Unlock The Past Cruise Researching Your WA Ancestors And Their Descendants February , 2013

Researching Your WA Ancestors & Their Descendants – Unlock The Past Cruise Feb 2013 – Neil Bradley1

Unlock The Past Cruise

Researching Your WA AncestorsAnd Their Descendants

February, 2013

Presenter – Neil Bradley


Rough Plan

• Demonstrate the Key Online Databases• How to search and tips

• Look at some available CDs

• Essential Books relating to WA Genealogy

• Ask me questions as we go


Adams - 1830Martin - 1830Hayman - 1858Woods - ~1870McMillan - 1892Chamberlain - ~1848Bradley - ~ 1898

Neil’s WA Families


Western Australian Genealogy Societywww.wags.org.au

• Quick Links – has most of the key databases

• Links – ultimate Genealogy links

• WA Surnames

• WAGS Forum

• Members Only Data


WAGS - LINKS


WAGS – WA Surnames


WAGS – EDR System

• Search a squillion CDs in one go!!

• Not huge numbers of WA CDs yet but growing


WAGS – EDR SystemSearch the Index on the Net - MO


WAGS Library WA Family History Books

• Published Family Histories are a great source of data (& photos)

• 929.2 is where they all hide

• I have been through all the WA ones (twice)

• New numbering system makes the WA ones a little harder to isolate (look at the old cards for Bradley x2)

• Soon we will add key Families to the Alice Keywords for each WA book

• I have had lots of surprise finds

• Key Shire books are worth a look


WAGS LIBRARYCatalogue on the Net


WAGS FORUM

• Need to be a Member or Registered to use

• Can Subscribe by Section or Topic


WAGS – Members Only Section


Metropolitan Cemetery Boardhttp://www2.mcb.wa.gov.au/NameSearch/search.php

Limited search options, no wildcard search but using just the first few characters can be helpful

Updated really quickly so you look up quite recent burials

Spelling is generally pretty good

If you can’t find someone whom you think died pre 1967 check out WA BDMs online



• Fremantle Cemetery

• Established 1898

• Older remains / headstones moved from Alma St & Skinner St

• Index appears to have added some of these earlier burials (but not all??)

• Go for a walk around the Pioneer Section (with a camera!)

• Guildford Cemetery

• Established late 1800s

• I have a photo of an 1870 headstone not on the index (more walking required!)

• A number of graves at Guildford Grammar

• Karrakatta Cemetery

• Established 1899

• I’m not aware of any missing from the index (although headstones have been removed)

• Midland Cemetery

• I need to check this one out

• Pinaroo (1978)

• Cremations only (I think?)

• Rockingham (2007)



• Approx Year of Birth (+/- 1)

• Full Name

• Date of Death

• Where Living at time of Death

• Cemetery

• Religion (if buried)

• Location so you can match to Spouse / Children

• Grantee (positive proof of a relationship)

• Less detail if cremation only and ashes removed



• Note: Nana’s ashes in the same Gravesite

• Same Grantee

• Check out anyone born before about 1930 who you don’t have a death for (not proof but often you can be pretty sure)

• Check out Marriages before 1950 (as above)

• Filters & Flags demo


WA Pioneer Indexhttp://www.bdm.dotag.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/


WA Pioneer Indexhttp://www.bdm.dotag.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/

• Births 1841-1932• Only Births before 1905 show parents• Later birth records can be useful but only as confirmation

• Deaths 1841-1971• Some have age and parents• Some also show place of birth (pre 1905)• Can use microfiche up to 1980 (has father & mother Christian names)

• Marriages 1841-1936• pre 1905 show Place of marriage rather then Reg District

• Searching• Assume poor spelling and where possible only use the first few chars• Also try alternate spelling e.g. Headland Hedland Hedlund• Always check reverse Christian names Trixie Doris & Doris Trixie• %abc will look for abc anywhere within the field

• Checking• Everyone in your database whom you think may have had one “event” in

WA and you have missing data for needs to be checked• People with no mge born before 1916 need to be checked• Filters and Flags are the best way to check – requires advanced s/ware


Reverse WA Marriage Lookuphttp://www.wamarriage.info/

- Limited search options, no wildcard search but using just the first few characters can be helpful

- Manually created from hard to read microfiche (some are very blurred) – expect some spelling errors

- Check out the “missing partners”. Original microfiche only give Name, Registration District, Year and Registration Number for each person. Matches have been done manually.

- Between 1905 & 1936 check Pioneer Index as well if no luck here (just in case!!)

http://www.wamarriage.info/


Reverse WA Marriage Lookup

• If you know the wife’s Surname – look both ways

• Not uncommon for women to remarry, Surname might be their last married name

• Check out all Mges where you don’t have a Year and or Place

• Check out anyone born after 1885 who isn’t married (not proof but it gives you a start). Can then look for burials, if buried together and ages/middle names match then looking stronger


WA Convict Databasehttp://www.fremantleprison.com.au/Pages/Convict.aspx


Country & Other Cemeteries

• Check in the country for burials that you can’t find in the city

• Sometimes you also need to look interstate


OZ Burialshttp://www.ozburials.com/index.htm

• “Search this site” feature is terrific

• “Smith , Fred”

• Check town website as well if available (e.g. Albany – more data)


MidWest Cemeterieshttp://members.westnet.com.au/gfhs/Cemeteries/menu.htm


Outback Family Historyhttp://www.outbackfamilyhistory.com.au/


Carnamah Historical Societyhttp://www.carnamah.com.au/index.html

• Great site with Bios on nearly everyone who has lived in the area

• Plus Cemeteries in the area

• Plus other data

• Andrew Bowman (4th cousin twice removed) has done a great job


Northam Cemeteryhttp://northamcemetery.atwebpages.com/

• Headstone photos, inscriptions and some links to other info

• Double click on the photos, often more than one view

• Colleen Ranger (relatives in common) has done a great job


Bunbury Cemeteryhttp://bunburycemetery.com.au/burialcremationrecords.aspx/


Albany Cemeteryhttp://www.albanycemeteryboard.com.au/search.php


East Perth Cemetery

• You have to hunt around on the site to find this

• New On-line East Perth Cemetery Database coming soon – Friends of Battye

• You can buy photos of the headstones ( myweb.westnet.com.au/talltrees – they have a number of others)

http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/graves/register.htm


Australian Cemeterieshttp://www.australiancemeteries.com/

• Can find available Cemeteries

• I have only played with the search briefly but it looks good


FAMILYSEARCH.ORG

• Ian Simon pointed this gem out to me. It is not obvious if you just browse the site for WA records

• Good place for pre 1841 Births, Baptisms and Deaths

• Can search submitted trees if you join up

• You really need to hunt around this site a bit to get the feel of it

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true

https://www.familysearch.org/


The Bicentennial DictionaryOf Western Australians 1988

Also look at Dictionary of Western Australians 1979


Time to Check the Bic. Dic.


The Bicentennial DictionaryOf Western Australians 1988

Also look at Dictionary of Western Australians 1979

• Great source of information

• Expect mistakes and omissions

• Look at both sets. The Dictionary set is in Year groups then alpha

• Check spouse records as well

• Expiree = Convict

• Source submissions are in WAGS archives and have been scanned

• WABI cards are on microfiche at WAGS or have a look at Battye (look both

sides)

• I check everyone pre 1900 (flags and filters)


1832 CENSUS

• Must read if you have Ancestors <= 1832

• Quite a few were missed in the Census

• Spelling is approximate

• Sorted by Number and Name

• Bio section containing info on most in the Census

• Details of early colony deaths


1837 CENSUS• Copy in the Rare Book cupboard

• Has been photographed, now on the EDR

• Also not 100% complete but great data


Australia’s Fighting Sons of Empire

• Archive CD Book version – can search on Ancestry

• Lots (but not all) of Bios with photos of WWI soldiers from WA

• Essential source


CYCLOPEDIA of WA

• WAGS has book and CD, also on Ancestry.Com

• People paid to be written up so not many poor people mentioned

• Does have a lot of photos so you have to check it out


MIDWEST OF WAPRE 1901 – PIONEER FAMILY REGISTER

WAGS has a copy – definitely worth a look


UNITING CHURCH BAPTISMS

• Great data – wish we had it for the Catholics and Anglicans!!!!

• Check everyone in your database against this CD!! (flags & filters)


PASSENGER LISTS

• These two cover up to 1890 pretty well

• WAGS website also has details of most 1829 boats• WAGS CD 1898-1925 does not have full coverage, not for sale, can lookup at

WAGS

• “The Rest” – WAGS has microfilm

• Ancestry has some


FIRST FAMILIES

• Has details (short family tree) on families arriving up to 31/12/1838

• Essential, if you go that far back – buy it!


OTHER WAGS CDs

• The Perth Gazette – better lookup than Trove

• WA Inquests 1876-1903, this Index ties in nicely with on-line Gazette at SLA

• Convict Ticket of Leave Register, check it at WAGS


WAGS – Microfilm/Fiche

• Probate – 1930s

• Passenger Lists

• WABI Cards


STATE LIBRARY of WA - BOOKS


STATE LIBRARY of WA - BOOKS

You call scroll through the “Western Australia” AND Genealogy books and check out the keywords


STATE LIBRARY of WA - PHOTOS


STATE LIBRARY of WAPost Office Directories


STATE LIBRARY of WA - More

• Dead Reckoning – geni guide

• WA Police Gazettes online 1876 – 1900

• E-Resources, just sign up for a library card and you can access a mountain of free resources online from home

• Joint copying project


FREMANTLE LIBRARY

• Great photos• They have files of info on key Fremantle related families• Family History Centre not open Sat


STATE RECORDS OFFICE


STATE RECORDS OFFICE• Frustrating Website – you want “Archive Collection”

• then “Information Sheets”

• then “Grants of Probate (Wills) & Letters of Administration”

• this will tell you the story but you have to go there to do anything except!

• they are helpful, take a USB as they have a camera / document stand connected to a

computer

• Search Room

• then “State Records Office’s online archives database” (AEON)

• real pain to use but!!

• Advanced Search

• Record Series

• 34

• Search

• click on “detail” and scroll to the bottom of the screen


STATE RECORDS OFFICE

These Probate documents often contain “Death Certificates” so look here early to save a few bob.

Unlock The Past Cruise Researching Your WA Ancestors And Their Descendants February , 2013

Documents

Transcript of Unlock The Past Cruise Researching Your WA Ancestors And Their Descendants February , 2013