Topic: A Moment of Courage. My Great Uncle George Johnston (1855 – 1885) was born in Launceston, Tasmania shortly after his immigrant parents arrived from Glasgow after a rough sea vayage in the stormiest seas in the world. Nothing is known of his formative years, or why he became a seaman, the first such in… Read more

Theme: What Wasn’t Written Down This story follows directly from the previous week’s theme. Actually “it” WAS written down but has never been found. When the young Thomas Darchy was collected from his Guardian Dr. Sacc in Neuchatel in 1829 by Julius Charles Hare, ostensibly to be returned to his mother’s family in England, Hare… Read more

Topic: A Document with Personality. I have a mysterious GGGfather named Thomas Darchy, born in February 1820, who as a young boy was under the care of a guardian, a Dr. Sacc, in Neuchatel, Switzerland. Dr. Sacc in turn had been authorised by a Dr. Broadfoot, a Scottish Army doctor on half pay, apparently acting… Read more

Theme: A Spot on the Map. (I have been unable to keep up with the weekly stories.) Airth, Stirlingshire, Scotland. The name Airth comes from the Gaelic Aird meaning a height or a hill, where the original village stood. Airth was once a Royal Burgh; it is 6 miles (10 km) north of Falkirk town… Read more

Theme: Leisure Time My father Warwick Johnston (1912 – 1988), an accountant, was an enthusiastic amateur ‘ham’ radio operator, a lifelong interest probably started by his father, who loved all things technical. He most likely built a crystal radio or two in his youth. Some time after his marriage he joined the Waverley (Sydney, Australia)… Read more

Theme: A Record I Read Differently Now Perhaps I should retitle this to “A record I read differently after obtaining further information.” (!) My great great uncle Robert Wentworth Wade was the Mayor of Hokitika, NZ in 1892 to 1894, and a Councillor for several years on either side of those dates. I knew he… Read more