Tracing Family Branches

Today’s post involves my second great uncle William Henry Lambert.  The writer seems not to be a fan of the working class becoming the political class.  A drunken, shearer and a nuisance it really sounds like William lived up to the writers expectations of such a man.  Life for a politician was obviously much easier in those days, no mobile phones to record the act and no social media to spread it widely instantaneously.  One can imagine the scandal a man of his political standing would endure these days in the same circumstances! More posts mentioning William can be found here , here and here . Source:  FEDERAL MEMBER FINED (1927, March 19).  News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) , p. 1 (SPORTING EDITION). Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129247519 Transcript: FEDERAL MEMBER FINED Made Himself a Nuisance FORMER LORD MAYOR MELBOURNE, Today. William H. Lambert, a shearer, aged 42 years, member of the House of Representativ...

Today’s post involves the daughter of my second great aunt Laura Lambert and her husband James Kelly.  The unnamed girl was sadly stillborn at the Walmar Private Hospital on the 15th May 1928. The birth notice below appeared in Sydney Morning Herald on the 23rd May 1928. Source:  Family Notices (1928, May 23).   The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) , p. 14. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16467001 Transcript: KELLY (née Laura Lambert): - May 15. at Walmar private hospital, Marrickville, to Mr. and Mrs. James Kelly - a daughter (stillborn).

It has been very busy around here lately and so my blog has sadly taken a back seat for a couple of weeks!  Life has settled down again now and so I should be back researching and posting more often from now on! While researching on Friday I discovered that Sandgate Cemetery in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia now has virtual online records with photographs.  As I have quite a few relatives buried in this cemetery and little chance of getting to it anytime soon this is a very much appreciated improvement. 😊 Among my family buried there are the following: My Great Grandfather John Joseph Donnelly who sadly does not have a headstone yet!  is here .  More posts concerning him can be found here , here , here , here , here , here  and here . My Great Grandmother Bridget Donnelly nee Lambert is here . She was once engaged to Henry Lawson and a number of his works were inspired by her including 'The Free-Selector's Daughter'. More posts involving her...

Today’s post involves a Trove newspaper article that mentions my Great Grandmother Bridget Anastasia Lambert, who was a schoolteacher in various locations in New South Wales from 1891 until her resignation in 1900.  More posts on Bridget can be found here , here ,  here , here , here , here  and here . BUDGONG. (1900, December 22).  The Shoalhaven News and South Coast Districts Advertiser (NSW : 1891 - 1937) , p. 4. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13573115 Transcript: BUDGONG The annual picnic and presentation of prizes in connection with the Budgong public school took place on the 14th inst.  Some 200 persons attended, amongst them being many visitors from Kangaroo Valley, - one party, of 14, earning the distinction of travelling in the first coach (in charge of “Jim” Hetherington) that had ever been driven to Budgong. Under the ample shade of trees in Mr. C. T. Randall’s grounds, lunch, consisting of sandwiches and confectionery...

Today's post concerns my Great Grand Uncle William Henry Lambert.  Previous posts I have done on him can be found, here and here .  William was the Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1921. Someone was a very passionate supporter of him!  I guess with politics it can really be said that the more things change the more they stay the same. Source: WILLIAM LAMBERT. (1921, July 7). The Australian Worker (Sydney, NSW : 1913 - 1950), p. 3. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145772697 Transcript: WILLIAM LAMBERT. LORD MAYOR LAMBERT, of Sydney, has many enemies, and for that reason he has also many friends. It would be hard to say of which he should be most proud, for both, though in different ways, are a tribute to his worth as a representative of the Labor movement. Last Monday night the Town Hall was filled with his friends.  From every part of the city they came - thousands of earnest eager men and women, glad to bear testimony to the sterling ...

Today's post is about my great grandmother Bridget Anastasia Lambert, who was a school teacher in New South Wales in the 1890's. \ Source: Government Gazette Appointments and Employment (1898, August 26). New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), , p. 6832. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220994308 Transcript: Department of Public Instruction,  Sydney, 23rd August, 1898. The Public Service Board has approved of the transfer of the following teachers to the schools specified in connection with their respective names :- Miss B. Lambert, from Eulomogo to Illaro Provisional, as Teacher. Source:  Government Gazette Appointments and Employment (1898, November 18). New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), , p. 9067. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220971225 Transcript: Department of Public Instruction,  Sydney, 17th November, 1898. The Public Se...

The following article was found through the Government Gazettes on Trove concerning the estates of my Great Grandparents John Joseph Donnelly and his wife Bridget Anastasia Donnelly (nee Lambert). Source: IN the matter of the estates of the undermentioned deceased (1961, July 21). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001), , p. 2202. Retrieved March 17, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220282421 Transcript: IN the matter of the estates of the undermentioned deceased persons, and pursuant to the Wills, Probate and Administration Act. 1898-1954; the Public Trustee Act, 1913-1960; Testator's Family Maintenance and Guardianship of Infants Act, 1916-1954; and Trustee Act, 1925-1942; the Public Trustee hereby gives notice that creditors and others having any claim against or to the estate of any of the undermentioned deceased persons, who died on or about the respective dates hereunder mentioned, are required to send parti...

My Great Grandfather John Joseph Donnelly and Grandfather Mervyn James Phillip Donnelly were remembered in this Memorium Notice placed in the Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate newspaper by my Great Grandmother Bridget Anastasia Donnelly (nee Lambert) in 1945.   Source: Family Notices. (1945, February 5). Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) , p. 2. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135000136 Transcript: DONNELLY. - In memory of our dear husband and father, John Joseph, late headmaster Education Department, passed away February 5, 1942 ; also our dear son and brother, Mervyn James, passed away January 22, 1943. Sacred heart of Jesus, mercy. We will not weep, though on the deep. Our memory, a flag rides half-mast high. Inserted by their sorrowing wife and mother, son and brother, B.A. and A.C.1. R.A.A.F., Frederick Joseph Donnelly. NSW BDM Death Index 3183/1942 DONNELLY JOHN...

In April 1938 my grandfather Mervyn James Phillip Donnelly was before the courts due to his committing bigamy and some of the articles reporting on this case are the subject of my Trove Tuesday posting this week. My grandfather Mervyn James Phillip Donnelly, commonly known as James or Jim was born in Bourke in 1905, the son of John Joseph (Jack) Donnelly and his wife Bridget Anastasia (nee Lambert). John Donnelly was a school teacher and the family, which included Mervyn's older half brother Frederick, moved around the state due to his employment.  In Sydney in November 1925 Mervyn joined the New South Wales Police as a Probationary Constable, but this was to be a short lived career as he resigned in April 1926.  Later in Sydney that same year he married Marie Rose Thomson (known as Rose or Rosie) who was born in 1906, the daughter of Thomas Thomson and his wife Mary Ethel (nee Smith).   Rose had been declared an uncontrollable child by the courts in June 1922 and admitte...

The only things that my father had belonging to his father was a couple of photographs, some official documents and some of his original poetry.  I have always wondered if he had any of it published but had never found a copy of any of his works anywhere, until today thanks to Trove ! Mervyn James Phillip Donnelly was born at Bourke in 1905 the son of John Joseph Donnelly and his wife Bridget Anastasia (nee Lambert).  John Joseph Donnelly (known as Jack) was a teacher at Yantabulla at the time.  John and his brother James (Jim) had been drovers together and had studied for their teaching qualifications by correspondence.  The Donnelly brothers grew up in the Mudgee, Cooyal area and had another brother Edward who was also a school teacher.  Bridget Lambert, Mervyn's mother had been a school teacher in the 1890's and was once romantically involved with Henry Lawson. Jack and Jim Donnelly were also acquainted with Henry Lawson.  Jim Donnelly married Mary Ann ...

The Trove Tuesday blog post from Backtracking here prompted me to post this old family photograph from our collection which has caused family arguments concerning the identity and gender of the subject.  Most of the family are convinced that it is my Grandmother Cluna Donnelly nee O'Connor, however one of my cousins is certain that it is our Grandfather Mervyn Donnelly as he claims that Nan told him that is who it is and said that Mervyn's mother Bridget Donnelly nee Lambert dressed him for the photograph this way as a joke. His story has been discounted by most of the family due to Mervyn having extremely dark hair from birth. It is worth mentioning that Bridget Lambert also had an illegitimate daughter Josephine Lambert who died as an infant (a fact not widely known within the family until recently), so the photograph may well be of Josephine and the story Bridget's way of keeping a photograph of her on display without questions being asked and judgements made.  ...

My Great Grandmother Bridget Anastasia Donnelly (nee Lambert) was the inspiration for a number of Henry Lawson's works including the one below.                                                                                                 Henry Lawson Source: The Free-Selector's Daughter. (1905, January 18). Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 - 1907), p. 41. Retrieved August 8, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71497959 ' When he went back in 1891 to stay for a few weeks with old Harry O'Brien, who had been a mate of his father, and who was the tennant of the Lawson home, he met and became engaged to a niece of O'Brien- Bridget Lambert, who inspired 'The Drover's Sweetheart', 'The Free Selector's Daughter', an...

The Australian Dictionary of Biography is another worthy website that is easy to navigate and very interesting.  ' The Australian Dictionary of Biography is Australia's pre-eminent dictionary of national biography. In it you will find concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of over 12,000 significant and representative persons in Australian history. The subjects come from all walks of life — from prime ministers, governor-generals and premiers, generals and bishops, artists, actors and authors, engineers and schoolteachers, to prostitutes, thieves and murderers — providing a cross-section of Australian society . The ADB is produced by the National Centre of Biography at the Australian National University (ANU) and is available both as a hardcopy publication and online. ' Source: About Us. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved from   http://adb.anu.edu.au/about-us Home page screenshot Source: Australian Dictionary of Biog...