15 April 2011

Australian Records

They're wonderful!

Australian Records, I mean. I've been following a line of Culpins in Victoria/New South Wales which started with John & Charlotte (nee Spurr). They emigrated in 1852 and ended up in the Ballarat area, begatting eleven children; sadly, at least five of them died in infancy (including four Williams) and a couple of them are still eluding me.

However, George (born 1863 in Italian Gully) married Catherine Bond and had eight children; Sarah (1845, Colsterworth, Lincs) married Alfred Hamea and had at least six children; Mary Ann (1849, Colsterworth) married John Crougey and added seven to the grandchildren total.

So far, the most info I have is on George's offspring, thanks to the wonderful newspaper site www.trove.nla.gov.uk and the Mapping our Anzacs site http://mappingouranzacs.naa.gov.au.

So far I have found one son who beat his wife and was fined for Bad Language; incidentally he was also turned down for the AIF in the Great War.

Another son served three years in the Great War; his papers show a fair number of 'Absent without Leave' entries and being 'disrespectful' to his superiors which, given the circumstances, I actually found quite understandable! The newspapers tell us he's coming home in 1919.

Then they tell us that he lost his life in an accident at a railway station. Not sure yet, but looks as though he meant it, which makes it even more tragic.

Loads more to find out and report, so stay tuned!

More soon.

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