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SCOTTISH NAMING TRADITIONS

How Scottish naming traditions can provide clues to researching your ancestry

During the 1700s and 1800s there was a system of naming children which had been called “The Scottish Naming Traditions”. It is a pattern of naming offspring after relatives and went like this;

First son named after the father’s father (Child’s Paternal grandfather)

Second son named after the mother’s father (Child’s Maternal grandfather)

Third son named after his father

Fourth son named after his father’s oldest brother

First daughter named after the mother’s mother (Child’s maternal grandmother)

Second daughter named after the father’s mother (Child’s paternal grandmother)

Third daughter named after her mother

Fourth daughter named after the mother’s oldest sister

If you have noticed that some of your ancestors have followed some kind of naming pattern for their children then it could prove helpful in your research. I have tried to find information about my great great grandmother Ann Livington and whether two Miller lads who were boarding with her and her huisband William Stewart were in some way related. It has been suggested that they may be half-sisters of Ann because her father died in the battle of Waterloo (1815) while she was a baby or just prior to her birth. I found out through my research that one of those lads named one of his children Ann Livingstone Miller.

Using the surnames of relatives as a middle name seem to be more common than you think. My great grandfather Robert who was Ann Livingstone’s son had a habit of this! In fact he often used the first and middle names of some relatives on both the paternal and maternal side of his family. He was not given a middle name at birth as was common in those days (He was born in 1842). He added the Miller name after he landed in Australia to distinguish himself from other Robert Stewarts. This led me to believe that there may be some kind of family tie as far the boarders Ander and Walter Miller who were living with Robert’s parents in 1841.

Among Robert’s children was an Ann Cochrane Stewart, John Cochrane Stewart, James Blair Stewart, and Archibald Arrol Stewart. I have noticed that if you removed the Stewart name there are ancesters named Ann Cochrane, John Cochrane, James Blair, and Archibald Arrol. Robert named his first child William Livingstone Stewart and I was thinking that maybe Ann Livingstone’s father’s name was William.

The Cochranes and the Arrol’s came from Robert’s wife’s side of the family while one of Robert’s sister’s married a Mr. Blair.

All of this information can be useful when putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together in your family tree.

You can get a copy of genealogy which explains in general terms how to go go about tracing your ancestry wherever they come from.

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www.robertastewart.com

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THE ART OF HOME BREWING

Robert Stewart pioneer in West Coast brewing

Robert Stewart was born at Old Kilpatrick, Dumbartonshire, Scotland in 1842. Son and Grandson of a cooper, Robert also learned coopering and worked for his father William who owned a cooperage at Old Kilpatrick.

He left Scotland for Australia in 1862 and sailed to Brisbane where he met his wife, Margaret Cochrane, also from Dumbartonshire, SCotland though they sailed on different ships. They live in North Queensland until late 1865 when they sailed for Hokitika after finding the climate too hot in Queensland.

In Hokitika Robert work for a brewery and this was the start of several moves for Robert and Margaret.

Robert worked in various breweries and they are at Sydney, Christchurch, and Charlston.

At Charleston around 1870 he worked for Thomas McCarthy owner of the Standard Brewery and when the gold rush was ending Mr McCarthy moved to Wellington where he established another brewery and urged Robert to come with him but Robert preferred to remain on the West Coast.

After Charleston Robert and his growing family moved to Westport where Robert built his own brewery but disaster struck in 1878 when a south west squall blew the brewery over and this calamity caused the family financial hardship for a time and the family moved to Coal Creek on the northern side of the Grey River.

Robert then went to work for a Thomas Joyce, owner of Joyce’s brewery at Omoto but left after Joyce did not stick to the agreed terms.

Robert then built his own brewery not far from where he lived on the side of Cobden Hill near where the current road stands but Thomas Joyce then wrote to the council complaining that Stewart’s brewery is causing an obstruction so the council wrote to Robert asking him to remove the obstruction but he refused. Joyce continued to complain and Robert received more letters from the council but this had little effect. Robert owned 8 acres around the brewery and leased another 8 acres. He milked cows and supplied milk to Greymouth.

The brewery had its ups and downs but in 1905 after a string of setbacks, Robert finally got his final brewery going at Coal Creek after saving money from working at the Crown brewery in Hokitika,, a job he started in 1899.

In 1936, the brewery was shifted closer inland on the banks of Cobden Hill at great expense by Robert’s son, Archie at a cost of 10,000 pounds. Archie continued brewing until 1961 when the brewery brewed its last batch.

Craft brewing is proving popular in New Zealand with many people turning their home brewing into a commercial operation. There is a lot of information on the internet teaching you the ins and outs of home brewing and I have put the link to one such site for you. Your first batch may be just a click away;

Brewing made easy

https://d89e4ns6mgx6txn54d47if7p66.hop.clickbank.net/
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TRAVEL ON $20 A DAY

How you can live and travel forever on $20 a day.

I just recently read on the internet about how it is possible to live and travel on $20 day day! This sounds too good to be true but all the same is worth checking out. Our world is much bigger than our own neighbourhood and once you have some travelling to far flung places you appreciate what you have once you meet people who are less fortunate people in the world than you. I think to live on $20 a day is probably only possible for those without financial commitments and I am not talking about things bought on credit but rather rates if you own property and the costs of running a vehicle which add up to an arm and a leg annually. This guide however will be useful information for those who are ready to set off on their journey of a lifetime and you can find out more by cluicking on the link below; https://8a580juwmn56yua43jmdsabk68.hop.clickbank.net/

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AN ISSUE OF BULLYING

BULLYING ISSUE BROUGHT TO LIGHT

Workplace bullying is an issue that has cropped up in the news recently (well in New Zealand anyway). It is an issue that has probably been around for centuries but has only been given a name within the previous 20 or so years. Workplace bullying takes many forms, it may be harassment, sexual or non-sexual, personal comments that make the recipient feel humiliated, verbal abuse, social exclusion, name calling, and constant criticism that is unjustified.

There is no doubt that some people are hard to work with and refuse to be civil to you no matter how civil you are to them. The best way to deal with that is to put your head down and concentrate on your work.

People who push others around or are rude to others basically have a low opinion of themselves and what they see in others is often a reflection of how they feel about themselves. Bullying others is their way of boosting their own self-esteem. By constantly putting others down makes them feel better about themselves but problem is, it is like a drug and they have to keep doing it in order for it to work.

There are certain times when the bullying will attack others but it is when they have an audience when they are most lethal. At other times when the victim is alone with the bully, they will be attacked when there are no witnesses but this is increasingly difficult when there are no witnesses.

Some bullying starts with light-hearted banter between work colleagues which gets out of hand or even gets personal; that is when it crosses the line.

The responsibility for what occurs at the workplace rests on the shoulders of the employer; it is they that have to set the standard of acceptable behaviour in the workplace. They have a duty to set boundaries and say this is what is expected of you. Many employers will write this into your employment contract.

The process of dealing with a complaint can be quite drawn out but in New Zealand, the victim if they have a complaint against a colleague needs to complain to their supervisor and they must take steps to ensure that the bullying ceases. If they do not take reasonable steps to solve the problem then the victim can lay a complaint with the Department of Labour.

I have an ebook called “The Bully Buster” and it is available for just $5 It is basically for parents and children and explains how to deal with bullying at school.

www.robertastewart.com

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DANGER OF DEBT

The disadvantages of being in debt

“The debtor is a slave to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7

Being in debt limits your options and opportunities in life! If you are in debt, you are chained to the borrower- in other words, you are your lender’s slave. Slavery as we know it was abolished a long time ago yet people are slaves in various ways and being in debt is one form which I am going to discuss here.

There are numerous disadvantages to borrowing money and being in debt and the main ones are;

1.When you use credit to make a purchase, you are spending more money on that purchase than the person who buys with their own money. In the long run, the difference between what you could have paid for stuff bought with your own money and what you actually paid for them with the interest added is quite substantial.

2.Being in debt limits your options in life! Someone with cash in the bank is able to travel to another town in search of work or has money invest or to purchase a household appliance which breaks down.

3.Being unable to meet the minimum payments required will affect your credit score or credit rating and credit card companies are likely to change the status of your card which will mean they charge you a higher interest rate in future.

4.Being stressed out over your debts can create health problems.

5.When you are in debt, you are setting a bad advantage to your children who then think that buying on credit and being in debt is normal.

The bottom line is “If you don’t have the money don’t buy it.” The crunch always comes when you have to pay the money back and for a lot of people that crunch comes with a life changing event such as a job loss, divorce, or death of a family member.

www.robertastewart.com

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CREDIT CARD DEBT

The peril’s of credit card debt

Credit is so easy to get and being in debt is so normalized that no one really blinks an eyelid if someone is up to their eyeballs in debt. In fact many of the books on finance contains a section on how to get out of debt. There is plenty of information on the internet explaining how to get out of debt but the question is, “Do you have the self-control and the determination to follow through with the advice?”

The first thing you need to do when you are in debt is seek help from a budget advisor or doing a google search on the subject.

Then you must cut up all of your credit cards and say “no more.” The next step is to figure out how you are going to repay the money. The sensible thing to do is to pay back the debt on the card with the highest interest rate and to make the minimum monthly payment on the rest. Once you have paid off one credit card pay off the next one with the highest interest rate.

Once you have paid off your debts then you can go about creating your financial portfolio-there is no point in having savings earning 5% per annum and at the same time paying say 15% interest on your debts.

The only exception to this rule is that if you are in New Zealand Kiwisaver and paid in at least $1040 per annum, you would receive $520 tax cret from the government which is the equivalent of receiving 50% per annum on an investment.

There is such a thing as good debt and bad debt! Good debt is when the value of what yoyu are borrowing the money for is increasing while bad debt is money borrowed for things which lose value over time-it is sometimes referred to as dumb debt.

An example of good debt would be to borrow money to purchase a house because the value of the house is likely to rise faster than the money borrowed against it and as more of the loan is paid back, you will have more equity in the home.

A bad debt would be borrowing for a motor vehicle because the value of the purchase declines over time and in so many cases, the money owing on the car is more than the value of the car.

An instance of stupidity is to borrow money to fund an overseas holiday because there is nothing to show for the debt.

Many people get in debt in order to purchase stuff they do not need, to impress people they do no like with money to do not have! Its all about maintaining a self image and keeping up appearances.

For sound money manager’s, the rule is “If you don’t have the money you don’t buy it.”

I have an ebook avalable called “Credit Score Magic” and you can get it here;

 

www.robertastewart.com




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ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

Attitude is a key quality

If there is one quality that can help you in life more than any other it is attitude; a good one will take you further than a bad one.

Read this story of two men who entered a new town;

“The first man arrived at a new town and asked the wise man at the entrance, “What are the people like in this town?”

The wise man asked the visitor, “What were the people like in the town you just came from?”

He answered, “Oh they are back-stabbers, they gossip about you, they are unfriendly, and won’t do anything for you and are hard to get along with.”

The wise man replied, “You won’t like this town either because the people here are just the same as that you described.”

The second visitor arrived at the same town as the first man and asked the wise man at the entrance, “What are the people like in this town?”

The wise man asked, “What were the people like in the town you just came from?”

The second visitor, who came from the same town as the first man, answered,”The folks in that town were really good, they looked after one another, They would bend over backwards to help even a stranger, They are a really friendly bunch of people.”

The wise man replied, “Then you will really enjoy this town because the people here are just the same as the town where you came from.”

Notice the vast differences in attitudes between the two men? In all kinds of situations attitude is important, whether it is playing sport, at work, in church, or at home. It is a fact that some people like the first man in this story are always mouthing off at something or somebody and it never occurs to them that there is a common denomonator in all of these situations. If they have a problem with their bank then instead of dealing with it they jump ship and sign up with another bank. They are the same when it comes to relationships. Their negative attitude can be catching if you spend too much time with these people.

At the end of the day, having a good attitude will stand you in good stead and that is something that “you” and “you” alone are responsible for.

www.robertastewart.com

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STORY OF THE DONKEY

The moral of this story?

There was an old man, his grandson leading a donkey to town and while they were on their way they came across someone who said to them;

“Why don’t you both just ride the donkey? It will save your legs.”

So the old man and his grandson both got on the donkey’s back and continued on their way but further down the road, some one said;

“Hey look at those two people sitting on the poor donkey. Someone should report therm to the S.P.C.A.” (Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals)

So the grandson said to his grandad, “I will get off and lead the donkey and you can ride it.”

But further down the road, a passerby saw this and said, “Thats not good, the poor lad walking while the old man is riding the donkey, I should report the man to C.Y.F.S.” (Child, youth, and family)

So the old man got off the donkey and told the lad to hop on the donkey’s back but further down the road someone saw this and said, “Look at that, an old man walking while the boy is sitting on the donkey.” “The young these days.” that person said.

So the old man got off the donkey and both the old man and his grandson walked along the road leading the donkey as they had done so as the originally set off on their journey.

What is the moral of this story? Other people can take away your power to think for yourself if you allow them to. Everyone has choices that they have and it is up to their discernment to make the right choices. Unfortunately there are some people who think that your life should be a carbon copy of theirs and cannot accept other people’s point of view especially if it differs from theirs. Family members can be the worst offenders in this regard.

Then there are those who don’t want to make their own choices for fear of making a wrong choice for fear of making a mistake so what they do is ask someone for their opinion on something hoping that it will line up with what they want and if they are told what they want to hear they will have someone to blame.

www.robertastewart.com

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Kiwisavers losing out.

Kiwisaver’s missing out of $thousands$

15% of those in kiwisaver are not making the most of kiwisaver and are missing out on thousands when it comes time to reap their harvest. That is because they are in default kiwisaver funds. What this means is that when you join the kiwisaver scheme you nominate which fund to join, growth, balance, or conservative but if you do not nominate wich fund to join then one will be chosen for you and that is always a conservative fund which has a return of 5% compared to 7%+ for other funds.

It is also important not to chop and change funds according to market conditions. Otherwise it can cost you in the long term.

The following table will give you an example of how much you could be missing out by not getting the most out of your savings.

Amount in kiwisaver               5% return        7% return

10,000                                     $500                $700

20,000                                     $1000              $1400

30,000                                     $1500              $2,100

40,000                                     $2000              $2,800

50,000                                     $2,500             $3,500

This difference takes place every single year so that by the time you reach retirement age the differences between how much you could have saved and how much you will actually get will be quite huge. There lies the beauty of compounding interest because your money has earned a return and this money is also working for you.

www.robertastewart.com

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5-steps to setting goals

5-Steps to setting financial goals

Setting goals can motivate you and help you achieve your goals but before are able to set any goals you must know what you want. This is the first step to setting your goals. Unless you know where you want to go how are you going to know when you have arrived? It would be similar to purchasing a travel ticket without specifying a destination and of course the person at the travel agent will be unable to help you. Unless you know where you are going how will you ever know when you have arrived? The first step to setting goals is “Having goals.”

Step one-Knowing what you want

Knowing what you want or at least setting a goal to achieve something because it is something you think you want is all very fine but you have to know why you want to achieve something; in other words “What motivates you to want that something?” Before you can answer that question you really need to ask yourself this one “What gets you up in the morning?”

Step two-Knowing what motivates you

Knowing what you are capable of doing is an simple as giving it a go. People often short change themselves by setting goals that are not challenging. They stay close to their comfort zone and never venture away from their own well-worn beaten track and stay within their own self-imposed limitations. To achieve anything worthwhile means you have to take risks and that means you make mistakes occasionally but “He or she who never made a mistake never made anything.”

Step three-Knowing your capabilities

There will be lots of people willing to give you advice but you have a choice whether or not to accept it. Problem is there are so many people who will expect you be be a carbon copy of themselves. Such people will tell you what you can and cannot do and place limitations on you. Sadly, they will criticize you for not doing anything with your life and then once you come out of your shell they will be the first ones to point the finger at you for your mistakes. Best thing to do is spend less time with such people, there are kind people out there who will encourage you in your endeavors.

Step four-Knowing who to listen to

This sounds obvious but you must take action in order to get anywhere in life. Your life will not progress unless you take some type of action but this should be actions that lead to your objectives. Some folk make the mistake of taking actions which are not compatible with their goals and so after a while they have gone back into their old ways. If you have no vision then you will return to the past.

Step five-Take action

www.robertastewart.com