Author Archives: Bobbie Edes

Remembering to Accentuate the Positive 2022 challenge.

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This is the fourth time I have participated in Jill Ball’s (aka GeniAus) challenge.  As part of the challenge Jill sets out a number of sentence beginnings which bloggers need to elaborate on. It’s a rewarding experience and helps me to realise the many positive steps undertaken during the past year. I was happy to go back to travelling and catching up with a very old relative after a Covid enforced absence in interstate travels. Prior to my arrival in … Continue reading

My Sad and Glad Tales of PRONI.

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I’ve been pondering on what to write about in my next blog for a few days now having finished a series of stories about my Irvine family from Killyleagh in Co Down. Having mentioned this to our GSQ Patron, she suggested I write about researching at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast, so that’s what this missive is about. I have now realised that my blog is due for publishing on 12 December 2022. This date marks … Continue reading

A Carpenter in Law

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The last of my Killyleagh siblings in this series of blogs is my great-grandfather, Robert Gilmour Irvine. I’ve written about the other ten siblings including the birth of Robert’s twin brother Andrew in 1849 in a previous GSQ Blog.[1] It appears that Robert was a devout Christian and in April 1867, when 18 yrs old he was confirmed along with his elder brother, James. With planning well underway for his emigration to join his brothers in Queensland, before he left … Continue reading

Hugh Irvine: bootmaker and storekeeper extraordinaire.

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Many moons ago I tentatively knocked on the door of Ian Irvine, a second cousin of my dad’s. The door opened with a welcome and I fought back a lump in my throat, as gentle speaking Ian reminded me so much of my deceased father. Ian was my introduction to many in this family and I dedicate this story to now deceased Ian, Lex and Amelia; grandchildren of Hugh Irvine. I am grateful I spent many hours with them in … Continue reading

Love Letters to Maggie.

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This tale begins with the landing in Brisbane of the vessel Ariadne on 3 January 1864, that turbulent year for the city with two major fires in Queen Street.[1]  One of the passengers on Ariadne was James Carothers, a young 19 yr old lad from Fermanagh.[2] The young lad worked hard and by 1870 he had established a farm at Bulimba Point; Bulimba had been serviced since 1850 by Samuel and Matthew Buckley operating a rowing boat. In 1864, John … Continue reading