McAlary Family History

My oldest photograph is one of my most precious genealogical treasures. It is one that I discovered quite by chance while looking for something else in my mother's sideboard. It took me quite by surprise when I found a little parcel, wrapped in soft cloth, tucked away safely in the back of the sideboard drawer. Immediately, I had the sense that this small parcel must have contained something very precious to my mother.  I unwrapped it carefully to see that it contained a very old, well-worn and somewhat damaged small box, approximately 8cm x 9cm x 1.5cm.  It appeared to be covered in a very fine, deep red leather that was quite scratched and scarred - bearing the hallmarks of its age. On the side I noted two very small gold latches safely securing the contents of the little box. Opening the latches carefully I was surprised to see the darkened image of a man with a rather distinguished, aristocratic face peering at me from a gold frame surrounded with a gold rope-like trim and...

For many years now I have been researching my mother's Hood family.  When I began my research I was fortunate  that my mother was able to share  some stories about the Hood family that she had learnt from her grandfather, Andrew William Percival Hood. These stories were wonderful starting points for my research all of which I have been able to confirm with facts and records. I have managed to take the Hood family back 5 generations to my mother's 3x great grandparents' marriage in 1813. However, despite years of effort, I cannot take the tree any further back. 4 generations of the Hoods in Australia L-R: Andrew William 'Percy' Hood, Raymond Hood, Leslie Raymond Hood and Robert Hood. Taken in Perth, Western Australia about 1928. In 2018, I made contact with a DNA match, Gwynne who shared the same Hood family. Communications with Gwynne enabled me to hear many stories about the Hood family, including a very interesting story that perhaps explained why I was experienci...