Author Archives: Bobbie Edes

Remember to Accentuate the Positive – 2020.

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Jill Ball has set a January challenge on GeniAus for a yearly blog to Accentuate the Positive. This is my 2021 effort reflecting on my 2020 year.  The challenge has 20 set points to cover. Remember to Accentuate the Positive An elusive ancestor I found was – Someone I had been searching many years for, an adopted baby. I finally cracked the mystery and managed to track who she had married, when she died and what children she had. A great … Continue reading

Christmas Stories & Traditions around the World.

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Much of the non-personal information in this blog is from a marvellous site I stumbled upon recently. It is by James Cooper, a Christmas loving web designer and titled: WhyChristmas?com  There are many additional countries on his website, so take a look. My thanks to James for giving me permission to use the below information. NORWAY – by James Cooper Christmas Eve is the time when presents are exchanged. The gifts are sometimes brought by Santa Claus (called ‘Julenissen’ in … Continue reading

Killyleagh Siblings – Alexander and Sarah Irvine.

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Alexander Irvine Alexander son of James & Sarah Irvine of Ballytrim was the couple’s 11th and final child born on 4 April 1859 according to the family bible. The two-week-old baby was baptised on 19th April 1859 at 1st Presbyterian Church, Killyleagh, Down and noted as being 14 days old.[1] Alexander travelled to Australia with his aged parents and older brother John Irvine, who had returned to Killyleagh to escort the party on the long journey to Australia in 1888. … Continue reading

Mary Ann Irvine and her Parkinson family.

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My last blog was about John Irvine, written from the (fictional) memories of Mary Parkinson as related to a friend.  Despite this approach to the story, the happenings were real, very real and would have had a life-long effect on Mary Ann, one of John Irvine’s younger sisters. Mary Ann’s story begins on a cold winter’s day on the outskirts of Killyleagh, about 3 klms from the village itself in the townland of Ardigon. Her mother Sarah had already borne … Continue reading

John Irvine – Bootmaker and preacher.

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The shot rang out in the quiet stillness of the farming community of Mt Thabor, just east of Warwick in South East Queensland.[1] The cows in the paddock opposite were mildly disturbed and the native birds squawked off in alarm. Mary knew the sound, as after all, her husband Clement Parkinson was a farmer and such is the necessity of country life. However, this shot on 5 June 1909 was different and more importantly she could smell the gunpowder. The … Continue reading