What a fantastic week I have had. So many good things happening and not just that I have been visiting local markets and buying my first ever baby type things for my grandson's arrival in the New Year. Being practical I have bought bibs and face washers with Australian animals and birds on them. As my new darling will be in Sweden, chances are he is not going to see a kangaroo or kookaburra anytime soon.
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| My son showing me what I am missing! |
However I am somewhat jealous as they are having the White Christmas that I have been trying to have for the last three years. Hopefully I will get there for 2024 Yule Time in Sweden.
Blogs
Having pledged to do this Diary every week (and struggling somewhat but then again it is that time of the year for parties), I have signed up to do 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks with Amy Johnson Crow. Why? At the end of the year I will have a short biography of 52 of my ancestors. A chance to focus on them as individuals not just within a family group. It may not be all direct ancestors as I have some fascinating siblings on family lines. Wish me luck. Two blogs a week, worthwhile if I can sustain the passion!
Bribie Genealogy
Our last Monday night for the year was good. After my demonstration of how I identified matches with different strategies we sat around talking. It is good to hear what others are doing and to help those who have questions.
No more Bribie Genealogy now until February 2022. Sounds a long way away but 4 February will be here in no time with the festive season in between.
Books & Journals
My reading has mostly been online journals. All too often I download the journals from my genealogy society memberships with a promise to read it later. Have been binging on Genealogical Society of Queensland, Genealogy SA and Queensland Family History Society. This has been fantastic but my list of things to investigate only continues to grow. Not a bad thing as I am finding more on my families.
Christmas Parties
This week I went to two - Bribie Island Historical Society where I won a bottle of wine in the raffle and at the Caloundra Family History Research party I won one of their Christmas hampers. For someone who seldom wins anything, it was a very big week.
Conferences
This week my webinar viewing includes talks from The Genealogy Show Winter Event and I am still watching some from the Virtual Genealogy Association conference back in November. I have discovered that some sessions I can watch and scan photos at the same time. Double bonus. It depends on how good the handout is whether I can watch and not take notes all the time.
RootsTech 2022 registration is now open and it is free. Start planning to keep the dates free.
New Resources
The number of records added by the big subscription sites and FamilySearch continue to stagger me. For example, FamilySearch added 4 million new, free, English records for Berkshire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, Northumberland and Wiltshire. Mum's grandfather Herbert William White was from Wiltshire so I will be checking the new records out. Plus there were collections added for various South American countries and USA states.
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| Herbert William White on left with his family |
Ancestry keeps sending me new matches and family hints and that can change my day's plans. I particularly like the photo hints. This is where someone in the larger family tree puts up a photo of one of my ancestors siblings.
I don't have many photos so even if it is just a great uncle or whatever I have an idea of what my person possibly looked like. I still live in hope that someone else out there does have photos of them but until then, I enjoy these match ups.
This week's example is Thomas Isaac Cleaves 1828-1908 - there is a fantastic photo of him on Ancestry and he is my 1st cousin 5x removed. Yes that is distant but we do have DNA matches.
What's Coming Up?
It is a bit hard to avoid Christmas and New Year but we will be having a quiet time again. With family interstate and overseas we are not risking sudden border closures. Luckily we have our own swimming pool and lush tropical gardens so we can pretend to be in a swish resort. At least until one of us has to get up and get the drinks or cook dinner.
Our local bird life keep us amused too
Writing Family Stories
Last week I wrote that I was finalising the Spencer Family History as a Christmas present. I haven't had as much time as I expected plus I started asking questions.
For example, Max's aunt Veronica - all we knew about her was that she was born and died. There was no marriage and I wanted to know more about her.
Purchasing the death certificate revealed that she died in Goodna Mental Hospital (formerly Woogaroo Asylum) in 1933 aged 32 years. From the cause of death it looks like she may have had epilepsy.
Goodna has a closed access period of 100 years so I won't be able to access her file until 2034, only 12 years away.
I don't know when she was admitted or why. The answer to those questions are hidden in the closed register of admissions. I suspect she didn't have a happy life but at least we know a little more about her than just a couple of dates.
The family history looks like being an epresent now but they can provide me with feedback and point out anything unclear. The main thing is that we continue to keep writing our family stories and sharing them with others.
There should be one more Diary post before Christmas. Until then stay safe and well and try and find a little time for genealogy.
Shauna
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