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Treasure Chest



Treasures in the Institute Library

A selection of reviews by Judy Hopkins published in the March 2009 magazine "The Genealogist"
There are more reviews on pages 24 & 25.

Why not visit the library and examine our Treasures?
VICTORIA

Port Phillip District Land Sales 1837 - 1851, from the Victorian Historical Magazine, newsletter of the Victorian Historical Society.  Book, VIC 333.16 POR
It’s always amazing just how many researchers have ancestors who were in Melbourne in the very early days of the first land sales.  This simple photocopied publication of the original magazine has an index to names, with page references.  The page reference will lead you to the list of allotments and purchasers with a column for situation, another for purchaser, the area of the allotment and the purchase price. 
Section one is the index, Section two covers the city allotments and Section three covers outer areas within 9 miles of the GPO.  Further information is available on microfilm at the Public Record Office of Victoria.

ENGLAND

Bristol

The Topography of Medieval and Early Modern Bristol, published by the Bristol Record Society.  Book, GLS 942.41 LEE.
Part one by Roger Leech, Property holdings in the early walled town and marsh suburb north of the Avon.
Bristol is in a prime location for emigration of all types, and many Bristol people found their way to Australia. 
The word Topography in the title of this book may remind you of geography lessons at school, but in fact the content of this volume is of great value to genealogists.
There is the usual contents page, a list of abbreviations, an introduction, some very useful and interesting town plans.  There is the usual alphabetical index at the end of the book, and it’s a very worthwhile exercise to check for your ancestor’s name if he or she was in early Bristol.  Check for all possible spellings, as early spellings are what you will find.  The index will take you to a page number with a description of the property and a very nice history of the succession of the land.  Some entries date from the 14th century, and extend as late as the 19th century.  Most entries are extensive, and will make you wish you had Bristol ancestry.


IRELAND

Irish Families in Australia and New Zealand, by Hubert William (Bill) Coffey and Marjorie Jean Morgan.  Books, IRL 929.2025 COF.
This set of four books is a very underused resource for Australian and New Zealand researchers whose ancestors came from Ireland.  Admittedly, their appeal is limited, as although the claim of the authors is that “Practically every newsworthy person born in Ireland or of Irish ancestry who had ever lived in Australia or New Zealand, is included in this biographical dictionary”, of course there will be many who are not.
However you would be doing yourself a disservice if you do not at least do a name search for your ancestor.  There are four volumes, divided alphabetically.  The first is Abbot – Dynan 1788-1983, Volume two is Eades – Little 1788 – 1985, Volume three is McAfee – Quirk 1788 – 1991, and Volume four is R – Z 1788 – 1994.
The wonderful thing about the entries is the amount of information given.  As each of the volumes is a revision of the original sold-out edition, entries have been added to and information supplied by relatives who have submitted addresses.  So if you do find your ancestor listed, you may be able to make contact with the person who added to the entry.  Of course it’s sad that all our Irish ancestors are not mentioned, but those who are there are real treasures for family history.

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22nd March 2009.
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