Private Finley James Fleming

Finley James Fleming was a first cousin of my maternal grandfather, Archibald William Finlay Fleming.  Finley was born on the 18th of June 1893 at Barwo (Kotupna/Nathalia) Victoria the second son and middle child of William James Fleming and Johanna Henrietta Christina Fisher.

Photo courtesy of his grandson Graeme Lane.
"Finley James (Jim) Fleming and Bill? Goodall"

Finley enlisted as a driver to the 6 Field Ambulance on the 29th of December 1914.  He says on his attestation papers that he was born near the Town of Kotupna in the County of Nathalia, Victoria.
He was 21 years 6 months of age, 5 foot 7 inches tall, weighed 10 stone 5 pounds with a medium complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair. Religion Church of England.

His occupation was a Driver, next of kin (father) William James Fleming of 28 McCracken Avenue, Northcote, Victoria.

After a couple of transfers from the 6th Field Ambulance, he moved on to the 14th Field Ambulance in April 1916.

On the 15th of September 1916, Finley was transferred to the 8th Machine Gun Company.

The 8th Machine Gun Company War diaries can be viewed at  https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338669

In a letter to the Army Office dated 26th of June 1956 requesting information for Pension purposes, Finley states "while serving with the 8 Machine Gun Coy in France in 1917, I think it was at Messenies (sic) that I was blown up and buried to the waist in the trench, then evacuated to a hospital in France, then to England."
His records show that while in France he endured several hospital stays after contracting Influenza and later suffered myalgia, pleurisy and bouts of bronchitis which appears to be the reason for his return to Australia on the 30th of June, 1918.
He was discharged on the 15th of October, 1918.

In 1922 Finley married Ellen "Nellie" Ardley.

Finley "Jim"  and Nellie circa 1968 courtesy of their grandson Graeme Lane.

Finley died at Ivanhoe, Victoria in 1975 and Nellie at Preston, Victoria in 1976.

May they always Rest In Peace.

Tribute page for our Servicemen

Marriage of Johann Friedrich Heinrich Bartsch and Anna Dorothea Nebel

Today I came across the marriage record of my 3rd Great-Grandparents Johann Friedrich Heinrich Bartsch (known in Australia as John Henry Bartsh) and Anna Dorothea Nebel.

With the help of Tyler, a very kind member of the Facebook "Prussian Genealogy" group who translated much of the document for me I was able to learn the names of another set of 4th Great-Grandparents.  Tyler wasn't able to decipher the occupations of Johann or his father Karl though.
In Australia, Johann Bartsch was a blacksmith.

Act number 8, April 1st, 1850. GROOM: Johann Friedrich Heinrich Bartsch, ??? in Langenweddingen. 27 years old, unmarried. Parents: Karl Wilhelm Bartsch, ??? in Steinbeck, and Dorothea Manté. BRIDE: Anna Dorothea Nebel. 24, unmarried. Parents: Johann Georg Nebel, bricklayer and renter in Grüschau, and Dorothea née Schulze.

Saxony, Prussia, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1760-1890
This collection provided by Ancestry.com in collaboration with FamilySearch.
Images are hosted on www.familysearch.org.

Crop of the above image 

Johann Friedrich Heinrich Bartsch and his bride Anna Dorothea Nebel were married on the 1st of April 1850 at Krussau  (Grüschau).  

They migrated to Australia along with their two daughters Louise and Emma in 1854 on the ship "Acmel" leaving Hamburg, Germany on the 6th of September.  Sadly their eldest daughter Louise age 4, died on the voyage but my great-great-grandmother, Anna Dorothea Bartsh, was born on the ship.
The "Acmel" arrived at Hobson's Bay, Victoria in January 1855.

Also thanks to Shaun in the Prussian Genealogy Facebook group I learned about the German naming customs which cleared up quite a bit of confusion in my research.

http://www.rieperoots.com/pages/Names/customs.htm

UPDATE

Carolina from the Prussian Genealogy page added the following.  Number 5 is very interesting.

Additions and corrections to the above translation:

2. column:

Barsch, Johann Friedrich Heinrich, journeyman blacksmith [Schmiedegesell = Schmiedegeselle] ... Protestant confession [evangel. Konf. / evangelischer Konfession]

3. column:

Father: Karl Wilhelm Barsch, road overseer [Chauße-Wärter / Chausseewärter also called Wegemeister] ...

Mother: Dorothea Manté, deceased

5. column:

Heading: Whether parental permission was obtained, or not needed

Without fatherly consent, because the father is serving a sentence in an unknown prison.

[Ohne väterliche Einwilligung, da der Vater in einer nicht bekannten Strafanstalt eine Strafe abbüßt.]

7. column:

bride has Protestant confession

8. column:

Father: ... in Crüssau [Krüssau]

10. column:

paternal consent in writing [Väterliche Einwilligung, schriftlich]

12. column:

Day of marriage 1 April 

13. column

Heading: Pastor's name who performed the wedding

Weber 

14. column:

Heading: Dates and places their intentions to marry were announced

Dom. [Dominicus] Judica et bin. sgg. [2. Sunday before Easter] and the two following Sundays in the Liebfrauen Kirche [Liebfrauen church] here and at Langenweddingen

Sergeant James Forsyth - WW1 New Zealand Expeditionary Forces

James Forsyth (known as Jimmy) was born on the 31st of October 1890 at Coutts Island, Kaiapoi, New Zealand.
He was the youngest son and second youngest child of Robert Forsyth and Jessie nee Farquhar.

When James enlisted to the Auckland Mounted Rifles for service in WW1 on the 6th of September 1915 he named next of kin as his mother Mrs J Forsyth of Waitoa.  This was changed after his marriage on the 15th of May 1919 to Marjorie Sylvia Whitehead (known as Sylvia).
They had met at the Sutton Coldfield hospital where James spent some time.
Sylvia's address then was 40 Lower Queen Street, Sutton Coldfield.
(Below image from current Google maps)

https://goo.gl/maps/osgomqSpKmQ2

James was five feet seven and a half inches tall and weighed 146 pounds.  

His hair colour was dark auburn, eyes blue, complexion fair.  

He disembarked on the Scottish built ship HMNZT S.S. Dalmore for Suez in February 1916 and served a total of 4 years and 44 days mostly with the New Zealand Field Artillery in the Egyptian and Western European theatres of war. During that time, between August 1917 and January 1918, he received four promotions from Soldier to Sergeant.

Further information at http://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?ref=16331

Between January and July 1918 James was in and out of different hospitals for both sickness and an injury which looks to be a fractured right fibula.

James returned to Wellington from Plymouth on the S.S. Tainui and received his discharge on the 19th of October 1919.

ShipSpotting.com © Gordy

Tribute page for our Servicemen

William Thomas Morgan Obituary 1950

My Mum's Grandad, Bill (William Thomas) MORGAN, passed away on the 19th of December 1950.
He was born in Euroa, Victoria in 1872.  The fourth son of Thomas Fitzherbert MORGAN and Mary Ann (Marian) nee PIKE.

photo from his daughter, Daisy's album.

OBITUARY

Mr. William T. Morgan

Aged 78, Mr William Thomas Morgan, Moyhu, died in the Wangaratta Base Hospital early on Tuesday morning.  He had been in failing health for the past few months, and a patient in Hospital for a week.

Born at Euroa, he came to the Moyhu district over 50 years ago.

He was first employed at Redcamp and was then share farming with Shanley Bros.  He retired from active life about eight years ago.

Mr. Morgan took no active part in public life, but was well liked by all.

He is survived by his wife, who was formerly Miss Ada Hulme, Milawa, and the following family: Herbert (Moyhu), Clarice (Mrs. Jones, Moyhu), Daisy (Mrs. A Fleming, Hansonville), Mavis (Mrs. L. Robinson, Myrtleford), and Lila (Mrs. H. Flanigan, Katamatite).

Brothers are George (Euroa), Robert (Edi Upper), Jack (Berrigan, NSW), and Edward (Seymour).

Funeral took place yesterday at the Milawa cemetery where the Reverend A.T. Stevens officiated at the graveside.

Handley's supervised arrangements.

Coffin bearers were Messrs H. Morgan, son, K Fleming, N Jones, grandsons, H Flanagan, son-in-law, Messrs H. Hulme, brother-in-law, P. Shanley, K. Lewis, F. Bowen, R. Jones, A. Gibson and W. Gibson.

From The Chronicle Despatch, Thursday, December 21st, 1950

Courtesy of my lovely and very helpful friend Jenny who was paying a visit to the State Library of Victoria and managed to get this obituary despite a "scuffle" with a rogue microfilm machine.  

So glad you survived the flying film, Jen! 

Copyright free Photo by John Moeses Bauan on Unsplash

Birthday remembrance Great Uncle Frank Adams.

Today is the birthday anniversary of my Great Uncle Francis Edward Adams who for some reason later called himself Frank Francis Adams. 
He was my paternal grandmother's youngest brother, born on the 12th of July, 1906 at 35 Smith Street, Kensington, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.  
Frank was the youngest child of Mary Agnes Adams nee Morgan and her husband John Adams who had separated and went through a lengthy maintenance battle in court ... read here 

My childhood memories of perhaps my only visit to my grandmother's brother's house were that Uncle Frank had red hair and Auntie Dot had bright red lipstick!

Photo from the slide collection of my grandmother Brenda Adams in my possession.

I remember being told that Uncle Frank and Auntie Dot weren't married.  Not sure why I was told that.  Uncle Frank was quite a small man and apparently had been a groom and a jockey.  Dad said he used to work on the De Havilland aeroplanes made for the airforce because he was small enough to crawl through the cramped spaces and that he was deaf.  The story Dad heard was that with a friend, Frank used to ride sidecars and the leaning over in the sidecar, toward the engine of the motorcycle affected his hearing.

When I started researching my Adams family I was told that the family story was that Uncle Frank was batman for General Thomas Blamey in World War 2.

I searched but found nothing that corroborated that story.  I did find some very surprising facts though.  Talk about a tight-lipped lot!

I looked up Uncle Frank's war service details and found that he enlisted on the 15th of June 1940.  He was single, a groom (strapper) and listed next of kin as his sister Mrs Catherine Goodwin of Darnum.  Aunty Kit and Uncle Willie (as I knew them) lived at Darnum in Gippsland all their married lives.  
Frank's address at the time was 155 Epsom Road, Ascot Vale.

Image from Frank's army service record at National Library of Australia

He was recruited to the 8th Division petrol company and then in August 1940 was detached to the G.M.H school of fitters mechanics.  He was discharged by the 23rd of October 1940 as "medically unfit for service, not occasioned by his own default".  Quite a short stint of only four months.  I thought that was it but no ......

I don't know why I revisited the World War 2 army records but one day I stumbled quite by accident on another war service record for a Frank Francis Adams with the same birthdate. 
World War 1 war service records are available openly but World War 2 records need to be purchased.  So I paid the fee and after a short wait, the records were opened to me.  

Well, what a surprise!

Uncle Frank Francis Adams had re-enlisted on the 19th of October 1942 at Paramatta, in New South Wales. His second service records were rather confusing.

This time his attestation paper named his next of kin as his wife, Florence Adams of 20 Claude St, Northcote and his occupation was a cabinetmaker.   It also listed his previous service and his sister's address.  So it was definitely the same Frank Adams.  How strange.

Image from Frank's army service record at National Library of Australia

He was posted to HQ 2 Aust. Army.  Maybe this was where General Blamey came into it but I still found no mention of him. 
In March 1944 it seems Frank was transferred from HQ 2 to another area which was 3 A.T.T.D .  He was a student at 3 Australian Army Trades Training Depot (staff) whatever (staff) meant.  His service records contained a student report for this section. 
Uncle Frank didn't do well at carpentry apparently and failed to qualify.

Image from Frank's army service record at National Library of Australia.

I emailed Dad's cousin's wife who had started on this family history and she was gobsmacked.  No one had ever mentioned Frank was married.  I doubt they even knew either that or they just never spoke about it which fits with the way the family was.
She did say there were a few pieces of furniture in Aunty Kit's house that were said to have been made by Uncle Frank but they were very nicely made and valued by the family, so his work must have improved.
My next step was to find a marriage certificate.  There was one. 

On the 2nd of October, 1942 Frank Francis Adams had married a Florence Francis.  She was a widow, born in Middlesex, England, the daughter of John Woods and Florence Gay.  She had three children and was ten years older than Frank. 
All I could think of was to look in ancestry.com for a Florence Woods married to someone Francis.  I found a tree with them in it and it showed that Ralph Russell Francis had died in 1925 leaving Florence with three children.  I sent a message to the tree owner who was also amazed.  He lived in England and was connected to Ralph Francis.  He had traced him to Melbourne Ports working on the docks but had no further details.  He did give me the email address of a lady who was connected to Florence though.   She was also surprised by my message.  She said it was known that Florence had remarried but not who he was.  Apparently they were friends and as Florence was a widow and Frank re-enlisted, he put her as next of kin so if anything happened to him she would receive his war pension.

What a gesture by a very kind man.  Frank was discharged on the 30th of October 1945 and I couldn't find him again for sure in the electoral rolls until 1963 at 3 Hobson Street, Altona with a Dorothy May Adams.  Aunty Dot.  From 1977 he was with Dot living at 3 Prismall Street, Altona. (pictured below)

Photo from the slide collection of my grandmother Brenda Adams in my possession.

Frank died on the 17th of February 1979.  He was cremated on the 27th of February 1979 and his remains were interred at Altona Memorial Park [A] Rose Garden AL-RG*12*RP**225 

When I obtained his death certificate the informant was Dorothy May Adams, friend, living at the same address.  So he had never divorced Florence who had continued to live at 20 Claude Street Northcote and who died in 1976.

I could never find anything concrete on Frank being batman for General Blamey and I would love to find out if Aunty Dot - Dorothy May Adams, had other family.  All I know about her is her name and that she was still listed at 3 Prismall Street in the 1980 electoral roll.  

The family tree can be seen at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Adams-17170

Morgans of Keady Parish, Derrynoose, Armagh, Ireland

New DNA matches are coming in regularly with people who have connections to Morgan families in Derrynoose, Armagh, Northern Ireland which is where my 3rd great-grandparents Alexander Morgan and his wife Ann (Nancy) Lennon are recorded as having children in the 1820s and 1830s.

As the following people are living I can't share too many details for privacy reasons but a recent new DNA match had a father Fred Morgan who lived in Rowan Road.  I haven't found Fred as yet.

Another has a great-grandfather Thomas Morgan from Clontibret, Co. Monaghan which is very close to Rowan and where many Morgan families lived.  DNA matches are also to there but yet to be confirmed and connections found.

In the Griffiths Valuation for Armagh (1864), there was one Alexander Morgan who was leasing land from Andrew J Crawford at Rowan, Derrynoose.  There were quite a few other Morgans in the same area.

I don't doubt they were connected, I just haven't found how as yet.

Alexander's son, my great-great-grandfather John Morgan, named his Essendon hotel "Cross Keys".
There was an area named Cross Keys only about 5 miles from Derrynoose.
As with Rowan, Cross Keys now just seems to be a road rather than a townland.

 John Morgan's first son was named Francis Edward Morgan.  There were 2 Francis Morgans living near Alexander.  It's possible that John named his first born after his own grandfather and his second son was Alexander after his own father.  Not strictly sticking to the traditional naming pattern but fairly close.

As with Rowan, Cross Keys now just seems to be a road rather than a townland I think.

In the 1901 Irish census, taken on the 31 March,  there are 4 Morgan families living at Rowan, Derrynoose.

National Archives of Ireland image

At number 6 Rowan Road was Felix Morgan, aged 50, a farmer who was born in Co. Armagh and not married.  Living with him at the same address was his niece Anne Mullegan, aged 30 also not married.  They were both Roman Catholic and could read and write.

At number 8 Rowan Road was Peter Morgan, aged 56, a farmer who was born in Co. Armagh and who could read and write.  His wife Bridget, aged 40 also born in Co. Armagh, could read and write.
Seven children were listed and these children's names and ages tally with Derrynoose baptisms for children of Peter and Bridget.
Mary A aged 12  (Maryann baptised 31 Dec 1887)
Francis  aged 10 (Fris Miles baptised 18 Aug 1889)
John J aged 9 (John James baptised 21 June 1891)
Elizabeth aged 7 (baptised 27 June 1893)
Helena aged 3 (Ellen baptised 17 March 1897)
Peter no age given (baptised 6 March 1900)

Patrick and Catherine look to have been twins who may not have survived.
Brigid and Patrick also look to be twins born after the 1901 census.

In the 1911 census, the Morgan household is listed as Residents of a house 9 in Rowan (Derrynoose, Armagh)*

Peter and Bridget are now aged 68 and 51.  It states they had eleven children and 9 are living which fits with the baptisms as Bridget and Thos Patk both aged 8 years  (Brigid and Patrick baptised 24 March 1903) also tally with the baptism records.

At number 10 Rowan Road in 1901
Bridget Morgan aged 75, born in Co. Armagh, Roman Catholic, Farmer, Widow
Thomas Morgan aged 46, born in Co. Armagh, Roman Catholic, Farmer's son, not married.
Henry Morgan aged 38, born in Co. Armagh, Roman Catholic, Farmer's son, not married.

At number 17 Rowan Road in 1901
Margaret Morgan aged 70 Head born Co. Monaghan, Farmer, Widow
Joseph Morgan aged 37 Son born Co. Armagh, Farmer's son, not married
Kate aged 25  Daughter born Co. Armagh, Farmer's daughter, not married.

In 1911

National Archives of Ireland Image

Residents of a house 3 in Rowan (Derrynoose, Armagh)
Felix age 62 is single and living alone.

Residents of a house 6 in Rowan (Derrynoose, Armagh)
Thomas aged 50 Head, born Co. Armagh, Farmer, Roman Catholic
Catherine aged 30 Wife, born Co. Armagh
Francis aged 2 Son, born Co. Armagh
Michael aged 0 Son, born Co. Armagh

Residents of a house 7 in Rowan (Derrynoose, Armagh)
Joseph, aged 47, Head, Roman Catholic, Farmer, born Co. Armagh, Single
Kate, aged 35, Sister, Roman Catholic, born Co. Armagh, Single

Residents of a house 9 in Rowan (Derrynoose, Armagh)* see above Peter and Bridget.

Rowan Road is the red marker balloon below. 
Image from an early post at
http://morganandkellyfamilyhistories.weebly.com/weeblyblog/morgans-at-rowan-derrynoose-armagh

My New Updated Ethnicity Estimates from AncestryDNA

A person's DNA doesn't change but their ethnicity results can as companies update using "improved ways" to analyse the data.

Many people only test to get ethnicity results.  That's their prerogative.
I love finding relatives all over the globe and am lucky to have "met" both in person and virtually, some lovely new cousins and like-minded friends through both paper and genetic genealogy.

I certainly don't have a hope of understanding the technicalities of how it's done but the genetic genealogy experts say ethnicity estimates are just that, estimates.

I think of it as an extra, interesting and even fun addition to my DNA matching for genealogy but I don't take it as gospel even though the results are pretty much what I would have expected from my years of research. 
Given that quite a lot of that research has been confirmed through DNA matches I am in agreeance with their "estimates" and find not all that much difference between the results of the companies I have uploaded to.

This is my initial AncestryDNA ethnicity results breakdown and the map.

Below is my newly updated breakdown estimate and map:

There are also explanations available.

You can read further AncestryDNA FAQs about the updates HERE 

And more in-depth information on updated ethnicities by Debbie Kennett at Cruwys news  Blog.