Hi Everyone!
I have not long finished work and what a surprise to find all these replies :)Thanks to all of you for your interest.
To answer a few questions:
Yes, I do have Hannah Downey's [Cansdell] death certificate which states she had been in NSW about 72 years which is the same as written on her husband's death certificate.Sounds like a guess to me although Thomas was the informant on his wifes death cert.
They married at the Free Church of England which was probably because Thomas was 18 and she was only 16. Apparently it was a bit of a "breakaway church" [so I have been told] - [Minister was Dr. F X Bailey] and popular with soldiers.
Both her parents seemed to be there as certificate states that father of the bride gave consent to the marriage and M A Cansdell [mother]
was a witness. Both groom and bride didn't have their ages listed on marriage certificate.
Hannah Downey died 16 Dec 1928 in Newtown, NSW. I do have birth certificates for 1st 2 children Rosanna and Louisa so I know for sure Rosanna was born 22 Dec. 1871.
I have noticed that often the spelling of Cansdell has been incorrect so has been very hard to track.
Hannah's parents were Thomas Edmund Cansdell and Mary Ann Hall who I believe emigrated with son Frederick E. b.c. 1853 [England], Thomas Edmund b.c. 1854 [England] and Hannah.
I have not been able to find anything on their births only that Hannah was either born at Ramsgate,England or Woolwich, Kent, England[according to certificates].
I have even asked for help on the Kent list and although I had many people helping me we couldn't find their births.
I have wondered if perhaps they were registered under Mother's maiden name - Hall as parents were't married til Sep. 1855 at Dartford.
As Jen noticed there were 3 more siblings born in NSW so they must have arrived after Sep. 1855 and before 1858 when son Robert was born. Caroline Eliza and William John followed. Hannah's grandchilden had told me that they thought she was about 3 years old so it fits.
One thing about the Cansdell family I have recently found out thanks to the Kent listers is that they seemed to be quite well off with Thomas Cansdell's father [also Thomas] owning the Hoop and Horsehoe Inn in TowerHill, Middlesex [with many servants listed in census] Possible that they were unassisted passengers to NSW
. I have looked on the NSW site though.
As far as AKA for Downey families , I don't know whether they didn't like their names or what! Christopher Thomas became Thomas but was Christopher when he died.
Thomas Downey's mother Sarah Downey and his sister Sarah Georgina seemed to swap names every census. Its been a fluke to find them sometimes. I haven' t been able to find them in the 1861 census though.
Does anyone agree with me that the timeline is very tight for Thomas to emigrate,"get friendly
" with Hannah. marry in Oct. and have their 1st child in Dec.
Surely it would have taken the ship at least 8-10 weeks to get to Australia.
Is there any website that deals with emigration from the nearest port to Surrey or am I way off base.
Thanks again to everyone for their interest. I really appreciate all the help I can get! I won't be around for a couple of days as I am going away. Back next week though.
Juls