Old Circumforaneous Blog

Here are all my previous blogs, mostly covering our caravanning around New Zealand and Australia and some post-caravanning adventures. The first 3 have been transferred to a new Blog heading. So have some family history stories. If I can work out how to delete these I will do so!

  • 52 Ancestors …. Week 40.

    Topic: LONGEVITY My oldest ancestor was probably Margaret Lyle, born in Glasgow on 14 October 1827 and died aged 98 in Australia. Margaret was the fourth of eight children born to surgeon Thomas Lyle and Margaret Cochrane, his cousin. As the daughter of a surgeon it could be surmised that Margaret led a comfortable early… Read more

  • 52 Ancestors – Week 39.

    The theme for this week is Surprise. DNA testing has certainly opened the door to finding more cousins. But too often after establishing a family link and exchanging a couple of emails, communication stops. But not always. My Great Grandmother Margaret Prendergast (1844-1915) arrived in Australia from Ireland as a 6 year old in 1854,… Read more

  • 52 Ancestors …. Weeks 37 and 38

    Topic for Week 37: Prosperity; Topic for Week 38: Adversity. Both Prosperity and Adversity have been major features of my Australian Darchy family – so I am combining the two weeks’ postings. My mysterious ancestor Thomas Darchy, born in 1820 in Augsburg Bavaria to English/Scottish/French/Prussian parents – the still unravelled story possibly involving a runaway… Read more

  • 52 Ancestors … Week 36

    Topic: Tradesman. My 2xG Grandfather Charles Johnston (1797-1848) was a boot and shoe maker in Glasgow. Pigot’s 1837 Directory shows him listed at 267 George Street, which is now a prestigious address in the heart of the Glasgow Business district. George died in 1848. He did not leave a will, but on 24 July 1850… Read more

  • 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 35

    Topic: Disaster. Recently I was working on my husband’s family history and discovered that not only was his great grandfather Thomas “Tom” Brown 1857-1940 a coal miner in Wingate, Durham, northern England all his life, but he was also a third generation miner. Tom lived to be 83 and rose to be a Deputy Overman… Read more

  • 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 34.

    Topic for this week: Newest Discovery I missed the deadline this week – I was trying to finish off a family history book in time for a printer’s deadline. The book is about my late husband’s family. An interesting mix of Northern Irish, Scottish lowlanders, English colaminers, South Londoners, schoolteachers, newspaper proprietors and an airforce… Read more