FAMILY GATHERING ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY

We are at the stage where we need to know numbers.  Could you please let me know ASAP whether you will be attending.  Details are as follows:

Date: Saturday 7th January 2017

Time: 9am to 5pm with photo call at 11.30am

Place: St. Johns Church Hall, Cnr. Spring Street, and Birchgrove Road, Birchgrove, Sydney

RSVP: ASAP

Your line of descent colour is 

NORMAN - GREEN

GEORGE - BLUE

BERT       - YELLOW

ETHEL     - RED

JULIA       - ORANGE

OTHERS  - MAUVE

(colours were chosen arbitrarily)

Please: Wear a name badge (we have spare name badges if you don't have one) and some clothing in your line of descent colour 

             Bring a plate of finger food to share for lunch

             Bring any memorabilia/family heirlooms, etc. for display with history attached

             Do you have an ancestor whom you would like to acknowledge on the day with a display (story/pictures, etc.).  If so please 

                        BYO everything to set this up

             BYO activities for your children

Cost:    $10 per person - children free - towards cost of hall hire, insurance, tea, coffee, and other expenses.

This is a one-off event so if you are curious to meet your extended family and discover your heritage this is the time to do so.  We are a nice friendly lot of people and you are guaranteed to have a great time.  The oldest living member of your extended family will turn 100 in April and the youngest member is one month old and both will be coming along to celebrate the Lycett Family and its collective achievements.  Many people in your extended family have led interesting and extremely productive lives and every Lycett descendant is noteworthy and interesting in one way or another.

I don't have anything to wear in green (our line of descent colour) and can feel the need for some retail therapy to remedy that situation.

FAMILY GATHERING ONLY TWO MONTHS AWAY

Hi everyone, WOW! we are now just over two months out from the Family Gathering. Could you all please let us know if you are coming as we need to know numbers for tea, coffee, etc. and all the other stuff we need numbers for. I am still waiting on a few photos - you know who hasn't sent me the photos for the family tree!!!

James Herbert "Bert" Lycett

Wow - a photo of Bert Lycett, Olga's father, that I have never seen before.  Thank you Louise.  He looks very dapper and apparently was quite clever as well.

Hi Everyone,

I just want to remind everyone travelling from outside Sydney that you should start thinking about booking your accommodation or making arrangements to stay with family or friends for the Family Gathering as it is only 5 MONTHS away and counting down rapidly.  There is not a lot of accommodation in the Balmain area but, hopefully, parking will not be a huge issue and there is a bus from the city that stops around a block away from the church hall in Birchgrove – and it is an easy walk.  There is also a ferry that stops at Louisa Road.  It is a bit of a hike but quite pleasant if you are fit.   If anyone wants more details please contact me directly.

I am still looking for photos and details for the family tree to be displayed at the Gathering so, for everyone who hasn’t yet sent me copies of any photos or details, PLEASE DO SO SOON as the Tree will take some time to put together and I don’t want to be sitting up all night on the night before the Gathering putting information and photos in the Tree - or worse yet leave a blank where your name and photo or those of someone in your family should be.

I am also looking for wedding photos so could you please send me copies of any that you have together with the year of the wedding.

Please also think about bringing along funny family photos, stories, interesting newspaper cuttings and anecdotes to share on the day.  And don’t forget to bring memorabilia for display.  This could be anything from an example of some skill/s you have to something that an ancestor owned/made, etc.  OR for the big things photos would be great.  My sister made some lovely tapestry pictures for my mother but they are big and heavy so I will bring photos rather than the actual pictures. My father made kids furniture for his grandchildren and they will also be represented by photos.   I made a tapestry evening bag for my mother and will bring that along as it is quite small and light. I will also bring Uncle Ernie’s cigarette case (a Christmas present to him in 1920) as that is small and light.  War and/or other medals and similar would be wonderful also.

As mentioned previously there will be a small charge on the day to cover tea, coffee, hall hire and all the numerous incidentals associated with the day.  Please also start thinking about what you will bring for a shared lunch on the day.  The best kind of food to bring to the Gathering will be food that is not messy or does not require cutlery to eat.  Finger foods and sandwiches are hard to beat and, of course, some yummy deserts like cheesecake (a personal favourite) never go astray.

Could you also give me an indication as to who will likely be attending so that we can get an estimate of numbers for planning purposes.

If you have any questions please contact me directly.

I am getting excited and looking forward to connecting with as many of you as possible on the big day.

Norman's lot

This photo has all of Norman and Kate's children and nearly all of their grandchildren, with a couple of ring ins - taken in July 1971

Some of Victor Northey's children and some of his descendants - thanks for the great photos guys

This photo shows Mac Lycett with presumably his younger cousin - could be Merle Bates, 8 years his junior, Nancy Bates, 2 years his junior, Miriam Lycett, 2 years his junior but my bet is on Jean Lycett 6 years his junior. Does anyone know who the young girl is? The photo looks like it was taken near water, so Birchgrove is the likely suspect, either Wharf Road or Louisa Road

Harold and Mac Lycett do the Can Can

A while ago I posted a funny photo of Harold and Mac Lycett doing the can can at a Masonic Lodge event. I was lucky enough to find some more photos. You can clearly see the pigs head sewn to the back of their knickers when they turned their backs to the audience at the end of the performance and raised their skirts. It was hilarious but obviously keeping in step wasn't too important

Violet Lycett (nee Penson) - Tivoli Sowgirl

I was lucky enough to find this photo of Violet Penson who was born in 1895 and married Ernest Lycett in 1925.  This photo shows her and her sister Rita as Tivoli showgirls and must have been taken around WW1 or shortly after that.

Sabot sailing past Waitara, Wharf Road

Many Lycetts have a love of water - whether it is sailing, fishing or just plain mucking around on the water.  George and Norman Lycett owned a lighterage company, Tay Lighterage, which meant that they travelled around Sydney Harbour fixing things on boats, delivering stuff and whatever else came up.  They owned 3 boats.  They also did boat salvage work.  When he was old enough Harold Lycett also worked for them.

George and Pheme Lycett lived, with their extended family, at Raywell, Louisa Road, Birchgrove.  This heritage listed property is on Long Nose Point and has water frontage.  Norman and Kate Lycett lived at Waitara, Wharf Road, Birchgrove, another waterfront property and they had the workshop and wharf at the bottom of their property.  The property had a great view of the Harbour Bridge.  As kids we all used to love exploring the workshop and wharf, despite our parents trying to keep us away.

Ernie Lycett and his nephew Jack also had a business connected with boats and Mac Lycett was a boilermaker working mostly on boats.

All us kids mucked around in boats.  Robyn and Young Alfie spent many hours at Raywell on the water.  Bruce, Malcolm and Ken Lycett were sabot sailors.  Robyn and her husband John Taylor are keen fisherfolk.  Judith  and her husband Macca spend a lot of time around water.

My husband and I own a cruising boat and have sailed up and down the Queensland coast many times.  We have sailed to the Kimberleys from the Gold Coast and also to the Louisiades, which is an archipelago to the east of Papua New Guinea mainland and part of Papua New Guinea territory.  Marcus knows how to catch more fish than me - he leaves me at home!!

Rhonda and Diane are heavily involved in surf lifesaving.

How many other Lycetts share this trait?

Lycett Family Gathering 7th January 2017 SydneyMac

Mac and Harold Lycett doing the can-can

Hi all,

We have people coming from lots of different places for the Family Gathering.  Some want to catch up with people they haven't seen for many years and reminisce about old times.  Some want to check out if old "haunts" have changed.  Some are making it their "annual or bi-annual major holiday" and want to take their children to see all the sights of Sydney, from the Harbour Bridge, to Taronga Park Zoo, the Opera House, etc. and even incorporate the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves.  Some are treating it is a networking opportunity.  And others just want to meet new members of their family and have a good chinwag with them and swap stories.  In any event, it will be a once in a lifetime event.

We are putting together a "working" Family Tree for display on the day.  Some of the details will more than likely not be quite right and you will be able to correct any errors you find, either on the day or later on.  Our aim is to have a photo for each person on the tree and I would ask that you please send me photos of everyone you have photos of so that we can incorporate them in the Family Tree.  Funny photos or stories would be very welcome.  Attached is a photo of my father and Uncle Harold (they are on the bottom step) doing a very funny can-can routine at a Lodge function.  Dad welded cones for the ladies "bosums" and the hunt was on to find bras to fit to hold them in place.  At the end of their routine they turned their backs on the audience and each one had a pigs face mask pinned to his bum.  It brought the house down.  I remember we went all over Sydney looking for those masks. 

We also need details of some of the younger family members (5th or 6th generation down from Alfred and Edith) and would be pleased if you could help us out with any information about them.

We are also looking for memorabilia for display on the day. 

If you can help with any photos or details of younger family members we would be extremely grateful as it will make organising the Family Gathering that much easier.

Kay

ANZAC DAY 2016 - HAROLD LYCETT AND ERNEST LYCETT

Today, Anzac Day, 2016, we honour two brothers who fought in Europe.  Both were wounded, convalesced in England and returned to the fighting.  Ernest Lycett returned to Australia after the war but Harold Lycett died in Belgium in 1917.  His effects were never returned to his grieving parents as the ship carrying them back to Australia was sunk.  RIP

"Lycett" traits

How many of you love puzzles?  My family does and my grandfather did too.

I have noticed that there are many Lycett descendant healers or with spiritual leanings.

Can you and your family relate to these traits??

Lycett Family Gathering first informative newsletter

Hello everyone,

This is the first of several emails we will be sending out to all of Alfred and Edith’s descendants that we can find to let them know about the upcoming Lycett Family Gathering and to give everyone updates. I have put everyone's email address as a Bcc (blind copy) so please let me know if you are happy for others on the mailing list to have your email addresses.  "Everyone" is family, except for a few hangers-on, who are interested in the Gathering as they are related in some way e.g. to Kate and Pheme.

WHAT:             LYCETT Family Gathering

WHERE:          ST. JOHN’S CHURCH HALL, Cnr. Birchgrove Road and Spring Street,    BIRCHGROVE.  Parking is one block away.

WHEN:           7^TH January 2017 from 10.00 AM TO 4.00 PM

WHO:              "Everyone" who can claim a link to Alfred and Edith and their families and anyone else who is interested in attending

WHY:              It’s about time and it will be LOADS OF FUN

STUFF:           There will be a small charge for name badges, tea, coffee, cordial, etc. on the day.  You will also need to bring a plate of food to share at lunchtime – more details in a later update

On the day there will be a Family Tree displayed together with memorabilia and other interesting “stuff”.  We want to take a group photo around noon as well as individual family photos around the same time.  We will let you know more details closer to the event.

Alfred and Edith had 9 children, of whom 5 had descendants – Norman, George, Bert, Edith and Julia.  To make things easier on the day each family branch has been assigned a colour as follows:

Norman                       Green

George                        Blue

Bert                             Yellow

Ethel                            Red

Julia                             Orange

Others                          Mauve

In-laws will also have the colour of the branch they married into and will be distinguished as in-laws.

Please check out our Facebook group LycettsofSydney under Marcus Kitchen’s Facebook page – his photo will let you know if you have the right facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/778513505592070/

A facebook events page – please register your interest in coming along to the Gathering

https://www.facebook.com/events/upcoming

There is also a blog LycettsofSydney

http://lycettsofsydney.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/lycettsofsydney-family-gathering.html

and a webpage

https://lycettsofsydney.wordpress.com/

Could you please pass this email on to others in your family as they may very well be interested in coming to the Family Gathering.  Could you please also let me know their email addresses.

We desperately need PHOTOS please – family groups and individual photos for the family tree.  We also need details of all your family (if you haven’t already given us that information), including DOB, place, marriage date and to whom, children’s information.

Do you have any memorabilia you could bring on the day such as medals, clothing, photos (people houses, etc), post cards, certificates, scrap books, embroidery samples, newspaper clippings, heirlooms (e.g. cigarette case, door knob, boat lights, etc.)

My name is Kay Kitchen (nee Lycett) one of Mac Lycett’s girls.  Marcus Kitchen is my husband.  Cousins Robyn Taylor, Louise Yeomans and I are organising the gathering.

My phone contact is 0417074943 and my email is kaykitchen2010@gmail.com.

Look forward to hearing from as many of you as possible.

Kind regards

Kay Kitchen

More information on Lycetts of Sydney Family doings

Please join our Facebook Page LycettsofSydney and our check out our webpage lycettsofsydney.wordpress.com

Alfred and Edith Lycett's House

Alfred and Edith lived at Wallscourt Lodge (No. 5), Cnr. Darling Street and Ewerton Street, Balmain for many years.  The property went down to Camerons Cove, where the family often swum.  The extensive grounds apparently had magnificent gardens and they now form part of Ewerton Park.  The property is now town houses.  (Extracts taken from Leichhardt Historical Journal No. 15 1986)

LycettsofSydney Family Gathering

Come along and have fun at the Family Gathering 7th January 2017 at St. John's Hall, Balmain.  Calling on all descendants of Alfred Arden Lycett and Edith Ellen Green Cross.

Alfred was born in Chesterton, Staffordshire on 22nd May, 1852 and Edith was born in Winsford Cheshire on 10th Arpil 1858.  They married in Winsford in 1876 and migrated to New Zealand in October 1879.

They moved to Balmain. Sydney in 1889 and settled there.  They had 9 children, 5 of whom  had children. The children were Alfred (died at age 4), Norman, George, Bert, Ethel, Harold (died in Belgium in WW1 from war injuries), Kent (died as a baby), Julia and Ernest (who married Violet but they had no children).

If you are interested in attending the Family Gathering please contact me on kaykitchen2010@hotmail.com.