I had a wonderful day at the State Records NSW office at Kingswood in western Sydney. The staff there are SO helpful and the font of all knowledge. I want to be just like them when I grow up. Looking through a bunch of probate packets I found a marriage certificate and three death certificates - for free!! Bonus! One was for my great-grandmother, and the other three were a little more distantly related.
Towards the end of the visit my friend of 36 years (far out!! Am I really that old that I have had a friend for so long?), Lisa, found a 3-volume set of books called Unfit for Publication: NSW Supreme Court and other Bestiality, Buggery & Sodomy trials 1727 - 1930 by Peter de Waal (published: Balmain, N.S.W. : P. de Waal, 2007). Poor Peter must be having nightmares after reading all the cases that went into these massive books. I was only brave enough to look at two random cases, one where a man had been caught numerous times being "overly friendly" (my euphemism - use your own imagination & don't hold back) with a sow, and another case where a photographer was known to be taking nude photos of young boys. That was enough for me. The very best thing about these books was that I looked through the index at all the names and didn't find one reference to any of my ancestors. PHEW!!
Wouldn't be surprised what my ancestors got up to. I'll have to check that index on my next trip to Kingswood.
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