Email from Judith McCarthy ... Friday 4th May 2012

Dear Geoff

I have been interested to read your pages re the Ward Family and the links

My name is Judith McCarthy (nee Newman), my Mother’s name is Margaret Dawn Newman (nee Ward), and her Father’s name was George Watford Ward (junior), born in 1893
I live in Adelaide

I have been recently adding names to photos that I have hanging on my office wall, and was trying to put names to faces at my Grandparent's wedding, a family group when my Grandfather was about ten, and also another one prior to the birth of my Grandfather and Elizabeth Prudence when I came across your online pages

I have now got names to the faces, thanks to you and other online family

My Mother is eighty nine this year and has a little dementia but very fit otherwise and is quite good on the family history
I printed out the information that I could on the family and we had a very interesting afternoon yesterday going though it reminiscing

Every time we go past Dunn Street, Semaphore, Mother reminisces about Aunty Gert (Gertrude Ward-Knowles-Matheson) and how they used to stay there when the boarders were away and there was room for them
She knew all about the boarders particularly Jock Matheson and Granny Jepson

A couple of other things she said was that George Watford Ward (senior), unlike her Father, was a terrible womanizer

And that my Grandfather George Watford (junior) said that every time his parents named a son George Watford Ward until he arrived (the last of the family) they all died
I have noticed that my Great-grandfather stated that he had twelve children but there are only eight listed so maybe four others were George Watford Ward, I have not seen any deaths and Mother does not know other than they all died

Thank you once again for the information

Regards ... Judi McCarthy

Email: judi.mc@bigpond.com
Mobile: 0429 636 441

Reply from Geoff ... Saturday 5th May 2012

Hi Judi

Nice to hear from you, and I have included your complete email below for the benefit of all those that are receiving a copy of this note

For starters, your Dad's birth is listed in Section #07 of The Knowles Family History Index ... HERE
(note from Geoff ... this was a mistake by me ... refer to email from Judi on Sunday 6th May 2012)

The information in this Family History has come from lots of different sources ... naturally family members but also many hours of online research

There is nothing worse than 'incomplete photos' and I am glad that these details helped you put the right names to the right faces !!

As well as researching this History (my Wife Sharon's Mother's side), I am also doing her Father (Coudrey) and both sides of my own Family ... and it is a never ending job !!

I noticed that you were able to sit down with your Mother and do a bit of reminiscing
That is something I regret now ... not sitting down with my own parents when I had the chance
When younger, we don't realise the importance of "where did I come from" !!

All those receiving this are Sharon's brothers, sisters and cousins ... and I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them write to you direct
Her sister, Lesley Richards, also lives in Adelaide and she is associated with a Historical Society based there

Now, could I ask you a favour ??
In your email you mentioned "photos hanging on my office wall" ...... could I have a copy / details of these ??
It would be great to be able to add them to this Family History

And now might be a good time to add a REMINDER to everyone receiving this
Please don't forget to send me any Details and Photos that you come across ... every item and note is very important !!
(if scanning a photo, please do it at a minimum of 600dpi or even higher ... this makes for a larger file but it is much better to work with when I am preparing the shot for the internet ... thanks)

Judi, if you are doing your research or chatting with your Mother or other relatives, and find information that doesn't match in with what is displayed on this page, don't be hesitant to tell me about it ... memories are not perfect, and mistakes do happen !!

And, hey, it's nice to have that bit of 'scandal' !! ... womaniser, eh !!

Finally, I send out a 'newsletter' every now and again when I find something new, and from now on I will include you in these

All the best to You and Your Family

Regards ... Geoff

Note from Knowlton ... Saturday 5th May 2012

Hi Geoff

Well, it goes on and on ... and new information pops up all the time
Keep up the good work

I don’t necessarily reply to all the emails but I do read every one

Thanks ... Knowlton

Email from Judith McCarthy ... Sunday 6th May 2012

Hi Geoff

Thanks for your reply

I think 'Section #07 of The Knowles Family History Index' refers to my Grandfather George Watford Ward, the eighth child
My Mother is Margaret Dawn Ward, my Father was Douglas Ralph Newman

It is interesting how the families continue carrying the names through
I am the oldest of four children
My second name Judith 'Margaret' McCarthy comes from my Mother's first, my first brother is Anthony 'Ralph' Newman, the Ralph from my Dad's side, my second brother is Paul 'Watford' Newman and my youngest brother is Mark 'Ward' Newman

I will try to scan the photos tonight if time permits ... if not, I will do it sometime this coming week

Thanks again for the trip down memory lane for my Mum

She also said her Grandmother was definitely Julia not July (please click HERE)
I think the headstone confirms this and by the gap after Ann I would think there was originally an “e” (please click HERE)
It appears that Julia was born in July which may be where the confusion comes from

Regards ... Judi

Reply from Geoff ... Saturday 5th May 2012

Yep, and I "made a blunder" about Section #07 !! ... misread your first email

I like to read all these types of notes and "Memories" are very important to any type of Family History
You may have noticed the correspondence I had with Jenny Hawkins ... if not, it is HERE
Do you mind if I set out our emails in the same way ??

And I would also like to add your Mum's notes about 'Julia / July' to THIS page

As you probably know, doing this type of research takes a lot of time ... but it's fun discovering things !!
And I have been lucky enough to go back all the way to the 1500's with Sharon's Father's Family !!

Looking forward to the photos ... and hey, how about including a shot of your Mum and yourself ??

Holiday up here today (Labour Day) and it's going to be thirty degrees ... Sharon and I might head to the beach ... it's terrific living in the tropics !!

Email from Judith McCarthy ... Monday 7th May 2012

Hi Geoff

I do not mind if you set out my emails as you did with Jenny Hawkins

The name variations are interesting (please click HERE)
I have noticed that on information that my Mother has that there is July written at times but I think this is my Dad’s work
My Mother is insistent that her grandmother was Julia not July

I do not know who has written on the back of the photo taken 1873 (please click HERE)
The Margaret Newman is my Mother’s name and was written by her, and note the spelling Dusbury with no “e” or “x”

I hope you can follow all these notes and photos and let me know if you want anything more

Reply from Geoff ... Monday 7th May 2012

The photos are ... FANTASTIC !!
Thank You !!

It will take me a little while to get them encoded and uploaded to the web site ... though I will try to have everything done by Wednesday morning

I want to get them sent out as quickly as possible !!

I will also include our emails, the "Julia / July" notes, and hopefully get an answer to your question ... "Does anyone know who the young child is with my grandfather GW Ward junior?"

Regards ... Geoff