Part of the worldwide genealogy/family history community
FamNet eNewsletter August 2018
ISSN 2253-4040
Quote I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work...I want to achieve it through not dying. Woody Allen
DNA
Testing for Family History
Digging Into Historical Records
The
Chinese Poll Tax in New Zealand
From our Libraries and Museums
Whangarei Family History Computer
Group
Don’t
Make These 8 Mistakes in Your Genealogy Research
10
Steps to Writing Your Family History by Kimberly Powell
Waitara Districts History &
Families Research Group
Finding Hidden Records on Family
Search
Copyright
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Editorial
Greetings and welcome to another issue of the FamNet newsletter.
This
month we are very pleased to receive articles from three new contributors and I
also have a couple of other contributions for next month. Robert and I are
elated that our readers find this newsletter a valuable read in their
genealogical or historical life.
It is very hard to write a regular monthly column. I personally struggle to find a topic that sends the creative juices into overdrive. We have a group of very competent columnists who also struggle every month. Robert and I thank these writers and obviously hope that they continue. But now that we are getting more readers contributing we can give our regular writers a break every now and again.
Therefore if you are thinking of contributing send me a sample. We do not go overboard with the editing. All we ask is an article that is readable, in English, and about 1,000 words long and, obviously, not nonsensical. We want to encourage our worldwide readership of many thousands to put their own research in words and thus help other researchers. A contribution does not force you to into a monthly chore - an occasional column is perfectly acceptable. Remember that you can then skite to your family and friends that your writings have been published. Unpaid but definitely published.
Remember to come and talk to Robert and/or me at our table at the Expo at the Fickling Centre.
Please enjoy this month's offering.
Regards
Regular Contributors
From the Developer
Keep me logged on.
Have
you been irritated by the fact that to use FamNet you have to keep logging
on? Even if you check [ ] Keep me logged on? Me too!
I tried to fix this problem several times, but the cause wasn’t obvious
and I just didn’t have enough time to work on FamNet as my other software
project is keeping me very busy. We’re
fortunate that a friend has started to help me out. Peter (Stirk, not Nash) has had to learn
another programming language (moderately difficult) and the way in which I’ve
put written the FamNet site (very difficult: he has to debug my thought
processes). One of the first tasks that
I gave him was to sort this issue out.
He thinks that he’s found the answer, so we’ll be putting it into
production shortly and hopefully the “Keep me logged on” checkbox will start
working as it is supposed to.
Telling your story: Index
1. Writing your story as notes, or with Word.
2. Embedding pictures in Word documents.
3. Saving Documents for Web Publication.
5. Sharing your Story: Managing your Family Group
6. On Line Editing: More Facts, Family, GDB Links
7. Comparing and Synchronising Records
9. Merging Trees. Part 1: Why Bother?
10. Merging Trees. Part 2: Adding Records On-Line
11. Merging Trees. Part3. Combining Existing Trees
12. Finding Your Way Around FamNet (Getting Help)
13. FamNet – a Resource for your Grandchildren
14. FamNet’s General Resource Databases
15. Updating General Resource Databases
16. Privacy
18. Linking trees
20. Uploading Objects to your Database
21. Bulk-uploading Objects. FamNet resource: Useful Databases.
The Nash Rambler
Why I love Genealogy
I have been doing a bit more public speaking lately which I have enjoyed. But I was asked a very direct question at the last speaking engagement that set me thinking about why I get so much pleasure from Genealogy.
After much thought I have come to the following reasons:
1) The learning process: It is very hard to avoid reading about the environment your ancestors lived in. In order to understand why decisions were made by our ancestors we need to find out as much as we can about their circumstances that forced them to make those decisions. We should not judge our ancestors but we can gain a little understanding as to why things occurred.
One of mine was a British soldier so I have researched the
life of a typical soldier, the history of his regiment, the battles in
I have many agricultural labourers who aren't as easy to
find as the more "classy" an ancestor. But there is a lot of
literature about their working conditions. For example, in
Because I have consulted so many different resources I have become very familiar with research repositories, web sites and the various resources. Unfortunately that leads onto another problem - writing all this up in a family history.
2) The many distractions and detours: Obviously I try to plan my research week. But a Wednesday coffee session distracts me so that I research DNA and what it can do. A U3A session causes me to veer off onto how to research German ancestry. A magazine article and I'm off into the web looking for wills. And every week it is the same.
I am now more competent in discussing subjects I had no intention of using. DNA testing is not attractive to me, yet, although I have a cousin whose DNA test lead to suggestions that may smash my last brick wall.
Sometimes I think I'm a gunner genealogist - I'm gunna do this research and another day I'm gunna do something else but distractions always lead off into all sorts of research pathways I had never intended to travel.
3) The thrill of the chase: I have a "To Do" list which contains many of my elusive research targets. This list never shortens. I have become aware that every target I reach causes at least two more to be added to the list. But I have much pleasure in the ritualistic process of elimination of a target from that list.
It is a fact that research on one topic will sometimes accidentally solve another target. This becomes the subject of much boasting when I have my regular "brag sessions" with fellow genealogists particularly at my weekly coffee sessions.
4) The constantly growing resource of the Internet: It is impossible to ignore the internet. More and more material is becoming available which requires that I regularly revisit all the websites that I use. The internet has drastically changed the techniques of research and it is very easy to become "a pyjamas genealogist". If I have a few minutes spare I'm off into the computer room and a few minutes become hours.
5) It occupies time: Now that I'm retired I need something to occupy my time. There are only so much housework, gardening, coffees etc that I can stand. I notice how many retired people have a great problem occupying themselves. I see them walking the streets, attending meetings such as historical societies, genealogy groups etc and when you speak to them their biggest problem is that they are bored.
My favourite coffee place is a small suburban shop in the backblocks of New Lynn. Its regular customers include some very intelligent writers, artists, ex teachers and similar gifted people who sit out in the sun and talk about nothing. They are basically bored out of their tree. I wish sometimes that I could be bored but at least they are interested in my latest research when they ask me what I have been doing. I am in the process of convincing them to write their autobiographies because I know that will keep them busy.
I am grateful that I took up this "hobby". Without it I would not be as computer literate as I am. I would not write as much as I do. I would not be editing this newsletter. My mind would not be as active as I think it now is. If only I could remember names, phone numbers and where I last used my glasses.
6) Not everything is on line: When I visit National Archives I wallow in the atmosphere of the place. I love the smell and feel of old dusty documents. The public library research centre has an amazing collection of books and paper resources. A proposed one hour session very easily becomes a day.
I am becoming hooked into viewing LDS "films" on Familysearch. It is not as good as the old days but it is still a pleasure.
7) Socialising with Historians & Genealogists: I have written about this many times. The social side of mixing with other researchers leads to learning of resources and techniques that I have forgotten about. It forces a researcher to listen to other researchers and also to think about what they have done. This is an exchange of advice, information and suggestions which will result in fine tuning your own research and also correcting your methods and results that would otherwise not be corrected. It can result in a brick wall being overcome by careful consideration of other's advice. Even a throwaway joke could trigger a thought that can solve a problem.
One of my biggest pleasures is doing somebody else's research. It gives new names, regions etc but the research methods are the same.
Ok. Now I have a few reasons to answer the regular question my wife asks. I can justify the computer, the extensive library, the regular spending on "non essential items" such as subscriptions, magazines, books and the important expense, coffee. Now all I need are other reasons for avoiding the gardening, housework and/or cooking.
If my eyes are open I'm researching. If they are shut I'm planning.
DNA Testing for Family History
From the editor: Gail has written quite a series on DNA Testing. You will see them all on the FAMNET website and they are a must-read, particularly if you are considering or have had a test done. They are easy to read and not too technical.
Gail Riddell
mailto:gailriddelldna@gmail.com
Index so far
Jan’s Jottings
Family History Expo
I arrived home from this year’s
Hooked on Genealogy Tour on 5 July, 
knowing that I
had to be all ‘bright eyed and bushy tailed’ to jump straight in to the
to-do list for the Auckland Family History Expo in August.
I do hope you are planning to come!
We have 19 Speakers and 42 Lectures. We
have 4 overseas speakers who are experts in many genealogy fields. Two from two
of the main ‘teams’ working for us! (Learn more in my Lecture Sat 2pm). Jason
and Russ are special as they have paid their expenses to come to
When Lucy Marshall first thought
about having a meeting to establish genealogy/family history in
Easy to see, looking back, how what is happening in your life shapes
other experiences. I was an Auckland Education Board Member and I had the
chance and loved seeing the early letters, written by a group of farmers,
pleading their case to have a school. One farmer prepared to donate the land
etc etc. Permission would be given and the school plans drawn up, the school
being built. Then would come the anniversaries - silver, gold etc etc. Lots of
photos, newspaper cuttings etc.
What about the areas settled by
pioneers from one country - the Irish, the Scottish etc. And settlements like
at Waipu. So many wonderful stories and archives. What a special country we
have. We have a set of books written and researched by one woman for the
Eastern Suburbs of Auckland and I know there are similar books about other
areas. Have you thought about your communities? Maybe you have the chance to
find new ones with your DNA results. Have you thought about starting a project?
How wonderful to be able to welcome
overseas speakers to share, just a little, of what we have. I am thrilled to be
taking Diane Loosle (Director of the Family History Library in SLC) to visit
the Museum at Waipu. A chance for her to see in depth, a little of what is
special for
So if you have friends there, make
sure you let them know so they can come to the lecture. See below for details.
Kerry Farmer is giving lectures in
the
Four of the ten lectures are being
held in a local Library.
To the rescue, for this year, came
My Heritage!! I asked and was given a
Complete Sub for each host to raffle and so bring in some money to pay
speaker’s fees where needed, and travel costs. I am driving Diane around North
Auckland and Linda Davies is driving Kerry around the
We have c100 items for the raffles -
including 12 subs from FamNet!!
So 12 more lucky people will be
reading these wonderful Newsletters!! My Heritage, The Genealogist, Findmypast,
Ancestry, Family Tree Maker, Dick Eastman, Progeny, Salt Lake Plaza, Living DNA
etc have made donations.
(Includes 10 DNA kits). Subs like My
Heritage Complete are worth around $NZ300. Tickets are 3 for $5. So make sure
you come to the Expo!!!
Value of prizes nearly $12,000!!
There will be special offers -
Family Tree Maker will have $70 off the usual prices for 2017 version. Living DNA
have a special offer of $135 for their kits. MyHeritage will have a special and
so might Ancestry.
Now - a cry for HELP!!! I need some people to help man the My
Heritage stall and the Family Tree Maker stall. Russ and Tony (from Aussie)
will be on the My Heritage stall, but I would like to have someone from NZ
there also. Just in case people ask questions and local knowledge is
needed. If you could give a couple of
hours on Sat and on Sun - guess what would be your reward?? A Complete sub!!! wow!!
Family Tree Maker are one of our
sponsors and I need - say 4/6 - FTM users to be on the table and talk to people
about FTM. One or two at a time. Again, we need around 4 hours over the two
days. So need 4/6 people for FTM and 2/4 for My Heritage. Again, those who are
able to give at least 4 hours over the two days for FTM, will receive ..... a
free upgrade to the next version (or this version if required).
Also would be just great to have
someone who would be chauffeur for our out of
Just checking in case you have
something you could donate for the Raffles??
Something genealogical would be best. A service?
Please, please, get in touch with me
if you can help. 09 521 1518 or cell 021 203 6425. Jangow@genealogy.net.nz
Lectures
Here is the information about the
lectures:
Monday 6 August, Whangaparaoa
Library ,
Monday 6 August, Whangarei Women’s
club,
Tuesday 7 August, Kerikeri Kerikeri Library,
Wednesday 8 August,
Fri, Sat and Sun -
These lectures from Diane, FHL
Director -mainly on working with and making the best of FamilySearch. You can’t afford to miss ANYTHING that is
going to help you get the best from this amazing free site.
Monday 13 August, ASB Stadium, 72
Kemp St, Kilbirnie, Russ Wilding will lecture on using My Heritage and their
DNA records, 1-3pm
Tuesday 14 August, Senior Net rooms,
Tuesday 14 August, Te Awamutu,
Wednesday 15 August, Rotorua,
Rotorua East Bowling Club,
Wednesday 15 August, Auckland
Library 12pm. Launching My Heritage at Auckland Libraries (all 55 and available
at your home!!!!!!) Come to the
Launching to find out all about it!! 12pm
Thursday 16 August, Thames,
These lectures in Putararu, Te
Awamutu, Rotorua and
Random Thoughts
Think about taking some time to look
at your family and especially those that are early to NZ - could be called
Pioneer Families. Think about their Community. FamilySearch offer lots of help
- eg suppose you have numerous pioneer families and they are in a database
file, or many database files, or in numerous genealogy programs - there is a
good chance that FamilySearch would help, for free, in combining all these
files into one.
Something else I have been thinking
about - Family History Centres.
How long is it since you were in a
FHC? You - meaning long time family
history researchers. Those who can remember microfiche, films, books etc. You
will notice, as you work through FamilySearch Trees, that sometimes the scanned
images of your Parish Register are only accessible at a Family History Centre.
Find your nearest one. Remember
National Library in
Just in case you don’t win a 12
month subscription at the AFHE - check out your local FHC. This will have free
access to Ancestry, My Heritage, The Genealogist, Findmypast etc.
All this talk of SLC is getting me
excited. I have booked my flight for the Unlock the Past cruise to
Leaving
I plan a follow-up to the
Communities suggestions after speaking with Diane tomorrow! So watch for more
info next newsletter. Check out how we can use FamNet also for projects!!
Email Jan at jangow@genealogy.net.nz for more info
Wairarapa Wandering
HAXTON
A few weeks back, when I answered the telephone,
the caller told me that she had been up at Wairarapa Archives and seen the
great collection of a research that included her ancestors, and had seen my
name there although it was not my research. A friend had delivered it to me,
and I took it to the Archives. It was for the following families: MOORE,
HAXTON, WENDEN and HAYES. I told the caller that I Was not related, but many of
the names are buried at
One thing led to another
after that visit and I showed her where the HAXTON family had lived down
Then I drove on to
Thomas MOORE came out from
Thomas married Elizabeth ANDERSON
and she became the first teacher at
At
James HAXTON married Jane ANDERSON
who was born 1842, in the Shoreditch Workhouse in
Sarah ANDERSON was Jane HAXTON’s
mother. Jane raised the children for Jane BENNETT who died in 1885. Her grave
is quite large, with just one name on the headstone, but I have looked at the
plans. Plot 65, is the same number for the William and Mary Budd HINTON, so
they are also interred there and just need their names on the headstones! Mary
died 1912, and William died 1924. Mary was older than William. Armond BENNETT
is buried at
I was also able to give the visitor a photograph of Sapper George HAXTON who is buried at Brockenhurst in Hampshire, as I had visit that lovely cemetery back on Anzac Day 2004, and helped Clare Church with the research for local names for her book, which I have a copy of.
Wairarapa Wanderer.
12 Neich’s Lane
Clareville.
5713
Digging Into Historical Records
Trademark of John Chambers and Son Limited
A representation of a trademark and the class of
goods it covered were required when making an application for registration. On
acceptance the trademark would remain on the Trademark register for 14 years from
the date of application. Payment of a renewal fee would extend the term for a
further 14 years and so on. [1] John Chambers and Son Limited submitted three
applications in August 1901 for classes 6, 47 and 50. They were all accepted.
[2] A description of the classes can be found in a document titled “Third
Schedule Classification of Goods for Applications prior to 11 December
1941.” For example Class 6 relates to machinery of all kinds. [3]
All the details were recorded in a register of
applications and these included a short description of the trademark. [4]
Application No.3491 received 14 Aug 1901 from John Chambers and Son,
The Trademark Register contains the representation of the trademark, a description of the goods to which it pertains, and renewal details. The three trademarks registered to John Chambers and Son Limited all carried the same design. [5] Trademark 2715 Class 6 Machinery - renewal paid 06 May 1943 Trademark 2716 Class 47 Oils - removed from the Register 03 Dec 1957 Trademark 2741 Class 50 Packing and hose of all kinds - removed from the Register 31 Oct 1929
A similar design to the trademark was first used as a ‘watermark’ in an agreement, made 12 November 1898, that dissolved the partnership between John Chambers and his son, John Moginie Chambers. It also created the new legal entity ‘John Chambers and Son Limited’. [6] On 01 December 1900 John Chambers and Son Limited invited tenders to build a four-storey building designed by Arthur Pollard Wilson on the corner of Fort and Gore Streets. [7] A fortnight later the tender of Cole and Moody, at £4350, was accepted. [8] At about the same time “The Wunderlich Patent Ceiling and Roofing Co., Ltd of Redfern, New South Wales was commissioned to make two advertising shields in embossed copper and electro-bronzed, each to be 38 inches in height. A more embellished design was used. [9] These can be seen, in a 1901 photograph, at either side of the main entrance of the new premises. [10]
The earliest letter seen so far, that carries the trademark, was to the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies. It was dated 26 February 1904 and advised that at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders a resolution was passed and later confirmed “that the capital of the Company be increased by the issue of 5,000 shares of £1 each.” This had “the effect of increasing the Nominal Capital of the Company from £30,000 to £35,000.” [6]
There are numerous letters to the Customs Department
before this date and their survival is indicated in Archway. They mostly
reflect discussions about import tariffs on machinery and related items. One
letter indicates that an application, made in 1901, “for appointment of
premises at corner of Fort and
Before moving to the new premises John Chambers and
Son Limited had their show rooms on the other side of
As yet there is no exact date for the establishment
of the partnership between John Chambers and his son - only that it was in 1892
when John Moginie Chambers returned from
[1] Patents Designs and Trade-marks Act 1889 Part IV
Trademarks
[2] Name Index to New Zealand Trademarks 1868-1906 www.nzpictures.co.nz/pandoraresearch-NZTrademarks-NameIndex.pdf
[3] Third Schedule Classification of Goods for Applications prior to 11 December 1941 www.nzpictures.co.nz/pandoraresearch-Trademarks-3rdScheduleClassification.pdf
[4] Archives NZ ABPJ 24130 W5797/19 Register of
Applications to Register Trademarks – Nos 2558-5753
[5] Archives NZ ABPJ 7416 Register of Trademarks Nos
2262-2879
[6] Archives NZ BADZ 5181/17 John Chambers and Son –
Closed Company File
[7]
[8]
[9] Catalogue page, page 15 of 'Supplement to
Illustrated Catalogue (Edition 1901) of The Wunderlich Patent Ceiling and
Roofing Co., Ltd', Wunderlich Limited, Redfern, New South Wales, Australia,
January 1902. Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences https://ma.as/402996
[10] Supplement to the Auckland Weekly News 07 Nov
1901 page 13 (Auckland Libraries Heritage Images)
[11] Archives NZ BBAO 5544 A78 70/a 1901/521 Letter
from John Chambers & Son to the Customs Department re bonded warehouse
[12] Archives NZ BBAO 5544 A78 210/a 1901/980 Letter
from John Chambers & Son re removal of “Rayner’s Evaporator’ from the wharf
[13] Archives NZ BBAO 5544 A78 210/a 1901/1043 Letter
from John Chambers & Son re condition under which Evaporator can be kept
[14] Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History – Caird & Rayner – picture dated 1901 - https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Caird_and_Rayner
[15] Archives NZ BBAO 5544/213/a 1903/718 Letter from
John Chambers & Son to the Customs Department re bonded warehouse
[16] Geospatial information from Wises Post Office
directories
[17] New Zealand
[18] Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland
Libraries, 4-RIC102 Glass plate negative taken by James D. Richardson
[19]
[20]
[21]
Pandora Research
nz19thcentury@outlook.com
Chinese Corner
The Chinese Poll Tax in New Zealand
Chinese
migration to
By 1881 public demand for restrictions on Chinese immigration resulted in the introduction of a poll tax under the Chinese Immigrants Act 1881.
· The Act levied a £10 entry or poll (head) tax on Chinese newcomers and decreed ships were to carry no more than one Chinese for each 10 tons of the ship’s weight. The Customs Department issued exemption certificates and poll tax receipts.
The Chinese Immigrants Act, 1881, was read a third time and passed in the Cower House on Tuesday. The clause referring to the postponement of the operation of the Bill until the number of the Chinese .in the colony exceeds 5000, has been struck out, and also the clause providing that, under certain conditions as to good behaviour, any Chinaman leaving the colony within three years of the date of his payment of £10 head money charged him on landing will have that sum refunded to him. The money will now be a direct tax paid for the privilege of becoming a resident in the colony [1].
· Poll tax payment allowed Chinese to land
and gain permanent residency, but they remained aliens, except for the few who
were naturalised before 1908. The latter often spoke English before arrival.
Further acts restricted Chinese immigration to
· The poll tax was raised to £100 in 1896.
The Chinese population in the colony is decreasing annually. In 1881 it was 5,004; at last census (in 1896) it was 3,711, only 26 of whom were females. Only 13 Chinese (12 men and one woman) arrived in the colony last year, but the number that left was 123 (all men). In 1896 the amount paid by Chinese for poll tax was £1,270; in 1897 it was only £240. This is attributed to the Chinese Immigration Act, passed in 1896, which raised the poll tax and limited the number of Chinese that might be carried in vessels. The results of the last three censuses in respect of the number of bachelors of 20 years and upwards, and spinsters of 15 years and upwards, in the colony show some interesting features. While in 1866 there was an excess of bachelors over the spinsters amounting to 12,339 men, in 1891 the census gave an excess of 3,497 only, showing that a process of equalisation had been going on. But by 1896 not 'only had the preponderance of the male element been lost, but an excess of spinsters over bachelors was reported amounting to 1,786 women [2].
· From 1907 Chinese migrants were required to pass an English language test.
Chinese in
· From 1908 Chinese New Zealanders
temporarily leaving
The decision to extend the finger print system for the purposes of certificates under the Immigration Restriction Act is interesting as another example of the way that method of identification is spreading. … In the case of the Chinese the finger print system is the only system that absolutely fixes the ownership of a certificate of exemption from the poll tax, and it is known that at the Chinese ports a trade is done in these certificates of returned Celestials.[4]
· The ability of Chinese to become British
citizens in
· From 1926 permanent residency was denied to Chinese.
· Until 1936 Chinese were denied the old-age
pension. There were three other periods when Chinese were allowed into
Chinese Portraits
This
exhibition is a small selection of photographs from the certificates of
registration. These were issued by the Collector of Customs in
The Chinese Immigrants Act 1881 and the Immigration
Restriction Act 1899 and its amendments, set out details of requirements to be
met by aliens entering
These certificates of registration were issued
by the Collector of Customs in
Upon return (not necessarily to the same port),
the certificate was presented to Customs officials, and once positively
identified, the alien was allowed to enter. The surrendered certificate was then
forwarded to the Collector of Customs who had issued it, where it was
subsequently filed with his copy. For Chinese, the certificates also exempted
them from paying the poll tax required under the Chinese Immigrants Act 1881,
provided they had paid it on their first entry.
The certificates generally show the following
details - port and date of issue of certificate, name of alien and place of
residence, identification particulars such as the place and date of birth,
physical features, arrival details, and a photograph. Some of the earlier
certificates also required fingerprints. Some of the certificates also have
attached the initial application, or correspondence regarding the individual
concerned.[6]
[1]
[2] TUAPEKA TIMES, 23 NOVEMBER 1898 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TT18981123.2.16?items_per_page=100&query=chinese+poll+tax+1896
[3] HAWERA & NORMANBY STAR, 5 OCTOBER 1908 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WHDT19081003.2.40?items_per_page=100&query=chinese+alien
[4] MANAWATU TIMES, 30 NOVEMBER 1908 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MT19081130.2.8?items_per_page=100&query=chinese+poll+tax+1908+finger+print
[5] The text of her speech can be read here: http://www.stevenyoung.co.nz/component/option,com_mailto/link,3c0e957c9ecb32674f7d7158863b9b78ecd72c39/tmpl,component/chinesevoice/misc/The-Chinese-in-New-Zealand/History-of-Chinese-in-NewZealand/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=113&Itemid=36
http://chl-old.anu.edu.au/publications/csds/csds2013/csds2013_20.pdf
[6] http://gallery.archives.govt.nz/v/dunedin/Chinese+Portraits/?g2_page=2
Helen Wong
Guest Contributors
Nigel Brown
From the Editor: I received this from a genealogist who has decided to contribute to the newsletter. Welcome aboard.
A LONG LIVED FAMILY – PART 1
I
have been a subscriber to and avid reader of this Newsletter for some years and
it is about time I contributed something. I live in
My
story started one day in December 1999 when I was searching microfiches of BMD
records for a marriage of one my ATTWOOD ancestors (I forget which one) in the
town of my birth, Cradley, Worcestershire, England, an area known as the Black
Country because of its long associations with coal mining, iron making and iron
forging. I noticed an Attwood record that mentioned GWILLIAM, a surname unknown
to me until that time and certainly not one familiar in Cradley. My curiosity
took me all the way to
The record turned out to be the marriage of Benjamin Gwilliam and Mary Ann Attwood on 25 December 1858 and its discovery was quickly followed by one of the birth of Llewellyn Gwilliam, first son of Benjamin and Mary Ann on 23 August 1859. Both events took place in Cradley and I soon established the connection with my known family – Mary Ann was the sister of my 2 x great-grandfather Benjamin Attwood, about whom I knew a lot already. They were two of the children of James Attwood, and his wife Elizabeth née Bennett, whose name appeared, of course, as father of Mary Ann on the marriage certificate.
At
this time (1999/2000) the usual way of contacting fellow researchers was via a
classified advertisement in one of the monthly ‘Family History’ magazines, and
my letter was duly posted to a Michael Gwilliam of Wiltshire. Michael had
compiled an extensive family tree of “my” Gwilliams back to 1720, but failed to
connect it to his own Gwilliam family in the same towns and villages. Moreover,
he knew a lot about living descendants of this family … in
To
cut the story short, he replied to me on 16 February 2000, at the same time
writing to his correspondent in
Thus
started a correspondence and series of meetings that have continued to this
day. I have visited my “Attwood cousins” four times since, attended one
impromptu family reunion, and learnt a lot about the British settlement of
A LONG LIVED FAMILY – PART 2
In
Part 1 of this story I described how I made contact with descendants of my 2 x
great aunt Mary Ann Attwood, some 115 years after she left
Ben
and Mary Ann went on to have 10 children between 1859 and 1877. The first,
Llewellyn, was born in Cradley in 1859, after which they moved to
(As an aside, the Abbey was the site of an early attempt at human flight when, during the early 11th century, the monk Eilmer of Malmesbury attached wings to his body and flew over 200 metres from a tower before landing, breaking both legs. Thank you Wikipedia for this.)
In
the 1871 census Mary Ann and Benjamin were living in
In
By
this time the oldest son Llewellyn had left the family home, worked at an iron
foundry in nearby Cirencester and then become a district secretary to the
Agricultural Labourers’
Given
her late husband’s interest and son Llewellyn’s activities it is hardly
surprising that Mary Ann would be attracted by the opportunities awaiting on
the other side of the world. In 1885 aged 44 years she left on the steam ship
SS Tainui, arriving in
The
Gwilliams settled in Lower Hutt, living at
Llewellyn
returned to
In
1940 the eight brothers and sisters met at Miriam Eglinton’s home at Eastbourne
– the first time they had all been together at once since their childhood. In
1960 there was another Gwilliam Family Reunion at
Mary Ann GWILLIAM nee ATTWOOD c1890 Benjamin GWILLIAM c1870 Headstone
Nigel Brown
Avis McDonald
From the Editor: Avis is a friend of long standing. Avis: I avoided calling you an old friend. She has been doing a lot of writing about her family and she has finally relented to my persistent begging and produced the following article about the Flax industry in Southland. Well done!
Johnston
There were three flax mills in 1920 in Redan but they gradually closed until there was only one left. This was the flax mill Robert Johnston (1873- 1954) started working at in 1912 when he immigrated from Shetland Isles. His wife, Margaret Barbara Cumming joined him in 1914 with their 6 children aged 2 -11 years. His three oldest and youngest son later worked there.
Phornium tenax (flax) grew in abundance in the area, and the mill also bought flax from the neighbouring farming properties. Prior to the mills closure in the depression of 1929, the mill closed over wintertime, due the difficult winter conditions.
When
In
1935-1940’s, transport restrictions were in effect to protect the rail system
against competition from road carriers. Flax had to be loaded onto rail wagons
at sidings as far away as Tapanui, then railed to Wyndham railway station, off
loaded and transported to the mill at Redan. This was disastrous with the flax
being spoilt in the time it took to cart the flax from the cutting site to the
closest railhead, then the railways to move it to Wyndham railhead.
World
War 11 saw the mill working full time as well as extended hours during the
summer. Securing flax supplies became absolutely essential, because hemp from
Flax Cutting was an extremely hard demanding dirty lonely job. Flax-cutters used razor sharp shaped knives. Skilled flaxcutters could cut up to three ton per day, depending on the quality of flax, with five to six cutters needed to supply the mill. Flax needed 6 – 8 years between cutting to grow to the required height for milling -2.2 – 2.4 meters.
Eight to nine tons of flax was required to produce one ton of dry fibre, and each mill could strip up to 12 ton of flax daily.
Snigging involved pulling the bundles of tied flax out of the gullies to the lorry at the loading site. A single draught horse was used initially with four bundles being attached to each side of the horse’s collar with snig chains. From about 1955 a tractor with a winch was used.
Flax Carting In the early days a wagon and six horse team were used to transport until they were replaced by lorries in 1930’s. Transporting flax to the mill from the farms in wet weather was a difficult job and chains were often required. Fitting and removing chains on muddy truck tyres was not for the faint hearted. When the flax arrived at the mill, it had to be weighed as the flax cutters were paid on a contract rate by the ton. In earlier times prior to the installation of a weigh bridge this was done by weighing a sample of twenty-five bundles across a platform scale, with the bundle rate calculated and applied to the whole load.
Processing – stripping Flax was stacked upright under cover at the mill on the butt ends for no longer than four to five days.
As it was needed, bundles were cut open and classed into long, short lengths, yellow leaves and diseased leaves. This work usually required one person classing and the other loading it onto the bench by the stripper. The person feeding the stripper took two blades at a time and fed them butt first into the stripper, one immediately after the other. Six feeds produced one hank of fibre. The constant high pitch whine of the stripper was very distinctive throughout the valley during the hours from 7.30am to 5.30pm with breaks for ‘smokos’ and an hour long lunch. The mill also worked half day on Saturday.
The skill required in maintaining a stripper was absolutely essential for the viability of the mill and Andrew Johnston (1905-1975) was responsible for this engineering task. Greasing and oiling the machinery was done 4 times each day.
The blades of the flax were fed through the stripper mouth piece between two feed rollers, and over a ribber guide onto a revolving metal drum with pre cast angled beaters. The flax was squeezed against the revolving drum (set at 2000 revs per minute) and a round beater bar to strip and bruise the vegetation surrounding the leaves.
Washing After stripping, the fibre was stained and needed washing and bleaching because the industry required clean white fibre. The stripped fibre was thrown over a moving chain under the stripper by an automatic catcher system. Water was poured onto the fibre as it moved on the endless chain.
A
workman dressed in waterproof clothing and rubber thigh gumboots gathered the
stripped lengths into hanks which were placed in layers on wooden 120cm x 120cm
square poles, where water continued to be sprayed for another 30 minutes.
135,453 litres of water per hour required and
Bleaching
and Drying The hanks of wet fibre were left to drain on the poles
overnight, and then transported by lorry to the nearby paddocks for bleaching
and drying.
For most of the year the fibre was able to be dried on the ground. Each hank of fibre was spread as thinly as possible in 3 rows between panels. In summer the fibre was turned after 4 – 5 days to allow the underside of the hank to be bleached by the sun. When the fibre was dry enough (about 15% moisture) it was hanked from the ground and tied into bundles with very narrow strip of flax, and taken into the scutching shed. During winter it was often necessary to hang the hanks of fibre on two horizontal parallel wires to dry the fibre.
Scutching
and Bailing The dry hanked fibre was stacked to the ceiling in the large
scutching shed until there was a spell of wet weather when it was processed.
The narrow flax band was cut and the bundles 
were
placed on a circular revolving table. From there a man placed each hank onto an
endless chain where it was and drawn through the scutching machine which
consisted of a large cylinder drum with straight angle iron beaters revolving
inside. This removed the dry vegetation from the butt ends, and then the tails
flipped over into a small scutcher which removed any short or damaged threads.
The smooth fibre was then hanked by tightly twisting three hanks together
before stacking in the press for pressing into bales which were approximately 4cwt
(200kg). These were tied with fibre ropes made at the flax mill, and ready to
be taken to the railhead, and then to Donaghys Industries rope and twine
factory in
The labour requirements for a one stripper mill were thus:
4 -5 flax cutters.
3 – 4 men in the actual milling process – (1-2 classers, 1 feeder, one removing the washed fibre)
3 in the paddocks and bleaching, who also worked in the scutching shed in wet weather
3 miscellaneous workers – 1 lorry driver
Single men lived in huts close to the road below the mill,
During the 1930 to late 1960 the mill had a strong social impact on the Redan district with up to eighteen men being employed at times, and as many as nine families being resident in the flaxmill houses and the children attended the Redan school 1972.
The
three remaining Southland mills which closed in 1972 were Johnston Bros at
Redan, 8 miles from Wyndham, L.A.Niederer’s at
Avis McDonald
Ken
Morris
From the editor: Ken is a regular book reviewer for the newsletter. He has submitted a small article below that is not a book review but very readable and caused a few memories to come to my mind about my early years.
BOYS WILL BE BOYS – WHERE EVER THEY GROW UP
The books by three very accomplished authors (with other extensive credentials): Hugh Lunn born 1941, a career newspaperman, war correspondent and author from Brisbane, Clive James born 1939 born in Sydney author critic and poet with many books and TV shows to his credit, Bill Bryson born 1951 Des Moines a well-travelled and much published author and former Chancellor of Durham University. Albeit unpublished I shared my growing up at a common age and period in history as the others even though we were spread around the globe and of differing family groupings.
Growing up in New Zealand and Australia in the 1940’s & 50’s was different to that of Bill Bryson growing up a bit later in the US, but my memories of what we got up to certainly paralleled those of Clive and Hugh about “freedom “and making our own amusements.
All three books are easy reads and I certainly could have been transplanted to the other locales and fitted in fine, I don’t think I could fill a book of adventures but reading their family interactions and adventures brought back memories of some of my adventures in a great time to grow up.
There was radio (& record players) and I had a 1 valve set that allowed some straying from the set stations. I had a bicycle, 2nd hand, and I saved up to get a Sturmey-Archer rear hub set of gears, recently looked up Google to understand how they worked. If you wanted something you did odd jobs and saved up and then bought it. My mate & I had small dinghies and we’d range around the harbour, go whichever way with the wind, a sheet for a sail and worry later about getting home (no one knew where we were and no life jackets). A no-no today was running along the railway line to the rail bridge and jumping off and float down with the tide to the town ferry wharf. I’d have a fit if my grandkids tried it today at same age, I have learnt well after the events that my kids got up to all sorts of risky adventures.
As
we got older girls became of much more interest, and I shared some very similar
learning experiences (good & bad) to those of Clive & Hugh. Dances were
organised with parental chaperones if unavoidable and on bus trips to Katikati
Unreliable
Memoirs – Clive James, published 1981 ISBN 978-1-4472-7548-0. Born 1939
The
Life & Times of The Thunderbolt Kid – Bill Bryson, published 2007
Random House. Born 1951 grew up in
Over
the top with Jim – Hugh Lunn, published 1989. ISBN 0-7336-1427-2 Born
1941 grew up in
From our Libraries and Museums
Triggered by an email from Seonaid (Shona) Lewis, we are offering a forum to our libraries and museums to publicise their events, and to contribute articles to this newsletter that may be of interest to our readers. Auckland Libraries is starting to make good use of this free service, let’s see if other libraries and museums take up this offer.
For readers of this newsletter: please bring this to the attention of your local libraries etc, and encourage them to participate.
Auckland
August
Family
History Month at
Various library venues around the
The making of Conversations with Dead Relatives with Alex Ellis and Phil Ormsby
Wednesday 1 August, 12pm -1pm
In 2018 we took all the family stories we’d heard growing up and we turned them into a play. There are clashes of ideals, moral dilemmas, epic adventures and romantic tales about warriors, preachers, princesses, visionaries and ratbags. Phil Ormsby and Alex Ellis talk about converting family stories into a successful theatre piece.
Pre-Expo Special Events
Traditional genealogy and DNA – case studies with Kerry Farmer
Wednesday 8 August, 12pm -1pm
DNA is rarely sufficient to prove any theory on its own. However when combined with traditional genealogical research techniques and well-researched family trees, DNA can provide both additional evidence and clues to solutions that might not have otherwise been considered.
Join professional family historian and author, visiting Australian Kerry Farmer, as she uses case studies to demonstrate how DNA can enhance traditional genealogical research.
FamilySearch Wiki: Key to Solving Research Problems with Diane Loosle, FamilySearch
Wednesday 8 August, 1.30pm -2.30pm
The FamilySearch Research Wiki is a free, online, genealogical guide that helps you find ancestors from around the world. Learn how to effectively navigate and use the Wiki to find websites, databases, records and research strategies. Attendees will learn about the most helpful wiki pages for research through examples and cases studies and how to become a wiki contributor.
Bookings recommended: Phone the Auckland Research Centre on 09 890 2412 or book online www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/HeritageTalksbooking
Friday 10 to Sunday 12 August 2018
Auckland Libraries’ main event for Family History Month is the Auckland Family History Expo, which has been organised in partnership with the Genealogical Computing Group of the NZ Society of Genealogists.
It is being held Friday 10 August 5pm to
Sunday 12 August 5.30pm at the Fickling Convention Centre,
We open with a reception on Friday 10 August to welcome everyone, including our international guest speakers and our exhibitors. Tickets to the opening reception are at $15 each. RSVP: arc@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to book. Entry only by pre-paid booking – limited seats available.
5pm: Refreshments and canapes, mix and mingle.
6pm: DNA: Another tool in the genealogist's toolbox with Kerry Farmer.
7pm: Panel discussion DNA and traditional genealogy, followed by Q&A session.
Saturday and Sunday are free! Take advantage of our free seminars and computer-based tutorials on Saturday 11 August and Sunday 12 August. Book on the day for tutorials. Loads of raffle prizes thanks to our sponsors.
Meet our international guest speakers:
Kerry
Farmer (
Russ
Wilding (
Russ brings a wealth of expertise in historical content acquisition, licensing and digitization from his previous 11-year role as CEO of iArchives, Inc. and Founder and CEO of its customer-facing website Footnote.com, which was sold to Ancestry.com in 2010.
Diane
C. Loosle (
Jason
Reeve (
MyHeritage Library edition launch with Russ Wilding from MyHeritage
Wednesday 15 August, 12pm -1pm
MyHeritage Library edition is now available to visitors in all 55 of Auckland Libraries sites – and also available from home if you have a library card. Come and hear Russ explain how to use this awesome new resource for Auckland Libraries customers.
Elusive
ancestors with
Wednesday 22 August, 12pm -1pm
Can’t
find them? Are they hiding? Have they jumped ship or changed their names? Join
Auckland Libraries’ family history librarian,
Was your ancestor a Huguenot? with Marion Heap
Wednesday 29 August, 12pm -1pm
The
Huguenots were refugees who left
Marion Heap is the Huguenot Research Officer of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists.
Bookings recommended: Phone the Auckland Research Centre on 09 890 2412 or book online www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/HeritageTalksbooking
The
Join the monthly meeting of the
There is a speaker and a topic at each meeting, with tea
and coffee afterwards. Non-members very welcome!
Meeting is held in the Whare Wānanga on Level 2.
Enquiries to rturner@xtra.co.nz
Nga mihi | Kind regards
SEONAID
Seonaid (Shona) Lewis RLIANZA | Family History Librarian
Central A uckland Research Centre, Central City Library
Heritage and Research
Ph 09 890 2411| Extn (46) 2411 | Fax 09 307 7741
Visit our website: www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz
@Kintalk
on Twitter /
Group News
Whangarei Family History Computer Group
Contacts:
Pat: (09) 437 0692 whangareifamilyhistorygroup@gmail.com
Venues
Thursday evening venue is
email Whangareifamilyhistorygroup@gmail.com, if you need directions.
Saturday meetings are held in the SeniorNet
rooms in
The rooms are upstairs in the
Evaluate the Evidence
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Evaluate_the_Evidence
Principles of Family History Research
“Having found one or more records about a person, it is time to evaluate what you found and determine how helpful and reliable it is. For example, a birth date from a birth record is probably more accurate than a birth date derived from a census record.” Read on
Don’t Make These 8 Mistakes in Your Genealogy Research
“It’s easy to make mistakes in your genealogy when you are first beginning as a genealogist.” Read on
https://ancestralfindings.com/dont-make-these-8-mistakes-in-your-genealogy-research/
10 Steps to Writing Your Family History by Kimberly Powell
“Writing a family history may seem like a daunting task, but when the relatives start nagging, try these 10 easy steps for making your family history book a reality.” Read on
https://www.thoughtco.com/steps-to-writing-your-family-history-1422877
Waikanae Family History Group
Contacts: Email: wfhgroup@paradise.net.nz Phone (04) 904 3276, (
Venue: Meets every 4th Thursday morning at the
Waikanae Chartered Club,
Research days: at the Waikanae Public Library, 10am to 12 noon on second Wednesday of each month.
Waitara
Districts History & Families Research Group
The contact details of this group
are:
Waitara Districts History & Families Research Group
Rose Cottage
WAITARA 4320
Tel: 06 – 754 – 3212
waitarahistory.genealogy@xtra.co.nz
President:- Rona Hooson
Vice President:- Doree Smith
Secretary:- Trish Smart
Treasurer:- Marilyn O’Lander
office:-067543212
Our
group has a long, and very active past, the group began circa 1982, by Marion
Wellington and some friends, over the years they met in
In 2012 we were forced to disband as the Waitara Genealogy Group, and leave these premises, In 2013, We became the new history group, as we were not allowed to use the word Genealogy, We moved to Rose Cottage, 33 Memorial Place Waitara, renting from the Waitara Village Trust,
In 2015 our group took over from the Village Trust, From beginning to present day, Our group will be 37 years old August 2019.
We are involved in researching, families, schools, churches, buildings, cemeteries, (our group did a lot of research on local cemeteries helping to build up data for New Plymouth District Council’s Data base).
We have been able to assist schools locally with research, when they have needed it for celebrations. We also have data on some of our local identities. (It is hard to know the total number of families research we have in our rooms, or that we have access to.
Our buildings to date include Rose Cottage, and the first two jails in Waitara all are circa 1880 to 1910.
We continue to collect school yearbooks and jubilee books.
We run stalls, raffles and have done catering over the time to raise money to help further our funds.
We continue to receive emails, from near and far asking for help in research.
We have our contact details on the window of Rose Cottage, if someone wants information they can contact one of us and we will attempt to sort it 7 days a week if we can.
We are always ready to accept any type of research or reference data anyone is willing to donate, we will add it to our ever growing research library.
We don’t guarantee to have all the answers, but we do guarantee to try to find the answers
There is quite a lot of Maori research on file, as well as other Ethnic groups, with access to Members research such as one member with his Polish background and his Maori research.
Our research includes, Births, Deaths and marriages.
In both of the Jails we have there are various Museum pieces along with Police Memorabilia and uniforms dating from circa 1880
To 1982, when our group began as the Waitara Genealogy Group to 2013 when we became The Waitara Districts History and Family Research Group we have been involved in many types of research from people to buildings, including churches and schools. We also have old photos of Waitara, some old furniture, old phones. Among our collections, there are antiques, crockery, documents, clothing photo’s, shipping records, Taranaki newspapers dating from circa 1934 to 1976. photo news books, a very large collection of microfiche data, old tools and much, much more which would have been lost had they not been rescued and stored for future reference.
One of our future plans is to have public displays again, set up for the public to visit and view, also to have open days where the public and schools can do research.
News and Views
Finding Hidden Records on Family Search
From the editor: You may by now have become aware of my love affair with the Family Search website. This article is a very good one written by Amy Johnson Crow but is too long to include in the newsletter. So this is the appropriate web page: https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/finding-hidden-records-on-familysearch/
Take half an hour and read it. It will be useful to your research.
Copyright and the online photo
No, it isn’t always fair use
A
federal court in
“Court Rules Copying Photos Found on Internet is Fair Use” was the headline of one photo site article last week [1] and that’s been repeated time and again. “Legal Brief: Court Rules Copying Photos Found on Internet is Fair Use” read another headline just last week.2
Genealogists also joined in the frenzy of reporting — and again the headlines have tended to read the same way: “Court Rules Copying Photos Found on Internet is Fair Use.”3
In other words, if you read the headlines, the End of the World of Online Photo Copyright As We Know It is Near.
So… does that mean genealogists can use any
photograph they find online without fear of copyright infringement? Or that we
have to worry about someone else being able to legally swipe our photos and use
them despite our copyrights
in our own work?
No.
Not by a long shot.
Not even close.
The decision, in a case called Brammer v. Violent Hues Productions,4 isn’t anywhere near as broad as the headline suggests, it’s a highly-fact-sensitive decision in a single case by a single federal judge in a single district, and (in The Legal Genealogist‘s not-so-humble opinion) it’s likely to be overturned on appeal.
In other words, the End of the World of Online Photo Copyright As We Know It is NOT Near.
The case was decided on a legal principle called fair use. It’s a statutory doctrine that comes right out of federal copyright law:
…the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.5
Sounds pretty broad, doesn’t it? But there are four statutory factors set out after that language that a court has to consider, on a case-by-case basis, when it decides if a specific use in a specific case was fair use or not:
• the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
• the nature of the copyrighted work;
• the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
• the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.6
In the Brammer case, the court found that, on balance, the evidence suggested that the use in that one particular case was fair use: the image was used for a nonprofit purpose that was informational, it was a factual depiction of a real location and only part of the photo was copied, it had previously been published on a site that did not include any indication that it was copyrighted, and the photographer was still able to license (sell the rights to) the photo after it was used on the non-commercial website.7
The court also found that the use of the image in that case was transformative and in good faith, with evidence of good faith in the fact that the website removed the photo the minute the photographer complained.8
The bottom line here is that there isn’t a hint in the decision that the copyrights of all photographers whose work appears online is at risk. This decision is — like all fair use decisions — based on its unique individual set of facts. This particular combination of facts isn’t likely to be repeated in any other case — which means it can’t be used to predict the outcome of any other case.
And it’s a decision of one trial judge in one federal district — which means it can’t be used to predict the outcome of any other case anywhere else or even by another trial judge in the same district.
Now… don’t get me wrong. I think this is a boneheaded decision and if the photographer appeals, I expect it to be reversed. Several parts of the decision are just plain wrong. For example, the fact that the photo wasn’t marked as copyrighted isn’t even relevant: modern copyright law doesn’t require a copyright notice.9
But even if the decision somehow got upheld, it’s fact-limited. Unless another case had exactly the same facts, this decision isn’t going to matter one bit.
So don’t be fooled by the headlines. No, copying of photos found on the internet is not fair use, not in all cases, not under all circumstances. In many cases, it isn’t going to be a close case.
So if we as genealogists want to use an online image, we’re much better off following the rules and getting permission rather than hoping we’ll find ourselves in front of a sympathetic judge if and when the copyright owner sues.
The end of the online photo copyright world as we know it isn’t near at all.
Sources
[1] Michael Zhang, “Court Rules Copying Photos Found on Internet is Fair
Use,” PetaPixel,
posted 2 July 2018 (https://petapixel.com/ : accessed 9 July 2018). 
[2] David Schonauer, “Legal Brief: Court Rules Copying Photos Found on
Internet is Fair Use,” American
Photography’s ProPhotoDaily, posted 3 July 2018 (https://www.ai-ap.com/
: accessed 9 July 2018).
Dick Eastman, “Court Rules Copying Photos Found on Internet is Fair
Use,” Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter, posted 5 July 2018 (https://blog.eogn.com/ : accessed
9 July 2018).
Brammer v. Violent Hues Productions, Civ. No. 1-17-cv-01009, slip opinion (E.D.Va., 11
June 2018).
“Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use,” 17 U.S.C.
§107.
Ibid.
Brammer v. Violent Hues Productions, Civ. No. 1-17-cv-01009, slip op. at 4-7.
Book Reviews
East West Street by Philippe Sands published by Orion Books, 2016,
ISBN
978 1 474 60355 3
This book is a combination of a Family History, historical detective story and history.
The
author writes about his own family history in the city of
The
second area the book explores is that of a historical detective. For example,
his grandmother leaves
Hersch Lauterpacht and Rafael Lemkin were very eminent lawyers. One developed the crime of "crimes against humanity" and the other, independently, developed the crime of "genocide" which were used in the Nuremburg trials after the end of World War 2 and still used today.
Hans Frank was one of the German leaders prosecuted at Nuremburg and was convicted and hanged.
The
surprise is that all three Poles were unaware that their family left behind in
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it as an important read.
Peter Nash
Advertisements
From the Editor: Every now and then we get requests to put an advertisement in the newsletter. I have therefore created a new section which will appear from time to time. Advertisements will be included only at the Editor's discretion and will be of a genealogical nature.
Help wanted
Letters to the Editor
Keep emailing me. I don't print many of the emails I receive. It helps the contributors and your harassed editor when we receive a compliment or a reaction to our attempts at "good writing".
To the Editor:
While DNA is a hot topic right now and promoted through the big companies I am wondering if anyone is asking about the chance of having a DNA sample taken from a G-Grandparents hair? Of course getting the DNA data is feasible but I am wondering if anyone is working on getting it compatible with, for example GEDmatch?
I am not sure if Gail Riddell would have an answer but I am sure that like a lot of families who have old letters and memorablia, there will be samples of hair. In fact Wellingtons Alexander Turnball Library has an exhibition at the moment, featuring hair from Katherine Mansfield.
The exhibition is called 'Death and Desire-Hair in the Turnball collections'. A newspaper article is in 'The Dominion Post' Saturday 28 July 2018.
If analysing hair could be incorporated into the present tools, what a great way this would be to push back the generations.
Has anyone any information?
cheers
Maree
From the Editor: Gail, who is overseas at the moment has given the following quick answer - she may write an article on it later:
Maree,
The issue with hair is there MUST be a follicle and whilst FTDNA (FamilyTreeDNA.com) will do the test on such a hair, the cost will be about US$2,000 and there will be no guarantees whatsoever as to whether any genealogical result will occur.
That test will not give autosomal results which are the ones required by gedmatch, it, if successful will only give the mitochondria or patrilineal haplogroup. This on its own is insufficient for any genealogy.
The other aspect is, that hair follicle may well have been touched by other person's hands and automatically any such results will be compromised.
It will be more productive and much more economical for the questioner to get his or her own autosomal test done (preferably with FTDNA) plus pay for his or her "oldies" in the same family as that of the great grandparent. The more people tested and the earlier generation will enable a much better outcome.
People say "Test with Ancestry" and this is reasonable given the size of their data base, but if this occurs, then the results of all the testers of the family need to be transferred to not only gedmatch, but also to FTDNA to take advantage of their tools...
Kind regards
GAIL RIDDELL l FTDNA Volunteer Projects Admin
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In conclusion
A Bit of Light Relief
While he was visiting, my father asked for the password to our Wi-Fi.
“It’s taped under the modem,” I told him.
After three failed attempts to log on, he asked, “Am I spelling this right? T-A-P-E-D-U-N-D-E-R-T-H-E-M-O-D-E-M?”
From the Editor: Here are some more headstones I would love to visit.
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