Rockhampton-based historian Lex Johnson - an adjunct academic with CQUniversity -  recently released his second book detailing extensive research into Irish families....

Lex Johnson

The first tome about the Meredith family is now augmented by the second about the Black and McKim families of County Sligo, some of whom migrated to Central Queensland.

Descended from all 3 of these, Mr Johnson has researched details of them and their extended families during the past 15 years. He doesn't just gather information like some others do, but becomes engrossed at a depth unlike most other family or local historians. Blending both disciplines together, he manages to work out all sorts of forgotten information from the past, connecting people with events.

"I wrote the Meredith book Time and place mostly for myself, to tie together lots of interesting facts and stories reaching back to the 1600s," Lex said.

"This second one though was written especially to help other people learn more about the early Blacks and McKims. Both families were, and still are, very dynamic people. The way they pop up in so many local and worldwide circles makes them difficult to research thoroughly. Knowing I've tackled the problem since the mid-1990s, lots of people both here and overseas have approached me for help with their own Blacks or McKims. Many of them were on the wrong track or simply stuck, so it was time to put all my research together and set the record straight."

Lex Johnson with the first 2 books

The result is a comprehensive history of almost every Black and McKim in Sligo before 1850.

The new book Another time and place - the Black and McKim families of County Sligo outlines each family from their arrival during the 1600s until the descendants either married into other families or emigrated elsewhere. Along the way, it tells little anecdotes about their other relations and friends too. These people, hundreds of connected families and placenames are detailed in the comprehensive index, which is quite a feat in itself.

Plans for a third book are well underway.

"The first 2 books tell very different stories about their respective families, but there's a steady progression from royal connections to tradesmen and men on the land. The obvious next step is to explore this family's impact upon Central Queensland and vice versa, but a lot of research and analysis has to be done before I can write that up," Lex said.

"I've always felt the need to know more about our past. It helps me understand why our ancestors did what they did. Just when you think you know everything there is to know, other amazing facts come to light."

Anyone interested in either of these books may email Lex direct on:

 lj-publications@hotmail.com  or telephone 07 4928 4312.