I’m currently researching Beatty, Paget and Forster family history, and writing the family story. Links to the chapters of the family story are in the right hand column.
The whole idea of having a website is so that anybody interested in our family can contribute to the family story and the documents and images. Since setting up this site so much more has been learned and several hitherto unknown relations have been discovered. Thanks so much to those who have helped already with photos, stories and shared research and you know who you are 🙂
I know where a few of the bodies are buried (so to speak) in our family, and have access to many documents and reminiscences from various people. In earlier generations a lot of things weren’t discussed outside the family, but since they’ve all gone now, I feel a need to straighten the record! I’ll tell it as I heard it, and as I find it from research. If you’ve heard differently, please let me know, as it all adds to the rich tapestry of history, and “facts” can appear quite different from another point of view. There is also a lot of information here about other families. If your ancestor is mentioned, please feel free to contact me. There might be much more about them, and many more photos of them in our archive.
Also on the side menu is a link to our Family tree, over 700 people and growing.
It’s easy for you to register so that you get an email whenever I post so you can decide which posts are of interest or not (see the side menu). Please add comments as I love getting them. When you comment, it won’t show on the website immediately as I need to approve it first. If you’d like to make contact but don’t want your comment posted, just say so and it will just be between us. If you fill in the email box it isn’t included in the published comment, but I’ll then be able to contact you privately. It’s up to you whether you comment under an alias or not.
taggerty 
Good work Sue.
Easy to navigate, etc, even with my backup 25K dialup.
That’s all I currently have till I’m (hopefully) broadband reconnected next month
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Yay Thanks Hamish, And the first to comment!
I’m giving this approach a go, and will be adding a lot more soon I hope.
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I think I must have stumbled on this by accident – while looking at tents, motorcyles etc – but by Jingo it actually works. Looks good. Wow. jh
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Thanks jh. I should confess the WordPress bit is pretty straightforward. Getting the Family tree up there was the challenge
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Good for you bushmaid. I see you have chosen Misty Look. A nice theme. Are you enjoying this? Anyhow, I’ll read it more later when I return to our fair land and have time to read.
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Thanks Whispering, I’m wondering if this theme is a bit narrow though considering all the images I want to put here. Sounds as though you’re having a great time.
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Yes, we sure are – off to Shikoku Island today and its a blue sky.
As for themes… There are some more specifically designed for photos but I can’t recollect which they are because they didn’t really suit my needs. (Am so glad you decided to go with WordPress not Blogger like our Minerva one. That was the first blog I set up in ignorance. I have set up two more in WordPress since and much prefer it.)
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Now that I’ve worked out how to put multiple photo galleries in the one page or post with expandable thumbnails, I might stick with this theme for a while. Did you say you have other blogs? How might one find them?
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Where are the Jones(s)? – Co-incidentally the former better-halfs family have Fosters but I’m on the wrong computer to check out any commonality. Have just done a quick look in at the site and like the layout bushmaid : ). …by the by oldest sprout got a HD for her media unit.
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Thanks alias, I haven’t got around to the Joneses yet! Give us time! Also many other family historians have researched my Mother’s side – the Beattys are more of a challenge, especially since so many Irish records were lost. Congratulations to oldest sprout! I know who to ask next time I get bamboozled 🙂
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Comments page looks ok today.
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It probably looks odd while I’m updating the site which I do frequently. Apologies if that happens.
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Am a twig on your family tree. My grandmother was Alice Eliza Forster who married Henry Nevitt Saxton Melbourne/ I do have a picture of Mary Jane Mclean, doesnt look a bit like the photo you posted
my great mystery is Eliza Boak (Bolk) Mary Janes mother who came from nowhere and went back there!
At one stage I was attempting to do the Forster Family tree and got so far and came to a bit of a halt My sister attended the try Societies do a couple of years ago in Melbourne from this twig Barbara Horsley nee Saxton
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Wonderful to hear from you Barbara! I have put quite a few photos of both Mary Jane and Constance Mary on the website (under the tab “Image gallery”) Is yours a different one of Mary Jane ie one I haven’t seen yet? Yes, I’m bowing to the general opinion that that photo must be Connie 🙂
I think we’ve all come to grief at the mysterious Eliza!
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At the moment I am in Brisbane but will be home in North Queensland late next week. We have photos of Alice Eliza Forster as ayoung girl and also of her family which includes my father as a young boy I have not been the only one researching the Forster/McLean family
can give you more detail when I get home
Barbara Horsley
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From Barbara Horsley
Left my most recent comment in the wrong spot
Barbara
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There isn’t really a wrong spot Barbara, I love comments and read ’em all! I know of at least three others from the William Cuthbert Durham Forster branch who are researching the Forsters as well. Will put you in touch with them if you don’t already know them. Looking forward to hearing from you when you get home.
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Love your story-My great great grandmother was a Beatty in sligo-very hard to work out relationships as so many records are lost. Related to her dad John Beatty and also a richard,charles and george. If only those records were still here. sue kelly
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Thanks for making contact Sue, and for all your help. Between us, surely we can sort out the relationships between all the Beattys of late 19th century Sligo and Mayo and find out if you and I are related!.
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I am the great granddaughter of Marcella and James Beatty. My grandfather was Alfred Joseph Beatty. Both my father Alfred Paget Beatty and myself have the second name “Paget”.
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I’m absolutely thrilled to hear from you Jocelyn! I’ve already discovered Charles Gordon Beatty descendants who’ll be pleased as well. Can you add to the story of the older generations?
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Hi Bushmaid
My great great great grandfather was Peter Frederich Siegruhn. His sister was Augusta Wilhelmina Siegruhn who married Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Griffiths in Cape Town, South Africa. Their daughter Henrietta Wilhelmina Griffiths married Captain Paget John Bourke in 1861. I have forwarded this link to a descendant who has also done extensive research on the Griffiths / Bourke family tree. I have some links, documents etc. How do I send these to you?
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Hi Lynda,
Thanks for commenting. The Siegruhn, Griffiths and, come to that, even the Bourke family are only of peripheral interest for my research, though I’d like any mention of them to be as accurate as possible. I know others who could be even more interested in your documents though and will put you in touch with them.
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You may not want to display this comment, feel free to email me if you want to
Just an update for one of the branches if you want:
On the page of
http://grapevine.com.au/~jhigginbottom/Beatty%20family%20history/282.html
You have Mum and Dad of Kathleen and Alan James McTaggart and the children are Janet (which you already have) and unknown
According to this 1838 death notice Jean is the son.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/12479805 (deaths under Beatty)
“BEATTY.-On the 26th August, at the residence of his son-in-law (Mr. Alan James McTaggart), 17 Brandon Street, Burwood, James Paget, loved husband of the late Flora Beatty, loving father of Kathleen (Mrs. A. J. McTaggart), beloved grandfather (Ganna) of Janet and Jean, aged 64 years. -Reunited. ”
My name is Jackie Lee Ollrich, my Mother’s (another Margaret hehe) maiden name is Paget, and I’m tracing her family tree on the Paget side.
I’m stumped at my Great-great Grandfather James Ernest Paget from Coventry, England. Approx DOB is 1847 although this is not from a primary source and could be a late as 1860 (making him approx 20ish when he married).
Seems he came over to Australia (Adelaide, SA) before he married, as his wife is from Adelaide, SA. I am thinking he might be a brother of someone in your tree. Or he had a wife before he moved to Australia, and remarried here which would explain the 1847 DOB
Only information is have is his death notice from 1902 listing wife as Jessie Helena Russell, marriage notice in 1881 and His 5 children Herbet (Bert), Percy (Perc), Olive (Married name: Butcher), Irene (Married name: McKay) and Ernest my Great grandfather.
Any information you have would be great.
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Thanks for commenting Jackie. You’ve reminded me that I should upload the latest version of my family tree which does have the names of both McTaggart daughters. I think it’s nearly a year since I updated it. Hope I haven’t forgotten how! There were lots of Pagets in England in the 18th and 19th century and I saw in the immigration records that a few came to Australia though I know very little about them. I don’t think we can be related though as my Paget ancestors all lived in Ireland from the 1770s until 1878.
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Not sure if this is the right place to day this. My name is Anne Parker, I am a granddaughter of Kathleen Barker and gt granddaughter of Mabel Jeannie Forster. I came across your page while starting some research on this side of my family.
I would be interested to learn of my connection to the Beatty family – as would my mother.
I could also help you with decendants of Kathleen Barker. One thing I have noticed already – only 2 not 3 if her children are still living. Michael Withycombe died in December 1995.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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I’m thrilled to hear from you Anne! Your gt grandmother Mabel Jeannie Forster and my grandmother Constance Mary Forster were sisters. Constance married Archibald Beatty whose ancestors I’m currently in Ireland trying to trace. Your grandmother Kathleen Barker knew my Father Harold Beatty and Aunt Peg Beatty (her cousins) very well. I’d appreciate help with the descendants. I’ll email you when I get home.
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Our family, The Saxtons enjoyed holidays with Kath (Jum) and Geoffrey Withycombe at Barrack Point where they had a holiday cottage right on the beach front. This would have been during the 1950’s My sisters and I spent many enjoyable hours playing with the Withycombe s who were about our age. We only spent 2 weeks a year at Barrack Point. Barbara Horsley nee Saxton
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Thank you for your reply. The work you have done so far is amazing! Good luck with your research in Ireland. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Hi All, just sharing this opportunity in case anyone has any stories about Mooroolbark and surrounds that you would like to share, Kind Regards Mandy Pickett http://www.mooroolbark.vic.au/stories-of-mooroolbark/
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I am a member of the saxton forster family
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Hi there. I’m a good friend of Marjory “Peggy” Clark (nee Forster) … the daughter of Gordon Ewing Forster. Peggy is a sprightly 95 years young and living independently up here in Brisbane. I have shown her this site, which she is staring to slowly navigate through … and she is enjoying it immensely. So many of your stories and photos she remembers from “way back when”. She would love to make contact with the owner/manager of the site as she has stories, memories and importantly photo’s etc that she would like to share with you. If you can send me an email and we’ll get organised for a phone call with you and Peggy. Thanks very much. Steve
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Will do Steve, and look forward to talking to Peggy. I wonder if her name is more than a coincidence?
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