Posts

Remembering Humphrey Fackerell

-
Image
  Humphrey Fackerell - (2nd Great-Granduncle) Humphrey Fackerell was born on 5 April 1898 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales. [1] His father, Edward Fackerell, was a prominent businessman in the area, and this was his sixth child but his first child with his new wife, Amy. Humphrey spent his childhood growing up with his half-siblings in the region, and soon two more sons joined the family. [2] Around 1911, his parents separated, and his mother moved him and his two younger brothers to Sydney. [3] Despite the idyllical childhood growing up in the bush and his later teen years in the big city, Humphrey was to exchange it all as a "boy soldier" for the muddy and bloody front line of World War One.   Studio Portrait of Humphrey. Photo from Australian War Memorial.   In May 1915, the Great War had been raging on for nearly a year. At the time, Humphrey was living in Sydney, working as an apprentice engineer. [4] The news of a German U-boat being responsible for the sink
Post a Comment
Read more

Mary Ann Browning 1837 - 1909

-
Image
Mary Ann Browning was my 5 th great-grandmother who came to Australia through the Bounty Scheme in 1840. She later married ex convict Charles Bustard Bostock (See previous post) She was only 3 years old when her and her family made the rough voyage to Australia.     Mary Ann Browning, Photo retrieved from Ancestry.com, - Dorothy Smith. Mary Ann Browning was born on 3 September 1837 to William, 36, and Anne Littlejohn, 35. ( See link for details on Browning Family ) Mary Ann was her parents’ seventh child and the last one to have been born in England. [1]   There is much conjecture regarding the place of Mary Ann’s birth. Throughout her lifetime, Kent, Bedfordshire, and Launceston were listed on various documents as her place of birth. [2]   At the time of her birth, her parents had spent a few years relying on parish support and were regularly living in a poor house. [3]    This would have been the last resort as poorhouses were bleak places and were horrible by design. These inst
Post a Comment
Read more

Charles Bustard Bostock 1819 - 1884

-
Image
Charles Bustard is one of my favourite ancestors. He was my 4th great-grandfather who came to Australia as a convict in 1840. After gaining his freedom, he changed his last name to Bostock. I am fascinated with all the different stories told by his descendants regarding his name changes. Was it originally Bostock in England, and he was reverting to his birth name? Or was he wanting a fresh start from his convict past?   Charles Bostock and his wife, Mary Ann Browning, Photo retrieved from Ancestry.com, Photograph of a painting (on glass) by courtesy of the late Edna Bennett. Charles Bustard’s Life in England Charles Bustard was born in 1819 in Cheshire, England, to parents Margaret and Charles. [1]   Manchester was sometimes listed as Charles’ native place but may have been mistakenly used as it was Charles’ last known residence in England. [2] Charles also had birth years 1816 and 1817 listed at the beginning of his life but mainly used 1819 as an adult. An approximate birth year was
Post a Comment
Read more