L is for Lewis George Blackledge-AtoZ challenge 2016

Lewis George Blackledge was my great grand father and my father's grandfather. He was the eldest son of  George and Ellen Blackledge and was born on December 19 1855 in Lathom, Lancashire England. (1)
In 1871 he is listed as a clerk and by  February1881 as he is married he is listed as a warehouse manager. He had married Eliza Anne Leeson on February 15 in the parish church of St Helens. (2) However in the 1881 census (April 1881) his occupation is given as plate glass polisher and he and Eliza are living at 75 Argyle St St Helens.
In 1886 and 1887 he is on the electoral register at Knowsley View, Dentons Green Lane, St Helens having qualified as a voter by virtue of owning a house.
The family grew with Edith Leeson arriving in 1883, Herbert Leeson in 1885, Samuel L. in 1886, Louis Samuel in 1887and William S. in 1889. Sadly Samuel L. and William S. both died as infants.

By 1891 the family  is living at 6 Dentons Green Lane St Helens and Lewis is recorded as Manager ( glass works).
The family continued to grow with George Ernest arriving in 1894 and Eliza Helen arriving in 1897. In 1891 Lewis is recorded as manager(glass works) and by now Edith is working too as a dressmaker and Herbert is a clerk ( glass works).
Sadly in 1904 this appeared in the The Mercury, Lichfield on Friday November 4 on page 3
 The body of Lewis George Blackledge, of 52 Denton Green's Lane, St Helens, manager of the warehouse of Messrs Pilkington Brothers' plate-glass works at Cowley Hill, was found in Eccleston Mere, near St Helens on Monday.
Probate was granted to Eliza Ann  Blackledge November 15 1904, effects 400 pound. (3)

Back row: William Blackledge, Lewis George Blackledge, Thomas Blackledge  Front row: Possibly Jane Blackledge, Ellen Blackledge(nee Twist) and  possibly Alice Blackledge

(1) Certificate  Birth December 19, 1855 Lathom, Ormskirk, Lancashire registered January 16 1856 by mother Ellen Blackledge ( formerly Twiss-other records give Twist), Father George Blackledge journeyman carpenter.
(2)   www.Ancestry.com ( accessed 17 Sep 2015), Marriage Lewis George Blackledge and Eliza Anne Leeson; Citing parish church register of St Helens from the Lancashire Anglican Parish Registers. Preston, England.
(3) www.findmypast.com.au (accessed 12 April 2016) Probate Calendars of England 1858-1959 Lewis George Blackledge November 15 1904 Liverpool

 

K is for Kooree Yuppiree, Boulia AtoZ Challenge 2016

The Kooree Yuppiree tree in Boulia is the site for the local indigenous people to gather for corroborees. This tree is an endangered species as it only occurs in 3 places within Australia. The wood is very hard and is said to blunt saws and axes.

Waddi Tree-Acacia peuce

Baby Waddi tree in the grounds of the The Stonehouse

J is for Jacob Holmes AtoZ challenge 2016

Jacob Holmes

John & Mary Ann Holmes welcomed their son Jacob Holmes( my great grandfather) into the world in Allora Queensland on June 1 1872. He was their tenth son and eleventh child. By the time he arrived his parents had already lost 3 sons and their only daughter.






Jacob married Elizabeth Mary Naish in Allora on February 27 1895.

For a short time he ran a fruit and confectionery shop in Allora. Here, the story goes,  my grandmother took a piece of fruit from the shop and got into lots of trouble.  Next venture was a farm on Dalrymple Creek and after a few years they moved to the farm, "Glenvale" at Mt Marshall, just south-east of Allora.

Glenvale in 2008

Here they raised their family, Lorna Bessie Holmes, Lynda Daisy Holmes, Norma Victoria Holmes, Clifford Eric Osmond Holmes, Mildred Emily Holmes, Gladys Beryl Holmes and Phoebe Lettice Holmes.

 Jacob was elected to the Allora Council along with his brother John and they were following

in the footsteps of their elder brother Isaac.

Jubilee Council, Allora 1919

Back row: Mr A. Hamilton(Shire Clerk) Councillors C. G. Shooter, E. N. Maher, C. Smith, Mr L. E. Laws(engineer),   Councillor J. Reid and Mr J. E. Harvey( Allora Guardian)                                                                                                                                                          Front row: Councillors John Holmes, Jacob Holmes, W. J. T. Neale(Chairman), J. Dean and P. H. Imhoff                                                                Insert: Councillor G.A.H.Allen.                                                                                                                    

The farm at Mt Marshall was run very successfully and in 1936 was able to produce 2 crops of wheat off the same land in one year.

The Telegraph Brisbane Qld 1872-1947 7 August 1936

 

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184027908 accessed 11 April 2016




He also managed to play many games of bowls as evidenced by the number of match results reported in the newspapers, especially after he retired and moved to live in Allora. He played most of his games in Allora but also against Sandgate and  Pittsworth clubs
He died on September 5 1940 and is buried in Allora cemetery.

I is for Insects in Boulia AtoZ Challenge 2016

Insects appear very quickly after rain in all parts of Australia. As Boulia has not had much rain for about 4 years it is not a surprise that the midges, mosquitoes, grasshoppers and ants are out and about in abundance. As you are walking around the town, grasshoppers are busy flying about. In the late afternoon midges and mosquitoes come out and I seem to be particularly attractive for the mosquitoes. Had to get the insect repellent out. The grasshoppers below were taken at the airport as we were leaving. I was surprised by the variety. I didn't realize that I had caught another bug( unknown to me) in the bottom one as well.

H is for Hannah Maria Laws - AtoZ challenge

Hannah Maria Johnson

Hannah Maria Laws is the youngest sister of my great great grandfather William Frank Laws. She was often called Annie and was known in Australia as Aunt Johnson. The photo to the right was taken in Brisbane at Elite Studio which was operated by Edward Thomas Burder Hutchison who had married her niece, Florence Annie Laws (1).
From shipping records she visited Australia in 1909  (2) as her daughter Marian Annie who married James Crawford McCance  (3) had migrated to Melbourne in 1894 (4).



(1)National Library of Australia, The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933)
Mon 17 Feb 1896  Page 7  WOMAN'S WORLD marriage Miss Laws and E T B Hutchison.
(2)UK, "Passenger Lists leaving UK 1890-1960," Mrs Annie Johnson, SUEVIC, Melbourne, Victoria; digital images(www.findmypast.com.au : accessed 9 Apr 2016).
(3)"England Marriages, 1538–1973  ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NJM9-PQR : accessed 9 April 2016), James Crawford McCance and Marian Annie Johnson, 28 Dec 1889; citing Islington, Middlesex, England, reference 248 p 124; FHL microfilm 2,232,225.
(4) UK, "Passenger Lists leaving UK 1890-1960," James Crawford McCance; digital images(www.findmypast.com.au : accessed 9 Apr 2016).

G is for George Blackledge AtoZ Challenge 2106

George Blackledge is my paternal grandmother's great grandfather. Joseph and Elizabeth Blackledge welcomed their eighth son  George Blackledge to Eccleston, Lancashire in 1794. They had him christened in the parish church of St Mary the Virgin at Eccleston(near Croston) on the 7th December 1794.(a)

By 1822 George had found himself a wife-Ellen Dandy and they married in her parish of St Wilfrid's  Standish Lancashire in August 1822 (b) and very quickly their first son Henry arrived on the scene.(c)
More children arrived Jane 1824, William 1826, Betty 1828, Thomas 1831 and George II 1834 and Ellen 1837

From tithe records in 1842 we get a picture of how he used the land. He leased 13 plots ( 8 acres)  from Charles  Standish and he paid tithes in total of £1/1/1d (d)

It is interesting to see the different uses of the plots.

Plot number	Name & description of lands & premises	State of cultivation
503	Field	Pasture
504	Watering pond
505	Field	Arable field
509	Field	Meadow
510	Field	Pasture
519	Enclosure & lane	Pasture
513	Field & path	Pasture
514	Field	Meadow
515	Cottages & garden
516	Cottages & garden
517	Dwelling house
518	Enclosure	Garden
519	Enclosure	Garden

As well as having the land he was a grocer/provisions dealer. (f)

He continued to live at Almond Brook, Standish until his death on June 24 1863. (e)







(a) St Mary the Virgin, Eccleston, Lancashire, England
    Register: Baptisms 1782 - 1812, Page 114, Entry 4
    Online Parish Clerk Lancashire Source: Roy Lowe Transcript

(b)Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Sep 2015), marriage George Blacklige and Ellen Dandy;  Lancashire Anglican Parish Registers. Preston, England: Lancashire Archives.

(c) St Wilfrid (Standish, Lancashire, England), "Christening," Henry Blackledge; FHL microfilm 1526140 1,526,140, item 663.

(d) The genealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk : accessed 2 Sep 2015), entry for George Blackledge, Almond Brook Standish Lancashire; Citing tithe records 1842.

(e) Death certificate 24 June 1863 registered Wigan volume  8c page  5

(f) English census 1851, Class: HO107; Piece: 2198; Folio: 159; Page: 8; GSU roll: 87207.

F is for Fossils AtoZChallenge 2016

More interesting snippets about Boulia. For such a small town it really had quite a lot of things to see.

Sign at The Stonehouse Boulia

The area was, in geological time, under the sea so there are lots of marine reptile fossils in the area. Dick Suter found lots of them, cleaned them up and sent most to the Queensland Museum in Brisbane. However he kept quite a collection and it is on display in Boulia.

Paintings done by Dick Suter's sister for walls in the fossil display area

Plesiosaur-Elasmosaurus

Ichthyosaur - Platypterygius longmani

Turtle

Dick Suter

Ammonite

 Thanks to Dick Suter we are able to see these on display.