Family Research

Bent Axle Bob · Senior Member

Family Research

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Although I'm not the person you mean, Bob, I went to school in Bendigo and happy to assist with genealogy if you need.

Rip

Bent Axle Bob · Senior Member

smile Thanks Rip. Looks like I shall be in Bendigo earlier than expected as My knee has packed it in, so will need to head back to perth earlier than planned . Looks like early Feb in Bendigo at this point, so will contact you again when I have a bit more definite date. Will collect all known info from my cousin when in Brisbane this weekend. Thanks again,

Bob

ozi2 · Guru

Hi Bob,

born and bred Bendigonian, but no geneologist sorry!

Good luck with the research and your knee,

cheers,

ozi2

Esmeralda · Guru

Bob, my great grandfather was born in Bendigo too but had moved to Williamstown by the time my grandfather was born. A few of his relatives stayed in the area for a number of years. I am planning to get to Bendigo to do some research in the reasonably near future.

But I am no expert!!!

Cheers, Helen

Bent Axle Bob · Senior Member

Thanks Ozi2, will see how things pan out, knee may settle down, but Bendigo is for sure.

Hi Esmeralda, looks like I shall be there early Febuary. We have grandfathers birthdate, the names of his parents and his occupation. We also know he was married, presumably in Bendigo, and a date of the death of his wife. Before he went to NZ. SO, with a lot of luck we MAY be able to piece some more of the family history together

Esmeralda · Guru

Bob - I use ancestry.com.au a bit and have an account. If you do not want to go to that expense you could PM me the names and dates you have and I can see what pops up.

Cheers, Helen

Blue Orchid · Senior Member

When I was about 15 and knew a lot more than I know now, I was having a heated discussion with my Dad. I think it started off with some reference to the quality of the music I was playing and the fact that the walls were shaking from the volume.

Many topics were discussed in the following debate including my hair length, the fact that I wore desert boots instead of nicely polished black leather, sex (Even though still a virgin I was an expert) and how to keep my room tidy.

When I realised that my measured logic had put me in an unwinnable situation, I reverted to my last resort and said "Dad, you're a bastard"

I completely lost the argument when he smiled and replied "Yes, and I've the birth certificate to prove it."

From that day on I had a lot more respect for my Dad. I guess we both mellowed a little in our attitude towards each other, not that I didn't love my Dad before that day, but I loved him a lot more from then on until the day he died.

I also had a lot more love and respect for the gentleman who, up until that argument, I had beleived to be my paternal grandfather.

When researching family history, my children have asked about the blank space on my Dads birth certificate, I've told them the facts but they still follow the heritage line through my "grandfather" because they understand that, without his influence, my Dad wouldn't have had the chances to succeed in his life.

Why am I writing this??

Because if you find a "deviation from the norm" in your research, don't let it put you off. What happenned happenned, there is no way you can change it. And you can find some interesting facts.

PS. I didn't mention that one of my maternal great great great grandfathers was a triple murderer, just a bit too much to save him from the hangman and get sent to a penal colony.

PPS at 15, I was still at school, but had an after school hours job. So I paid for my music and my "outlandish" clothes. My expert knowledge of sex came from a reliable source, all my mates in the playground.

-- Edited by Blue Orchid on Sunday 29th of January 2012 08:06:21 PM

Bent Axle Bob · Senior Member

thanks Esmeralda. My sister in Law has been using that site for a number of years, plus a number of others. Looks like its to be a search of bendigo records. Spent yesterday in Omeo and Little River Inn, Ensay. Grandfather J Owen was married there in 1896, obviously a celebrant wedding. However, no record of this in Omeo. Nor any mention of him in court records, rates records nor any mention of his wife , so have to assume they both came over from Bendigo. Ancestors....why did they make things so difficult!!!!

Cruising Granny · Guru

Much of what happened about 2 or 3 generations ago was never meant to be public record. Pregnancies out of wedlock, wanted and unwanted, arranged marriages, etc.
I'm a product of one of those, well, 2 of them.
When it was done it was never meant to be passed down the generations like the family jewellery and the china tea pot.
People pretended to be what/who they weren't for the sake of appearances, or their status in the church congretation.
Even married women weren't allowed to be teachers. Only single women until they married, then out.
Keeping up appearances set a lot of precedences, and now you're trying to innocently dig this stuff up. That's why they made things so difficult.
Some of those skeletons were never meant to be dug up.

Happywanderer · The Master

Very well said CG, brought back a few memories of family secrets that were supposed to be kept secret. lol
Keeping up appearance were so important in those days, Stiff upper lip and all that.

jonathan · Guru

What CG is saying is quite true .. maybe not for all folk .. but I'm of Prussian originality that migrated to Sth Australia in 1838.

Being of strong religious endeavour, they settled in Sth Aust and bonded in their beliefs which were not always condusive to a happy life-style ..

Yes .. I'm fortunate to have a Family Book .. and its much more interesting reading between the lines ..

I'm actually related back via both parents to the same family that came out here .. very restricted family freedoms existed .. but "hanky panky" did add spice to some "God-Fearing" family bonds ..

I now find harmony in simple spiritual philosphy and stay away from Religious fervor .. It did me no favours at all ..

But, I will say .. to each their own. We each have our own choice in a free country.

Jon

beiffe · Guru

I did a search in my data for a J Owen in birth death and marriages in Victoria 1853 - 1920 and found no records.

I did find a Frederick Deshon Johannes Hampshire Owen born 1872 to a William Owen and Sarah Hudson on board a ship called "Hampshire" at sea presumably on way to Australia.

In the inquest files there is 4 with J but only two starting in J Both John J

One died in 1906 by suicide and one in 1932 in a vehicle accident

In the imigrants record I found 9 records but might be able to help if you either knew the year of arrival or the vessel

In the edwardian Index there ar a lot of J's but would need the name as there is a lot of Jno, Jos and Jas so would also need either father or mother.

Also have some Joseph's
Not much but might be some help

Regards
Brian

Cruising Granny · Guru

Ah those skeletons just keep bobbing up.
I have brothers I've never met. The person I knew as "Dad", wasn't.
Oh the tangled web they wove. Thank goodness for the open-mindedness of now. We seem to be more accepting of the unacceptable of those times. Honesty is the best.

Bent Axle Bob · Senior Member

Thanks everyone for the comments and offers of help. Am here in sunny(if somewhat cool and windy) Bendigo , armed with printed sheets of what we have so far been able to find out. Will be heading into the Historical Society shortly to see if they can add to what we already know.

Pam · Guru

My husband's grandmother was born in Eaglehawk. I will be interested to hear how you get on with the Historical Society as I want to do what your doing there one day.
I am a member of my local genealogy club and find it veru useful.
I find Victoria hard to research as you have to pay to view the basic BDM whereas in NSW you can browse a little bit more.

Cruising Granny · Guru

Jeez Jon, we could be related, or at least have our heritage in common. Born in the Barossa, raised at Lobethal.

beiffe · Guru

I found that some places are very good for research. A place I got a lot of info for Victorian history was in the historical hall in Portland. The ladies there were very helpful.

I have CD's of most of the SA stuff as my family were Irish and landed in Pt Adelaide and then moved north through the Baroosa to right up north and then slowly back to around Clare etc.

It takes ages but with the disks you can do the work when you want. Not cheap but neither is travelling hundreds of miles and paying for accommodation. Another plus is every time you find a bit of info you go back to the disks.

Disks are available in Adelaide but cant put their name on here so do research in Google for "genealogy CD Adelaide" and you should find them. they have other states as well but mainly SA.

Regards
Brian