This journal starts in what appears to be a little hamlet of Quorn or Quorndon as it used be called just north of Leicester in England. My great great grandfather John Hartopp Greasley was born in Quorndon in 1843. He married Anne Disney in Sept 1864 and migrated to Australia on the "Legion of Honour" in 1866. They settled in Brisbane and Anne predeceased him in 1896. He married again - Queensland marriage registration show marriage to a Catherine Walsh in 1897.

He died at 60 and on his death certificate filed by his son it is reported marriage to a Catherine Ryan. This could possibly be caused by the Irish Ryan necessity of having a distinguishing name as well as the surname. She might have called herself Catherine Ryan(Walsh), whereas the official surname is Ryan.

Also on the death certificate his parents are reported as John Greasley and Hannah (nee Hartopp). But then, the English census data of 1851 and 1861 records John as a 7 year old student and an 18 year old stone quarryman living with his grandparents Richard and Hannah Hartopp. There is a daughter Hannah also living in the same houshold, so John may be daughter Hannah Greasley's son. Other research conducted in the UK indicates he was the son of yet another daughter Lucy Greasley, not mentioned on the census in any year. His son could possibly be excused for not knowing the exact parentage as they would have never met, may never have spoken of them, or the truth might have been used very sparingly and possibly deviously. And perhaps John himself might never have known the truth if his mother Lucy died at childbirth and he was brought up by grandparents who were unwillingly to confess the truth.

But he was not going to to let the lack of parentage get in his own fatherly duties. He and Ann produced 11 children, and then one more in his mid 50's. Names were Thirza, Charles Hartopp, Lucy, John Disney, Alfred George, Alfred, Arthur Edgar, Thirza Maud, May, Percy Spriggs, George, and then John Joseph was born to Catherine.

The surviving children produced well too. My line comes down through Alfred who married Wilhelmine Albertine Duckwitz in 1897. Wilhelmine was born in Brisbane but both parents migrated from Germany - Wolschow and Friedberg to the North east of Berlin. There children were Arthur George, Alfred Disney, Charles Hartopp, William John, Thurza Maud, and Leslie. Down from these children I have lots of spaces in the tree here. Most are Greasley's, Thurza married a Charles Edward KNIGHT, and they had Mavis Knight and Noel Knight.

If anyone is recognising some of these names as part of your research, I would love to fill in spaces, confirm accuracy of information, or going back prior to John Hartopp and Ann Disney would be especially welcome.

On the Disney side my earliest is Samuel 1724, Samuel 1700 married Mary Stevenson, William 1728 married Alice Brandreth, Samuel 1756-1817 married Mary Holbrook 1759-1823, Samuel 1789-1830 married Mary Lee 1790-1871, Samuel 1820-1899 married Theodocia Bradshaw 1821-1881, who produced Ann 1842-1896. I think Samuel was the traditional family name!