Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Even More Checking

I came across an oddity in the list of the children of Louisa Cecilia Townsend and Friedrich Ludwig Wilhelm Vogler.

There is something odd here; the birth date for Karl William Maximilliaan Vogler is generally given as 6th April 1870, in Padang, but this is nigh on impossible because Isabella Maria’s birth date is usually given as 30th March 1870, Wiesbaden. A birth in Padang suggests a much earlier date, as the family left for Germany around 1864-1865. I would suggest 6th April 1860 as Karl William’s date of birth.

Also, there seems to have been a sojourn in Ambon in 1865, as George Vogler is said to have been born and died there, even though Harriet Clementine Vogler is said to have died in June 1864 in Batavia while the family was waiting for the boat home to Germany.

Ron/Jeff/Thomas, could you please check your records on these individuals?

Monday, January 23, 2012

Townsend and Bald Hills Cemetery

William & Elizabeth's Headstone
We know that Captain William Townsend and his third wife, Elizabeth Salmon Thomas, are buried in Bald Hills Cemetery, What some might not know is that Capt Townsend played a role in getting the cemetery started. The Sandgate and Districts Historical Society and Museum Inc. holds a copy of a letter from Townsend to the Minister of Lands in 1869.
A transcript follows.


Brighton near Sandgate
16th August 1869


To the Honourable
The Minister of Lands


Sir
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 22nd July last, wherein I am requested to take the necessary steps for convening a meeting of the residents at the Bald Hills & its vicinity for the appointment of Trustees under the Cemetery Act of 1865 for the land set apart for a cemetery in the district, and further to furnish you with copy of proceedings of the public meeting.


I have now the honour to wait upon you with copy of proceedings held at a public meeting which took place this morning at the Bald Hills, pursuant to circulars issued by me on the 30th July last to the residents of the Bald Hills, North Pine, South Pine, Chinaman's Creek, Cabbage Tree Creek & Sandgate, and from which you will perceive that the following gentlemen were approved Trustees, viz.
J Stewart of Bald Hills for the Presbyterians
E Michael of Bald Hills for the Baptists
A.G.Thorpe of Cabbage Tree Creek for the Church of England
B.R.Lethem of South Pine for the Congregational
A.Slaughter of Sandgate for the Wesleyans.

I have the honour to be
Sir
Your most obedient servant
Wm Townsend J. P.


A public meeting was held this day 16th August 1869 @ 11 am at the Presbyterian Church, Bald Hills, by order of the Honble The Minister of Lands, and pursuant to circulars issued by the undersigned on the 30th July last to the residents of the Bald HIlls, North Pine, South Pine, Chinaman's Creek, Cabbage Tree Creek & Sandgate for the purpose of appointing Trustees under the Cemetery Act of 1865 for the land set apart for a cemetery at the Bald Hills.
The following gentlemen attended the meeting
Name                  residence                       denomination
A.G.Thorpe     Cabbage Tree Creek   Church of England
E.Michael            Bald Hills                       Baptist
J.W.Lee           Cabbage Tree Creek          ditto
J.Wyllie              South Pine                   Presbyterian
J.Stewart             Bald Hills                         ditto
A.G.Richardson        do                       Church of England
J.Buchanan          North Pine                 Presbyterian
J. McCallum      Bald Hill Creek                    do
W.Wilson                   do                               do
A.Norris              Bald Hills                   Congregational
J.Leitch                South Pine                 Presbyterian
C.Dixon               Bald Hills                          do
B.R.Lethem         South Pine                  Congregational
P.Learmonth        Bald Hills                     Presbyterian
J.Barbour                   do                               do

Mr W Townsend J.P. opened the meeting by reading the instructions received by him from the Department of Lands dated Brisbane 22nd July 1869.  He then called up the gentlemen present to appoint Trustees
Mr J. Wyllie proposed Mr J.Stewart to be Trustee for the Presbyterian denomination, which was seconded & approved of by the gentlemen present, & accepted by J Stewart.
Mr J.W.Lee proposed Mr E.Michael to be Trustee for the Baptist denomination, which was seconded & approved of by the gentlemen present, and accepted by Mr E.Michael.
Mr R.G.Richardson proposed Mr A.G.Thorpe to be Trustee for the Church of England denomination, which was seconded & approved of by the gentlemen present, and accepted by Mr A.G.Thorpe.
Mr A.Norris proposed Mr B.R.Lethem to be Trustee for the Congregational denomination, which was seconded & approved of by the gentlemen present, and accepted by Mr B.R.Lethem.
Mr A.G.Thorpe then stated that he was deputed by Mr A.Slaughter of Sandgate to say that he intended to be present at the meeting, but was prevented from doing so, & would, if appointed, accept the Trusteeship for the Wesleyan denomination. This proposal of Mr A.Slaughter's was submitted to the gentlemen present by Mr W.Townsend J.P. & unanimously approved of.
The Roman Catholic denomination not represented.

Brighton 16th August 1869
Wm Townsend J.P.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Even more little pieces

In the spirit of checking, checking, more checking and then checking the checks, I have discovered a couple of things.

Edwin Louis, who died of injuries after a fall from a horse, had one son, Harold Edwin, a butcher by trade, who married and went on to have at least one son. Harold Edwin and his wife Ellen Weston lived at Seventeen Mile Rocks Road from at least the early 1950s to 1972.

Victor Louis and Sarah Ann had their first son in 1882, in Sydney, but he was stillborn. I have come across information that indicates but not confirms that the other son, who died in 1900, might have been born in 1886.

Slowly, slowly, it grows.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Little Pieces Here and There

Today, I've been going back further into the past and searching around for any new information on the Netherlands Indies part of the story. And yes, there are new and upgraded websites that throw up snippets of information that all add in to make the bigger picture. I do, however, wish that I was more fluent in Dutch, not that it is terribly difficult to catch the drift of an entry (and there's always an online dictionary to assist).

Interesting, too, to have a new contact from (I think) Los Angeles. It is amazing where these Townsend descendants turn up.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Many Thanks to Angela

Angela, a descendant of Victor Louis Townsend has been able to supply me with some valuable and interesting information about parts of the family, and some clues that I have been able to follow up.

One interesting thing to come out of this latest burst of activity is a marriage link between two different parts of the family via the Raff family. Daisy Ferrers Shirley (the second Mrs VL Townsend) had a sister who married an Eric Raff. This Eric Raff was the grandson of George Raff, and therefore nephew of Robert Raff who was Isabella Rachel Townsend's second husband. Robert was George's eldest son while Harry, Eric's father, was the sixth son.

It all goes 'round and 'round.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Long, Slow, Process

With the Australian electoral rolls up to 1980 now available on-line, I am slowly sifting through the Australian descendants and seeking out their movements and employment for the years 1954 to 1980. Very interesting, it can be. Finding out some names of spouses, and children that are probably still well and truly alive and, in some cases, possibly living not far from me.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Back on Deck

For some silly reason, I did not switch on e-mail notifications for comments when I had those weird health problems late 2010 and early 2011, and missed a lot of interesting comments. I will get around to answering them one by one, and contacting people who need to be contacted.

The news is that the "lost" Nora Heysen portrait has now been "unlost" and can be seen in glorious colour in Dr Catherine Speck's new book "Heysen to Heysen".

Now to look at what needs updating in the William Townsend book.

Happy New Year, everybody.