Ancestor Approved Award - my nominations

I have been neglecting my blogs due to a heavy workload, family problems, executor duties, a minor back injury, the floods, etc. I therefore felt quite unworthy when Pauleen wrote, I've nominated you for the Ancestor Approved Award as thanks for all your hard work in Queensland family history research.' Pauleen nominated my Queensland Genealogy blog, and this 'Genealogy Leftovers' blog was later nominated by Sassy Jane Genealogy.

The Award was created by Leslie Ann Ballou (whose blog is 'Ancestors Live Here') to acknowledge genealogy blogs that are 'full of tips and tricks as well as funny and heartwarming stories'. Recipients are asked to list ten surprising, humbling or enlightening aspects of their research, and to pass on the award to ten other researchers. Here are my lists.

1. I was surprised to discover (years later) that a girl in my class at school was my third cousin.
2. In the early days of my research, while tramping around Helidon cemetery looking for the grave of my great-grandparents James Campbell WEBSTER and Ellen BUTLER, I was surprised to find a nearby headstone for my other great-grandparents, George and Mary HUDSON. I promptly started researching that family too!
3. As a tourist visiting the museum at Sale, Victoria, I was astonished to find portraits (by Alfred BOCK) of my great-great-grandmother's brother (John CAMPBELL of 'Glencoe') and his wife Susan.
4. I was surprised to find (from a Justice Department register of criminal depositions) that my mother's uncle, who served in WWI, received a suspended sentence for stealing as a public servant.
5. I was surprised when records of the Clan Campbell Archives, Inveraray, Scotland, confirmed a family story that my great-great-grandmother, Julia CAMPBELL, was related to one of the Dukes of Argyll. (I will be even more surprised if there is any truth in the rumour that my English grandmother, Florence HUDSON, was related to a 'Sir Benjamin PEACOCK'.)
6. I was humbled and enlightened by my father's stories about life in outback Queensland. He described his 1920s childhood, education, daily routines, health and home remedies, changes in domestic technology, community attitudes, social events, the Great Depression, the War years, etc.
7. I was greatly enlightened by an old family document (sent to me by a distant relative) with exact birth dates for William HUDSON and his wife Christiana. This confirmed that an 1806 baptism record was indeed for 'my' William HUDSON. That record names William's maternal grandparents!
8. The same distant relative also sent me a most enlightening letter, dated 1879, from William HUDSON to his son Charles. It was a thrill to see William's handwriting and to form an impression of the man from the tone, content and composition of his letter.
9. I am humbled by the generosity of Michael FLYNN, who shares his discoveries about our PORTER ancestors. Michael is the author of The Second Fleet: Britain's Grim Convict Armada of 1790. He also writes for the new magazine Inside History.
10. I am surprised that more family historians do not use the free on-line guides and catalogues for National, State and other Archives. Some of the most enlightening sources are there, but will never be on the Internet!

In no particular order, here are ten blogs that I enjoy:

• http://womanlondonblitz.blogspot.com/
• http://londonrootsresearch.blogspot.com/
• http://www.sassyjanegenealogy.com/blog/
• http://scottishancestry.blogspot.com/
• http://walkingineternity.blogspot.com/
• http://wetree.blogspot.com/
• http://www.leavesfortrees.blogspot.com/
• http://www.thearmchairgenealogist.com/
• http://www.shaunahicks.com.au/shhe-genie-rambles/
• http://growingfamilytreesandvegetables.blogspot.com/

Four of my other favourites have already been mentioned by Pauleen:

• http://famresearch.wordpress.com/
• http://geniaus.blogspot.com/
• http://twigsofyore.blogspot.com/
• http://caroleriley.id.au/