is that Mary MOLOUGHNEY married Cornelius KELLY at Dualla, Tipperary on the 6th of February 1834.

Cornelius was deceased by 1851, but I haven't found a death for Mary yet.

Tipperary encumbered estate records on the IGP website show Cornelius listed in November 1851 as the late Cornelius KELLY. 

Previously in Griffith's Valuations, he was leasing house land and offices from Matthew Pennefather who went into insolvency.

The MOLOUGHNEY surname (spelling variations include Mulloughn(e)y/ Molloughny etc) I am told it is pronounced MoloKney, is still evident in Tipperary and according to research by Bill Moloughney many Tipperary Moloughneys emigrated to America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Information from Irish records on their marriage and children's baptisms:

Cornelius Kelly and Mary Mullouhgney/Moloughney married on the 6th of February 1834 in the Parish of Boherlahan Dualla

Witnesses to the marriage were Rev. D. Corcoran and Daniel Mahony

Margaret Alice Kelly

Baptised 10 Dec 1834, Dualla, Sponsors were Laurence Mockler and Judith Walsh

Michael Kelly

Baptised 18 Sep 1836, Dualla, Sponsors were Patrick Mulloughney, Mary Mahony

Edmond Kelly

Baptised 16 Sep 1838, Dualla, Sponsors were Thomas Ryan, Julia Kelly.

John Kelly

Baptised 20 Jun 1840, Newpark, Sponsors were William Mahony, Mary Ryan

Thomas Kelly 

Baptised 1 Jan 1843, Dualla, Sponsors were Thomas Quinlan, Catherine Mulloughny

William Kelly

Baptised 6 Jan 1846, Dualla, Sponsors were Michael Kelly, Mary Ryan

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 3: Longevity

My Paternal great-great-grandfather, George ADAMS, was one of my ancestors favoured by longevity having lived until the good age of 90 years.

Last Friday (12th January) I had my first visit to the large Fawkner Cemetery in Melbourne where many of my ancestors and family members are buried.
Thanks to their impressive website graves can be found and mapped before a visit.
George Adams and his second wife Sarah (formerly Oakley, nee Harman) are buried in the Methodist B section in grave number 1093.

When we found the spot I was a bit disappointed and rather surprised to find the grave unmarked.
I left flowers.

Their grave is situated between an A. Wilson on the right and I. Northway and S. Earle on the left.

 George was born in Saffron Walden, Essex, England in 1831 to parents Edward ADAMS and Susannah nee HARRIS.
He emigrated to Australia sometime around1852
(I think he swam as I haven't found a passenger record yet).

George married my great-great-grandmother, Irish born Catherine BARRY, at Fremantle, Western Australia on the 19th of June 1853.

They had 9 children, 3 of whom predeceased their parents.

Catherine died in Melbourne on the 4th of May 1884, aged 52. 
She is buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery in Carlton.

Photo from the State Library of Victoria
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/284236

At the time of his death, George lived at 5 Brixton Street, Flemington.

Links to other stories about George

GRANDAD (Mr Adams, Byaduk, Victoria) - on this blog

George Adams (1831-1921) and his sister Sophia (1836- 1914) - on this blog

Their story by Christine Stafford nee ADAMS, George's 3rd great-granddaughter.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 2 : Favourite Photo

I have so many photos I could class as "favourite" that it was hard to choose. 

Writing my Week 1 post about my grandfather prompted me to remember the first time I ever saw a photo of him as a young man.

When I first visited his nieces and nephews in New Zealand, my Dad's first cousin Nola Bennett, nee Musson, showed me this photo and pointed out my grandfather.
He is standing centre back row.

 I got a little emotional.

After some conversations with family members, there were some differing opinions on who was in the photo.

One speculation is:-
The first couple back left look like George Barker and Jessie Musson.  If so this photo was most likely taken in 1931 as Jessie looks pregnant and their first daughter, Lynley was born in June 1931.
L-R
Back row
George Barker b 1897 so age here would be 34
Jessie Musson b 1899 so age here would be 32
James Richard Musson (certain) (my grandfather known in Australia as James Forsyth) b 1906 so age 25
Eric Mark Musson (certain) (Mac) b 1913 so age 18
? Possibly brother of James Christopher, William Musson b 1868 so age 63
Front row
Possibly Esther Helen Musson b 1911 so age 20*
Ivor Forsyth Musson (certain) b 1918 so age 13
Ian Alexander Musson (certain) b 1915 so age 16
James Christopher Musson b 1873 age 58 father of the Musson children. (certain)

*Also thought to be Margaret Ann Hay nee Forsyth, wife of James C Musson.  She died in 1929 aged 52, so if it is her this photo would have been taken before 1931.  This is quite possible as the Musson boys don't look quite old enough to fit the ages above.

We may never know.

Thanks Nola for being so helpful and sticking with me on this journey.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge 2018 List

The following is a list of my posts for Amy's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge for 2018.

Week 1: Start - My paternal grandfather was the reason for my "START" in genealogy and family history research.

Week 2: Favourite Photo - The first time I saw a photo of my grandfather as a young man

Week 3: Longevity - My great-great-grandfather George ADAMS.

Week 4: Invite to Dinner - My great-great-great-grandmother Mary KELLY nee MOLOUGHNEY

Week 5: In the Census - A great Irish census alternative is Griffith's Valuation

Week 6: Favourite Name - Pleasance Alice Hulme was my maternal grandmother's Aunt.

Week 7: Valentine - My 5th great-grandparents married on St. Valentine's Day 1772.

Week 8: Heirloom - My maternal grandmother's necklace.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 1

The theme for Week 1 of Amy Johnson Crow's challenge
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is
"START"

My Papa, my paternal grandfather who I knew as James Forsyth, was the reason for my "START" in genealogy and family history research.  

I knew he came to Australia from New Zealand but he never spoke about his life or family there apart from a few snippets.

• He had come to Australia from Rangiora, New Zealand in the early 1930s taking horses to the Melbourne Show and never went home or contacted his family there again.
• He was one of 9 children.
• He used to bicycle around the South Island with his brother. (now that's a  long ride!)
• There was a Scottish General in the family (I have not to this day found him!)
• There was an astronomer in the family (yes he was a brother in law)

His story was also the "START" of my blogging venture with my first ever post in February 2012. 

There is also a link to a follow up  written only last year after another "START" for me in genetic genealogy (DNA for genealogy)

You can click on the link below to read those stories.

WHAT STARTED MY GENEALOGY JOURNEY?