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Family History Documents and Artefacts => Unwanted Certificates & Artefacts => Topic started by: dooly on Wednesday 16 October 13 09:16 BST (UK)
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Hi all .. I have just purchased a Job lot of four huge boxed of paperwork, pictures films & much more and when i have started going through it i have been amazed that it is of one family
now i do not know what to do with it as it has turned out to be loaded with information on the Watt family from the Orkney islands in the 1860's moving to Hobart Tasmania, got married to a local girl, where he became an early photograph and president of the rotary club went on a world cruse in 1937 and filmed the trip on 16mm film,(2 massive rolls) there is one album which has been fully filled with photos of both sides of the family with all there names DOB ect.. and much, much more
What should i do ?? also posted in the Australian section
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Hi Dooly
A number of things to do
1. find relatives of the family and offer the lot to them (cost of postage is generally okay to ask).
2. Review all the material and write a book
3. Offer the lot to the closest historical society to where the Watt family resided
4. Offer the lot to me and I'll do all 3 above.
Shirley
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thanks for the reply .. I would love to get it to the right people but i paid over £100 for the lot and cannot afford to take the lose..
more pictures
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/doolys046/crested223_zpsa9ade751.jpg) (http://s189.photobucket.com/user/doolys/media/doolys046/crested223_zpsa9ade751.jpg.html)
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/doolys046/crested222_zps41aefe21.jpg) (http://s189.photobucket.com/user/doolys/media/doolys046/crested222_zps41aefe21.jpg.html)
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/doolys046/crested224_zpsb61e2d45.jpg) (http://s189.photobucket.com/user/doolys/media/doolys046/crested224_zpsb61e2d45.jpg.html)
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/doolys046/crested225_zpscaaec0ce.jpg) (http://s189.photobucket.com/user/doolys/media/doolys046/crested225_zpscaaec0ce.jpg.html)
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and they were firm Tasmania .. so dont think posting would be a option
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/doolys046/crested226_zps070b6cc6.jpg) (http://s189.photobucket.com/user/doolys/media/doolys046/crested226_zps070b6cc6.jpg.html)
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/doolys046/crested228_zpsfdf36581.jpg) (http://s189.photobucket.com/user/doolys/media/doolys046/crested228_zpsfdf36581.jpg.html)
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/doolys046/crested214_zps461f1133.jpg) (http://s189.photobucket.com/user/doolys/media/doolys046/crested214_zps461f1133.jpg.html)
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/doolys046/crested216_zps15e241c6.jpg) (http://s189.photobucket.com/user/doolys/media/doolys046/crested216_zps15e241c6.jpg.html)
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z302/doolys/doolys046/crested218_zpsba708e8f.jpg) (http://s189.photobucket.com/user/doolys/media/doolys046/crested218_zpsba708e8f.jpg.html)
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Perhaps family will be willing to pay full costs - if they were my family I certainly would, but then I'm the family historian so something like this would be worth it's weight.
I suggest you find out the best way to protect the items for their long term future.
Would still make a great book. That way everybody would have access to the information. You still might need to locate family to get permission to publish anything that might be related to living people or are of a sensitive nature. Not sure about the films - contact your nearest State or Country archives and they will be able to suggest how best to care for them.
Good luck whatever you choose.
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Might be of some help maybe
Advocate (Burnie, Tas. : 1890 - 1954)
Thursday 7 March 1946
MR J. BUBGESS WATT, a prominent photographer in Hobart for 28 years, has retired becauso of ill-health. Mr; Watt was Governor of the G5th District ol; Rotary International iii 1937-38, 1943-44 and 1914-45, and this year is one . of thc committee of 15 drawn froiu all parts of the world en gaged on a study.of notary's part in the .post-war' period. He will live in Sydney.
Maybe his death index ???
NSW death index
6924/1979 WATT JOHN BURGESS- father DAVID mother MARY JANE
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What a great box :)
Why don't you try contacting these people here:
http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ and see if they are accepting any acquisitions.
If they are not in a position to cover your costs they may be able suggest an alternative.
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Also a possibility: http://www.sag.org.au/collections/our-manuscript-collection.html
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Have you tried contacting the Orkney Archives or the Orkney Family History Society.
The FHS, if they publish a journal, they may place details in one for you.
HTH,
Megran.
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Could also try the State Library of Tasmania, or the national Library of Australia
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Cheers great information & links .. i will try them out .. i have contacted the rotary club and they seem interested, especially about the world tour film, sent them the pictures and just waiting for a responce
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Got a response from the UK rotary
Dear Emma
Thanks you for sending me the information received from Wayne Clynes. As
far as I can see the information is about a past Rotary President from
Tasmania and as such would not be suitable for inclusion in the RIBI
Library. I cannot see that Mr J B Watt referred to in the email was a
Rotary International President either so the information may not be of value
to Rotary International. Most likely it could be of interest to Rotarians
in Tasmania, but unfortunately I do not have a contact and am not sure if
they have an archive.
The Rotary Global History Fellowship may be able to assist, its website is
http://www.historyfellowship.org/viewpage.php?page_id=1 and I suggest Mr
Clynes makes contact there.
Best regards
David
RIBI Honorary Archivist
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What about contacting the 'Orcadian', a weekly newspaper which is widely read in Orkney? Or possibly the Press and Journal, which is widely read throughout the whole of North and North-east Scotland. They both can be contacted via e-mail. Watt is certainly a common name in the North-east of Scotland, though I don't know if it is so common on the Orkney islands. I am sure there must be some family still around, and I know if it were my family I would be thrilled to get it.
There is also the Scottish Film Archive, which I think is part of the National Library - do a search on the internet and you will get them.
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I see at least one old envelope with stamps on it I'd be interested in it & any stamped or un stamped envelopes older than 1910 among the archive.
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BURGESS-WATT. John Burgess-Watt was born in
Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1891, and migrated to Australia as a
young man. He was baptised into Christ by Pastor H. C.
White in Hobart, Tasmania. For many years he was an elder
of the Hobart church, a member of the Tasmanian
Conference Executive Committee, and a prominent Hoban
photographer. He retired in New South Wales and passed
peacefully to rest at the Sydney Adventist Hospital on
Wednesday morning, March 28, 1979, aged eighty-eight
years. His wife, Margaret (née Eyre) predeceased him, but an
only daughter, June, mourns the loss of a loving father.
Words of hope and comfort were spoken at the Northern
Suburbs Crematorium on March 29 by Pastor G. Maywald
and the writer. E. I. Totenhofer.
More about his daughter June Burgess Watt:
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/june-burgess-watt-australian-studio-482023646
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Essexware-Leura-N-S-W-Australian-Studio-Pottery-Vase-/310754261161
BURGESS-WATT After a short illness, at Borders General Hospital, Melrose, on 22nd March, 2013, in her 96th year, Leslie June Burgess-Watt of Lennel Mount, Coldstream, formerly of Hobart, Tasmania and Avalon, Australia, cousin of Graham Watt. Funeral service at Borders Crematorium, Melrose, on Tuesday, 2nd April, at 11.00 am, to which all friends are respectfully invited.
It sounds as if that particular line may have died out, although Graham Watt may be interested. Perhaps the crematorium could put you in touch.
Richard
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Is her death the reason that these items were in a auction - a house clearance?
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I know this an old post, and you may well have resolved this by now, but there is a thread posted on the Ancestry Message Boards which refers to a book that someone has, The Watt Families of Orkney. Might be worth while for you to look into if you still have the treasure!
Jeanne. :)
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Oh only just spotted this
If it had been my family - I would have easily paid the £100 or more for the wonderful items.
Hope it has found its place.
xin
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The Society of Genealogists may be interested.
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Certainly a wonderful resource for someone!
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What an incredible find ! Any updates on this yet? I can't wait to hear.
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I would give my right arm to find a stash like that for my family. :(
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Me too!! What a marvellous find, I bet most of us on this forum dream of somebody finding a box like this with "our" family history. 8)
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I can't believe I missed this thread! Several years have passed and dooly has not been on rootschat since June 2014. Lets hope she is notified of these replies and everyone's interest.
I think we would all kill for those treasures!
I see that a bit of delving has been done, mainly in Australia. It might be worth going back a bit to see if any distant relatives can be found. I would like to know where the items were purchased to give any researchers a possible starting point from which to search.
Generally these sorts of queries get hundreds of responses - many of us must have missed it. :)
Have you still got the hoard dooly? If so, have you made any progress with it?
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Has the OP done a recent search on Ancestry, there are literally millions on there these days, not sure about the past as I am not really a long term user.
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I would give my right arm to find a stash like that for my family. :(
I'm with you on that one. Some folk just don't know what they've got. Wonder if they offered it to other family member first??
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I would give my right arm to find a stash like that for my family. :(
You're not alone with that wish :) what a great thing to have.
Frank.
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How sad that a family's history ends up at a sale, I would love to have such a collection if it belonged to my family.
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As dooly hasn't been online since June 2014, she will have received a notification for reply #14 of December 2014 but as she may not have read it, won't get any more replies because notifications are set to instantly but only for the 1st reply.
I have sent a pm to see if she comes back soon.