Family history across the seas

GeniAus has once again challenged us to think positively about what we achieved in our family history during 2019.

Here are my responses to her questions (unnumbered since it was being temperamental)

* An elusive ancestor I found was: a link to my David Callaghan’s parents, thanks to a DNA match and correspondence with the owner of the tree.

* A surprising newspaper article I found was my great-grandfather’s letter to the editor detailing his days in jail due to not vaccinating my grandmother, Catherine McCorkindale.

* A geneajourney I took was to visit Backrow farmhouse at Bothkennar, Scotland, home for many years to my Sim family. I’d seen it from the road several times and always wanted to “walk the property”…many thanks for the kindness of the current residents.

* I located an important record at the National Records Office of Scotland with the clues from cousins and help from genimates: the (non)vaccination record for my grandmother, Catherine McCorkindale and her younger siblings.

* Newly found family members were discovered and shared stories, photos, and documents (Kunkel, Melvin, McCorkindale, Callaghan).

* A geneasurprise I received was thanks to @HistoryLady2013 who found a reference to my great-grandfather’s imprisonment due to not vaccinating his children…it confirmed oral history and the date led me to the newspaper story! Thanks Sylvia!

* My 2019 social media posts that I was particularly proud of were the story of little Lizzie Brophy; the courage of my Callaghan ancestors at sea; and Finding the Fass in Bavarian Newspapers.

* I met new genimates at DNA Down Under (and had tons of laughs), and renewed some friendships-at-a-distance at RootsTech London. I also got to meet new cousins in Edinburgh.

* A new piece of technology or skill I mastered played with was DNA Painter.

* I joined (finally) the Irish Family History Society while at RootsTech London.

* Genealogy education sessions and events from which I learnt something new was Waves in Time 2019 on the Sunshine Coast, DNA Down Under, and RootsTech London.

* A blog post that taught me something new was this post on Kissing Cousins: Marital Dispensations, Consanguinity, Affinity.

* A DNA discovery I made was a connection to my Callaghan ancestors from Wexford.

* I helped a genimate (cousin) to navigate through the starting phases of their research and got them addicted to family history.

* A brick wall I demolished was …”wishin’ and hopin’”…..

* A great site I visited often was the Irish Genealogy page…it has been pure gold for Irish research.

* Three new genealogy/history books I enjoyed were “On Chapel Sands” recommended by my friend FamilyTreeFrog; “Downsizing with Family History in Mind” by Devon Noel Lee and Andrew Lee; and “The Exile Breed” by Charles Egan.

* It was exciting to finally meet the knowledgeable and delightful Blaine Bettinger in Queensland and Sydney, and Sylvia Valentine who helped me with my vaccination discoveries.

* I am excited for 2020 because there’s always something new to learn that will stretch (or boggle!) my mind…and who knows, maybe break down my Sherry/McSherry/McSharry brick wall.

* Another positive I would like to share is …my A to Z series 2019 which documented some of my early days as a young woman in Papua New Guinea. I hope it will be something my descendants might be pleased to discover on Pandora one day. I’m always pleased, too, when cousins tell me how much they still get from my Kunkel family history.

Thanks GeniAus for making us all reflect and perhaps realise we’ve achieved more than we thought.