An advanced search reveals much more about Matilda Johnston and her family.

My 3xGreat Grandmother Matilda Johnston married a Dancing teacher on 15 Nov 1803 in Edinburgh. Charles Stewart born on 07 Feb 1784 was the son of Charles Stewart and Margaret Law. 
   
It seemed Matilda mixed in fashionable circles in 1800 Edinburgh.Matilda’s father, Robert Johnston, wigmaker who is more than a humble barber by today’s terms has actually been recorded in old Edinburgh publications. 

As Matilda’s brother Henry Erskine Johnston, was a famous Shakespearean theatrical performer, much has been written about him. Thus because of this his father Robert Johnston was also included in a biographical sketch written in 1838. 

Henry Erskine Johnston

Described as a venerable personage Robert’s original occupation was a barber and wigmaker. Generally he would have trimmed or shaved beards or was employed in dressing hair and making wigs. His shop was in the High Street of Edinburgh and “was frequented due to its proximity to the Parliament House by gentlemen of the long robe” Thus he rubbed shoulders with people in high places and was entrusted with caring for the adornment of these most public people. He was described as a vintner in Matilda’s marriage certificate when she married Charles in 1803 and was known for many years to be the keeper of an oyster tavern in Shakespeare Square (Nos 4 and 10) until his death in 1826.

Charles and Matilda Johnston had the following children:

1. Robert Barclay Stewart was born on 19 Oct 1804 in Edinburgh. He died on 16 May 1885 in Edinburgh. He married Ann Ema Lilly on 31 Oct 1830 in Edinburgh (St Stephens Parish).
2. Elizabeth Stewart was born on 12 Jun 1807 in Edinburgh. She married William Charles Andrew Lindley on 04 Jun 1832 in Edinburgh.
3. Matilda Stewart was born on 08 Apr 1806 in Edinburgh. She died (probably before 1838). She married Peter Robertson Nicholls on 19 Nov 1832 in St Cuthbert’s Edinburgh.
4. Charles John George Stewart was born on 08 Jun 1817 in Edinburgh. He died in 1863 in Edinburgh.

So Charles had married into an interesting family. So too Matilda’s life with her dancing teacher husband and with four children one of whom was a music teacher sounds like it might have been filled with the spoils of the high life. 

There was a lot happening in the Johnston family. Her father’s influential position and popularity with local parliamentarians and legal folk is only part of it. In addition to her famous brother’s Shakespearean performances together with Charles social verve, her sister Sophia had married David Allan who was the Deputy Commissariat for NSW and various nephews and nieces were was off settling parts of NSW and Western Australia. This makes me believe she had a less than squalid life than some of my other Scottish relatives with social highlights such as balls, dances and theatre. Surely she had made useful connections.  see Sophia and David Allan's story -Six Degrees of Separation

Scottish Directory has Charles Stewart listed as Dancing Master in the 1805, 1809, 1810 directories at 5 Elder St and 4 James St. The Historic Music of Scotland website states that Charles Stewart was possibly the musician in Leith Wynd (Edinburgh), 1794-96, and definitely in Todrick's Wynd, 1800-01.

I was intrigued by Charles being a teacher of dancing and endeavoured to know more about this dancing master. What was the role of a dancing teacher in Victorian society?

Besides being a Dancing teacher he was a fiddler and composer.  The minuet, cotillion, reel, strathspey, and country dance were in season in Scotland around the turn of the century but sadly 50 years later it was less popular in favour of the waltz and quadrille. Initially, Stewart was assistant to Edinburgh dancing teacher, David Strange in 1802, and by the end of 1803 was described himself as Strange's successor. 

Stewart taught classes, gave an annual ball, and by 1805 advertised his 'First Book of Minuets, High Dances, Cotillions, etc, etc', as used by his late master, Mr Strange. Stewart was leader and repetiteur of Edinburgh's Theatre Royal Orchestra. Most dancing masters would have played the violin, fiddle or kit, so that they could demonstrate the steps to the dances with the music. 

Charles’ work appears in A Collection of Strathspey Reels Gigg's &c. [1799-1801?] and A Collection of Minuets, Cotillions, Allemands, High Dances, Hornpipes &c. [1805]. He also wrote “Miss Parker's Reel, a composition in A Major” for his brother in law Henry Erskine Johnston’s wife Nannette Parker. Nannette (b. 1782 in London) was an actress, dancer and singer, who married actor Henry Erskine Johnston. She was educated in Edinburgh, where her father was proprietor of the Royal Circus (where she probably danced with her mother. When she married Henry at around age 15 they were called the handsomest bride and groom 'ever seen in England.' 

Despite the attitude of the Catholic Church and to a lesser extent the Church of Scotland dance became part and parcel of Edinburgh social life.

But things were not fine for the young parents. It seems for a few years before his death Matilda had to appeal to her friends and or the public in the way someone seeks “crowd funding” or charitable benefits today.

Charles suffered ill-health from1811 and an announcement in the paper talks of a benefit ball in 1812. In a book written by John Glen (1895) he remarks: "There are some grounds for suspecting that Stewart, in 1811 or 1812, had either been bereft of his reason, or had become an imbecile, as his name dropt (sic) out of the public announcements about that time. This suspicion is strengthened by the appearance of two appeals made by his wife on behalf of his family.

“One of these appeals read: Benefit ball. On 1st March, Mrs. Charles Stewart (wife of Mr. C. Stewart, late teacher of dancing in Edinburgh) begs leave most respectfully to inform her friends and the public that the pressing necessities of a young and helpless family have again induced her humbly to solicit their countenance and support on the present occasion. “

Charles succumbed to whatever ailed him and died in 1818 aged 34.

Along comes William Strelley MD.....

As a young man William had studied Medicine in Edinburgh. William, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Strelley Esq. broke with the family tradition of Derbyshire land management, militia or mining by moving to Edinburgh. After finding out about his father’s death in 1813 he was then informed that he didn’t inherit from his father’s large estate .It is thought that he might have been provided for quite generously from his grandmother’s estate. 

Life should have smelt of roses for Matilda and perhaps it did for a time.

Matilda and William’s daughter Jemima Strelley was born in 1822. William is aged 42 and Matilda is about 37. However about this time William is a resident in the National Jail of Scotland in Edinburgh. It is a debtors’ prison. 

A newspaper article printed in 1824 reports on the hearing of an assault charge in the prison in 1822. A not so nice picture is painted of William’s character by the prosecution. At that time Matilda is having her second son to William. 

Oh poor Matilda .... Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

There is evidence from census and other documents that these two Scottish children, Jemima born 1822 and William Strelley born 1824, were born in Edinburgh. There is no parish evidence available for these births as they didn’t need to be registered. 

Perhaps they regained an element of respectability when Georgina Grace Greasley Strelley is born and christened in the Strelley family fold (Ripley) Derbyshire in 1828.

 At some point William and Matilda separated and William is next found living in Basford England in 1951with a housekeeper who he later “married” .There is no record of the marriage to Elizabeth Strelley and as Matilda is still alive until 1865 (William out- lived Matilda by two years) he is probably living out his days with his much younger “wife” in a de facto rather than bigamist relationship. In 1867 he too dies of old age at Codnor.

You have to admire Matilda, when her first husband died she still had young children and her older ones were at home and unmarried.  Along came William Strelley who may have seemed like a good catch. Three children later she is a deserted wife. 

When life gave her lemons she made lemonade. By the 1841 census she is gainfully employed earning a living as a green grocer and later in 1851 as a toy dealer. She died a couple of years before William at age 40 while living with her youngest daughter and her husband at the teacher’s residence at Blackford.

The discovery and unfolding of Matilda’s story was documented in a previous blog.Matilda’s second family

 I told her I liked the sound of her family and asked for hints. Is it divine intervention or Dr Google that throws these hints my way?  Who would have thought her father, husband, brother and sister would be documented so well (when she doesn’t even have a baptism record). Something keeps me awake at night playing a name or an idea over and over in my head. Another blog has been written about her sister’s family and I’m pursuing the WA family of Henry Erskine Johnston’s son Harley. Surely this will warrant a story in the near future. After all his father was part of the handsomest couple ever seen in England. Of course these looks must run in the DNA shame about the music!!

Research tip: Ancestry can take you only so far. Explore Trees and resources and then start looking at other sources of information. Old Parish records from Scotland's People  OPR add much information where Ancestry leaves off. (A true Scot checks Family Search and Ancestry first then pays for records on Scotlands' People). Old books which have been digitised, directories, music websites etc have been invaluable here. Newspaper articles have added to the richness of the story.
Just for good measure I googled Matilda's musical son before I published this - up came the following from a book by D Baptlie "Musical Scotland-Past and Present" 1894.

 Woo hoo!

Found! The Rowbothams of Ontario

A funny thing happened while I was researching another family in Canada. The Rowbotham family turned up. It was on the cards when you consider 3.15 million English people left England for Canada and other parts between 1903 and 1913.

Warwickshire residents, Catherine and John Rowbotham had been married in 1870 and had seven children most of whom were born in West Ham. Catherine nee Gadsby b1851 was my great-grandfather’s sister and she had looked out for Thomas after the death of her parents being next of kin to the youngest boys. Husband John b c1850 initially was working in the gun industry and then as a labourer and frame finisher in London.

John and Catherine’s children were as follows:

- Sarah Ann Rowbotham b: 1877 in Middlesex Aston, Birmingham

- Lavinia Rowbotham b: 1879 in Middlesex Birmingham, d: 1895 in West Ham

- Henry Rowbotham b: 1881 in Poplar Middlesex Birmingham, d: 1881 in Warwick

- Margaret Rowbotham b: 03 Apr 1882 in West Ham Stratford Essex

- Alfred Rowbotham b: 1889 in Stratford Essex

- George Rowbotham b: 1887 in Stratford Essex

- Arthur Rowbotham b: 22 Nov 1892 in Stratford Essex

In 1900 Catherine’s beloved husband died in West Ham Essex. Five years earlier their daughter Levinia had died age 6 and son Henry had died in infancy. Being illiterate herself Catherine had made certain the children had learned to read and write.

At the time of their father’s death the two oldest girls were married and were living with their husbands but Catherine was left as a mother of three schoolboys. This would have seen Catherine living in rather limited circumstances. Sadly though in 1904, Catherine also passed away at the young age of 48. With her oldest girls with families of their own this left her three youngest boys motherless, jobless and possibly homeless. George was 17, Alfred 15 and Arthur 12.

Perhaps it was a reaction to the harsh conditions and fierce diseases which had killed their parents and siblings or possibly it was at the behest of their mother, Catherine but the remaining siblings decided move to the “promising” colony of Canada the next year.

In my previous blog I described the growth of Ontario on the East Coast of Canada

His,mine and yours William Smith 1875 and some of the Canadian government policies for attracting immigrants. Initially I had thought that the boys might have attracted the attention of the various London charities sending young men to Canada but upon further investigation it appears they had a very rich Uncle, Thomas Rowbotham of Gilbertstone Grange who paid their fares.

The five Rowbotham children decided to settle in Belleville, Ontario .Belleville grew out of the coming of the Grand Trunk Railway. Located in Hastings county, it’s known as the “Friendly City” and is located at the  mouth of the Moira River in southern Ontario.

Why was Canada so favourable? Well it was an English colony and it had a familiar government with English speaking residents. Many British people felt they would have a better life in Canada with a healthier environment and would be more likely to get a job. After experiencing rampant poverty and over populated streets of London, Canada had plenty of land and fresh air on offer. There was the expectation that the young children would get a better education and as an added bonus the place names were similar to those at home.  

The environment was appealing compared to London. The surrounding Lake Ontario moderates temperatures during the extremes of winter and summer. The immigration diagrams show it was highly popular. Today Belleville is a busy manufacturing town home to the likes of Kelloggs and Procter and Gamble.

Immigration  to eastern Canada to 1921

One by one the Rowbotham siblings organised their passage and travelled the two week trip by steamship to their new country. The inconvenience of travel and conditions on the steamship for that couple of weeks was outweighed by the anticipation of a new home and life.   

Passengers arriving from England c1905

First to leave was Sarah who had married, was widowed and was married again to husband Samuel Stevens, a painter and decorator. Travelling with her were her sons, William Brain and Samuel, Andrew, Frank and Charles Stevens Their first daughter Lavina was born shortly after they reached Belleville, followed by Sarah, Elizabeth, Leonard, Ralph and Ruth.

Margaret who married a widower, Albert John Gregory also left in 1905. The 1901 census showed them living in Clerkenwell.  Albert was 29 years old and a metal polisher. His children from his previous marriage, Edith, Albert and Elizabeth also accompanied them. The couple had five more children in their new surroundings, Walter, Edward, Ethel Charlotte, Alfred Marshall and Clifford. The family is shown in the 1911 census living in 4 Murden St Hamilton West and Albert is shown as a tobacconist earning 400 pounds per year.

The three remaining Rowbotham siblings, George, Alfred and Albert arrived together. They sailed from Liverpool on 6 July on the “Virginian” arriving 14 days later on 20 July 1905. One piece of information that was collected from the new immigrants was their ability to read and write- the skills obviously put the Rowbothams in a good position in their new land as they appear to have been well employed in skilled rather than labouring positions.

By the 1911 census 54% of the population of Canada was of British origin 6% extra being added since 1901. Generally permanent residence was granted after a suitable immigrant resided in Canada for three years. You can see from the diagrams above that these were times of new waves of immigration coming mostly from Britain and Europe and for the most part concentrating in the Eastern provinces.  Immigration only slowed during the World Wars and around the 30s.

Alfred fell on his feet working in the building trade when he reached Belleville. Within a few years he had married a young Scottish girl, Charlotte Carnegie Grant in 1908. She had also arrived in 1905.

Their children were as follows

-Katherine Mary Rowbotham born prematurely in May1909 and dyng 5 days later.

-Alfred William Cody Rowbotham born 19/10/1910. He died 16/8/1911 of chronic indigestion and diarrhoea.

-Grace Louise Rowbotham born early1912 died shortly after birth having suffered from tuberculosis.  

Alfred is seen in the 1911 census with little Alfred and Charlotte living in 33 Fassinley St, working as a carpenter. Charlotte died on 22/10/1912 of tuberculosis. Alfred is known to have travelled back to England in 1915 and spent some time working with his Uncle Thomas Rowbotham in Birmingham who was a building contractor /developer, returning to live with brother George and family in 1922. It seems rich Uncle Thomas was developing a housing estate on the surrounding land at Gilbertstone Grange.

Some further records show Alfred travelling to the US on business but nothing further is known. Perhaps he developed many building business skills whilst on location with his uncle and followed land development opportunities in Canada.

Arthur’ s new life in Canada only lasted a few years with his premature death occurring on 12 January 1910 when he was just 17 years old. The cause was heart failure from Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

It seems George Rowbotham’s family prospered in Belleville with the family located around there for many generations. George married widow Florence Turner nee Bellis in 1906. At the time of the 1911 census (no record) we know him to be him living in Belleville, Hastings, Ontario with Florence and her daughter Martha Turner plus their children:

-Catherine Mary Rowbotham born on 02 Apr 1907. She married an Ontario man, John Wesley Cornell b 18 May 1907, son of Richard Cornell and Sarah Stapley, on 24 Nov 1925 in Belleville Hastings,West Ontario. He was born on 18 May 1907 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. A boiler stoker, he died in 1973 in Toronto. Catherine known as Kit was a stenographer prior to her marriage. They had six children. Electoral Rolls show them still living in Ontario in 1963.

-George Alfred Rowbotham born about 1908. Married Alma Weese

-Hilda Emily Rowbotham was born on 22 Sep 1909 in Belleville, Hastings, Ontario, Canada.

-Leighton Arthur Rowbotham was born on 27 Dec 1910. Leighton has been traced to the US – he changed his name to Rowe and was naturalised in 1952. He died in California in 1985. His death certificate has been accessed via internet search with correct mother’s surname. Other family trees have him dying in 1947or 1957 Is this a case of identity theft?

All the above are born in Belleville and Hilda’s birth certificate shows her father as a carpenter. Again in 1921 George was still in the building trade. By then Florence had given birth to 12 children (including Martha)

- Ernest Richard Rowbotham was born in 1912 but his life was short lived dying in Aug 1913 of bronchial pneumonia.

-Thomas Albert Rowbotham born 1913 died on 05 Jan 1920 aged 6 of childhood measles.

-Dorothy Rowbotham was born about 1915 in Belleville, Hastings, Ontario

-Victor Rowbotham was born in 1916. He appears in the 1921 census.

- Alfred "Alfie" Rowbotham was born on 8/5/1918. He died on 19 Jul 2012 in Belleville, Hastings, Ontario, Canada. He was married to Grace Wilson, daughter of Ernest Wilson and Vera Coon, for 71 years. She was born about 1920 and died on 06 Mar 2014 in London, Ontario. From his obituary we see his children as David d1994, Larry, Robert and Judy. He and Grace had  9 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Alfie was the planning manager at Stewart Warner and before he retired at Western Supplies Ltd. He served for four years overseas in England and played the trumpet in the air force band, where he played the Last Post at many funerals. In his younger years, he played hardball and hockey and enjoyed golf as he retired at the air base in Trenton. Alfred received his education at Queen Victoria Public School, Belleville Collegiate Institute, and Ontario Business College. For many years they lived next door to sister Margaret and her husband.

Alfred George Rowbotham

-Margaret (Peg) Rowbotham born in 1920. She appears in the 1921 census. She married  John Edward Ronsky and  had two children, John Edward Ted Ronsky d 2009 and Janice. Electoral rolls up to 1974 show John Snr working for Dupont and CNR and Margaret working for Stewart Warner. Margaret and John are also shown living next door to Grace and Alfie.

-Frank Rowbotham was born on 25 Feb 1921. Sadly he died on 19 Nov 1921 of marasmus Iles Colitis aged 9m.

-Stanley Rowbotham was born  at little after that.

It is possible George died in 1961 and Florence passed away in 1967.

 

Stevens' passenger listing

As mentioned before the Sarah and husband Samuel had eleven children including William Brain. On the whole it seems their family remained in Ontario. Only Elizabeth Dorothy seems to have died in infancy. Samuel was a painter, migrated as a farmer and by 1921 was a dealer. The older boys were drivers (Chauffeur and truck) while Frank and Charles were setters in the jewellery industry. They must have been reasonably well educated as the Lavina’s marriage certificate has her as a stenographer. Records seem to diminish after the 20s and it is not known what happened after that except that Lavina married an exotic looking man called Loren Frederick William Cassina and died in 1983. Charles served for a time in WW2 and may have re- married in 1965.

Sarah’s family is as follows:

-Samuel John Stevens b: Abt. 1900 in Stratford, London, England married  Pearl Dykes b: Abt. 1904, on 31 Dec 1921 in London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada. She died on 08 Feb 1928 in Hensall, Huron, Ontario, Canada. He then married Winifred Louisa Smith b: c1904 in England on 1 May 1933 in Toronto Ontario Canada. He was a driver for a living –isitially a Chauffeur and then a truck driver.

-Andrew Stevens b 1902 in Stratford London, a driver, married Ellen Belch b 1902 on 11 Nov 1922 in Toronto, York Co., Ontario; St Mathews C of E. 

-Frank Stevens b: c1903 in England  married Alvera Eda Newsonen b c1907, on 30 Jan 1925 in Toronto Ontario Canada

-Charles Stevens b c1905 in England, d: 1965 m Mary Eliza Beaton b: 13 Aug 1903 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on: 02 Aug 1927 in Bracebridge, Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. This was a short marriage she died 11 Oct 1935 in Toronto but they appear to have had a child. He died in 1965. Charles served for a time in WW2 and may have re- married in 1965.

Charles Stevens

-Lavina (Vene) Stevens b: 05 Sep 1906 in Belleville, Ontario in Mississauga, Peel Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada married  Loren Frederick William Cassina b: 04 Nov 1905 in Hamburg, Erie, New York, United States on 08 Sep 1928 in York, Ontario, Canada, He died  15 Feb 1969  and Lavina died , d: 27 Dec 1983

-Sarah Alice Stevens b14 Feb 1908 in Ontario married Norman Pirie b1906 on 13 Oct 1928 in Ontario

-Elizabeth Dorothy Stevens b12 Sep 1910 in Ontario died 30 Oct 1910 in Ontario, Canada

-Leonard Stevens b: 28 Jan 1912 in Ontario

-Ralph Stevens b: Abt. 1913 in Ontario

-Ruth Stevens b: Abt. 1918 in Ontario

-William George Brain b: 1898 in Stratford Essex married Winifred Viola Griffin b c1900 in Toronto Ontario Canada, on 26 Jan 1921 in York, Ontario, Canada

The deaths of Sarah and Samuel cannot be found

What of Margaret’s family? Margaret and Albert Gregory’s combined family totalled eight. While Albert does not appear on the census for 1921, Margaret does and  is a married head with the children. Most of the children married and these records provide a bit of information but the details after 1921 are slim. We do know that Albert died in Toronto in 1932 of carcinoma of the spine and Margaret a few years later in 1936 in Wentworth Ontario of a cerebral thrombosis. Step daughter Elizabeth was informant on her death certificate.

Photos of Margaret and Albert have been located on Ancestry Ipad App but not the corresponding tree.

Margeret and Albert Gregory

What I have found about the Gregory family is listed below:

-Walter Arthur Gregory b: 17 Oct 1905 in Hastings West, Ontario, Canada married Margaret Christina Shaefer on  30 Sep 1926 in Hamilton, Wentworth Ontario

-Edward George Gregory b: 04 Oct 1908 in Hastings, Ontario, Canada

-Ethel Charlotte Gregory b: 12 Aug 1910 in Wentworth, Ontario, Canada is known to have married John Knox MacMillan on: 21 Jun 1933 in Hamilton Wentworth Ontario. She died 10 Dec 2007 in Ontario after having two children Bruce and Muriel. From her obituary we see she was aged 97 years. Ethel was a member of Benton St. Baptist Church, Kitchener and had belonged to the mission circle. She was a loving mother of Bruce and his wife Sharon MacMillan and grandmother of  Shelley MacMillan (Peter), Kim and Jeremy King and Amy and Jamie Stecer, all of Kitchener. She was also a great grandmother of Jaden, Wyatt and Justin. Muriel her daughter and husband John had predeceased her

-Alfred (Fred) Marshall Gregory b: 29 Jul 1912 in Wentworth, Ontario, Canada Fred died in 1981 in Burlington, Ontario. A florist, he had married  Evelyn R Walmsley b1912 from  England, on: 06 Oct 1934 in St Lukes Burlington. She died in 1994. They are buried in the Woodland Cemetary , Ontario.

Fred and Evelyn 1933

-Clifford Gregory born 1917 in Ontario and is living with his mother in the 1921 census.

Of the step children:

-Edith Gregory b 16 Sep 1894 in England  married  Ambrose Mark on 6 Nov 1917 in Lindsay, Victoria Ontario. The 1921 census shows her living with husband and in laws with their 4 year old daughter Alice.

-Albert Gregory b 1895 in England appears in the 1911 census with his family and as a lodger , labourer in the 1921 census..

-Elizabeth Gregory b 1899 in England married Percy George Pappin on 21 Aug 1921.

Captioned Grandpa and Grandma Gregory -presumably the younger girl is one of Margaret and Albert's daughters

So the story of the five branches of Catherine and John’s family has been expanded and fleshed out. I’ve tried to respect privacy by minimising some details and stories. More information and records can be found on my Ancestry tree. Contact me

Hello Canadian Relatives from Aussie relatives- Thomas Gadsby Reunion 1912

In September 1912, many of the Australian arm of the Gadsby family assembled for a reunion. It was one hundred years since they had arrived in Sydney, Australia. Family researchers Leane and myself had discovered the whereabouts of Thomas’  other siblings' families but the Rowbothams were a mystery –they appeared to have fallen off the face of the earth. No they hadn’t – they had gone to Canada!  

Some of the Rowbotham's cousins and Aunt Selina- l-r Maude,Selina,AuntSelina, John, Julia Gadsby c1921 in Newtown Sydney

Who else has used Ancestry membership to connect up with long lost family? friends ?

Guilty and guilty, but such fun had it has been. 

A couple of years ago I was thinking about when  a friend of my father had died and I searched Ancestry. After a bit of sleuthing the name came up, but not only that it was his daughter who had placed a basic family tree. Lisa soon responded via the Ancestry message service and she and I were  able to share some memories.

Lisa's parents, Dom and Jan  were my brother's godparents

My dad Alf and his good friend Dom

We planned to meet up when she returned to Australia. We had shared a mutual “uncle”. Uncle John was the best friend of both of our fathers since growing up in North Sydney.  Childless and for a long time unmarried, he was often in our lives and much loved. I remember how he treated our mothers so thoughtfully, often on call for some babysitting and always a regular for dinner. Sadly John died too young followed by our parents, Alf and Marlene, Jan and Dom. We, the children lost contact. 

Lisa recently returned to reside in Australia this year. Prior to the reunion we looked for photos. Where were all our “growing up” photos? None of our parents had taken any of the weekend gatherings and holiday retreats. It was concluded that John was our family photographer and we thought of contacting his wife Nancy. 

I checked in the White Pages and then the Ryerson Index and found that Nancy had passed away only just last year. Someone might have inherited John's photos and slides of us and it was a rush to find out who had them before they were disposed of. 

Let’s try Ancestry and a bit of networking. A search found John listed in a family tree. In for a penny, in for a pound, I messaged the contact and next thing my inbox was brimming with photos -some even of my christening. Someone loved me enough to take a picture that day! 

Wow a photo of my Christening with my parents

l-r Our beloved John, Alf, Marlene, Bill, Dom, Don and Sid

There were black and white photos of John, our parents and their other friends.  It was the 50s and they were enjoying all the activities of the young and carefree. With the transition to colour there was also many photos of John surrounded by the army of children who meant so much to him back then.

The wonders of Ancestry and technology – the photos are now scanned, shared and identified. Memories have been re-lived and long forgotten photos are retrieved and cherished. I have Christening photos!

Lisa and Cathie on an outing with John

 RIP John, Alf, Marlene, Jan, Dom and Nancy. Thanks for the memories. All loved but not forgotten.

 

Reliving old memories and discovering the photos Robyn, Lisa and Paul

Genealogy  Hints : The Ryerson Index is an index of death and funeral notices published in Australian newspapers from 1803 to the present. At the very least it gives the funeral/death date together with the date of publication in the newspaper which can then be researched for further family information.

 Use the Ancestry Message service to make contact with tree owners. I have been a happy recipient of many photos and stories through making contact with ancestral relatives. Just add your email address to make it easy to receive files and photos. It's a great way to expand your family knowledge.