The Importance of Cemeteries

One of my successful Trove finds the other day was the transcription of my 4x Great Uncle's father-in-law's headstone. But his was not the only one - over 20 headstones in Wingham Cemetery (formerly known as Bungay Cemetery) had been transcribed and published in this 1922 article. I found myself quite excited that someone in 1922 was ensuring the details were recorded. Then I read the beginning...

[Source: Last Resting Place. (1922, June 9). The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer
(NSW : 1898 - 1954), p. 6. Retrieved May 28, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166214688

Here's what it says...

"Nothing can be more instructing to a man of sensibility and feeling than a stroll through a graveyard, among the peaceful repositories of the dead. While gazing on the silent and sad mementos of mortality he learns how to appreciate his own condition, and reflect upon and sympathise with the fate of those who have departed before him. He sees, while conning over some exaggerated eulogy engraved by friendship or affection on the mouldering stone, the vanity of human exploits, and cannot but reflect that before a century will have passed away, every vestige of what lies before him will be gone, and not even a decaying particle of a monument will remain. Time will sweep relentlessly over every portion of the burial ground, and the ashes of friends and enemies, of the opulent and poor, of the proud and lowly, of the parent and child, will become mingled with the dust which enshrines them, and their resting-place will be undistinguished and unknown. 

(Compiled by E. McC. S. Hill, Fellow of the Society of Genealogists of London)— Wingham, N.S.W.

These records are being furnished to the Historical Society, Sydney, as well as to a similar body in the Old Country. In other parts of the State similar work has been done, and is still being done."

Did you love that first section as much as I did? I thought it was beautiful. Whoever wrote that deserves a medal.

An applause for the author.
[Source: Giphy]

While a lot of graves have lasted over 100 years, they do decay and can be damaged by weather and other means. Inscriptions become less visible and harder to read. It is exactly why going to cemeteries, taking photos, and transcribing details are so important. Some headstones are full of information other than the usual name and dates, such as occupation, native place and year of arrival. I do my best to contribute by transcribing headstones on Billion Graves. My favorite Australian cemetery website is the Australian Cemeteries Index. Both Billion Graves and the AusCemIndex rely on volunteers to transcribe and take photos of headstones. When I visit cemeteries, I take many photos - not just the grave I'm looking for, but of as many graves as I can.

The graves of my 3x Great Grandparents, Dr William Simpson Robinson &
Mariah Adelaide Riggs. Dresden Cemetery, Navarro County, Texas.
[Source: Personal Collection]

A snap I took while exploring Berrima Cemetery, New South Wales, in 2014.

I discovered this fallen & water filled grave at St Patrick's Cemetery, Parramatta,
New South Wales, in 2015. I wonder whose grave it is. 

Cemeteries are also important because they can tell us who lived in the area. None of my ancestors are buried near me - the closest is a four hour drive way. However, I love walking around my local cemeteries and reading the headstones. Sometimes a headstone will peak my interest and I'll do a search on Trove that night to try and find any stories about them.

And yes, I am that person who will excitedly yell out 'CEMETERY!!!' whenever I drive past one with family and friends. I've even shouted it a bit too loudly on the plane once.

So, have you been to a cemetery recently?  

Ancestor Hunting in Kempsey - Mission #2

Following on from Mission #1 of my Ancestor Hunting day in Kempsey with my Aunt in August, Mission #2 was to find the graves of my 4x Great Grandparents Silas Gill and Mercy Catt.

4x Great Grandmother Mercy Catt
[Source: Personal Collection]

4x Great Grandfather Silas Gill
[Source: Personal Collection]

Silas was born in 1806 and Mercy in 1808 - both in Beckley, Sussex, England. They married in 1826. Before arriving in New South Wales in 1837, via the Augusta Jessie, they had 5 children - Harriet, George, Mary Ann, James, and Dinah. However, only four of those children made the trip to Australia as Harriet passed away in 1830 when she was four. Silas and Mercy went on to have 7 more children in New South Wales - Sarah, Naomi, David (my ancestor), John, Miriam, Silas, and Thomas. The family eventually settled in Kempsey, although they did travel around due to Silas being a Methodist Preacher/Minister.

Silas passed away on the 10th of September, 1875, in Kempsey, New South Wales. Mercy lived for another 10 years and passed away in November, 1885 in Kempsey. They are buried in West Kempsey Cemetery. 

So, to West Kempsey Cemetery it was! 

West Kempsey Cemetery, 11 Aug 2015
[Taken by Caitie]

Kempsey Hospital in the background, 11 Aug 2015
[Taken by Caitie]

Visiting the resting place of Silas Gill and Mercy Catt for the first time, West Kempsey Cemetery, 11 Aug 2015
[Taken by Caitie]

Caitie at Mercy Catt Gill's grave

Caitie at Silas Gill's grave

Mission #2 accomplished! But we were not done yet. Stay tuned for Mission #3...

'Dear Ancestor'

I just came across this poem, Dear Ancestor, on the Twisted Twigs on Gnarled Branches Genealogy Facebook page. It was written in 1906 by Walter Butler Palmer. I loved it so much that I had to share it with all of you.

'Dear Ancestor' (1906).
Source: Twisted Twigs on Gnarled Branches Genealogy

Some Great Cemetery News.

Last June, while I was in Sydney on holidays, my Aunt & I had a cemetery day. We went to 3 different cemeteries where our ancestors are buried - Rookwood, Field of Mars & Macquarie. We hadn't had a cemetery day in quite some time, and we were very keen to speak to someone about two things we wanted to do -
1. See if it would be possible to have a headstone done for my Great Great Grandmother & Great Uncle whose grave is unmarked at Rookwood.
2. Have the death date on my Great Grandmother Elizabeth's headstone fixed at Field of Mars.

Rookwood Cemetery

My Great Great Grandmother Christian Croal & Great Uncle Adam Gow have been buried in an unmarked grave at Rookwood since Adam died in 1905 & Christian died in 1909.

Sitting at the grave of Christian Croal & Adam Gow
Rookwood Cemetery, June '13.
Image from my personal collection.

This was my second time to see their grave. The first time was in 2009 and it took us a good hour to find it. On this day, it took me 10 minutes. I have a pretty good visual memory with landmarks and whatnot.

My Aunt & I went up to the Office and spoke to someone about having a headstone done for Christian & Adam. They said to e-mail them with the details of our request which we did that night.

After not hearing anything for a few weeks, my Aunt rang them a few times, until finally, in November, we received approval to do the following 'We are able to supply you with a basic form of grave marker called a "sloper & plaque." This is an unpolished granite base with a lawn size bronze plaque with 8-10 lines of inscription.'

My Aunt didn't actually tell me any of this until the beginning of January because she forgot to forward me the e-mail, haha. But being told this in person was so much better anyway.

Now it's just a matter of deciding what we want the plaque to say. 

Field of Mars Cemetery

When I found my Great Grandmother Elizabeth's grave for the first time ever in 2009, I was a bit shocked to discover that the year of her death was incorrect. She died in 1952, but it says 1962. My Aunt & Dad do not remember my Poppa talking about his Mother's grave having a mistake on it. He was very much into family history as well, so we're not sure if he ever actually saw the headstone after it was done because he would not have let the incorrect year remain. Since then, my Aunt & I have always discussed about having it rectified. I also found her grave again within 5 minutes of being there (I really do love my awesome memory, heheh).

Grave of Elizabeth Gow, Field of Mars Cemetery, June '13
Image from my personal collection.

The Office at Field of Mars was closed, and said that it now operated under the same trust as Macquarie Cemetery so any queries were to be directed there. Well, that was quite convenient for us as that was our next stop. We were going to find some of my Poppa's cousins' graves. The Office at Macquarie Cemetery directed us to one of their onsite tombstone businesses. They were closed that day, but we went back the next day and spoke to them. That took some persistence from my Aunty as well because they couldn't find the grave so she had to go meet them out there one day. Along with the news about Christian & Adam's grave, she told me that Elizabeth's grave had now been fixed. She's hoping to go out there in the next couple of weeks to check. It's not a permanent fix, only a temporary 4-5 year thing. The only way we're going to be able to fix it permanently is if we get a completely new headstone. Because my Poppa did this one we were a bit hesitant, and are going with the temporary solution for now. In the future, if it comes down to it, we will get a new headstone for her.

A Hidden Cemetery.

Wiseman's Ferry Cemetery, NSW. 

A lone grave at the end of a pathway.

Wiseman’s Ferry Cemetery, NSW, Australia.
30 June 2013.

It was a forest, quite literally, but it was such fun to explore and it's so beautiful. Half of the cemetery really is hidden. It’s full of history and is where I saw my first convict grave. I had to climb up a very steep bushy hill to reach the grave in the photo below, however, the angle I took the photo at makes the ground look flat. It wasn't.

I was bursting with so much excitement that day. Is that weird? I just love cemeteries okay. And a hidden cemetery?! Now that's even better.

I spotted a grave up this steep hill.
Dad said 'Go on, you know you want to.'
Translation: Start moving!

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. :)

Why aren't you buried together?

While in Sydney on holidays a few weeks ago, I found the graves of my Great Great Uncle Robert William Gow, & his wife Mary Agnes Ryan. Robert was born in Scotland, and I believe Mary was from Ireland (I’m still yet to prove this though). They married in Sydney in 1886. They are both buried in Macquarie Cemetery in Sydney. I found Mary’s grave first, pictured below.

Grave of Mary Agnes Gow, Macquarie Cemetery, Sydney. June 2013.
Personal collection.

She died in 1923, in Sydney and is buried in the Catholic Section. It looks like there is plenty of room on the headstone for another inscription. I would have assumed for her husband. I began to wonder why Robert was not buried with her.

My Aunty & I then found Robert’s grave in the Presbyterian Section, buried with his & Mary’s eldest child Myrtle Gow.

Grave of Robert W. Gow & Myrtle Gow.
Macquarie Cemetery, Sydney, June 2013.
Personal collection.

Upon finding Robert’s grave, my Aunt realized why Robert & Mary are not buried together - their different religions. He was Presbyterian, she was Catholic. We hadn’t at all thought that religion would play a part in this. According to my Aunt, during the time that Robert & Mary were alive, different religions weren’t allowed to be buried together.

I don’t know much about the history of religion, but apparently it was looked down on if a Catholic & Presbyterian married. It would have made for an interesting marriage I would think. I’m very curious to find out which church they married in & by whom. Time to order their marriage certificate! I’m hoping this will also provide me with information about Mary’s possible Irish background & her parents.

I wonder if Robert & Mary knew that when they passed away they were not going to be buried together…hmm…

Tombstone Tuesday: White Church Cemetery

The Gowan/Young plot at White Church Cemetery, Blooming Grove, Texas, USA.

Buried here are my Great Great Great Great Grandparents Richard Gowan & Susan Peacock, and my Great Great Great Grandparents John Young & Matilda Gowan.

Tombstone Tuesday: James & Mary

My Great Great Grandparents, James Lewis Renfrow & Mary Frances Smith. They married in 1885, Mississippi, USA.

James L. Renfrow
Born: 18 Mar 1861, Mississippi, USA, to Lewis Renfrow & Nancy Sargent.
Died: 16 Jul 1939, Corsicana, Texas, USA.
Buried: Rose Hill Cemetery, Blooming Grove, Texas, USA.

Mary F. Smith
Born: 1861, Mississippi, USA, to Daniel Guyton Smith & Louisa Brister.
Died: 13 Dec 1955, Corsicana, Texas, USA.
Buried: Rose Hill Cemetery, Blooming Grove, Texas, USA.

Tombstone Tuesday: George & Frances

My Great Great Great Grandparents George Washington Spencer & Frances Elizabeth McWilliams. They married in 1855, in Mississippi, USA.

George W. Spencer
Born: 6 Jan 1832, Alabama, USA, to Peter Spencer & Mary Cooper.
Died: 24 May 1904, Frost, Texas, USA.
Buried: Frost Cemetery, Frost, Texas, USA.

Frances E. McWilliams
Born: 28 Aug 1837, Mississippi, USA, to Jesse McWilliams & Susannah Last.
Died: 25 Dec 1908, Frost, Texas, USA.
Buried: Frost Cemetery, Frost, Texas, USA.

Tombstone Tuesday: Julia & Jessie.

My Great Great Grandmother, Julia Latchapalee Sharp nee Spencer.

Born: 5 March 1859, Mississippi, USA to George Washington Spencer & Frances McWilliams.
Married: 1885, to Jessie Mitchell Sharp.
Died: 15 January 1940, Texas, USA.
Buried: Frost Cemetery, Frost, Texas.



My Great Great Grandfather, Jessie Mitchell Sharp.

Born: 11 Dec 1855, Texas, USA, to Jesse Euing Sharp & Mary Couch.
Married: 1885, to Julia Latchapalee Spencer.
Died: 17 Oct 1930, Corsicana, Texas, USA.
Buried: Frost Cemetery, Frost, Texas, USA.

Aunt Lottie.

"Forget me not is all I ask, one simple boon of thee, and let it be an easy task to sometimes think of me."

I love the inscription on my Great Great Aunt Lottie’s headstone.

Lottie Mabel Mackay
Born: 1894, Macksville, NSW.
Marriage: David Glyde, 1922, Bowraville, NSW.
Died: 1990, Nambucca Heads, NSW.
Buried: Bowraville Cemetery, NSW.

Bowraville Cemetery.

Bowraville Cemetery, New South Wales.
3rd January 2013.

I’m related to at least 80% of the people buried here. It’s so beautiful. I wish I could have spent longer here, but we only had about an hour.

Walter & Mary

My Great Great Grandparents Walter Thomas Dyer & Mary Ann Gore.
Bowraville Cemetery, New South Wales.

Walter Thomas Dyer
Born: 1 Jan 1842, England.
Arrived: 1849, New South Wales.
Died: 6 Aug 1911, Bowraville, NSW.

Mary Ann Gore
Born: 15 Mar 1851, Maitland, NSW.
Died: 13 Jul 1889, Bowraville, NSW.

They married 21 March 1871, NSW.

Mary died 2 years after my Great Grandfather James Albert Dyer was born. He was the youngest. He told my Nanna that his 5 older sisters helped his father raise him, along with his 3 older brothers.

Wordless Wednesday - Bowraville Cemetery.

Wordless Wednesday.

Great Uncle Claude Dyer & My Great Grandparents James Albert Dyer & Eva Florence Mackay.
Bowraville Cemetery, NSW.

Father-Daughter Genealogy Day.

3rd January 2013.

While spending a week at Coffs Harbour, NSW during the holidays, Dad & I took the chance to have a genealogy day. My Nanna grew up in Bowraville, & my Poppa in Macksville - both of which are about 90 minutes away.

Main Beach, Nambucca Heads, NSW. Jan '13.
Image from Author's personal collection.

First Stop: Nambucca Heads.
My Poppa was a lifesaver at the main beach in the 1930’s. My Dad & Aunty also remember camping & visiting one of Nanna’s Aunts there. The road down to the beach is a very very steep hill. Dad & I walked down it…and then back up!

Second Stop: Macksville.

My Poppa grew up about 10-15 minutes outside of Macksville in Gumma. His father is buried in Macksville Cemetery. Sadly, we didn’t make it to the Cemetery on that day, but it’s in my diary for our next trip. Dad & I drove out to Gumma to see where my Poppa grew up. We couldn’t find the exact place his house & the farm was, but we got pretty close. It was my first time there. I was pretty amazed at how far out it was from Macksville. In the early 1900’s, it would have been quite a journey to get to Macksville. My Poppa went to primary school in Macksville, and also went to school in Nambucca Heads I believe.

Mary Boulton Cottage, Macksville, NSW. Jan '13.
Image from Author's personal collection.

One of his longtime school friends, Mary Boulton, donated her house to the Nambucca Shire Council. It wasn't open when we went past, but it's something on the to do list for next time.



Third Stop: Bowraville.

This little town, where my Nanna grew up, is about 30 minutes North West of Macksville. In the days of my Grandparents, it would have been much longer. People in Bowraville did not travel far to marry. The same family names keep popping up in my tree. Cousins married cousins, siblings in one family married the siblings in another family. Two of my Nanna’s cousins on her Dad’s side married her Aunt & Uncle on her Mum’s side. You name it - it’s probably in my tree.

Dad & I stopped for lunch at the Coach House Inn, which is in the main street - High Street. Dad kept joking that we had Burgers in Bowraville! Lol. Then it was off to Bowraville Cemetery. I had been wanting to go there ever since I started researching my family tree in 2009. I don't think Dad had ever been there either! It’s a pretty little cemetery. I must say though, that I am related to at least 80% of the people buried there, and perhaps at least 50% of the people who still live in Bowraville.

Bowraville Cemetery, NSW. Jan '13.
Image from Author's personal collection.

I finally got to say hello for the first time to many relatives & ancestors, including my Great Grandparents, my Great Uncle, & my two Great Uncles-in-Law. It was amazing! I could have spent all day there.

Bowraville Cemetery, NSW. Jan '13.
Image from Author's personal collection.

After that, we drove off to see the property where my Nanna grew up. It’s out the back of Bowraville on a dirt road. What is that road called you ask? Dyers Loop Road. It’s named after my Great Grandfather James Albert Dyer & his family!

Dyers Loop Road, Bowraville, NSW. Jan '13.
Image from Author's personal collection.

We saw the property that my Nanna grew up on. The original house isn’t there anymore - hasn’t been for a long time. It burnt down and the owners rebuilt. What we noticed though, is that it now has a number! It did not have a number in the past. It’s a very cute sign too.

We kept driving for a while, dirt roads and all. We saw a wallaby with a joey, & we almost hit a cow. We eventually ended up in Argent’s Hill! Argent’s Hill is named after the Argent family, and yes, we are connected to them. There is nothing in Argent’s Hill except a house, an old warehouse-community-hall-type-building and an old church. There is a cemetery where more of my ancestors are buried, but we couldn’t find it. I can’t even find it on Google Maps! We turned around and made our way back to Bowraville. Dad was so delighted when the road became sealed again.

After passing through the main drag of Bowraville once more, it was time to start making our way back to Coffs Harbour. But not without a detour - Dad decided that he wanted to go to Bellingen. I’ve always wanted to go there, so, naturally, I agreed. It took about 30-45 minutes to get there. We were only there for about 15 minutes just driving around, but from what we saw, it’s very beautiful and they have done a great job at preserving the history of it. They do have the Bellingen Historical Society after all. Definitely a town I want to go back to & explore.

And with that, the Father & Daughter Genealogy Day came to an end and we headed back to Coffs Harbour with many photos & stories to share.

Wordless Wenesday.

Great Grandfather Roscoe Eugene Renfrow, Grand Saline, Texas, USA. 

Wednesday's Child.

Leonie Beth Small.
Daughter of Enid Dyer (my Great Aunt) & Leonard Small.
Born: 1952, Bowraville, NSW.
Died: 9 Sep 1954, Bellingen, NSW.
Buried: Bowraville Cemetery, NSW.

Funeral Card Friday - Christian Croal

FUNERAL CARD FRIDAY.

The funeral card for my Great Great Grandmother Christian Croal nee Alves.

She was born in 1843 in Scotland. In 1869, she married my Great Great Grandfather David Croal in Edinburgh. They arrived in Sydney, Australia with their 3 children in 1883. She died on the 31st of August 1909 and was buried the next day. She is buried in Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney with her grandson Adam Gow (1905 - 1905).