Aussie Marie finds county connection
Saturday 31st January 2009, 10:14AM GMT.
An Australian woman whose great-great-grandfather was a convict transported Down Under from a Shropshire village used poetry to trace her Salopian family history.
Marie Dallman, nee Dunn, turned to rhyme as she tried to find out more about her ancestors in Cardington, near Church Stretton.
Marie, who lives near Geelong, Melbourne, penned a poem called Native Place is Cardington and sent it to the village’s website. Her search had started more than 10,000 miles away with her great grandfather’s death certificate, which said he had been born in Tasmania.
“It is said that, if you find your ancestor in Tasmania, there is a good chance you will find you are of convict ancestry,” she said.Eventually, through the Tasmanian Archives Office of Tasmania, she tracked down her ancestor Samuel Dunn, who had been transported to Australia in 1821 from the Shropshire village of Cardington.
“Described as housebreaking, Samuel had broken into a stable and stolen a ferret, gaiters and a jacket. Such a theft could have provided a livelihood by catching rabbits,” she said.
“His second offence was stealing a sugar bowl and a spoon at Church Stretton.”
Marie was delighted with the response to her poem, which led to her visiting the village recently.
She is still hoping to make further connections with relatives, especially with Dunns from Clunbury.
She can be contacted by e-mail at mariejdallman@hotmail.com
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