Tag Archives: genealogy

The Claassen family in South Africa

My wife Juliet is Afrikaans and her surname is Claassen. One of Juliet’s cousins, Johann, is a genealogist and he contacted me recently after discovering my family history website. Johann sent me a gedcom file, which I’ve now uploaded to … Continue reading

Topics: Claassen, genealogy, History, South Africa | Leave a comment

Minister endorsed brain tonic

I obtained an electronic copy of my grandparents’ marriage certificate today for $18. Michael John Gorey, farmer of Waubra, married Eleanora Augusta Hermitage Sutherland at 101 Gore Street, Fitzroy, on April 19, 1913. The celebrant was Congregationalist minister John Hosking … Continue reading

Topics: advertising, genealogy, History | 1 Comment

The Sutherlands from Bute

This information about the Sutherland family came to me via Rex Sutherland. The notes were written by Leslie Archibald Sutherland (1911-97). I have edited them slightly to put them in my own family’s context. My great-great grandfather Daniel Sutherland migrated … Continue reading

Topics: Burgdorf, genealogy, Sutherland | Leave a comment

Child falls from a carriage

I again discovered something tonight on the National Library of Australia’s digital newspaper archives. Here is a story from The Argus (Melbourne) dated October 5, 1893: An accident happened on the Colac railway this afternoon, between the Pettavel Road and … Continue reading

Topics: genealogy, History | 2 Comments

Top text correctors acknowledged

I’ve written before about the National Library of Australia’s wonderful digitisation program. Hundreds of historic newspapers are having their pages converted to searchable electronic copies. I’ve already used the resource for family history research. The text appears garbled in most … Continue reading

Topics: genealogy, History, library | Leave a comment

Family history update

I haven’t done much offline genealogical research since 1999, but I occasionally browse online sources on public holidays, like today. These sources are much more plentiful than they were 10 years ago and most didn’t exist in 1999. Today I … Continue reading

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New photographic site

This is a picture of my great uncle Peter Wassenberg. He served in the Dutch Army in the 1930s. The Dutch were neutral in the First World War, but Hitler wouldn’t let them claim that privilege in the second. The … Continue reading

Topics: family, genealogy, History, Wassenberg | Leave a comment