njsfamilyhistoryresearch

What a terrible blogger! March 2022, since my last post. I usually make up for this lapse by writing a ‘year in review’; perhaps I could have the financial year to get me to the 30^th of June 2023. But, hey – I writing that month sago. And now it is Christmas Day!

Three issues dominate the year(s)

1. Certificate in Genealogical Research;
2. Genealogical Society; and
3. NT Chinese Museum.

Starting with third, although the pandemic is over, the after-effects are traumatic regarding a reduced volunteer team, meaning it has been challenging to stay open, especially in this busy tourist season. One achievement was the mounting of the art exhibition Family Murmurings. The artwork is by Melbourne artist Nancy Liang drawing inspiration from the fictional family history short stories by Ken Chan, whose Uncle Albert gave Lorelei away at our wedding. Also, Albert, under a pseudonym, features in the stories based on Ken’s memories of growing up in Shanghai and Sydney. One of the oddities of Chinese family history – well, not quite that odd – is that while Ken was born in Shanghai, his father and grandfather were born in Darwin. Albert was easy to recognise in the stories as he had told me about this part of his life.

Stemming from this Museum activity, I am a member of the Chinese Australian Historical Society (now on the committee) and Chinese Heritage in North Australia, or CHINA Inc. as it is known. The NT Chinese Museum and CHINA Inc. will be convening a national conference in September 2024. In part, this conference acknowledges the 150^th anniversary of the arrival of the ss Vidar in Port Darwin with 186 Chinese indentured labourers on the 5^th of August, 1874. While a handful of Chinese men were in the Northern Territory at the time, this date is taken as the commencement of Chinese settlement. Needless to say, there is a busy year ahead.

The Family Tree collection in the Chung Wah Society’s NT Chinese Museum did not include the CHIN Yam Yan family, a prominent merchant in the town up until World War II. I have now created this tree, as well as three others, with two more in the works, while maintaining and updating the existing 13 trees. Suffice it to say, Neville Jones Services has not brought in much revenue this past year or so!

It pays to review your own research regularly. I had previously recorded the eldest child of Joseph CHIN Pak Cheong as Violet CHIN Toy Yuk, born on the 24th of October 1920, and this tallied with a couple of other researchers. By the way, and this is one of the travails of Chinese family history, Joseph called himself CP Cheong so that his daughter became Violet Cheong. Some time ago, I began separately listing all the discovered Certificates of Exemption from the Dictation Test. Following the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, symbolic of the ‘White Australia Policy’, these certificates enabled resident and Australian-born Chinese people to return to the country following overseas travel. Although emanating from a harsh era, these certificates are a goldmine of data for family historians. Anyway, for other reasons, I was checking my list and, lo and behold, there was Toy Gook, daughter of CHIN Pak Cheong, born in Darwin on the 12^th of November, 1919. CHIN Toy Gook was five years old when she sailed to China with her uncle in 1924. The Certificate of Exemption was renewed several times, including when she was 17, ostensibly so she could complete her education. I originally found this certificate in 2019, so I added her to the family tree four years later when no other researcher, including family, had any record of her. However, the story ends there – or does it? CHIN Toy Gook returned to Australia on the ss Taiping, disembarking at Thursday Island in 1936. Thus far, no further records have been found.

Commencing in August 2022, I undertook the Certificate in Genealogical Research through the Society of Australian Genealogists. I successfully completed the course in June this year, and the Certificate arrived in August. Exercises, as the units are called, included:

• Writing a research guide (I chose the land records of the Northern Territory.
• Preparation of a research plan.
• Charting a family tree.
• DNA Testing and Research
• Analysis of UK and Ireland Census Records.
• Biography in the Australia Dictionary of Biography Style.
• Paleography.
• Online examination.

The most challenging component was DNA Testing and Research; while attaining a good mark, I still class myself as a bumbling amateur in this field.

Finally, the Genealogical Society! With effect from December 2021, the Society had to close operations and find new premises as the Government could not renew the lease over the building where the Society was accommodated. We were promised a grant and had to find accommodation in the open rental market, which proved to be a nightmare. In March 2022, I became the interim President, and the nightmare escalated. Eventually, we found a space with a non-government community organisation. After shoe-horning a 165 m² research library into 120 m², an incredible feat by a small band of volunteers, the Society re-opened for business in September 2022.

Did I mention that I had a hip replacement in November 2022 and a knee replacement in March 2023?

I have only worked sporadically on my own Jones-Sexton and Muir-Buirchell trees. While I knew the document existed in the Sussex Archives, I didn’t realise how easy it was to obtain a copy. My 3^rd great-grandfather and his family emigrated to South Australia in 1839 aboard the Duchess of Northumberland. George kept a journal about the voyage of which a distant cousin, Daniel, purchased a digital copy and shared it with me.

The journal primarily comprises cryptic entries about the weather and the family’s health: “Monday foul wind blowing very hard all day and at 8 oClock it began to blow quite a hurricane and continued all night we lost our jib Sheet. Wife & children better. My sister Hannahs Birth day”; “Thursday foul wind Wife Children well. Poorly myself with sore places breaking out upon my legs”; and “Sunday fair Wind running very fast Wife much worse self & children well.”

Occasionally there is a more detailed snippet providing an insight into ship life such as: “Wednesday fair Wind Wife & children better a Court was held by the Emigrants to bring Robert Pepperell for defaming his Brother Emigrants and defrauding them of their provisions when he was found guilty and sentenced to be flogd [sic] by every Male Emigrant but to Receive only 2 lashes from each I was appointed Crier of the Court.”

The journal includes a description of the arrival of the Duchess of Northumberland in Holdfast Bay, vividly justifying the tag of “Port Misery” given to what was to become Port Adelaide. Further, a letter written to George’s parents gives a detailed description of life in Adelaide and provides clues for further family research through mentions of various relatives.

Apart from a $30 job a couple of years ago, I recently completed my first paid family history research commission. So, maybe there is life in Neville Jones Services albeit on a vastly reduced fee structure.

I have had several forays into DNA research but without much success. A man contacted me from England – both he and his mother tested, and I came up as a contact evidently through my paternal Treasure line – no luck so far. About five years a lady in Victoria got in touch with me as I was a contact with her and her father (both tested). At the time, I had only recently tested and didn’t know too much about genetic genealogy (I still don’t!). I revisited this over the past few days – her father was born to a single Mum, his birth registered with her name and father unknown in 1928, and he was adopted out at age two months. We are fourth cousins with the common ancestors of Muir and McInnes from my maternal side. However, and this is where it gets creepy, the daughter and I have a common connection to a tree named “S.H.” managed by someone else. And in that tree, you come across the maternal common ancestors of George Head and Mary Ann Walton and then connections to Solly and Ledwith descendants!! It is seriously doing my head in!

Family history is about family. In September and October, we travelled to Adelaide to see my daughter, to Perth to see my Aunty, grandson, and great-grand-daughter (Yes! I am a great grandfather!), to Kojonup to see my Mum, and to Dampier to see my son. I guess I became part of the family history record as well; in July 2022 my oral history was recorded and you read and listen to this at the National Library of Australia: Neville Jones interviewed by Rob Willis and Olya Willis. [nla.obj-3114547413] | Digital Collection – National Library of Australia