kerbent on FamilyTreeCircles - journals

kerbent on Family Tree Circles

sort: Date Alphabetical
view: full | list

Journals and Posts


Showing: (clear)
Category: Williamson

The process of finding Caroline Williamson's nee Munro illusive obituary

Recently I posted a request for help to find the Obituary of Caroline Williamson nee Munro.
I received response from janilye who had graciously taken the time to consult the Ryson Index (why hadn't I thought of that?). Caroline WILLIAMSON does have a notice in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 18th JULY 1968.

Having now located a reference for the obituary I am now trying to locate an actual copy of the wording from the newspaper.

The steps I have taken so far are as follows:-

1. I have consulted the Australia Online Historical Newspapers which shows where you can find free copies of digital copies of the newspapers unfortunately it shows that in TROVE The Sydney Morning Herald has only been digitized between 1842 and 1954.- no joy here

2. Next I consulted the Google News Archive site which showed that there were 38,755 issues of Sydney Morning Herald between Apr 3, 1830 - Dec 31, 1989 - I was very excited I thought I could smell victory but alas there were only 5 of the 24 issues held in the archive for July and for the 18 July the edition that has been archived is the late edition and unfortunately there is no listing for Caroline Munro which could mean one of 2 things either the Ryson Index is incorrect (possible but not likely) or more probable that the death notice appeared in an earlier edition. - so no joy here.

3. Then it struck me perhaps as State Library of Victoria member I could access the "Sydney Morning Herald" which it turns out that I can, including a lot more resources. A list of can be found here Free journals, databases and ebooks. So I rummaged around in my files and dusted off my library card only to find that it didn't work. I immediately contacted the library by email who responded and confirmed that the card had expired so that I'd need ot re-register. To register was very easy all I had to do was fill out an online form "You can tick the option to have the card posted to you. This will take between 3 and 5 business days."

So it shouldn't be long before I can actually read Caroline's missing death notice/obituary!

By the way there was another alternative to accessing The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald as they do have their own private archives covering the period between 1955-1995 however payment is required for access.

The pennies I save by waiting to use the State Library I am hoping to put towards purchasing another death certificate for my research - something that can't be found for free!

Looking for an article in the Leader Newspaper in between 9 Dec 1967 and 17 July 1968 in NSW

I have a wonderful cutting of an article that appeared in an unknown Newspaper possibly in the local Leader Newspaper for Como or Strathfield, NSW (as reference has been made to the Leader calling (see transcription of the article below)).

As Caroline Williamson's birthday was the 9th December and she is 103 years old, I am assuming that the article was published between 9 Dec 1967 and her death on the 17 July 1968. It doesn't appear that TROVE has digitized the newspapers yet; I am hoping that someone who might have access to the local newspapers of the area would be able to see if they could find the article for me. I am needing to reference where it came from, for my records. Someday I am also hoping that one day I can obtain a clearer copy of the accompanying picture if I can work out where the article came from.

"Woman, 103, asks: "Why all the fuss?"
Anyone would think nobody had been that old before chided Mrs Caroline Williamson, who at 103 is a very spry lady.
Mrs. Williamson willingly showed the photographer the birthday telegram her great-grandson sent from Beirut.
But she still could not see that her great age warranted any special fuss.
Her mother in fact was almost 105 when she died.
Mrs Williamson lives in Cremona Road, Como, with her daughter, Mrs Norma Cawse.
Newcomers to the house wonder if Mrs Williamson is unable to walk or has lost other faculties.
"One of the television men wanted to know if she was in a wheelchair" laughed Mrs Cawse.
In fact, Mrs Williamson walks about the house with just a helping had and assists her daughter with the dishes or vegetables.
She looks very much younger than her years and was distressed, when the Leader called, that her hearing seemed to have failed just in the past week.
The daughter of a British Army man, she was born in Bombay.
Her father came to Australia to buy horses for the cavalry when Caroline was nine years old.
He returned to buy the first hotel in Maryborough, Victoria.
That was the start of a new life for Mrs. Williamson - one which led her to every State in Australia.
Six Children
Her husband died 20 years ago, so she went to her daughter in Western Australia.
They returned to New South Wales in 1955.
The eldest of her six children is Monty, 82, who is still a professional dancer and choreographer in the city.
She has two sons in Gosford and one in Strathfield.
Mrs. Williamson's birthday was on December 9.
She received letters from strangers and was mentioned on several television programs.
And she giggled like a schoolgirl about all the attention:
"Why, I'll be 104 next year!" she said with an impish grin."


3 comment(s), latest 9 years, 7 months ago

Looking for Caroline WILLIAMSON's nee MUNRO Obituary

I am looking for the obituary of Caroline Williamson who died in Como, NSW, Australia at the age of 103 on the 17th July 1968 and who is buried in Woronora Cemetery, which is also in NSW.

I have searched TROVE but as yet have not been able to locate any obituary which could mean 3 things that either the local paper for the area has not yet been digitized, or I have not been able "see" it in the newspapers I have searched or there was never an obituary.

Thanks to the BillonGraves site I do have a photo of the graves stone [BillionGraves, Database And Images (Http://billiongraves.com : Accessed 25/05/215), Memorial Page For Caroline Williamson, Find A Grave, Citing Woronora Cemetery, 121 Linden Street Sutherland 2232.}

If anyone is able to help I would be absolutely thrilled.


2 comment(s), latest 9 years, 7 months ago

My Irish Williamsons

My 2x great grandfather John Williamson lived for 19 years in Victoria before he died, after emmigrating at the age of 23 in 1853/4 from England. His wife Louisa died in 1901. John & Louisa were married in Oct 1853 in England and migrated shortly afterwards to Australia. Both are buried in the St Kilda General Cemetery.

I had always assumed that they were of English origin so I was very surprised when I found that John, his parents and siblings were born in Belfast, Ireland. As I have been unable to find any record of them in the 1841 census I am assuming that left Ireland for England after 1841 and arrived before the 1851 census.

I was able to locate the family in the 1851, and although John came out to Australia before the 1861 census I was able to locate the remaining family members in England in the 1861 and 1871 census.

1851 (Series HO107 Piece: 2435; Folio: 561; Page: 11)
Wood Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. Thomas Williamson, aged 54, Dock labourer
2. Jane Williamson, aged 50,
3. John Williamson, aged 19, Tailor apprentice
4. James Williamson, aged 15, ship carpenter apprentice

1861 (Series RG9, Piece: 3942; Folio: 17; Page: 27)
Nelson Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. Thomas Williamson, aged 60 Labourer
2. Jane Williamson, wife aged 58
3. Jane Williamson, daughter aged 40 unmarried
4. James Williamson, son, aged 23, Ship carpenter
5. James Williamson, gson, aged 8, scholar

1871 (Series RG10, Piece: 5246; Folio: 77; Page: 35)
8 L Court, Nelson Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. Thomas Williamson, aged 70, labourer
2. Jane Williamson, aged 69

His younger brother must have moved out of home between the 1861 and 1871 census
As I found them in:
1871(Series RG10 Piece: 5246; Folio: 85; Page: 52 & 53)
Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. James Williamson, aged 33, Shipwright, Labourer at present
2. Ann Williamson, aged 29
3. Mary Williamson, aged 6, scholar
4. Thomas Williamson, aged 3
5. Annie Williamson, aged 10 months

1881 (Series RG11, Piece: 5181; Folio: 95; Page: 4)
25 Collins Ter, Dearham, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom
1. James Williamson, aged 42, Foreman Of Blast Furnace
2. Annie Williamson, aged 38
3. Mary Williamson, aged 16, Pupil teacher
4. Thomas Williamson, aged 13, scholar
5. Annie Williamson, aged 10, scholar
6. John Williamson , aged 8, scholar
7. Jane Williamson, aged 6, scholar
8. James Williamson, aged 6mths
9. Elizabeth B. Cartmer, aged 17

1891 (Series RG12, Piece: 4306; Folio 20; Page 35)
1. James Williamson, aged 51
2. Annie Williamson, aged 20
3. James Williamson, aged 10

John?s father Thomas was born between 1797 and 1801 based on the various ages he gave in the 1851, 1861 and 1971 English Census. We think he died in 1872 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England. There may have been more children who did not come out from Ireland with John and his parents Thomas and Jane when they came to England but I are not sure.

The question I?s like to ask is how do I go about finding out about the family in Ireland. I?m not sure where to start and with such common names as John, Jane, Thomas and James its difficult to know how to preceed.

It would be great to hear from anyone with any ideas, further information or even better still someone who has a connection with the family.

Sandra

2 comment(s), latest 16 years, 2 months ago