Well today didn't go to plan. Melbourne was freezing and got worse as the day went on. I can't function in the cold - must be my Queensland blood!
My goal today was to finalise my Colonial Irish talk for the Wodonga Family History Society and the Genealogical Society of Queensland seminars I am speaking at in the next few weeks. The talks feature various anecdotes from my own Irish ancestors - I am 25% Irish (Counties Cavan, Armagh and Wicklow).
Most of my Irish research was done back in the late 1970s and early 1980s and then I put it into the too hard basket. So it has been quite a while since I dragged my Irish families out of the filing cabinet. To illustrate my talks I had planned to show various documents highlighting my ancestors' exploits while under the influence of alcohol. The talk is actually called The Colonial Irish Liked A Beer or Two: Checking Out The Evidence.
My first shock was that the photocopies of various government records that I had done in the early 1980s had faded - badly - but then that is nearly 30 years ago. The next shock was that some of the documents had been stapled and the staples had rusted - badly. The final shock was that there was information in the documents that was really relevant to me today but obviously I either had not realised its significance back then or I had not read the documents carefully enough at the time. In my own defence, I suspect I know more now than I did back then.
However, what this all means is that instead of just finalising my talk, I ended up spending the day removing rusty staples, scanning what are now poor photocopies and rereading and rethinking my Irish family research. The day just went past in a blur.
The sad part is I think I probably should do this with all my paper files - and I have been doing it with some files but more as time permits rather than as any dedicated project. It is probably the type of task we should all do on a regular basis, especially if we have been researching for decades and have multiple filing cabinets of information.
It's now past my bedtime but I plan to read Inherit Issue No 47 June 2011 which is the free e-newsletter from the Heritage Council of Victoria and they have some interesting new stories on the built environment on the Culture Victoria website. Lots of interesting things on that website that may be relevant to family historians researching in Victoria.
The other e-newsletter I plan to read tonight is from the National Trust of Australia (Victoria branch). In their June newsletter there are lots of suggestions for the school holidays, offers for members and one that particularly intrigues me is Spookspotters' Twilight Ghost Tours at Como House.
Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder than today but I do have to go out so most of the day will be out and about. I've also got a lot of genealogy tasks on my to do list - focus will be my mantra tomorrow!
Wednesday 6 July 2011
Tuesday 5 July 2011
Genealogy notes 5 July 2011 - Irish genealogy
Today in Melbourne was wet and windy with the odd earthquake to make it interesting. I had planned on going out and doing a few errands but changed my mind and spent most of the day looking at Irish records and websites.
Some of the sites I spent time on included the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and it must be a while since I last looked because they have a lot of indexes I hadn't tried before. I had some good family finds in the Will Calendars and some I need to look into further. Another site, and an old favourite now digitised, is Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837 which I used to learn about various places my family were from.
I revisited Griffith's Valuation of Ireland 1848-1864, now also online (I'll soon forget how to even use a microfiche at this rate) which is searchable on the Ask About Ireland website. There are all sorts of interesting links from this website so there went a 'bit of time'.
I also tried to pin down some of my Irish ancestors deaths using the FamilySearch Irish Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958 with some success. The Roots Ireland database was also useful in tying a few loose ends down but it is amazing how those Euros add up (but still cheaper than some of the prices we pay for Australian certificates).
It's great that the 1901 and 1911 Irish census records are free but most of my Irish ancestors were out here early and their parents deceased by 1901. I really need to find out more about collateral lines.
Periodically I used Google Maps to help me locate various places and to see that they were all in the same area. Genuki was also useful in helping me to locate what was available for the various counties I am interested in.
Although I had a good afternoon researching on the various sites, I can't help wishing for a one stop shop! I am also conscious that there are more Irish sites that I didn't visit today. So I am going to have an early night and read Cora Num's Irish Research on the Internet - it's supposed to be raining again tomorrow so I might as well prepare for another Irish research day!!
Some of the sites I spent time on included the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and it must be a while since I last looked because they have a lot of indexes I hadn't tried before. I had some good family finds in the Will Calendars and some I need to look into further. Another site, and an old favourite now digitised, is Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837 which I used to learn about various places my family were from.
I revisited Griffith's Valuation of Ireland 1848-1864, now also online (I'll soon forget how to even use a microfiche at this rate) which is searchable on the Ask About Ireland website. There are all sorts of interesting links from this website so there went a 'bit of time'.
I also tried to pin down some of my Irish ancestors deaths using the FamilySearch Irish Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958 with some success. The Roots Ireland database was also useful in tying a few loose ends down but it is amazing how those Euros add up (but still cheaper than some of the prices we pay for Australian certificates).
It's great that the 1901 and 1911 Irish census records are free but most of my Irish ancestors were out here early and their parents deceased by 1901. I really need to find out more about collateral lines.
Periodically I used Google Maps to help me locate various places and to see that they were all in the same area. Genuki was also useful in helping me to locate what was available for the various counties I am interested in.
Although I had a good afternoon researching on the various sites, I can't help wishing for a one stop shop! I am also conscious that there are more Irish sites that I didn't visit today. So I am going to have an early night and read Cora Num's Irish Research on the Internet - it's supposed to be raining again tomorrow so I might as well prepare for another Irish research day!!
Monday 4 July 2011
Genealogy Notes 4 July 2011
Monday has been a very satisfying day as I have ignored my usual procrastination and written two short genealogy pieces. The first was for the Ballarat & District Genealogical Society's journal Ballarat Link based on a talk I gave the Society in May on Online Trends in Family History. Their website is one of my favourites as it has so many interesting links and not just to Victorian sites so it is worth a visit. Another plus is that you can see back issues of the Link online for free although not all recent ones are there.
The second piece of writing was an Ask an Expert report for Inside History, a relatively new family history magazine now available in Australia. I had done the research last month but unfortunately I was unable to break down the enquirer's brick wall. Still I had some fun looking at BDMs for Tasmania and Victoria (available on CD) and I always enjoy searching the Archives Office of Tasmania's website and online indexes. For this enquiry I also tried the Genealogical Society of Victoria's members only database Genealogical Index of Names (GIN) which has over 3 million names mostly from Victorian sources. Just personally, I think it needs another name as whenever I tell people I like GIN, they think I am going to have a drink!!
By this stage it was time for a well earned break so I checked my emails and did some tweeting. I have received more Google+ circle invitations and have reciprocated. Haven't set up any of my own yet.
One thing I do like to do at the beginning of the week is to check Randy Seaver's Best of the Genea Blogs which is a round up of the best genealogy blogs for the week. It does have an American focus but most of the blogs have a global relevance anyway. I find this a quick and easy way to make sure I do see some of the more important/relevant genealogy blogs. I also follow Randy on Twitter @rjseaver.
Another free e-newsletter I like to read is Lost Cousins and the latest issue turned up in my email today. There was news on the latest additions to subscription sites such as Ancestry and FindMyPast as well as information on the Black Sheep Index which I hadn't seen before. So by the time I read the newsletter and check any links of interest to my own research, there's more time gone (but not wasted). That's the reason why I start the day with the things I have to do as I know I will be tempted elsewhere before the day is over.
Finally I had an interesting and exciting invitation to participate in a new exhibition which I readily excepted so closer to the event I will be able to tell you all about it. I wonder what tomorrow will bring - at least genealogy is never dull and boring!
The second piece of writing was an Ask an Expert report for Inside History, a relatively new family history magazine now available in Australia. I had done the research last month but unfortunately I was unable to break down the enquirer's brick wall. Still I had some fun looking at BDMs for Tasmania and Victoria (available on CD) and I always enjoy searching the Archives Office of Tasmania's website and online indexes. For this enquiry I also tried the Genealogical Society of Victoria's members only database Genealogical Index of Names (GIN) which has over 3 million names mostly from Victorian sources. Just personally, I think it needs another name as whenever I tell people I like GIN, they think I am going to have a drink!!
By this stage it was time for a well earned break so I checked my emails and did some tweeting. I have received more Google+ circle invitations and have reciprocated. Haven't set up any of my own yet.
One thing I do like to do at the beginning of the week is to check Randy Seaver's Best of the Genea Blogs which is a round up of the best genealogy blogs for the week. It does have an American focus but most of the blogs have a global relevance anyway. I find this a quick and easy way to make sure I do see some of the more important/relevant genealogy blogs. I also follow Randy on Twitter @rjseaver.
Another free e-newsletter I like to read is Lost Cousins and the latest issue turned up in my email today. There was news on the latest additions to subscription sites such as Ancestry and FindMyPast as well as information on the Black Sheep Index which I hadn't seen before. So by the time I read the newsletter and check any links of interest to my own research, there's more time gone (but not wasted). That's the reason why I start the day with the things I have to do as I know I will be tempted elsewhere before the day is over.
Finally I had an interesting and exciting invitation to participate in a new exhibition which I readily excepted so closer to the event I will be able to tell you all about it. I wonder what tomorrow will bring - at least genealogy is never dull and boring!
Sunday 3 July 2011
Genealogy notes 3 July 2011
Today's Sunday and it is usually a quiet day spent catching up on bits and pieces. I like to also look at the week ahead and see what I should be doing, and of course what I would like to be doing. I find that if I don't set myself little goals along the way I don't get as much done as I originally set out to do.
Fast approaching is the Unlock the Past History and Genealogy Expo in Mount Gambier on 23-24 July and I have been updating my expo talks. It really is amazing how often some websites change and I don't mean just cosmetic changes, I mean new content including indexes and digitised records.What this means is that instead of finalising my revised talks, I am led astray into searching for my own families. So this week a key goal is to finish the revisions on all four talks.
Just a week later on 30 July I am speaking at the Wodonga Family History Society annual seminar and they have an exciting Irish themed day. My talk is titled The Irish Colonials Loved a Beer or Two: Checking Out the Evidence and it is based (loosely) on my own Irish ancestors and for Wodonga I have some Victorian examples as well. I am giving a repeat of the talk in Brisbane on 6 August at the Genealogical Society of Queensland's annual seminar Ireland: Unlocking the Mystery but will use Queensland examples instead. So another key goal is to finish both versions of this new talk.
Another weekly goal I like to set myself (if I'm not travelling too much) is to participate in the blog challenge 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History. Next week's topic is Vacations and that should be really easy to write about - with this series I have been trying to capture memories from my childhood and teenage years. Last week's topic was Songs and what was the No 1 hit the year you were born. Read my Songs contribution here.
I spent a bit more time today reading up on Google+ and thanks to some tweets on Twitter from @SocialMediaGen I found some interesting links to follow up.
Another catch up job today was to visit Genealogy Wise which is a genealogy social network I have been a member of for quite a while. I'm a member of nine groups in Genealogy Wise and I like to see what's been happening over the past week - it's not something that I get to do on a daily basis and of course, some groups (like my Surname groups) don't have a lot of activity. Perhaps the group I am most involved with is Australian Genealogists with 320 members. Like most social networking sites it is free to join and it is a great way to communicate with like minded people.
Today's visit to Genealogy Wise reminded me that I haven't been keeping up with a blog called GeniMates which profiles various people involved in genealogy both in Australia and overseas. There were quite a few profiles that I had missed (sometimes I pick them up in Twitter too) so I spent the time reading about people I have come to know both in person and online. It quite often leads me to following new people on Twitter or new blogs I want to read. For example, I hadn't come across Amanda Epperson or her Scottish Emigration Blog until I read Amanda's profile on GeniMates - I then spent time reading some of her blog entries. See how easy it is to get sidetracked - now you know why I need to set goals and deadlines!!
They say genealogy is never ending, I'm starting to suspect that is also true for social media and genealogy but I wouldn't change it. I learn so much every day and find other people and their work really inspiring. However, I still live in the real world and the family is expecting dinner and I want to watch Masterchef in peace, so signing off for now to become a domestic goddess!
Fast approaching is the Unlock the Past History and Genealogy Expo in Mount Gambier on 23-24 July and I have been updating my expo talks. It really is amazing how often some websites change and I don't mean just cosmetic changes, I mean new content including indexes and digitised records.What this means is that instead of finalising my revised talks, I am led astray into searching for my own families. So this week a key goal is to finish the revisions on all four talks.
Just a week later on 30 July I am speaking at the Wodonga Family History Society annual seminar and they have an exciting Irish themed day. My talk is titled The Irish Colonials Loved a Beer or Two: Checking Out the Evidence and it is based (loosely) on my own Irish ancestors and for Wodonga I have some Victorian examples as well. I am giving a repeat of the talk in Brisbane on 6 August at the Genealogical Society of Queensland's annual seminar Ireland: Unlocking the Mystery but will use Queensland examples instead. So another key goal is to finish both versions of this new talk.
Another weekly goal I like to set myself (if I'm not travelling too much) is to participate in the blog challenge 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History. Next week's topic is Vacations and that should be really easy to write about - with this series I have been trying to capture memories from my childhood and teenage years. Last week's topic was Songs and what was the No 1 hit the year you were born. Read my Songs contribution here.
I spent a bit more time today reading up on Google+ and thanks to some tweets on Twitter from @SocialMediaGen I found some interesting links to follow up.
Another catch up job today was to visit Genealogy Wise which is a genealogy social network I have been a member of for quite a while. I'm a member of nine groups in Genealogy Wise and I like to see what's been happening over the past week - it's not something that I get to do on a daily basis and of course, some groups (like my Surname groups) don't have a lot of activity. Perhaps the group I am most involved with is Australian Genealogists with 320 members. Like most social networking sites it is free to join and it is a great way to communicate with like minded people.
Today's visit to Genealogy Wise reminded me that I haven't been keeping up with a blog called GeniMates which profiles various people involved in genealogy both in Australia and overseas. There were quite a few profiles that I had missed (sometimes I pick them up in Twitter too) so I spent the time reading about people I have come to know both in person and online. It quite often leads me to following new people on Twitter or new blogs I want to read. For example, I hadn't come across Amanda Epperson or her Scottish Emigration Blog until I read Amanda's profile on GeniMates - I then spent time reading some of her blog entries. See how easy it is to get sidetracked - now you know why I need to set goals and deadlines!!
They say genealogy is never ending, I'm starting to suspect that is also true for social media and genealogy but I wouldn't change it. I learn so much every day and find other people and their work really inspiring. However, I still live in the real world and the family is expecting dinner and I want to watch Masterchef in peace, so signing off for now to become a domestic goddess!
Friday 1 July 2011
Genealogy notes 2 July 2011
I'm really pleased with the encouragement I have received so far on this new blog idea - it's nice to have friends.
One thing I forgot to mention yesterday was that I accepted an invitation to participate in Google+ (without really knowing much about it). Today I have people putting me into circles and I was really pleased to see Twitter friend @CaroleRiley tweeting an article on the Pros and Cons of Google+ so I am a little wiser. Like all social media it takes a little while to get the hang of it (at least for me), so I'll take it slow and steady.
No time for research today but I have been reading some e-newsletters. It was good to see a tribute to Don Grant in Eastman's Daily Online Genealogy Newsletter and this has to be one of my favourite newsletters for keeping up to date on what is happening with genealogy around the world. There is a free standard edition and for a very modest annual fee you can access his 'plus' articles which are always good value.
Another one of my favourite e-newsletters arrived and that is Snippets from the Queensland Family History Society - it is monthly and while parts of it are only relevant if you live in Brisbane, there is usually a great selection of news and links to follow up. I was a founding member of QFHS so it is a great way for me to keep up with what is happening in my home town. It is sent to members but the last six issues are available online for free so non members can still read it.
Another genealogy society e-newsletter I like reading is from the Society of Australian Genealogists - I did their Diploma of Family Historical Studies back in the early 1990s and I have always maintained contact with them since. You don't need to be a member to receive the newsletter so you can subscribe or simply read past newsletters online.
It's probably a good idea to see if the society in an area you are researching has a free e-newsletter because it is a great way to find out what's new in that area - we can't afford to join all the societies where our ancestors lived. Of course you should also be a member of the society near where you live so that you can take advantage of their library, meet other knowledgeable members, attend talks, seminars and so on. Here in Melbourne I am a member of the Genealogical Society of Victoria and the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies.
Perhaps the most exciting genealogy event for me today was receiving an email from a person who read the latest article in my Looking For Mining Ancestors series which is published in Australian Family Tree Connections. I was writing about my great grandfather Thomas Price who died at a very obscure mine called Wee McGregor at Hightville in far western Queensland. Prior to moving out there, he was a Baptist Sunday school teacher in Charters Towers. This person's mother was one of his students and he is fondly mentioned in some of her personal records from that time which she kept and are now in her family's possession. How amazing!
It just goes to show the more you write and publish information on your ancestors, the more chance you have of making contact with other family members or people who have information on them. I should probably start up a dedicated blog to my ancestors but there are so many of them and only one of me!
I was worried that I might not be able to keep up the content for this blog but so far I think my problem is going to be how to keep it contained to a reasonable length!
One thing I forgot to mention yesterday was that I accepted an invitation to participate in Google+ (without really knowing much about it). Today I have people putting me into circles and I was really pleased to see Twitter friend @CaroleRiley tweeting an article on the Pros and Cons of Google+ so I am a little wiser. Like all social media it takes a little while to get the hang of it (at least for me), so I'll take it slow and steady.
No time for research today but I have been reading some e-newsletters. It was good to see a tribute to Don Grant in Eastman's Daily Online Genealogy Newsletter and this has to be one of my favourite newsletters for keeping up to date on what is happening with genealogy around the world. There is a free standard edition and for a very modest annual fee you can access his 'plus' articles which are always good value.
Another one of my favourite e-newsletters arrived and that is Snippets from the Queensland Family History Society - it is monthly and while parts of it are only relevant if you live in Brisbane, there is usually a great selection of news and links to follow up. I was a founding member of QFHS so it is a great way for me to keep up with what is happening in my home town. It is sent to members but the last six issues are available online for free so non members can still read it.
Another genealogy society e-newsletter I like reading is from the Society of Australian Genealogists - I did their Diploma of Family Historical Studies back in the early 1990s and I have always maintained contact with them since. You don't need to be a member to receive the newsletter so you can subscribe or simply read past newsletters online.
It's probably a good idea to see if the society in an area you are researching has a free e-newsletter because it is a great way to find out what's new in that area - we can't afford to join all the societies where our ancestors lived. Of course you should also be a member of the society near where you live so that you can take advantage of their library, meet other knowledgeable members, attend talks, seminars and so on. Here in Melbourne I am a member of the Genealogical Society of Victoria and the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies.
Perhaps the most exciting genealogy event for me today was receiving an email from a person who read the latest article in my Looking For Mining Ancestors series which is published in Australian Family Tree Connections. I was writing about my great grandfather Thomas Price who died at a very obscure mine called Wee McGregor at Hightville in far western Queensland. Prior to moving out there, he was a Baptist Sunday school teacher in Charters Towers. This person's mother was one of his students and he is fondly mentioned in some of her personal records from that time which she kept and are now in her family's possession. How amazing!
It just goes to show the more you write and publish information on your ancestors, the more chance you have of making contact with other family members or people who have information on them. I should probably start up a dedicated blog to my ancestors but there are so many of them and only one of me!
I was worried that I might not be able to keep up the content for this blog but so far I think my problem is going to be how to keep it contained to a reasonable length!
Genealogy notes 1 July 2011
It's the first day of the new financial year, and having spent 35 years working in government, I am used to thinking of my year from July to June. Rather than start another paper diary, I am taking the new step of doing it online via this blog. The first challenge was trying to think of a name for my daily notes to myself and I suspect future challenges will be finding the time to enter my notes.
My day usually starts with a check of my emails and this morning there was the sad news of the death of Don Grant, a well known genealogist in Victoria and former staff member at Public Record Office Victoria. I first met Don many years ago and he was always inspirational to other researchers. The Victorian Association of Family History Organisations in 1997 named their annual lecture after Don and sadly he will miss the next one in August during National Family History Week. A list of the Don Grant Family History Lectures and presenters is on their website.
I am participating in the 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History blogging challenge and after an absence of a few weeks, I submitted my Week 26 blog today on Songs and what they mean to me.
Next on my to do list was to use the National Library of Australia's E-resources to look at some overseas newspapers. For some reason I didn't have any luck connecting with the Irish newspaper archives via their link but I did get to do some searching in the 19th Century British Library newspapers. However I didn't find what I was looking for but did get sidetracked into reading about what was happening in Belfast, Ireland during 1841.
Of course the day wouldn't be complete without checking out Twitter every so often - I can't believe how many good links and ideas for genealogy that I pick up via Twitter. Not to mention the contacts and conversations with friends all over the world via that social media. It's like emails now - very hard to not check them every so often.
I like to try and read e-newsletters as I receive them but that is not always possible. Just read my Professional Historians Association (Queensland) e-Bulletin - the AGM is coming up in August, along with membership renewals and there is lots of interesting news. It is one of my primary links to friends and colleagues in Queensland since I moved south in 1999.
Today has been a big day for my genealogy - I don't normally have that much time to do research. Plus I have mastered a new skill - setting up this blog!
My day usually starts with a check of my emails and this morning there was the sad news of the death of Don Grant, a well known genealogist in Victoria and former staff member at Public Record Office Victoria. I first met Don many years ago and he was always inspirational to other researchers. The Victorian Association of Family History Organisations in 1997 named their annual lecture after Don and sadly he will miss the next one in August during National Family History Week. A list of the Don Grant Family History Lectures and presenters is on their website.
I am participating in the 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History blogging challenge and after an absence of a few weeks, I submitted my Week 26 blog today on Songs and what they mean to me.
Next on my to do list was to use the National Library of Australia's E-resources to look at some overseas newspapers. For some reason I didn't have any luck connecting with the Irish newspaper archives via their link but I did get to do some searching in the 19th Century British Library newspapers. However I didn't find what I was looking for but did get sidetracked into reading about what was happening in Belfast, Ireland during 1841.
Of course the day wouldn't be complete without checking out Twitter every so often - I can't believe how many good links and ideas for genealogy that I pick up via Twitter. Not to mention the contacts and conversations with friends all over the world via that social media. It's like emails now - very hard to not check them every so often.
I like to try and read e-newsletters as I receive them but that is not always possible. Just read my Professional Historians Association (Queensland) e-Bulletin - the AGM is coming up in August, along with membership renewals and there is lots of interesting news. It is one of my primary links to friends and colleagues in Queensland since I moved south in 1999.
Today has been a big day for my genealogy - I don't normally have that much time to do research. Plus I have mastered a new skill - setting up this blog!
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