MUM AND THE BLOW FLIES

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While growing up in the dead silence you often heard the words, “You bloody bastard.” Often that was a sign mum wasn’t happy, or something had gone awfully wrong. No what matter the situation mum would still react at the sound of the humming noise as it whipped past her.

Mum and the blow flies had its challenges until mum won. Then there was this classic from the day when time stood still on a warm day in early 1980’s that mum literally watched a blow fly walk under the gap between the door and the lino floor. For those who knew mum would totally get it. It became a story mum shared for years that every time I see a blow fly now; I’m reminded of mum’s story.

 Even the time when mum’s body was failing her and few days before her passing, she sat with the fly swat in her hand and her ears pricked for it to land near her. And during that time, mum’s eyes would search the ceilings for a fly as she could hear but not see. She must have been crossing to another realm as I never saw or heard what she as hearing. As time neared, we knew she was flipping from earth and heaven for sure.

In those last days with mum and that darn fly swat….I said, “I’m gonna bury you with that if you don’t put it away!”

Flies suck for sure; don’t they mum.

LISTEN TO THE STORIES

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In family research it does take a good memory that Aunt that knew everything as we need to listen to the stories and then solve them.

Example 1

Adelaide, South Australia docked a famous ship named “Buffalo” and when I began researching, I was told a story that we had family members with name FISHER that were on board.  Then I managed to get a copy of the passengers and crew. But the real twist never emerged until I connected with a family member related to the HENDERSON family and discovered my FISHER had married a HENDERSON and her brother was on board the BUFFALO ship. Pennies dropped as the HENDERSON family emigrated first to South Australia before heading east.

Example 2

A twist in my great grandmother’s upbringing. The story goes that she was brought up by her aunt and not her real mother. While there seems to be some truth, my gut feels it’s implied to another generation back.

Snippets like these are important as someone, somewhere must have evidence or knew the story themselves. Things are becoming scarce, especially as the older generations are walking the rainbow bridge with stories never to be solved.

Example 3

When my birth appeared, they decided to use my grandmother’s second name “Emma” and my mother shared the tale that Emma was deprived from a racehorse. Oh hum, what a fib. Once I delved into the family tree, I discovered my 2nd and 3rd great grandmothers had the name Emma. My 2nd great grandmother was just “Emma” whereas her mother was “Ann Emma.”  I’m also fortunate to have part of a photo my 2nd great grandmother.

So that story your grandmother told you may have some truth that needs ironing out with the right information that proves it’s correct.

BE CREATIVE WITH SPELLING

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Are you thinking outside the box when it comes to names?

It’s kinda like a game and you need to be creative with spelling to find those long lost ancestors sometimes.

Although I had been researching my family history for many years before I moved to Melbourne and scored my first job in a pizza shop. It helped me understand why we need to be creative. Because different people hear things differently and some time their misunderstandings of English makes you want to cackle in your collar.

One night I saw a delivery for a local bar and the exact words where ‘Lamb in the Barn’ heck where was that? When it should have been Labor in the Vain! Some words over the years really had me thinking, really? Why didn’t I come up with that.

Being creative with the cd’s or databases are vital as typos are common and some are purely mistakes and others are not able to translate the original handwriting.

I do recall some indexes where being done by prisoners so I do hope it was done correctly if this was true.

When I was in New Zealand I was fortune to find my German ancestor only because it was pointed out to me that my ‘Schmidt’ was indexed under ‘Smith!’ What a creative choice that was? It really was long shot.

Another reason to be creative is because of the strong ascents our ancestors had that made simple words like McCaffrey become McCaftery along with other names too.

Therefore mixing words and changing letters was really one could do in the early days.

Some of the examples are:

·      Wm for William

·      Jn for John

·      Smith instead of Schmidt

·      Haughton, Howton instead of Houghton

·      Poole, Pauly instead of Pawley

·      Garriock, Garrioch instead of Garrick

DO YOUR OWN FAMILY NOT OTHERS

Are you aware by what I mean by do your family not others?

In the family history world, life can get exciting when you venture into a new family through partnership or marriage, that’s when you need to know how to tackle it.

How would it be if you spend ten years researching your married name only to discover it’s end abruptly one day. All that time and money invested in a family that is never your blood. IF you have children them one day they may appreciate it.

Reasons to do your family not others:

·      You are connected by marriage only

·      The passion will be stronger joining the dots in your own family tree

·      A better understanding of the layout of the family

·      Information is not lost when you endeavour in it

·      Make life time friends who you are related too

While this was a tough one for me to learn as I researched a intertwined family of my ex’s long ago. I still was the one to leave all my work behind.

The key to this solution is let the blood family do the work, and maybe you and help point them in the right direction.

Because like anything, researching your family history is an addiction and it’s hard to know when to stop.

Seriously.

Because I have been there.

Myself.

WHAT DOES PATERNAL AND MATERNAL MEAN?

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These two words are not common to normal conversations but are often referred to in the world of family history buffs.

So what does Paternal and Maternal mean?

 Paternal means:

• the fathers line.

• grandfathers line

• relating to or characteristics of a father or fatherhood

• inherited through the male line

 Maternal  means:

• the mothers line

• grandmothers line

• relating to the mother, especially after childbirth.

• Belonging or characteristics of a mother

• Meaning where the term maternal leave originated

• when a young female is longing to be a mother, the term ‘maternal instinct’ is used.

Maternal is the easiest to remember for the lettering of mother and maternal because they both start with the letter M for mother. Once you master this bit of information, it’s so much easier to recall paternal line for the father’s side.

I hope this helps you understand the difference between the two and you are able to recall names, dates and places quickly using these terms.

OH NO! NOT LAMBIE AGAIN

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While growing up my father had small blocks of land that had sheep and during lambing time we often ended up with a few pets. Some we named others we didn’t but there was one time we had one that went by the name of Lambie…

Who didn’t like to stay in where he belonged, he ate the wires to my light off my bike in the shed and was notorious for getting out.

Tudunt tudunt tudunt

            ‘Oh no, Lambie again,’ were our words as we sat watching television in the front room just after lunch on the weekend. ‘He’s out again.’ His yard was a large unused tennis court, that had dug up holes from the landlords turkeys with large over hanging cyprus trees that kept the wind out. 

As his hooves hit the pavement and made the noise of Tu-dunt tu-dunt tu-dunt, which made all the hairs on the back of our neck stand up. Then came the bleating sound of his baaing.

Followed by unpleasant words from mum and dad (no swearing). Then we often tore outside and began rounding him up. Most times we would end up water streaming out of our eyes and sore ribs at the sight and frustrations of dad chasing him back to his yard.

IT’S ALWAYS THE MAIDEN NAME

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Did you know that all family history data is entered in a certain way?

AND It’s always the maiden name.

Why?

It helps understand as in some cases women married multiple times hence death in the family, war or migration for work.

The female line is recorded as the full name she was born with.

Here is an example:

Let’s say your grandmother was only known as ‘Granny Harper.’  But in the records she was born under this name.

Charlotte Adelaide Henderson born 1871, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

So it can be tricky if you never knew her name. Then in that case you may need to contact any living relative find the clue to get you started! 

After a while you actually speak of your feminine line by their birth names and if you are lucky to have a brilliant memory you will remember the fine details like when and who they married.

Hence, that’s why it’s always the maiden name!

As time is changing and many same sex marriages are on the rise, things may  need to be recorded to the wish of the people involved. Always find out what their choice of name and go with that. Other wise it’s the same rule as above.

GETTING STARTED

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Have you ever thought about starting you family tree and not sure what to do or where to begin? Grab a piece of paper and pen.

Here are five simple tips to help you get started…

1 Your own full name at the time of your birth.

When you enter names down on a piece of paper or purchase a current family tree program of your choice, the names are always keyed in as what is known as the father’s family birth name or in the female line is called the maiden name.

2 Fathers Name

Here we write down the full name at the time of his birth.

Followed by the date and place he where was born.

Example: Maxwell John Smart born 7th June 1955

If your father is deceased, jot these down the same as the birth details.

3 Mothers Name

Now write down the full name of your mother at the time of her birth. Which may be different to the name as you know her as.

The day, month and year and place she was born.

Name the suburb if it’s part of a city.

Example Ellen Jane Chapman born 23rd May 1963, Brighton, Victoria, Australia  

4. Paternal Grandparents Names

Here it can be tricky…

These are the names of your both your fathers’ parents.

Write down the dates and places of each the same as your parents. Then under the grandfather’s name write the date and place of marriage.

Example Thomas John Smart born 5th January 1922, St Kilda, Victoria, Australia

Married 10th June 1942, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

Died 24 November 1985, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

 5. Maternal Grandparents

 These are the names of your mother’s parents.

Follow the steps under the paternal grandparents

Unless a family tree has been started this is where the research comes in. So really after your grandparents it can get messy or confusing. In some cases, you may be lucky where your family mentioned their grandparents even great grandparents by name.

I hope these tips are useful to help you get started.