The death of my grandfather marked a pivotal moment in my life. Initially, I believed his passing was the catalyst for my passion for photography—especially after I inadvertently ruined the last photos of him by opening the back of my Instamatic camera and exposing the film. However, I’ve come to realise that it also set me on a path toward uncovering my family’s genealogy.
I felt a pressing need to discover the identity of Albert’s father for my mother before her time came. When I finally presented her with my findings in 2015, the relief on her face was unmistakable. Although she may still feel a sense of loss over not bearing the correct surname, my ongoing research into the lives of the Morgans of Malmsbury has helped her come to terms with the family secrets we’ve unearthed.
In the quiet corner of the room, I watched my grandfather’s eyes flit from one daughter to another, a tapestry of memories woven into his gaze. It had been years since Valda, who resided in New Zealand, was home, making this gathering particularly poignant. His expressions reflected a deep pride as he listened to their animated chatter. A nagging feeling crept over me, suggesting this might be our last moment together. When it was time to leave, I rushed to him, embracing him tightly and planting a kiss on his cheek.
Two days later, on May 27, 1975, Albert Raymond Morgan Brereton passed away.
Not long after his death, I unearthed my grandfather’s World War II dog tags hidden in the desk I had inherited. This discovery ignited a passion for genealogy that would consume me for years to come.
The news of his passing shocked his daughters—Valda, Norma, and Rae—who learned for the first time that their grandmother was Auntie Ruby. My mother and her sisters were brought up with the belief that Harry and Alice Brereton (Ruby's parents) were their grandparents not great grandparents. My grandfather had kept this scandalous secret buried, and none of them had any inkling. They had always known him as Albert Raymond Brereton, yet on his dog tags, an intriguing ‘M’ stood out.
My mother speculated it might stand for ‘Morgan,’ as that name surfaced in family history.
But who was his father?
My Grandfather was born, August 1907 at Malmsbury Cemetery where his grandparents, Henry and Alice Brereton were caretakers.
In the 1980s, I joined the Malmsbury Historical Society which opened doors to information I desperately sought. School records confirmed Alice Brereton, as his mother. However, the most jarring discovery came when I perused the baptism book, where the word ‘Illegitimate’ appeared in bold red ink. What should have been a cherished moment for the family instead filled me with a simmering anger.
Years passed, and with the evolution of technology—from painstakingly sorting through numerous card files and microfiches to harnessing the power of the internet—I began to piece together the puzzle of my grandfather’s lineage. His birth certificate revealed no father, but it confirmed that the ‘M’ was indeed for Morgan.
Logically, I deduced that Albert’s father was likely Albert Ernest Morgan, considering the name ‘Albert.’ I was determined to prove this theory.
In 1988, a local newspaper featured a story about a gardener in Malmsbury named Bertie Morgan. His striking resemblance to my grandfather was astonishing. Upon researching his family background, I discovered that his father was Albert Ernest Morgan and his mother was Sarah Ellen Brereton, who happened to be a cousin of Ruby.
Intrigued, I felt compelled to meet him. However, during a visit to the Malmsbury Historical Society's Open Day, I was informed that Bertie was not fond of speaking with strangers. When I hinted at my reasons for wanting to talk to him, I was advised to back off. Just as I was leaving the hall, an elderly gentleman approached me and encouraged me to keep pursuing my inquiry, assuring me that I was on the right path.
Throughout the 1990s, despite my inability to prove that Albert Ernest Morgan was my great-grandfather, I continued to research the Brereton surname. My mother expressed feelings of being misnamed, longing for recognition of her true lineage. I take great pride in our connection to the Brereton family and their remarkable achievements.
A breakthrough came in the 2015 when my parents agreed to DNA testing. After uploading our results to ‘Gedmatch.com’, the answers I had been seeking finally emerged.
‘Karen’ my new third cousin, who lives just down the road, reached out to inquire about my connection to the Morley family of Malmsbury. The link, as it turned out, was 'Morgan.'
It had taken me forty years to arrive at this moment; finding this article in 2015 provided the confirmation that prior research had failed to uncover. This discovery sparked a new quest to trace the origins of the Morgan family.
I learned that John Morgan, my grandfather's great-grandfather, had received a free passage from Wales after being involved in highway robbery. His father, a soldier for the Queen, had appealed directly to the palace for a review of his son's sentence.
I’m far from finished with this journey. There’s much more to unravel, and with the assistance of newfound cousins and records yet to be published or uncovered, I will continue my search. At the very least, I was able to share with my mother and her sister the lineage of their paternal grandfather—a connection that deepened our family history.
Sources:
http://www.ww2roll.gov.au; https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au; https://www.gedmatch.com; https://www.ancestry.com.au
https://www.findmypast.com.au; http://trove.nla.gov.au; https://www.familytreedna.com; Malmsbury Historical Society
Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria; The Leader Newspaper, 1988; The Public Records Office of Victoria
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