My next Brick Wall [COMPLETED]

[johngirl]

Hi Kevin,

Not sure if this will help but if you contact the Queenstown Library here in Tasmania they may know where there is information available on family`s who resided on the West Coast of Tasmania in the early days.A friend of mine her family lived at Zeehan in the late eighteen hundreds and when she visited Queenstown searching for information about her family a lady kindly found information for her on her ancestors.I`m sure it was from the Queenstown Library but as the lady has now passed on I can`t ask her.

The link for the Queenstown Library and online centre is below.Hope they may be able to help you.

http://www.tco.asn.au/oac/home.cgi?oacID=18


   Johngirl

[redmr2red]

Thanks Johngirl, I'll follow that up.  On a popular Web Site I've found a Mr Forrester and a Miss Forrester arriving in Hobart, Tasmania 16 April 1885 aboard the Manapouri, which fits nicely,     but not yet proven.

I'm having problems logging onto Assisted and Unassisted Shipping Arrivals to Victoria. Is that site down?

Kevin

[andycand]

Hi

This is rather speculative but a lot of things do fit.

A FORRESTER family arrived in Melbourne on the Loch Lomond

Charles age 34
Mary  age 30
Annie age 11
Charles age 9

FORRESTER is not a very common surname in Tasmania but there is a death of a Charles FORRESTER age 36 in 1890 in Mersey, Tasmania which could be Charles senior, and there is a marriage for a Charles FORRESTER in Tasmania in 1901 that could be Charles junior

Hannahs first daughter is Mary Catherine, Catherine I think may have been the name of Stephens mother so Mary could be the name of Hannahs mother. Annie is often interchangeable with Hannah, the age on the passenger list is about 1 year out but that is not unusual

Given the age of the children the family should have been on the 1881 Scottish census but I couldn't find a likely family. I did however find a Charles FORRESTER senior and junior in the same household, Charles senior was the head of household, he had 3 younger sisters and a nephew Charles junior whose mother was probably one of the sisters.

There is also a marriage in Glasgow in 1881 between a Charles FORRESTER and Mary JEFFREY and in the 1881 Galsgow census there is a Mary JEFFREY age 23 with a daughter Hannah JEFFREY age 4. I'm wondering if the FORRESTER family who arrived in Melbourne in 1889 were in fact Charles and Mary FORRESTER (nee JEFFREY) with Mary's daughter Hannah and Charles nephew, Charles junior.

Whilst it is pure speculation the ages fit quite well, Charles junior being raised by a now married uncle would not be unusual nor would a young girl taking her step fathers surname. This would also explain why you can't find a birth for Hannah as FORRESTER would not have been her birth name.
 
Andy

[redmr2red]

Wow Andy, that certainly is "coincidental" and everything fits!!!  What we need now is why Mr Forrester and Miss Forrester went to Tasmania without the rest of the family.  Did Mary (mother) and Charles (9) die in Melbourne?

While it will be difficult to prove, it does explain why no birth record can be found for Hannah Forrester.

It'll take a bit for that to settle in.     Thanks Andy.

There is also one birth record in Tasmania where Hannah (as the mother) gives her name as Hannah Mary.

Kevin

[wivenhoe]

There is a will for Mary Forrester, d. 16 Dec 1901, Gormanston, that mentions Hannah Gaffney. Beneficiary is William Grieve.

Mary is described as victualler.

http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=9

[~MERLIN~]

Thanks Merlin, I just thought it was a funny question to ask on a death certificate. I know all questions can be helpful. I guess I was just imaging some grieving rleative being asked all these question and saying "What does it matter how old she was when she got married".      

So far I have been informant on five death certificates male and female, the first in 1964 and the latest being 2006 and I was asked this question on each one of them when filling out the forms. Just thought you'd like to know 

[wivenhoe]

Death Notice North Western Advocate and Emu Bay Times 18 Dec 1901 has Mary, daughter of late Charles Forrester,  d. Launceston, 42yrs

[andycand]

Death Notice North Western Advocate and Emu Bay Times 18 Dec 1901 has Mary, daughter of late Charles Forrester,  d. Launceston, 42yrs

Does it definitely say daughter? Her age fits with Charles widow.

Andy

[~MERLIN~]

Death reg shows this:

FORRESTER Mary d. 16/12/1901 - Balfour Street, LAUNCESTON #325
Father/Spouse Surname:
Mother/Spouse Given Names:

The notice does say 'daughter':

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0iit/