The prompt this month for 52 Ancestors is Identity. Solving the Mystery of Cyril Clyde Orchard When my mother-in-law Leslie died in 2013, I inherited a very large box of her family history research. She had spent many of her retirement hours researching my husband’s paternal lines, but her father-in-law, my husband’s paternal grandfather, CyrilContinue reading “52 Ancestors – Identity”
Category Archives: 52 Ancestors
52 Ancestors – Conflict
When I first signed up for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge I planned to follow through and post something each week based on the weekly prompt. As it often does, life gets in the way and I found myself missing the first weeks of June. So, rather than playing catch-up, I decided toContinue reading “52 Ancestors – Conflict”
Week 21 – Yearbook
The prompt at 52 Ancestors this week is Yearbook, so I decided to try to find information about my mother’s high school years. According to my mother, she attended high school at Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute (KCVI). For most of my life I was told that she had to leave high school in yearContinue reading “Week 21 – Yearbook”
Week 20 – Textile
The decline of the woollen mills in Bradford- Upon- Avon was likely a contributing factor in my husband’s fourth great grandfather, George Orchard, deciding to leave the UK and move his family to Australia in search of a better life. George Orchard and Caroline Mallett George Orchard was born in Bradford-Upon-Avon, (Bradford) Wiltshire England inContinue reading “Week 20 – Textile”
Week 19 – Food & Drink
The theme at 52 Ancestors this week is Food & Drink. I grew up in the 70s, the era of Jell-O salads, salmon mousse, Hamburger Helper, TV Dinners and Cool Whip. Yes, I know TV Dinners were invented in the 50s but they became really popular in the 70s, and they often found their wayContinue reading “Week 19 – Food & Drink”
Week 18 – Social
The prompt at 52 Ancestors this week is social. Once again I found myself wondering what on earth I was going to write. But then it hit me and I knew exactly what I wanted to write about… The social pages! In early January I discovered that my hometown newspaper was finally on Newspapers.com. SinceContinue reading “Week 18 – Social”
Week 17 – Document
This week I share how I worked out my dad’s true birth year using the 1921 Census. When I was growing up I remember dad telling me that there was confusion surrounding his year of birth. From what I remember he said the government had his age a year older than what was recorded inContinue reading “Week 17 – Document”
Week 16- Negatives
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following post contains names of people who have died. I racked my brain to come up with something to write about for this weeks prompt. I didn’t have any actual negatives to take a look at so I couldn’t focus my attention on that. ThenContinue reading “Week 16- Negatives”
Week 15 – How Do You Spell That?
The prompt at 52 Ancestors this week is … How Do You Spell That? Upon reading the prompt, I immediately thought about my maternal third great-grandmother Marie and the confusion around the spelling of her surname. Marie Maillot Marie Maillot, Myott, Mailhot, Myatt or Maiotte, has so far proven to be one of the mostContinue reading “Week 15 – How Do You Spell That?”
Week 14 – Check it out
Several months ago, my daughter found a crocheted blanket at an op shop. As we looked it over, we noticed that several of the squares were damaged. We decided to take it home with us and see if it could be saved. It was just before Christmas, so I washed it and tucked it awayContinue reading “Week 14 – Check it out”
Branches of my tree 