Thanks to all,
I already have the information about the birth of William John Frederick and Eliza Annie (my ancestor) from St Hilda’s South Shields parish registers.
The Brighton link seems to be a dead end, I can find no link at all. The Frederick mentioned as a bankrupt in the London Gazette also went to Australia and set up a printing business there which is quite well documented but alas he is not my Frederick. There was also a Frederick Russell Wigney born in Brighton around the right time, but he is not mine either.
I have been in contact with several people researching the Wigney family both here and in Australia, and none of us can make any connection between my lot and Brighton. Most of the Brighton lot left the country and emigrated to North America and Australia as their businesses (mainly banking and brewing) collapsed. It would appear that the Brighton branch most likely originated in the north of England, probably Yorkshire.
Frederick was in fact a bigamist. He married Elizabeth Middlemiss in 1860 in Sandy Creek, and they went on to have 7 or 8 children. I have a copy of his marriage certificate, and his signature on there matches perfectly with that on his letters to his first wife Eliza, so we definitely have the same guy. We have no letters from him after 1858. Eliza continued to live in North Shields until she died in 1899, there was no divorce, and on census records she is listed as married until 1891 when she is a widow. I wonder what she thought? Probably that Frederick had been lost at sea or died in the goldfields. There are no family stories that I know of, maybe he wasn’t talked about!
He gave his name on the second marriage certificate as Frederick Reed Wigney (First wife Eliza Reed) and stated that he was a bachelor – naughty! He also gave his age in 1860 as 29 years, which does not tally, his father’s name as William Wigney, butcher, and his mother as Elizabeth Reed – co-incidence???
I also have a copy of his death registration. This states that in 1902 he was 83 years old, and the son of William Wigney, butcher, and Elizabeth Reed, which is at least consistent. His place of birth was given as Preston, Northumberland. I also have a copy of his obituary from his local newspaper, and he appears to have become a model citizen. If only they knew…
There are a couple of possible Williams, one in Manchester St Ann, baptised 11 Jan 1786, and others in Yorkshire. No definite links with any of them.
So you can see I know quite a lot about his later life but nothing at all before his marriage in 1851, or anything about his parents William and (maybe) Elizabeth Reed. He seems to have been quite a character, and I would love to have met him, but he was not always truthful, which makes research even more difficult.
If anyone can offer any ideas or any information I’d be delighted.
Avril
