Our Family Genealogy Pages

All Saints Church Steep Hampshire England.

As recorded in the Steep Vestry Minute Book from 1718 onwards William Gale was paid for a number of jobs he did for the Steep church. The All Saints Church became the Gale family church for the next 200 years.

Welcome

Welcome to the ancestry of William Gale born early 1690's in Froxfield Hampshire England. From Froxfield to Steep, Petersfield, Liss and the surrounding countryside the descendants of William Gale began to move further afield in the early 1880's to neighbouring counties, then to Australia, and today are resident all over England and Wales, most States of Australia, USA, France and the Netherlands.

The journey starts from Agricultural labourers in Froxfield to the Petersfield Poor House receiving Parish relief. The sea voyage from England to Australia in 1883. Distinguished Royal Navy careers to the battlefields of Gallipoli and France during WW1. Fighting for the country on the land and sea during WW2. Family tragedies from major accidents and murder.

Successful businesses and sporting interests. Colourful characters and shady gentleman. These are the stories and histories that have shaped us to whom we are today.

The purpose of this website is to allow family members to share information, to enable the exchange of common data, and to preserve the memories, histories and documents of our ancestors. Many of these ancestors will be known to you, many of these ancestors will not be known to you, but all of these ancestors can be forgotten if their genealogical information and stories are not preserved for future generations.

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Some of the popular surnames in the database include Berryman, Bishop, Black, Boden, Brewster, Brown, Coles, Dawe, Fisher, Fowkes, Fryer, Gale, Goodwin, Hancock, Harris, Newell, Pilbeam, Seaman, Smith and Way.

Feature Articles

Tasmania Murders
What makes a clergyman, a man of faith, murder his young family, all Gale descendants, and then hang himself in the eyes of God.....research into one of Tasmania's most gruesome murders that occurred in 1944 has commenced. (The Church of Christ national archives are in temporary storage and largely inaccessible for at least 12 months, however other vital research is continuing - last updated May 2014)

Edward Henry Gale
A distinguished career in the Royal Navy from 1861 starting as a Boy 2nd Class on the HMS Victory to 1897 retiring as a Master at Arms also on the HMS Victory including transfers between 19 ships during his Royal Navy career. His sea journeys took him to Australia, New Zealand, North America, West Indies and South Africa, and life after retirement was spent in the UK tradition of pub ownership in the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Sinking of HMS Hampshire
On 5th June 1916 HMS Hampshire set sail for Archangel, Russia with Field Marshal Lord Kitchener aboard. Three hours into the voyage, the cruiser struck a mine off Marwick Head, Orkney and sank with the loss of 643 sailors. Lord Kitchener perished in the tragedy and among the dead was 1 Gale descendant - Petty Officer Stoker - Herbert Arthur Gale. There was also a William Gale - an Able Seaman from Bridport Dorset - who has not yet been identified as a Gale descendant. Research of these 2 people has commenced but is not yet completed.

Other
● Gales Ales brewed in Horndean Hampshire. Is there a connection with the Gale ancestry?
● The 1883 voyage from Plymouth England to South Australia aboard the "Hesperus." Read the diary from a passenger on the voyage by clicking here. If you prefer to read the newpaper article about the voyage which includes the passenger list click here.
● The tragic accident of Alfred Gale run over and killed by a train at work in 1896. Read the report and official inquest here.
● Which Gale ancestor killed in WW1 is buried in France at the same cemetery as Joseph Standing Bull who is the grandson of Chief Sitting Bull of the famous battle of the Little Big Horn. Click here to find out.
● No convicts yet.....no Australian royalty.....but the research continues.....

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