Two enormous pieces of my family's jigsaw fitted together this weekend...

[adee7]

Terrific news, Keith.

I certainly agree with you that we are working on jigsaw

puzzles.  Problem is that we're not sure of the number of

pieces.


Regards,   Kathleen

[Keith Sherwood]

Kathleen,
Unfortunately the number of pieces is probably endless!  But two giant pieces locking together is SO satisfying...
I've even been prompted to re-contact the man in Australia who's writing a book about what happened to the descendants of those on board the ship, The Lord Melville, that John GURNER went out to Australia in with his wife Rebecca in 1816/7.  Over two and a half years since I received an update, but he's just replied now, and he's hoping that 2008 might - just - see the book in print. 
More exciting news!
keith

[JAP]

Hello Keith,

What a wonderful story!

And who knows how people come and go - or came and went!

My daughter was born in Cambridge, England.
If we RootsChatters were trying to trace her background where would we look, eh!

Well, as it happens, both her parents were born in Victoria, Australia and her older and younger siblings were born in Australia - one in Vic, one in NSW.  And they all grew up here in Australia.  And all three are descended from families - both paternal and maternal - which had migrated from England, Ireland and Scotland (that's alphabetical!) to Victoria, Australia (one lot via NZ) in the 1800s and stayed in Victoria.

But my grandchildren were born in London (1 - my daughter's son), Singapore (3) and Sydney (1) - again that's alphabetical.

OK, we are people who travel - but so were our forebears 

JAP  

[Keith Sherwood]

Jap,
Your daughter would indeed be a puzzle to unravel for independent genealogists!
Strange, but as a result of Saturday's meeting of the clan, I noticed when looking through some of my original notebooks that I had omitted to put days of the month and months, just the bare years for a series of GURNER baptisms and burials in Whittlesford, a village near Ickleton in the 17thC.  Have no idea why I erred, possibly a last minute lack of time, but anyway I'm going back to the CCRO soon to rectify matters.  I used to do a lot of look-ups there for Rootschatters, then my circumstances changed and I haven't been there for ages.
Between your post and this one I've just received a PM from a Rootschatter in Wales asking me very nicely if I could look in the Ely Holy Trinity Registers.
I'm beginning to feel an in-tray forming, and will have a little look on the Cambridgeshire threads now to see whether there is any unfinished business on there.
I can feel that things are beginning to stir again with the Cambs family history look-ups...
keith

[ankerdine]

What a great story, Keith. Your enthusiasm really comes through and will, hopefully, inspire us all to continue our individual quests.

Judy

[JAP]

Hi Keith,

How fascinating to hear about the villages of Ickleton and Whittlesford - neither of which (I'm sorry to say) rings a bell despite the two years I lived in Cambridge.  I've just looked them up and of course I must have passed close by - perhaps I even went to or through them.  Ely is another matter - evensong in Ely Cathedral - taking a train from Cambridge to Peterborough across the fens - etc ...

Best of luck with fitting more pieces of your own fascinating jigsaw together (and with helping others with theirs)

JAP
PS: I seem to remember a thread re a car on a Cambridge street ...

[Keith Sherwood]

Quite right, Jap,
That was a picture identification thread, where it had been started with lots of posts and various speculation.  As soon as I saw it - quite late on its life - I knew it straight away as a scene from near Great St Mary's Church in the market place in Cambridge. 
It then became a "when was the picture taken?", based on what people were wearing, the signs on shops that were trading at that time, and the model of cars that were passing by...
keith

[Romilly]

So pleased for you Keith!!

What a tremendous boost this must be to your research...& enough to spur the rest of us on!

Best Wishes, Romilly.

[crystalight]

  I can imagine how pleased you are, it is such a boost after hours, months or even years of research when something comes together.

It has made me realise that all my "sideways" research may not be in vain 

Regards Crystal