DIARY OF A NATAL MOLE
June 2005

1 June already, unbelievable. Tempus fugit. I'm lobbying for the 36-hour day.

2 Working on an article on the use of the NAAIRS index, destined for Family Tree Magazine November 2005 edition. Hopefully it will prevent family historians playing Russian Roulette with the index, and instead to choose the files most appropriate for their purposes.
Cape Mounted Rifles Anglo-Boer War casualty lists to be uploaded on Genealogy World, courtesy of Jill Martin.

3 Finding suitable illustrations for my NAAIRS article.
Enquiry on the POLLYBLANK family comes in from Vancouver. Many spelling variants in this surname. Gail Pullyblank is conducting a worldwide one name study.
I hear from Adam YAMEY in UK: a dentist in search of a dentist.

4 NAAIRS article 'in the can'.
Sapper Mason back home from his London research trip and 1879 Group activities.

5 Delyse busy changing our Web host for Genealogy World. Nothing is simple.

6 Start an article on the Anglo-Boer War, with special reference to colonial regiments; this one for the Family and Local History Handbook UK 10th edition.
Receive photos of my Durban friend Margaret Reynolds currently teaching in Jeddah, who appears to have resorted to travelling by camel, women not being allowed to drive cars in that country. Imagine it.
The search is on for a photo of the painting "The Last of England" by Ford Madox Brown for an article on immigration. Many of the copies available online are not true to the colour of the original, and the woman depicted looks as if she is running a fever.

7 Discussion on mailing list concerning early photographic procedures. Receive a copy of a beautiful and typical ambrotype from Jill Martin. The Eastern Cape mailing list archives holds details of daguerrotypes, ambrotypes and cartes de visite posted by me. Also much available in EC archives on digital photography at archives, with useful contributions from many listers. I've said it before, and I say it again: don't neglect the mailing list archives, they are a mine of information.

15 Receive a back-handed compliment re Mole's Diary: "You shouldn't underestimate all us genie freaks out there - we'd read anything in our quest!" Er ... thanks.

20 The index to the Verulam baptismal register due to go up on Genealogy World.

21 Discussion with IRELAND descendant in US, Jane McInnes, on films of American Board Mission correspondence, a treasure trove held at the Campbell Collections Durban. They also have films of records of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, which came in handy for my WOODWARD search. Masses of information on missionaries working in Africa, but slow-going in the films as the correspondence is written on many and varied scraps of paper and, being the saving individuals they were, often the lines are crossed and re-crossed and the back of the pages used so that the ink shines through from the other side. Probably not easy to read even in the original, but remarkable material and well worthwhile for missionary ancestors. There's an excellent fiche reader, acquired at great cost by the library, and that does help. Copies of extracts can be printed out.

22 To Pietermaritzburg in driving rain and mist; stopped by the police who checked my driver's licence and tyres; first time that's ever happened to me. They could have chosen better weather for it.
At Pietermaritzburg archives researching GINSBERG, POLLYBLANK, BYERLEY, and BROOK, among others.
In the search for Adam Yamey's dentist, letters mentioned the Dentists Act of 1896. This and other Acts can be found in NCP (Natal Colonial Parliament); the printed index to this useful source is kept in the cupboard in the Reading Room at Pietermaritzburg Archives.

23 The Minister (Mr SINGH) makes a surprise visit to the archives with one of his cohorts. Good to know he is taking an interest. It's cold in that Reading Room. I put everything on and look like Nanouk of the North.

24 At Natal Society Library going through copies of the Illustrated London News (great source for contemporary engravings) - not a full run, starts in 1859 - and the Natal Mercury 1865 finding passenger lists.

25 Back at The Palace to find a welter of mails waiting.
The Anglo-Boer War article well-received by the editor.
A new article comes in for Genealogy World from Sapper Mason, centred on Fripp's painting of Isandlwana.
Ann Crawley in UK sends two superb photos of the John of Gaddesden house at Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire; soon to be uploaded on my GADSDEN pages (linked on Genealogy World).
Looking for a photo of the 3rd Regiment of Foot (the Buffs) during the Anglo-Zulu War; so far unsuccessful. (Anyone know the origin of the expression "Steady the Buffs" ?)

26 Alan Jackson alerts me that there's a new page on his "Facts about Durban" site re "Ships Called Durban". Alan's web site is linked on Genealogy World. Plenty of intriguing material and good photos.

27 Photo of gruesome medieval medical instruments sent by Roger Morgan. Thank goodness we live in the 21st century. John of Gaddesden's cure for the King's Evil was an application of dove's dung and weasel's blood. (First catch your weasel.)

28 Celebrations held in UK for the anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar. Warships, tall ships and lifeboats from the Royal Navy and the navies of 35 other countries were today anchored off Portsmouth to celebrate the bicentenary of Trafalgar. In her role as Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, the Queen inspected the international fleet in the Solent from HMS Endurance; the largest peacetime international review in history. A Nimrod escorted by Harrier jets and helicopters were also flown overhead, watched from the shore by 250,000 people and from a flotilla of yachts. Wonder how the French felt about it.

STOP PRESS: Society of Genealogists London informs us that The National Archives have launched a new museum exhibition at Kew, exploring the amazing journeys of Nelson, Cook and Bligh, together with a great new online resource, exploring Lord Nelson, the Battle of Trafalgar and those who served. The online database, 'Trafalgar ancestors', contains details of more than 18,000 individuals who fought in Nelson's fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar and will be available from Wednesday 22nd June at
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/trafalgarancestors

The database is being compiled from records held at The National Archives, Kew - including details gleaned from ships' musters and paylists, certificates of Navy service and hospital applications made by men who served at Trafalgar to become in-pensioners at Greenwich Hospital. Users will be able to search by different categories, which include: first name, last name, birth place, rating or rank, name(s) of ship(s) the individual fought on, and their age at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar. As the project progresses, users will also be able to find full service records, trace the ships that their ancestors served on, and find genealogical information about the men's families.

30 Moles are known to have vision problems and this one is no exception. New specs are essential and that is my mission today. When I say 'Be seeing you', it will henceforth be true.

Mole