26 July 2010

Genealogy Conference on a Cruise

1 April 2011. Updated information is now on Genealogy Leftovers - genealogy conference on a cruise (Pacific Dawn).

24 July 2010

MUSTELL (Surname Saturday)

I don't know how accurate this is, but http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Muzzall says that MUSTELL is derived from a name of Old French origin, introduced into England after 1066. MUSTELL seems to be rather uncommon in the UK. I am researching Anne MUSTELL who married William James WEBSTER in 1845 at St. Peter's Church, Walworth, in the parish of St. Mary Newington, Surrey, England. Anne's parents were Thomas MUSTELL (gentleman, deceased by 1845) and Anne VAUGHAN. I would like to know whether Anne had any siblings, or whether there is any truth in the family legend that says 'Anne MUSTELL was a grand-daughter of Mrs FRY (celebrated Quakeress)'.

('Surname Saturday' is a theme used by 'Geneabloggers'.)

NSW certificate transcriptions are cheaper

Until 5pm AEST 26 July 2010 you can order transcriptions of NSW certificates via Marilyn Rowan for just $15 each. I have used Marilyn's service many times and I highly recommend it. If you want a certificate for family history purposes, a transcription is your best option - much cheaper than buying it from the Registry! (Unfortunately there are no transcription agents in Queensland yet.)

13 July 2010

Patents and Trademarks (52 Weeks to Better Genealogy, no.28)

Better Genealogy Challenge no.28 was essentially 'Visit your national Patent and Trademark Office web site, and also try Google Patent Search.'

The Australian Government site https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/ lets you select whether you want to search patents or trademarks. An unusual feature is the ability (in 'Customise columns/data') to drag and drop data labels to change their order in your results. You can also add or remove a label by dragging it into or out of the list of unused labels. I recommend including the label 'Agent Name', because in my search it revealed the inventor's address.

On the IPAustralia site I searched for 'Cunnamulla' (my home town) and found that in 1981 Stuart Charles BARKLA applied for a patent for a folding stock feeder.

In the Trademarks section I searched for two surnames from my mother's family, and the counts were RIENECKER=46, STEINKE=146.

In last week's challenge - using Google Scholar - I found a United States patent issued to William Stewart BENTLEY, Mooning, Cunnamulla, Queensland, Australia, for inventing an ornamental design for a bread bun.

('52 Weeks to Better Genealogy' is a series of tasks devised by Amy Coffin.)

10 July 2010

Cunnamulla in Google Scholar (52 Weeks to Better Genealogy, no.27)

Challenge no.27 was 'Explore Google Scholar, https://scholar.google.com/. It's difficult to browse the features of this tool, so bring some surnames to use in your test searches.'

Surname searches did not reveal anything very interesting, so I selected 'Articles' and ticked 'Include Patents' and 'Include citations' and looked for 'Cunnamulla' (my home town). Results ranged from 'The Role of the Church in the Rural Communities of South West Queensland' (a downloadable document) to a study guide (teacher's notes) for the film 'Cunnamulla'. The book 'Cunnamulla, a brief history of the Paroo Shire' (T.W. Blake; Paroo Shire Council, Cunnamulla, Queensland, 1979) has been cited in several articles including 'Paroo tracks: water and stock routes in arid Australia'. Other titles cited include 'The Geology of the Quilpie, Charleville, Toompine, Wyandra, Eulo and Cunnamulla'.

Using Advanced Scholar Search to add the exact phrase 'patent number', I found a United States patent issued to inventor William Stewart BENTLEY, Mooning, Cunnamulla, in 2000, for an ornamental design for a bread bun.

(52 Weeks to Better Genealogy is a series of tasks devised by Amy Coffin.)

6 July 2010

Hudson children, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, England

Hudson children's headstone, Oxbridge Lane cemetery, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, England (© Judy Webster, 2005)

In just two weeks (22 Jan - 3 Feb 1881) George and Mary HUDSON lost three young sons: Joseph Ernest (age 6), Bertie (2) and Charles Edwin (8). Joseph's death certificate says he died from 'measles and laryngitis'.

George, Mary and all but one of their surviving children emigrated to the Helidon area in Queensland, Australia, in search of a healthier climate. Their doctor doubted whether my grandmother Florence (aged five at the time) would survive the voyage. She delighted in telling this story, because she lived to be 99!

('Tombstone Tuesday' is a theme used by genealogy bloggers. See also my other posts about HUDSON.)

5 July 2010

Immigration index: cards filed incorrectly

Today I found three cards filed incorrectly in the Card Index to Immigrants compiled by Queensland State Archives:

(1) 'PECKS William' is filed among cards for PECK without an 's'.

(2) 'PICKUP William' is filed after PICKVANCE.

(3) 'PIERCE William and family' is filed among cards for PICKUP.

I have asked the Archives to fix this.

These cards (in the Public Search Room at Qld State Archives) index various 19th and 20th century immigration records that are NOT covered by the Archives' on-line indexes. See the advice on my Web site.

3 July 2010

GIBLETT (Surname Saturday)

Family stories allege that our GIBLETT family originated in France with the surname 'DE GIBLETT'. My ancestor was Richard GIBLETT (born c1751 Frome, Somerset, England). He married Sarah SHEPPARD (sometimes spelled SHEPHERD) in 1783. Children of Richard and Sarah GIBLETT were Ann (d.1787); John (woollen cloth manufacturer of Frome); Samuel; Thomas (married Isabella HOOPER); Mary (married James WEBSTER); Sarah (married George WEBSTER); Elizabeth.

Some members of this family were buried in Nunhead/Camberwell cemeteries, London. Private family letters indicate that there a connection between Richard GIBLETT of Frome and John GIBLETT who married Sarah WHITFIELD at St. Marylebone in London in 1793. Some of that family emigrated to Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia.

See also 'How I Found Sarah Sheppard's Parents'.

('Surname Saturday' is a theme used by 'Geneabloggers'.)

2 July 2010