As I slip into my gym gear I wonder how these women survived in these clothes!

Judith, a newly-discovered relative (through Ancestry.com), who lives in Queensland, sent me this photo of the Brown sisters, including my second great grandmother on my mother's side. She is Eliza, on the right in the front row. The others were Elizabeth, Alice, Priscilla, Harriet and Rose. All lovely names. The photo was taken circa 1893.

Eliza's father, Robert Brown, was the only convict I've discovered so far in the family. She was born in Australia, but her parents were both born in London and married in NSW. Judith has made several visits to the area, right near the Tower. I tell you, this search for ancestors certainly gets you in once you start. And it can cost a fortune!

Apparently, 14 years for stealing some tobacco didn't make
Robert Brown behave well. Grant, yet another relative (matched by Ancestry.com through our DNA) came across this in a Maitland NSW paper:

3rd March 1852

A Boisterous Relative;-

On Monday Robert Brown [married to Thomas Cooper’s daughter Alice] was brought before the bench, charged with disturbing the peace. It appeared that on Saturday night, about midnight, Brown, who was drunk, went into the yard of Mr. Thomas Cooper, his father in law, and commenced a rattoo on the door with his feet, swearing he would break it down if he was  not  let  in,  as  his  wife was  there: Mrs.  Brown having gone to her father’s for protection. Brown continued his vagaries in the yard, till Constable Kedwell, attracted by the noise, found him there, and on hearing from Mr. Cooper how the case stood, and Brown refusing to leave the premises, Kendwell lodged him in the lockup. Brown was ordered to enter into recognizance of £20 with two sureties in £10 each, to keep the peace.

I have to admit my head is swimming with ancestors and I'm in a huge muddle. When the average number of children was about 15, and they married and had 15 or so children, there must be hundreds of thousands of present-day relatives out there.