Tracing Family Branches

Death Notice for my 4th Great Grandfather William Bell. Source: Family Notices. (1885, October 16). The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), p. 2. Retrieved September 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article123469246 Transcript: DEATH. ON the 7th instant at his residence Spring Flat, Gundagai, after a long illness William Bell, aged 75 years, much respected. Dearest Father how we miss thee, None but loving hearts can tell; Earth has lost thee, Heav'n had gained thee, Dearest Father fare-thee-well. NSW BDM Death Registration 10206/1885 BELL WILLIAM AGE 75 YEARS DIED GUNDDAGAI GUNDAGAI  Source: NSW BDM Death Registration. Retrieved from  http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/

Going through Trove tonight and came across another piece of my family tree jigsaw puzzle!  As mentioned previously my Worldon Bell lines cross over in interesting ways at times.  My half 3rd Great Grand Aunt Sarah Williams nee Glithero husband Charles Williams had a long term defacto relationship with my 3rd Great Grand Aunt Mary Ann Green nee Bell.  No marriage record has been found for Charles and Mary Ann, although they had at least nine children together, which seemed reasonable as they were both already legally married to other people - Charles to Sarah and Mary Ann to Michael Green.  The information below from Trove makes me wonder if they did in fact go through some form of marriage ceremony (as they clearly intended to) or if circumstances conspired against them and their plans were thwarted.  I am so happy to have some progress with the research but why do finds always lead to more questions than answers? Source: Advertising. (1871, March 28). The Sydney Morning H

Today's posting concerns the marriage of my 3rd Great Grand Aunt Mary Anne Bell and Michael Green at Trinity Church, Berrima in 1861. Source: Family Notices. (1861, June 21). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved September 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13064942 Transcript: GREEN-BELL-June 4th, at Trinity Church, Berrima, by the Rev. S.S. Hassall, Michael, third son of Mr. John Green, of Mittagong, to Mary Anne, eldest daughter of Mr. William Bell, innkeeper, of Eling Forest, near Berrima. NSW BDM Marriage Registration 1375/1861 GREEN MICHAEL BELL MARY ANN BERRIMA Source: NSW BDM Marriage Registrations. Retrieved from  http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ Source: Family Notices. (1861, June 20). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved September 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13063182 Transcript: MARRIAGES. On the 4th instant, at Trinity Church, Berrima,

I spent many happy days in the early 1980's with my nose in one of Mary Grant Bruce's Billabong Books, I had the full series and would read them over and over.  Unfortunately I lost them all when our house was flooded three years ago however, my daughter recently brought me five of the books to start me on the road to having the full series again, as she knows how much I love them.  Needless to say I have spent an enjoyable evening reading some of the articles and excerpts on Trove regarding Mary Grant Bruce and her books. Source: The Children's Chronicle. (1948, October 21). Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), p. 36. Retrieved September 24, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93211144

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. 

I recently found this Death Notice for my 5th Great Grandmother Mary Rhall (nee Cassidy) at Trove . Interesting new information from the notice is that her middle name was Catherine. Source: Family Notices. (1866, April 21). Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1932), p. 248. Retrieved September 19, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115452333 Transcript: DEATH.  On 1st March, at her daughter's residence, Coolac, near Gundagai, Mary Catherine, relict of the late Christopher Rhall, of Bong Bong, aged 70 years, and a native of Longford, Ireland, May she rest in peace. NSW BDM Death Registration 4385/1866 RHALL MARY ALLAN CATHERINE GUNDAGAI  Source: Death Registration for Mary Rhall. Retrieved from  http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ NSW BDM Death Certificate for Mary Rhall

The Metropolitan Cemeteries Board website from Western Australia is another that I have found beneficial to my research.  Easy to navigate and use it is a valuable site for researchers looking for information in this area. Source: Metropolitan Cemeteries Board.  Retrieved from  http://www.mcb.wa.gov.au/ResearchAndGenealogy/Search.aspx

I recently came across this article on Trove while doing some research on my Great Great Grandparents James Baker Worldon and his wife Flora Ann (nee McDonnell) and automatically thought I have to use this for a Trove Tuesday post.  As far as reasons go for not paying maintenance it is quite an interesting one! Source: Gold ! Gold. (1929, September 17). The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), p. 2. Retrieved September 10, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122747475 Transcript: Gold! Gold!  He'd found it ; Nearly! Feverishly Jas. Worldon searched for gold at Gundagai on Thursday, and every few minutes he cast a hurried glance over his shoulder.   He knew where gold was  He was on the track of it at last  All he needed was time.  Would they give him time? According to the story he told the Judge in Divorce on Friday he was on the point of finding the gold, when sheriff's officers intervened

Today's obituary is for Mary Pierse nee Quirk who is my 3rd Great Grandmother.  Born c.1840 in County Tipperary, Ireland she was left behind with her Grandmother in Ireland when her parents Michael Quirk and his wife Honorah nee Costello immigrated to Australia in 1841.  In 1858, Mary along with her Grandmother Ann Costello, Uncle John Costello and Aunt Ann Costello, arrived in Australia on board the ship Peter Maxwell .  On the 25th May 1863 at the Tumut Catholic Church Mary married John Pierse, an Irishman from County Kerry, Ireland and together they had fourteen children.  John died in 1921 and Mary on 24th December 1924, she was buried at Wagragobilly Cemetery on Christmas Day 1924. Source: OBITUARY. (1925, January 2). The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), p. 2. Retrieved September 8, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121768348 Transcript: OBITUARY. Mrs. Mary Pierse, Sen. The death occurred

This weeks article reports on an unusual occurrence witnessed by my 3rd Great Grandfather James Worldon. Source: "HE IS NOT DEAD!". (1925, October 12). The Gundagai Independent and Pastoral, Agricultural & Mining Advocate (NSW : 1898 - 1928), p. 2. Retrieved September 3, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121741418 Transcript: "HE IS NOT DEAD!" Woman Attempts to Dig Up a Corpse. The gravedigger rubbed his eyes!  Then he pinched himself to see if he was awake. It was shortly after daylight on Friday morning that the local gravedigger, Mr. J. Worldon went to the R.C. cemetery, North Gundagai to put down a grave. Digging frantically in a grave in the cemetery, he saw a woman in the cemetery clad only in a kimina.  She was waistdeep in the grave, and was shovelling out the earth in a manner that was astonishing. Mr Worldon recognised the woman as the widow of a man who died suddenly at Gundagai a week previously and he endea