Historical Society tracking some families
History Notes
This week is market week again and it falls on Easter Saturday so there will be a couple of special things on as well as the stall, barbeque and museum open for inspection. There are plans for signs to be displayed and delivered around town so it is unlikely that any residents will miss the event.
Also, this week has been busy with firstly our visit from Kim, who visits regularly to help with our organization as well as visiting several other museums in the area, and a number of queries. Then we received a very interesting parcel in the mail.
To begin with the enquiries – the Simpson family. The Simpson family is well documented in our records with thanks to the late Noel Carter but this person is enquiring about a section of the family moving to the coast. The Barraba family does not check out with this apart from a couple who married and lived in Inverell – William Thomas died at Inverell in 1954. The original great grandfather in the enquiry was Percival Carter born at Barraba in 1902. Any help would be appreciated.
The second query was from a descendant of the Briggs family who were at Gulf Creek in the early days of mining there. The Society has a list of the family of George Henry Briggs and Mary Sheedy who married in 1902 at Gulf Creek and were the parents of eight children. However, no record of the marriage in either Bingara or Barraba C/E marriages. They could have married in another denomination which is rare in those times or perhaps they married in Tamworth or Bundarra. If anyone can help please let us know.
Returning to the parcel in the post – it is the original minute book for Dean & Smith together with the 1900 newspaper notifying the public that they had taken over the well known business of Messrs Excell & Malcolm. Surprisingly the minute book starts in 1913 when Mr Dean and Mr Smith added some formality to their bookkeeping, and runs until its closure sometime after the death of Mr Dean and the sale of the business to M.C. McKenzie and Sons.