Discover a World of Family History the Genealogical Society of Seminar Victoria Inc
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Quarterly Journal of The Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc Getting it write Research Corner Reviewing Family Histories Pre 1841 census in the UK VOLUME 33 ISSUE 7 SEPTEMBER 2017 $15.00 ISSN 0044-8222 Promises and Expectations Investigating Detective Mason Annie Seale Finney My Campbell Ancestors Where is Billy? Unexpected Information The Life of Herbert Edward (Bert) Woods The World War One Australian-Serbian Project Discover a world of family history The Genealogical Society of Seminar Victoria Inc BBritishritish Migrants:Migrants: InstantInstant Australians?Australians? Joint seminar with The Immigration Museum and The Public Record Office of Victoria Friday 20 October 10.00am – 4.00pm Immigration Museum meeting room This is an exciting opportunity to experience the lives and experiences of members of this migration scheme. Topics will include the context and history of the scheme, some personal stories and the family history researcharch resources available at each of the participating societies. GSV Members FREE Bookings essential via [email protected] or call 03 9927 2726 Immigration leaflets ‘A Welcome Awaits’ SH 980513, Department of Labour & National Service, 1956 and ‘Facts About Health & Social Services in Australia’ HT 13642, 1962, both from the Museums Victoria collection CORRESPONDENCE The Editor, Ancestor, The Genealogical Society of Victoria, Level 6, 85 Queen Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Phone: (03) 9662 4455 or Quarterly Journal of The Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc. email: [email protected] Volume 33 Issue 7 / September 2017 EDITORIAL TEAM Margaret Vines – chairperson Bill Barlow We seem to be settling down nicely to our new life at Queen Street. Lots of Barbara Beaumont Sue Blackwood people have been ‘just to have a look’ and familiarise themselves with the Martin Playne new set-up. Our enhanced relationships with the RHSV and the Immigration Jenny Redman Museum are off ering new opportunities which you can read about in the Jeanette Wickham President’s page. CREATIVE In this issue we have six substantial articles contributed by members. Jean Jeanette Wickham Dart’s story is steeped in Irish history. Her feisty great grandmother managed to PRINTER free herself from an abusive relationship and support herself as the matron of a Blue Star Print Vic protestant children’s home. Thelma Ragas investigates her great uncle who was CONTRIBUTIONS a detective in New Zealand, fell foul of the police hierarchy and ended up opening We welcome the submission of articles his own private detective agency. Can you imagine sending a sixteen-year-old on family history topics for possible publication. to a faraway country, all alone, to live in a strict environment on an Experiment Farm? That’s what happened to Prue Mercer’s ancestor, Harold Berrow. The editors reserve the right to edit or abridge articles to meet space constraints and editorial considerations. The First World War casts a long shadow. We are still remembering those who Submissions should be the work of the paid the ultimate price. The diffi culty for the family in establishing exactly what author submitting the article and should happened to their loved ones was compounded when inaccurate record keeping not have been published elsewhere cast doubt on their fate, as happened in Margaret Cooper’s family. unless agreed. All material should be submitted in electronic format to Digging that little bit deeper often pays – you fi nd information in unexpected [email protected] places. For Sue Blackwood it was a Queensland ‘Old Insanity File’ that Please submit text as Microsoft™ Word unearthed information, not about subject of the fi le, but about her husband, doc or docx fi les. Printed papers will not Sue’s great great grandfather. Darryl Grant reminds us that our ancestors did be considered for publication. Images should not be embedded in the text fi le, not always record the whole truth; a little extra digging may uncover some but sent as separate email attachments surprising facts about our ancestors that they may have deliberately covered up, as high resolution JPG or TIFF fi les or may even not have known themselves. Michael Woods found that references (minimum 300 dpi). Provide captions for in Australian newspapers to his great uncle as a wrestler helped to trace him each image in the text fi le. Articles should backward in time as well as forward. not exceed 3000 words in length. Shorter articles with images to illustrate the article are preferred. As always Research Corner has some interesting tips – did you know that you might be able to fi nd your ancestor’s name on a UK census prior to 1841? For further information on style to follow in preparing your article, please see Barbara Beaumont gsv.org.au/ancestor-journal/ guidelines-for-authors.html. If you Editorial Team have further questions, email: [email protected] DEADLINES Regular contributors must submit material by 1 January, 1 April, 1 July Our cover: ‘Bring Out a Briton’ families, East and 1 October for publication in the Malvern Methodist Church, c1966. Ward March, June, September and December Barlow Family Collection, Museum Victoria, issues respectively. However articles courtesy of William and Jennifer Barlow for consideration for publication are received at any time. Space constraints mean that edited articles have to sometimes be held over until a later issue. ADVERTISING Advertising space is available. Our Media Kit is available at gsv.org.au/ancestor- journal/advertise.html © The Genealogical Society of Victoria. Material in this publication must not be reproduced without consent. The views expressed in Ancestor are those of the Author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of The Genealogical Society of Victoria. Pen of the President David Down Pen of the President Pen Annual General Meeting Social Media The operation and good governance of the Society is the The Society is now an active user of Social Media. Our responsibility of the Council. Councillors are elected at the recently introduced blog webpage and our Facebook pages Annual General Meeting which is conducted each year in contain pertinent news and information regarding our October with this year’s meeting scheduled for Saturday 14 events and activities. I encourage you to view and ‘like’ our October at 2 pm in our Meeting Room. Facebook and blog web pages. Everybody with an email registered with us, has been automatically subscribed to The Rules of the Society provide for a Council consisting the GSV blog called FamilyMatters at GSV. A blog is like of no more than sixteen (16) members, comprising Offi ce an interactive online newsletter which can be continually Bearers and Councillors, to be elected at the Annual General updated with new content or posts. Meeting of the Society, save that any casual vacancy occurring may be fi lled by the Council and the members Annual Report appointed to such a vacancy hold the position until the The Council Report for the 2016/17 fi nancial year has been conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting. This year posted to our website on the Members Area home page. The we have several positions vacant – two Vice-Presidents, the document contains detailed reports of activities undertaken Secretary and six Councillors. in all areas of the Society. I have written frequently about the need to make changes to Scanning and Indexing Project our Society to ensure that we not only continue to operate Work continues on this important project but we are still but also to grow. We are looking for members who feel they looking for help with document preparation, scanning, could contribute to the Society by acting as Councillors. Our checking, indexing and updating the catalogue. research and education programs, our indexing projects and our general administration all require volunteers to help The majority of our manuscript and typescript family them grow and to provide members with services that are histories have been scanned. Almost 500 of these family attractive and informative. histories are currently available for viewing as pdf fi les at the Centre. The aim is to make these available online over If you feel that you would like to help in this regard please time. We have quite a few manuscripts which have been contact me before the AGM or simply attend on the day. We checked and are awaiting updating on the catalogue, and a will welcome your assistance. large number still waiting to be checked. If you feel that you might like to assist with this major project please contact Library collection at the RHSV Meg Bate at the Centre at any time. We have previously advised that we have transferred a large percentage of our library collection to the Royal Historical Orientation and Starting Family Society of Victoria at 239 A’Beckett Street, Melbourne. History Programs The RHSV has very kindly agreed to host a visit to their The Society conducts two outstanding monthly free classes library for GSV members on Thursday 14 September at 11 for members, which are strongly recommended to all. am. No booking is necessary. I would highly recommend that interested members take this opportunity to view the Orientation: an introduction to the Society and our resources extensive holdings now managed by the RHSV. provides an excellent overview of the wide range of resources available to members at the Centre and online. Immigration Museum The event is aimed not only at new members but also to any member who has not yet been to our Centre or has returned The Society has been invited to participate with the to researching their families after a break. We are constantly Immigration Museum and the Public Record Offi ce Victoria updating our resources and this overview session provides in a seminar entitled British Migrants: Instant Australians?.