Tracing Family Branches

My husbands Great Aunt Kathleen Murray died on the 22nd of December 1919 off the Sultan Shoals, Malacca Straits on board the ship Ipoh with her cause of death being recorded as dyspnea following a badly ulcerated throat.  Kathleen was only ten years old and had been a border at the Penang Convent along with her three sisters Violet, Molly and Dolly, until she had fallen ill.  Her mother Helen had gone to Penang and was bringing Kathleen to their home in Singapore when tragedy struck.  Kathleen was buried in Singapore on the 23rd of December 1919. Death at Sea record for Kathleen Murray As I have previously posted (see here ) her death was reported in The Straits Times newspaper on the 23rd December 1919, which can be found here .  The Straits Times, 23 December 1919, Page 8 Untitled 'A sad occurrence took place on board the Ipoh on the voyage from Penang to Singapore, Miss Kathleen Murray, the second daughter, age 10, of  Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Murray of Singapo...

M y husbands Uncle William Allardyce James Martin (known as Jimmy) died aged five in Barrow in Furness, England on the 1st of March, 1934, while his mother and siblings were visiting relatives of his father there. Jimmy was the eldest child of William Allardyce Martin and his wife Violet nee Murray and had been born at the Maternity Hospital, Penang, Malaya on the 18th February 1929.  His father William was a Prison Warder in the Straits Settlements and Jimmy spent most of his life with his family living in Penang, Malaya. Now, thanks to a recent birthday present from my son, I have Jimmy’s death certificate and we know that Jimmy sadly died of Broncho-Pneumonia and Measles at 70 Thwaite Street, Barrow in Furness, where the family had been staying, with his mother present. Death certificate for William Allardyce James Martin Jimmy Martin Violet Martin nee Murray with her sons from left Jimmy, Alan and Ronald   I have previously posted about Jimmy here , here , here  and...

 Today’s snippet concerns Helen Murray nee Stillfried, my husbands paternal great grandmother.  In an advertisement found here in the Singapore Standard on the 11th June 1951 found at NewspaperSG, she gave notice that she was applying for naturalization. The advertisement was also published in the same newspaper on the 12th June 1951. NOTICE NATURALIZATION NOTICE is hereby given that Mrs. Helen Murray of 342 East Coast Road, is applying to the Governor for naturalization and that any person who knows any reason why naturalization should not be granted should send a written and signed statement of the facts to the Colonial Secretary, Singapore.  Mrs. Helen Murray 342 East Coast Rd. More posts mentioning Helen came be found here , here ,  here , here , here  and  here .

  Today's post concerns the engagement of my husband's paternal Grandparents William Allardyce Martin and Violet Helen Marguerite Murray in Singapore in July 1927. The engagement is announced between William Allardice, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Martin, of Scotland, and Violet, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Harvey Murray, of Singapore. Source: NewspaperSG.  The Straits Times, 29 July 1927, Page 8.  Retrieved from  http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19270729-1.2.36.2

 Today's post involves my husbands paternal Grandparents and their wedding in Singapore on the 14th April 1928.  More posts involving this couple can be found here , here , here , here , here , here  and  here . SINGAPORE WEDDINGS Mr. W.A. Martin and Miss Violet Murray. On Saturday at 8 a.m.at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, a pretty wedding was solemnised between Miss Violet Helen Murray, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Murray, of Singapore, and Mr. William Allardice Martin, of the Prison Dept., Straits Settlements, only son of Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Martin, of Glasgow. The bride, who was given away by her father, looked charming in an Early Victorian frock of satin with the train was also of satin with a lover's knot of georgette and orange blossoms, and carried a bouquet of white lilies and clematis.  The bridesmaid was Miss Molly Murray, sister of the bride, who was becomingly gowned in blue satin charmeuse with hat to match.  The duties of the best...

  While researching my husband's Uncle William Allardyce James Martin I found a newspaper article mentioning the departure to England of William, his mother Violet and brother Ronnie in December 1933.  Sadly young William, who was known as Jimmy, would never return from this trip as he died in Barrow in Furness, England on the 5th March 1934.  PASSENGERS HOMEWARD The following passengers are proceeding per Chitral sailing at 9:30 a.m. to-morrow (Friday), for Penang, Colombo, Bombay and Europe: ....Mrs. V.H. Martin child and inft. ... Source: NewspaperSG. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 7 December 1933, Page 2.  Retrieved from  http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19331207-1.2.29.1 More posts involving Jimmy can be found here , here  and  here .

Today’s post involves my first cousin four times removed Harold Augustine Quirk.  Harold was born in 1885 the son of Thomas Quirk and his wife Kate née Cullen (see post  here  for more information on this couple).  On the 23rd October 1906 at St. Patrick’s church Albury he married Elizabeth Agnes Murray (also known as Letty).  They lived at Wagra until 1914 when he sold up the family property and moved his family to Melbourne.  On the 16th October 1914 Harold enlisted in the Australian Army with the 6th Australian Infantry Battalion, Service No. 3168. Source: Trove.  All ABOUT PEOPLE. (1914, November 11).  The Gundagai Independent and Pastoral, Agricultural and Mining Advocate (NSW : 1898 - 1928) , p. 4. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122205040 Transcript:  Mr. Harold Quirk, late of Wagra, who left those parts for Victoria a few months ago, is off to the war.  He is at present in camp in Sydney.  He purposes taking...

After my trip to Wagragobilly Cemetery (see post here ) I wanted to know more about the people who’s finally resting place I had visited.  The first one I wanted to know more about was Mrs. Thomas Quirk.  What was was/is her first name?  I had a really strong desire to know this and thankfully the ability to find it out.  Her name was/is Catherine, although it seems she went by Kate as that is the name on her marriage registration, the birth registrations of her children and on her teaching records. Yes, Kate had been a teacher and her last teaching position had been at Wagragobilly Public School. I have been able to find out the following about Kate’s teaching career. In 1876 she was appointed a teacher at Huon Prov. School.  Then in 1877 she moved to Lacmalac Public School and stayed there until she was moved to Wagragobilly Public School in 1882.  She put in her resignation from teaching in June 1884 and it was accepted. Source:  EDUCATION APPO...

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 photograph is another of the priceless treasures that Barbara Cooper was wonderful enough to send to us after reading my blog and getting in touch with me.  This is the only photograph I have seen of my husbands paternal Grandmother Violet Helen Marguerite Martin nee Murray together with her sons William Allardyce James Martin (1929-1934), Ronald Kingsley George Martin (my husbands father) and Alan Edward Raymond Martin.  Violet was the Granddaughter of Baron Raimund Von Stillfried Rathenitz and his Japanese partner Nishiyama Haru through their daughter Helen (see more posts on this here , here  and  here ). We are extremely grateful to Barbara and her Mother before her for keeping this photograph and the others safe and in such wonderful condition since the 1930’s, especially as everyone in the photograph is now deceased.  With William dying not long after this (see here ) and Alan being raised by Violets sister Molly and her partner, the photograph is ...

Today's photograph is of my husbands Uncle William Allardyce James Martin, who was known as Jimmy and it has quite a story attached to it! Jimmy was the oldest son of William Allardyce Martin and his wife Violet Helen Marguerite nee Murray.  As I have written about previously (see here ) I spent nearly twenty years researching the wrong William A. Martin and his family due to being given an incorrect primary source document.  This year thanks to Barbara Cooper discovering my blog post and getting in touch with me I am finally researching the right family and working on some fascinating new leads!  More than this however Barbara has sent me three absolutely priceless, precious photographs of my husbands family that will be treasured by our family for generations to come.  This photograph of Jimmy is one of the three and has been in Barbara and her family's, especially her late Mother's, safe keeping since the 1930's in England.  Thanks to Barbara, it has now tra...

Today’s snippet involves my husbands grandparents William Allardyce Martin and his wife Violet Helen Marguerite nee Murray. Mr. W.A. Martin, of the Prisons Department Singapore and Mrs. Martin sail for Malaya on October 21. Source:  Untitled, Malaya Tribune, 20 September 1938, Page 13.  Retrieved from  http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19380920-1.2.81

I am having a genealogy long weekend and as I had been making new discoveries about my husbands paternal family line I decided to chase up to see if there was anything new in the Singapore Newspaper Archives (see here ) that would give me any new information about this branch of his family.  I wasn’t disappointed as new newspapers have been added that provided me with the death notice for James Harvey Murray, who is my husbands paternal Great Grandfather.  We now have more questions than ever of course (as is the nature of genealogy) but it is another vital piece of the puzzle and a very interesting find.  Why his death was advertised in this paper and by whom we do not know. Deaths at this time in Singapore were not a rare occurrence, so why was his the only one listed?  Was the fact that his wife was Eurasian with a Japanese mother influential? The request for Java papers to copy this makes sense in that his wife Helen Murray nee Stillfried Rathenitz, daughters Dor...

Today's photograph is of my father and his eldest sister on my parents Wedding Day in 1966.  Unfortunately both my father and Aunt have passed away, Dad five years ago and Aunt Eve in 1988.

Today's birth notice is for William Allardyce James Martin who is my husbands Uncle. MARTIN. - On Feb. 18, 1929, at the Maternity Hospital, Penang, to Mrs Martin (nee Violet Murray) wife of Mr. W.A. Martin, a son. Source: The Straits Times, 23 February 1929, Page 9.  Retrieved from  http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19290223-1.2.38.3 Unfortunately William did not have a very long life as he died in Barrow-in-Furness, England in 1934 aged five.

Today's death notice is for Dorothy Murray (also known as Dolly) who is my husbands great Aunt. DOROTHY MURRAY Beloved daughter of Mrs H. Murray passed away at the General Hospital.  Cortege leaving G.H. Mortuary at 3:45 p.m. for Cathedral of the Good Shepherd 4 p.m. Source: The Straits Times, 25 October 1954, Page 6.  Retrieved from   http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers

Today's family notice is for my husbands Great Grandmother Helen Murray (nee Stillfried Rathenitz).  Helen was the daughter of Baron Raimund von Stillfried-Rathenitz and Nishiyama Haru.  Placed in a convent school in Singapore with her sisters, prior to her fathers permanent return to Europe from Japan in 1883, she lived most of her life in Singapore.  In 1906 she married James Harvey Murray and together they had four known children Dorothy (Dolly), Mary Clare (Molly), Violet Helen Marguerite (my husbands grandmother) and Kathleen (who died aged 10 in 1919). Death: Mrs Helen Murray, aged 75 dearly beloved mother of Mrs V. Martin and Mrs M. Kloppenburg, at her residence, 342, East Coast Road, Singapore, at 11:30 last night (14.2.55).  Funeral today cortege leaves for the Church of the Holy Family, Katong, at 5 p.m. for Bidadari. Source: The Straits Times, 15 February 1955, Page 7. Retrieved from  http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers

I have been dealing with an interesting issue lately involving my husbands grandfathers family tree. Working with details I had been given about his life I was happily researching what I believed to be his family.  I had his birth certificate so I was working from a primary source and was steadily adding facts, dates, people and places and quite happy with the results for a while. I had been told that he spent a good part of his childhood in Glasgow and that he had served in the First World War and had been a Prisoner of War.  Then in the 1920's he took up a job as a Prison Warder in Malaya.  He became engaged and in 1928 married Violet Helen Marguerite Murray in Singapore.  The stories were that the marriage was greatly affected by the death of their oldest son and broke down although they didn't divorce.  When Singapore fell in 1942 he was working as a Prison Officer at Changi and while he got his wife and son Ronald on a boat to England he remained behind. ...