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This post is about identifying the father of my mothers paternal grandfather, my second great grandfather – what was his name? (52Ancestors#12). I previously wrote about her grandfather Edward Roberts in 2018. The circumstances surrounding his birth have always been a mystery and whilst we knew his mother was married twice, we believed her second… Continue reading What is our family name – Roberts, Baker or Dye?
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For many years I have been researching my Irish roots attempting to bridge the gap in paper records through the power of DNA analysis. I recently wrote about my Sweeney family who came from the townlands of Rathclooney and Moyriesk in County Clare. You can read about them here. From DNA matching, I have long… Continue reading Finally, I think I’m a MacNamara!
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My emigrant ancestor to Australia on the Sweeney line was my maternal 2nd great grandmother Mary Sweeney, our Cassidy matriarch, who I’ve previously written about here. Mary and her brother Terence emigrated to Australia as Bounty Immigrants from County Clare aboard the Roxborough Castle in 1839, aged 20 and 23 respectively. Their parents were stated… Continue reading Establishing the origins of my Sweeney family: John Sweeney of Rathclooney.
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Imagine my amazement to find I am somehow related to Silas Cole – the Tasmanian convict! Coles Bay, a picturesque locality in Tasmania was later named after him. Silas was known to collect and burn shells from the Aboriginal middens in the bay area to make lime. He often described the beauty of the bay… Continue reading How is Thomas Paice of Kingsclere related to Silas Cole, the convict?
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John Coat (52Ancestors #8) was an early immigrant to South Australia, arriving in Adelaide in 1848 aboard the Princess Royale. He was born in 1826 at Huntspill, Somerset, England to parents Marmaduke Coat and Amy Hewlett. Two years after his arrival in the colony of South Australia he married Elizabeth Richards in Adelaide. Elizabeth was… Continue reading John COAT: The South Australian Immigrant
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It’s been a long journey since I first started researching my Britton ancestors in about 2006. I met my fellow Britton researcher Ruth online in 2009 striking up a friendship across the world where we have collaborated for over a decade. We have always felt that all the Brittons born in Fermanagh Ireland in mid-late… Continue reading Reuniting the Britton family, our ‘unnamed’ Patriarch
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Week 5 of the #52Ancestors challenge for 2018, had the prompt ‘In the Census’. It wasn’t hard to pick the ancestor I wanted to write about for ancestor #6. Edward Roberts, my mothers paternal grandfather, he died 3 years before I was born. This was the first photo I remember seeing of him, I always… Continue reading Edward Roberts – born in England or India? Fact or fancy?
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The prompt for 52 Ancestors challenge for Week 3 2018 is ‘Longevity’. I struggled to think which ancestor I could choose, after trawling through my tree of over 6000 people I could not find anyone who lived to be 100 or even 90. I have chosen to tell the story of my 2nd great grandmother… Continue reading The Cassidy Matriarch – Mary Sweeney
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The 52 Ancestors challenge for Week 2 2018 is ‘Favourite Photo’. Those of you who know me would not be surprised about which photo I chose for this weeks challenge. If you have been following my research you will known that one of my main brick walls is finding the father of my paternal grandmother… Continue reading Which Noll is it?
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Prompted by the new #52Ancestors challenge for 2018, I decided to revisit one of my favourite brick wall ancestors, my second great grandfather (52Ancestors #3) Arthur or is it George? Courtenay or Courtney? He is the father of my mothers grandmother Abigail (Courtney) Roberts who was born in 1871 in Woolwich, Kent, England. It was… Continue reading The Mysterious Mr Courtenay?