February 2012
10 posts
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Share your story
International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on the 8th of March and this year’s theme is “Connecting girls, inspiring futures”. We want to hear about the inspirational females in your family tree.
Is there a female ancestor whose story has inspired you in some way? A female family member whose actions many years ago have changed you or inspired you? If so, we want...
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Love in Time of War
On 9 November 1916, Charles Victor Barratt (my great grandfather - pictured above) boarded the ship “Argyllshire” and departed Fremantle as a soldier in the Australian Military Forces. He left behind his family, his friends, his country and the life he knew. He also left behind his sweetheart, Matilda Maria Crampton (my great grandmother).
Throughout the time he was away fighting, the couple...
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The Girl Next Door
In 1935, my grandfather packed up his family and moved from Tasmania to Melbourne in hope for a better life. They found a home in Richmond and in the same year my father joined the Militia. He worked through the day and did training of an evening.
In 1937 a family of three boys and one girl moved into the house next door. The house was a terris house with a brick wall joining the two together.
...
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Oceans Apart
My grandfather, James Johnson, thought that the lady he was dating was too old for him. So he went to England to visit some relatives, hoping she would forget him. After a while James began to feel the cold in England and decided it was time time go home to Australia. Agnes Hurlston, the lady he had left behind, got wind of this and was waiting at the docks for him. The photo above is of them on...
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The things you do for love
My great grandparents in England were Luther Isaacs and Emily Williams. They were married in Oldland, Gloucestershire in 1894, and later on had two sons, one of whom was my Pop who later came to Australia. From the stories I’ve been told, Luther and Emily had quite different personalities.
Luther was a bit of a man’s man. His father was one of the Kingswood miners, who were a tough...
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"My dearly beloved Betsey..."
Held in the East Sussex Record office is a letter written by my four-times great grandfather, John William Gibson Batcheler, to his wife and my four-times great grandmother, Elizabeth Batcheler (nee French).
Dated 4th Oct, 1831 at Cowes, the letter reads in part: “…so that I shall come home quite empty in purse but exceedingly full of love - you know not how much I want to see you. I...
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Share the Love
In preparation for Valentine’s Day next week, we want to hear your ancestors’ Love stories! Do you have a love story from your family tree that you would like to share? Perhaps a relationship that survived despite challenges, a forbidden love or just a good old tale of romance? Simply click on Submit Your Story on the right hand side of the page and tell us your love story.
If you have any photos...
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The £10 Pom
My grandfather Cecil (shown in the photo above) made no secret that he was a “10 Pound Pom” and that he came here in the 1920’s. He only went back for a couple of visits in the late 70’s and early 80’s at the insistence of my grandmother. He never spoke about England, his childhood, his parents or anyone else for that matter. The only thing he ever said was”Oh...
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