Afternoon, May 15, 2009 - The Gentle Mystery Continues

Good Afternoon,

Yesterday's search proved successful! And as usual I found more than I anticipated. But what the hell, I should always expect more.

My search yesterday included a 16mm microfilm FHL1523752. The 16mm microfilms are the little ones, with tons of images, and when I'm doing surname searches the amount of time spent cranking the viewer wheel can go on forever... and ever... and ever. And at this point the surnames that I had trained my eye to pickup were: GENTLE, REDHEAD, SMITH, and STEELE. And sometimes the search can be just out and out frustrating.

And that which is, at times, really frustrating is when an image to the right looks like this! No matter what ever knob I turn or button I push or toggle I slide, I can't read the entries.

On to the GENTLE mystery...

Last night I was able to find eight baptism entries to the St. Patrick's Baptism Register. The eight were found in Item 6 of microfilm FHL1523752. The unique thing about this find is that, all-things-being-equal, it could be deemed a primary source. Great-granduncle George GENTLE, apart from being the father of each one of the eight children baptized, he was also the minister who performed the Ceremony... as well as he may have been the one who recorded the entry in the Parish Register. A super primary source!

To date the data and information gathered are:

1. Family source - 5 children,
2. Family source - 8 children,
3. Family source - 5 children,
4. Family source - 9 children,
5. Civil Registration - 7 births,
6. Historical account - 7 children, and
7. Baptism Register - 8 children.

And when comparing all the above information I calculate nine children; seven females and two males. Amazing! I can now lay out the data and record at least a some documentation for the nine individuals, all my first cousins twice removed, born to great-grandaunt Grace Eliza (nee SMITH) and great-granduncle George Augustus GENTLE. But there are still missing documentation and a few unexplained, at this point, discrepancies. As follows, in order of birth:

1. Helen Myra Elaine; born 18 July 1874 and baptized 30 August 1874.

2. Nellie Agnese; born 15 February 1876 and baptized 5 April 1876.

3. Eva Marian; born 16 July 1877 and baptized 20 August 1877.

4. George Edwin Palmer; born May 1880 and baptized 9 June 1880. No event date is given in the Civil Register.

5. Gracie Louise; born - before 11 January 1882 and baptized 11 January 1882. I have not found a civil registration entry.

6. Evelyn; born 1 August 1883 and baptized 21 September 1883.

7. Harold Hutson; birth event of 16 January 1886 was recorded 11 February 1886, and he was recorded baptized 28 December 1885.

8. Elsie May; born 12 October 1888 and baptized 4 January 1889.

9. Margaret Lilian Greaves; born about 1892.

A descendency chart could be represented as follows:

Please free to contact me to discuss this work at jsmith58@gmail.com.

Enjoy,

Jim