gathering dust

So I am in quarantine. My lovely NZ Cruise was ended early by the COVID-19 global pandemic and today we received notice that there were cases aboard the ship . So now instead of a preemptive quarantine, I am a close contactee. I am fortunate in that work is setting me up to work from home and for the moment I feel well (if a little paranoid), but the situation did remind me that I am certainly not the first of my family to be quarantined after a ship board outbreak. Charles Robert Muffett, alias Robert Moffitt (c. 1811- 23/11/1890) was one of the unlucky souls aboard the Bussorah Merchant in 1828, the first ship quarantined at what would become the North Head Quarantine Station. I do not know whether he was one of those with small pox or whooping cough or if he, like me, was one of the relatively healthy ones.  My journey was however a much more delightful one than that of my ancestor, a voluntary one that included 3 course meals and scenic tours of New Zealand. Robert's ...

My first introduction to you was a baptism record from Wellingham, Norfolk in 1806. I was rather excited as I had just found your parents marriage and finding you, the sister of my first Muffett in Australia was an added bonus. I was a little confused when I later ran into you in East Dereham, Norfolk being baptised again six years later. But researching what 'publicbly baptized' could mean I decided that yes, this was your christening - the one with family and friends - and being around 20 kms from your original appearance was happy with my reasoning. But last night, last night you threw me a doozy. Another baptism, 6 November 1808 at St John the Evangelist, Smith Square in Westminster of a Jane daughter of Robert & Sarah M*ffet also born the 6th of November 1806? Is this you as well? Your brother does claim to have been born in London and when he informed the registry of your younger brother's death he stated that he too was London born. Their c...

Yes, yes, I am aware that it is now 16 days into 2015 but the truth is between finishing my Masters, getting the results - I passed of course - Christmas, New Year and the beginning of this week; I kind of just collapsed. In a heap. And did a whole lot of nothing. Well, if nothing is defined as eating too much, drinking too much and reading a whole lot of novels. But thanks to Janelle, over at Janelle's Family Tree Addiction , I was back into the swing of things by the 13th. You see Janelle was lovely enough to organise a day trip and tour of the State Records Office at Kingswood. So spurred into productivity I preordered 4 probate packs but didn't think about what further I might want to look at. One can only be so organised when one is still off in the land of novels and general laziness. The tour of the archives lasted about an hour and was a brilliant look at the masses of buildings, shelvings and infrastructure needed to house the State Archives and the Government Doc...

I did have a different item prepared for today - an article containing a lovely sketch of one of my forebears - however, during one of my general surname searches I came across this essay. ESSAYS, SKETCHES, &c. (1886, November 20).  Goulburn Herald  (NSW : 1881 - 1907), p. 6. Retrieved September 30, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article99903863 Mr & Mrs Robert Muffet are my 3x great-grandparents, their eldest son Charles and his wife Mary Matilda (nee Reader), referred to in the article as Mrs Charles Muffet are my 2x great-grandparents. The funeral is that of their daughter Eliza. There is a published tree of the descendants of [Charles] Robert Muffett & Louisa Muffett [nee Green], a copy of which originally helped to feed my love of family history (I'm on page 72). No mention of Eliza's disability is mentioned. I wonder if it was not known or just conveniently forgot?

One of my major historical interests is the history of education, something to which my shelved PhD project will attest, so it has always been a pleasure to know that one of my ancestors at least placed great stock in educational opportunity. The letter below with a family bible was given to Charles Robert Muffett of Rosevale, Windellama by the children who attended the schoolroom he built on his property. I was pleased then to find a mention of this school in the SMH REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF EDUCATION. (1880, May 4). The Sydney Morning Herald  (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13459378 One day I am going to have to trek out to Kingswood and look at the records held about the school by the State Archive. I'm sure it will be fascinating.  You can find all the #TroveTuesday posts over at  Branches, Leaves & Pollen  or search the hashtag on twitter.