Poking around in the past: 2015

Tuesday 29 December 2015

Lillian

As the back door slammed shut Lil slumped into the nearest chair. Tears of humiliation and regret continued to flow down her cheeks. Her arms sprawled across the kitchen table her head resting listlessly against the crook of her arm. She just didn’t have the energy to make them stop. She had known this day was coming, it was inevitable, but the reality of facing Bert had been pushed to the background when he was so far away.

What did people expect from her anyway? She was young and lively and had been alone for the last four years. Encouraged into marriage when she was little more than a child, Bert had been a demanding older husband. At the time it had seemed like such an adventure, she felt so grown up. The reality of family life had set in soon enough though, little money and four babies in six years had kept her so busy, and it was a guilty sense of relief when Bert left for Europe.
A sudden nudge brought Lil out of her mournful reveries. Sitting up and wiping her face on the apron stretched across her swollen belly she heaved herself to the sink and filled the kettle. Events were out of her control now and she would just have to make the best of things. As she gently rubbed her tummy a new resolve coursed through her. Olaf would stand by her, she knew.‘Pull yourself together girl,’ she mused, there’s no going back now.

Sunday 1 November 2015

Mary Burke

Mary Burke (my great great great grandmother) was living in the townland of Ballyspellan, County Kilkenny, Ireland when her third child, a daughter, Margaret Mary MacEvoy (my great great grandmother) was baptised on the 16th June 1833.

Mary was married to Martin MacEvoy at a time and place unknown. Other children of this union are:

Elizabeth MacEvoy, baptised 14th January 1830, and

Anne MacEvoy, baptized 29 March 1832.

All three girls were baptised in the Roman Catholic church in the District of Johnstown, Kilkenny, Ireland. Sponsors of the girls and presumably family, friends or neighbours of Mary and Martin include:
Edmund Burk, Ellen Shortall, Martin Neal, Mary MacEvoy and Elizabeth (Betty) Kavanagh.

I was unable to locate any further children for Mary and Martin after Margaret's birth in 1833. I suspect that Mary has died at some unknown time prior to 1840 when Martin MacEvoy married for a second time.

Wednesday 1 July 2015

Anna Elisabet Hauk

Anna Elisabet Hauk was difficult to find. When following the tennets of family history research the idea is to trace backward through the generations. In following this method my first clue to her identity came from the birth certificate of her son Olaf Johan Carlstom. In this Swedish record her maiden surname is recorded as HAHN.

Extract from Swedish birth record Olaf Johan Carlström 22nd April 1891

The next clue to her identity was from Olaf's Application for Certificate of Naturalization in 1939, stating that the nationality of his mother prior to her marriage was Swedish.

Extract from the Application for Certificate of Naturalization made by John Olaf Carlstrom in 1939

Using this information I was unable to find any trace of her until I finally paid to look at the Swedish census records. These records show her name as Carlstrom nee Hauk, finally giving me the clues I needed to find more about her birth, life and death.

Anna Elisabet Hauk was born on the 21st of April 1859 in Reus Bohmen Tyskland (now Czech Republic). I have been unble to find record of this town and suspect that a translation error has been made at some point. Unfortunately without this information it is impossible at this point to find an original birth record.

Anna arrived in Sweden from her home in Carlsbad, Bohemia ( now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic) on the 25th of March 1882 and took up residence in Lissma Stockholm. On the 4th of May 1882 Anna marries Nils Olsson Karlström, a Tanner, in Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
The marriage was approved by Anna's brother Shoemaker Johan Hauk and her mother, Innkeeper and widow Maria Hauk, both residents of Carlsbad Bohemia. Anna and Nils return to live in Halmstad, Halland, Sweden where Nils had been living since 1877.

On the 11th February 1883, their first child, Emmy Maria Karlström is born in Halmstad. Her birth is closely followed by the birth of a second daughter Eleonora Anna Katartina Karlström on the 22nd June 1884.

At some point prior to 1890 the family move to Helsingborg, Skåne, Sweden. The Swedish census of 1890 show the family living at Qvarnen 11, Helsingborg and Nils is now employed as a Baker. It is here in the following year that their next child, a son, Olaf Johan Carlström is born on the 22nd of Arpil 1891.

On the 1st of October 1892, Anna loses her husband Nils to a fatal accident, leaving her widowed with 3 children. It is not known how she supported her family during this time, living in several locations in Helsingborg over the next few years.

John Erik Carlstrom, German birth record, Charlottensburg 23rd Oct 1897

In 1897 Anna travels to Germany where she gives birth to a son John Erik Karlström in Charlottensburg, Berlin on the 5th of October that year. No Father’s name is given in the birth record and there is no record of Anna travelling to Germany in this period. The child is not seen on the 1900 Swedish census nor does he appear to have been bought up as part of the family. John Erik shows up in Stockholm records in 1922 and has some military history in Sweden from about 1917.

In 1898 the family move to Kristinehall 8 in Helsingborg. It is during this period that Anna marries for a second time to Jöns Assarsson, a Music Teacher nine years her junior, on the 22^nd April 1900. This marriage produces a daughter Sonja Assarsson, born on the 3^rd of October 1900.

Anna lives the rest of her life in Helsingborg. Her eldest daughter Emmy, also stays in or around Helsingborg. The next daughter Eleonora moves to Stockholm and Olaf Johan emigrates to Australia. Sonja's movements are not known at this stage. Records also show John Erik spending some time in Helsingborg in the late 1920's. It would be interesting to know if he knew his Mother.

Nya Krykogatan, Helsingborg. Personal photograph of the author.

Anna dies on the 23rd of January 1937 of Heart and Kidney disease. On the 30th January she is buried in the Nya Krykogatan (New Cemetery), Helsingborg, in the family grave of her son in law Bror Gotthard Elversson.

Personal photograph of the author.

Saturday 27 June 2015

Ballyspellan

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/

House at the location shown on the Griffiths valuation maps. From Google Maps 2015

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Burra North

from: Burra History Group http://www.burrahistory.info/places_BNorthMap.jpg

Saturday 20 June 2015

Nils Olsson Karlström

The youngest son of Anna Catharina Karlström and Ola Pehrson, Nils Olsson Karlström was born on the 6th of February 1850 in Steglarp, Fuglie parish, Skåne, Sweden.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/231+94+Steglarp,+Sweden

Fuglie Kyrka July 2015

Nils was born into a blended family having several older
half siblings from his Mothers previous marriage to Jöns Jeppson. From the Fuglie Parish household records for the period 1845 - 1853, Nils is recorded as Nils Olsson reflecting the patronymic naming convention still predominantly in use at that time. Sourced from the same records, half brothers and sisters to Nils are as follows:

Johanna Jönsdotter,born 31st March 1825, Gislov, Skåne, Sweden,
Botilla Jönsdotter, born 24th June 1832, Lilla Slågarp, Skåne, Sweden,
Judith Jöndotter, born 28th April 1935, Lilla Slågarp, Skåne, Sweden,
Karna Jönsdotter, born 9th December 1836, Lilla Slågarp, Skåne, Sweden,
Jeppa Jönsson, born 19th January 1839, Lilla Slågarp, Skåne, Sweden,
Jöns Jönsson, born 5th July 1840, Steglarp, Skåne, Sweden,
Pehr Jönsson, born 14 February 1843, Steglarp, Skåne, Sweden.

From 1866 onward, Nils is recorded with Carlstöm and Karlström as his surname, and subsequent records also show some of his half siblings also doing the same. This possibly reflects the change in the naming conventions in Sweden around this time, however it could also reflect the social status of Nils' mother as coming from an upper middle class background in comparison to her husbands more working class pedigree.

In August of 1866 Nils attends a technical school in Malmö and then goes on to an agricultural school in Trelleborg in 1869.

By August 1877, most of the siblings have moved away from the family home in Steglarp and at this point Nils, along with his Father, Mother and half sister Judith move to Lilla Slågarp approximately 5 kilometres away.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Steglarp,+Sweden/Lilla+Slågarp,+Sweden

Nils is now employed as a tanning factory worker and later in this year he moves to Halmstad, Halland, Sweden.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Halmstad,+Sweden/Lilla+Slågarp,+Sweden

The Swedish census taken on the night of the 31st December 1880 shows Nils still living in Halmstad. He is working as a tanner and living in the same building as his older brother Pehr who is also employed as a tanner. This would suggest that Nils has followed his brother to Halmstad in search of work.

On the 4th of May 1882, Nils marries Anna Elisabet Hauk (Hauck). Anna arrived in Sweden from her home in Carlsbad, Bohemia ( now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic) on the 25th of March 1882 and took up residence in Lissma Stockholm. On the 31st March, Nils has requested a certificate in Halmstad to travel to Huddinge, Stockholm to marry. The timing of these movements strongly suggest that the marriage has been pre-arranged. The marriage was approved by Anna's brother Shoemaker Johan Hauk and her mother, Innkeeper and widow Maria Hauk, both residents of Carlsbad Bohemia. Anna and Nils return to live in Halmstad.

On the 1st of October 1892, Nils meets his untimely end, dying as the result of an accidental fall at the age of 42.

Friday 12 June 2015

Olaf Johan Carlström

Also known as: Jack, Olof, Olaf John and John Olaf.

Jack Carlstrom was born Olaf Johan Carlström on the 22^nd of April 1891 at Qvarnen 11, Helsingborg, Skåne, Sweden, son of Nils Olasson Karlström and Anna Elisabet Karlström nee Hauk. Jack had two older siblings;

Emmy Karlström born 11^th February 1883 in Halmstad, Halland, Sweden and,

Eleonora Anna Catharina Karlström born 22^nd June 1884 in Halmstad, Halland, Sweden.

http://www.helsingborg.se/wpcontent/uploads/2015/02/Bevprogram_HBG_Stadskarna_KtillP_2002_sbf.pdf

The family lived at Qvarnen 11 until 1893 when, following the untimely death of Nils in the previous year, they moved to Fiskaren 13, in Helsingborg.

It is within this time that the records show the family briefly visiting Belgium during 1895.

An interesting occurrence of this period is the birth of a half sibling, John Erik Karlström. This child is born to Anna Elisbet Karlström on the 5^th of October 1897 in Charlottensburg, Germany, no Father’s name is given in the birth record and there is no record of Anna travelling to Germany in this period. The child is not seen on the 1900 Swedish census nor does he appear to have been bought up as part of the family. John Erik shows up in Stockholm records in 1922 and has some military history in Sweden from about 1917.

In 1898 the family move to Kristinehall 8 in Helsingborg. It is during this period that Anna marries for a second time to Jöns Assarsson on 22^nd April 1900. This marriage produces a daughter and another half sibling for Jack, Sonja Assarsson, born 3^rd of October 1900.

Being one of the largest Port cities in Sweden it is not surprising that , in 1907 at the age of sixteen Jack joined the Helsingborgs sjömanshus (sailors house) beginning his life long association with the sea and maritime pursuits.

Household records of the Helsingborg Maria Parish indicate that at some time between 1908 and 1913, Jack disappears, as he is listed as being absent from the Helsingborgs sjömanshus for those years and he is eventually placed in the parish Bök of Obef (book of the missing) in 1925. There are subsequent entries right up until 1950 that still need translation.

The first record of Jack in Australia is to be found in a newspaper article published in the Adelaide Register on the 1^st of September 1913. According to this article the ketch Capella, whilst berthed at the Port Canal, caught fire. Olaff Carlstrom, the cook was the only person on board at the time.

FIRE ON A KETCH. (1913, September 1). The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), p. 7. Retrieved June 12, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article591146

Documents submitted by Jack in 1939 in support of his application for British Naturalization state that during WW1 he was working on ships plying trade along the coast of South Australia.

The same documents reveal that during both world wars , Jack was compelled to register as an alien, however the National Archives of Australia cannot locate those particular documents and believe they may have been recycled during a paper shortage.

Jack married Florence Lillian Sanders (nee Reubenicht) on the 11th of March 1920 at the Registry Office in Adelaide, South Australia. Their first child, Marjorie Carlstrom had been born on the 18th November 1918 at Largs Bay, South Australia, an event that would prove the catalyst for Lillians divorce from her first husband Albert Joseph Sanders. Another six children followed in subsequent years;

Robert Archibald Carlstrom born 19th June 1920 at Largs Bay,South Australia,
Patricia Mary Carlstrom born 6th September 1922 at Largs Bay, South Australia,
Beatrice Carlstrom, born 10th June 1924 at Largs Bay, South Australia,
Josephine Carlstrom born 22nd September 1925 at Largs Bay, South Australia

Peter Carlstrom born 30th August 1928 at largs Bay, South Australia, and
John Carlstrom born 14th March 1930 at Outer Harbour, South Australia.

The close knit family also included four children from Lillian's first marriage, Stella, William, Vera and Rae, although it is unclear if the family always resided together given the acrimonious circumstances of the divorce of their parents.

The family took up residence in a cottage at the Royal South Australian Yacht Squardon in 1929 when Jack was appointed as caretaker, a position he held until his death on the 21st July 1959.