GSV News

St Andrew is the patron saint not only of Scotland, but also of Ukraine, Barbados, Tenerife, and a few other regions. While he is most famously associated with Scotland in the English-speaking world, his influence extends beyond its borders.

Andrew, who was a fisherman and one of Jesus’ apostles, did not bring Christianity to Scotland (the Irish St Columba did), although his role as Scotland's patron saint is deeply embedded in the country's history and culture.

The legend of St Andrew's connection to Scotland dates back to the 9th century. The night before a battle between the Scots and Picts against the Angles, the Pictish King Angus had a dream in which St Andrew appeared and promised victory. The following morning at daybreak, King Angus saw a cross in the sky that resembled St Andrew’s Cross ^[1] . This vision is said to have inspired the adoption of the Saltire Cross (the white diagonal cross that appears on Scotland's flag) as a symbol of the nation.

St Andrew's feast days have been observed in Scotland since around 1,000 AD^[2] . In 1320, when Scotland signed the Declaration of Arbroath, St Andrew was named the Scotland’s patron saint. The Declaration of Arbroath gave Scotland independence from Pope John XXII^[3] .

Some of St. Andrew's relics are believed to be housed in St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, while others are buried in St Andrews, Scotland. There are also parts of St Andrew’s remains said to be kept in St Andrew’s Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine.

St. Andrew's Feast Day, which is celebrated on 30 November, is traditionally accepted as the day of his death. In Scotland, the day is marked with festive activities, including eating traditional food like Cullen skink (a fish soup), drinking Irn Bru (a beloved Scottish soft drink), and participating in ceilidh and the Highland Fling – and we can’t forget there are games played that tell you who you’ll marry.

While we can't offer you Cullen skink or an Irn-Bru, if you would like to mark St Andrew's Day, join the Scottish Discussion Circle at 1:30pm tomorrow. The last meeting for 2024 will include information about St Andrew, a chance to share experiences of the old university and cathedral city of St Andrew's, a chance to yarn about the pronunciation of Scottish place names and to share any new learnings from your research. To register, book here.

[1] https://www.scotland.org/events/st-andrews-day/a-history-of-st-andrew
[2] https://www.scotland.org/events/st-andrews-day/who-was-st-andrew
[3] https://www.scottishtours.co.uk/blog/why-is-st-andrew-the-patron-saint-…

Are you aware that recordings of many Discussion Circle sessions are made available for viewing for the month after the event?

Information about the recordings is communicated via the Discussion Circle Notice Boards. If a member subscribes to the Notice Board they will receive an email notification that the recording link is available. You do not, however, have to subscribe to the Notice Boards to access the recording. When logged into the GSV website, members can view the posts on any Discussion Circle’s Notice Board via the Notice Board page.

At the moment members can access recordings of:

• Anne Merrick discussing researching and writing her novel Cold Blows the Wind based on a period of the lives of her great-great-grandparents. See the VicTas Noticeboard (Going soon)
• In the latest of the series on "My ancestor was a…" four members present about their research into their barber surgeon, Grenadier Guard and other relatives.  See the London & South East Counties Noticeboard
• Alison Alexander, the Tasmanian historian, speaking on The Convict Stain. See the Convicts and Transportation Noticeboard.
• A discussion of user experiences of entering information into one-tree websites. See The Good Oil Noticeboard

More recordings are added to Noticeboards each week.

Next time you can’t attend an event that sparks your interest, don’t forget to check for the recording a day or two later.

What happened at the wedding at Ripponlea Estate in 1870?

The bridegroom was an important public figure and member of Parliament

What could possibly go wrong?

Sue Reid will tell you - in her story ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace’

Read the story which won the GSV Writing Prize for 2024 in the December issue of Ancestor

The judges praised it as follows:

With a strong opening, starting with the most dramatic part of the story, this article unveils
a complex tale, involving many players from well-connected families. The action crosses generational and geographic boundaries, but the story flows well, ensuring the reader is not confused or overwhelmed by the detail. This is a well-researched piece that draws on a variety of sources and holds the reader’s interest to the end.

Sue has won a 12-month subscription to Ancestry Worldwide Membership plus a DNA test kit.

GSV and Ancestor thank Ancestry for their provision of the prizes for winner and runner up.

Image credit: Rippon Lea Estate, view from the garden in 2013. Creative Commons by michaeldgbailey

The Genealogical Society of Victoria invites all members to join us at the inaugural meeting of the Convicts and Transportation Discussion Circle on Tuesday November 12th at 1:30pm.

Formed via the merger of the Descendants of Convicts Group and the Genealogical Society of Victoria, the Convicts and Transportation Discussion Circle (CATDC) is for all members interested in the experience of transportation and convict life in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The first meeting of CATDC will be honoured with a presentation from historian Alison Alexander speaking on The Convict Stain. The Australian colonies, particularly New South Wales and Tasmania, had a terrible reputation in Britain because of the convict presence. Why did this stain arise, how long did it last and how did it affect the country?

Alison Alexander was born, bred and educated in Tasmania and has a PhD in Tasmanian history. She has written 38 books on the topic, mostly commissioned histories but also exploring the impact of convict settlement, Tasmania as utopia, Jane Franklin (an award-winning biography) and, most recently, the battle to end convict transportation.

To attend this special event, register via the GSV Events page to receive the zoom link to the meeting. This event is expected to book out, so get in early.

To keep informed of future CATDC plans, subscribe to the Noticeboard in the Members Area of the website via the Members Sharing tab.

If you have questions about this event you can email the convenor at catdc@gsv.org.au

The Genealogical Society of Victoria and the Descendants of Convicts Group are delighted to announce their amalgamation.

With a long history of association, this re-merger brings together the resources, volunteers and knowledge of both groups to create new opportunities for the benefit of their members.

In light of this, the GSV has launched a new discussion circle. Called the Convicts and Transportation Discussion Circle (CATDC), it will focus on helping members understand and research the process and experience of transportation and convict life in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Ancestral connections to a convict are not a requirement for participation in the discussion circle. Access to the quarterly sessions are included for free as part of an active GSV membership.

Details about the first session of the Convicts and Transportation Discussion Circle will be announced soon.

We have a few evening sessions (on zoom) coming up. Grab a cuppa and join something much more interesting than all those reality shows on TV.

Mon 29 Aug at 7.30pm Are you just starting your genealogical journey? Are you an experienced researcher overwhelmed by the vast array of options? Join Meg, Rebecca and David as they explain the strengths and pitfalls of the available resources and tools, including commercial databases, free resources, and libraries and associations such as the GSV. Members free, Non-members welcome $15.

Register via the front page or activities tab on the GSV website to get the zoom link.

This full day seminar is co-presented by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and the Genealogical Society of Victoria.

Join us for an enlightening seminar where leading experts will reveal how cemetery records can be a treasure trove for local and family historians. Learn techniques to deepen your research and unearth fascinating stories about the past.

Featured Speakers

• Dr. Celestina Sagazio – Historian with expertise in cemetery studies
• Dr. Cheryl Griffin – Social Historian
• Rod Armstrong – Family History Researcher
• Friends of Cemetery Groups – Insights from passionate cemetery preservationists
• Representatives from the GSV and RHSV – Details of our extensive resources

What You Will Gain

• Strategies for using cemetery records to expand your local & family history knowledge
• Tips for interpreting cemetery elements and records
• Knowledge about the resources from the GSV, RHSV and other sources
• An opportunity to ask questions

Details

• Date: Saturday 12 October – 9.00 am for a 9.30 start
• Where: Royal Historical Society of Victoria, 239 A’Beckett Street, Melbourne
• Cost: $65 for RHSV & GSV Members and $85 for Non-Members
• Inclusions: Light lunch, tea, coffee, and water

Explore the past and enrich your research with insights gleaned from cemeteries. Whether you are a seasoned historian or just starting your journey, this seminar is an invaluable opportunity to enhance your research skills and connect with a community of history enthusiasts.

Follow the links on the GSV and RHSV home pages to book your place

It has just been announced by AFFHO that the Ancestor journal has won the 2024 Nick Vine Hall Award for the best family history journal/newsletter in Australia and New Zealand, in category B for societies over 500 members.

The announcement was made at the beginning of the 2024 AAFHO National Family History Month opening session (by Zoom of course). This makes the sixth time the journal has received this award since 2009 - a real endorsement of the continuing value of the GSV's journal to genealogy and family history.

We've long known that GSV has an Editorial and Creative team to be very proud of when it comes to producing our Ancestor journal. That pride is well-placed, as confirmed again with our journal receiving the great national accolade of winning the 2024 Nick Vine Hall Award. The Editorial and Creative team are all volunteers and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their great work for GSV. And many thanks to the contributors as well, who provide such interesting and valuable content for the journal.

You can revisit and enjoy the award-winning edition - March 2023 - on the GSV website under the Ancestor Journal tab - log-in as a member to view our Ancestor journals, we have over 60 years of our journal online.

Stephen Hawke

President GSV

This Award honours Nick Vine Hall AM. Nick represented AFFHO at a National level in a Save the Census Campaign in the mid-1980s. Read more about this at Census Time Capsule.

BE PART OF THIS AWARD-WINNING JOURNAL!

You have a few weeks to get your entry in for this year's Ancestor Prize - closing 4 pm Friday 30 August. See details at https://www.gsv.org.au/gsv-writing-prize-2024

Inaugural Meeting – Thursday 8 August at 10.30am

Are you researching Welsh ancestors? Have you favourite sources of information that you can share? Are you encountering brick walls that are limiting your research? Looking for a forum to share experiences and seek help?

Come along to the inaugural session of this Circle and meet like-minded members. Please be prepared discuss where you are researching, what approaches you have used and to share your research experiences at this first meeting. Plans for future meetings of the Circle will also be discussed.

All GSV Members are welcome to attend. Please register through the GSV Events page to obtain the zoom invitation link. If you need any assistance with registering please contact the GSV Office.

It may be a silver spoon, or a book, or a piece of furniture, or a photograph, or a painting, or even a thimble?

All these treasures will have a story behind them.

Why not tell that story as an entry in the GSV Writing Prize?

Enter the GSV Writing Prize

It closes on Friday 30 August 2024.

Win a subscription to Ancestry.com

and be published in Ancestor.

Full details on the GSV website — https://www.gsv.org.au/gsv-writing-prize-2024