nisi
I am writing to you with a short story that you may find of interest. . .
I am the great great great grand daughter of Sarah Goodwin, Lydia Munro’s second daughter and the first born in Norfolk Island on December 1, 1791. I have lived on the island for over 40 years. I went to school briefly on the island,married on the island and had my son on the island at the age of 17. I am the land holder of lot 105,`circa 1790's and was owned by James Chamm. He grew maize and grain for the stores. The lot is now an historic colonial farmland and parkland and is on the western side of the island.
I am keen to open the parkland to the public and would like other first fleet descendants and their families to come and visit. I have tried to position the land as how we see it on the first maps available which show open fields of pine and oak.
I want to share with you a most wonderful experience I shared with another island resident on the 220th year to the day of the sinking of the Sirius.
Last week I was standing at Kingston in the Museum and a woman I have known and befriended a few years back had also disclosed some time ago to me that her family had also been on the Sirius. We had never really discussed at length any connections. We had arranged to meet each other at the museum and just before I left home I grabbed the book "Exiled Three Times Over” by Irene Schaffer and Thelma McKay.. Whilst we were looking around the museum she asked if she could read the book and see if her ancestor was in the book. I gave her the book and wandered off. When I arrived back Anne Howe (my friend) was reading my page on Goodwin and Munro. I said to her, "No, you have the wrong page, that is my family page. You will find your information on another page of the book." She said, "No, this is my page." She then proceeded to read about her great great great grandmother Ann Forbes. She pointed to page 74 and under profile started to read "Lydia Munro and Ann Forbes were tried on 5 April 1787 at Surrey for stealing ten yards of printed cotton, valued at 20 shillings. They were both sentenced to be hanged. Both were reprieved and transported to Botany Bay for seven years on board the Prince of Wales.
After arriving at Port Jackson.... "
Well it turns out that both girls arrived together on Norfolk Island on the Sirius 220 years ago. Anne disclosed to me that the girls actually came ashore at Cascade on Anne Howes birthday. Here we were looking into each others eyes and realizing that the family connection has gone back to 1787 in Surrey UK and then to Norfolk Island 220 years later and now in 2010 here we were again. Our families looking at each other on this special day. You can imagine how overwhelmed we both are.
It has sparked a light in my heart that for many years I have held about my family connection to the Island and how I have believed there was a reason why I was on the Island when I arrived as a child. To add to this Anne Howe now lives on a portion of land that overlooks my ggggrandparents land grant (GOODWIN & MUNRO). As I said to her "all these years later and you are looking at your gggrandmothers girlfriends land" it cannot be denied.
www.econorfolk.nf or email denise@econorfolk.nf
I am the great great great grand daughter of Sarah Goodwin, Lydia Munro’s second daughter and the first born in Norfolk Island on December 1, 1791. I have lived on the island for over 40 years. I went to school briefly on the island,married on the island and had my son on the island at the age of 17. I am the land holder of lot 105,`circa 1790's and was owned by James Chamm. He grew maize and grain for the stores. The lot is now an historic colonial farmland and parkland and is on the western side of the island.
I am keen to open the parkland to the public and would like other first fleet descendants and their families to come and visit. I have tried to position the land as how we see it on the first maps available which show open fields of pine and oak.
I want to share with you a most wonderful experience I shared with another island resident on the 220th year to the day of the sinking of the Sirius.
Last week I was standing at Kingston in the Museum and a woman I have known and befriended a few years back had also disclosed some time ago to me that her family had also been on the Sirius. We had never really discussed at length any connections. We had arranged to meet each other at the museum and just before I left home I grabbed the book "Exiled Three Times Over” by Irene Schaffer and Thelma McKay.. Whilst we were looking around the museum she asked if she could read the book and see if her ancestor was in the book. I gave her the book and wandered off. When I arrived back Anne Howe (my friend) was reading my page on Goodwin and Munro. I said to her, "No, you have the wrong page, that is my family page. You will find your information on another page of the book." She said, "No, this is my page." She then proceeded to read about her great great great grandmother Ann Forbes. She pointed to page 74 and under profile started to read "Lydia Munro and Ann Forbes were tried on 5 April 1787 at Surrey for stealing ten yards of printed cotton, valued at 20 shillings. They were both sentenced to be hanged. Both were reprieved and transported to Botany Bay for seven years on board the Prince of Wales.
After arriving at Port Jackson.... "
Well it turns out that both girls arrived together on Norfolk Island on the Sirius 220 years ago. Anne disclosed to me that the girls actually came ashore at Cascade on Anne Howes birthday. Here we were looking into each others eyes and realizing that the family connection has gone back to 1787 in Surrey UK and then to Norfolk Island 220 years later and now in 2010 here we were again. Our families looking at each other on this special day. You can imagine how overwhelmed we both are.
It has sparked a light in my heart that for many years I have held about my family connection to the Island and how I have believed there was a reason why I was on the Island when I arrived as a child. To add to this Anne Howe now lives on a portion of land that overlooks my ggggrandparents land grant (GOODWIN & MUNRO). As I said to her "all these years later and you are looking at your gggrandmothers girlfriends land" it cannot be denied.
www.econorfolk.nf or email denise@econorfolk.nf