December 2023
Some revisions and additions made throughout the history, including an update of recent events involving my close family
February 2024
Replacement of 'Rootsweb' link (which is no longer active) with a link to 'Wikitree' a free site where details of ancestors and relatives are accessible and updated regularly. Links to photos of graves also added
December 2022
Some revisions and additions made throughout the history
February 2022
Information added in Ch6 about John Cooney and the location of his farm at Hore Abbey based on the Griffiths's Valuation. Information about the Irish Tithe War and John Cooney's listing as a tithe defaulter in 1831 also added.
Information added in Ch8 about Lecky families near Strabane which suggests Sarah may have stayed with relatives for the birth of her son John Berry.
December 2021
Some minor corrections and additional information added in a number of pages
A new alternative opening page was created at "https://bpbond50.wixsite.com/familyhistory" to avoid the advertisements (in Russian) that appeared unexpectedly on the "https://bpbond.ucoz.com/" site! All of the pages from the ucoz site are still accessible through both the new and original opening page.
March 2021
Some corrections and additional information added to Ch 7 and footnote 5 of Ch 7 regarding the children of Thomas Benstead and Bridget Cooney.
An additional document recording memories of growing up in the 1950s was also added
January 2021
Extensive reorganisation of site including arranging some information into new additional chapters requiring the renumbering of many existing chapters. Inclusion of new material on my Scottish ancestry in Ch9 and its associated footnotes, adding more photos and extensive minor additions and re-wording in other chapters throughout the site. "My Royal Descent" page also update to include reference to Scottish royal ancestors
December 2020
A list of my Scots ancestors who died in battle or otherwise died violently was added together with the addition of a photo of the grave of one of my great, great, grandmothers Jane Copland (Featherby)in the Ch 4 footnotes and an addition to Ch2.
January 2020
Some minor revisions and additions made throughout the history
April 2019
A newspaper notice recording the death of Abraham Copland is included in Chapter 4 with an accompanying footnote. Chapter 9 footnotes updated in the light of recent family events
July 2018
An account of the trial of Thomas Benstead included in Chapter 6
December 2017
Chapter 6 footnotes amended to include further information about Caroline Day, the first wife of Thomas Benstead.
Chapter 9 footnotes updated in light of recent family events. Ch 1 footnotes to include further information about William Bond, the brother of James, and speculation about the identity of Mrs Bond and her three children who perished in the sinking of the "SS Champion"
June 2017
Results of my genealogical DNA test can be found here. The results include an explanation of what it all means (although it is somewhat technical in parts). Some explanation of the learnings from the test are included in Chapters 1 and 15, and further learnings will be progressively added to the main narrative
May 2017
Chapter 1 updated with genealogy charts and a whole series of minor revisions made to a range of chapters and footnotes.
Jan 2016
Chapter 9 footnotes updated with recent family events
Jan 2015
Addition to Chapter 7(b) and relevant footnote relating to court actions initiated by Jessie Berry against her husband. Chapter 9 footnotes updated with recent family events
July 2013
Chapter 9 footnotes updated with recent family events
February 2012
Additions to Ch 11 and its associated footnotes to include references from the Adelaide press regarding William Francis and his family.
December 2011
Additions to Ch 10 and its associated footnotes re the court appearances of Thomas and Samuel Cassidy and the mysterious disappearance of their brother Edwin in 1862.
November 2011
Further additions to Ch 6 and its associated footnotes re the death of Thomas Benstead Sr and the ancestry of Hannah Brooker
Some amendments and updates to the 'locations' page.
July 2011
Addition to Ch 6 and its associated footnotes re the death of Hannah Benstead (Brooker)
Some Ch 9 footnotes updated to reflect recent family events
Oct-Nov 2010
Convict ancestor discovered!
Rewriting of part of Ch 6 and associated footnotes to add previously unknown details of life of Thomas Benstead.
Ch 9 footnotes updated to reflect recent family events
Rewriting of part of Ch 15 and Ch15 footnote [8] relating to the birth of George Watkins.
Some additional photographs added and some re-arrangement of photos throughout
Jan 2009
Some redesign of layout of whole site.
Some further rewriting of the footnotes in Ch 9 to reflect recent family events.
The database (and links) to the Watkins Family History site have also
been removed due to privacy concerns. It was not possible to ensure
details of living persons were not displayed. The same database is
regularly updated at "Rootsweb" however. Details of living people only
appear 80 years after their birth.
A document outlining my descent from royalty added
Nov 2007
Some new information about the fate of Thomas Cassidy - but giving rise to further questions! See Ch 12 and associated footnotes.
May 2007
Inclusion of a photograph and some rewording in relation to the WA branch of the Watkins family in Ch 16
Nov 2006
Inclusion of more information in Chapter One and its associated footnotes relating to Richard and Jane Bond
Sep 2006
Extensive rewriting of footnote
15 in Ch10 to include new information about Samuel Cassidy Jr and his
previously unknown life in New Zealand.
Ch 9 footnotes updated to reflect recent family events.
Apr 2006
Descent from royalty established!
Some rewriting of Ch 3 and its associated footnotes to indicate the
descent of Jane Copland (and therefore all her descendants) from King
Edward I of England.
Some further rewriting of the footnotes in Ch 9 to reflect recent family events.
Jul 2005
Photo of Thomas Benstead added!
After coming across this website, Chris Upton, another descendant of
Thomas Benstead and Bridget Cooney contacted me and provided
photographs of Thomas (added to Ch6) and the Olson family (one added to
the footnotes for Ch6)
A photo of Mary Agnes Watkins and her mother has also been added to the
footnotes for Ch 16. The photo was supplied by Thea Benson a dscendant
of the branch of the Watkins family that moved to WA. The photo of Mary
O'Neill was shifted to Ch 15
amendment to footnote 2 in Ch 4
Oct 2004
John Barry/Berry a veteran of Waterloo!
John Barry is now clearly the first of my ancestors to come to
Australia having spent six years in NSW and Tasmania (1823-29) as part
of a British regiment serving in the colonies.
Ch 7 and its associated footnotes have now been updated to to include
details of John Barry's military career.
Some additions made to Ch 9 Footnotes to reflect recent family events
Aug 2004
Further re-writing of part of Ch 7
and associated footnotes re origins of the Berrys. John Berry/Barry
found to have served with the 40th Regiment of Foot
Further re-formatting of "About Me" section
Updating of Rootsweb and WFHS databases in the "individuals" section
Jun 2004
Significant re-writing of part of Ch 7 and associated footnotes in regard to the arrival of John and James Berry
Re-formatting of "About Me" section
Apr 2004
Significant re-writing of part of
Ch 7 and associated footnotes in regard to the migration of the
Camerons from Scotland to Australia.
Addition of title page to family history.
Addition of link to Family Tree Index at WFHS Site
Some re-formatting of the whole site
Mar 2004
Ged files at Rootsweb updated.
"About me" section of website also updated
Feb 2004
Some modifications to Ch 3 and Ch 3 footnotes 7 and 10. Photograph of grave of Caroline Francis (Evans) added
Nov 2003
Some further changes to Ch 10 and the relevant footnote (footnote 7) The ship on which Samuel Cassidy, his wife Mary and family came to Sth Australia could be the "Mary Dugdale".
Jun 2003
Some modifications to Ch 10 and Ch 10 Footnotes re Henry Adams Cassidy, a son of Samuel Cassidy and Mary Rutherford.
Dec 2002
Some additions to Ch2 Footnote 2 and some slight modifications to Ch7 and Ch7 Footnote 7.
Nov 2002
Information about some locations and sites mentioned in the text of the family history added in a new document. See link under "Maps"
Aug 2002
Some minor changes to Ch6 and Footnote 4 for Ch 6 in regard to the origin of the Strapp surname.
May 2002
Significant additions to Chapter 3 with relevant footnotes giving some information on the Waldegrave/Hutchinson families.
Jan 2002
Ged files at Rootsweb updated. Update includes the precise relationship of General Edmund Hinman Allenby to the Bond/Featherby branch of the family. Some minor amendments made particularly to Chs 10, 11 and 12 relating to William Francis. Some more evidence has also emerged that the surname of the mother of Mary Rutherford may be Doubty or Doughty rather than Doribty.
Jul 2001
Guest book updated and some additions made to Ch 9 Footnotes to update some recent family events
Mar 2001
Some additions to Ch 9 Footnotes as a result of some recent births in the family
Gedcom updated - Descendants of Betsy Featherby related to three US Presidents!
Click on connection to "Rootsweb" at bottom of contents page, enter the name William Hutchinson and select the one born in 1480. The Featherbys are descended from his son William and the three Presidents F D Roosevelt, G H Bush and G W Bush are all descended from another son John.
Nov 2000
Additions to Ch1 and Ch1 Footnotes concerning the Upston Family - information provided by Peter Upstone in Thailand.
Ch 2 Footnotes. Additional information on the descendants of Henry Bond (son of James Bond) provided by Barbara Bond of Quairading, WA
Gedfile updated and uploaded to Rootsweb