On 24/08/2010 11:53, Lesley Albertson wrote: > No - my hypothesis is that both Frederick and Nicholas were sons of > Elizabeth HENRY (listed as a widow, in various Censuses), and a missing > Thomas HENRY. (A Clerk, according to Frederick's NSW Death Certificate). Sorry, I misunderstood you. This hypothesis would have Elizabeth having her first child (Frederick) at 17 and her last (Albert) about 21 years later. Not impossible. -- Jenny M Benson

Listers, I'm happy to see we're on the case once again. The list has been mighty quiet this summer. Jenny, to encourage you, yes, nearly anything IS possible! I have a great, great grandmother who was 13 when her first child was born in 1859; the parents married more than a year later. Another's child- bearing years (1820-1841) spanned more than 20. I found one woman for whom I had been searching for 10 years by simply entering her surname first into Google. I had been googling her full name for years! (Cemetery indexes often have surname first). A dear person on this list just sent me some info from Google Scholar that Google and Google Books did not find. Others helped me locate a box of materials in Copenhagen. Jenny, keep looking! You can even put a small notice in the person's local newspaper, in case a neighbor's descendants know of him. If there is not a will in the probate court, there will be administrator's papers. I believe in your man. I believe he was penniless and desperately keen to have a gift for his dear tired mother, and thus he lifted the handkerchief. Being no professional thief, he felt this modest piece might be easily pocketed. Every day, there are literally thousands of documents and indexes being added to the internet. Even old newspapers can be searched electronically. Interlibrary loan brings you microfilms of the local newspapers. In one case, everyone thought there was no will, but a deed in a sheriff's sale in a distant state (the executor was selling the land) mentions the will and the date it was written. Any record you find, ask for a photocopy or scan, plus a scan of the cover or first page of the ledger/book. Bottom line: perhaps you can turn something up at the person's local courthouse (don't forget to look at orphan's court) or by reading the local newspaper (including the deaths of his descendants years later; these sometimes recount more family history). When one is writing obituaries, be sure to include the forebears and place of origin. "She was descended from . . . " And, dear listers, a suggestion for your own will: when naming yourself at the start, Include the names of your forebears and the place of their origin along with your own. Or have attached to it a genealogy. For many of us, this will be one of the only PUBLIC record in a court house that we leave behind. In our time, the newspapers no longer cover us when we graduate, marry, visit relatives, or grow a bushel of prime apples, and we haven't joined the local church, our deeds don't say where we are from, and our censuses don't carry our occupations, year of immigration, or valuation. Good luck on your search. You will find something, though it may take a long time. Cheers to all, Laura

Laura I think your suggestion on adding your genealogical information to your will is a wonderful idea. In my own Barbados research I always rejoice when I find a will where the testator says something like: "In the parish of (in England) ... where I was born"! One of my Tudor forebears in the 1600s names his sister and the street she lives on in Southwark! Wonderful stuff. Here in Canada our minority right-wing government has gutted our Census on grounds of "privacy" and unless we get rid of them next election and have their stupid move reversed, future generations will not even have access to the census information that has been so invaluable to family historians. What on earth does privacy matter to us now living when the 2011 census is released in the year 2101??? And these are the same kinds of people who often reveal the most intimate details of their personal lives on internet social media! End of rant for today. Ernest On 24/08/10 11:16 AM, LALDERSON@nc.rr.com wrote: > Listers, I'm happy to see we're on the case once again. The list has > been mighty quiet this summer. > ... > And, dear listers, a suggestion for your own will: when naming > yourself at the start, Include the names of your forebears and the > place of their origin along with your own. Or have attached to it a > genealogy. For many of us, this will be one of the only PUBLIC record > in a court house that we leave behind. In our time, the newspapers no > longer cover us when we graduate, marry, visit relatives, or grow a > bushel of prime apples, and we haven't joined the local church, our > deeds don't say where we are from, and our censuses don't carry our > occupations, year of immigration, or valuation. > Good luck on your search. You will find something, though it may take > a long time. > Cheers to all, > Laura

Good Rant Ernest.... Articulate rant can be a tonic during a Long Island easterly..... Always a pleasure, and thanks Laura! Cod