Tracing Family Branches

Kevin David Battye was born in 1933 the son of Leo Francis Battye and his wife Stella Jane Christina (nee Worldon).  Kevin was the sixth child of Leo and Stella's sixteen children.  While on a recreational trip to Burrinjuck Dam in 1956 he drowned after a boating accident.  My connection to him is that he is my Great Uncle. Source: Three Drown At Week-end. (1956, February 20). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 3. Retrieved December 19, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138119328 NSW BDM Death Index 5562/1956 BATTYE KEVIN DAVID LEO FRANCIS STELLA JANE YASS  

My Great Grandmother Ada Louisa Stevens (nee Jones) with unknown child.  Unfortunately those who could tell me more about the photograph have all gone and nobody wrote the information down for future generations.

Sarah Maria Jeffery was born in 1890 the daughter of William Jeffery and his wife Annora Elizabeth (Annie) nee Bell.  My connection with her is that she is my second cousin three times removed.  Sarah was tragically burnt in an accident at home on the 30th November 1898, her mother also suffered severe burns to her hands when putting out the flames.  With no doctor locally, Sarah was transported by train to Goulburn for medical attention.  The doctor thought it unlikely she would survive and the little girl was kept at her grandmothers house in Goulburn until the following Monday when the doctor ordered her hospital admission. Sarah died as a result of burns accidentally received on the 7th December 1898 in Goulburn. Source: Burning Accident. (1898, December 1). Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881 - 1940), p. 2. Retrieved December 12, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98669465 Transcript: Burning Accident. THE eldest daughter of Mr. ...

With Christmas rapidly approaching I thought I would find something to do with the Christmas theme for this weeks Trove Tuesday post. I don't know what today's children would make of Santa Claus using a dray drawn by bullocks adorned with fragrant blossoms on Christmas Eve, instead of a flying sleigh with reindeer!  It is an interesting mental image to say the least. Source: Santa Claus in New South Wales. (1881, December 24). Illustrated Sydney News (NSW : 1853 - 1872), p. 3. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64974829 Transcript: Santa Claus in New South Wales. (See page 13.) And why not?  Why should not Santa Claus be as welcome in Australia as in the old world!  Colonial children are as fond of toys and as deserving of them as are those upon whom big-hearted, good-natured, ever-loving Santa Claus bestows his welcome favours in Europe and America.  Already crowds of little ones in this land of sunshine and flower...

I love this old photograph of my grandfather Roy Thomas Stevens.  Grandy always had a cigarette with him and loved animals, especially dogs.  He always felt the cold too and would wear multiple layers to try and keep warm!  This photograph would have been taken in the 1940's around Jugiong.  

I have currently been given a box of old family photographs to scan by one of my Aunts and am having a wonderful time doing so.  There are so many memories, stories and questions that old photographs stir up! In the process of scanning these photographs I have discovered new facts, been left with a lot of questions that I will probably never find out the answers to and taken a long happy/sad walk down memory lane.  I have reached out and shared these precious family treasures with extended family members and will provide each of them with digital copies of our shared family history, as they are a part of all of our life stories.  Photographs and family documents are real family treasures and I feel very privileged to be able to copy and share these particular ones with my surviving and hopefully future relatives.  Modern technology has made copying and sharing these family history resources so much easier and it provides us with a wonderful opportunities to preserve ...

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...

Douglas George Jeffery was the son of Selby George Jeffery and his wife Florence Mary (nee Hughes).  He died as the result of an accident on the 16 December 1941 when he was 17 years old.  He was buried at Penrose Cemetery, cemetery details and a headstone photograph for him can be found here .  My connection to Douglas Jeffery is that he is my third cousin twice removed. Source: YOUNG MAN'S DEATH. (1941, December 24). Goulburn Evening Post (NSW : 1940 - 1957), p. 6 Edition: Daily. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103632002 Transcript: YOUNG MAN'S DEATH Popular Student The death occurred on Thursday last, as the result of an accident, of Douglas George Jeffery, son of Mr. amd Mrs. Selby Jeffery, of Wingello. Deceased was employed by a large chemical manufacturing firm in Sydney and a few days ago he accidentally dropped a jar of acid on his foot, the fluid entering the bloodstream and eventually causing his death....

Today's wedding is for Selby George Jeffery and Florence Mary Hughes, who were married at St. Andrew's Church, Wingello in 1921.  Selby Jeffery is my second cousin three times removed.  Selby George Jeffery was born about 1894 the son of William Jeffery and his wife Annora Elizabeth (nee Bell).  Florence Mary Hughes was born about 1889 the daughter of Thomas Hughes and his wife Elizabeth Rebecca (nee Edwards). Source: WEDDING. (1921, September 22). Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881 - 1940), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98931379 Transcript: WEDDING. JEFFERY-HUGHES. Mr. Selby George Jeffery, son of Mr. William Jeffery, of Wingello, and the late Mrs. Jeffery, was married in St. Andrew's Church, Wingello, on Wednesday evening by the Rev. Canon Ross Edwards to Miss Florence Mary Hughes, second daughter of Mr. Thomas Hughes, of Wingello, and the late Mrs. Hughes.  The church had been n...

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...

Annora Elizabeth Jeffery (nee Bell) known as  'Annie 'was born in 1863 the daughter of William Henry Bell and his wife Catherine (nee Campbell).  My connection with her is that she is my first cousin four times removed.  In 1886 she married William Jeffery the son of William H. Jeffery and his wife Sarah (nee North).  Together they had a large family of at least six children.  Annie died at Goulburn in 1902 leaving William a widower with four young children to raise.  William married Catherine McCabe (nee Turner), a widow with three surviving children of her own, in 1905. William Jeffery died at Nurse Lakes Private Hospital in Goulburn in 1927. Source: Death. (1902, July 5). Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881 - 1940), p. 4. Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98715626 Transcript: Death. Mrs. Jeffery, wife of Mr. William Jeffery, died in Goulburn on Friday last from a weakness of the heart.  She to...

Reginald F. Pierse was born around 1913 to Edward Pierse and his wife Ellen Jane (nee Flynn).  He died aged seven of bronchial pneumonia in 1920.  My connection to him is that he is my first cousin three times removed. Source: ALL ABOUT PEOPLE. (1920, June 10). The Gundagai Independent and Pastoral, Agricultural & Mining Advocate (NSW : 1898 - 1928), p. 2. Retrieved November 28, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article123641173 Transcript: Very sad was the death of a bright little lad, Master Reg. Pierse, son of Mr and Mrs. Ned Pierse, of Gundagai.  The little chap had been ill only a short while, and succumbed to an attack of bronchial pneumonia.  Death occurred on Monday.  The boy was 7 years old. NSW BDM Death Indexes 9594/1920  PIERSE  REGINALD F  EDWARD J  ELLEN J  GUNDAGAI Source: NSW BDM Death Indexes.  NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Retrieved from  http://www.bdm.nsw....

Ethel Florence Boyd who was born in 1890 at Rutherglen, Victoria was the daughter of William Leonard Boyd and his wife Elizabeth (nee Worldon).  My connection to her is that she is my first cousin four times removed.  In 1915 Ethel married Arthur Ernest Warby at St. Thomas' Church of England at Narrandera, New South Wales.  Arthur Ernest Warby was the son of James Edward Warby and his wife Sarah (nee Lakeman).  Tragically Arthur's mother Sarah and sister Amy were murdered at Billenbah in 1911.  In 1919 Arthur and Ethel had a daughter Joan Ethel.  Arthur Ernest Warby died in Sydney in 1921 and Ethel Florence Warby in Victoria in 1980. Source: THE Butherglen Sun AND Childern Valley Advertiser. (1915, March 26). Rutherglen Sun and Chiltern Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved November 27, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129456745 Transcript: WEDDING BELLS .- A pretty wedding took place at St. Thomas' Church of...

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 ...