Genealogy Roadshow: Researching Abroad, Day 2

Wednesday, August 9, was day two of Unlock The Past's Genealogy Roadshow - Researching Abroad: Finding European and British Isles Ancestors. Day two was all about researching European Ancestors with German genealogist Dirk Weissleder taking the lead.

Dirk's talks focused on primary and secondary sources in Germany, researching European ancestors in general, and Archives, Libraries and Genealogical services in Germany. I have not discovered any European ancestors in my family thus far, so I have not had to do any research using European records. However, I recently started doing my best friend's family tree, and he's got a few German ancestors. I thought it would be great to listen to Dirk's talks and figure out what on earth I'm doing with European records. Even if I wasn't doing my friend's family tree, I definitely would still have gone. Regardless of whether you have ancestors from the area or not, I think it is always great to go to seminars because you never know what you might learn.

Genealoot [Source: Personal photo]

I walked in having very basic knowledge of German history, and at level zilch with European genealogy. I walked out with a significantly improved understanding of both.

Did you know that Germany has states? I did not! I always thought it was a country that was one big country, with no states - just hundreds of towns and suburbs. Dirk really stressed the fact that when you are researching German ancestors, or any European ancestors for that matter, you need to know what you are searching, where and when. Are you researching in the former east or former west Germany? Before 1871, there was no Germany - it was made up of different kingdoms. Currently, Germany has 16 different states. But was the town you are researching, in the same state 50 years ago?

These are a few things Dirk mentioned that we should be thinking about, and can easily be applied when researching ancestors in other countries - the place of interest, most recent knowledge on an area, churches/archives in the area, what information is already accessible, local societies, experts and translators, cemeteries, and the social life in the area.

There was something that Dirk mentioned which I thought was important, and that is we need to Think Geneaglobally.

Think Geneaglobally
[Source: GIPHY]

My good friend Helen Smith also took to the stage and talked about DNA and the benefits it has for genealogy. I did an AncestryDNA test in 2015, and I am still learning how it all works. Each time I listen to a DNA talk, it sinks in a little bit more.

All in all it was a wonderful two days full of learning and socializing with my geneafriends. Thanks Unlock The Past for putting on an awesome Roadshow. It is hard to believe it is now over - the team deserves a sleep in! 

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As an Ambassador for the event, Unlock The Past kindly gave me free entry.  All opinions are my own.

Genealogy Roadshow: Researching Abroad, Day 1

On Tuesday, Unlock The Past's Genealogy Roadshow - Researching Abroad: Finding European and British Isles Ancestors - began in Brisbane.

Tuesday was British Isles day with Scottish genealogist Chris Paton giving four talks about researching ancestors from that area. As a majority of my ancestors came from England, Scotland, and quite possibly Ireland, I was eager to hear Chris' talks and pick up some new tips. I have been stuck at a Scottish brick wall for a while now...

Click the image for more information

Chris' talks were on British and Irish Newspapers, Scottish research resources before 1800, Irish family history resources online, and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching ancestral crisis. I was most eager for the Scottish resources before 1800, and boy did I learn a lot! I have a long list of websites to check and indexes to search. I feel more confident in understanding Scottish land records too. I also learned that not everything was bequeathed in a Will! I have my Great Great Grandfather William Gow's Will. He died in Scotland in 1874. I will be reading that again with a different mindset. In the final talk, I learned that 'illegitimate' was noted on birth records from about 1855 - 1918. My 2x Great Aunt Jeannie Gow had four illegitimate children (with three different men I believe) between 1889 and 1910.

One of the overarching points of the day was that if you are struggling to breakdown a brick wall and go through it, you might have to go around it...

What we wish we could do. Instead, our ancestors make it
more challenging (and fun!) by sending us on a roundabout.

Aside from the educational aspect, it was great to catch up with my awesome geneamates and meet some new ones. A bunch of us had dinner on Tuesday night and it was wonderful to catch up with Chris. If you have British Isles ancestors and you've got a chance to hear Chris speak - do so! You will learn a lot. Trust me.

Stay tuned for my report on Day 2.

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As an Ambassador for the event, Unlock The Past kindly gave me free entry.  All opinions are my own.

Getting Excited for the Genealogy Roadshow

I'm excited.

Why?

It's August, which is National Family History Month.

It's August, which means Unlock The Past's Genealogy Roadshow - Researching Abroad: Finding European and British Isles Ancestors - is about to begin! Woohoo!

Two leading international genealogists Chris Paton and Dirk Weissleder are coming down under for a few weeks, visiting most major capitals to talk genealogy.

Click the image for more information.

The roadshow kicks off in Brisbane on the 8th and 9th of August - this coming Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, Chris will be talking about Scottish and Irish research, and on Wednesday, Dirk will be talking all things German genealogy. Before my ancestors ended up in Australia and the USA, they were predominantly from Scotland, so I am very keen to hear Chris' talks. I am also curious to hear what Dirk has to say about using German records. I do not have any European ancestors...that I know of...but I have started looking into one of my best friend's family history, and he has a few German ancestors. I need all the help and advice I can get. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to German records.

I am looking forward to meeting Dirk, and it will be great to catch up with Chris who I met at  a previous Unlock The Past event in 2014.

Me & Chris Paton, February 2014.

As with every genealogy event, I cannot wait to catch up with my friends and meet some new ones. I wonder if there will be a dinner on Tuesday night?

Click here for more information on the Brisbane event.

Click here to find out when the roadshow is coming to a major capital near you.

Excited!

I will be live-tweeting as much as possible (@caitieamanda) so make sure to follow me on Twitter to stay up to date with all the news from the event.

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As an Ambassador for the event, Unlock The Past are kindly giving me free entry. 

August 31

August 31, 1905

My Great Uncle Adam Gow was buried. He was born on August 28, 1905 in Sydney to my Great Grandparents William Gow and Elizabeth Croal. Adam passed away on August 29, 1905. He lived for 24 hours. He is buried at Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney. 

Death Certificate of Adam Gow
[Source: Personal Collection]

August 31, 1909

My Great Great Grandmother Christian Croal (nee Alves) passed away. She was Adam's Grandmother. Christian was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1842. In 1869 she married David Croal. They had 4 children - Alexander, Margaret, Elizabeth and David. The family arrived in Sydney in 1883 on the ship Iberia. Christian was buried on September 1st, 1909 and is buried in Rookwood Cemetery with Adam. 

Death Certificate of Christian Croal (Alves)
[Source: Personal Collection]

Grave of Christian Croal & Adam Gow, Rookwood
Cemetery, Sydney. There is no headstone. Taken July 2013.

August 31, 2003.

My Poppa, William David Drummond Gow passed away at the age of 93. He was Adam's brother. Poppa was born on February 2, 1910 in Sydney. He never got to know his grandmother Christian, nor his brother. My Poppa passed away when I was 12 - well before I was interested in genealogy. At the time, we did not know that he passed away on the same day as his Grandmother, and the day his only sibling was buried. It was only when I started researching the family history in 2009, that we discovered the significance of this date.   

My Poppa during World War 2.
[Source: Personal Collection]

Every year, every August 31, I think about the wonderful memories I have with Poppa. I think about Christian and her life that involved moving to a new country and losing a husband to suicide. I think about baby Adam, the brother and sibling my Poppa never got to have. 

They are forever loved.

Grandma's Wedding Scrapbook

My Mum returned from a month's holiday in Texas last week. She had a wonderful time visiting her family who she hadn't seen in a few years. There were two things I requested she bring back - Texas Trash, and stuff from Bath & Body Works (please open a store here!). However, there was one gift from my Uncle that I wasn't expecting - my Grandma's wedding scrapbook. I was over the moon! I still am.

If you have been following me for a while, you might remember that my Grandma passed away before I was born. My Grandma was also how I caught the genealogy bug. Genealogy has become my connection to her - if that makes sense? Until recently, I had only seen a handful of photos of her. I also have letters that she wrote to my Grandfather's parents in the 1960s, a gorgeous pink vase, and a ring. To add my Grandma's wedding scrapbook to the collection is amazing. All of these things I will treasure forever.

Grandma, Nancy Robinson
Born: 3 Dec 1932, Texas, USA
Died: May 1980, New Mexico, USA
[Source: Personal Collection]

Before I move on, here's a link to the letter I wrote her on her birthday last year.

My Grandparents married in Texas on September 14, 1950, so the scrapbook is quite old. My Mum and I need to figure out the best way to preserve it. I plan on doing all the usual things - photographing each page, transcribing all the articles and descriptions, and scanning it. I would love to hear any other suggestions out there.

Here are a few photos I took during my excitement the other day.

A napkin from the reception!

I cannot thank my Uncle enough for passing this down to me! 

Definitely true!

The Gow Siblings: Isabella Gow

Isabella Gow, my Great Great Aunt, was born on April 9, 1859 in Cairn Farm, Muthill, Perthshire, Scotland. She was the third child of William Gow and Jean Drummond (her older siblings being John & Robert). Isabella lived on the family farm until she was 18 and married John Reddoch on January 22, 1878.

Isabella Gow, 1869, Scotland
[Source: Personal Collection]

Isabella & John lived in Kinross at a house called Tullibardine. I forget if John built it for her or if he bought it. I think that information is written down in a letter my Aunt has. I have often searched for information on Tullibardine House such as where it was in Kinross, but have not been able to find anything solid.

Isabella & John had 9 children together -

1. Jean Drummond Reddoch, born 1879, Govan
2. John Drummond Gow Reddoch, born 1880, Muthill
3. William Gow Reddoch, born 1881, Dalginross
4. Robert William Reddoch, born 1883, Ardoch
5. Isabella Gow Reddoch, born 1885, Ardoch
6. Helen Christie Reddoch, born 1887, Ardoch
7. Charles Gow Reddoch, born 1889, Ardoch
8. Jessie Gow Reddoch, born 1892, Orwell
9. James Gow Reddoch, born 1895, Kinross

As you can see, most of the children were given either Gow or Drummond for their middle name. There were two more children, however both were stillborn. 

Isabella died on October 13, 1897 at Tullibardine House at the very young age of 38, as a result of complications during childbirth in which the child was stillborn - the second of the two. I do not know where she is buried, but in some family history information that a distant cousin wrote, apparently the two stillborn children she had are mentioned on her gravestone.

Siblings John & Isabella Gow with Mrs Lawson, 1862.
I have no idea who Mrs Lawson is.
[Source: Personal Collection]

My Response to a Geneameme!

This Geneameme was created by Jill at Geniaus. What a great way to end National Family History Month for 2013! It’s been fun y’all!

1. What are the titles and URLs of your genealogy blog/s?

My genealogy blog is called Genealogically Speaking.  

2. Do you have a wonderful “Cousin Bait” blog story? A link to a previous blog post might answer this question.

In July, someone contacted me after seeing a post about my Great Great Great Grandparents Daniel Guyton Smith & Louisa Clementine Brister. She googled their names and my post came up. Turns out she’s also a descendant! Woo! Now we talk via twitter, e-mail and Facebook! :-D

3. Why did you start blogging? Is there someone who inspired you to start blogging?

I’m Gen Y, and growing up I have always had various personal blogs especially when I was in high school. I’ve had my personal Tumblr since 2009ish. Last year I just randomly decided I wanted to blog about my genealogy too. 

4. How did you decide on your blog/s title/s?

I knew I wanted it to have genealogy somewhere in the title, but I also wanted it to be clever & different. I was going back and forth with my boyfriend & in my head tossing up ideas. Somehow I thought of Genealogically Speaking & I absolutely love it!

5. Do you ever blog from mobile devices? What are they?

I’m yet to blog on Genealogically Speaking from a mobile device, but I probably will as I’ve recently acquired a new phone, a Samsung Note 2. The note taking facility on it is wicked, and I’ve also created a genealogy section on my phone.

6. How do you let others know when you have published a new post?

My twitter, and now more recently, my Facebook page.

7. How long have you been blogging?

I’ve been genealogy blogging since Nov 26, 2012.

8. What widgets or elements do you consider essential on a genealogy blog?

Definitely the tag function! It allows you to see any posts with that tag - a great way for discovering new blogs to follow.

9. What is the purpose of your blog/s? Who is your intended audience?

The purpose of my blog is to document & talk about my personal genealogy, and anything genealogy related that I find interesting! Intended audience – anyone that’s interested!

10. Which of your posts are you particularly proud of?

Hmm! There’s a photo I posted of my Great Great Great Great Grandparents graves that’s attracted a bit of attention, which was very surprising. 

But I really love the post I did about the Father/Daughter genealogy day I had with my Dad earlier this year. 

11. How do you keep up with your blog reading?

I’m a bit on the slow side with my blog reading especially when I’m really busy at Uni, but I’ve added the blogs I read a lot to my favorites. This new Paper.Li thing is really cool too!

12. What platform do you use for publishing your blog/s?

Tumblr. I did create a WordPress, but I found it too confusing, lol. 
[7 Feb '14 Edit: Now using Blogger!]

13. What new features would you like to see in your blogging software?

I’m actually not sure!

14. Which of your posts has been the most popular with readers?

The one I mentioned above – the photo of my Great Great Great Great Grandparents graves.

15. Are you a sole blogger or do you contribute to a shared blog?

Sole blogger, though I’d love to contribute to a shared blog one day!

16. How do you compose your blog posts?

If it’s a long one, I’ll write it in Word first, and then copy & paste, and add the pictures etc. Otherwise, I’ll create it straight from Tumblr.

17. Do you have any blogs that are not genealogy related? If you wish please share their titles and URLs.

I do have my personal blog, but as it is more geared toward my generation, I will keep it to myself for now ;)

18. Have you listed your blog/s at Geneabloggers?

Sure have!

19. Which resources have helped you with your blogging?

Geneabloggers definitely! They’re amazing. And of course those who read my blog, and share it on twitter – y’all rock! I just love being part of the genealogy blogging community! Oh, and I can’t forget the NextGen Genealogy Network. Their support is wonderful too!

20. What advice would you give to a new Geneablogger?

Definitely find a platform you feel comfortable using. You don’t have to be all fancy schmancy, and you don’t want to use anything too challenging – at least not straight away! Find your feet, just start blogging, and have fun!

I’m hoping that over the coming years, I can influence more young people into the world of genealogy! You’re never too young to start :)

An Assumption Confirmed...

In my video about my Great Great Grandfather David Croal, I assumed that he had been buried at sea after committing suicide by jumping off a ship, whilst he was travelling from Sydney to New Zealand.

A distant Croal cousin of mine has just found another newspaper article about David’s death, and according to the last sentence, he was buried at sea the day he died, the 13th of May, 1893.

Source: Papers Past

Video: Why I Love Genealogy.

NEW VIDEO! 

I didn’t have topic planned, so I talked about why I love genealogy, how I caught the gene bug, and mentioned a few other things :)

Sympathy Sunday: Christian Croal

The death & funeral notices of my Great Great Grandmother Christian Croal nee Alves, who died on the 31st of August, 1909, in Sydney, NSW. They were published in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 1st of September, 1909. Christian was the wife of David Croal, the subject of my latest video.

Source: Trove

Video: David Croal.

NEW VIDEO! 

The story of my Great Great Grandfather David Croal. His life ended in a very sad way.

Exciting & slightly stressed times.

I am super busy at the moment with Uni & I’m also the Treasurer for a Student Society at Uni which I’m also busy with at the moment. I’ve got 2 assignments due in 2 weeks on the same day (ugh!), so I’m a liiiittle bit stressed.

I would hopefully like to have a new video up on Sunday morning. I’ve been dabbling away at genealogy every now & then this week…probably more than I should be, but it’s National Family History Month, so I have good reason for it! Hehe.

The exciting news I have though, is ScotlandsPeople would like me to e-mail them my article on how I solved the 100 year mystery about my Great Great Aunt Jeannie Gow, so they can publish it on their website and/or in their newsletter!!!! WOO!!! I seriously hope they do publish it. That would be amazing!

Those of you who are interested in my article, it is here. I do need to edit & jazz it up a bit though.

I hope you are all having a wonderful National Family History Month where ever you are! :)

National Family History Month, 2013.

On August 1st, I went to the launch of National Family History Month at the National Archives of Australia, Brisbane Office. My video about it is HERE. If you would like to read Shauna Hicks’ speech & blog about it, go here. Shauna mentioned me in her speech, and said I was the first person to talk about National Family History Month on YouTube! Woo! She also said I’m pretty much the face of young people & genealogy in Australia. ^_^

31 Genealogical Activities to do in August!

Shauna Hicks, the co-ordinator of NFHM13, has come up with 31 things for societies & individuals to do in August.

31 Genealogical Activities to do in August!

First Genealogy Video!

My first official video about my genealogy is up! Sorry it took so long :)

You can watch it HERE.

Next month (August), is National Family History Month in Australia & New Zealand.
Check out the website here to find out what events are going on in your area. You should also go like their Facebook page here.

I’ve been invited to the Brisbane launch of National Family History Month next Thursday! So excited, and very grateful to have this opportunity!

A little update.

I just received an official invitation to the Brisbane launch of National Family History Month in August. It used to be a week, but for the first time, they are trialing it this year as a month. A whole month of genealogy & family history events! I’m so keen! Now that uni is over for the semester, I’m about to dive back into genealogy! Making so many videos soon. This passion & love of mine is bringing me so many opportunities I never thought possible. I’m so happy! I’m going to Sydney on Saturday to spend a week or so with my Aunt. We have so much genealogy to do! A lot of cemeteries and sorting out tombstones. I’m so excited! :D