~ May 2007 ~  

MEETING DATES 2007

Meeting held 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10am in the Tebbutt Room, Windsor Library

INFORMATION

GRONO BOOK NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE

Following the successful Grono family reunion last weekend, the Grono family group have released their publication "John Grono 1767-1847: Our Old Colonial Neptune" by Robert Taylor for sale. Copies are selling for $35. To order a copy see the Grono family website at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gronofamily/index.htm The publication will also be available next month from the Ebenezer Church bookshop and the Hawkesbury Museum. Apparently "Two Hawkesbury Sailors" by the Grono-Books Association is also being reprinted. Advance orders are now being taken for the 2nd edition. To place an order (or information) please contact Ted Books or see the website.

WORLD WAR I SERVICE RECORDS ONLINE

As a gift to the nation, Word War I service records are all now available online.
Records of men & women who served with the Australian army during World War I are now preserved in the National Archives with 376,000 of these service records digitised. To access the records go to http://www.naa.gov.au/the_collection/gift-to-the-nation.html As the records have been very popular, and in high demand, you may experience some delay.

FOUNDATION STONES SEMINAR

Blue Mountains family history society Inc are holding a seminar on Saturday, 28th July 2007 at the Baptist Church Hall, 313 Macquarie Road, Springwood 9am-5pm. Speakers and topics include Perry McIntyre from the Irish Interest Group at SAG; Pauline Kettle, Co-ordinator of the London and Home Counties Interest Group at SAG; Pat Gordon from the Scottish Interest Group at SAG; Dr Carol Liston, Associate Professor, Historian, Irish research and female factory descendants. Registration - costs $25. Send name and address to PO Box 97, Springwood, 2777.

MARY GARDNER

Does anyone have information on Mary Gardner (wife of John Gardner) who died on 7 November 1850 aged 54 years and was buried at Wilberforce Cemetery? Mary Gardner's grave is located near the Duke Road boundary of the cemetery at some distance from the other plots. Any information appreciated. Please contact Cathy McHardy cathy@nisch.org or write PO Box 258 Kurrajong NSW 2758

MANNING WALLAMBA GENEALOGICAL FAIR 29 SEPTEMBER 2007

Presented by Manning Wallamba Family History Society Inc. is to take place at the Taree PCYC hall, Commerce Street on Saturday 29 September 2007, 10am-3pm. A range of guest speakers including Laurie Turtle, Annette Nicholson and Terry Eakin who will be discussing a variety of interesting topics surrounding the theme of "Searching for Wills & Probates". Space available. More details contact Ian MacLeod 6551-0021 manningwallambafhs1@yahoo.com.au

"How I got started on family history?" - from member John Norris

In the late 1970s my wife, Ena started to seek answers to some questions on her family lines for a wife of one of her cousins. As she gathered information I started to compile a card index for each person, then buying a family tree program for the computer to allow the entering of data.

This got me interested to try and find my own family lines. On the maternal side my mother said we came from German Jews, I have been able to trace back to Jewish lines, but as yet not back into Germany. The other side of the maternal lines one side traces back to Numney in England but my Grandfather is the missing link. Unable to locate a birth, his marriage certificate does not show his parents and his death certificate information which shows parents was supplied by his brother in law. The paternal lines at first was difficult and my father could not tell me much. When indexes became available and I started to get names that I thought belonged in the family, and I mentioned them to him, he would say "Yes" and add a little more information. I realised as I researched that my Grandfather had married late in life and his brothers and sisters had left the district.

My Great Great Grandfather arrived in 1828 as a soldier with the Royal veterans Company, and my Great Grandmother was born at Windsor and baptised in St. Matthew's. I have a convict as well as ancestors in Ireland, England and Scotland but I have to try and discover.

If you would like to submit an item for How I got started on family history? for inclusion the newsletter, send to the address below or email michelle.nichols@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au

NEW LOCAL STUDIES ITEMS

New Local Studies items now available to consult in the Local Studies Collection at Hawkesbury Central Library. To check the Library catalogue online go to http://catalogue.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/amlibweb/

George Loder and his descendants / Brayshaw & Hedley shelved RL929.290994 LOD

SURFING THE INTERNET……. SITES FOR FAMILY HISTORIANS

Members with internet access should check out the following interesting sites. The Library has free access to the internet, contact 4560 4460 for bookings at Windsor & 4578 2002 for Richmond bookings.

Freebmd http://www.freebmd.org.uk/

Free census ~ http://www.freecen.org.uk/

Free parish registers ~ http://www.freereg.org.uk/

Kent genealogy ~ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mrawson/

Popular Scottish forenames ~ http://www.rampantscotland.com/forenames/

~ Let us know of sites, that you have tried with (or without) success ~