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Saturday 30 December 2017

I'm still counting relatives…… 2017 update




Happy New Year....


A friend asked me how many hours I put in each week. I don't know and I'm not telling. But as for results I can tell you I am meeting my KPIs. My research this year has come from writing my blogs or is it vice versa writing blogs causes more research? Expanding my data base of “people in the tree” comes from more research into elusive DNA matches.



My blog has now over 80 block postings with nearly 20 this year. The big result is the 13500 hits on the blog which nearly doubles the hits up to the end of last year. So thanks for reading and sharing along with me this year.

"I can tell you I am meeting my KPIs"


This year a number of people asked about researching their own grandparents etc. Steve and I can't help ourselves when we get a chance to start on a new family. So assistance has been given to an unrelated Gadsby family, the Hoarty family of Iluka, the McKinnons of Grafton and my friend Sue’s grandfather.



I'm still identifying unnamed photographs and have labelled even more. Take a look at the blog identifying  neighbours at Park Avenue.  Do Something With The Photos




Here are a few stats….. People in my tree have increased by 1300 to 7494. Doing DNA research keeps us busy with fourth cousins or less growing up 70 to 160 in the year. Steve has 109 4th cousins on his page. There's never a dull moment on the DNA scene celebrating discoveries with others and the thrill of nutting things out with a distant and likeminded relative.
People in my tree have increased by 1300 to 7494



I'm active in a number of genealogy Facebook pages and it's amazing the insight and help people give with your Scottish, Irish or Aussie family members. People are really generous with their assistance to struggling researchers on their DNA “L” plates.



I was despairing that I might need to cross off my Johnson and Strelley lines from my tree. DNA results were not putting up much in the way of matches despite exploring lots of avenues with these relatives who have departed the UK and Scotland for Canada America, Australia New Zealand. As you have read I had a dubious paper trail back to the Strelleys and Johnstons- two families I rather like being attached to. A concentrated effort going back over old records and channeling the relatives while writing a few blogs seemed to be enough to stir up the genie angels and duly they sent me some clues.



 Anyway the clincher was a DNA match to a distant fifth cousin related to the Johnsons. If I was related to the Johnstons everyone agreed that I had to be a Strelley. But the Strelley relatives were not going to be outdone. It was sweet when a week later two matches to Strelley rellies based in British Columbia clenched that dubious paper trail and put it beyond doubt. Whatever the reasons the unmarried couples were trying to conceal their relationships or deny their children they were no match for DNA.


So out of my four grandparents Kerr, Strelley, Kelf and Gadsby only Gadsby needs confirmation.  I have this year found DNA matches that stretch far and beyond the nearest grandparents not to mention some good matches on Steve’s line. Beware, some of the brick walls still stand especially on my Huguenot and Irish lines. Watch this space.



Blog tags and online ancestry services connect me with people who are researching similar people to those in my tree. One such case was that of Violet Harrison’s great niece who wrote to me and shared stories and photos of my Mum’s long lost uncle.

Violet and Tom Gadsby


A Strelley relative wrote to me in amazement that she was reading all about the Strelley mysteries and myths she had grown up with. She had no clue how we were related but I had been researching in cahoots with her brother and cousin for years.



Others contacted me regarding the Allan story I wrote. 6 Degrees of Separation- It's a small world for David Allan and Sophia Johnston As a result we have a collection of people descended from Allan relatives each contributing their skills and knowledge towards connecting the very impressive family in Australia and beyond. One is writing a book and more blog stories are warranted for this fabulous family.



This blog is also dedicated to “cousins reunited”. A close relative match- Elizabeth R had only five names on her tree and barely enough time to digest her results. I immediately recognised the names. Her 2x great grandmother and my 2x great grandfather were brother and sister. Not only that she had previously I had previously corresponded with her long lost cousin. A swap of email addresses and cousins were you reunited between Scotland and Canada. I got photos of my grandfather’s cousin so I'm happy.
Maggie Revington Tinman and William Burbidge


A second new good news story brought tears to my eyes. After discovering earlier this year that Steve’s grandfather’s brother Archibald have not died at sea but married and had 5 daughters  (4 still living in their 80s and 90s) I was set to rewrite the Ford stories.  A week or two later a fellow contacted Steve through his DNA match he mentioned his grandfather's name Archibald. Mark comes from a second cousin DNA match with my husband. Within hours we were able to put him in touch with cousins he had never met. He didn't waste any time in gaining a passport and meeting his aunts and cousins across the pond and then didn’t waste any time travelling to southern parts of the USA to meet other cousins. Now I have more photos to rewrite the true and correct part of Archibald Ford’s story.


Archibald Ford 1956

Finally I scored a bingo when I discovered that my uncle’s step son is related to him via the Johnston (Allan) family and so I’m related to my step cousin too. This restored some of my credibility in the family. Look where the paper trail leads to...



Tip of the Year:  Next year I hope to break through the brick wall of my McLaughlin great grandmother. I received the smallest of hints from a professional genealogist- use the wild card search. When I used a very wild WILD CARD search on Scotlands’ People Yay! A small hole developed. Believe me I had tried all sorts of permutations before and for many years.  Finally, I found one mention of my grandmother (using a different name) on a census and her mother with her. At last an age and a place of birth for Mary McLaughlin.  I now love the asterisk * and use it all the time. #*** #usethewildcard



Technology Tip of the Year: I must say I love the “snipping tool”.  Just download it to your tool bar, use it to cut down screen documents, draw, highlight, edit, print and save. I use it every day. #lovingthesnippingtool



Happy New Year to all my readers, my collaborators, my Blogging buddies and my long suffering, eye rolling  relatives.

May your trees grow and your mysteries resolve.

I hope 2018 lets all your wishes come true.

Robyn xx




Sunday 24 December 2017

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2017

It's Christmas time.. the cards are sent, presents wrapped and Nanna's shortbread recipe is being pulled out for the Shortbread bakeoff.

What traditions does your family have? It's that time of year when a bunch of relatives get together to rejoice, reminisce, continue traditions and invent new ones. Hence we are having the North and South degustation and the bakeoff.  Time for old stories to be rehashed and passed onto the kids. Family history is just that - history to be remembered and passed on . It's not all about dates and certificates but people, their lives- past and present. its what makes us family.

I've already sent out our family newsletter with updates on the family history research and the DNA successes. My Christmas wishes are that some relatives will agree to take a DNA test.

I'll be on the lookout for titbits to enhance the research for sure.


From my family to yours - have a happy family time. 
Thanks for reading the blog this year- it has more than doubled its hits.

cheers 

Robyn xx





Sunday 26 November 2017

William (Bill) Strelley   9/3/1870 – 6/2/1954 Boxer, Promoter, Referee




William (Bill) Strelley 1948

These cuttings were sent to my grandmother in Sydney  (source unknown) 

It's probably the result of a long running guessing game with Bill Strelley. The truth is not only was his age a mystery in his time but also until recently a definitive  parentage.  Anyway back to William.... Bill Strelley. When I started this quest records were just being made available on Scotlands people. There are very few Strelleys and variations in the form of Stralley, Strally, Strellie and Strelly in Scotland.

With the benefit of their database and wildcard searching here’s his birth certificate.  
Birth Certificate William McHardy 1870
You will notice he is registered as William McHardy and illegitimate. His birth is 9/3/1870 at Bridgeton, Glasgow. Mystery solved as to his age but what  about the name of his father. It was suspected until just recently that his father indeed was William Strally, an army pensioner and tanner who lived with his mother Lavinia McHardy for about 30 years. During this period many children were born to Lavinia –all called McHardy and all named as illegitimate.


In the 1871 Census William is William S McHardy living with his mother (Strelley and his mother are on a separate page but same address to William Strally and his McHardy grandparents. By 1881 everyone has adopted the name Strelley and the status of a family. Over time the name Strelley was used by both Lavinia and the surviving children.

1881 census
For some reason there appears to be an impediment to the couple marrying.

Here’s a list of children attributed to be half or full siblings of William (Bill). Not many survived which is a sadness in itself for the family unit.


Janet Peoples McHardy 1/9/1862 Glasgow to 15/6/1863 (half sister)

David Skinner McHardy 11/9/1867 to 8/5/1867 to 8/5/1932 (half brother)

Thomas Gilchrest McHardy 13/1/1873 to 30/12/1874 (?)

Lavinia Strelley McHardy 29/12/1875 to 5/3/1876

Barbara Strelley McHardy 29/6/1880 to 9/9/1882

Robert Strellie McHardy 2/9/1886 to 27/8/1918


At first William(3) is a “visitor” in the household in 1871. One year after his birth. William (3) he was listed as a son to William Strelley (2) in 1881 census.

The 1890s was the start of an eventful decade, the smooth talking and handsome Strelley was winning over the ladies. By 1891 census at twenty he has left home and is working as a belt finisher. He is living in a lodging home.   During that decade Strelley fathered a number of children.

One was my grandmother Lavinia Strelley. Her mother was a pottery worker, Mary McLaughlin and Bill, now a builder’s labourer was present at her birth on 4 December 1896 and signed her birth registration. When I started this quest it was assumed Mary and Bill had married. Then I found more illegitimate children. He had also met and impregnated Ellen (Helen) Brown whose daughter Williamina Strelley was born on 10 March 97 only four months after Lavinia. A brother for Williamina -Robert Strelley was born on 8 October 1898. All of these children used both their mothers’ surnames initially but eventually assumed the surname Strelley. Even Ellen used the name Strelley.

He was a busy boy as by 1901 he's boarding with the family by the name of Short. Agnes Short the daughter of Annie is a shop assistant in the confectionary shop at Dalmarnock Road and he is a Confectionary Agent. A bit over 12 months later on 13th March 1902 Agnes and William have an illegitimate son called William (4). They do not tie the knot until 17th August 1903 under the rights of the Church of Scotland. The ever youthful William has changed his age to 27 for the marriage when he is in fact 32.


During this time he has returned to his trade as a cycle fitter but stated as a confectionary agent again on the marriage certificate. You can see why he might have changed his age but did he give the incorrect mother's name on the marriage certificate?

A lot has happened to Bill in the past few years. Besides the births of two sons and two daughters he had lost both parents. Firstly William his reputed father died 1898 of disease of the brain. He died at an old man's asylum in Glasgow. His death certificate describes him as a 70-year-old former labourer and army pensioner. The notation says "single" and Lavinia is not mentioned although her death registered by William 4 years later in 1902 has her as “married to William Strelley, Tanner deceased”.

William and Lavinia's situation by the end of their lives appears to have been quite dire. When she died of chronic nephritis (kidney disease) at the age of 50 in 1902 Lavinia Strelley (nee McHardy) was living at 40 Dale Street Glasgow. The census taken one year previously shows she lives as an inmate of a night asylum for the homeless. His household, most likely a tenement was already crowded with his own extended family. William (3) is the informant on her certificate. It is unlikely that the grandchildren would have known their grandparents.

 By the 1911 census family of three- William, Agnes and William are living alongside the Short in-laws. On the census document Strelley claims to have been married for 10 years perhaps for his son’s sake and he’s changed his profession-he’s a physical education teacher.

Energetic and athletic people do the same today. Combine a living with their passion. By this time Strelley had achieved notoriety as a champion bare knuckle boxer. These boxers shunned the regular boxers. This original form of boxing is a combat sport which involves boxing without gloves or any sort of padding. It’s accepted set of rules made it more acceptable than street fighting.  

Eventually Strelley tried his hand at conventional boxing using the “cushions” as the gloves were described. The only boxing fight I can find recorded is one on 27 April 1906. Strelley makes his unsuccessful debut at the Tivoli Theatre in Glasgow possibly against Owen Moran who was known as the “toughest and roughest” boxer with a nickname “The Fearless”. A newspaper report later in his life has him fighting Toffee (Robert) Docherty who also came from the East End of Glasgow.

However our William was an all-time champion and was legendary in Scottish boxing circles. It was his experience with boxing that he was able to set up a gym called the Scottish National Club and eventually he became a boxing promoter and was a well known and respected referee. He was responsible for bringing boxers from all over England Scotland and Wales to fight at the Scottish National Club in Bridgeton Cross and his venue was popular and well attended with healthy boxing audiences.

When his previous trainer set up in competition with him Bill lost money through date clashes and not enough attendees to go around. A story about Strelley and an eventful night in Glasgow is recalled by Burrowes in his book Benny: Life and Times of the Fighting Legend (John Burrowes 1982). It was a bare knuckle grudge match between Bill's friend and previous trainer, Geordie Atkinson and Strelley himself. So many turned up it had to be relocated to Rottenrow Amateur Athletics Club. He writes “it was no holds barred heads, knuckles, elbows... They gave it everything and the packed hall cheered them like it was a world title fight. There were no rounds or rules. They just fought and it was Strelley who had to admit defeat.”

Burrowes also describes Strelley as a referee. “When he refereed at his promotions he would lambast man on the floor if he you gave in the count if he thought they were malingering. It would go… ‘One… you better get up quick… two… you’re just swanking lying there… Three… You're just lying there to get the easy road and get your money… Four… Right you'll get one last chance… Five…’”

William’s son William was also a champion boxer winning the Amateur Boxing Association Public Schools Championship (Featherweight) in 1921. 


Bill’s wife Agnes became a well known Nurse in the East End and was well known as “Nurse Strelley”. She died in 1931.

I know that my grandmother knew her father well and spent with time with him in the gym. The wife of one of his boxing mates put her up prior to her departure for Australia. Until recently it was assumed that she had “worked out” at his gym but really that’s a bit unbecoming for a female in the 1920s. Lavinia worked in a regular job in a biscuit factory. Possibly she was employed to help at her father’s boxing promotions taking /selling tickets or other duties at the night time fights. After a recent blog where I included a photo of a young Lavinia, a relative came forward and said he recognised her photo as having been similar to one displayed in Bill’s place at Roslea St and later his son William's house. It added strength to the belief that she hung around with her father and idolized him.

A few more snippets of information have been gleaned about Strelley. He was in the ARP during World War II. He volunteered in the East End Glasgow Air Raid Precautions group. From about 1839 men were needed to enforce the blackout curtains on windows on the premises protecting the citizens of Glasgow from potential targeted bombs. They also trained in rescue work, First Aid and bomb protection. I bet Bill looked smart in his steel helmet, wellington boots and blue serge uniform as he did his nightly rounds. Rumour had it that Bill was in his 50s at this time. In fact he was in his seventies. Apparently his youthful appearance made him look much younger.

He was also a member of the 103 Union and Crown Masonic Lodge Bridgeton which met in the now demolished building in Landrassy St.

I also heard it mentioned that he was a bookmaker for the trots. I suspect some of his Sydney son in law’s relatives back in Glasgow may have kept in frequent touch!

He is always a popular figure in the boxing world. Everyone knew him and knew he was hardly ever without a cigar in his mouth. He was also said to have always worn a bowler hat -“always natty and worn with becoming poise”. As reported in a Glasgow paper on 27 November 1948 notable boxing and sporting friends contributed to a testimonial which they claimed was richly deserved. Oh to be a fly on the wall and hear his stories and to hear them still trying to guess his age. Presumably they thought he was retirement age. In fact he was 78 at the time.


Over the years he saw his younger brother , another Robert Strelley, who was a ship’s rigger marry in 1912. Robert signed up for Service in the Highland Light Infantry and as an Acting Lance Corporal he was killed in action in Flanders France. He had married a lass named Janet Bell. His two daughters died – Annie within the year of her birth in 1912 and Agnes born 1917 within a few short months of his death. Very sad. It was a rather tragic family. His half brother, David Skinner married in Mary Hammond Storrie in 1890 worked as a belt manufacturer and died in 1932.

So at his death they were still guessing his age and there was none left who might have known the truth.

This is an excerpt from a Glasgow newpaper report that he had died.

“When Billy Strelley, the grand old man of Scottish boxing died at his home at 50 Roselea Drive Dennistoun, last Saturday, he took with him a secret that not even his family shared -- his age.

For many years Billy defied anyone to tell his age until it became a talking point and almost a major mystery in boxing circles.”

The papers quoted Strelley's daughter-in-law, Mrs William Strelley

“he kept his age a closely guarded secret. He wouldn't tell a soul ..."

His death certificate reports him as 77.


Newspaper clippings of his death (source and date  unknown)



In fact he was just shy of 84.
 

Bill’s 1954 death certificate certifies him dying of Cerebral softening –senility. Both he and his father died of disease of the brain and his grandparents (William MD and Matilda) had died of old age too. Sometimes it’s a euphemism for senility. Doctors’ reports from another close member of the family describe William the Doctor’s, brother Benjamin and father Robert as “eccentric and some say insane”. Something to ponder. Is senility a Strelley trait? Perhaps knowing what we know now about sports and brain injuries we wonder if boxing was to blame.



As I mentioned previously Strelley is not that common a name in Scotland and given Scottish naming patterns it is relatively easy to piece together what became of William (McHardy) Strelley's four children and the rest of the generations up to the present day. My grandmother Lavinia has had her story documented in a previous blog.
Lavinia before she left Scotland

Williamina Strelley b 1897 married Robert Balfour MacAuley at Blythwood in 1937.  She died in 1977 aged 79. As she was 40 at her marriage she is unlikely to have had children. Her brother Robert born 1898 never married.  He enlisted in the Royal Scots in July 1918 but was discharged one month later. He died in 1970 aged 71.

His son William (4) an electrician married Jane Cranston in 1934.  The Standard in 1954 reported that he was an outstanding athlete winning the public schools championship in the annual contest in England. Dying in 1974, he is the father of William Ian (5) born 1935, Janet Allison born 1938 and Duncan born 1941. William Ian had a military life. He and his family moved to Canada around 1970.  William Ian, his son Andrew and grandchildren are following the family roots back to England with interest.
L-R (b) Duncan, Janet, William (4)
L-R (f) Ruth Flanagan , William Ian (5) Jane  Strelley nee Cranston  1962

Here’s a shot of when we met up a couple of years ago.
Myself,  William Ian and Andrew Strelley in Canada 2015

Recently Andrew mentioned that my grandmother reminded him of his cousins- I checked the tree and yes there’s few back in Glasgow. Yay ! There are more out there who could add to my story and photos. Please share. There are a few more mysteries to solve.


Now back to the question of William’s parentage.  If you have been following my recent blogs you know I’ve been seeking the definitive answer for whether William Strelley the Army pensioner was William the Boxer’s father. I’m pleased to report that the answer is YES. I took an DNA Ancestry test and I’ve found a distant cousin who matches me via Matilda Strelley nee Johnston.  Also a couple of DNA distant cousins in Canada who descend from the Strelley line in Derbyshire have matched.  This has to mean William (4), William (3), William (2) were all ancestors of William (1) MD from Derbyshire. The DNA matches the paper trail.




So in case you are wondering – yes we are related back to the Strelleys from Nottingham and Derbyshire. That’s another story to be told. For now this branch of the Strelley tree here in Glasgow is firmly intact and remains attached!  

 




Wednesday 22 November 2017

Everyone is called William  -William Strelley Shoemaker and Soldier  c1824 to 17 June 1898


Here's another William Strelley. This one I sometimes call William (2) because in recent times since 1780 there's been nine in my Strelley line and in other parts of the extended family. Believe me there's more Williams even before that time. So through the ages everyone seems to have liked the name William.

This William is my two times great grandfather and until recently I wasn't sure he was the actual culprit. However in recent weeks DNA links back through the Scottish Williams and down through the Derbyshire ones have confirmed the dubious paper trail. William (2) c 1824 was the second child to William Strelley (1) and Matilda Johnson (previously Stewart). He had two half brothers, two half sisters and two sisters, Jemima and Georgina.


William was born in the parish St Cuthbert's in Edinburgh Scotland while his father was practising as a medical doctor there. His birth does not seem to have been recorded in parish records in either Edinburgh or Derbyshire.  It is known that father, William (1) was in a spot of bother with the courts around the time of his birth. A newspaper report in May 1824 regarding a hearing for an assault case back in 1822 is disparaging of his beliefs and morality.

It is this male Strelley who carries on the Strelley name through a line of Glasgow Strelleys. Throughout the records the surname has been spelt in various ways Strelley, Strelly, Stralley and Strally probably reflecting a combination of Scottish and Derbyshire accent.


Anyway by 1841, William (1) has ‘shot through’ leaving Matilda as shown in the 1841 Census in Edinburgh with her children Jemima, Georgina and William. Young William is a shoemakers apprentice said to be aged 12.  Long before the mass production of shoes William would've sat at a little wooden stool hammering away at the leather he was shaping into shoes. His tools of trade would have been handy- a lapstone, wooden stirrup, whet board pincers and nippers. Perhaps he worked in a factory where different workers performed different tasks such as cutting the leather, sewing , joining the heels and soles etc. Shoemakers in the 19th century barely made a subsistence wage.




At  supposedly 17 years and 11 months William signed up to the Militia to 90th Regiment Light Infantry on 2 August 1845. He was there when  the 90th Regiment went to join the military conflict on the Crimean Peninsula being fought between 1853 and 1856 when it sailed to Balaklava in December 1854 and saw action in Sevastopol in the winter of 1854. The Regiment return to England in 1856 but then headed for India in February 1857 to help suppress the Indian rebellion. His record shows he was wounded  on 17 November 1857 at the Relief of Lucknow.

Finally on 26th May 1868 after receiving his fifth Good Conduct Award Private William Strelley left the military. According to the UK Royal Hospital Chelsea pensioner service soldiers records he had served abroad in Crimea for 1 year 8 months and in India for over 10 years for a total service of 23 years 267 days.  He holds five good conduct badges. He has been awarded the Crimea Medal, Clasp for Sebastopol, Turkish Medal, some Indian clasps and a long service medal. Private Strelley is discharged of his own accord in May 1868 aged 40 years 8 months. His intended place of residence after leaving the army is Glasgow.  He signs his discharge papers with an X. The papers also give a description of William.  he's 5feet 7 and 3/4 inches, fair complexion, hazel eyes and light brown hair. he has a scar on his nose and left eye.  

Since 1066 there has been a strong military tradition in the Strelley family with Knights and Sirs supporting King and country.  William continued this tradition.  If he’d have lived he could have seen this continued with his children, grand children and great grandchildren together with nephews  enter military service  during World War I and World War II and later. Unfortunately three were killed in action for their trouble. I know of no medals being handed down but perhaps there was oral history passed on by his sisters and children.

With Strelley being absent for so long overseas he had probably never seen his parents or sisters again. His mother had moved to Muckart with her daughter Georgina and husband. Matilda died in 1865 and Jemima had moved between Edinburgh and Glasgow with various teaching and guardian positions. Possibly it was her address he mentioned as his intended address when he left the army. I’m thinking that there’s a possibility William (2) may have inherited from his father (1) who had recently died in 1867. His father had continued practicing medicine in Basford England. No probate records are available so this is speculation. 



Three years later in the 1871 Census, William Strelley (2) aged 45 lives as an unmarried army pensioner with David McHardy, his wife Elizabeth and daughters Lavinia and Barbara, David Skinner (Lavinia’s son), William S McHardy (another son) aged one and a servant. They are all “visitors” at 20 Orr Street Glasgow. Lavinia works as a power loom weaver at a nearby woollen factory. The McHardys are possibly old friends from Edinburgh.

It is assumed  (until DNA proved it) William S McHardy is Strelley’s son-  William (3) although no father is listed on his birth certificate.  This is especially so as Lavinia continues to live with him for nearly 30 years. Another child is born. She’s Lavinia Strelley McHardy born 1875, born illegitimately and lives for only 3 months.


1881 census


Ten years later in the 1881 Census Strelley (2)  listed as a general labourer lives with Lavinia as his wife  together with his son William Strelley 11 (3) who has taken William’s (2)  name as well as  Bertha (now known to be Barbara Strelley McHardy) Strelley aged  nine months. Barbara’s birth is also registered as illegitimate. William and Lavinia do not have a registered marriage. There must be some impediment to their marriage. Has William or Lavinia been married previously?

 
William and Lavinia with their last son Robert in 1891

William (2) ,63  in the 1891 Census still lives with Lavinia aged 41 at 59 Dunn Street Glasgow. It seems he has made up for lost time as he and Lavinia have yet another child, Robert  (registered as Robert Strellie McHardy) aged four.  Little Barbara  has since died  in 1882. This is Lavinia’s 7th child. Four children with Strelley in their name can be attributed to a relationship with William. Two children, David Skinner and Janet People McHardy have been the subject of paternity hearings and Thomas Gilchrist McHardy born interestingly after William (3) and before Barbara are also shown as illegitimate without a father listed on both his birth or death certificate.  No wonder I was nervous about being a Strelley.

Seven years later in 1898 William (2) died of disease of the brain. His death certificate shows him as having parents William Strally and Matilda Strally m/s Johnstone. At least the paper trail is there.
William died in 1898 died in an old man's asylum


What a sad ending for a Strelley heir. He died at an old man's asylum in Glasgow. His death certificate describes him as a 70-year-old former labourer and army pensioner. The notation says "single" and Lavinia is not mentioned although her death certificate 4 years later in 1902 has her as “married to William Strelley, Tanner deceased”.

William and Lavinia's situation by the end of their lives appears to have been quite dire.

When she died of chronic nephritis (kidney disease) at the age of 50 in 1902 Lavinia Strelley (nee McHardy) was living at 40 Dale Street Glasgow. The census taken one year previously shows her as an inmate of a night asylum for the homeless. Her son William (3) is the informant on her certificate.- he would have known the full story wouldn’t he?

Perhaps as a homeless and destitute person she may have placed a dementia ridden William (2) where he could be cared for in the old man’s asylum.

So much information can be gleaned from this death certificate. Firstly disease of the brain probably means Alzheimer’s or dementia. His son William died of cerebral softening or senility. His father had died of “old age” – a euphemism? His  uncle and grandfather were said to be “quite mad” especially Robert Strelley near his time of death.

Secondly, details of his parents’ names are correctly entered given he was institutionalised. With an all round lack of marriage and church documents any clues are important. This further strengthens my paper trail and when discovered a few years back allowed the link from the Strelleys in Scotland to the Strelleys in Derbyshire. Other documents had William(1) as William M.D. which was how he was described in Jemima’s death certificate. I also have a document posted to William M.D. in Edinburgh from the family solicitor  in Derby after the death of his ‘insane” father.

Thirdly, notation as “army pensioner”  allowed for the discovery of the Military records and service in Crimea and India. Thus  accounting for his absence from the Scottish Census in 1851 and 1861 and advising of his address back in Glasgow rather than Edinburgh. All in all discovering William (2) feels like my lucky genealogy charm. So much has come from a few pieces of paper.

Thursday 2 November 2017

Are you clicking on all the buttons?



I haven't got any ANCESTRY.Com DNA circles despite some matches that should be reasonably documented. However on my home screen below the DNA circles box there are four smaller  boxes bearing the names of two couples.  Ancestry calls them “potential new ancestors who are not already in my family tree”.



Both are American with a long term American history one of which was from Kansas. They come with a little spiel about the couples derived from the trees of contributing DNA matches. One couple is John James McCann born Ireland and Eleanor Collin born Essex. They were married so my matching DNA could not have come from both of them. They lived and died in the USA in the last century and for a quarter of the one before. It tells me they had approximately 19 children. I was confused as none of my relatives had appeared to have moved to Kansas in the 1860s. My history of Kansas is limited to the Wizard of Oz. Connections were explained via lines to family circles.


As Ancestry is inclined to do this information has come and gone on my page over the past year. As Dorothy would say  "My! People come and go so quickly here! "

 I’d looked at the screens and once or twice and decided they were too far fetched, probably just a sample of what “circles” looked like.


I recently updated my tree with a possible Vince connection-Hannah Vince b 1808, my three times great grandmother and Sarah her sister my 4xgrand aunt. I wasn’t entirely convinced of their connection but hints were pointing that way. I 'synced' my tree and went to bed.

Perhaps it was serendipitous because the very next day when 86-year-old twins’ test results emerged the common surname with them was Vince and what's more their trees revealed their grandparents were McCann and Collin. Vince was also in my follow-up notes for the above hint which I hadn’t done anything about. Lo and behold Eleanor Collin was the daughter of one Sarah Vince my 3x great grandmother’s sister!  So it turns out I’m related to one of the boxes and the other by marriage only.

As many have not experienced the “value” of this Ancestry service (hint) I decided to take a few screen shots to explain. 

As we all know when you explore on Ancestry (especially via Family Tree Maker) cookies beget hints and subsequently information re Vince, Collin and McCann came thick and fast. The penny dropped. Suddenly the circles in my mysterious boxes made sense. McCann had come from Ireland via London with the Army and Collin came from Great Wakeling in Essex. They married in London, began their family and moved to Canada with the Army and then through USA to Kansas. 

Speculative family circles appear
Your matches are located

More surprisingly these previously confusing boxes seemed to have expanded with information. Suddenly there were more buttons to click. One was a  Relationship one showing how each of the people listed connected with me either indirectly or directly with DNA.  A corresponding list gave “circle” confidence and then a relationship to Eleanor Collin. Drop down information galore.


Make sure you click on the relationship boxes
Even a relation of  relation may help if they have a big tree


Well this is very revealing I'm sure the information has been updated in the months or so since I first dismissed the match as a bit far-fetched. Maybe I missed it first time round. Some say there's been an Ancestry algorithm upgrade or perhaps even an upgrade of the software and visual presentation of the information.

Maybe I understand the possibilities a little better. I wouldn't have not noticed the drop down button (I’m sure). I should have noticed the upgrades and the possible improvements.



The information spells out the tree - similar to the shared match hints



They had practically given it to me on a plate

Here’s the descendants chart for my match from my Family Tree maker program.

 The relationship chart showing how I'm related to Eleanor Collin
So from waking up the next morning and seeing the two new DNA matches I made  contact with the daughter of one of the twins  in Kansas. I guess she is  down right amazed at such a quick response to the test results and she is surprised to know that she has “cousins” albeit distant in the land down under.

It’s not uncommon for Aussie researchers to complain that there’s too many people with no trees or too many with “all American trees”.  In this case a few English facts got me there and the circles were possible due to the trees maintained by the family offspring g of Eleanor and James.

 Now that I’ve figured out the technology side of the story……. 

What was Eleanor and James’ story?

Eleanor was born 29/8/1837 in Great Wakering in Essex. She married an Irish soldier, James John McCann in 1857. He had fought in the Crimean war and was nursed back to health by Florence Nightingale before returning to London.  They married after a three week courtship.  A year later they were sent to Canada as Guard of Honour for the Crown Prince Albert. He and Eleanor decided to stay in Quebec. There they added 4 daughters and a son to their only English daughter.

In 1868 they moved to Illinois in the USA where 5 more children were born. After Illinois it was a move to Missouri and then to Kansas in 1877 where another daughter was born. From Kansas they moved to Denver and then back to Kansas in 1882.

All in all they had 12 children.    At the time of his death in 1909 James had 34 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. No doubt there is plenty more DNA in Kansas from this expansive family.  Let’s not forget I’m a very  distant relation (5th Cousin ) back to the English Vince and Cracknell family.

I take my hat off to James and Eleanor. James was well travelled with his Army adventures and after a three week courtship Eleanor was carried along in the adventure. The rest is (family) history.
Eleanor Collin McCann with her youngest born daughter Tressa (supplied by Ginger Ballard)


Saturday 23 September 2017

Look where the paper trail leads to..........


It's inevitable that delving into family trees is going to turn up some long-term connections. So many people are doing DNA tests to find a birth father or mother but how many people are able to say they are distantly related just reconnecting on the tree?

Recently I was updating my uncle on our connections to some famous early Australian settlers. They were David and Sophia Allan originally from Scotland. Sophia Allan nee Johnson was my 3x great grandmother Matilda's sister. The family of Allans were early settlers in NSW and Victoria. David was a very important Deputy Commissariat for the Colony at the time of Macquarie. David and one of the sons got a couple of large land grants in the Illawarra. I can see them from my place!
Too short for a selfie shot really

Bill, my uncle, is proud of the family history discoveries I make but is not really that interested. On this particular day I asked him how his stepson, Greg, spelt his name Allan. Was it AN or EN? He elaborated on Greg’s father and grandfather and curiosity caught me- was there a chance he was  related to our Allans? I went from there googling and Ancestry stalking the family and until I traced my step cousin and family back to the 1800s to one David Hendry Allan b 1800 Edinburgh. Lo and behold his mother and father were the same Sophia and David Allan.

I DIDN’T REALLY MEAN TO SPEND ALL AFTERNOON ON FAMILY HISTORY BUT I THINK I'VE FINALLY GOT A BINGO!

During the Macquarie era, in 1813, David arrived in the Colony with his parents & siblings having first been brought up in the British outpost of Heglioland. After returning to England and Scotland in 1819  with  his parents David Jr stayed in Edinburgh after his father’s return to Sydney and later moved to England. He married Henrietta Ann McGillivray in 1821 and had the following children :

  1. LEWIS MCGILLIVRAY ALLAN born on 07 Jan 1822 in Edinburgh.
  2. SOPHIA JOHNSTONE ALLAN born on 24 Jun 1824 in Edinburgh.
  3. ANDREW GEORGE ALLAN born on 06 Mar 1829 in Edinburgh.
  4. WILLIAM HENRY ALLAN born on 10 Apr 1831 in Edinburgh.
  5. ELIZABETH MARGARET ALLAN born 1833
  6. GEORGE ERSKINE ALLAN born about 1836 in Cumberland, England.


David Hendrie Allan’ son,  Lewis MCGillivray Allan was a mariner who ended up in NSW Australia. He married Lucy Benson in 1855 in Sydney. They had a son David Hendrie Allan (2)was born 1863 in Muswellbrook.  His son David Clive Allan had Ashton Clive Allan who had Gregory Clive Allan (my step cousin).

So Greg, besides being my step cousin is my 5th cousin 1x removed.   His sons, Alexander and Jeremy are my 5th cousins. Welcome to the family (again).

Bill and his step grandsons


Greg’s excited response was “Great to hear from you.....Wow, Wow and Wow is all I can say. That is so surreal...what a very small world it is.”

Greg and Bill nutting things out. As it turns out they are 4th cousins.

 So I rang my uncle to tell him the good news. Finally, I impressed my Uncle Bill with my research. He was quite chuffed that the boy he had so much love and admiration for had his DNA and was also his 4th cousin.

At a recent family get together Greg told his family and step sister Lyn (r) of the discovery.