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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: KentishChris on Tuesday 06 February 18 03:47 GMT (UK)
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Hello all!
This is a brick wall I've been trying to smash down for a few years now and luckily I found an article the other day that has given me a fresh lead.
William Horn born in 1868, Glasgow, Scotland led an interesting life (from the bits and pieces I have found!). His father was George Horn and his mother Mary Nixon. I believe he was born as William Nixon Horn.
I've found him living at home in the 1871, 1881 and 1891 census. In the 1891 census he is listed as an Analytical Chemist. The next record I found of him was leaving the UK for Chile, to take up a job there. He then marries out there in Taltal in 1896 to a Violet Kemp Thomson. All records then disappear.
I found Violet Kemp Horn coming back in early 1902, on her own. This is where it got a bit strange!
George Lamont Horn (their son), was born in November 1903 and William is listed as his father.
I found a newspaper article that was granting Violet a divorce on the grounds of desertion. She has been quoted to say that he had left her in Chile, and his words to her were along the lines of "I hope to never see you again". Then in the article, it states that when Violet had returned to the UK a few months after William in early 1902 and found that he had already set sail for Australia and he was apparently in Fremantle, WA.
However, I can find no records of William at all. And, although he is listed as George's father, the dates just do not add up.
Frustratingly, I have not been able to find any of them in 1911. George is then living on his own in 1921. Violet then emigrates herself to Australia, and ends up in Geelong, where she lives for 25ish years and dies.
On her death certificate, it states she is widowed, to William. And strangely that she has no children. She did die in a home and of "senility", so the staff at the home may not have been aware that she even had children.
I was hoping to find any records of William in Australia and if anyone can help, that would be amazing :)
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Associated thread.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=672975.0
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There is a death for a William HORN in Marble Bar in the Pilbara region of WA, from Glasgow, in 1915 aged 'about 45'.
See this article: trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146123837
He had been working on Warralong Station for two years. He died without a will: trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146074247
You can order his death certificate here: http://www.bdm.dotag.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/default.aspx
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Thank you for finding this mollipops1!
Having no documents of his whereabouts after the newspaper article in the UK, it's hard to see why he is there.
I managed to find Violet in 1911, in Greenock, Scotland. She has obviously returned home and was working as a maternity nurse. Strangely, she is still listed as being married and uses the Horn name up until she dies. This is after filing for a divorce in 1906. On this document, there was no sign of William and no sign of their son, George, who would have been 8 at the time.
Thanks
Chris
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Didn't you say in your original post that he had set sail for Fremantle in WA?
He may have been looking for work and ended up going north to work on a station.
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When Violet was filing for divorce, she stated that by the time she had returned to the UK, William's apparent whereabouts was Fremantle, so there is no evidence to prove this.
However, it is was true, then he could definitely have gone up there to work. From his movements, it appears he was trying to get away, so again, moving to the middle of nowhere would make sense!
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;D
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Had a look at the divorce case in the paper and going on the dates Violet gave, I believe this is William
Uk Incoming passenger list
Mr W Horn abt 1868 departing New York and arriving 20 Nov 1901 Liverpool on the Oceanic
On the passenger list
Embarked from Valparaiso age 33 Chemist
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Had a look at the divorce case in the paper and going on the dates Violet gave, I believe this is William
Uk Incoming passenger list
Mr W Horn abt 1868 departing New York and arriving 20 Nov 1901 Liverpool on the Oceanic
On the passenger list
Embarked from Valparaiso age 33 Chemist
Thank you so much for finding this! Everything matches up there!
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My pleasure, drawn a blank otherwise.
That article is interesting, Violet comers home to see her mother before returning to William but I couldn't find a passenger list.
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Yes, it is a bit odd. I feel like I'm missing something! Those typical brick wall feelings.
In regards to Violet, I have her coming in and out as follows;
Departing Liverpool for Valparaiso on the 27th April 1896,
Arriving Liverpool from Valparaiso on the 16th March 1902,
Departing London for Sydney on the 26th January 1922.
So yes, I haven't found that return trip to see her Mother either.
Her mother dies in 1905.
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I have found an incoming passenger list:
Wm Horn
Departed London, arrived Sydney on the 19th Feb 1903 on the Orizaba.
Reading over the article again (and without reading into the wording too much), Violet, "had learned that the defender had sailed for Australia in 1902". This should would have left towards the end of 1902.
Horn is also the 'correct' spelling that he used throughout his life. For some reason, Violet tended to add an 'e' to the end of Horn after she had apparently separated from William.
A possibility and trying to find any other possibilities!
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UPDATE
So, nearly two years later from the last post on this topic and absolutely nowhere near any answers.
I have expanded that section of the tree in recent months. Although William had a lot of brothers and sisters, it appeared not many of them have offspring.
His mother and father died in 1911 and 1912 respectively, but William is not mentioned in either probate. A few of the other siblings also seem to disappear.
Although I've had a look at the 1939 register to see if there were any William Horn's, I didn't seem to find any matches.
My next idea was that maybe William Horn was in Croydon, where his son George was born. I do not quite know where to begin with searching for this though.
I tried to find a matching death certificate, with the one that was in the newspaper in 1915, but couldn't find a match on the Western Australia death certificate site, so therefore, didn't order any.
Any help or fresh ideas of where to take this next would be greatly appreciated :)
Thanks
Chris
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I tried to find a matching death certificate, with the one that was in the newspaper in 1915, but couldn't find a match on the Western Australia death certificate site, so therefore, didn't order any.
As found previously by mollipops1, a William Horn died in December 1914
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146123837
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146074262
The death on the WA BDM index is
reg year 1914
district Pilbara
reg number 10
M
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As found previously by mollipops1, a William Horn died in December 1914
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146123837
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146074262
The death on the WA BDM index is
reg year 1914
district Pilbara
reg number 10
M
Thank you Matthew.
Chris, I'm not sure if there is a reason you haven't pursued this line of enquiry, but as mentioned previously you can order this death certificate here:
https://www.bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/default.aspx
Australian death certificates are usually very detailed, although they do depend on a reliable informant being available.
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Excellent advice from mollipops in Feb 2018, and so may I add support to Matthew's support too.
Most of the states based bdm registrations for deaths have several sections, so in addition to the burial/funeral director's info , there should be a section for his family history, and a section for medical officer giving cause of death....
Often times in Australian family history searchings the answers come from the bdms.
JM
There is a death for a William HORN in Marble Bar in the Pilbara region of WA, from Glasgow, in 1915 aged 'about 45'.
See this article: trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146123837
He had been working on Warralong Station for two years. He died without a will: trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146074247
You can order his death certificate here: http://www.bdm.dotag.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/default.aspx
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Thanks for the recent replies. Appreciate all help, as always :)
I hadn't chased that lead mainly due to the cost and the outdated payments methods used by the Western Australian registry office. Writing down my credit card details on a bit of paper and hoping they get to the right place isn't something I'm overly comfortable doing.
At this point though, it looks like there are no other leads, so I will probably just have to do it!
Wish me luck and of course, will keep updated on the results, when I get them.
Thanks again
Chris