Research update: from the snail mail

I’ve been going through my tree and following up on documents that I know are there but haven’t ordered yet. If it relates to my ancestors, I will almost always shell out for a copy. As a result I’m waiting on or have recently received quite a few bits and pieces relating to the family through the mail.

Recently arrived

• Letter from John Allsop (c1820-1882) of Tissington, Derbyshire advising of his family’s safe arrival at Deptford en route to Australia, 1852.
  I came across a reference to this while browsing the internet and sent off for a copy. Although the letter itself doesn’t tell me much, it suggests that there’s a whole lot more information that I would love to see at the Derbyshire Record Office. This research will have to wait for another time but the copy of the letter is nice to have.
  
• Probate package for Michael Job Bennett  (c1805 – 1883)
  I sent off for the probate file over two months ago in the hope that it would confirm that his son James is the same person as my gg-grandfather James. It doesn’t, but that doesn’t matter. After sending off for the packet I found a different record that gave parent’s names for ‘my’ James and yes, his father was Michael Job Bennett. The probate package reveals that he left £600 to James. This makes it all the more puzzling as to where and when James died. If he had that much money you would think I’d be able to find a will or admin file. I have a few ideas of places to look so I’m not declaring his death a brickwall just yet.
  
• Book on CD: The Martin Family of Stithians in Cornwall by Edward A.Martin, 5th edition, 1996.
  This book includes my ancestor Timothy Martin and I gather it’s well respected. It will be a source of clues when I get around to this part of the family.

Coming soon

• GRO Death certificates
  With the strength of the Australian dollar at the moment, English GRO certificates cost me less than certificates for Victoria, Australia. I thought I’d better get in while I can and order those birth death and marriage certificates I’ve had my eye on but not actually ordered.
  Any day now I expect to see death certificates for:
  - Michael Job Bennett, 1883
  - Elizabeth Ann Bennett (nee Barnes), 1855
  - John Robotham, 1866
  - Hannah Robotham (nee Mee), 1864
  I don’t expect to learn a lot from them, but you never know.
  
• FHL microfilm – Irish marriage record for William Stannus and Catherine Mack, 22 Aug 1848.
  I plan on slowly making my way through all those IGI and now FamilySearch Historical Record references I’ve accumulated and seeing the microfilms.

Also coming soon should be hard copy genealogy course materials. I don’t intend to start another course until the course materials get here.
Finally, my FamilyTreeDNA results are due back on around 13 April arrived today. It should be is interesting to compare them with 23andMe. More on that later.