S03EP05 - 'The Priest' with Jill Ball

The Family Histories Podcast

NOTE: This episode names and discusses the life of a First Nations Indigenous Australian who has died. If you wish to skip this section, you can do so from the 6m 15s mark, until the 7m 44s minute mark.
In this fifth episode of Series Three - THE PRIEST, host Andrew Martin meets Australian former-librarian now genealogy addict, Jill Ball. He'll find out about how she got into family history, how she found her convict ancestors, her work as President of The Lake Macquarie Family History Group, and they'll share their love for the Australian online archive Trove.
Life Story: Michael Harrington Ryan
Jill was excited to find a religious man in her tree, and so has chosen to tell the life story of her 3x Great Uncle, Michael Harrington Ryan. Was he a saint or sinner as he travelled the globe through his work? It took Jill a lot of effort to track him across numerous countries throughout his career, and she proves how a chance glance in a book, gave her the ultimate prize.
The Brick Wall: James Duncan
We're off to the mid-1800's to see if we can find out what became of Jill's 2x Great Grandfather, James Duncan. He'd been born in Aberdeen, Scotland, but turns up in Melbourne, Australia in May 1853 to marry a Mary Cligan (there's many variants to that name). The couple had three known children, but it's after Jill's Great Grandfather (also James) was born in 1857 in Victoria, that James senior vanishes.
Where did he go? Did he or Mary die shortly after?
If you think you can help Jill with a clue to break down her brick wall, then you can contact her via her website, or at @geniaus on Twitter, or via our contact form at familyhistoriespodcast.com (and we'll pass it on to her).
In the meantime, Jill's I.T. skills come in handy in the garage, but will it make things more reliable?
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Episode Credits:
Series Three, Episode Five

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Jill Ball - Guest

Show notes and more: familyhistoriespodcast.com

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Chapters

1. First Nations Advisory Message (00:00:00)

2. Intro (00:00:32)

3. Interview - Jill Ball (00:01:24)

4. First Nations Ancestor Discussion (00:06:15)

5. Interview (Resumed) - Jill Ball (00:07:43)

6. Life Story - Michael Harrington Ryan (00:22:14)

7. The Brick Wall - James Duncan (00:42:32)

8. The Departure (00:50:00)