Topic: Dig A Little Deeper. There is always a little doubt about the accuracy of on-line records. Are you CERTAIN you have the correct person? It is not always practicable to order certificates. You may think the record must be correct because it is an unusual surname – but I have found otherwise. One of… Read more

Topic: Friends. Remembering that this is a Genealogical discussion: It is impossible to estimate the number of ‘friends’ I have made online – many of them distant relatives who are only too willing to exchange family information. Some are ‘mine’, some are my husband’s relatives. Many live in other countries. Some have remained correspondents for… Read more

Topic: TRAVEL. My Great Aunt Margaret Anne Hunt, always known as “Maggie” , was born on 9 Sept 1864 in Reading, Berkshire and travelled to Australia with her family in 1879. She spent much of her early years in the shadow of her big sister Fanny, the first woman to gain a Science degree in… Read more

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

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

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