Henry C Palmer (1868 - 1894)

[calidris]

Dear all,

Don't know where to start, but maybe someone could help me. I'm looking for Henry C. Palmer possibly born in 1868 as he was by 1890 22 years of age and he studied at Cambridge. I have no clue where he was born, but he went by December 1890 to Hawaii for Walter Rotschild to collect birds.

He was according to some sources murdered in 1894/1895 (by 2 september 1894 he was living at 296 Paramatta Road, petersham, Sydney) in Australia's goldfields.

Any extra information is warmly welcomed.

Yours,

Justin Jansen
The Netherlands

ps: the material is for a (non-commercial) book i'm writting

[bedfordshire boy]

per http://www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/nhrarebooks/rothschild/essays/storrs_rothschild.htm
"Young Rothschild had somehow engaged the services of one Henry Palmer, said to have been a sailor, though little is known about him. He seems to have first appeared in New Zealand, but after his sojourn in Hawaii and a short stay in England, he returned to Australia, where he was later "obscurely murdered" in the gold fields (Amadon 1964, Mearns and Mearns 1992). Rothschild first sent Palmer to the Chatham Islands, off New Zealand, in December 1889 - January 1890"

Other sources describe him as being Australian

He doesn't appear in Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900

David

[calidris]

Hi David,

This is indeed the problem I find, less is known from him and sources are not stable. The sources you mention are in my library, so I checked them first. Thanks for checking the Cambridge University Alumni.

Cheers,

Justin

[AMBLY]

Hi Justin

Another source :
http://www.rootschat.com/links/07tn/
Describes him as a "sailor who could skin birds"

You said: by 2 september 1894 he was living at 296 Paramatta Road, petersham, Sydney
I wonder what your source for this is?

http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/14170401?searchTerm=%22h+c+palmer%22
Sydney Morning Herald
5 July 1898 - Carried an advertisment to say Advertisters could send late submissions to various SMH Agencies - one of which was:
Mr H C PALMER , 296 Parramatta Road, opp(osite) Norton Street, Petersham

Actually there are a number of entries like this one, for HC PALMER of that address..
Another was in August 1899

Cheers
AMBLY

[calidris]

Dear Ambly,

Wonderfull reference the Sydney morning Herald, thanks for that!

Yours,

Justin

[AMBLY]

You're welcome 

Another one:
http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3087549?searchTerm=%22h+c+palmer%22
The West Australian, Perth - 25 Apr 1896
Reporting an event in Sydney NSW:
A building collapsed in Petersham - this building was beside the premises of:
H C PALMER, News Agent & Stationer

Do you think, the News Agent could be his father, maybe?

[AMBLY]

Hi Justin

How are you going with that NLA ( Newspaper) site?

From it  and with the NSW BDM site, you will be able to learn :  HCP the newsagent died 1920,  his wife was Nelly, his mother was Eliza. He & Nelly had 3 daughters & 1 son (at least). He was 64 when he died and said to be born in Northamptonshire England,

NLA Advanced Search:  "NELLY PALMER" with other words "Petersham"

NSW BDM
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/searchHistoricalRecords.htm

NAA (his son enlisted WW1)
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/recordsearch/index.aspx

Do you want me to try find Henry Charles PALMER b abt 1856 Northamptonshire in English Census  - or do you think it's the wrong chap?

Cheers
AMBLY

[calidris]

Dear Ambly,

In a obituary I found on a travel companion of his, there is stated that Palmer returned to Australia after the colelcting in Hawaii?
Either he was born in England and moved to Australia to return for his studies, did the collecting thing at Hawaii, went then back to Australia forever. Or it is falsly stated.
Please have a look if you could find something.

We might close the gap in our knowledge...

Justin

[AMBLY]

Hi Justin

The problem is......Henry C PALMER is a common name all over England
There is nothing to say he was born in Cambridgeshire and he's not found on the Alumni there.

Which was why I was interested to know what your source is to say he was at 296 Parramatta Road, Petersham in 1894?  If you're sure about this address for HCM the bird collector,  then we have a starting point & place  for searching for him in the UK.

Cheers 
AMBLY