The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge for Week 49 is Winter.  Many people at this time of year are preparing for Christmas and the pictures we grew up on show scenes of snow, hot cooked lunch, and Santa.  In Australia it is a vastly different experience. Week 49 – Winter For many in the…

The Week 48 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is Next to Last.  Suggestions for this theme were the next to last ancestor you found or the next to last ancestor on a printout of your ancestors.  I chose to do next to last child. Week 48 – Next to Last Aaron Walker was my…

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is Thankful to coincide with Thanksgiving Day in America. Week 47 – Thankful This year after much saving, my children and I were able to travel to England and Scotland.  It was a glorious holiday (except for the car hire company) and we got to see many places…

This weeks 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is Random Fact.  Again, this was a topic I struggled to come up with, however, I finally thought of something. Week 46 – Random Fact Robert and Edith Matheson lived at 7 Cavendish Street, Victoria Park, Western Australia when their youngest son Robert Hilton Matheson signed up…

Each November the amount of facial hair on the males of the population seems to explode, after all it is “Movember”.  This weeks challenge is featuring ancestors who donned a beard.  Some men seem to love the beard, some love the clean shave – the popularity of each seems to change over the years.  Some…

This weeks challenge was Frightening and the suggestions were tell a family ghost story, Halloween story or photo, or if you felt scared in a cemetery.  I have really struggled this week to come up with a story, however, I will tell you a story that happened to my daughter. Week 44 – Frightening My…

Mortality rates in the 19th Century and the eras before was very high.  People died of illnesses, that these days, would be a mere inconvenience.  Many families lost numerous children before they turned 5.  Genealogists love death certificates – they provide us with a wealth of information, including cause of death the 52 Ancestors in…

This weeks Challenge is Conflict and I’ve decided to talk about the toll that war took on my family. Week 42 – Conflict War is such a destructive process – of lives, culture, freedom.  World War I and World War II were the most destructive in recent history – they wreaked havoc on the Australian…

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge this week is sports.  Sport was never a big thing in my childhood – we didn’t tend to watch it or play it.  I grew up riding my bike around the neighbourhood or swimming in a mates pool.  Our extracurricular activities revolved around music not sport.  Dad, did…

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge this week is Ten.  So many ways to interpret this – ten children, the tenth person on your tree, the 10th army unit.  I opted to go with ten children. Week 40 – Ten Susan Criddle and David Brand were my second great-grandparents on my mother’s side.  Susan…