Tuesday 30 October 2012

Trove Tuesday - more on Sgt Major Albert Henry Percival Fleming

For the  Trove Tuesday theme by Amy Houston from Branches, Leaves & Pollen 

I was searching for further news articles to include in my post about my Mum's Uncle  Sgt Major Albert Henry Percival Fleming  

I found an article that was not yet available so I registered for an email to be sent to notify me when it was ready.  

The email came through last Wednesday and this is the article 


Monday 22 October 2012

Sgt Major Albert Henry Percival Fleming

Albert Henry Percival Fleming, service number 24, enlisted on the 15th of August 1914 into the 5th Battalion's A company. 


The 5th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. Like the 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions it was recruited from Victoria and, together with these battalions, formed the 2nd Brigade.
The battalion was raised within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later... read more 

Fleming was recommended for the Mililtary Cross by G.O.C 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade on the 6th of October 1916
"For consistent good work during the period 1/3/16 to 1/10/16.  This Warrant Officer has been a consistent worker right through.  During operations at POZIERES in organizing carrying parties and bringing up ammunition and bombs on many occasions through heavy enemy shelling.  He was of great assistance in the attack".
signed ? Smyth ... Major-General, Commanding 1st Australian Division.

His promotions over the time were as follows:


to Corporal 10 April 1915
to CQMS 23 June 1915
to sergeant 2 May 1915
to CSM 9 May 1915
Appointed A/R SM 19 May 1915
promoted to RSM (W.O.I)25 March 1916

Wangaratta Chronicle - Wednesday 28 July 1915
The friends of Mr. Alfred Fleming, of King Valley, will be pleased to know that he has been rapidly promoted in the military since he volunteered his services to his King and Country. Mr. Fleming enlisted as a private in the 5th Battalion, Scottish Regiment, and has now attained the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major. He is fighting at the Dardanelles.




Regimental Sergeant Major Albert Henry Percy Fleming seated on right

Image copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
ID number
P02347.001
Object type
Black & white
Physical description
Black & white
Collection
Photograph
Description
England. c. 1918. Group portrait of No. 24 Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Albert Henry Percy Fleming MC DCM MM 5th Battalion, seated far right and three unidentified Warrant Officers. RSM Fleming was one of the few non-commissioned officers to be awarded the Military Cross during World War I. (Donor A. Fleming)


Wangaratta Chronicle  Dec 14, 1918
King Valley
On Tuesday evening, 10th inst, the King Valley State School was crowded to its fullest extent, whilst almost as many more were forced to remain outside.  The occasion being a welcome to Reg. Sgt-Major A. Fleming and Lance-Cpl F Laffy who have both recently returned from the great European war.  The local residents have indeed reason to be proud of their young men for the fine patriotic spirit they have shown in response to the call of the Motherland.  Sgt-Major Fleming bears the proud title of Anzac, having recently returned on a well  earned home furlough.  His fine physique and soldierly bearing, together with the inevitable smile and jocular manner, mark him as a typical Aussie, the very dread of the boasting Hun.

My Mum's Uncle Albert, known as Alf, was born at Camberwell, Victoria on the 20th of May 1889, the eldest son and the first of eleven children of Donald Fleming and Margaret nee Hart.  My grandfather, Archie Fleming, was his younger brother and child number ten.


The North Eastern Despatch,  Wednesday, November 23, 1910....page 2 - Whitfield
A wood chopping match that is creating a good deal of interest has been arranged to take place on the recreation reserve on Saturday, between Mesrs.  Jack Slater and Alf Fleming.  A stake of 5 pound aside had been lodged.

The North Eastern Despatch,  Wednesday, November 30, 1910....page 3 - Whitfield

The log chopping contest between Messrs. Jack  Slater and Alf Fleming for 5 pound aside attracted a very large attendance on the recreation reserve on Saturday afternoon.  Much interest was taken in the match the log was lying 15 inches in diameter,  and Mr. Isaac Macklin was referee,  Mr. F. Lawson, time-keeper.  The Bobinawarrah man was the first to turn,  but he soon was followed by his opponent who eventually won an exciting contest by a few strokes.  Mr. Fleming was congratulated on his win.  The time was officially given as 58 seconds, and this is only three seconds behind Charles Miley's best.


At his enlistment in 1914 Alf was a tramway employee living at 9 Hotham Street, Collingwood with his wife Margery Marie nee Waters.  He and Margery had 2 children, Alan Percy and a daughter.


After the war he and Margery separated and later both remarried.  

Alf married Mary Ann Ostler/Osler in 1927.  They had one son that I know of.

Albert Henry Percival Fleming died in 1956 at Heidelberg, Victoria aged 66 years. 




Thursday 18 October 2012

X is ..... An Unknown Quantity

and genealogy has so many unknown quantities.  

The main one that I have faced over the years is the Unknown quantity of what information I will get from Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates.

I'm sure every researcher has sat  pondering over an index entry saying to themselves  "is this him/her/them?"  "will I take the gamble?"

It happens to me all the time and  because I don't have spare cash to spend on too many certificates I have to weigh up heavily how much I really need this or that one, how much information it may give me or even if it is who I am looking for in the first place.  

In the excitement of the hunt it is not hard to get carried away but I'm a bit lucky in that I have only purchased one or two over the years that have not been "the one".


My Dad asked me about 6 years ago if, in the course of my research, I had ever come across his maternal Uncle.  
All he knew was that his name was Jack Adams and he was ten years older than my grandmother.  She had little memory of him as he had left home before she was  old enough to get to know him.

One day, sometime in the 1980s, Dad said his mother received a phone call saying her brother, who was in his 90s,  was in a Melbourne nursing home and not expected to live much longer.  Dad asked her if she wanted to go and see him.  She declined as she was told he had dementia so he wouldn't even know who she was and she didn't really know him anyway.  
Nana was in her 80s so it would have been a big trip to Melbourne for her.

So when Dad asked the question I decided to search the indexes for a John "Jack" Adams who would fit.  No search using his parents names showed any results.  The only John Adams who would fit died in 1983 at Tullamarine but had "parents unknown"  .............................. "will I  or won't I, will I or won't I?"

I put it on the back burner and procrastinated for 5 years before curiosity finally got the better of me!  I purchased the certificate and knew it was him even though parents were unknown.  Listed on the certificate was a son named Morgan Adams - obviously named after his own younger brother who had died in 1923 after returning ill from WW1.

That had me on a roll then.  The certificate gave me his wife's name (she had died earlier) so I then purchased their marriage certificate and his parents fitted!

The certificates also said he was born in Sydney.  Another unknown quantity!  Looking for a John Adams born in NSW to a John and Mary Adams I thought was a bit of a tall order.  But there was one!
Again I procrastinated until I found Marilyn Rowan's NSW transcription service   Marilyn has specials from time to time and a transcription was going to cost me less than half of the actual certificate so I went for it and again it was the correct one!  

I was able to piece together more of Jack's life once armed with names and dates.  I was thrilled.

So now I am searching for any living descendants of his children Grace Francesca, Morgan John and Leonard Adams.  Grace married a Geoffrey Taylor who died in WW2 then later a Jack Albert Delbridge in Sydney.

This post is my contribution to the Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge issued by Alona of Gould's.

 My family history through the alphabet list



Tuesday 16 October 2012

Trove Tuesday



My great grandad Bill Morgan's first cousins who never came home from WW1



IN MEMORIAM (On Active Service) SAXON.-In loving memory of our dear sons and brothers, Ptse Bertie Henry Saxon, died of wounds on 6th October, 1918, in France and Joseph Stanley Saxon, killed in action, August 5th, 1916, in France. Duty nobly done Far, far away, our loved ones sleeping, And wide oceans roll between ; Tho' our eyes are dimmed with weeping, We will keep their memories green. Though their dear dead forms are lying Far away 'neath foreign soil, Around their graves soft winds are sighing,   Their precious souls are safe with God. Others may in time forget them,But their ain folk never will ; We will mourn them and regret them, Their memories will be with as still. Inserted by their sorrowing parents, John and Isabella Saxon, brothers John, Thomas (returned), William (returned), Ernest, and sisters Mrs J. Wells, Mrs E. Stevens, Mrs A. V. Riddle, Grace and Jean.


Family Notices. (1919, October 3). Euroa Advertiser (Vic. : 1884 - 1920), p. 2. Retrieved October 16, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65688857

For the  Trove Tuesday theme by Amy Houston from Branches, Leaves & Pollen

Friday 12 October 2012

W is for .... Wills

WILLS
I was over the moon when I found Wills and Probate records for the period 1841 to 1925 online at the Public Records Office of Victoria

My best find was the Will of my great-great grand Uncle, Michael Kelly.  because it gave me the name of a brother, William, who I didn't know existed. I only knew about Michael because he is buried at Melbourne General Cemetery in the family grave of his sister, my great great grandmother, Alice Morgan, nee Kelly.

On obtaining his death certificate I found that he was born in Ireland but had only been in Victoria for 6 months.
It stated that his occupation was "Gentleman" and that he had suffered Tuberculosis of the lungs for 12 months.  His nephew, John Felix Morgan, was the informant.  I would say Michael came to his sister when he knew he was dying.

I am glad I found his Will before I went searching for him in Ireland because he wouldn't have been there.  He came to Victoria from Kimberley in South Africa.  I have no idea how to find any information on him in South Africa.  Because he wasn't married (that I know of)  I doubt he would have left a paper trail.
I am assuming from his will that he did rather well there, perhaps in mining?  Occupation "Gentleman" doesn't give me any clues.  If anyone has experience with research in South Africa any suggestions would be extremely welcome.

A transcript of Michael Kelly's will:
This is the last Will and Testament of me MICHAEL KELLY late of Kimberley South Africa now of Pascoe Vale Road Essendon in the Colony of Victoria. Gentleman.  AFTER payment of all my just debts funeral costs testamentory expenses I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH all my property of what nature soever and wheresoever situate unto my nephew and niece John Morgan and Agnes Morgan of Pascoe Vale Road Essendon aforesaid hereinafter called "my trustees" and whom I hereby appoint Executor Executrix and Trustees of this my Will UPON TRUST to realise such part of such property as shall not consist of money and out of the proceeds of such realisation and such money to pay to my niece Mary Adams the wife of John Adams of Moonee Ponds in the Colony of Victoria Bricklayer the sum of one hundred pounds to Alice Kelly of Melrose Street North Melbourne in said Colony daughter of my brother John Kelly the sum of one hundred pounds to my dear sister Alice Morgan of Pascoe Vale Road Essendon aforesaid Widow the sum of three hundred pounds to my brother William Kelly now I believe of West Australia Mining Speculator the sum of three hundred pounds and to retain for a pay to themselves my trustees the said John Morgan and Agnes Morgan the sum of three hundred pounds each and I direct that in the event of the death of the said William Kelly before the making of this my Will my trustees shall hold the said sum of three hundred pounds bequeathed to the said William Kelly in trust to divide the same equally between my said sister Alice Morgan and my trustees the said John Morgan and Agnes Morgan.  Any residue of my said property after payment of such debts expenses legacies and discharges of such trusts I leave to my trustees in trust for the said Agnes Morgan absolutely.  I revoke all former Wills made by me I appoint Joseph FitzGerald of 108 Queen Street Melbourne Solicitor to my Estate and to obtain Probate hereof IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and ninety eight.

signed Michael Kelly

Witnesses 
George Henry Monks, State School Teacher, 25 Arden Street, Kensington
Nicholas Bergin, Pascoe Vale Road, Essendon, Labourer



This is my contribution for the Letter W in the


 My family history through the alphabet list


Tuesday 9 October 2012

Tombstone Tuesday - Thomastown Lutheran Cemetery


Georg Nebel Anna Dorothea nee Shultz headstone

Nebel, Georg, b. 2 Feb 1793, d. 2 Sep 1877, Und Seine Ehefrau, s/w Anna Dorothea Nebel,
Anna Dorothea,
 b. 18 Mar 1796, d. 29 Oct 1877, Selig Sind Die Todten Die in Dem Herrn Sterben, s/w Georg Nebel

Photos of the headstones in this post are courtesy of  Carol's Headstone Photos  

There is a list of cemeteries at which she has taken headstone photos.
Carol will very kindly email requested photos to you.


My fourth great grandparents Georg Nebel and 

Anna Dorothea nee Shultz came to Australia with other family members in 1855 on board the Danish ship Acmel.
Many of those Prussian (German) settlers are buried at Thomastown (Westgarthtown) Lutheran Cemetery.



The photos below show the Nebel family plot.
Nebel family plot at Thomastown formerly Westgarthtown Lutheran cemetery

Nebel family plot at Thomastown formerly Westgarthtown Lutheran cemetery


Westgarthtown's Historical Legacy

A wonderful brief history of Westgarthtown

Whitehat.com.au has an interesting site about Thomastown (Westgarthtown) Lutheran Cemetery

A list of burials at the cemetery on interment.net website.

Trove Tuesday - Lloyd Fleming

Amy Houston from Branches, Leaves & Pollen suggested the great idea of a Trove Tuesday theme.

In searching Trove for some news of other Fleming family members I could not find anything on my Grandfather's Uncle, Moses Fleming.
With a name like that I was sure anything that was there would have shown up.

Moses, his wife Mary Catherine nee Hughes and their baby daughter, Ada Christine Fleming, moved from Kotupna in Victoria to the West Wyalong area of New South Wales around 1893.
They went on to have 8 more children.  The third youngest son was Lloyd Fleming (1909-1976)

Lloyd made the news in a very unfortunate way.  It appears he suffered a mental illness and probably shouldn't have been released from the Parramatta mental hospital.

In all I found sixteen news entries, many of those were copies.  The following seem to be the main stories.  I haven't yet found out the rest of Lloyd's story or other information on his family members.

Charge After Fatal Fire. (1948, January 7). The Courier-Mail(Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49658390

INSANITY CHARGE FOLLOWS INQUIRY IN WYALONG FIRE. (1948, January 7). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2734426
DEVELOPMENT IN WYALONG FIRE INQUIRY. (1948, January 7). Singleton Argus (NSW : 1880 - 1954) , p. 2. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84603816
Court Sequel To Wyalong Murder. (1948, January 14). Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48501747
MAN SET HOUSE ON FIRE WHILE INSANE. (1948, March 23).The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2740619
Claimed Insane. (1948, March 23). The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49649841
©AncestorChasing 2012

Monday 8 October 2012

Military Monday - William John Pike Morgan


William John Pike Morgan, my nana's "cousin Willie" was born at Euroa, Victoria on the 13th of May 1897. 
Private William John Pike Morgan b Euroa 1897 d Dardanelles 1915

Private William John Pike Morgan was in the 14th Battalion, service No 893

This photo was given to my great grandparents, Thomas and Ada Morgan  (nee Hulme).
Written on the back is
"To Dear Uncle Bill, Aunt Ada and cousins with Willie's love  - October 19th 1914.  
W.J.P. Morgan 2nd expeditionary forces Broadmeadows"

William enlisted on the 20th of September 1914 and his rank on enlistment was bugler.
His unit embarked from Melbourne on the transport A38 Ulysses on 22nd of December 1914.
He was the holder of three Military Medals and was killed in action at Lone Pine, Gallipoli on the 8th of August 1915 - he was 18 years and 3 months old.

There were 4932 identified casualties.
Lone Pine memorial details can be seen at the  Commonwealth War Graves Commission website

William is commemorated at 6 Lone Pine memorial Panel 42

His Panel number at the Australian War Memorial is 73

Williewas the second eldest of eleven children and  lived at McGuinness Street, Euroa with his mother and father Thomas Fitzherbert II and Sarah (nee McNay).  He attended Euroa State School before joining the Victoria Railways in Seymour, Victoria.  He belonged to the 10th Unit Volunteer Cadet Corps both Jnr and Snr.

Williams younger brother, Private Benjamin Robert Morgan, was killed in WW2.

Source of Information: AWM 145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army.

Lone Pine memorial

Sunday 7 October 2012

V is for .... Victoria

Victoria


This is my contribution for the Letter V in the



A large chunk of my research has been in Victoria as most of my ancestors arrived here in the mid 1800s.

The list of following sites are ones I have used repeatedly.

They are predominately Victorian but some are also for wider Australia.

















U is for .... Unknowns

Unknown

Everyone has  "Unknowns"in their family trees.  These are just a few of mine.

The date and place of the death of  my 3rd Great Grandmother, Margaret Mason, nee Carstairs b 1823 Cupar, Fife, Scotland.
Her husband, Peter Webster Mason, died on the 1st of March 1892 at the Bendigo Benevelont Asylum. He was aged 77 years.
Quite a few think they have found death information from the Vic BMD Indexes but these certificates have been purchased by family members and none match Margaret.

The date and ship my Great Great Grandfather, George Adams (b 1831 - d 1921) arrived in Australia.  He married Catherine Barry on the 19th of June 1853 in Fremantle, Western Australia.  He came from Saffron Walden, Essex, UK.



Where in Limerick, Ireland, my Great Great Grandmother, Catherine Barry was from.  Born about 1832 to John Barry and Mary Boyle she arrived in 1853 at Fremantle, Western Australia on the Ship Travancore.


I purchased the book THE BRIDE SHIPS by Rica Erickson from Gould Genealogy a few years ago.
The following is an excerpt about the Travancore arrival.
"The Travancore arrived in the full heat of Summer. .  The 115 Irish girls were taken in parties of forty or fifty up the Swan River to Perth where a large crowd gathered at the William Street jetty to greet them.  Some of the girls were barefoot and most of them wore simple gowns with shawls for head coverings.  They were soon dubbed "bog Irish"


At first the employers were reluctant to take girls who were not trained as cooks, scullery maids or nursemaids, especially when they were Catholic.  Protestants naturally preferred Protestant servants to avoid embarrassment in their homes.  But the Irish girls were good natured, healthy, willing to work and were not averse to leaving town and going into service on distant farms.  Within a few weeks ninety of the girls were in employment, some going to Albany and sixteen to Bunbury.  By February the Immigration Officer reported with satisfaction that:
'The exemplary good conduct of the Travancore girls while at the Home, and their general willingness to learn, quite dispelled any feeling of prejudice against them on account of their Catholic faith'"


Is the Peter Hart in 1851 census a "prisoner in custody" Huntingdonshire, Great Stukeley, Huntindon, Ramsey, my Great Great Grandfather?
According to dates on marriage and death certificate Peter may have migrated to Australia around 1854.
He died at Echuca, Victoria on the 2nd of September 1900.

Who was the mother of my Great Great Grandmother, Anne Jane Knight?  Her father was John Knight and they were from Gloucestershire.  Anne Jane was born about 1832.

Any further details or information on one Great Grand Uncle, David Adams b 1866 Hotham Victoria - died after 1921.  Son of George Adams and Catherine Barry.

Any further details or information on Great Great Grand Uncle, Edmond Kelly baptised 16 September 1838 at Dualla, Ballysheehan, Tipperary. His parents were Cornelius Kelly and Mary Moloughney.  Baptism sponsors were Thomas Ryan, Julia Kelly

These "Unknowns" are from relatively (pardon the pun) latter years in my research.
Further generations back of course hold many many more Unknowns.


This is my contribution for the Letter U in the

 My family history through the alphabet list



©AncestorChasing 2012