Tracing Family Branches

Today's website is the New Zealand governments,   Births, Deaths and Marriages Online .  Easy to use and navigate it is a wonderful resource for researchers. 'The historic data available for you to search is limited so that information relating to people who might still be alive, can be protected.  Information available includes: Births that occurred at least 100 years ago Stillbirths that occurred at least 50 years ago Marriages that occurred at least 80 years ago Deaths that occurred at least 50 years ago or the deceased's date of birth was at least 80 years ago.'                               Source:  Birth, Death and Marriage Historical Records.  Births, Deaths and Marriages Online. Retrieved from  https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Home/ 'In the database there are about: 5.7 million births. 2.4 million deaths. 2.1 million marriages. Some intere...

This weeks Trove Tuesday posting involves the circumstances surrounding the death of William Arthur Guymer. Source: Sad Fatality. (1885, February 7). Southern Argus (Goulburn, NSW : 1881 - 1885), p. 5. Retrieved August 27, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109767039 Transcript: Sad Fatality. William A. Guymer, a son of Mr. Alfred Guymer, a well-known resident of the Goulburn district, met his death yesterday morning in a very peculiar manner.  It appears the unfortunate man had unloaded a waggon contained firewood at the Baw Baw limeworks, when he drew away about twenty-five yards distant, and entered a shed to rest himself.  Whilst there a blast in the quarry went off, and a piece of limestone struck Guymer on the head.  So severe was the wound inflicted that he died in about half-an-hour afterwards.  Dr. Gentle was sent for, and on arrival found that life was extinct.  Deceased was 24 years of age, and leaves a wife and one ch...

My 3rd Great Grandfather Alfred Guymer was born in Great Wratting, Suffolk, England in 1836 and died in 1924 in Adelong, New South Wales, Australia. He arrived in Australia in 1853 on board the ship Harriet with his parents and siblings.  In 1858 Alfred married Hannah Maria Jones who was born in Wales, the daughter of James Jones and his wife Rachel.  Hannah had arrived in Australia with her father James and brother Thomas (her mother was deceased at this time) on the ship Golden Era in 1855. Source: Death of Mr. Alfred Guymer. (1924, October 17). Adelong and Tumut Express and Tumbarumba Post (NSW : 1900 - 1925), p. 6. Retrieved August 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115925676 Alfred Guymer and Hannah Maria Jones had the following children: James Guymer  (1858-1892) Robert Guymer (1860-1860) Mary Guymer (1861-) William Arthur Guymer (1861-1885)  Lewis (aka Louis) Guymer (1862-1934) Rachel B Guymer (1864-1871) Frank Guymer (18...

My husband and I are celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary this week so I thought I would post something marriage related this Trove Tuesday.  After reading the article below I guess I am lucky that I did not follow my teenage ambition to become a governess! Source: MARRIAGE CHANGES. (1899, December 16). The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1950), p. 9 Edition: SPECIAL EDITION. Retrieved August 20, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83062838 Transcript: MARRIAGE CHANCES. SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS. According to the latest statistics on the subject actresses have the best chances of marriages.  Domestics in places were they are allowed evenings out come a good second.  Lady journalists are snapped up rather rapidly, generally by literary men or editors.  Lady typists have excellent chances of marriage.  Factory girls seldom remain single.  Nurses in hospitals, contrary to general belief, have poor chances of making good matches...

Lewis Guymer is my 2nd Great Grand Uncle born in 1862, the son of Alfred Guymer and his wife Hannah Maria Jones. In 1890 he married Harriet Bell who was born in 1872 to William Bell and his wife Elizabeth.  Lewis died in Goulburn in 1934 with Harriet surviving him until 1958.  Source: OBITUARY. (1934, May 15). Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881 - 1940), p. 2 Edition: DAILY and EVENING. Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103666973 Transcript: OBITUARY MR. L. GUYMER Following a brief illness, the death occurred in a Goulburn hospital on Sunday of Mr. Lewis Guymer, a life long resident of the Goulburn district.  Mr. Guymer, who was in his 72nd year, was only admitted to hospital on Friday. He was the third son of the late Alfred and Hannah Guymer, late of Marulan and Adelong, early Goulburn pioneers who settled here on their arrival from Suffolk, England.  The late Mr. Lewis Guymer was born at Maxton, Goulbur...

I love this photograph of my Nan Glennie 'Marie' Stevens nee Battye with my mother in Cootamundra, New South Wales c.1947.  There is so much going on in the background, especially with the reflections in the shop windows behind them.

The NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages website is one that I have used extensively for many years.  In the Family History section it presently allows you to look up Births 1788-1912, Deaths 1788-1982 and Marriages 1788-1962 but every year another year is added to the indexes.  My New Years Day tradition is to take some time to search the new listings and see what new information I can find!  Although easy to use, the site was much better when it allowed extensive wild card searches.  They were so helpful given the spelling variations you can find due to illiteracy and accents impacting on the registration process.  It was also helpful in situations where the birth name changed, as while the name changed the registration number remained the same and you could easily find both the original and the altered index entry, which may have been a factor in limiting the wildcard option. Regardless of the changes it is still a very valuable site and I love the...

My 4th Great Grandmother Flora Sinclair (nee McRae) along with her son David Sinclair are mentioned in today's Trove Tuesday article. Flora arrived in Australia from Scotland in 1837 on board the ship Earl Durham with her husband William Sinclair and their children Peter and Margaret.  Unfortunately William died c.1852 leaving Flora a widow with a large family to support.  One interesting new fact I learned from this article was that Flora needed a translator as she didn't speak English. She had been in Australia for nineteen years and still didn't speak the language, yet the family grew and prospered under her guidance.  Flora never remarried, she died on the 10th June 1885 and is buried at North Gundagai General Cemetery with her son Peter Sinclair who died in January 1875. Source: TUESDAY, 23RD. (1856, September 26). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved August 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12987244 Trans...