QFHS Snippets - November 2009 Volume 9, No. 11

Get out your 2010 calendars and mark in the dates for our educational workshops.

Queensland State Archives is offering a free seminar on "getting started".

Researchers of Welsh ancestors can search through 190,000 Welsh online as well as a crime and punishment database.

Get some tips on tracking down those elusive female ancestors.

Remember to join us on 18 November for our last general meeting of 2009.

Happy researching!

Please to send your Snippets pieces to us at: snippets@qfhs.org.au

Table of Contents

  1. About This Newsletter
  2. QFHS Gaythorne Centre
  3. QFHS Dates to Remember
  4. QFHS Trout Game
  5. Genealogy Online at Chermside Library
  6. Queensland State Archives Seminar
  7. Queensland State Archives' 50th Anniversary
  8. Bathurst Free Press Newspaper Index 1850
  9. LeCouteur Family Reunion
  10. 190 000 Welsh Wills Online
  11. Welsh Crime and Punishment Database
  12. Historic Maps of Ireland
  13. Manchester Burial Records Free Online
  14. Family Surname Timelines on Google
  15. Genealogy: Tips for Finding Females
  16. November's Giggle
  17. Acknowledgements

1.    About This Newsletter

Snippets is a monthly publication of the Queensland Family History Society Inc. (QFHS). QFHS Website http://www.qfhs.org.au/

Please do not click on reply to contact Snippets - the 'click on reply' facility is strictly for 'un-subscribing' to the mailing list.

You are encouraged to contribute items which you feel would be of general interest to the family historian hunting for that illusive relative. Humorous items and items relating to the technology of using computers in genealogy are also welcome. Submit your BRIEF items supplemented by hyperlinks to additional details.

Snippets will rarely include items of a commercial nature and only then when they are likely to be of interest to a majority of our readers.

Submit your items to us via: snippets@qfhs.org.au

2.     QFHS Gaythorne Centre

Our address is:

    58 Bellevue Ave
    Gaythorne QLD 4051
    QFHS library - (07) 3355 3369

For details about QFHS Centre, including location map, transport etc, click here: http://www.qfhs.org.au/location_hours.htm#Library   Top of page

3.     QFHS Dates to Remember

QFHS Monthly General Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month (but not in January and December), at the QFHS Library, and start at 7:30pm. Attendance is free, and visitors are welcome.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 18 November 2009.

Bring a plate of nibbles along and celebrate Christmas with your QFHS friends.   Top of page
________________________________________

QFHS Daytime Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month (but not in January and December) at 20 Marmont Street, Geebung from 10am - 12 Noon.

Next Meeting: Monday, 1 February 2010.

Contact Maureen Mutton on 3265 4378 if you would like to attend.
________________________________________

Central European Group

Meetings are held 10am - Noon on the 4th Saturday of each odd-numbered month. A $2 donation goes toward purchasing relevant records.

The next meeting will be on 28 November at the QFHS library.

For further information, contact Eric Kopittke on (07) 3376 4339 or email kopittke@tpg.com.au OR centraleuropean@qfhs.org.au   Top of page

________________________________________

Educational Workshop

Cost is $5.50 per person which goes towards purchasing more research materials for the Library. Time - 10am to 12 noon at QFHS Library.

Next workshop dates is:
For bookings - contact Desley Schafer - phone (07) 3204 4254 or email: educationofficer@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

English West Country Group

This group researches the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Meetings are held from 12 Noon - 2pm at the QFHS Library, on the fourth Thursday of the odd-numbered months.

Next meeting: Thursday, 26 November 2009.

For further information contact Robert Browning on (07) 3359 9801 or email: robertbb2@bigpond.com   Top of page
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Family History Writing Group

These meetings are held from 9am - 11am at QFHS Library.

Next meeting: Saturday, 21 November 2009

For further information contact FHWriters@qfhs.org.au or Robert Adamson on (07) 3266 8353 OR Sue Reid on (07) 3378 2278.   Top of page
________________________________________

Family Tree Maker User Group

These meetings normally run from 10am - 11:30am venue at QFHS Library and are held on 1st Friday each month except January and last Saturday in each even-numbered month except December.

Next meeting: Friday, 4 December.

For further details, please contact Kerri Kleidon or Joe Greaves or email: familytree@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

Irish Interest Group

Meetings are held from 10am - 12 Noon at QFHS Library on the second Saturday of the even-numbered months (not December).

Next meeting: Saturday, 13 February, 2010.

For more information about Irish Interest Group contact Mary King on (07) 3205 3353 or email irish@qfhs.org.au
________________________________________

Member Orientations - 'Old' & New Members Welcome

You will almost certainly learn new stuff about the Society, and helpful hints about using the Library and researching, all in a friendly atmosphere and informal setting. New members are especially welcome.

Next orientation: Friday, 20 November from 10am.

Numbers are limited to allow full participation. BOOKING is ESSENTIAL. Please note: Sessions are usually fully booked, with a waiting list, so please advise the organisers as soon as possible if you find you are unable to attend when you have a booking.

Contact Bev Bonning on (07) 3355 7389 or Wendy Annand on (07) 3395 2530 or email them at welcome@qfhs.org.au   Top of page
________________________________________

Scottish Interest Group

Meetings are held from 10am - 12 Noon at QFHS Library. Donations to buy more Scottish resources are welcome.

Next meeting: Saturday, 14 November.

For further information: Email scottish@qfhs.org.au OR phone Sam on (07) 3266 9131
________________________________________

Welsh Interest Group

This group meets on the fourth Sunday of the odd numbered months from 10am - 12 Noon at the QFHS Library.

Next meeting is: Sunday, 22 November.

Contact Paul Wood on welsh@qfhs.org.au for further information.    Top of page

4.    QFHS Trout Game

Allow yourself the privilege of having a fun day in family history and play the Trout Game!

The game involves researching an English family (the Trout family) using eleven types of records. The aim is to see if you can get back to the 1500s. Use the game to see how good a researcher you are and find out why you may have brick-walls in your research.

It will be played on Sunday, 7 March 2010 from 10am to 4pm at the QFHS Library. Cost is only $5.00 per person with Game Master Ann Swain presiding

Numbers are limited and early bookings are essential. Morning and afternoon tea is provided; BYO lunch.

To book your spot, email president@qfhs.org.au or telephone (07) 3352 5537

5.    Genealogy Online at Chermside Library

Computer classes helping researchers find family history resources on the Internet are held on the first Sunday of each month from 1:30pm to 3pm at the Chermside Library. Next class is Sunday, 6 December.

QFHS Library Assistants are on hand to help on an individual basis. Numbers are limited and bookings are essential so contact Jo or Lisa at Chermside Library on (07) 3403 7200. For further information contact Elaine Pollard at koko12@tpg.com.au or Jill Ritchie at: jillr@ecn.net.au

6.    Queensland State Archives Seminar

Learn about the Queensland State Archives collection and how best to find the information you are seeking with the "Getting Started" seminar. This seminar, presented by one of their experienced Reference Archivists, will provide you with the basis you need to start your research at Queensland State Archives.

The seminar will be held on Tuesday, 1 December from 10am-11am at Queensland State Archives Lecture Theatre 2, 435 Compton Road, Runcorn. Entry is free and includes morning tea and a short tour. To book your spot, telephone (07) 3131 7777   Top of page

7.    Queensland State Archives' 50th Anniversary

The Royal Historical Society of Queensland will be hosting a lecture evening at the Commissariat Store to celebrate 50 years of Queensland State Archives. There will be two lectures as follows:
The lecture evening will be held on Thursday, 19 November from 6pm - 7:30pm at Commissariat Store, 115 William Street, Brisbane.

Entry is $5. Refreshments and a light supper will be provided. To book telephone the Royal Historical Society of Queensland on (07) 3221 4198   Top of page

8.    Bathurst Free Press Newspaper Index 1850

The above newspaper index for 1850 has just been published. This index contains over 4,600 entries and is available in either A4 book format or on CD-ROM, at $35 each (postage free within Australia).

All entries include: Name, Event, Age (where stated), and District. For further information, go to: http://www.gownewspaperindexes.com.au/bathurst1850.html

9.    LeCouteur Family Reunion

Descendants of George and Francis LeCouter and their children Philip, Captain John, William, Joseph, Jack, Fred, Henry, Annie and Archie are invited to attend a family reunion.

The reunion will be held on Saturday, 9 January 2010 from 11am - 5pm at "Beau Desir, LeCouteurs Road, Curdievale" (off Timboon - Curdievale Road) near Nullawarre, Victoria.

For information or to R.S.V.P (by 9 December 2009) contact Rosemarie Bufton telephone: (03) 5598 3516 or Jeanie Czukli on 0438 667 877 or email: jczukli@hotmail.com

10.    190 000 Welsh Wills Online

The National Library of Wales digitised over 190,000 Welsh wills (some 800,000 pages) and they are now available on the Library's website or direct on their online catalogue and are free to view.

Wills which were proved in the Welsh ecclesiastical courts before the introduction of Civil Probate on 11 January 1858 have long been deposited at The National Library of Wales. An online index and an opportunity to view digital images of these wills within the Library building has been available for some time, however, remote users can also view the digital images following the release of a new site on 16 October.

More information can be viewed at: http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=1514&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5btt_news%5d=2640&tx_ttnews%5bbackPid%5d=160&cHash=d41a0c9a42
  Top of page

11.    Welsh Crime and Punishment Database

The Crime and Punishment database comprises data about crimes, criminals and punishments included in the gaol files of the Court of Great Sessions in Wales from 1730 until its abolition in 1830. You can search under prosecutor as well as accused. There are also details of convicts that were transported.

Check it out at: http://www.llgc.org.uk/php_ffeiliau/sf_s.php

12.    Historic Maps of Ireland

At the Ordnance Survey Ireland website you can view current and historic maps of Ireland. It may take you a couple of minutes to figure out how it works, but once you have, you can switch almost instantly from a modern satellite map to one of several 19th century maps - still positioned on precisely the same point.

Have fun searching for locations at: http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,600000,750000,0

13.    Manchester Burial Records Free Online

Manchester City Council provides an online index containing 800,000 entries which you can search free of charge - and if you wish you can then pay to view the entry from the burial register.

However, the free information may be all you need: the date of burial, cemetery, and grave number are given - and you can even see who else was buried in the same plot. Check it out at: http://www.burialrecords.manchester.gov.uk/

14.    Family Surname Timelines on Google

You can find family surname timelines on Google. To find a timeline, go to http://www.google.com/ and enter the following:

    "surname" family history

The only thing is you have to substitute the surname of interest in place of the word "surname" in the above example. Google will display all sorts of "hits" and, if you scroll down, you will see timelines. Note - you may have to scroll a fair way to see anything about timelines.

Timelines can show all sorts of historical events involving people with the same surname as you enter in your search. A blue timeline shows how many "hits" occurred for certain years and then the events themselves are listed below the timeline in typical Google fashion.

Try it at: http://www.google.com.au/   Top of page

15.    Genealogy: Tips for Finding Females

Identifying females is one of the hardest challenges genealogists face. It might be that only the first name and married surname are known. Or perhaps a daughter disappears from census records and it is not known who they married. The biggest obstacle when researching women is that their name changed when they married. This is compounded by fewer records.

Before the 20th century, women did not have the same rights as men and, therefore, they generated considerably fewer records. Although few research problems are as difficult as finding the identity of females in our family history, there are records and strategies that can be used to overcome the challenges.

For a great list of records which can be useful in finding female identities, try this site:
http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_13579528

16.    November's Giggle

Genealogy is not fatal, but it is a grave disease!
Genealogists are like monkeys, always in the trees.
I'm stuck in my family tree, and I can't get down.
Many a family tree needs trimming.
My family tree needs more wood and less sap.
A family tree can wither if nobody tends its roots.
A great many family trees were started by grafting.
Am I the only person up my tree?
Family tree? It seems to grow more like a noxious weed.
I reach out to touch all branches in my lineages.
I shook my family tree and a bunch of nuts fell out.
With my luck, my family tree has root rot!
I'm digging my family tree up by the roots!
My family tree died in the last drought.
My family tree's roots went underground.
I finally got it all together. Now where did I put it?
There is nothing that you can take that will cure Gene-Allergy!
There are no answers, only cross-references.
Every time I think I know where they are, they move!
Just when you think you've found them all, up pops another!
Others work from sun to sun! But a genealogist's work is never done!
Genealogy: it's only an obsession after all!
  Top of page

17.    Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all those who have taken time out to send items of interest to our "Snippets" mailbox at: snippets@qfhs.org.au

The more we receive, the more frequently we can produce a Newsletter. If your submission does not appear in this issue, we will try to include it in a future edition. Please note that reference to any product does not imply endorsement. Members are cautioned to evaluate products prior to purchase.

Pauline Macfarlane

Disclaimer: This newsletter is produced in good faith, and information received is deemed to be accurate, but the editor takes no responsibility for incorrect information supplied. [Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of QFHS]

Permission to reprint articles from QFHS 'SNIPPETS' NEWSLETTER is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: "Previously published in QFHS 'SNIPPETS' NEWSLETTER" with the appropriate date and volume number (eg QFHS 'SNIPPETS' NEWSLETTER January 2009 Vol 9 No. 1). The last six months issues of Snippets are available from: http://www.qfhs.org.au/snippets.htm

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