M is for ...

M is for…Magnus,Mabel,Mac, Maria, Mark, Martha, Martin, Mary, Matilda, Matthew, Max, Maxwell, Meg, Micah, Michael, Minette, Muriel, Marcia-Me!


Magnus is a collateral ancestor and I haven’t found a lot of  information on him. I thought it would be a good time to do some research on Magnus Ernest Brandt, with this letter. But it is amazing how soon I realised that there is never any quick searches in Family History so this Magnus will have to wait until another day. I know when he was born and died, but that is about it. Stay tuned, I will get around to him eventually. He does appear in some of my creative non fiction stories about Louisa, though. 

Most of the other “M’s” are living relatives and I will not write about them without permission. 

So the next person of interest and who I have a fair bit of information on, is Marcia-Me!

Marcia Ruby Brandt daughter number four was born to Garvice and Ruby,  in 1955. 

I was blessed to marry my husband in 1975 and we have 3 wonderful sons and a gorgeous daughter. Our sons all married and along with 3 beautiful daughters-in-law gave us 6 granddaughters and 1 grandson. 

I am a keen Family Historian and completed a Diploma in Family History in 2017. But I am constantly learning in my journey of Family History and this journey will never end. 

I am very thankful for today’s technologies and the internet. As I am mobility challenged, the internet is a great asset as I find getting to Libraries and research repositories a challenge. It is great to be able to research from the comfort of my own lounge room. I know that the internet has it’s drawbacks and limits but for me it is a godsend. 

When not dabbling in Family History, I can be found in my Sewing Room. I love Patchwork and Quilting and at the moment most days see me playing with some form of sewing. 

I also love painting and along with three friends meet weekly for support, laughter and sometimes we work on our painting projects! I mainly dabble in acrylics and pastels. I love painting gifts for my family and I must admit that I am fast running out of wall space for the projects that I keep instead of giving away. 

My latest hobby is writing. It was during my Diploma that I found I enjoyed the challenge of the written word. Being an avid reader, I soon found that I was able to write without too much effort., although this challenge is testing me! The writing units in the Diploma were my favourite units, so with the tuition and experience gained from these, my Family History Blog was born.

But I have to say that the over-riding passion for me would have to be my family.  

J is for ...

J is for… Jessy, Jesse, Jess, Jessie, Jack, James, Jane, Janet, John, Jonathan, Joseph, Judith, Jemma, Janyce, Jessica.

J names seem to be very prevalent in my Family Tree. 

I have often wondered on the different ways a name can be spelt. When it comes to my Family Tree it would seem that there are a few varieties.

I have a 2 x great aunt who’s birth and baptismal records have her listed as Jessy Kingston Briggs. 

When she was married the newspaper report has her down as Jesse Briggs. (Which is obviously incorrect as this is the male spelling of the name.) 

She appears on her children birth records online, as Jessie Kingston Roberts, Jessy Kingston Roberts and just Jessie Roberts. I am beginning to think that this Jessie wrote on forms whatever took her fancy at the time! Or there is the possibility that her husband filled in the forms and wasn't that crash hot in the spelling department.  But I am tipping that her Birth records are probably on the money. There will need to be a lot of investigative strategies taken to prove the real spelling of her name. But as she is a Collateral ancestor I will save that up for another day.

The next peculiar spelling of a name was by my own parents! My eldest sister was given the name of Janyce. It is an unusual spelling and it does seem strange that our parents chose this variation. 

But for now as I am behind in these posts, I will keep this short and sweet and get onto the next letter.

L is for ...

L is for… Lillie, Lily, Laurice, Laura, Leilani, Lorna, Lucy. 

Most people have a favourite Aunt. I have two one for L and one for V. 

Because this is a post for L…. I will deal with that one only ! 

Aunty Lorna. 

She was one of my Dad's two sister and I have fond memories of her. 

I remember staying at her house with my Mum and Dad. I don’t remember my Uncle George very much though.  

Aunty Lorna loved cards. Especially the card game of Canasta. You knew you were good if you ever came close to winning a game though. 

I can remember playing a card game of Newmarket with 1 and 2 cent pieces with her and Mum and Dad. I think it was my first foray into gambling. The stakes were high but no-one ever got to keep their winnings it just went back into kitty for the next time we played. But I do remember the thrill of counting those 1 and 2 cent pieces if I won!

I remember the very strong friendship that Aunty Lorna  had with my Mum. After my Dad died Aunty Lorna and Mum even went on holidays together. 

It reinforces to me that you don’t have to be born to the same mother to be sisters.  

So my L is for Lorna.

K is for ...

K is for… Kingston, Kate, Kylie, Kerry, Kay. 

There is no contest with this letter as to what I will write about…it has to be Kingston.  

My first ancestor on Australian soil was Lieutenant Thomas Rowley in 1792. He was granted a convict housekeeper Elizabeth Selwyn and they had five children, although no records have been found that he married her. 

Thomas acquired quite a few Land Grants over eleven years, the earliest of these he called Kingston Farm in 1793.

There are many references to Kingston in my Family Tree. 

Many generations of my ancestors were either born, lived or died at Kingston. 

Obviously Thomas and his partner Elizabeth and their children resided at Kingston. Thomas’ death record show him at Kingston in 1806. Elizabeth’s death records show her still there in 1843. 

Their fifth child Eliza married Henry Sparrow Briggs in 1826 and records show them living and dying in Kingston. 

One of their sons Frederick Henderson Briggs my Great Grandfather married Fanny Sarah Perigo in 1866 and they lived and died in Kingston. 

One of their sons my Grandfather Samuel Stanley Briggs was born at Kingston. 

I have so much research to do for all these ancestors, it will keep me out of trouble for quite awhile.

Not only did the original Thomas and Elizabeth name their farm Kingston, many ancestors carried the name as well. 

Henry Sparrow Briggs and Eliza named one of their daughters Jessy Kingston Briggs. 

Frederick Henderson Briggs and Fanny named one of their twin daughters Lillie Kingston Briggs. 

Why was Kingston so important and relative? 

I have a theory that Thomas may have come from a place called Kingston in England. There are records on Ancestry listing a Thomas Rowley living at Kingston upon Thames . The publication date is 1792, but he arrived in Australia in 1792. 

So once again it will need a lot of investigative work done before I can accept that this is indeed my Thomas. But it is a possibility.

I is for...

I is for… Isabella, Isabel, Isaac, Information, Immigration.

Isabella/Isabel feature quite often in my Family Tree. I have five ancestors at last count with this name.

My Maternal Grandmother was Isabella Galvin. Born in 1878 at Moore Creek, in the district of Tamworth, she was a farmer’s daughter with eleven brothers and sisters.

She married George Henry Brandt in 1907 at Parramatta. The marriage records show that her residence at the time of the marriage was Parramatta. I will need to research how and why her family found themselves in downtown Parramatta after the farm life of rural Tamworth.

This is the beauty of Family History you never run out of information to look for. 

Information Overload is often an ailment of many a Family Historian, but it is usually not the information that we set out to find!

What can I say about Immigration. Living in Australia I have many ancestors who immigrated. Whether they were transported o’er the seas or looked for a better life from whence they came, immigration played a big part in shaping my Family Tree.  Australia is a place of immigrants from all backgrounds.  A real melting pot of flavour!

H is for

H is for… Henry, Harold, Harriet, Harrison, Happy Birthday, History.

I have a few Henry’s on my Family Tree. But the most interesting would have to be my Henry Sparrow Briggs!

What sort of name is Sparrow? Sparrow is such an interesting name it would be a shame to elaborate here with the H’s! I think I will leave my Henry Sparrow ancestor for the S is for…! 

I have found with Family History that I now view history in a whole different way. History can tell us so much about our ancestors. When I have found information and records a little bare on the ground in my research I am able to glean information from reading social history of the time. This can lead to researching a different way, also it can help with writing Family History narratives. By knowing the social history of my ancestors it can help with putting “flesh on the bones” when writing a scene.

I have four children from four different families who share a birth date the 9th of January. The first is a great niece in 2001. Then I have a (H) great nephew in 2014, a granddaughter also in 2014 and lastly another (H) great nephew in 2016. If it wasn’t for my interest in Family History, I doubt that I would ever have noticed this fact. It seems that the 9th January is indeed a Happy Birthday.

How about you? Do you have a particular Happy Birthday date that keeps popping up over the years?

G is for...

G is for Garvice, Galvin, George, Geoffrey, Gillian, Gladys, Gregory, Gorman. 

The focus of this post has to be my double “GG” father, my dad, Garvice Galvin Brandt. 

So to follow is a little Creative Non Fiction story that I have been playing around with..... 

With a lusty cry, he entered the world with a rush. The warm Autumn breeze was wafting through the window of the Gunnedah hospital. Garvice Galvin Brandt was born on the 16th April 1914.⁠ [1]  

Isabella was tired after a long labour, but ecstatic that after two girls she was now finally able to present George with a son. Nurse Jackson and Dr Rollo, were fussing over the crib at the other end of the room.⁠ [2]  I wish they would bring him over for a cuddle. 

As if they had heard her thoughts her baby was being placed in her waiting arms. 

Oh my....he has the most adorable, wavy hair and intense light blue eyes. Just like his sisters.

She immediately fell in love all over again. She marvelled at how a heart’s capacity could grow with love with each birth. Her girls Valma and Lorna were loved deeply by her and George, but somehow now she just had more love to share around her children.⁠ [3] 

Suddenly Nurse Jackson was ushering in her husband.

“George, we have a son, quick come here and have a look,”: she exclaimed.

George who had been pacing up and down the hallway for what seem like hours, couldn’t hide his smile. But his first action was for his wife, giving her a tender kiss. 

“You look amazing my dear, I love you.”

“Get on with you,” Isabella smiled as she returned the kiss, placing their son in his arms.

“My what a bonny boy, just look at that hair and his eyes,” George whispered, taking in all of his son’s features with wonder. 

Isabella and George were left with the baby boy for a longer time than was normal as there was another baby making an appearance in the next cubicle. Usually the father, was only allowed in for a quick look and then sent home. So it was with a thankful heart that they spent a lovely couple of hours with their new born son together. 

“What should we call him, love?” asked George, not able to take his eyes off the bundle in his arms. 

Isabella, laughed at her besotted husband. “Don’t you have any preferences in mind?” 

“No my dear, I was convinced that we were having another girl and have only ideas for them.” 

“Well, if you really don’t have any ideas, what do you think about keeping the tradition of the GG initials going?” 

“Well you know I love tradition, but I can’t see him as a Gertrude though.”

“No silly, I didn’t mean Gertrude. My name was Isabella Gertrude Galvin. So I was thinking if you like it, we could name him Garvice Galvin Brandt.” Isabella held her breath, thinking that he would think her frivolous. 

“Well my love, I can work out where the Galvin comes into play, but for the life of me I can’t figure out where the Garvice comes from?” 

“Weeeelll, you know how I have liked to read so much in the afternoons while resting? Well Charles Garvice is my favourite author. But if you don’t like it, we could pick another name. I really don’t mind.” 

“Ah, I see. You know what, I think Garvice Galvin, has a real nice sound to it. Let’s go with that, then.” 

Nurse Jackson appeared at the end of the bed and proceeded to usher George out, very concerned that he was still there and holding the baby of all things! What were things coming to, with fathers holding babies. It just wasn’t right!  

But George sneaked another kiss of his beloved wife and Garvice Galvin before he was shooed out the door.  

Looking back for one last wave he was pleased to see Isabella smiling broadly and waving furiously with Garvice in her arms. 

*************

As my parents never spoke of their family or its history this little story is pure supposition!  There are factual elements here taken from the birth certificate, but I have put "flesh on the bones" from my imagination for this narrative.

________________

1 NSW Birth Registration Transcription for Garvice Galvin BRANDT #1914/19533, Ref No 8922143, Printed 23 January 2017

2 NSW Birth Registration Transcription for Garvicie Galvin BRANDT #1914/19533, Ref No 8922143, Printed 23 January 2017

3 NSW Birth Registration Transcription for Garvice Galvin BRANDT #1914/19533, Ref No 8922143, Printed 23 January 2017.