Good Morning all.... newbie here! I am hoping Cando, Dundee and Sharon see this post. This post mainly relates to replies #20, #22 & #32 of this thread.
My dad (Bill) started research on our family tree in early 1960. I got involved, briefly, back in 1995 but family, work etc intervened. Dad passed away a few years ago and I have picked up the baton!
I am not having much luck with the Victorian BDM... either offline for maintenance or crashes when I have tried to research lists... will try again later.
The Harry Power mentioned above is my GGGF. He was born in Melbourne, Victoria 6th February 1865 and died 21st June 1919 Darlinghurst, NSW. Note I am awaiting death certificate. There was an article in a Sydney newspaper on 2nd July 1919 that could be about our Harry. Family knowledge has Harry and his eldest son (William Henry Power, known as William Harry) as champion West Australian billiards champs. Note there are 2 death notices in the West Australian on 23/06/19 for 2 Harry Power's. This has been a stumbling block, I believe, for various people researching this branch of our tree. The copies my dad and others had were poor copies and the 2nd notice was illegible.
That brings us to Thomas Russell Power... the real stumbling block. Nobody has been able to pinpoint his date of birth. Various records state Cork and probably (sorry to use that word) 1835. Dundee's work for Sharon has thrown a new avenue of pursuit!
Harry's birth certificate has Thomas Russell Power, Clerk, 30 Co Cork Ireland married in 1860 at Collingwood to Elizabeth Hannah, late Lewis formerly Bernard, 32 London. Siblings: Mary Louisa 3 1/2 and Laura Russell 2 1/2. This information was provided on 11th may 1865 by Elizabeth Hannah Power.
I will chase down marriage certificate for TR & EH, but I think they may have lied about 1860 as year of marriage because the 2 Lewis girls (Mary Louisa and Laura) were born after this date.
Now the plot thickens... Thomas Russell, our Clerk turned miner, appears to have married a Kate Annie O'Brien in Ballarat East, Victoria on 9th November 1868 at St Alipius Church. The copy of the marriage certificate is very ordinary but has TR Bachelor at Clerk 33 and KA Spinster School Mistress at 26 Birthplace Cork for both. TR parents, William Francis Power (accountant) and Mary Russell. This TR dies 27th September 1916 in Melbourne aged 82, accountant, 40years in Victoria. Parents unknown. Wife Kate O'Brien. Issue: "one male dead William 8/12" Kate died 31st October 1918 Born Cork, 60 years in Victoria, married to Thomas Power in Ballarat (age is illegible) NO ISSUE?
Kate's Will was written before Thomas died, yet no mention of him...all went to her sister(?)
I have in my possession a letter from St Patrick's Cathedral sent to my dad in 1992 confirming the above marriage as per the Church marriage Register. The only difference is that TR is listed as 35yo
A few people doing research on Thomas Russell Power have his date of death as "before 1891"
So how can all you wonderful "genies" help?
When and what ship did Thomas Russell Power and Elizabeth Bernard arrive in Australia?
When and where did Elizabeth Bernard die? Suggestions that it was 1875, a year after last child was born.
When and where were Thomas & Elizabeth married? Collingwood, Victoria 1860?
Where was Thomas Russell Power born? Cork? Limmerick is a possibility... I will explain why later.
If Thomas was in New Zealand in 1867 then which ship did he leave on? If so who is the Thomas Russell Power marrying Kate Obrien?
I have plenty of questions about Harry Power...but they can wait LOL
I feel that they lied about their marriage date and that Thomas Russell got involved with Elizabeth and "adopted" the Lewis girls and then left Elizabeth and moved to Ballarat and remarried.
I hope the above makes sense and I appreciate people taking the time to read it and hopefully respond. Cheers David Power
