Bendigo Group Re-established
News from Cornwall
New
Bards in 2013
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December
Meeting- A Christmas Meal
The Association is developing a
new tradition of the meal together on the
2nd Saturday in December.
This year was notable for as it coincided
with the 70th Birthday of Lynette Madden
who shared with us all a Birthday cake.
November Meeting
"The Dirt Busters - Cornish
Pioneer Miners to Australia - the Story of
the Dunstan Family: Cornwall to Burra???
Max Beck and his
wife Prue from Geelong joined us
on Saturday 16th November for a
most fascinating and informative
story of Max's Dunstan family,
with particular reference to
Richard Dunstan and his wife
Jennipher who was known as Jane.
The couple married in Wendron on
8th June 1835. Richard???s parents
were Wearne and Ann (nee Uren)
Dunstan and Jane???s were William
and Dorothy Roberts (nee Moyle).
Times were tough and difficult for
a miner in Cornwall and the family
lived in a cob house made from
clay, sand, straw and mud. The
children went to work with their
father at a young age, in the
mines around Camborne and Reduth
where there were rich lodes of
copper and tin. The death rate for
males working in the mines was
high with 28% dying by the age of
30.
Although households maintained a
small garden of staple vegetables,
there were often food shortages
and with the failure of grain
crops in 1846, prices peeked and
mobs raided mills for grain and
flour.
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Max & Prue
Beck with Bill Phillips and June
Parrott
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When the potato crops failed it was
disastrous as people were without a source
of vitamin C with the resultant occurrence
of scurvy.
Around this time the
government of South Australia was offering
assisted passages and Jane planned for her
family to emigrate to South Australia. It
would have been a frightening experience
as the family had never travelled, never
been on a boat and none of them could
swim. However they set sail from Plymouth,
under Captain George Richardson, on 16th
October 1848 and arrived in Port Adelaide
on 17th January 1849 with the loss of only
three lives on the voyage.
To read more
of Max's story follow this link
October
Meeting
Max Garner - A Glorious
Story
Charles Nickell with his wife Ann,
eighteen year old Sampson and
fourteen year old Margaret arrived
in Australia from Cornwall in
1855.
A good number attended the
Association meeting in October to
enjoy Max Garner???s glorious
story of his ancestors, the
exciting discovery of his Cornish
roots stretching across the old
country for over eight
generations.
In 2002 after a family reunion in
Australia high goals were set. As
an engineer Max is an energetic
perfectionist, a man captive to
method and precision. This led to
a whirlwind of concentrated
research that resulted in an
excellent 400page family history
complete with pictures for which
the AIGS awarded Max the Alexander
Henderson Award for Family
Histories in 2012.
Still gripped by the story he had
uncovered and with a touch of
emotion Max walked us through a
process that took him to Cornwall
to visit grave yards, family gurus
and libraries. He bought survey
maps and armed with a camera, like
a crusader of old he confronted
every possible lead that in turn
provided us with a "how-to"
process that left us gasping.
Full advantage was taken of Online
Parish Clarks and the free
services of local U.K. Councils.
However Max was adamant, ???Do not
trust anything on the Internet.
Always confirm it by going to
original records.???(This speaks
well of the importance of our CAV
resources.) |
Max
Garner
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Over one six week period in Cornwall Max
said every 24 hours produced new
discoveries. He called on the owners of
properties formerly occupied by his
ancestors. Tracing the actual farm where
Sampson Nickell worked as a stable boy he
knocked on the door and simply said, "Good
afternoon, 160 years ago my relative was a
stable boy here, can you tell me about the
history of your farm?" He was always
greeted and offered hospitality.
Max was intentional in planning his three
visits to Cornwall with a shopping list as
"long as your arm" and a technique for
storing his 4,000 photos. No on-site
analysis on the second visit. It was all
about scooping as much data as possible.
Beginning in St Tudy, a small village in
Cornwall he followed the family through
the Parishes of St Mabyn, St Kew, St
Breock, St Issey all near Wadebridge.
The family have connections to the Moyle,
Udy, Buscombe, Northey and Earle families.
An excellent afternoon.
Seniors' Day at the CAV - 8th
October
We were able to welcome 21 visitors to our
Seniors' Week activity on Tuesday 8th
October. Much preparation and planning had
been undertaken by Jean Staunton and a
group of volunteers, who helped set the
rooms up and also ably assisted our
visitors with their research and
information about the CAV. As a result
seven new members have been welcomed.
September
Meeting
Special General Meeting:
The Association adopted the new
"Rules" of the Association as
circulated and as required by the
Department of Consumer Affairs
Speaker: Derek Trewarne sharing
with words and photos, the recent
car convoy that followed the route
of the early gold miners who
crossed from South Australia to
Victoria as described in the
Overland Gold research
project. Follow this link
for more information Overland Gold
For the text
of Derek's talk click
here |
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August Meeting
Speaker: Viv Martin.
Topic: ORAL HISTORY - Truth, Lies or the
Shades Between
Viv Martin talked about the recording of
oral history and used practical examples
from his own and his wife???s research.
Everyone has a story to tell. When
people tell stories about their own lives
and those stories are preserved and passed
down for future generations, it's called
oral history which is history in the first
person, the way we remember it, the way
our parents and grandparents remember it;
the way they lived it.
Names and dates are great, and they are
the core of genealogy but what about
Auntie Jean???s or Uncle Charlie???s tales
of the family holidays and day-to-day life
on the farm? These are some of the best
ways to make our family histories come
alive and perhaps interest other family
members in genealogy. Everyone???s journey
is unique.
Preserving oral history is a critical
first phase of genealogical research and
data preservation because those who
provide the information are generally
older members of the family.
Therefore, find these patriarchs and
matriarchs of the family, be they
grandparents, great-grandparents,
grand-uncles, grand-aunts,
great-granduncles, great-grandaunts, older
first and second cousins and even older
neighbours and acquaintances of these
people.
Oral histories should be treated as
guidance, not as the ultimate source,
because memories often fade and facts get
confused. Are the stories actually
true? Most have at least a kernel of
truth to them and it is up to the
genealogist to be a detective and search
for the facts. Spend time to
properly record or investigate each case
and not miss some great stories along the
way!
By presenting and preserving your family
stories in book form, you can ensure their
accuracy (maybe) and survival.
Legends can disappear in no time or they
can be altered to where they don???t
resemble what somebody else heard.
They need to be committed to paper in some
form.
Record your sources with your work so that
future generations won't have to retrace
the information. Disproving family
stories is just as important as proving
them. If you are considering the
compilation of a book from oral history,
do it now! Memories fade, people die
and once the unwritten facts about your
proud family heritage are gone, they are
gone forever.
July Meeting: Neil Thomas sharing his
experiences of a recent visit to PNG
One of Neil Thomas' tasks over
the years with the Rotary Club of Geelong
has been his involvement with selling
Christmas hams to raise money for projects
in PNG. Last year an opportunity arose for
him to visit PNG and see first hand where
some of the raised money has been spent.
This was a great adventure for
him. He located the resting
place of a Cornish relative at the Bomona
War Cemetery, spent time in Port Moresby,
the Anglican Martyrs' Memorial School and
the village of Sariri. Sariri
is so remote that when he and his other
travelers were leaving, children were
running over pointing and yelling out
"white fellas". Whilst at Popondetta Neil
crossed tracks with the then Archbishop of
Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams. He is a
Welsh Bard and they chatted about Bardic
things amongst other subjects.
June Meeting: AGM/Cornish Language
Segment
The June meeting saw the conduct of the
Annual General Meeting, presentation of
reports for the year 2012/2013 and
Election of the Committee for 2013-2014,
with thanks extended to those who had
undertaken responsibility and tasks on
behalf of the CAV.
Following this there was a wonderful
presentation by the Cornish Language
Group. Janet Woolhouse and June Halls did
a small play in Cornish - Soedhva Kerte
Kellys (Lost Property Office) and all
members were encouraged to join with the
Language group in the singing of Bre
Cambron (Camborne Hill).
May Meeting: "An Armchair
Visit to Kernewek Lowender"
Judith Crocker leading the Dance |
The afternoon began
with members being taught the
Furry Dance by our accomplished
dancer, Judith Crocker. The
majority of those present were
persuaded to join in.
Robyn Coates gave a Power Point
presentaion of the history of the
Copper Coast in the Yorke
Peninsula in South of Australia
and the History of the Kernewek
Lowender held in the towns of
Moonta, Kadina and Wallaroo every
second year in May.
The Kernewek Lowender began as an
idea in the early 1970's by local
businessmen in the economically
depressed Copper Coast in country
South Australia.
This year is the 40th Anniversary
of the first Kernewek Lowender
held in May 1973.
Some 30,000 visitors are expected
to attend for one or more of the
myriad of events designed to
provide something for everyone.
The copper mines, once employed
hundreds of Cornish immigrants
were the lifeblood of the region,
but after the mines closed in
1923, agriculture became the main
industry. The original Cornish
Festival committee selected the
May long weekend for the first
festival in 1973. The name
"Kernewek Lowender" was chosen -
it means 'Cornish happiness in the
Cornish language'.
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April Meeting: ???The Story
of the Cornish Gorsedh in Cornwall and
Australia???
Led by Bill
Phillips and fellow-bards Joy
Menhennet from Ballarat and Peter
Trevorah we learnt something of
the history, language, workings
and influence of the Bardic
tradition in Australia.
It was important to get clear that
bards are Cornish, and are elected
and made in Cornwall by the
Gorsedh Kernow (translated simply
as "the community or gathering of
bards").
Its aim is to maintain the
national Celtic spirit of
Cornwall, to encourage the study
and use of the Cornish language,
and the study of literature, art,
music and history of Cornwall ???
and wherever Cornish people and
their culture have travelled.
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Robert
Gribben, Bill Phillips, Peter
Trevorah & Joy
Menhennet
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March Meeting
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Elizabeth and
new-found relative, Elizabeth
Carvosso
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Elizabeth
Hartnell-Young: "The Customs
Officer, the Convict and the $20
Note"
Using the format of "Who Do You
Think YOu Are", Elizabeth took us
back to the 17th Century and John
Pye who fathered 43 children, 20
of whom were from different
women.
We learnt of William Gregor, a
rector who discovered Titanium;
William Pye a Customs Officer at
Falmouth from 1710 to 1750 and
Molly Haydock who became Mary
Reiby and whose image is engraved
on our $20.00 note.
In 1790, at the age of 13, she was
dressed as a boy and went under
the name of James Burrow.
She was convicted of horse
stealing at Stafford and
sentenced to be transported for
seven years. At her trial
her identity was disclosed.
She arrived in Sydney in 1792 and
was assigned as a nursemaid. In
1794 she married Thomas Reibey in
Sydney. He was in the service of
the East India Co.
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Trading and land purchases along the
Hawkesbury made Thomas a wealthy man but
he died at Entally House out of Launceston
in 1811. Mary continued her business
enterprises owning amoung other
properties, Argyle Stores which she leased
as a Customs House.
She was seen as persevering and
enterprising in everything she
undertook. She became interested in
education & charity work and on her
retirement she lived in the suburb of
Newtown until her death in 1855.
February Meeting
The feature of the meeting was the
presentation of the experiences, images
and recollections of members of the party
that travelled to Cornwall in 2012.
Lynette Madden introduced the team and
told us the background to the
adventure. After 12 months planning,
21 arrived in Cornwall on or about the
27th April making their base in Penzance.
Kathy Cowling shared her impressions of
Penzance and surrounds and the days spent
up to and including Trevithick Day in
Camborne where a Steam Parade is the main
event.
Graham Madden took us around the Penwith
Peninsula at the north western tip of
Cornwall which is renowned for the mining
of copper and tin. He then told us
of the visit to the Minack Theatre and May
Day or 'Obby 'Oss Day in Padstow where the
'Osses parade through streets packed with
musicians and supporters.
Keith Stodden was moved by visiting sites
where John Wesley, the revivalist preacher
and founder of Methodism attracted huge
crowds. Gwennap Pit near Redruth is
one such place. The roofless Holy
Trinity Church, St Day was another place
of interest to Keith.
Jean Staunton related the sights of
Helston on Flora Day, 8th May. It is
on this day that the Furry Dance takes
place, a celebration of the passing
of Winter and the arrival of
Spring. The Hal-an-Tow, which takes
place on the same day, is a kind of
mystery play with various historical and
mythical themes.
Pauline Duncan told us that this trip had
been her first experience travelling
overseas alone and how apprehension was
transformed into enormous pleasure.
We were able to watch excerpts from a DVD
prepared by Iris Diprose recording their
last night together and their dinner at
???The Lugger??? in Penzance entertained
by Howard Curnow, their tour guide and
members of the Apollo Choir.
The segment concluded with Judith Crocker
singing "Porthscatho By The Sea" to the
tune of "At Much Binding in the Marsh"
13 of the travellers
with the President, Robert Gribben
centre back.
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