Lilian's Tree

 This week Alex Daw has asked us to celebrate what we have done, this month Study. Finished my DNA subject with the National Institute for Genealogy. Third month of Essential Speaker Skills, through Family History Academy. Attended. Afternoon tea at Government House, Sydney, to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Society of Australian Genealogists. Hangouts and talks with the Society of Australian Genealogists. Talking Family History, with Fiona and Michelle. Co-ordinated the Writers Group, with the Society of Australian Genealogists. Co-taught a class, at the research centre and co-ordinated the Australian Interest Group, via Zoom for Botany Bay Family History Society. Research . One of my half-sisters married a G.I., so I've spent time researching him and found some really useful information. Added that I had verified my research, on two Ancestry trees. Went through my hints and  DNA matches on both Ancestry and My Heritage. (Also did this for the three DNA kits I manage.) Ex...

Alex Daw has set us another great challenge for Family History Month. Week 1. Who do I think is the most respected or impressive member of my family tree? This is this week’s prompt but I’m taking a slightly different tack and going with an ancestor named August.   My great-grandfather, August Frederick Conrad JASPER was born, not in August to be given that as a name but in December! 3 December 1846, to be exact, in Heidenoldendorf, Germany. His parents were Toens Simon Herman Christoph JASPER and Wilhelmine Friederike KESSEMEIER. August was baptised on 13 December 1846 and then nothing about him until he arrives in South Australia on 29 March 1876, on the Dilbhur, having left London on 29 December 1875. Listed as a brickmaker, aged 29 years. Looking at the passenger list he and one other were listed as brickmakers. He again proves to be elusive, with nothing until a small newspaper article in 1880, where he has taken his employer a Mr Sampson to court for back wages ...

                                                  FOUND HIM!   Way back at the start of this month, I mentioned that on my 2x great-grandfather's Monumental Inscription was the line also his g-son GEORGE GALBRAITH.  This has lead me on a very interesting voyage of discovery, with this branch of my tree. One I have enjoyed and plan to continue. SO WHO WAS GEORGE GALBRAITH and WHERE DID HE FIT? The only child I haven't told you about has been Samuel and Margaret's second son John b 1840 -d 1919. Searching on  Scotland's People gave me a marriage, in 1872 of John Galbraith and Helen McCulloch. He was 31 and she was 22. I then searched for any children and found five. Samuel b 1873. Helen Muirhead b 1874 Robert McCulloch b 1877. John McCulloch (Register  of Corrected Entries changed to Muirhead.) b 1881. Margaret ...

Alex Daw  has challenged us to blog about Genealife in Lockdown. So what does this mean to a genealogist? Endless days of sitting at the computer, searching for that elusive ancestor? Sorting the filing cabinet, recycling mountains of paper?  Going through old photos, trying to make sense of who they are? Endless hours watching Zoom presentations?  No, I don't really think so. Back in April 2020, when Covid-19 snapped us into isolation and archive offices slammed their doors, to us, I thought ' I can finally work on the second family history book.'   Well... So here we are, especially in Greater Sydney,  New South Wales, in August 2021, with a four week extension of our lockdown. Family History Month events cancelled.  Will I find an elusive ancestor? Will I do any work on the book?  For the answers to these and other interesting questions, you will have to stay tuned. Bye, Lilian.