Category: Family History
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THE SYDNEY SWANS – 4. LOUISA
Louisa’s story is very sad. She was seventeen when she married Francesco at the Sydney Registry Office, just a few weeks before her eighteenth birthday. The marriage document shows that her father, William Swan, signed his permission for her to marry Francesco. For the entirety of their married life Louisa…
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BURIED
In the post-Roman period in Britain, contemporary written records all but disappear. Literacy is still there, but it’s harder to find traces of it. We get some glimpses from high-status sites, including monasteries. This is the period which used to be referred to as the “Dark Ages”, which is now…
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THE SYDNEY SWANS – 3. THOMAS
Thomas Cormick Swan was born on the 19th of March 1858 in West Maitland, the third child of Elizabeth, “Bessie“(Cassidy/Cain) Swan and William Swan. His Birth Certificate has his father, William as 31 years old, yet all other documentation suggests that William was actually about 41 years old when Thomas was…
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THE SYDNEY SWANS – 2. LETITIA
The name Letitia derives from its Latin counterpart Laetitia, which directly translates to joy in English. With its roots in the ancient Latin language, Letitia has a rich historical background. In ancient Roman mythology, Laetitia was the goddess of celebration and mirth, known for her cheerful and lively nature. The…
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THE SYDNEY SWANS – 1. WILLIAM
One of the most interesting branches on the Family History tree is the descendant line of Sarah Murray and Cormick Cassidy who were from the Irish border town of Monaghan. They were my 4th great grandparents and Sarah Murray’s story can be found in another entry in this history blog…
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SARAH (MURRAY) CASSIDY
Sarah Murray, born about 1796, was an illiterate country servant from Monaghan Ireland whose husband, Cormic Cassidy, probably died about 1829. Sarah (Murray) Cassidy was convicted of a first offence, the theft of clothing on 24th October 1836 in Monaghan, Ireland and sentenced to seven years transportation. After sentencing, on the…
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A PAIR OF BASTARDS
How Vicki and Roger are connected to both the Scottish and English Monarchy. JAMES STEWART V KING of SCOTS (1512-1542) Wiki: Stewart-2313 VICKI’S FIRST DEGREE of CONNECTION Jean Stewart (1529-1588): his daughter. Wiki: Stewart-10676 Jean was Mary, Queen of Scots elder half-sister by a dozen years. Both were daughters of…
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THE ARMY LIFE of NORM PINCH
In October 2024, we caught up with one of Vicki’s 1st cousins, Alison (Miles) Miller in beautiful Melbourne. Vicki and Alison have been communicating for more than a few years so with Karen and Debra in tow, we made the journey to the shores of Port Philip Bay and caught up…
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HUTTON – What’s in a name?
On the last day of our little trip to Canberra we were invited by the Major to visit the Officers’ Mess in Duntroon for a few libations before our last dinner in the nation’s capital. The Major gave a great tour of the complex, pointing out various buildings and their…
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SARAH: JONES or MILES?
INTRODUCTION: Sarah Miles. Born in 1824 in Priston, Somerset England and baptised on the 4th July of that year. Sarah was the ninth child, the third daughter of a Priston farm labourer, John Miles and his wife, Elizabeth Heal who was from nearby Camerton. On the morning of the 10th April 1843…
miles of irvings 