Family History Through The Alphabet Challenge: The Letter H

The lovely folk at   Gould Genealogy  have  issued a challenge to genealogists and family historians. Their idea is The ‘Family History Through the Alphabet’ Challenge   We will work our way through the alphabet, using one letter each week  and discuss anything relating to our family history starting with that letter. This week, being Week 8,  is the letter H

H is for Hope: Hope is something that all family history researchers know well. We research and record facts but we also live in hope.

I hope that I will one day find that small elusive clue that will break down that annoying brick wall and reveal what really happened at last.

I hope in this crazy busy life that I live, that I will find some quiet time to write every day. And also a few spare minutes to spend on research would be much appreciated.

I hope that a young person in my family or extended family will discover a passion for family history and take over where I leave off.

I hope that when I do leave this world, all my research doesn’t getting thrown into the skip bin.

And I hope often that my family will remain happy and healthy.

But these hopes are nothing, compared to the hopes that my ancestors must have felt, in the early 19th Century, when they made the decision to leave their families and friends behind and sail off  to Australia. A country so far away, and which they knew little about.  Hope must have been raging inside them for them to make that decision. They were probably hoping for a better life. A life without hardship, where they could be employed and support their families. I’m  sure they would have also been hoping for good health and happiness. They would have been hoping to live better lives than they were living in their country of birth.

And of course on the harrowing voyage to Australia they would have been hoping desperately to survive and reach their destination.