A ROOTSTECH16 MESSAGE -SEEKING IDENTITY AND SHARING OUR STORIES

Seeking Identity  and Sharing our Stories- A Rootstech Message

Josh and Naomi Davis of the Love Taza Blog. Keynote Speakers at Rootstech16

Have you ever stopped to wonder why we do our Family History? What  inspires our curiosity about the Past? What motivates us to collect names of People from the past and the Places they came from?  The PAST, the PEOPLE and the PLACES we research are intrinsic components of our identity.

Our identity - who we are - is integral to how we perceive ourselves, as individuals, as members of families, communities, groups, cultures, nations and the ever increasingly globalized world in which we live. 

(See my past blog post)

I left the 2016 Rootstech Conference in Salt Lake City feeling that something momentous had occurred. People from 37 countries around the globe had come together to learn about researching family history, to share family stories, and to be a part of a global gathering of genealogists. To me, the greatness of Rootstech is that in much the same way that the Olympic Games does, this conference brings people together in a way that transcends common barriers in our global society.  Race, language and nationality infuse into a single  melting pot of  friendship and commonality at Rootstech. We are all as one, seeking our roots, learning new methods to research  and bonded in friendship by our collateral purpose. 

Rootstech Registration Image SharnWhite 

This year's keynote speakers impressed upon the Rootstech audience a compelling message - the importance of sharing stories. As a genealogy blogger, sharing stories about my ancestors is something I do regularly, however, at Rootstech this year, I realised that my own story is equally important to preserve for the future as are the tales of my forebears.  

Josh and Naomi Davis share their family stories through the blog Love Taza

Fortunate is a family historian who has been left journals or letters which bear witness to the stories of their ancestors' lives. After all, that is what family historians are seeking.  Understanding as much as possible about our ancestors' daily lives adds rich texture  and colour to their stories. For the most part it is not difficult to to compile a timeline of events in our ancestors' lives. Names and dates are important evidence of the existence of ancestors but it is the stories behind those facts that make family history come to life and feel real to us. Without stories passed down from one generation to the next, we can only surmise how our forebears felt on the important dates which marked their lives.

Naomi Davis "Imagine if Grandpa had Instagram?" Image SharnWhite

Unless an ancestor left us a diary or letters and such precious keepers of memories have survived the passage of time, his or her stories of our past are lost forever. As family historians we can try to piece stories of ancestors together as best we can, through photographs and through understanding the social and local history of the places where they lived. How much more meaningful would it be though, if we could hear our ancestors' tales from their own mouths or pens. Understanding what shaped the lives of our ancestors allows us to understand the  identity which we have inherited from family in the past.

Paula Williams Madison sharing her story of seeking her identity at Rootstech

We are privileged to live in an age of technology. Whether our stories are the ones we unearth about ancestors, or our own stories which we choose to pass on to future generations, we live in an age where technology has made the sharing and preserving stories so simple. 

Geneabloggers at Rootstech16 ... Blogging is a way of sharing stories

Social media allows us to instantly share moments of our lives with our families or a worldwide audience. How wonderful would it be if we could know how our ancestors really felt about momentous events in their lives such as when they undertook a long voyage to make a new life in a new land. Today we use twitter, google plus, facebook, instagram, pinterest and a host of other social media platforms to share moments of our lives with our families, friends and even with a worldwide audience if we so choose.

David Isay of StoryCorps, speaking about sharing stories 

In 2014, I took part in a blogging meme which was called The Book of Me. This 52 week blogging event was written in response to given prompts about my own life and included topics such as schools I attended, homes I lived in and so on. I completed only a small part of the challenge, however,  since attending Rootstech recently, I have been inspired to to revive The Book of Me, and to complete it. I grew up fascinated by the stories that my Irish grandmother told me about her childhood on a flax farm in Brookend, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and I do not want to miss the opportunity to leave my own stories and my own legacy.

My grandmother from County Tyrone... ( I wish I knew the story behind that beautiful hat!)

Sometimes as family historians, we become so engaged in searching for stories from the past that we forget the significance of our own lives to the future. I will continue to write and share the stories I discover about my forebears, however, Rootstech has reminded me to set some time aside for sharing my own stories. My anecdotes may be left quietly for my family or I may decide to share some of my stories with a wider audience. I have not yet decided the how of my sharing, but I have learned that I have a legacy to keave in the rich and colourful stories of my own life.

Rootstech 16... I made it here.....

Rootstech16 The Arrival

After a 2 and a half hour delay sitting on the A380 aircraft, at Sydney International Airport, due to my Qantas flight having a malfunctioning water pump (no pump - no water or toilet), and a priority pass waiting at Dallas Fortworth Airport for em to rush me through Immigration to connect with my flight to Salt Lake City, I arrived last night feeling a little tired, though very excited to see snow! I met a very lovely fellow genealogist while sitting at Gate 19 at Terminal A at Dallas Airport. When I overheard her telling someone on her mobile phone that she had to be at the Convention Centre at 7.45 to go on a tour of the Provo Temple, I couldn't resist introducing myself when her phone call ended. Laura Hedgecock, and I chatted about Rootstech while we waited for our flight to Salt Lake City.  This morning morning it was and it was nice to recognise her friendly face when we gathered at the southern end of the SLC Convention Centre. 

It quickly turned out to be a gathering of old friends, with the arrival of Jill Ball aka Geniaus, Kirsty Gray, Audrey Collins and a few other familiar faces that I recognised from the online family history world.

Some of the Provo Touring Ambassadors from USA, England and Australia

The tour of the Provo Temple was fascinating. I have a Mormon Temple not far from where I live and I have to admit a certain curiosity has now been well satisfied. One could not help but feel a holy presence in the many beautiful rooms of the temple, each dedicated to a different purpose such as sealings (marriages and adoptions) and instruction. One could not help but admire the magnificent painted walls and ceilings in two of the instruction rooms. I can imagine that being seated there you would feel as though you were truly a part of God's creation of the world. 

The space for baptism of ancestors was awe inspiring. A huge font with stairs leading into the pool, supported by great sculptured oxen was impressive and elegant. 

The temple is a commanding reminder of the gift we have been afforded here on earth and for the eternal life.

Photos were not, of course, permitted inside the yet to be dedicated temple, however, the Rootstech Ambassadors on this tour had ample time to take photographs of the exterior of the temple with an added bonus for this Australian.... it was snowing! 

Add caption

Add caption

Myself outside the Provo Temple in the snow

There was much chatter in the van on the way back to Salt lake City and most Ambassadors were eager to get back to go to Dear Myrt's lunch ast the Blue lemon or the Family History Library. I made it to pPat's lunch briefly but a credit card drama  took some hours to resolve.

The day was wonderfully finished off with a dinner for members of Commonwealth countries attending Rootstech. Australia, New Zealand, England and Canada were represented and by the noise and laughter coming from our two tables, , I would say we enjoyed a wonderful evening. A huge thankyou to Jill Ball aka Geniaus for organising this event again, 

Jill at the Commonwealth dinner. Image Sharn White

Jill Ball, (Australia) Audrey England) and myself in the official Provo Temple Photo. 

On to day two and registration !

Trove Tuesday- RUNAWAY HUSBAND

Runaway Husband

RUNAWAY HUSBAND. (1925, September 21). The Telegraph(Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 2 Edition: CITY EDITION. Retrieved January 18, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article182279975

Where better to unearth skeletons from the family closet, than the National Library of Australia's website, Trove!

I knew that my great grandfather, William Weston had left my great grandmother, Lillie Herminnie (nee Nargar) for another woman, and that as a single mother, she was forced to raise three young children on her own. Family anecdotes told me that Lillie became the first female to operate a green grocery store in Brisbane and that she was a familiar face at the early morning fruit markets in Brisbane in the 1920's. I have yet to confirm this. ( more searching on Trove ahead...)

Lillie's explanation to the family regarding  her husband's desertion was that 'the bright city lights went to his head'. From the above article, it is easy to see that sadly, it was young women that affected his sense of responsibility towards his family.

I am particularly fascinated, although I am certain that Lillie would not have been in the least amused that
'her husband collected around him a bevy of young ladies, whom he entertained in the shop and went out with at night.' 

William left Lillie and their children to make a new life with one of these young women. He went on to marry and have six more children, having little to do with the two daughters and a son from his first marriage.

Lillie ran her green grocery store in Fortitude Valley, very successfully and her children were well cared for with the help of a close family friend who, when I was growing up, I knew as Antie Gertie.

 Lillie was a determined woman. She joined the Women's Land Army during World War Two, aged in her fifties. With her valuable experience from her earlier life as a banana farmer in Bauple, outside of Maryborough, she was able to train younger women who worked on the land to replace  men who had gone to war.

She was a dedicated member of the Brisbane Baptist Tabernacle and a most generous and kind lady.  Lillie spent a great amount of her time in her 60's helping to raise funds for the Brisbane Women's Prison, of which Gertie  (Amelia, Gertrude Stewart nee Hansen) became the Chaplain.

As a child, I adored visiting my great grandmother at her home in Lutwyche in Brisbane. Lillie kept chickens and had the most wonderful garden which entertained me with its 'secret paths' and wondeful variety of flowers. Her roses were especially her pride and joy.

Lillie Herminnie Weston passed away from cancer, in 1966, aged 78. I was greatly affected by her death and as an adult, I am extremely proud of my hard working, determined great grandmother.

Lillie Herminnie Weston (Nargar) 1888 -1966

Treasure on TROVE ...Cubs as Cogs!

TROVE Treasure- CUBS AS COGS - How I discovered my father helped the War effort as a boy.

CUBS AS COGS. (1942, February 7). The Telegraph(Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 3 Edition: SPORTS FINAL. Retrieved December 16, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172689566

 While searching The National Library of Australia's digitised newspaper website Trove recently, I found this 1942 news article from the Brisbane Telegraph. The wording is difficult to read on the image so I will reproduce it here:

Two Bardon Cubs, Colin MacDade of Lewin Street and Douglas Lawrie of Garfield Drive with some of the aluminium they collected during the school holidays to help the war effort.

Colin MacDade was my father. I had never known that had been a cub scout as a boy, much less that he had aided the war effort, so this news article provided me with new information about my father's childhood. I was expecially excited, since as a seven year old, while living with my grandparents at Garfield Drive, Paddington, during the building process of our new home at a Brisbane suburb called The Gap, I had joined the Bardon Brownies. I had attended meetings and earned badges at the very same Scout Hall which my father had attended as a young boy, and only now through Trove, discovered this fact.

Since my father was someone who did not talk much about his childhood and passed away in the 1990's, I decided to search Trove for more information about the Scout, Cub and later, the Brownie Troop that both myself and my father were members of. I was also very interested in finding out why these boys had spent their school holidays aiding the war effort. I decided to try to discover more about Scout and Cub involvement in helping the second world war.

Bardon Scout Hall  Image Google Maps

Firstly, I looked at the information provided in the article itself, which provided my father's address as Lewin Street, Bardon and the other boy, Douglas Lawrie's address as Garfield Drive.  This was quite a coincidence, since a few years after this photograph was taken, my grandparents, my father and his two sisters, had themselves moved to Garfield Drive, Paddington, The house on the top of the hill, in Garfield Drive, with a magnificent view, and the Paddington Water Tower beside it, was the house that, growing up,  I knew as my grandparent's home.

A check of the 1947 and 1949 Queensland Electoral Rolls showed me that the family lived at number 49 Lewin Street. A quick look at google maps shows that the old house is little altered from the front, in Lewin Street.

49 Lewin Street, Bardon, Google Maps ( the house behind the tree)

My grandfather was employed by the Brisbane City Council Water Department and sometime after 1949. he moved his family to number 16, Garfield Drive in the house with the Paddington Water Tower alongside it. The tower is now heritage listed and the land on which it stands has been subdivided and separated from the house. I am planning to write a blog about the Paddington Water Tower and my memories of it in another post. But for now, I will return to my father's cub scout days and his effort to help the second world war as a young cub scout....

Looking up from below 16 Garfield Drive, Paddington. The hill I slid down as a child.  2015 Image Sharn White ©

My father was born on October 1, 1930, so at the time this photograph appeared in The Telegraph in February of 1942, my father, Colin John MacDade, was 11 years old. I looked to other newspaper articles on Trove's digitised newspapers, to find out as much as I could about the Bardon Wolf Cubs.

16 Garfield Drive as it is today. Image Bruce McDade ©

It did not take me long to discover that the Bardon Boy Scouts and Cubs were formed in 1935, and that they first met at St Bartholemew's Church Hall, Bardon.  In June of 1935, the Scout and Cub troops intended to purchase an acre and a hald of land in Bee Street, Bardon, where they planned to build a Scout Hall  [The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld; 1872-1947), Saturday 15 June 1935, page11]

Perhaps it was the first ever Australian Scouting Jamboree that was held between December 27, 1934 and January 13, 1935, in rural Frankston, 42 km east of Melbourne, Victoria, that enticed the founders of the Bardon Scout and Cub Troops to start the group. According to The Camperdown Chronicle, Victoria: 1877-1954), Thursday 19 October, 1933, Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement was invited to attend along with a member of the Royal family. For anyone interested in Scouting, this would have been a huge event and the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere. [ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29089023]

The Bardon Scout and Wolf Cub Troops suceeded in building their hall and meeting place, two years after their foundation. The scout den was completed in June of 1937, although the official opening was in September. According to the Brisbane Sunday Mail, [Sunday 29 September 1937,page 16], a fete which included entertainment, was held in conjunction with the official opening of the Bardon Scout and Cubs Den.

The article decribes the event as follows,

The cubs had preliminary competitions for the final selection in the display for the totem pole under District Cub Master Harris. The Caledonian Pipe Band played selections. A dancing display, in costume, was given by a number of girls trained by Miss Alma Bedgood.

My great grandfather and grandfather, John and Colin McDade, both born in Glasgow, Scotland, were members of the Caledonian Club in Brisbane, Queensland. This is information I also discovered on Trove, and from numerous news articles and advertisements, I know that my grandfather's band, The White Heather Band, was a popular attraction at the Caledonian club.

Perhaps it was through his connection to the Caledonian Club, that my grandfather, knew of the opening of the Bardon Cub Den in 1935. My father would have been too young to attend Cubs until late in 1937, however it is a conncetion I cannot ignore. It is often such associations that help family historians to piece together their ancestor's lives.

Since the photograph of my father and Douglas Lawrie, appeared in the Brisbane Telegraph in February of 1942, it is more than likely that the boys would have participated in the Competition for the North Brisbane District Shield in December of that same year. The picture below shows members of the Ashgrove team lighting a fire by means of friction and cooking flapjacks. The Bardon Scouts and Cubs took part in this event and I can imagine how much excitement this activity would have generated amongst young boys. As a 12 year old, my father, Colin, would surely have enjoyed the comeraderie of his Cubs and Scouting acitivites. I am not sure whether it is by coincidence, that one of his specialties in later life as a father to myself and my sisters, was cooking flapjacks for us when our mother attended meetings. I do recall, however, that it was he who insisted that I join the Bardon Brownie Group as soon as I turned 7, so I can assume that he had fond memories of his days as a Cub and a Scout. My father's childhood years, about which I know little, has suddenly come to life through these stories.

1942 'Scouts and Cubs Compete For Shield.', The Telegraph(Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), 5 December, p. 2 Edition: LATE WEEK END, viewed 28 December, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172600217

It is very easy to digress when finding information on the Trove website. There is such a wealth of information to discover. I set out to find out about my father's participation in the war effort as a young cub scout and have ended up talking about flapjacks! So back to the Cubs as Cogs..... An article which appeared in the Brisbane Courier Mail, on January 9, 1942, explained how  Cub Scouts became involved in the collection of aluminium to be used in the manufacture of munitions, guns and planes.  Over 800 cub scouts were recruited to gather aluminim items and were requested to drop them off at designated post office 'receiving depots'. Girl Guides had already been successfully collecting aluminium since the previous December along with members of the public.
Following is the public call to Cub Scouts to play their part in helping the war effort, published in the Brisbane Courier Mail January, 9, 1942: 
The association desires that all wolf cubs shall assist in the collection of scrap aluminium to aid the war effort. Cubmasters will will arrange to record the effective time spent by cubs on this work and credit it to cubs in respect of their National Service Badge Award.

1942 'POST OFFICE, COUNCIL, CUBS ALUMINIUM DRIVE.', The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), 9 January, p. 3, viewed 28 December, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50155170

With such strong words as those below, which appeared enticingly in bold print, what young boy cub could resist helping? 
Points to remember are:- 1 lb of aluminium alloy will make 1400 rivets, of which about 200,000 are used in one plane.A 5 ounce teapot makes 438 rivets, and every rivet is another in the coffin of the Nazi Regime.
I can just imagine the eagerness of the young cub scouts when they heard this call to help. The Brisbane Courier Mail carried a story  on February 3, 1942, which illustrates the determination and exhuberance of the boy cubs to play their part in the war effort.
When boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs go out after scrap aluminium they usuually get it. For example:- One persuaded a housewife who was making cakes to hand over her two aluminium cake tins  to him, and to put the mixture into a billy can.Another persuaded a man to part with a valuable washing machine casing.A third met  a woman who had no aluminium  but was inspired with a desire to give. So she presented him with a Pomeranian puppy.
I find these anecdotes to be delightful, especially the last, although I have to wonder if  the boy's mother was pleased to receive a Pomeranian puppy unexpectedly?

1942 'BOY SCOUTS GET THEIR ALUMINIUM.', The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), 3 February, p. 5, viewed 28 December, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50146411

Cubs, Scouts and Girl Guides continued to work throughout the war years  to help in the collection of aluminium, other metals, paper, rags and clothing for parcels to be sent to European refugees through the UNRRA. The cubs and scouts  collected books and magazines while the girl guides knitted socks and scarves to be included in parcels to be sent to soldiers on the war front. The enthusiastic young helpers, assisted with the making of camouflage netting, crutches and packing cases and  eager Scouts and Cubs even took on farming jobs to help in the absence of farmers who had gone to fight.The Rockhampton newspaper, The Morning Bulletin, summed up the wartime contribution of the Boy Scouts, Wolf Cubs and Girl Guides, in its Headline on page 13, September 21, 1945 when it printed an article entitled, Scouts and Guides Worked for Peace
I am extremely proud of the contribution my father made from 1942 to 1945 towards the war effort. I am grateful to the National Library of Australia's wonderful website, Trove, without which, I would never have known about the wonderful contribution my father made as a child towards to war. I can now add this tale to the other threads I am gathering about my father's  life.  Eventually I will weave together a whole story. Colin John McDade, passed away in 1999 without ever telling me much about his childhood. Many thanks for yet another treasure from Trove! 

Missing Great Uncle Rex in the 1939 Register...a puzzle solved.

Where is Uncle Rex on the 1939 Register ?

Marwell Hall, Hampshire Photo Siobhan White ©

I have written a number of blog posts about my most intriguing relative, my great uncle, Rex Morley Hoyes. You can read about Rex Hoyes in the following posts in  Sharn's Genealogy Jottings and FamilyHistory4u  His fascinating life  (1902 -1983) included him being charged with and aquitted of corruption by MI5 during WW2, when he was the managing Director of Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft in England, a secret airstrip constructed at his home Marwell Hall (once owned by Kng Henry VIII which was given by the king to the Seymour family), his involvement in illegal gunrunning to Hyderabad in 1948, along with Australian pilot Sidney Cotton, and so far, unproved suspicions that he was a spy. The UK City and Country Directories, 1600's-1900's give a number of addresses for him in 1939, These are,  29 St James Street SW1 (TN Whitehall 2871), Marwell Hall, Winchester, (TN Owlesbury 6), Formentor, Malorca, Balearic Isles. That he had a very large super yacht registered in his name, could have explained the many addresses but when Findmypast announced the release of the 1939 register , I was eager to see exactly where my great uncle was living on September 29, 1939, when the register of every civilian living in the UK was undertaken. Information about the yacht Warrior can be found here https://peggybawn.wordpress.com/tag/rex-morley-hoyes/ . This site provides a link to my blog post about the Warrior.

The type of Avro Lancastrian
 that  flew guns to Hyderabad  Image:

"Avro Sapphire Lancastrian VM733 Coventry 06.54" by RuthAS - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Avro_Sapphire_Lancastrian_VM733_Coventry_06.54.jpg#/media/File:Avro_Sapphire_Lancastrian_VM733_Coventry_06.

This register, recently released by Findmypast was a joint undertaking by The National Archives and DC Thomson Family History. The register was originally used to issue identity cards and ration books and contains vital information such as change of surname, sex, occupation, age and address.

I was surprised when I searched for Rex Morley Hoyes that I couldn't find him. If he was not listed on the 1939 Register, on September 29, I wondered where he would have been so soon after the declaration of WW2. I had hope to find more about him from the register and hoped that he wasn't living at one of the overseas addresses that had been listed in the 1939 UK City and Country Directory (Ancestry.com ).

Results of my search for Rex M Hoyes in the 1939 Register  Image Findmypast.com.uk

My first search for Rex Morley Hoyes found no results (see above) and so I amended my search to Rex M Hoyes. I tried both of these searches, first  giving Hampshire, the county in which Marwell Hall is situated and then leaving the place of residence blank, with both searches finding no results.

Next I searched for R M Hoyes in Hampshire, but I found no sign of Rex Hoyes, I found a female by the name of Rose M Hoyes who was born two years earlier than Rex. Rose Hoyes lived in Winchester which is an historic town in the vicinity of Marwell Hall, however, I found no no sign of Rex Hoyes.

Widening my search, I looked for Rex's wife who was Patricia Margaret Hoyes nee Blackadder, formally Lady Waleran. Her affair with Rex Morley Hoyes had become very public in 1934, when news of it hit the newspaper headlines in the London Times. Lord Waleran divorced his much younger wife while Rex divorced his wife Muriel following the news scandal which even gave the address where Rex and pat had held their clandestine meetings. Rex Hoyes and Pat Blackadder married in 1935, having purchase Marwell Hall in 1934 prior to their wedding. Below is the result of my search for Margaret Patricia Hoyes. It was immediately obvious that I had found the correct person becaue her maiden name was shown as Blackadder. The showing of name changes on the 1939 Register is an excellent way to confirm that you have found the person you are looking for.

Margaret P Blackadder (Hoyes) in the 1939 Register. Image: Findmypast.com.uk

 http://search.findmypast.com.au/results/world-records/1939-register?firstname=margaret%20patricia&firstname_variants=true&lastname=hoyes&lastname_variants=true&keywordsplace=hampshire
  
To the right of each name on the results page, there are two icons to click. The first takes you to a list of the people who lived in the same household as the person you have searched for. Below is the list of people in the Hoyes household which I found . And to my surprise, there, beneath Margaret P Blacckadder/Hoyes was Rose M Hoyes.

The Hoyes household, Winchester Image Findmypast.com.uk

Rose M Hoyes , a female, was born 30 March 1900 and her occupation is transcribed as Managing Director of Ca? Owner Aircaft Limited. This caught my attention immediately, since my great uncle Rex was born on the same day March 30, but in 1902, and in 1939, he was Managing Director of Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft Limited, based at Southampton Airport, Eastleigh, in England.

Rex Morley Hoyes, 4th from right with Culiffe-Owen personalities.

The only way to see the original image from the 1939 register is to pay to view and although I by now was certain that Rose M Hoyes was in fact, Rex M Hoyes mistranscribed, assumption can so easily lead one down the wrong path. I needed to see the original image to obtain evidence that Rose M Hoyes was really Rex M Hoyes. After all, the household listed Rose as a female and perhaps there was a Rose Hoyes whom I had not yet discovered in my family history research.

Paying to view the original image of the Hoyes household on the 1939 Register image paid off for me, because Rose turned out to bevery much my great uncle Rex. Original writing is often hard to read but I am able to read the name Rex, Perhaps becaue I a expecting it to be Rex, it is easier for me to read. I can also see, however, how the letters 'ex' looked like 'ose' and how easily Rex became Rose. But on the register my great uncle is clearly stated to be a male not a female. The mistake here was that whoever transcribed this record, assumed that the 'M' for male was incorrect and that 'ROSE was correct rather than searching for a male name that loked like Rose. An excellent  lesson for myself also when transcribing. Rex's occupation is Managing Director of Cunliffe Owen Aircraft Ltd, but for someone not looking for that name they can be forgiven for not being able to read it correctly. The address given is Marwell Hall, Owlesbury.

Rex Hoyes was not missing on the day of the 1939 UK Register at all.  But for for the original image I could not have proved this and thumbs up to Findmypast for providing this extra pay by view service. I am again reminded of the importance of finding original documents and not relying upon transcription. Volunteers do an exccellent job of transcribing often very difficult handwriting, but when you are searching for a particular name it is often easier to recognise it yourself.

1939 Register. Rex M Hoyes. Image Fndmypast.com.uk

Of great interest in the Hoyes household in 1939, is the household staff listed on this register. Rex and Margaret Hoyes had a Butler, chauffer, head housemaid and a cook in the household on September 29, 1939. There are possibly three more household members, however, the three names below those that are listed are not yet available becaue they were born within the 100 year privacy closure period. Since they are not family members, I will not bother to apply to have the closed files opened. I will, though,  be looking into the lives of the Marwell Hall staff in the near future. Often the people who knew our ancestors can provide clues about their lives, so it is well worth investigating them.

It has come to my attention from a number of private sources, that Rex was possibly a spy. I have as yet found no evidence to support this theory, and I am pleased that I found him at home at his Marwell Hall residence on the night of the 1939 register. As Managing Director of Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft Ltd, with government aircraft contracts, that Rex himself secured for the company, he travelled to America on official business in 1941. Had I discovered him anywhere but in England on September 29, 1939, so soon after Britain and France had declared war  (September 3), my suspicions about his wartime activities might have been fueled. So for now, Rex is safely patriotic... until I find otherwise. Saved by the 1939 register!

Rootstech 16 Ambassador... and a Family Reunion thanks to Rootstech15.

Rootstech16 Ambassador - a look back at Rootstech15 and how Rootstech led to a family reunion...

Rootstech 15 Geneabloggers

I was thrilled to be invited recently, to join Jill Ball, previously the only Australian Ambassador for Rootstech Conferences, to be an Ambassador for Rootstech16. To say I am excited would be an understatement! I have my air ticket booked and paid for and my accomodation is booked as well. 

My Genea-friend Jill Ball conducting an interview with young 15 year old genealogist, Tas, from Australia

In February of this year, I joined a fairly large contingency of Australian attendees, many of them, like myself, were genealogy bloggers and good friends, and we travelled the long journey from various parts of Australia to Salt Lake City in the USA, to attend the Rootstech15 Conference. The 2015 Rootstech conference was combined with the FGS conference so it was a doubly exciting year to choose for my first visit to Rootstech. 

In addition to an exciting line up of keynote speakers (and a trip down memory lane with a fabulous rendition of Donny Osmond's Puppy Love  by the singer himself (showing my age now), an amazing and wide ranging choice of talks, engaging speakers to choose from and the wealth of knowledge  that I acquired, I met many friendly and like minded people. Some of these were already online friends from all around the world, whom I met at Rootstech for the first time in person. Others were new friends whom I am happy to say, I have stayed in touch with. 

The real Donny did appear, however, this cut out figure was fun to pose with!

The exhibition hall was tremendously exciting with so many exhibitors and products to peruse. I'm afraid I purchased too many 'goodies' for my luggage allowance and no doubt I will do so again in 2016! Ancestry DNA tests were popular with Australian visitors and some Australians took tests in Salt Lake City and received our results before Ancestry's DNA testing even reached the shores of Australia! 

The Exhibition Hall was very popular.

The media hub in the Exhibition Hall was a constant hive of activity. Jill Ball called upon me to do an interview on camera. Amongst the many people Jill interviewed was young 15 year old genealogist, named Tas, who had heard about Rootstech from me and earned his airfair by busking, so that he could attend. His story even made the Deseret News!  I met Dear Myrtle (Pat) whose blog and more recentley, her hangouts, I have been a big fan of, in person in the media hub as well as Randy Seaver. Meeting in person, my online genealogy friends, was a great highlight of my Rootstech experience.

Dear Myrtle in the Media Hub

Randy Seaver and wife Linda with my good friend from Australia, Pauleen Cass

During a conversation ( naturally about family history) with Randy and his wife, it transpired that Linda had an ancestor who had lived in Sydney, Australia, where I happen to live. He had followed the Californian Gold Rush and I promised to look up the address of the hotel that Linda Seaver's ancestor had been the licencee of in the mid 1800's on my return to Australia. I did just that and wrote a blog post about my find. If you would like to read about Linda's ancestor just click on the link on the word blog above.

Darling Harbour, not far from where Linda's ancestor had his hotel. 

The family history library was one of the great highlights of my visit to Salt Lake City. After a most informative guide of the library, by most friendly helpers, I set about finding a great deal of information about my German and Swiss ancestors. The books in the library had me positively drooling! Luckily I speak German, as most of the books I was looking at, were in that language. I discovered information that I would not have discovered anywhere else and certainly I would not have found not online. 

The Family History Library, Salt Lake City

I left a few days free after the conference to explore Salt Lake City and to take hundreds of photographs of the city, which was picturesquely nestled in amongst snow capped mountains.

MEETING COUSINS

In February, since I was making the trip to Salt Lake City from Australia, I decided to continue on to Chicago after the conference, to meet, in person, many third cousins whom I had discovered through my family history research. My great grandfather, John MCDADE emigrated from Glasgow, Scotland to Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, while his younger sister, Agnes MCDADE, with her husband Martin LEONARD emigrated to Illinois in the USA in the early 1900's. Three generations later, I realised a dream to bring together a generation of cousins who had lost touch but with whom I had been corresponding daily via facebook for three years. 

It was very cold in Chicago in February when I stayed with cousin Betsy. .

Six months later, in August, just a few weeks ago, I returned to Chicago, along with other Australian MCDADE descendants, for what my American cousins called "The Great Aussie Invasion". We had the most wonderful family gathering of MCDADE descendants and our American hosts were  the most amazing hosts. They are truly wonderful people. Despite three generations of separation, the MCDADE musicality and sense of humour has been passed down through family on both continents. 

Had it not been for attending Rootstech15, I most likely would never have met my wonderful, awesome cousins. Below are some photographs of our family gathering in Chicago on August 31, 2015.

My cousin Thom had gone all out on the Aussie/ American theme for our party.

A clever relative made these cookies!

Amidst American relatives.

Some USA and Aussie cousins.

What better cookies for a family get together!

Name tags made it so much easier with over 100 relatives attending, most of whom had never met before.

One of the family trees I drew up to explain our descendancy from James MCDADE and SARAH MCDERMID who hailed from Ireland c 1770.

THAT WAS NOT ALL THOUGH.....

At Rootstech15, I met a speaker from Chicago, named Paul MILNER.  At a conference in Canberra, Australia, the very next month in March, I again heard Paul speak and was very impressed by his skill as a speaker. We became friends on facebook in March. In July of this year, I discovered in my FamilyTree DNA results, a cousin named Paul MILNER. You guessed it! Its the one and same Paul that I met at Rootstech15. We are corresponding trying to work out our connection, however, I am fairly confident that it is through family from Northumberland, England, on my maternal line that we are related.

I am very much looking forward to returning to Salt Lake City, in February, 2016, for the next Rootstech Conference. I will once again be returning to Chicago after the conference to visit my family in the USA and this time Paul Milner and I will meet up as well..... I am gathering cousins thanks to Rootstech... Rootstech16, here I come!  Why don't you join me.... its an experience you will never forget.

I met Fran Kitto and Hilary Gadbsy in person for the first time at Rootstech15