Jul 122015
 

Today I had to say goodbye to my beloved Shannon. I am on the other side of the world when she left me, but thankfully two dear friends were there so she was not alone.

What is this little thing then?

Shannon joined the household in December 2004 as an eight week old puppy. Tami my older German Shepherd was not impressed as can be seen here.

You can see Tami wondering what on earth this little invader was all about.

Shannon settled in, much to Tami’s disgust.

Shannon loved her car rides!
 

After ten and a half years today I said goodbye. As you go over the Rainbow Bridge to a place of no thunder or noisy plover birds and as many Smacko treats and lots of pats, know I will miss you so much.

Jul 112015
 

We are here prior to boarding the Celebrity Eclipse for the 8th Unlock the Past cruise and I had some time to look around Southampton. I like looking at old buildings as I have stonemasons in my family and England is a joy for this!

This building is being converted into a number of one and two bedroom flats. This reuse of buildings is important as you are then able to retain the character of an area.

It is an elegant building with its columns and stonework.

It is when you look closer at it you see the stonemasons’ work with these stone faces, each with its own face and personality.
 


Jul 102015
 


 The below press release is from MyHeritage 

MyHeritage Launches Breakthrough Global Name Translation™ Technology to Power Family History Discoveries
New technology eliminates language barriers to enhance family history research and preservation
TEL AVIV, Israel & LEHI, Utah – July 8, 2015: MyHeritage, the leading destination for discovering, preserving and sharing family history, today announced the launch of Global Name Translation™, a new technology to help families break through language barriers in the quest to uncover their past. The technology automatically translates names found in historical records and family trees from one language into another, in very high accuracy, generating all the plausible translations, to facilitate matches between names in different languages. In addition, a manual search in one language will also provide results in other languages, translated back to the user’s language for convenience. This is a unique innovation not offered elsewhere, useful for anyone interested in discovering their global roots.
There are many immediate benefits for users. For example, people living in the USA with Russian roots previously had to search for their ancestors in Russian to maximize their chances of finding pertinent information. The new technology will now accept searches in English, automatically increase their scope to cover Russian and Ukrainian as well, and conveniently translate all results back to English.
The new technology also enhances the acclaimed MyHeritage matching technologies to bridge across language gaps. For example, If a user from Greece with a family tree in Greek, is related to a user from Israel with a family tree entered in Hebrew, MyHeritage will be able to connect them, automatically matching between names in the ancient languages of Greek and Hebrew, and show the two users how their family trees overlap, leading to exciting family reunions like never before.
“Global Name Translation™ helps overcome the Tower of Babel syndrome”, said Gilad Japhet, Founder and CEO of MyHeritage. “The world is getting smaller and more connected, yet information from other countries is still mostly hidden from those who don’t speak the language. It’s our mission to develop the best technologies for facilitating family history discoveries for everyone, everywhere. Therefore we set an ambitious goal of taking down one of the most formidable walls that hampers research and discovery – the difficulty of translating names from one language to another. We’re proud to have pioneered this solution and thrilled with the value that it will provide to users around the world.”
MyHeritage has developed this technology using original research, advanced algorithms and based on its massive multilingual and international database of 6 billion family tree profiles and historical records. The technology covers first names and last names and is able to tackle not only names encountered in the past but also new names it has never encountered before. The technology is generic but also utilizes extensive dictionaries built by MyHeritage to cover synonyms and nicknames. Therefore a search for Alessandro (Alexander in Italian) will also find “Саша” which is the Russian form of Sasha, a popular nickname of Alexander in Russia.
The first version successfully translates names in between English, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Greek, Hebrew, Polish, Czech, Russian and Ukrainian. The next version currently in development will add Chinese and Japanese, and additional languages will follow.

To take advantage of Global Name Translation™ technology, create a new family tree for free on MyHeritageand enjoy the automatic matches or use MyHeritage’s SuperSearchsearch engine for historical records.

About MyHeritage
MyHeritage is the leading destination for discovering, preserving and sharing family history. As technology thought leaders, MyHeritage is transforming family history into an activity that’s accessible and instantly rewarding. Its global user community enjoys access to a massive library of historical records, the most internationally diverse collection of family trees and ground-breaking search and matching technologies. Trusted by millions of families, MyHeritage provides an easy way to share family stories, past and present, and treasure them for generations to come. MyHeritage is available in 42 languages. www.myheritage.com
Jul 012015
 

Looking at the cause of death on our older certificates it can be hard to determine what actually caused the death due to the usage of some archaic terms not normally used today.

Sometimes it is a case the cause given is more of a symptom seen, as many of these certificates were issued before knowledge of infectious diseases. So seeing the “Black Pox” the “Blue Pox” etc is not unusual or even ‘Act of God’

Sometimes you might even see Causa Mortis Incognita  which means the cause of death was not known and the doctor wrote it in Latin rather than admit in English they didn’t have a clue!



To celebrate the release of the second edition of my book Death Certificates and Archaic Medical Terms I am going to share some terms here, with another 1500 terms plus available in the book.

The book also examines the history and evolution of death certificates. When did they start? What is on them and why it can be a case of “Buyer Beware”. 
What were the legal requirements? What does it mean when a death is certified? Why weren’t all deaths certified? Where can you further information about death certificate availability in your geographic area and more.

This title is available in book form from several retailers across the world, along with titles from many other excellent genealogy authors. 
The outlets are: 
Gould Genealogy (Australia)
My History (UK)

Global Genealogy (Canada)
Maia’s Books (United States)

It is also available as an ebook from gen-e-books

I also write a blog Historical Medical Miscellany for which I hope to do more frequent posts this year.
 

Abdominal Angina: sharp pain in the abdomen caused by insufficient blood supply often occurs a couple of hours of eating

Abdominal Dropsy: Abnormal accumulation of fluid in abdominal cavity

Abortus: Miscarriage (Latin)

Absinthism: symptoms such as delirium tremens seen in Alcoholism. Absinthe is an aromatic herb was used to flavour alcohol particularly in Europe

Act of God: When death has occurred, often suddenly without a known reason, possibly stroke or aneurysm

Addison’s Disease: A rare, chronic condition brought about by the failure of the adrenal glands to produce cortisol and aldosterone. Thomas Addison first identified the disease in 1855 while working at Guy’s Hospital in London. At that time, the main cause of the disease was as a complication of tuberculosis

Aden Fever: Dengue fever

Albuminuria: excess of albumin in urine often seen in kidney disease

Angina Membranacea: see Diphtheria (Latin)

Anthracnosis: Occupational disease of coal miners due to prolonged exposure to the coal dust results in fibrosis of lungs due to deposition of anthracite coal dust in the lungs

Apoplexia Cordis: Heart Attack (Latin)

Autumnal Catarrh: Hay fever

Bacillary Dysentery: Dysentery caused by bacteria Shigella dysenteriae

Bacteraemia: Presence of bacteria in blood

Bad Blood: see Syphilis, an infectious venereal disease

Baghdad Boil: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis caused by parasitic protozoans of the genus Leishmania. It is transmitted by sand flies 

Bang’s Disease: Brucellosis caused by Brucella bacteria: can be found in contaminated milk, dairy products or with animal exposure particularly pigs, goats and cattle

Barometer Makers Disease: mercury poisoning

Belly Bound: Constipated

Bilious attack: Gastric distress caused by a disorder of the liver or gall bladder

Black Consumption: Occupational disease of coal miners. Due to prolonged exposure to the coal dust results in fibrosis of lungs

Black Mortification: Gangrene

Blackwater Fever: Dark urine associated with high temperature and breakdown of red blood cells, seen in malaria

Bladder in Throat: Diphtheria which causes a pseudo-membrane in the throat

Bleeder’s Disease: Haemophilia

Blue Baby: baby born with blue appearance. Usually due to a heart defect (generally a ventricular defect) which does not allow the blood to become fully oxygenated

Bowel Hives: Enteritis, diarrhoea. Could be caused by a range of diseases

Brassfounder’s Ague: Caused by inhalation of metal fumes when heating metals especially zinc

Bright’s Disease: Inflammatory disease of kidneys may be acute or chronic. Ranked high as a cause of death 18thto early 20th centuries. Can be any of a range of diseases with the symptom of albuminuria (increased albumin (protein) in urine) First described by Dr Richard Bright in 1827

Bronze Diabetes: Caused by problem of iron overload which causes the skin to take on a bronze tint such as with haemochromatosis. Usually a genetic condition although iron overload has occurred in people long term home brewing in cast iron containers. Haemachromatosis

Camp Fever: Typhus. May also be typhoid fever caused by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi or in malaria. Continuing fevers seen in the army, particularly in the US Civil War

Cancrum Oris: Deep ulcer of lip and cheek often seen in young children in poor hygiene conditions

Canine Madness: Rabies, hydrophobia

Carcinoma Prostata: Prostate cancer (Latin)

Causa Mortis Incognita: Cause not known (Latin)

Cerebral Congestion: Bacterial or viral infection of the brain (Meningitis/encephalitis)

Cerebrospinal Fever: meningitis, may be bacterial or viral in origin

Change of Life: Menopause

Costiveness: Constipation, retention of faeces in bowels

Cottonpox: Milder form of smallpox Variola Minor

Cramp Colic: Possibly appendicitis or, food poisoning. As a symptom it is hard to be sure of actual causative medical condition

Dead Palsy: Loss of motion or feeling in a part of the body, probably after effects of a stroke

Death Struck: apoplexy, stroke

Decay of Nature: Old age usually

Decrepita Aetas: Old age

Decrepitude: Feebleness often due to old age

Dentito: Cutting of teeth, often characterised with fevers in children (Latin)

Diphtheria: Contagious acute disease of the upper respiratory tract where a membrane can grow across throat caused by bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The bacteria produces toxins which can affect most of the organs of body

Dock Fever: Yellow fever

Domestic Illness: Mental breakdown (more usually used for women)

Dropsy: Swelling from accumulation of fluid, often caused by kidney disease or congestive cardiac failure

Egyptian Chlorosis: Hookworm causing anaemia

Empyema: Pus often in chest cavity around the external lining of the lung

Enteric Fever: Typhoid fever caused by a bacteria Salmonella Typhi

Epidemic Fever: Typhus

Epidemic Cholera: Asiatic cholera

Epidemic Parotitis: Mumps

Ergotism: A convulsive disease caused from ingesting the mycotoxins from mould on spoiled grain. The Calviceps purpurea fungus produces alkaloids and ingestion of these cause long term poisoning

Ergotoxicosis: see Ergotism

Erythroblastosis Fetali: Haemolytic disease of the newborn (Latin)

Exhaustion From Cold and Want: Starvation and hypothermia

Falling Sickness: Epilepsy

Famine Fever: Typhus

Febris: Fever (Latin)

Febris Delirio: Fever with delirium (Latin)

Febris Dysenterica: Fever with bloody faeces

Febris Morbillosa: Measles (Latin)

Filth Disease: Typhoid caused by Salmonella Typhi

Fort Bragg Fever: Leptospirosis

Galloping Consumption: Tuberculosis with symptoms showing rapidly even though illness would have been present for a time period

Gaol Fever: Typhus

Gibraltar Fever: Brucellosis caused by Brucella bacteria: can be found in contaminated milk, dairy products or with animal exposure particularly pigs, goats and cattle

Glomerulonephritis: Inflammation of both kidneys See Bright’s Disease

Haemachromatosis: Inherited iron overload disordercauses the body to absorb more iron than usual from food. It results in excess iron being stored throughout the body and can result in skin pigmentation, diabetes and heart failure. Over time, the liver enlarges becomes damaged and can lead to serious diseases such as cirrhosis

Halstern’s Disease: see Syphilis

Hanot’s Disease: Cirrhosis of liver

Hansen’s Disease: see Leprosy

Hatter’s Disease: Mercury poisoning affects central nervous system

Hooping Cough: see Whooping cough

Hookworm: Infection by hookworm Ancylostoma duodenale and Nectator americanus parasitic nematode worms are abundant throughout the world, including in the following areas: southern Europe, North Africa, India, China, south east Asia, some areas in the United States, the Caribbean, and South America. Enters body through soles of feet. This hookworm is well known in mines because of the consistency in temperature and humidity that provide an ideal habitat for egg and juvenile development. Ancylostoma duodenal can be ingested in contaminated food and water but most common route and only route for Nectator americanus is through penetration of the skin. Anaemia major effect due to loss of iron and blood

Horrors: Delirium tremens: Hallucinations due to alcoholism

Imposthume: Abscess, collection of purulent matter

Jail fever: Typhus

King’s Evil: Tuberculosis of neck and lymph glands, scrofula. There was a belief the disease could be cured by the touch of the king


Lepra Syphilitica: Syphilis

Little’s Disease: Cerebral palsy first described by William John Little (1810-1894), British physician

Locked Jaw/Lockjaw: Tonic spasm of the muscles of mastication, causing the jaws to remain rigidly closed. Usually refers to tetanus

Lues Disease: Syphilis

Mad Hatter Syndrome: Mercury poisoning affects central nervous system. Occupational disease of hatmakers who used the mercury to stiffen the felt

Malarial Cachexia: Generalised state of debility that is marked by anaemia, jaundice, splenomegaly, and emaciation. Results from long-continued chronic malarial infection

Malignant Fever: Typhus

Marasmus: Severe malnutrition. Failure to thrive, usually used for young children

Marasmus Senilis: Wasting or decay of body in aged persons

Mariner Disease: Scurvy

Mediterranean Fever: Brucellosis caused by Brucella bacteria: can be found in contaminated milk, dairy products or with animal exposure particularly pigs goats and cattle

Membranous Croup: Diphtheria

Miasma: Before knowledge of infectious diseases the poisonous/bad smelling vapours thought to infect the air and cause disease

Miner’s Anaemia: See Hookworm

Morbid Intemperance: Alcoholism, overuse of alcohol

Morbus: Disease, sickness


Morbus Brightii: Bright’s disease, kidney disease which may be acute or chronic

Morbus Sacer: Epilepsy. It has been believed in the past that epileptics were ‘God-Touched’

Nautical Fever: Typhus on board ship

Necrosis: Death of cells, tissue or bone through injury or disease

Ohara’s Fever: Tularaemia

Overlaid/Overlain: To lie over or upon a child so as to cause the child  to suffocate 

Pea-picker’s Disease: Leptospirosis

Phosphorus Necrosis of the Jaw: Disease caused by contact or use of white phosphorous poisoning, often seen in matchmakers. Disease characterised by deterioration of bone especially lower jaw

Phthisis: Tuberculosis

Plague of Venus: Syphilis

Quick Consumption: Faster onset of tuberculosis symptoms, Galloping Consumption

Quintana Fever: Trench Fever

Rag-Pickers Disease: Malignant pustule and febrile disease probably anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis
 

Ratcatchers’ Disease: Caused by Leptospirosis a bacterial disease often found in urine of rodents, (also known as Weil’s syndrome, Mud fever, Field fever, Canefield fever, 7 day fever, Black Jaundice) Can also be the Bubonic Plague depending on time period and occurrence of plague among rats in the area

Rising of the Lights: Believed to be pleurisy, croup or some infection of the lungs

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Acute rickettsial disease (Rickettsia rickettsia) transmitted by ticks. Major symptoms similar to epidemic typhus (headache, joint and back pain, prostration high fever which can progress to neurological symptoms and death).The rash covers whole body including palms and soles of feet. The 20-25% fatality rate in untreated patients makes it the most severe rickettsial infection in the Americas. Can also occur in Canada, the USA Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama and Brazil. Also known as Black Measles, Blue Disease due to the dark rash

Roseola Infantum: Sudden rash affecting infants and younger children caused by a virus Human Herpes Virus 6B or Human Herpes Virus 7 also known as Sixth Disease

Saint Gothard Anaemia: Hookworm

Scarlet Fever: Fever caused by a bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes generally presents as very sore throat, rash and fever. Before the availability of antibiotics, scarlet fever was a major cause of death. It also sometimes caused late complications, such as glomerulonephritis and endocarditis leading to heart valve disease (Rheumatic Fever), all of which were protracted illnesses and often fatal

Scurvy: Caused by lack of vitamin C which is required for collagen production in humans. Seen most often in sailors, soldiers or in starvation situations e.g. Irish Famine where people are unable to obtain fresh fruit or vegetables. Characterised by softening of the gums, haemorrhages under the skin and general debility can lead to death

Senectus Ultima: Old age

Sore Throat Distemper: Diphtheria or quinsy

Spanish Flu: Influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. So called as Spain at the time had no censorship of its newspapers and the outbreak was heavily reported there before being reported in countries with censorship due to World War One (even though illnesses had already occurred in those places). Exact origin of this strain of the influenza virus not known, postulated it could be the USA or China or indeed Europe

St Erasmus Disease: Colic

St Fiacre’s Disease: Haemorrhoids


St Gervasius Disease: Rheumatism

St Gete’s Disease: Carcinoma

St Gile’s Disease: Leprosy or Carcinoma

St Hubert’s Disease: Hydrophobia, rabies

St Job’s Disease: see Syphilis

St John’s Dance: see St Vitus Dance

St John’s Evil:  Epilepsy

St Main’s Disease: Scabies

St Vitus Dance: Also called Sydenham’s chorea. Characterised by jerky, uncontrollable movements associated with rheumatic fever caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes

Stonemason’s Lung: Occupational Lung disease suffered by stonemasons due to inhalation of stone dust

Summer Complaint: Diarrhoea usually in infants/young children.. Possibly from spoiled food or milk which is more likely to spoil in summer

Thresher’s Fever: Acute inflammation of the lungs caused by a hypersensitivity reaction of the lung after contact with mould spores from hay, straw and other crops. Occupational disease

Throat Fever: Probably scarlet fever or could be diphtheria

Trench Foot: Condition caused by prolonged exposure to damp, cold, unsanitary conditions. Foot becomes cold, numb, mildly swollen. If untreated can progress to blisters and ulcers, tissue dies resulting in gangrene Particular problem on the western Front in World War One

Tuberculosis: Infectious disease of humans and animals caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and characterised by the formation of tubercles on the lungs (around 90% of the time) and other tissues of the body, often developing long after the initial infection. The M. tuberculosis complex consists of four other TB-causing mycobacteria: M. bovis, M. africanum, M. canetti, and M. microti. M. bovis was once a very common form of tuberculosis but this has markedly decreased as a public health issue with the advent of pasteurised milk in developed countries. The other three mycobacteria are rarer causes of tuberculosis

Tularaemia: Infectious disease caused by the intracellular bacterium Francisella tularensis. Found in rabbits, hares and pikas in North America. The disease is named after Tulare County, California. (also Pahvant Valley Plague, Rabbit Fever, Deer Fly Fever, or Ohara’s Fever)

Typhoid Fever: An enteric fever caused by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi. This was not known in earlier days so Typhoid and Typhus which had many similar symptoms were often confused. Typhoid was often more common in the summer months and warmer weather

Typhoid Fever of India: Asiastic Cholera

Typhus: caused by the Rickettsia bacterium (Rickettsia prowazeki) transmitted by bites from lice (particularly the human body louse). The epidemic or classic form is louse borne; the endemic or murine is flea borne. It is marked by high continued fever lasting from two to three weeks, stupor alternating with delirium, intense headache and by a copious eruption of dark red spots upon the body. Thirty percent plus of patients die. More commonly seen in winter potentially as spread by bite of insect with the colder weather clothes were not changed as often although can occur all year around

Variola: Smallpox, highly contagious viral disease characterised by fever and weakness and skin eruption with pustules that form scabs that slough off leaving scars in around 65-80% survivors. Has around 30-35% mortality rate. Blindness occurs in around 5% survivors. Last case seen in 1977 and the disease is believed to be eradicated

Variola Major: Most severe and most common form of smallpox, had around 30-35% mortality rate

Variola Minor: A milder form of smallpox causing less mortality (only about 1% of cases are fatal compared to 30-35% in Variola major

Variola Sine Eruptione: Smallpox with rash seen in some vaccinated people

Visitation of God: When death has occurred, often suddenly without a known reason, possibly stroke or aneurysm


War Fever: Epidemic Typhus caused by the Rickettsia bacterium transmitted by bites from human body louse see Typhus

White Plague: Tuberculosis

Yellow Fever: An acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by bite of mosquito A. aegypti infected with a Flavivirus. Found in Africa south of the Sahara and equatorial South America. (Yellow jack, American Plague, Bronze John, Dock Fever)

Feb 162015
 

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) held their conference in Salt Lake City as a combined conference with RootsTech. It was extremely good value to pay the early bird price and then the add-on for the second conference.

FGS ran a Librarians Day on the Tuesday, that I did not attend as it filled up fast, and on the Wednesday they did a Society Day. As President of my society the Southern Suburbs Branch of GSQ I was very much looking forward to this.

All societies face challenges with the increasing  availability of records online, mass advertising saying that “just type in a name and your history will be shown” giving the impression that it is instant genealogy, being able to be relevant in an ever busy world being able to give value to potentially remote members, being relevant to potential younger members. Many societies have an aging membership and as they say “the only sure things in life are deaths and taxes”.

As I was helping set up our booth I did not attend the keynote with Curt Witcher talking about societies “Embracing the Future” or the morning sessions. 

You had plenty of choice as there were a choice of six streams of talks to determine which to attend.

For example in the morning sessions:
Connecting, Exploring, Refreshing: Marshaling Change in Your Society
Engaging Your Long Distance Membership
The Policy and Procedure Manual: Preventing I Didn’t Know That!
Using Cemeteries to Uncover Forgotten Histories
Communicating on a Shoestring Budget: Cost Effective Solutions for Societies
TechSoup -Technology by the Bowlful

And they were the choices in just one session!

My first session was with Judy Russell talking on “The Ethical Genealogist” An important topic for us all as individuals and also as society board members.

Judy is an excellent speaker and is a Certified Genealogist and a Certified Genealogical Lecturer and this really shows in her lecturing as she has the ability to take difficult subjects and make them interesting and enjoyable.

If you ever have the chance to hear Judy talk, run don’t walk to enrol in her session!

The next session I attended was the “Bringing Your Society into the 21st Century with a DNA Interest Group” by the effervescent and very knowledgeable CeCe Moore.

Lisa Louise Cooke

I am a member of a DNA SIG at the Queensland Family History Society and so this was a very pertinent presentation. The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) has great resources for any society considering starting a DNA SIG and many educational resources for anyone interested in DNA for genealogy. CeCe Moore said “DNA SIGS are a great way of attracting people to your society especially if you promote meeting to general public” Also way of reactivating interst in your members who have become a bit blase about their research due to brickwalls etc.

Then it was “Video Marketing: YouTube Strategies for Societies” with the effervescent Lisa Louise Cooke. 

I was particularly interested in this as I want to do a welcome video for new members showing the rooms and resources so new researchers feel more confident when they first come to the premises. All going well we will also do some short instructional videos on using some of the databases.

I was very happy with the Society Day and FGS are to be congratulated on providing this resource for all societies.

There were many other presentation son this day I wanted to attend but as I have not managed to clone myself could not. So I was very pleased to read on Judy G. Russel’s blog that I could buy recordings of at least some of the ones I could not attend from Fleetwood Onsite. For the Society Day there are 14 presntations that were recorded (and 13 that were not). They are available on a CD-Rom or as MP3 on a USB and I think may also be able to be downloaded.

You can also buy recordings from previous conferences so if you really enjoyed a particular presenter look to see what may have been recorded at a previous conference.

I was also talking with Randy Whited who was the presenter of FGS Radio – My Society, podcasts designed to be informative for the administration of societies that there is a plan to restart these. Still early days but I was very pleased to hear this as I have found them very useful. You are still able to download these using iTunes or equivalent and it is a great way of learning while you are doing housework, driving, gardening etc.

So FGS in the words of Jim Nabors of Gomer Pyle USMC fame “Thankee, thankee, thankee”

Feb 112015
 

Having arrived Sunday evening I had breakfast at JBs the restaurant near my hotel and then went to  the library. I knew that on the 3rd floor of the library a special event would be occurring that morning: an onsite production of “Mondays with Myrt


I had watched these sessions on YouTube and was looking forward to seeing it done (and meeting Pat Richley-Erickson in person (Dear Myrtle is her nom de plume)). 

 Pat has been online since 1985 and has been heavily involved in many areas of genealogy. She writes the consistently top rated blog DearMyrtle and does a number of sessions a week: Monday with Myrt, Wacky Wednesday, Genealogy Game Night and more. She also runs the Geneawebinars Calendar, teaches classes and I don’t know where she finds the time to do it all.


So as you can imagine I was thrilled with the opportunity to see the production.

I arrived as things were being set up:



And then Jenny Joyce and I were invited to become part of the Hangout as an onsite participant! There were also seven participants who were external to the site and they were situated around the world.

Myrt interviewed David Pugmire who is one of the brains behind the Innovators Summit where people with ideas of how to integrate technology and genealogy have a chance to spruik their ideas and on Friday the winner will be determined.

I had a wonderful time!


All of Myrt’s Hangouts are available to see on her YouTube Channel and I would strongly recommend visiting and seeing what is there.

DearMyrtle will be doing AmbushCam segments during the combined Rootstech/FGS conference so you will get to hear interviews with all the top players in the genealogy arena.

Jan 302015
 

Albany was a tourist day for the ship. 

The Unlock the Past team were running a seminar at the Museum onshore.

It was a grey day but as we were welcomed to shore by bagpipes, the weather was not a concern.

 

Eric and Rosemary Kopittke at the Brig Amity replica

Albany is a lovely place with a long history. It was the first settlement in Western Australia, being founded 26 December 1826 as a military outpost. Initially named Frederick Town it was transferred to the Swan River Colony and renamed Albany in 1831.  For many years, it was the colony’s only deep-water port until the opening of Fremantle in 1897 and is still the largest natural harbour in Western Australia.

We caught the bus into the Museum where the seminar was being held.  It is on the site of the Residency and a number of historic buildings and the replica brig the Amity overlooking the Princess Royal Harbour.



The 148 ton brig Amity was built in New Brunswick, Canada in 1816. She ended up in the Southern Hemisphere when the Scottish Ralston Family bought her for their emigration to Tasmania. They sold her to the New South Wales Government  and she was used for exploration and supply voyages.  There is a Queensland connection (well it wasn’t Queensland then) as the Amity was used to transport the 70 people including soldiers of the 40th Foot Regiment, 29 convicts, explorers and their families to Redcliffe in Moreton Bay in 1824. Amity Point is named after the brig.The ship went to King George’s Sound in 1826 to establish the military outpost. 


There is a walkway near the Residency with panels listing the names of the settlers.




 

At the seminar Dr Richard Reid, Rosemary Kopittke and the local society gave presentations. There was even a gentleman from Bowral, NSW in the audience! I always said the Unlock the Past seminars are a not to be missed event but that is a decent journey to attend. Actually he was over helping hos daughter to move and she kindly gave him the day off to attend the seminar as it had World War One and Irish topics.


At the seminar we met John Shapland and his daughter Alyssa and this led to a fantastic visit to his private museum, a major highlight of the cruise, which you’ll be able to read about tomorrow.

Thanks to John we were also able to visit the National ANZAC Centre which was another major highlight and you can read about here.
Jan 292015
 

As I mentioned the fact the 7th Unlock the Past cruise was going to Albany was a major factor in my choosing to go on this cruise (apart from the fact I just love genealogical conference cruising!)

National ANZAC Centre showing some of the harbour

Albany had a deep harbour and so the convoy assembled in King George Sound.The First and Second convoys left Albany  originally to go to England but as we know actually ended up staying in Egypt. 

Dr Richard Reid said this had a lot to do with the quality of the accommodation available initially in England for the number of men so the idea was to hold them in Egypt until things could be sorted and then the Dardenelles campaign was decided upon and the legend of Gallipoli was born.


The National ANZAC Centre has been built in Albany and it is a must see item if you happen to be in that area. You will need to allow yourself at least two hours. It is an emotional tour.

On entry each person is given a card bearing the name of a person and you follow the story of this person through their time in the war. My card was for Captain Arthur Gordon Smith, who was in the Royal Navy. 

There are at least 30 different cards of Australians, Turks, British, nurses and more so covering many aspects of the participants.

You are also given a receiver pen which you use to activate recordings at set points.

The entry    

You enter into the gallery and find the first information stand where you put your card and it calls up the dossier for your person.

Then you move down and see the information panels where you can use your receiver pen by swiping across the A on the panel to activate a recording that you listen to on the pen.

There are many displays.

You keep following your person through their military service and yes, it is real life,  some are killed, others wounded and some survive the war. My person was the Captain of First Convoy to leave Albany. He survived the war only to die of pancreatic cancer in later life.

The Centre also highlights the cost not only in deaths of which there were too many but also all the wounded who came back and the effect this had on their lives and the lives of their loved ones forever more.

We Are The Maimed

In Flanders fields we do not lie

Where poppies grow and larks will fly

Forever singing as they go

Above the bodies, row on row,

Of those whose duty ‘twas to die

We are the maimed. Death did deny

Its solace. Crippled, blind, we try

To find on earth the peace they know

In Flanders fields.

Forget us not! As years go by,

On your remembrance we rely

For love that sees the hearts below

Our broken bodies. Else we grow

           To crave our peace with those who lie

            In Flanders Field

              WB France

 
I know Albany is many miles away but don’t despair, the National ANZAC Centre has a website and you are able to follow the cards through on the website as well (there are 32 available on the website). 

There is also a fantastic links section and a searchable list of all people on the First and Second Convoys.

This is my great-grandfather and he was one of 2663 men and women on this ship.

The visit was very emotional  and worthwhile.

Jan 282015
 
Rosemary Kopittke, Heather Fitzpatrick and the shorty is me

It has been a great time and I have just come off the 7th Unlock the Past cruise.

This was a very special cruise for me as it went to Albany. My great-grandfather George Howard Busby was aboard the A40 Ceramic which was in the Second Convoy that left St George’s Sound,  Albany 31 December 1914. He went from there to Egypt and thence to Gallipoli so as Albany was a stop and this cruise had some military lectures I had to go.This was a short cruise of five nights.

The amazing Lee

 The 100 year commemorations in Albany for the first convoy had occurred in November.
  
The Queensland Contingent, this time arrived by air.

We were kindly driven by Kristen down to Fremantle from where our ship the Astor would leave. Weather was sunny and a warm 35 degrees but it is a dry heat which was a relief after the high humidity we had had in Brisbane.

Lee was our liaison on the ship and kept things running smoothly. He was also the DJ, a singer and I am not sure how many other hats he wore but always had a smile whenever I saw him. 

After our obligatory lifeboat drill, it was time for dinner then our “Meet and Greet”. The Astor pulled away from Fremantle on its way to Esperance

Our first day was at sea and was a full conference day. 

The eminent historian, Dr Richard Reid gave the first presentation:  Ireland of the ancestors: maps, documents, valuations,diaries, books, parish registers.  Richard showed the life in Ireland and the records that can help us add that life to our families.

Then it was a choice between Mike Murray on Researching Your Western Australian Ancestors or Eric Kopittke speaking on  Starting Your German Research. I don’t have research in either area but went to Mike’s talk.

One of the artistic fruit carvings decorating the buffet

Then morning tea time before Lesley Silvester’s talk  on Beyond the Parish Registers: lesser known English records from the 18th and 19th centuries. Lesley is very knowledgeable in this area and well worth hearing if you have a chance.

Then lunch, one thing on a cruise is that food breaks happen quite often! 

I spoke after lunch on Gallipoli: medical services talking about how the medical service was organised and how they helped the wounded. In this time pre the antibiotic era disease was always a problem. In fact there were only two weeks during the campaign that there were more wounded being evacuated from Gallipoli than soldiers who were ill with disease particularly dysentery.  being a Public Health Microbiologist I have a particular interest in health and how this affected our ancestors.

Then Richard Reid gave an excellent presentation on “Trenches, memorials and bits of metal: the Anzac area of Gallipoli today” 

Dr Richard Reid talking on Gallipoli

Richard had been the historian with the Australian War Memorial and Veterans Affairs for many years. He has a particular affinity with the Western Front especially as he was involved in bringing the “Unknown Soldier” home. Richard was also involved in the  Joint Historical and Archaeological Survey, and it began in 2005 with high-level diplomatic negotiations between the Turkish, New Zealand and Australian governments. Gallipoli is the best preserved battlefield of the First World War as obviously in heavily populated areas there was the requirement to use the battlefied areas again for farming and life. The Turkish government have preserved the battlefield area and we should be very thankful for this, considering their country was invaded by enemy forces.

During the dig there was a lot involved and part of it was the mapping of the trenches, using technology with GPS tracking and a huge amount of hard physical work cutting the undergrowth in the trenches. Later in 2015 a book will be published on the findings of the survey and this is one that is definitely on my shopping list.

Another break and then Liana Fitzpatrick, President of WAGS (the Western Australian Genealogical Society) gave a presentation on two of their special World War One projects: Western Australian Gallipoli deaths and the Cheops pyramid photo. I plan to write a special post on these two projects so more about them later.

Rosemary Kopittke then spoke on Using Electoral Rolls for Genealogy: Tips and Traps. It is important to know the requirements for being on the roll as you could waste many hours searching for someone on the roll when in fact they were not eligible to vote. And in counterpoint you may not search thinking they wouldn’t be on the roll when in actual fact they may be there.

Then came the Research Help Zone and  these are always a highlight for me as I really enjoy talking to people about their genealogy and their brickwall problems. There is nothing more satisfying than hearing the brick wall come tumbling down.

Then dinner (yes I did mention there are a lot of food breaks!) before we reassembled for Mike’s talk on being “The Online Detective: improving your online research.

Then to bed being rocked to sleep while the ship traveled to Esperance. People tendered ashore at Esperance but I spent my day in the very nice library enjoying research time and doing another Research Help Zone with associated meal breaks before Richard’s after dinner talk on ‘There is no person starving here’: Australia, Ireland and the Great Famine, 1845‐50.

Richard did his PhD on Irish migration and showed the wealth of records and information that is available about the Famine and migration. It is too easy to just say “They came because of the Famine and it is important to determine the various effects on the different areas due to 
the Famine.

Then off to the Captain’s lounge for a quiet drink and discussion on the day’s talks.

Changeover of night to day

 






 

Oct 132014
 

Have had a great day at the “Angling for Ancestors” conference run by the Gold Coast Family History Society. I was invited to be the Mistress of Ceremonies for the day  which is always fun.

Helen and Tanya Honey


More than a 120 people came today to listen to Jan Gow from New Zealand and Graham Jaunay from South Australia give three presentations each.

I was very happy to finally be able to meet Tanya Honey in person for the first time. We have been online friends for quite a while.

Jan Gow


Jan Gow:
Ten Ways to Research Your Family History – with and without a computer
Delving Deep into FamilySearch -learn how to find your treasure in the treasure that is Familysearch.org
Saint Serendipity on Duty: a case study using UK records doing in 30 minutes what used to take 30 years

Jan gave ways of researching with or without a computer. Many of the ways we do things may have changed but the underlying idea of what we do has remained constant. 

We still need to contact relatives, whether we do this by writing a letter, putting it into an envelope and posting it or by writing an email we still need to contact our relatives, near and far.

We still need to be organised in our research and with our results, whether this is with a filing cabinet, Jan’s favourite computer program TreePad or some other way with our computer, the computer is just a tool we use as researchers.

We are the important item as researchers, our determination, drive, analysis.

Jan’s talk on the many facets of FamilySearch reminded everyone that FamilySearch is not just a place to type a name to see a return from an index. The Learning Centre, the Wiki, the mapping, the digitised books and so much more including the family tree. There is so much going on behind the scenes. 

There are many, many non-indexed images on the site with all the teams using digital cameras around the world. There is a large community around the world who are working to index these images so they are searchable for all. The indexers have achieved one million indexed entries in a day but new indexers are always welcome. It is very easy and the images are divided into levels of difficulty. There are also a range of images from other countries so if you know another language there are sure to be some for you too. I have been indexing for a few years and enjoy giving back.

Graham Jaunay

Graham Jaunay:
Research in England Prior to Civil Registration in 1837
Researching the Maternal Line – researching women is uniquely challenging and has its roots in the social position of women in society
Identifying and Dating 19th Century Family Photos


Graham showed some of the treasures contained within the parish chest as well as the documents that can help so much with our research including wills and deeds.

His talk on researching women covered the range of records in which we can find women remembering that due to the limited legal status a married women had, prior to the Married Woman’s Act in 1872 where they had no legal authority, were not allowed to sign a contract or leave a will can make it difficult. They literally became their husband’s property on marriage including all possessions and even the clothes in which they stood. You need to branch out to find mention of them. Wills are particularly useful and not just direct relative wills but wills of sideways relatives. Once they became a widow they gained legal status again (and can be a reason why some women “lived in sin” once they became a widow rather than lose those rights.)

Convict Connections and those bonnets!

Graham’s last talk was on identifying and dating old photographs. This talk involved a lot of detail and I was pleased I had his book from Unlock the Past (also available as an ebook) as it saved me taking notes.

Exhibitors were Gold Coast Family History Society Inc., Unlock the Past Cruises, Gould Genealogy, Queensland Family History Society, Guild of One Name Studies, Convict Connections group of the Genealogical Society of Queensland, Queensland State Archives, National Archives of Australia, Tales from the Past and the Ryerson Index. 


Convict Connections was there and you can always find them as the lovely ladies wear the convict bonnets!







In between MC duties I was on the Guild stall
The QFHS Display board of their CD indexes available


 

     
My haul

 

I love books as you all know and it was great to see some pre-loved books for sale. I even managed to find some I did not have which was nice to add to my library.


After the conference around 40-50 of us went out to dinner where we continued to talk family history and a great time was had by all before Eric, Rosemary and I headed back to Brisbane as we had commitments there on the Sunday. Many of the others stayed on to participate in the visit to the Light Horse museum.

The Gold Coast Family History Society are to be congratulated on a well run conference. The organisation was superb as was the catering! I hope this will continue as an annual event.