DO YOU HAVE JERSEY CONNECTIONS?

Another item of interest  from the   Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory's   latest   newsletter compiled by  June Tomlinson . 

 

Jersey Archive is working to promote family history links between the Island and Australia. During the 19^th century they know thousands of Jersey residents left the Island to start a new life in Australia. A small number were convicts transported from Jersey, however the vast majority were looking for opportunities to settle and own their land as a result of an economic  downturn  on  the  Island.  

Their research has shown that a number of Jersey surnames such as Le Cornu, Romeril, de Gruchy****, Le Quesne, de la Haye, Marett, Renouf, Mauger, Le Gros, Nicolle and Noel are still prevalent in Australia today. Australians are also the third highest users of their online catalogue and a number make the journey to Jersey to research their family history.  

In March 2015  Jersey Archive launched their Online Catalogue to enable people to view or download  a vast array of documents, previously only available when visiting Jersey, for a small annual subscription fee or on a pay-per-view basis. It  includes over 200,000 images from collections such as the Occupation Registration Cards, Alien’s Immigration Cards, Hospital Registers, the Superintendent Registrar’s indexes for Births, Marriages and Deaths, Wills and Testaments and Undertakers’ records.  

It  would like to  build on the links they have with Australia by offering to interact with the members of the NT  society who may have Jersey connections and to provide help and support in  researching  their Jersey ancestors.
 http://catalogue.jerseyheritage.org/

 

There is another  link   to help  reseach http://www.jerseyheritage.org/family-history/get-started

 

*****DE GRUCHY SUPRISE :  This  blogger was taken aback on  seeing  the  name de  Gruchy  in the list of  Jersey  surnames  as  only last week , in a sweep   of Townsville op shops,  a  beaut  book , Historic Interiors , edited by Maisy Stapleton , published by  Sydney College of  Arts Press  ,1983, was  bought , and  contained the name of a previous  owner...G. de Gruchy and the  year '86. Apart  from   covering  early Australian buildings, some parliamentary , with pasted  in samples of  wallpapers, there is a section dealing  with American buildings , including  restoration of Ellis Island where immigrants  entering the United States  between  1892  and  1954  passed. Recently we  ran an item about  another of our finds ,  The  Drawings of  W. Curtis Green ,R.A, bearing the inscription : In  memory  of  our son . Mr and Mrs T.N. Mitchel , Guernsey, Channel Islands .  

NOT FINDING SOMEONE IN UK CENSUS RECORDS -IRISH SENSE OF HUMOUR AND OTHER PUZZLES

The latest newsletter of the  Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory (GSNT), as  usual , contains  items of interest . One  asks if you have  ever wondered why you cannot find someone in the census records when you know they should  be there.  You spend a lot of time trying different ways to spell their name and cast  your searching net  wider, to  no avail.  One of the GSNT research team found  the following  entry in the Manchester Census for the Municipal Ward of St James

13,15 & 17 Lombard St

Patrick Farrell Lodger, aged 70, Drayman born Ireland

Alexander McInns Lodger aged 24, Hairdresser Scotland
Dan Ireland Lodger aged 92, General Labourer Ireland

James Williamson Lodger aged 23, Barber Hair, Ireland
Michael Pistol Lodger aged 24, General Labourer Ireland

John Gun Lodger aged 28, Blacksmith Ireland

Thomas Canon Lodger aged 74, Joiner Ireland
 

 Just a few entries down , same address
 

Thomas Cassell Lodger aged 28, Cotton Dryer Lancs Manchester

NK Lodger 32 Occupation NK Where Born NK  - there were 6 entries all with the same information, the penny must have dropped because written beside these entries is the word “about”... now what that means is a mystery.

ARFER SINODINOS FOR LAUGH IN ?

Exclusive  report   by   Canberra's  ace  giggling  political  insider , Argus Tuft.

It  has  just been confirmed  that  Arfer Sinodinos  will be one of the top acts  at Melbourne's  International  Comedy Festival which  will   run  to  packed houses    from March 29-April 23.  The   incredible comedic skills  of  Arfer  came to   the  fore  during  the  glum  reign  of  PM  John  Howard  when  he  was  the  chief  of  staff.

Another former Howard  chief of staff , now   lobbyist   and commentator , Grahame Morris ,  is  on record  as  saying  Sinodinos   was valued  for  his  ability to spread cheer and defuse  tension   by coming  up with  a wry crack that  would even  make  Prime  Minister  Howard  laugh !... Obviously  a  born comedian .

 

This  capacity  to crack a  crack  explains the hilarious statement by Sinodinos  on  the ABC Insiders that  One Nation   is  now more sophisticated . It was obviously intended  to  cause wrinkly   Barrie Cassidy  to  break  into   hysterical  laughter and  do  an impersonation  of  limp falling . However, for some unfathomable  reason  it was  taken  as a serious  statement , repeated over  and over  by  the deeply unhappy  Coalition , enthusiastically accepted   as   gospel, tickety-boo ,  by  the very  desperate West  Australian  Liberals .

Comedy Festival publicity officer , Ned Laughing-Gas,  said  the Sinodinos  brand  of  political humour is just  the  thing that  the  fun  deprived , underpaid ,  baseball  bat  wielding  , nasty  public  wants  today.  He predicted Sinodinos would have  a bright  future as  a  stand up comedian if  he told    mother-in-law  jokes , revealed   how you can  miraculously turn  water into  $3000   bottles of  Grange  and  how  to  get  the fairy godmother to  shower you  with  funny money .

 

In a subsequent interview on the Insiders, Pauline Hanson  indicated   a  possible  name  change for  One Nation : The Siberian  Polio, Whooping  Cough , Measles , Mumps ,  Diphtheria , Meningitis  and   Sunday  Slave   Staffed   Caviar    Club .BREAKING NEWS : A  leaked document  says  Sinodinos will become the  Minister  for   Funny  Walks  in  a  new  Monty Python / Abbott  Government.

NEW AGE BIG BROTHERS BRAINWASHING THE MASSES , DECLARING WAR ON THE MEDIA AND CONTROLLING ELECTIONS

Megabucks , Metadata  , Psyops  intensifies  grim  1984 scenario.

With all the uproar  about Russian interference in the US  election  and Donald Trump's tirade about  fake  news , throw in "alternative facts "  and   the Attorney-General Jeff  Sessions   using  the  Bill Clinton defence  that  he  did not have  (verbal )  intercourse  with   the  Russians ( Oops!- except on  two occasions )   , and  you  have  what appears to be   an   astonishing  only  in America  situation .  Wrong.   A  disturbing  article  by  The  Guardian  highlights  the  increasing  manipulation in America  by powerful  right wing individuals  and  groups  on the  media , voters  and  politics , the same  techniques  used  in  other  countries  and  here   in  Australia . See  below -

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/26/robert-mercer-breitbart-war-on-media-steve-bannon-donald-trump-nigel-farage?CMP=share_btn_link  

SUNBIRDS LATEST SQUATTERS IN LITTLE DARWIN MENAGERIE

Not far   from the front door of our  residence ,  Sunbirds have  built  a  nest, with  silk  like  lining .  Not troubled  by persons entering and leaving , the Sunbirds  are seen , one at a time , sitting in the nest , their thin , curved beak protruding .    The  nest was  built from an array of materials ,  including  some of  the  web   from our  pet  spider , the one  shown  standing  guard over  a lump of bleached coral , who  suddenly  died  .  

VALE  SPIDER



Other welcome visitors to our   zoo  have been a pair of   Coucals who fluttered  into the property . Could one have been  the  great  bird  with  the  unfortunate name , Dracula , who  spent a lot of time romping about the  Queen of the Jungle's residence , posing for  photographs , below,  as  he  sunned  himself ? 

 

TENNANT CREEK EARTHQUAKE

A  most interesting , illustrated post  about the  1988  earthquake  which hit the centre of Australia  has  been  received  which contains a  panoramic  view of  Tennant Creek  circa  1958 , the year this  blogger  first  went  to the Northern   Territory-Darwin- from  Sydney. The  site - For  Tennant Creekers - contains  additional  items  about   the mining town , including information  about  Edna Zigenbine  (1926-2007), said to have been the first  female  boss drover in Australia ; the  late Alfie Chittock, mayor of Tennant Creek , who  ran  a  betting shop . The history of  the  town , compiled by Hilda Tuxworth, mother of  former  NT  politician Ian Tuxworth , is also  included   and  a  front  page  of  the  old   Peko Clarion .  

http://fortennantcreekers.com/events/earthquake-friday-22-january-1988/

LARRIKIN WHISTLES AT QUEEN

The Queen of the  Jungle was ruminating  in  the west  wing  of  her island residence  when  her thoughts  about  the  crumbling  empire and  disappearing wilderness   were  disrupted  by  the  phone ringing . As  all  the  staff  were  downstairs , no doubt  secretly  getting  into  the   gin and  caviar ,   she  was  forced  to  answer  the  phone  herself.

Hello . No  answer . Probably  Mumbai , she  thought , but to make  sure  she again  said   hello . Across  the  airwaves   came a  wolf whistle , followed by   another , which  shocked  her majesty . It was  none other  than  Larry the  cussing  Lorikeet,  who is treated like royalty  whenever   he stays  with the  Queen  on   Magnetic Island  , ringing  from Mission Beach  , with an invite  to  come  up  and  see  him  some  time  at  the  art  colony, where he regularly  poses   in   dark  glasses  for    portraits   painted  on   coconuts . 


A  Rainbow Lorikeet ? Larry with clean  pink sleeping pouch instead of  his  usual  Purple People Eater which  was  taken away  to  be  washed .

The Queen unexpectedly became  a  Crow carer  when one of two   chicks,  blown out of  a  nest on  her estate , was   rescued  and   placed  in one of  her aviaries    where  it was  fed  chicken  hearts  until  able  to  join  the  noisy  family . Meanwhile, back at the  Little Darwin ranch , the latest Curlew  to hatch   is shown  peeping  out  at  the  strange   world , listening for  alarming things that go  thump  and  Trump  during  the  night and  day .