What Relationship am I to ... ?

I have often wondered, and then tried to figure out what relationship I am to certain people in this huge family - both sides. Ever since I started to dabble in the Family Tree, I couldn't figure out what was meant by '1st cousin - once removed', or 'great Vs. grand uncle', or even '2nd cousin'. I knew roughly what it meant, but wasn't 100% sure.

I stumbled across an excellent article on Wikipedia's site, called 'Cousin', and will try to summarise the main points, without getting too deep into genealogy. Please refer to the following chart...




Kinship

The terms Great Uncle/Aunt are interchangeable with Grand Uncle/Aunt, and mean the same. My grandfather's brother/grandmother's brother, is my grand, or great uncle.
His children are my 1st cousins once removed, as I am to them.
Their children are 2nd cousins, and their children are 2nd cousins - once removed.
Their children are 2nd cousins - twice removed, etc.


Cousins

Basically, a cousin is a person with whom you share a common ancestor, such as a grandfather, or grandmother.

The term 'Degree', indicates 1st, 2nd, or 3rd cousin, and so forth, eg: -

Two people who share a grandparent, but not a mother or father, are first cousins.
Two people who share a great grandparent, but not a grandparent, are second cousins, and so on.


The term '(a) Remove' -(n.), indicates the number of generations, if any, separating the two cousins. eg:

My mother's sister's son, is my 1st cousin.
His daughter is my 1st cousin once removed, because there is an additional generation between us, as there is between the nearest common factor - my grandparents = her great grandparents. We are still first cousins, though, because we share that common factor - a grandparent/great grandparent.
Her children will be my 1st cousins - twice removed.


That's it for me, so good luck. Check the chart and you'll be OK.


TOP

CARROLL, Wallace Bruce

There's no website lauding his achievements. There should be. There's no bronze statue outside the Opera House. Few outside the more senior members of his extended family, or immediate family, know of Wallace Bruce CARROLL. Even me, with 59 years on board next month, would not have known of Wally, or Wal, as he now prefers, unless I remembered with great fondness, the soirées given by my grandmother, Pauline, in which she and her brother Tom, always spoke of their nephew Wally. Why? Who was this mystical man? Why had I never seen him? Met him? Well, maybe I had met him but was too young to remember. My Dad always spoke of Wal, and Bob, Jean and Betty, Claude and Ted, his cousins.

Wal was the youngest of the six children of Gordon John and Minnie Meldrum (née FATZEUS) CARROLL.
Born Wallace Bruce CARROLL, on the 10th April, 1930, into a very musical family, there was little chance that Wal would not be musically talented, and that is most probably an understatement.

With a very talented mother, who played the piano, two singing sisters, and having won many Eisteddfods in his own right, hearing that Wal was singing in the Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral choir, as a boy soprano, didn't surprise anyone, especially members of our family.

On the 20th February, 1960, Wal's musical, 'Face the Music', which he had written, attracted excellent revues - especially from theatrical entrepreneur, and cousin, Garnet Carroll, who saw it in rehearsal. Garnet mentioned to Wal that he should be in the USA - "...the place to be...".
The show played at the Roxy theatre in Newcastle, for 12 months, to great revues.

Singing and performing in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and with the Newcastle Comedy Players, was a good grounding for Wal, nurturing his talents for greater things to come.

In 1961, Wal was invited to play Grieg's Piano Concerto during the performance of 'Song of Norway' at the Newcastle 150 years celebration.

Wal's memory also includes the thrill of finding out that his efforts to join J C Williamson's production of 'Camelot', in 1963, were successful. In his words; "I had at last ditched my fear of the insecurity of a life on the stage, and the fact that I was now 32, and knowing I should have made the plunge ten years earlier, forced me to act".

Wal worked with JCW productions of 'Funny Girl', playing 'Heckie', and as an understudy for Eddie Ryan, whilst working with the company in Perth.

It was soon after this, that Wal worked with the Elizabethan Theatre Company, and also as assistant stage manager for Sutherland & Williamson's Opera Season, with such credits as 'Porgy and Bess'.

Wal stayed with JCW for about 5 years and then re-joined the old Elizabethan Theatre Trust, which had recently become the Australian Opera Company, and is now, Opera Australia. He worked as a singer and understudy on various productions, including the opera, 'War and Peace', which was produced for the opening night of the Sydney Opera House, in 1973. Wal sang the aide-de-camp to Napoleon.

"It was the most exciting time to be working in the Australian Opera Company, with Joan Sutherland in her most exciting roles, and with guest performances of singers such as Kiri Te Kanawa, and the Australian tenor, Donald S. Smith, together with noted Metropolitan Opera stars, as guests."




Prior to eventual semi-retirement, Wal was invited to play 'Yakov', in Chekhov's 'The Seagull', and to play the original piano music written by a Melbourne composer, for the production, which was directed by Jean-Pierre Mignon. He also played 'Thomas' in 'The Philadelphia Story', directed by Robyn Nevin.

During these years, Wal found time to play piano for the Halliday Ballet School, and it reminded him of the times he played for the Australian Ballet School. That was around the time when noted Ballerina, Elaine Fyefield made her return to the stage.

Wallace also penned lyrics, music and orchestrations for a Broadway-styled musical, called 'Auf Wiedersehen Lulu', which was performed at the Rockdale Municipal Opera Group, and had a successful season in 2002. The play was altered slightly to include a celebration of Marlene Dietrich's life, and, scripted by Kenneth Crook, is now being called 'Lulu in New York', and awaiting an 'adventurous Producer'.


A wonderful career's highlights, from memory...

Feb. 20, 1960 - 'Face the Music'
1961 Newcastle - 'Song of Norway'
Nov. 30, 1963 Melbourne - 'Camelot' and it's subsequent Tour.
Aug. 31st, 1965 Melbourne - Sutherland & Williamson Opera & Tour
1966 - 'Funny Girl' & Tour
1966 - 'Porgy and Bess' - Asst. Stage Director. A New Zealand production
1967 - 'Fiddler on the Roof' - Australian Opera
1967 - 'Black and White Minstrels'
1973 - 'War and Peace' - Opening of the Sydney Opera House. Associated with Opera Australia for 10 years.
1981 Adelaide - 'Evita' and Tour
1986 - 'Me and my Girl', 'Lambeth Walk'
1986 - 'The Seagull', 'The Philadelphia Story'
1986 onwards - Piano for Ballet School
1995 - Professional work for Rockdale Municipal Opera Group - 'Orpheus in the Underworld', and some Gilbert and Sullivan
RETIRED
2002 - wrote lyrics, music and orchestrations for 'Auf Wiedersehen Lulu'
2010 - Still awaiting production for 'Lulu in New York'.


TOP

Sporting Champions of 'Our Family' - 2

Sporting Champions come in all shapes and sizes, and, apparently, disguises, as well! One such disguise is that of the talented Company Secretary come Mother/Housewife/Go-Kart Champion, Maureen LAVERICK, née WATSON. It's a sort of female version of Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman, for that is exactly what Maureen is - well, Superperson, anyway, to be politically correct. How diverse are those claims to fame? Company Executive, as well as Mother/Housewife and Go-Kart Champion! Amazing, but true. Read on ...



Maureen is the eldest child of my Mum's eldest brother, Ken, and also, the Flowergirl at Mum's wedding, in 1943, and it seems that we have been a little closer, than most of my cousins, over the years.

Born Maureen Betty WATSON, in 1935, she grew up and eventually married Donald James LAVERICK, in March of 1953. Maureen and Don had two sons, Bruce Watson L. (1953) and Robert 'Alan' L. (1956).

At the time of their marriage, Don was building small boats with his father, at Lake Macquarie, in Newcastle. In 1959, his father, John, expanded the business, and created a new enterprise, in Carrington, Newcastle. Don and his brother John, as well as Maureen, became integral parts of the business. John Sr. was the Boss, John Jr. was Works Manager, Don became the Yard Manager and Maureen looked after the office. All were members of the Board of this 'Family Company'. At the time of the move, they had one other employee. This would eventually top over 400 (including a casual student on holidays, named 'me')! In total, by the mid 1980s, the Carrington Slipways Group of Companies employed over 800 people in the Newcastle area.

At Carrington, they built various boats such as wooden trawlers, and Ferries, with this expansion came a change in their building expertise, as well. Then larger and larger boats brought about different challenges such as room to build, materials, and launching sites to such a degree that another move was declared necessary. In 1972, the firm moved to larger premises at Tomago, on the Hunter River, near Hexham. One of the most impressive techniques they employed, was the sideways launching of large ships.



Years in the future, Fibreglass construction, with a new subsidiary venture, named Ramsay Fibreglass, would also strengthen their arsenal of expertise. They won Government contracts for the supply of Mine Hunter craft.

By now, Maureen was a full-time executive in the business. Her sons were no longer her main daily task, and she could devote more time to Carrington Slipways. Bruce is now a Marine Engineer, and Robert, or 'Alan' as he has always preferred, is a Marine Architect. Don eventually became the Managing Director of the firm and had to travel overseas often, looking for business, or attending to details. I'll bet that, when Maureen was not accompanying him, Don felt less worried with her at the 'helm of the firm', so to speak.



Apart from the business, Maureen, Don and the boys, loved Go-Kart racing. To compete, Maureen had to pit her skills against male drivers, most of the time, as very few women drove. Maureen won amongst many titles, an Australian Championship.




It was largely through the sponsorship, and expertise of men like Don, and of firms like Carrington Slipways, that an Historic relic, called the William IV, has been refurbished.






Truly, Newcastle has a champion in Maureen. Not only did she champion the cause of women in the workplace, but was herself, a champion in so many ways.



TOP