Well, tracing back my family's geneology has totally involved me, - just incredible when you are in a country so young, which has been basically built on "convict" stock, and others who wanted a start a life in our rather wild large island - loads of avenues to research!
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However, some really recent family things - away from this computer -have been happening as well. Last Saturday, Sue and Ash's twins, celebrated their 18th birthday, think it was their 3rd night's celebration in a row - this party was for the extended "family"!! A delightful evening - as usual.
The Twins - Alex, Maddie and Uncle Steve******
As I have said, and my spreading body will prove, I have been stuck to the computer, trying to get as much information as I can about this family I am in. Yes, my Mum did a pile of work years ago, and that is helping us so much, but of course I want more and more information!!!!!.
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During this search, I contacted last Wednesday, a Voluntary History Research Organisation to request information on a relo - 6 generations ago. Today I get a reply from this researcher to say that she and I are "rather" distantly related. My great great great grandmother, and her great, great, great grandfather are sister and brother. Their Dad was a "political" convict (a catholic) from Monoghan in Ireland, no "charge" was ever found, and eventually he was given a very nice section of land (1825) - 40 acres - in Kurrajong on the outskirts of Sydney, which he left to his kids - the researcher's relo, and mine!!. To think I had only tracked down the grave and headstone of this "political irish boy" last Thursday. He was so young when shipped across the sea on the convict ship "Rolla" which left Cork on 4th November, 1802 and sailed into Rio on 15th January, sailed from Rio on 6th February and 95 days after came to anchor in Port Jackson 12th May 1803. (The Sydney Gazette reported) " During the latter part of the passage the Rolla experienced much bad weather, in the course of which she sprung her main mast and carried away her main yard - she arrived in Port Jackson 189 days after leaving Cork, with prisoners of both sexes from Ireland - 119 men and 37 women, 7 of whom died on passage."
The headstone of my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather at the St.Matthews Catholic Cemetery in Windsor, NSW.
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