Fromelles Project - James Lowther Mason

[ozkiwibird]

I stumbled across this site the other day and was excited to see that there had been some interest in James Lowther Mason. However, as there doesn't seem to have been much posted since May I thought I'd start a new topic as I registered my interest in the Fromelles Project in 2008 when the mass grave was brought to public attention.
James Lowther Mason was my great uncle. Lowther William Mason (as he was known despite being registered as William Lowther Mason) was my father and John (Jack) Mason was my grandfather. Logan Fred Mason was my father's half-brother and I was thrilled to see a posting re his and his wife's grave and that they had had children and a grandchild.
Recently I was asked to furnish a family tree to the Project to determine whether I would be a suitable candidate for DNA testing, but being twice removed from James and a female, male family members are preferred for DNA testing. However, even though born and growing up and living in New Zealand for a large part of my life, I never knew many relatives and those I have knowledge of are on the female side. I have lived in Australia for some 22 years on and off, and never had any contact with Mason relatives during that time except for Mina Ekberg (on the female side). I now live on the Isle of Skye. I would be very pleased to learn if there are any male relatives who would be willing to submit their DNA for testing, thereby possibly identifying our relative and enabling me to do an inscription for his headstone which the Project are providing for families. If we could identify James I would hope to travel to France for the official opening of the memorial cemetary in July next year.
I look forward to any positive responses.

[scrimnet]

Hello and welcome to Rootschat...

I do hope you have seen this thread...

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,380080.0.html

And this one....

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,380152.0.html

[spof]

Hi ozkiwibird,

Welcome to rootschat 

you could try contacting hte people at

The link to the fromelles database has been removed whilst we locate the new website link 2019 http://web.archive.org/web/20100409162945/http://www.fromelles.net

I doubt they are able to give you names or exact numbers due to the fact they are dealing with living people and many people registered directly with the DoD but they may be able to give you more information.

Also, if you haven't done so already, you can download James Mason's service record from the National Archives of Australia by going to http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/recordsearch/index.aspx and doing a NameSearch. Enter Mason and WW1 then refine it by his service number of 470 and you'll find it.

It is interseting you say the Aus DoD are more interested in the male line whereas the UK MoD is keener on the female line from sisters etc. You'll probably need to register but the Fromelles Project board on the Great War Forum has an amazing amount of information regarding the descendants and DNA.

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?s=af0e1bff3c70ca509a419b32cde4c2ee&showforum=90

You will have to wade through a lot of bickering and point scoring and general arguements but it will be worth it.

Glen

[Tjapaltjarri]

Yes indeed,

The interest in Maternal DNA is well founded so if you have information about this man's mother and sisters that you can share with us it would be very helpful in tracing all possibles sources for identification of the soldiers' bodies which have been retrieved from obscurity.

Best,

Tjapaltjarri

[ozkiwibird]

Thanks to those who have replied to my posting.  James Lowther Mason had five sisters, one suicided and the others married and had family. One died quite young with only one offspring. I have quite a bit of information about these families, too much I feel to write here. I am on a residential communal computer and don't want to spend too much time on it.
I have checked the sites recommended, some of which I have previously looked at. I also have photocopies of James's Army records sent me by the Australian Army many years ago when I was heavily into researching my father's family. I had to stop because of financial constraints and nothing's changed!
I am new to all this and am finding it somewhat tiring and confusing.

Cherrio for now, ozkiwibird

[Marg OLEARY]

hi

I am researching James Lowther Mason for the Fromelles Association.  Looking at the female dna (Mt) side and would certainly like to collaborate

cheers Marg

[ozkiwibird]

Hello Marg, 

What do you have in mind? I had given up any hope of finding out if my Great Uncle was indeed one of the soldiers discovered in the mass grave.

Ozkiwibird

[Marg OLEARY]

Hi and so glad you are still out there.

The Fromelles Association has a coordinated  team of researchers here and overseas and we are actively working on all the soldiers who proved to have a brick wall.

we know that a Y dna donor was found by the army some time ago with no result.We are looking for the female line Mt dna, and would also like to contact the Y side. We do know that of the 144 soldiers identified so far, most needed both Y and Mt dna  to be positive, explained as 'although a weak positive is there, not sufficient for an ID, but two weak  responses makes it sufficient'.

Have gone back to the UK Cumbria area for soldier's mother's sisters.  (Margaret Lowther and 4 sisters) have an ancestry tree and a dna chart prepared.

Like you, I feel there is too much info to write here, but happy if you can contact me through our Ancestry tree site "Fromelles Soldiers" if you put in the soldiers name, that should be one of the public trees with his name, and we could go from there. The Fromelles Association has a face book page and you can also make contact via our coordinator the president Royce Atkinson.

kindest regards

Marg

[ozkiwibird]

I am not clear from your correspondence what it is you require of me. I tried to find the site you mentioned to no avail. Perhaps you should have given me a link. I also find the DNA hard to follow. I understood from the Australian Army that I was not a suitable candidate. I am eighty years of age and now live on the Isle of Skye and am not aware of other living members of the Mason family, except for my older sister. All relatives that I remember are now deceased.
I have virtually given up on furthering my knowledge of what happened to my Great Uncle James.