Tracing Family Branches

Eleanor Bell (nee Sneed) is my 4th Great Grandmother.  She was born in Sydney in 1820, the daughter of John Sneed and his wife Ann (formerly Puckeridge).  In 1838 she married William Bell and together they had a large family.  William died in 1885 and Eleanor in 1889, they are both buried in the North Gundagai Cemetery. Source: Family Notices. (1889, September 20). The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), p. 2. Retrieved November 8, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article123806787 Transcript: DEATH. AT the residence of her daughter, Jane Worldon, on September 8th, ELEANOR BELL.  Aged 69 years.   Mother dear, to part from you caused us pain ; But in Heaven we hope to meet again. Inserted by her loving daughters, Jane Worldon and Mary Izzard. NSW BDM Death Index 9890/1889 BELL ELEANOR WILLIAM DIED GUNDAGAI GUNDAGAI  Source: NSW BDM Death Index.  NSW ...

My 5th Great Grandmother Ann Puckeridge nee Maund is the subject of my Trove Tuesday blog this week.  After her son William's conviction in 1827 for the murder of Patrick McCooey (who had allegedly taken advantage and abused Ann while she was intoxicated) she doesn't seem to have changed the direction of her life at all. In 1829 she was caught harbouring two prisoners at her home illegally and not much effort seems to have gone into hiding their presence there. Source: POLICE INCIDENTS. (1829, February 13). The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), p. 3. Retrieved July 2, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36865952 Transcript: Ann Sneid, alias Puckeridge, was charged with harbouring two men, named George Wright and John Abbott, two prisoners of the Crown, illegally at large in her house.  On the evening of the fourth instant, Sutland, the informer, stated, that hearing some noisy fracas at the defendant's house, he was induced to go in, when seein...

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...