mtDNA - Aunt Elizabeth's Female Line

I've been in Sydney this weekend visiting my Aunt Elizabeth. This morning I asked her if she would spit in a tube for me, and she kindly agreed. Her DNA is ready to send back to Ancestry. Yay! I am really keen to see what her DNA tells me, particularly in regards to her mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA). As she is my Aunt (my Dad's sister), and not my mother, she will have different mtDNA to me. mtDNA is passed down from mother to child (men receive it but cannot pass it on). mtDNA enables you to trace your direct maternal line, ie. your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother and so forth.

My mtDNA line is my mother, her mum Nancy (my Grandma), Nancy's mum Pauline etc. Aunt Elizabeth will have my Nanna's mtDNA from her female line. It occurred to me a few minutes ago that I am actually at a brick wall here, so I thought I would introduce you all to my Aunt Elizabeth's female ancestral line.

My Nanna, Eunice Hazel Dyer, 2011.
[Source: Personal]

1. Aunt Elizabeth

2. Eunice Hazel Dyer 

My Nanna.

B: 3 May 1916, Bowraville, New South Wales (NSW), Australia
D: 4 June 2012, Sydney, NSW Australia

3. Eva Florence Mackay (Great Grandmother) 

B: 25 Jul 1888, Bowraville, NSW, Australia
D: 14 May 1976, Bowraville, NSW, Australia

2x Great Grandmother
Elizabeth Lucilla Gill
[Source: Personal]

Great Grandmother
Eva Florence Mackay, 1913
[Source: Personal]

4. Elizabeth Lucilla Gill (2x Great Grandmother)

B: 1867, Kempsey, NSW, Australia

D: 20 Sep 1905, Bowraville, NSW, Australia

5. Alice J Wright (3x Great Grandmother)

B: 1845, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
D: 17 Dec 1926, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia

3x Great Grandmother, Alice J Wright
[Source: Personal]

6. Elizabeth Graham (4x Great Grandmother) 

B: approx. 1815, England
D: 24 Dec 1895, Kempsey, NSW, Australia

Elizabeth Graham was a convict and sent to Australia in 1833 for stealing spoons when she was 18.

Who were her parents? Where in England was her family from?

I'm hoping my Aunt Elizabeth's mtDNA will give me some clues.

Have you had any success with mtDNA? Share your stories below!

Oh My, Miss Mary Prince: Part 2

Last year, I told you a story about Mary Alice Helena Prince, my 1st Cousin, 3x Removed.

Here is a brief summary -

Mary was born in 1894, Macksville, New South Wales to parents Harriett Helena Gill (1869 – 1953) and John Charles Prince (1855 – 1930). After her youngest sibling was born in 1912, she relocated to Melbourne with her parents. However, by 1930, she was back in New South Wales and living at Little Billabong Station, near Holbrook in New South Wales. She remained there until at least 1949; the last Electoral Roll I found that has her living at Little Billabong. 

Location of Little Billabong Station
[Source: Google Maps]

I had also discovered, thanks to Trove, that in 1953 Mary was suing John James McLaurin for breach of promise. John was a grazier at Little Billabong and to whom Mary was engaged for 21 years. In the end Mary was granted $1000 in damages for McLaurin's breach of promise. 

One of the many articles about the court case.
[Source: WOMAN SUES GRAZIER (1953, May 14). National Advocate (Bathurst, NSW : 1889 - 1954),
p. 4. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161659492]

At the time of writing about Mary last year, I had learned that in 1963 Mary was living in Castle Hill, Sydney, except her surname was Lawson. In 1968, she was living in Swansea, Newcastle. In both electoral rolls there was no other Lawson at her address. I had not been able to find a marriage in Victoria or New South Wales. I wondered if she really married or changed her surname for some sort of protection. The court case was very publicized in newspapers all around Australia. Mary passed away in 1971 and I was not sure where she was buried either.  

Last month, I finally got around to ordering Mary's death certificate. 

Snippet of  a transcription of Mary's death certificate ordered from NSW Family History Transcriptions

What information am I most interested in? 

Name of Spouse: Christopher Bernard Lawson. A likely explanation as to how she changed her surname to Lawson.

Age at Marriage: 60. If Mary passed away at 76 years in 1971, her approximate marriage year is 1955. 

Place of Marriage: Box Hill, Victoria. Unfortunately, the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages historical index currently has marriages until 1942, which would explain why I could not find a marriage record for Mary.

Conjugal Status: Widow. This provides the assumption that Christopher passed away before 1971.

As Mary was living in New South Wales when she passed away, I searched the New South Wales BDM Index for a potential death record for a Christopher Lawson, including other spelling variants. Conclusion: Negatory.

I searched the Victoria BDM for a death record for a Christopher Lawson and was given the following result:

Name: Christian Bernard Lawson.
Death Year: 1966
Age: 77
Place: Mont Albert, Victoria. 
Father: Frederick Lawson
Mother: Mary Catherine Lyons

I immediately ordered his death certificate to find out more.
Cause of Death: Effects of injuries received when he was struck by a motor car. 
The verdict was declared at an inquest held by the coroner. 

Where Married: Mont Albert, Victoria.
Age: Unknown
To Whom: Mary Uren
Conjugal Condition at Death: Married
Children: No

Is this him? I am not sure yet. The informant was the coroner, so perhaps he did not know the correct information about this Mary Uren? I found Christian's birth record for the year 1889, but could not find a marriage before 1942 for a Surname Lawson to a First Name Mary. 

I found two Victorian Electoral Roll records for a Christian Bernard Lawson.
1 - 1949, Scott St, Vermont. 
2 - 1963, View St, Subdivision of Surrey Hills.

In 1963, Mary is listed in the electoral rolls as living in New South Wales. Both were living on their own. Keep in mind that sometimes people forgot to update their address when they moved. 

The Victorian BDM says that marriage certificates can be applied for without identification documents if the marriage occurred more than 60 years ago, and both parties are deceased. 60 years ago was 1957, and Mary and Christian are both deceased. I wonder if the Vic BDM will be able to help me? I would love to know if this Christian is indeed the Christopher Bernard Lawson on Mary's death certificate.

Oh My, Miss Mary Prince.

On Sunday, I was reviewing the information and sources I had for Harriett Helena Gill (1869 – 1953), her husband John Charles Prince (1855 – 1930), and their children. This led me to a very interesting find, but first, some background information for you. 

Harriett is my 3x Great Aunt, being the sister of my Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth Lucilla Gill (1867 – 1905). Harriett was born in the Macleay River area of New South Wales (NSW) in 1869. In 1891, she married John Charles Prince (originally from England) in Nambucca, NSW. They had 8 children together – Christopher, Mary, Louisa, Emma, John, Hadden, Alma, & Gladness. After their youngest was born in 1912, Harriett and Charles moved to Melbourne, Victoria with all but Christopher who had moved to Queensland. Charles passed away in 1930, and Harriett in 1955. They are buried in Box Hill Cemetery, Melbourne.

Which one of Harriett’s children is the focus of today’s post? Mary! Full Name - Mary Alice Helena Prince. Mary was born in 1894 in Macksville, NSW. She originally relocated to Melbourne with her parents, and is listed as living with them in the 1924 Electoral Roll for Victoria. 

Mary Alice Helena Prince listed in the 1924 Electoral Roll
for Camberwell, Kooyong, Victoria
[Source: "Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980", Ancestry.com.au]

By 1930, Mary had moved back to New South Wales and was living at Little Billabong Station, near Holbrook and Little Billabong. She remained there until at least 1949; the last Electoral Roll I have found that has her living at Little Billabong.

Mary listed in the 1930 Electoral Roll for Holbrook, Hume, New South Wales
[Source: "Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980", Ancestry.com.au]

Map showing location of Little Billabong Station
and NSW/Victoria border
[Source: Google Maps]

I was searching Mary’s name on Trove to see if I could find anything about a marriage for her. I did not. But I found a whole lot of something else! I was amazed. I was filled with shock, confusion, laughter, and intrigue as I read article after article. Which article do I show you first? I think this one…

Oh, Mary's suing...
[Source: ENGAGED FOR 21 YEARS—FIANCEE (1953, May 13). Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW : 1911 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145490814]

In summary, Mary is suing John James McLaurin, a grazier at Little Billabong to whom she was engaged for 21 years, for breach of promise. Well, now I know why she lived at Little Billabong for so long! 

[Source: WOMAN SUES GRAZIER (1953, May 14). National Advocate (Bathurst, NSW : 1889 - 1954),
p. 4. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161659492]

But wait, there's more!

They were even questioned about their kisses!
[Source: HOLBROOK MAN SAYS HE ENDED ENGAGEMENT IN 1929 (1953, May 15). Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW : 1911 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145490204]

This title is sure to grab anyone's attention...

Oh my goodness...
[Source: Breach-Of-Promise Suit (1953, May 15). The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), , p. 4. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160484246]

So what happened? What was the result of the court hearing? Mary was granted $1000 in damages for McLaurin's breach of promise. The result even made its way into the newspaper in Western Australia...

[Source: AFTER 20 YEARS SHE WAS JILTED (1953, May 23). Mirror (Perth, WA : 1921 - 1956), , p. 6. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75729869]

And that my friends, was my Sunday night discovery. I know I know, you want to know what happened to Mary after all that kerfuffle. I'm still figuring that out too! I do know she returned to New South Wales. In 1963, she was living in Castle Hill, Sydney, except her surname was now Lawson. In 1968, she had moved to Swansea, Newcastle, NSW. In both Electoral Rolls, there is no other Lawson at her address. I have not been able to find a marriage for Mary to a surname Lawson in Victoria or New South Wales. Did she really marry? Or did she change her surname for protection of a sort? Mary passed away in 1971 in Newcastle, and I am going to order her death certificate soon to find out.

Family History Mail

Tonight, I started writing my post about the In Time & Place Conference I attended on the weekend. I was not even two sentences in, when Dad asked me to accompany him to the Thai restaurant to get dinner. We stopped by the PO Box on the way, where I was surprised to find a thick A4 yellow envelope waiting for me. As soon as I saw who it was from I could hardly contain my excitement. My cousin had sent me family history stuff! Stuff I knew I had not seen before because we talked on the phone about what documents each of us had a few weeks ago.

Me, literally. Agnes, not Edith. 

I knew as soon as I opened the package that I was not going to finish my planned blog post. Instead, I wanted to blog about one of the many things I received. There are 12 plastic sleeves, some with two pieces of paper, others with three. Basically, there is a lot for me to process!

TREASURE!

I have been going back and forth choosing what to post. I decided that as it is after 10 pm and I'm ready for sleep, to stick with something simple. Ladies and gentlemen, the first photo I have EVER seen of my 3x Great Grandfather David Gill.

L-R: Louisa Jenkins, Harriet Prince, my 3x Great Grandfather David Gill,
& baby Winifred Jenkins. Four generations. Photo taken April 1922.

I'm so happy to finally put a face with a name. David Gill and his wife Alice Wright have always intrigued me. I had seen a photo of Alice before, but not David. He was born in 1842 to Silas Gill and Mercy Catt in New South Wales. In 1864, he married Alice Wright near Kempsey. They had 11 children - Louisa, Elizabeth (my ancestor), Harriet, Caroline, William, Silas, Edith, Charlotte, Alice, Ernest and Edwin.

Then things get interesting. David passed away in Wondai, Queensland in October 1922 at the age of 80. Where did Alice pass away? Melbourne, Victoria in 1926. They went in opposite directions, literally. He went north, she went south. I have no idea if they separated or divorced. I have not been able to find any evidence supporting that. What I do have is David Gill listed in the 1919 Electoral Roll in Wondai and Alice in Melbourne. I also know that they each had other family members living near them. That might have influenced them to move. Will I ever know why David and Alice went in completely opposite directions? Who knows!

Well, I hope you enjoyed that little tangent.

A massive thank you to my cousin for sending me such wonderful documents. I'm going to have a lot of fun in the next few days.

What was the last family history document you received in the mail?

Alice & Edith.

My Great Great Great Grandmother Alice Gill nee Wright & her daughter, Edith Amy Gill, buried in Box Hill Cemetery, Melbourne, Victoria.

Grave of Alice Gill & Edith Gill, Box Hill Cemetery, VIC. 

A lovely lady on the Australian Genealogy group on Facebook sent me a few photos of their graves! YAY!

Alice’s husband David Gill is buried in Wondai, Queensland. I still have no idea as to why they went their separate directions regardless of the fact that they had family in Queensland & Victoria to stay with.

Someone in Melbourne, most likely a descendant, has been kind enough to give Alice & Edith a new headstone. :)

Opposite Directions

NEW VIDEO!

This one is about my Great Great Great Grandparents David Gill & Alice Wright, who decided to go in opposite directions…literally.

Enjoy! :)

Great Genealogy News!

Firstly, findmypast.com.au are working with the NSW State Records to digitize and publish wills from NSW from 1800 to 1952. They will hopefully be online later this year. This is super news! My Australian side of the family comes from New South Wales, and I have no idea if any of my ancestors left wills. This will be a big help! Check out the article from Gould Genealogy here.

Secondly, the Queensland Birth Death Marriage registry now allows you to purchase a certificate and download it instantly! The digital copies are $20, while a full historical certificate (posted to you in the mail) is $28. This is going to make researching Queensland ancestry much more easier & convenient. Gould Genealogy’s article about it is here.

For me, there is only one ancestor of mine who lived in Queensland - my Great Great Great Grandfather David Gill. He grew up and married in New South Wales, but for some reason, his wife Alice moved to & died in Victoria, while he moved to & died in Queensland. He died in 1922. I’d love to see if his death certificate has any clues about the separation. I went to order his death certificate moments ago, and it gave me this -

Historical Death Image unavailable? Whyy?! Oh well. I guess I’ll wait a few days and check back then. If it’s still unavailable, I’ll order the certificate as per normal.

[13/01/14 Edit: At the end of June I discovered that downloadable images of death certificates are not available for the year David Gill died. I went to the BDM Registry which is in the Brisbane CBD & purchased a copy of his death certificate.] 

The death notice of Silas Gill.

One of the death notices of my Great Great Great Great Grandfather Silas Gill, who died in Kempsey, NSW on the 10th of September, 1875. This was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 11th of September (Source: Trove). Silas was a prominent figure in the Macleay area, and he even has a monument dedicated to him. It's listed on Monument Australia.

Mercy Catt & Silas Gill.

My Great Great Great Great Grandparents Mercy Catt & Silas Gill.

Mercy Catt
Born: 1808, Beckley, Sussex, England.
Died: 1885: West Kempsey, NSW, Australia.

Silas Gill
Born: 1806, Beckley, Sussex, England.
Died: 1875, Kempsey, NSW, Australia.

They married in Beckley, England on 20 June, 1826 and arrived in New South Wales on 11 October, 1837 on the vessel “Augusta Jessie.” They had 12 children! Wowza!

Alexander & Elizabeth.

My Great Great Grandparents Alexander Mackay & Elizabeth Lucilla Gill.

Alexander Mackay
Born: 1856, Dungog, NSW.
Died: 1937, Bowraville, NSW.

Elizabeth Lucilla Gill
Born: 1867, Kempsey, NSW.
Died: 1905, Bowraville, NSW.

They married in 1885 at Nambucca, NSW. They had 6 children - the 2nd being my Great Grandmother Eva. Elizabeth died during the birth of her youngest child, her namesake, Elizabeth Lucilla Mackay.

I found this photo last week. It is the first photo I have ever seen of them together, and of Elizabeth. Just beautiful! I'm unsure whether this photo is of their wedding.