Tracing Family Branches

Some years ago while researching my Rhall ancestors I made the mistake of reading a death certificate and taking information from it without properly analysing the information contained within it.  It was another researcher, who I was corresponding and sharing information with, who pointed out the fact that had been under my nose the whole time but I had failed to notice it.  Edward Rhall, a 17 year old miner, died on the 13th September 1853 at Spring Creek in Victoria in a mining accident when a bank of earth fell upon him.  His brother Peter 'John' Rhall was the informant for the certification.  The certificate stated that Edward Rhall the son of Christopher (a farmer) and Mary Rhall had been born in Bong Bong and had spent 17 years in the colonies, with 7 of those years being in Victoria.  This would place his birth around 1836 and the family moving to Victoria in 1846, making their move before the gold rush.  According to the death certificate Edward wa...

The First Fleet Online  website is another valuable resource for researchers.  Free, easy to use and search, it is a great starting point for those interested in the First Fleet. The website is best summed up using a quote from its Objectives page: ' It contains a database of the First Fleet convicts; background notes about the sources of the data in the database; diary extracts, stories and letters of the time; advice about how to approach learning in general; suggestions on how to investigate the topic of the First Fleet in particular; reference and links to other information about the Australia's past; and an invitation to correspond with us and join the online community discussing First Fleet issues. ' Source: First Fleet Online. Objectives. Retrieved from  http://firstfleet.uow.edu.au/objectv.html   Source: First Fleet Online. Retrieved from  http://firstfleet.uow.edu.au/index.html An example of the information available from the First Fleet...

My Trove Tuesday article for this week involves my 5th Great Grandfather Christopher Rhall.  A member of the Royal New South Wales Veteran's Regiment, he immigrated to Australia with his family on board the ship Hooghly in 1828.  When the regiment was disbanded he elected to stay in Australia and was granted land near Bong Bong, New South Wales. He died on the 12th May 1832 as a result of being attacked with an iron brand on the 6th May of that year, his attacker remains unknown. Source: Supreme Court. (1832, September 1). The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), p. 2. Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2208341 Source: Domestic Intelligence. (1832, September 5). The Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838), p. 2 Edition: AFTERNOON. Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32142026 Christopher Rhall was from Longford, Ireland and prior to enlisting in...

My 5th Great Grandmother Mary Turner (also known as Mary Wilks/Wilkes) is my earliest known and documented Australian relative.  She was tried at Worcester on  5th March 1785 and sentenced to seven years. Mary arrived on the ship Lady Penrhyn   in 1788.   It seems the 5th of March was not an auspicious trial date for Mary in 1785 or later in 1789!   On the 5th  March 1789 she was tried for stealing six cabbages from the garden of William Parr, she was found guilty and sentenced to 50 lashes.  Later in March 1789 she also was in trouble for her testimony in the trial of  Royal Marines accused of stealing from the government stores  (six of them were found guilty and executed) in which it was believed by some that she had perjured herself.  Mary was sent to Norfolk Island in 1790 on board the ship Sirius .  Apparently she stayed on Norfolk Island until 1793 when she returned to Port Jackson on board the ship Kitty .   Her de fact...

My 3rd Great Grandfather John Albert McDonnell arrived in Australia from Inverness, Scotland on the 10th May 1839 on board the ship Asia with his parents John McDonnell and Ann (nee McDonald) and five siblings.  He married Christina Sinclair in Goulburn in 1867 and they had three known children together. Source: Death. (1895, October 8). Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881 - 1940), p. 4. Retrieved June 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98549779 Transcript: Death. A CORRESPONDENT writes :- It is my sad duty to relate the death of Mr. J.A. McDonnell, of Railway View, Illabo, at the age of 65 years, the cause of death being bronchitis and heart failure, supervening on an attack of influenza.  The deceased was born at Inverness in Scotland, and came to the colony at the comparatively early age of 10 years.  He was the son of the late John McDonnell, of Glen en Ruagh, and Tyrl Tyrl, near Taralga, and had hosts of friends and relations resid...

Yet another old photograph from my husbands family collection.  This one is taken in the Dutch East Indies around 1917 and is of his Great Great Grandparents Dr. and Mrs Kalangi (seated central couple) and their family and friends.  His Great Grandparents W.N.G. & H.J.C. De Water are the couple on the far right of the photograph. The couple next to them are Mr and Mrs Joseph Sahelangi, the wife is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Kalangi as well.

Another website of note is Old Bailey Online .  Covering the period 1674-1913, this fully searchable site provides access to texts on 197745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court.  For those with a convict ancestor or just an interest in criminal law and history it is a fascinating site. Source: The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913. Retrieved from  http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/ Below is printable information obtainable from this site on the trial of Joseph Puckeridge (it is recorded as Buckeridge in these documents) husband of my 5th Great Grandmother Ann Maund. Source: Joseph Buckeridge, Theft, shoplifting, 2nd April 1800. Retrieved from  http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t18000402-69-defend573&div=t18000402-69#highlight

These articles involve my 5th Great Grandmother Ann Puckeridge (nee Maund) and her son William Puckeridge (my half 4th Great grand Uncle).  Ann was born in England and married her first husband Joseph Puckeridge around 1796.  There are records of two children being baptised in St Marylebone, Middlesex,   England for this couple Sarah (1799-?) and James (1800-?).  Their lives took a turn in 1800, when Joseph was sentenced to death for stealing scotch ticking, this sentence was later remitted to transportation for Life.  In 1801 Joseph, the convict and Ann his free wife arrived in Australia on board the ship Earl Cornwallis , their English born children's fate is unknown.  They went on to have the following children in Australia: William (1802-1877), John (1804-1885), Ann Sawyer nee Puckeridge (1806-1882), Mary Ann (1809-1818), Richard (1812-1881), Joseph (1814-1857) and Henry (1817-1819).   Joseph worked as a brickmaker in Australia and died in Sydney i...