Jan 152019
 
Two ships, Pladda and Robert Henderson at Port Chalmers, 1861

This week’s prompt for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is “Challenge”. That opens up lots of possibilities – the first is which is the challenge of me getting it done in time. In that I failed – it’s a couple of days into week 3 already…

I decided for this that I’d explore some of the challenges my ancestors faced when deciding to uproot themselves from England and Scotland, and make their way to New Zealand – clear around the other side of the world.

Dad’s Side – Moffat, Houliston, Stoddart, Monfries, Dewar, Bringans, Mitchell

The first ones to leave were William Moffat and his new bride Ellen Houliston. They married in Scotland in 1857, and then immediately after departed on the ship “Titan” to Victoria Australia, where William got a job working in the Victoria Goldfields. What a challenge that must have been to sail almost halfway around the world in search of a dream. A family history compiled in 1960 contains this quote: Continue reading »

 Posted by at 6:44 pm
May 162009
 

Randy Seaver at GeneaMusings asks:

“What event or person inspired you to start your genealogy research?”

For me it was in early 1989, a few months after I’d bought my first Macintosh computer in November 1988. I attended a Moffat family Reunion in Balclutha, New Zealand arranged by an Uncle. One of my father’s cousins had prepared what I now know to be a Register Report that started at the first of our Moffats to immigrate to New Zealand – my great grandfather William Moffat (1829 – 1895)

Moffat Descendants Easter 1989

Moffat Descendants Easter 1989

Continue reading »