Thursday 31 October 2013

HAPPY HALLOWEEN



 Happy Halloween...

I'm sure you will love this post by The Silver Voice

http://networkedblogs.com/QAEJo

She has not only the history of Halloween, but also her personal memories and even better, some great recipes.

My personal connections with Halloween were not so much from my childhood as we didn't really celebrate it here..
at least not until I was a teenager. 
Then the American influence was appearing 
in magazines a bit and on television. 

However it will always hold a far more important place in my heart as it was on Halloween 
that I gave birth to our first child, a son.

 Happy Birthday!







 Just to show a few more traditions...



      The following article is courtesy of Michael Green 
      who writes a great newsletter available through


    ===========================
    IRISH HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS
    ===========================

    The Celts celebrated Halloween as Samhain, 'All Hallowtide' - the 'Feast of the Dead', when the dead revisited the mortal world. The celebration marked the end of Summer and the start of the Winter months. 

    During the eighth century the Catholic Church designated the first day of November as 'All Saints Day' ('All Hallows') - a day of commemoration for those Saints that did not have a specific day of remembrance. The night before was known as 'All Hallows Eve' which, over time, became known as Halloween. 

    Here are the most notable Irish Halloween Traditions: 

    Colcannon for Dinner: 
    Boiled Potato, Curly Kale (a cabbage) and raw Onions are provided as the traditional Irish Halloween dinner. Clean coins are wrapped in baking paper and placed in the potato for children to find and keep. 

    The Barnbrack Cake:

    The traditional Halloween cake in Ireland is the barnbrack which is a  fruit bread. Each member of the family gets a slice. Great interest is taken in the outcome as there is a piece of rag, a coin and a ring in each cake. If you get the rag then your financial future is doubtful. If you get the coin then you can look forward to a prosperous year. Getting the ring is a sure sign of impending romance or continued happiness. 


    The Ivy Leaf:
    Each member of the family places a perfect ivy leaf into a cup of water and it is then left undisturbed overnight. If, in the morning, a leaf is still perfect and has not developed any spots then the person who placed the leaf in the cup can be sure of 12 months health until the following Halloween. If not..... 

    The Pumpkin:
    Carving Pumpkins dates back to the eighteenth century and to an Irish blacksmith named Jack who colluded with the Devil and was denied entry to Heaven. He was condemned to wander the earth but asked the Devil for some light. He was given a burning coal ember which he placed inside a turnip that he had gouged out. 
    Thus, the tradition of Jack O'Lanterns was born - the bearer being the wandering blacksmith - a damned soul. Villagers in Ireland hoped that the lantern in their window would keep the wanderer away. When the Irish emigrated in their millions to America there was not a great supply of turnips so pumpkins were used instead. 

    Halloween Costumes:
    On Halloween night children would dress up in scary costumes and go house to house. 'Help the Halloween Party' and 'Trick or Treat' were the cries to be heard at each door. This tradition of wearing costumes also dates back to Celtic times. On the special night when the living and the dead were at their closest the Celtic Druids would dress up in elaborate costumes to disguise themselves as spirits and devils in case they encountered other devils and spirits during the night. By disguising they hoped that they would be able to avoid being carried away at the end of the night. This explains why witches,  goblins and ghosts remain the most popular choices for the costumes. 

    Snap Apple:
    After the visits to the neighbours the Halloween games begin, the most popular of which is Snap Apple. An apple is suspended from a string and children are blindfolded. The first child to get a decent bite of the apple gets to keep their prize. The same game can be played by placing apples in a basin of water and trying to get a grip on the apple without too much mess! 

    The Bonfire
    The Halloween bonfire is a tradition to encourage dreams of who your future husband or wife is going to be. The idea was to drop a cutting of your hair into the burning embers and then dream of you future loved one. Halloween was one of the Celt 'fire' celebrations. 

    Blind Date:
    Blindfolded local girls would go out into the fields and pull up the first cabbage they could find. If their cabbage had a substantial amount of earth attached to the roots then their future loved one would have money. Eating the cabbage would reveal the nature of their future husband - bitter or sweet! 

    Another way of finding your future spouse is to peel an apple in one go. If done successfully the single apple peel could be dropped on the floor to reveal the initials of the future-intended.  

    Anti-Fairy Measures:
    Fairies and goblins try to collect as many souls as they can at Halloween but if they met a person who threw the dust from under their feet at the Fairy then they would be obliged to release any souls that they held captive. 

    Holy water was sometimes anointed on farm animals to keep them safe during the night. If the animals were showing signs of ill health on All Hallows Eve then they would be spat on to try to ward off any evil spirits. 

    Happy Halloween from Ireland! 

Wednesday 16 October 2013

NEW FILES ADDED TO IGP ARCHIVES Sept. 1-15th, 2013



NEW FILES ADDED FROM SEPT. 1-15TH, 2013

ANTRIM Genealogy Archives
Bushmills; St. John the Baptist, Parish of Dunluce (Wall Plaques)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/antrim/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

CLARE Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Irish Constabulary 1858 (partial: records 22751-24000)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/clare/military.htm
 
CORK Genealogy Archives
Irish Constabulary 1858 (partial: records 22751-24000)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/cork/military.htm

DONEGAL Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary
Irish Constabulary 1858 (partial: records 22751-24000)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/donegal/military.htm

DOWN Genealogy Archives - Military and Constabulary
Irish Constabulary 1858 (partial: records 22751-24000)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/down/military.htm

DOWN Genealogy Archives - Headstones
Belfast, Knockbreda Cemetery, Belfast - Part 2 (additional)
Dundonald, Belfast, parts 3 & 4
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/down/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Military
Irish Constabulary 1858 (partial: records 22751-24000)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/military.htm
 
DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones - Mt Jerome
Reformed French Huguenot Burial Place
Mount Jerome Headstones parts 62-65
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/mt-jerome-ndx.htm

DUBLIN Genealogy Archives - Headstones - Deansgrange
Deansgrange - St. Nessan's section 9
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/deansgrange-ndx.htm

KILDARE Genealogy Archives - Military
Irish Constabulary 1858 (partial: records 22751-24000)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/kildare/military.htm
 
MONAGHAN Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
Drumswords (CoI) Graveyard (partial)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/monaghan/photos/tombstones/markers.htm
 
ROSCOMMON Genealogy Archives - Headstones.
Clooncraff Graveyard (partial)
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/roscommon/photos/tombstones/markers.htm

WICKLOW Headstone Index
Baltyboys Cemetery - Part 1
www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/wicklow/photos/tombstones/markers.htm


Monday 14 October 2013

RESEARCHING LIMERICK?

RESEARCHING LIMERICK?


If you are interested in researching Limerick, this site could be of interest...


http://limerickslife.com/limerick-family-history/

 This is a very helpful site compiled and owned by Sharon Slater... many thanks to her for all her dedicated work.

These are just a few of the categories she offers...


Saturday 12 October 2013

JOHN WARREN WHITE OF CAHERBLONICK, COUNTY CLARE, IRELAND


JOHN WARREN WHITE OF CAHERBLONICK, COUNTY CLARE, IRELAND


This is the first of occasional posts about of some of Ireland's former citizens... this particular article comes from Text Queensland... www.textqueensland.com.au

If, like me, you didn't know where Caherblonick is, this may give you some idea...




JOHN WARREN WHITE AND FAMILY

Tht Presidential Paper of COMMANDER NORMAN S. PIXLEY C.M.G., M.B.E., V.R.D., Kt. O.N., F.R. Hist. S.Q.

Read at the Annual Meeting of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland, 25th September 1975.

John Warren White of Caherblonick, County Clare, Ireland, was born in 1828: he was the eldest son of a barrister, Thomas Warren White (known as the "Father of the Irish Bar") and Elizabeth White, who, before her marriage, was Elizabeth Persse of Roxburgh, County Galway, Ireland.

Choosing an army career, he was an officer of the Rifle Brigade, with which he had served in Canada, but resigned his commission and departed for Australia in the sailing ship "Lightning", arriving in the fast developing Colony of Victoria in 1850.

Six feet three in height, strikingly handsome, with high principles and a courtly manner, being also a good horseman and a first- class whip, he soon found his place in the country life of the colony.
There in due course he met and married Maria Gibton, daughter of Robert Nassau Gibton of "Tallaght", County Dublin, Ireland, who had come to Melbourne in the "Afric" in 1857.

John White became occupied in buying and selling of sheep and other properties: at one time he owned a flour mill. After living with his wife in various country towns they settled in St. Arnaud, seventy miles from Ballarat, and John was for a time mayor of the town. They had eight children, all born in Victoria, one of whom died in infancy.

In 1881 John White brought his family to Queensland where he was interested in pastoral property. They lived in the Gympie, Charters Towers and Gladstone districts with varying fortunes, during which his wife, gentle, of small stature and deeply religious, faced with fortitude the hardships of pioneering and the care of her seven children who, with their dogs and horses, developed a love of animals. The wise and kindly influence of their parents as to good manners, speech, amusements and duties in and around the home was a lasting one and the family retained close and affectionate links with each other through the succeeding years.

Leaving the country, they came, with a small capital remaining, to Brisbane to live at Franz Road, Clayfield, in a house called "The Bungalow".

When the Stock Exchange was inaugurated in Brisbane, John Warren White became it's first president in 1885.


He and his wife each lived to the age of ninety years: John died in January 1918 and his wife in December 1925.. A saga of service to their country runs through the story of the family.

THE FAMILY

The names of the children were: Maud Letitia, John Warren, Dudley Persse, Katherine Gertrude, Mabel Elizabeth, Cyril Bru- denell Bingham, and Eustace Nassau.

Maude Letitia (1861-1953), the eldest, married in 1884 Boyd Echiin, an Irishman who came to Australia and took up land in Queensland. He served as a captain in the 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry, with the Boer War Contingent, and during World War I was commandant of the prisoner of war internment camp in Brisbane.

Their son, Richard Fleming Warren ("Warrie"), was in the Queensland National Bank at Yangan for a time, then went to live in Nigeria, until the outbreak of World War I when he left for England, joined the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, and served throughout the war, rising to the rank of major.
(Rumour hath it that, during one weekend leave in France, Warrie and some fellow officers journeyed to Paris with H.R.H. Edward, Prince of Wales, in the Royal car, with Warrie sitting on the Prince's knee!).

During the war he married Isobel Buckland Taylor, returning after the close of hostilities to Africa, but later he went back to England. In World War II, he served in the Brigade of Guards home guard with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Gladys Ivy ("Dai") Echiin, Maude Letitia's elder daughter, took up a nursing career and in November 1914 left Brisbane in the hospital ship "Kyarra" for the Middle East, where she served in No.1 Australian General Hospital in Egypt nursing the many wounded who came from Gallipoli in 1915. After returning to Australia in a hospital ship in 1916 ,"Dai" went to England, and after a period in Harefield Hospital, served in field hospitals in France which at times were subjected to heavy fire. She was awarded the associate Royal Red Cross which was presented to her at Buckingham Palace by King George V. 

"Dai" Eichiin returned to Brisbane after the war
and joined the public service as a nursing sister.

Nancy Lynette ("Nan") Echiin, the younger daughter, was a journalist attached to the Brisbane "Courier" until her marriage to Lieutenant-Commander Eric Feldt (formerly of the R.A.N.), at that time a patrol officer in New Guinea. At the outbreak of World War II he joined the Navy and formed the Coast Watchers, that small and devoted band which rendered invaluable service under his control and supervision with the rank of commander. He was awarded the O.B.E. for outstanding service in the South Pacific and later wrote a book, "The Coast Watchers". When her husband was stationed in Townsville, Nan made camou- flage nets, and helped in service canteens and with the Red Cross. The Feldts had no children.

Maude Letitia Echiin died on 2nd August 1953 aged 92.


"WHITE BY NAME AND NATURE"

John Warren ("Jack") (1863-1947), the eldest son, joined the Queensland Police Force as a cadet in 1882 soon after arriving with the family and was sent to North Queensland, where he served in a number of districts and was in charge of units of the native police.

Ten years later he married Elizabeth Rose Georgina ("Ruby") Barker, daughter of William Barker of "Nunnington", Kangaroo Point, and "Tamrookum", Logan River district. Eventually Jack and Ruby bought a home in Oaklands Parade, East Brisbane, opposite where the Church of England Grammar School now stands.

Jack White was a splendid horseman, and when he was appointed Inspector in charge of the Brisbane district in 1898, this included responsibility for the Mounted Police, which he led on ceremonial occasions. During his term he conducted investigations into the notorious Gatton murders. Due to ill health he retired in 1911
and was awarded the Imperial Service Medal.

He then served as stipendiary steward of the Queensland Turf Club for some years, finally leaving to live at Tamborine Mountain until his death in June  1947, aged 84 years. Referred to by many who knew him as "White by name and white by nature", residents from the Mountain hired a bus to travel to Brisbane to pay their last respects at his funeral.

The "Jack" Whites had three sons. Godfrey William Warren, born in 1849, joined the 9th Light Horse Regiment in South Australia soon after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, serving in Egypt, Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia, where he was A.D.C. to General Sir Harry Chauvel, and was mentioned in despatches. Godfrey then transferred to the Indian Army with the 5th Cavalry, Bengal Lancers in which by the end of 1918 he was adjutant and held the rank of captain.

Retiring to Australia in 1922, he lived at Tamborine Mountain until his death in 1930 as the result of an illness contracted during the war.


The second son, John Galliard Warren ("Jock"), born in 1897, served with 1st Corps Cyclists Battalion in World War I in France, and was given a commission in the Second World War as transport officer ship's staff with the rank of captain. While assisting the 8th Division A.I.E.,  he was taken prisoner of war by the Japanese and spent three and a half years in Changi Gaol, Singapore. After the cessation of hostilities he returned in ill health to Brisbane in
1945.

Thomas Warren, the third son, born in 1902 and entered Duntroon Military College in 1920. After graduating four years later he was sent to India, being attached to a Cavalry regiment (the Scots Greys) for approximately two years. Appointed to Camberley Staff College in 1938, Tom White, after completing the staff course in 1939, went to France on the outbreak of World War II and served in nearly every theatre of the war, being twice mentioned in despatches.

He was on the staff of General Douglas Macarthur (Supreme Commander of the allied forces in the South-West Pacific) from whom he received a citation and the Legion of Merit (officer). After the end of hostilities he spent two years in Berlin as head of the military mission. As state marshal for the Queensland tour in 1954 of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth  II,  he was invested on its conclusion with the M.V.O. by the Queen. In 1957 he retired from the Army with the rank of Brigadier. (Tom White's only son Donald served with the R.A.A.F. in Korea and Vietnam, winning the D.F.C. He later rescued a man off the N.S.W. coast with a hazardous helicopter manoeuvre, for which he received the Queen's Commendation).

There are more pages to follow...
re the rest of the family..
you can find them at

 www.textqueensland.com.au

JOHN WARREN WHITE OF CAHERBLONICK, COUNTY CLARE, IRELAND


  John Warren White passed away in 1918. He is buried in Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, along with other family members.



Name
Burial or Ashes Interred Date
Age
Graves where the last burial occured more than 30 years ago may be available for reuse by direct descendants and immediate family. Please contact 3407 8128 for more details.
White John Warren
09 / 01 / 1918
Unknown
Hutchison Kenneth
07 / 07 / 1980
77 years
White Eustace
09 / 02 / 1899
Unknown
Hutchison Kenneth
31 / 05 / 1902
Unknown
White Mysie
25 / 12 / 1926
90 years
Hutchison Mabel Elizabeth
03 / 07 / 1941
69 years
Brisbane City Council records show that more than one individual is buried in this grave. Their details are shown above.
Cemetery Details
Cemetery:
Toowong Cemetery
Street Address:
Cnr Frederick St and Mt Coot-tha Rd, Toowong
UBD Ref:
Map 158 N13
Portion
Section
Grave Number
13
82
6












Tuesday 8 October 2013

WANTED ... A FEW MOMENTS OF YOUR TIME...





 WANTED

 A FEW MOMENTS OF YOUR TIME...

Working with family historians/genealogists daily, I see the same questions being asked on a regular basis. I often wonder what has led this or that person to researching their ancestry.

 No prizes for answering the questions below... but it could be of interest to all of us who help others on a regular basis.

You may answer on your own blog, in the comments section below or on Facebook which will have a link to this blog.

 Please let me know if you answer on your own blog, so I can keep a list for others to follow... no time limit...


QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What is the most important detail you want to find about your  ancestors?

2. Do you buy certificates?

3.  Do you belong to a paid subscription site, if so, which one/s?

4. What has been your 'best' find?

5. Who is your favourite ancestor and why?


6. What are you looking for on a regular basis? 

7. Do you belong to any genealogy group, or family history society?

8. Do you belong to any Facebook or other social media genealogy groups? Would you join if there was one available?

9. Have you ever volunteered to transcribe, index etc.? Would you be interested in doing so?

10. What is your personal reason for being involved with genealogy/family history?





BACK TO OUR PAST... John Grenham


 



Irish Roots: Back to our past
John Grenham

The Senior Times is an Irish publication aimed at people old enough not to get annoyed at such euphemisms as “third age” and “golden years”. It is very successful. The publishers behind it also run the Irish franchise for the “Over 50s Show”, a consumer event staged at different venues around the country over the course of the year, and also very successful.

This year’s Dublin show, running from Friday 18 October to Sunday 20 October at the RDS is its fourteenth in a row, and likely to be the biggest yet, topping 25,000 attendees.

A large reason for the success of the Dublin event is the way the organisers mix in smaller shows that appeal to sub-groups of its main audience. The Coin and Stamp Fair is one. But the biggest is “Back To Our Past”, a genealogy event started four years ago that has now grown to be the main public face of Irish family history. It hosts professionals, publishers, websites, software and hardware providers, libraries and institutions, and provides a unique opportunity to engage face-to-face with everyone in Ireland involved in the area.

For the full story, please go to


http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/irish-roots-back-to-our-past-1.1550469