Ancestors from o'er the Oceans

  Our Family History Journey Our extended family has always had a strong interest in our ancestors and our family history. Family stories have been an important part of our growing up, passed down through the generations and often sparking our curiosity about the people who came before us. I followed in my mother’s footsteps and inherited much of her research. In those early days, researching our family history was a very different process. Mum corresponded with people overseas by aerogram, patiently sending letters across the world and waiting weeks, sometimes months, for replies. Every new piece of information was something to treasure. Over the past few years, the internet has transformed family history research. Records that once seemed almost impossible to access can now be found with a few clicks, and websites, digitised archives and online databases have opened up new avenues of discovery. And so the family history continues. What Mum began with letters and aerograms, we can...

Following a New Branch of Our Family Tree St Peter and Paul Church, Swalcliffe.  All 11 children were baptised here. Every now and then, family history research opens a door that you didn't even know was there. This time, that door was opened by my cousin Ryan Dudley, whose research has uncovered a whole new branch of our family tree. Ryan has traced this line back through our 4th great-grandparents, Bathsheba Slatter and her husband John Baker, and from there continued backwards through the generations to our 8th great-grandparents. For me, this is one of the wonderful things about family history. We begin with the people we know and gradually discover the generations who came before them. In this case, our starting point is my maternal grandmother, Catherine Therese Baker.  Following her family line backwards leads us to Bathsheba Slatter and John Baker, and then further and further into the eighteenth century. Eventually, the research brought us to Matthias Green and Ann La...

  These steel wire recordings were discovered in Sweden among the files of Sven Strömgren, first cousin to our grandmother, Josephine Annie Romeril (née Brudus). Sven’s son, Peter Strömgren, undertook the enormous task of having the recordings transferred to MP3 format. It has taken almost two years to find someone capable of doing this delicate work, so a very heartfelt thank you to Peter for his persistence and dedication. There are three recordings in total. One was made in 1965 and sent from Nana Rom to Sven. It features my brother, Tony Romeril, singing Santa Lucia when he was just 14 years old. Tony tells me that Mum arranged the recording because she wanted to preserve his beautiful boy soprano singing voice before it broke! I think you will agree that, although the recording is a little scratchy, it is absolutely remarkable considering it is more than 60 years old. Another recording captures Nana Rom speaking to Sven about the devastating Victorian bushfires and includes a...

  My Father: The Life of Robert William Edward Romeril As told by Aunty Dot, reshaped here for our family blog Robert William Edward Romeril b1887 d1967. " Top photos enhanced with the use of Chatgpt " Top left circa 1917 - top left 01 Sep 1966 My father, Robert William Edward Romeril  (Bert) , was born on 3 July 1887 in Darlington, Sydney, New South Wales. He was the third child of Edward Thomas Romeril and Martha Farncombe . His father, a Frenchman from the Isle of Jersey, worked as a sea captain on coastal ships, and perhaps gave up the sea when he married. We know very little after that — there is no record of him after 1889. Research has since found information about the whereabouts of Bert. Our Elusive great grandfather Around that time, Martha’s mother travelled to Sydney and returned to Melbourne with Martha, Berty, my father, his two older sisters, and a baby sister. Dad was only two years old when the family settled in Market Street, South Melbourne. When he...

  Josephine Annie Romeril nee Brudus 1896-1966 Every family has stories that deserve to be kept alive. This one comes to us through the careful writing of my Aunty Dot, who captured the life of her mother, Annie Brudus , in vivid detail. Annie’s childhood was far from ordinary, marked by struggle, heartbreak and resilience. Yet she grew to become the strong, proud matriarch whose presence shaped generations. What follows is Aunty Dot’s account of Annie’s early life—a story passed down with love, preserved so our family can understand where we come from, and appreciate the strength carried quietly by the women before us. This is Annie’s story , as told by her daughter. Josephine Annie Brudus : A Childhood of Hardship, Courage and Heart Family gatherings were Annie’s joy. She would sit tall and proud in her velvet lounge chair, watching her five children and their partners chatting and laughing around the room that looked out to the distant hills. Every now and then a grandchild w...

From Jersey to Chéticamp: The Journey of Jean Le Lievre Every genealogist dreams of a discovery that changes how they see their family’s past. Mine came in the form of 47 DNA matches in Nova Scotia . Each one traced back to a man I had barely known about before: my 4x great-uncle, Jean Le Lievre . Born in 1767 in St. Ouen, Jersey, Channel Islands , Jean was one of seven children of Jean Le Lievre and Marie Briard . (My 4 x great grandparents).  His six siblings stayed behind in Jersey, tied to the land and traditions of their island home. Jean, however, struck out across the ocean — a bold decision that would leave an enduring mark on the shores of Cape Breton. Cheticamp in the 1800s (generated by AI) From Cod Fishing to Commerce Like many young men of Jersey in the late 18th century, (and s ometime between 1790 and 1830),  Jean first crossed the Atlantic to work in the cod trade . Jersey merchants dominated the industry in Cape Breton and Newfoundland, particularly the Robin ...

    The Life and Legacy of William Baker William Baker (1864-1935)_Margaret Ahern (1864-1929)                                                                            Julia Batson Collection - Ryan Dudley William Baker was born on April 19, 1864, in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia.  He was the sixth child of John Baker and Ellen Kelly.  William grew up surrounded by a large family of ten siblings: John, Charles, Sarah, Robert, Mary Jane, Ellen, Mary Ann, Annabella, Rosetta, and Julia Ann. His life spanned 71 years, filled with hard work, family, and resilience. William passed away on September 7, 1935, at the Lidcombe State Hospital and Home in Sydney, New South Wales, on a cool and dry spring day. Early years William's early years saw his f...