Author Topic: My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves  (Read 31383 times)

Offline Eric Hatfield

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My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves
« on: Saturday 12 October 13 04:15 BST (UK) »
Hi, I am new here, having found a link in the Australian Family Tree Connections magazine. I have been researching my late mother's family tree with very little effect, and much frustration. Briefly, the info I have is this.

The first record I have of my grandfather was his marriage to my grandmother in Melbourne in 1913. On that certificate, and on later certificates - a second marriage, a WW1 (failed) enlistment form and his death in 1939 - the same information is given:

Parents: Francis Hargraves (weaver) and Mary McQuillan
Birth: about 1880 (dates from about 1879-1882 are possible because of some 'flexibility' in his age) in Lincoln, UK.

Trouble is, I cannot find any couple of those names, any person of his name and any birth in the UK, and people on a UK forum also checked and found nothing. In fact, the only couple of those names I have found anywhere in the world lived in Victoria, and he was a policeman.

That Francis & Mary Hargrave (no 's', but that isn't significant) came from Ireland, married in Australia, lived in Stawell and Melbourne, had a large family but no Ernest, and I have been able to find most of their birth, death and family information, and there is no trace of any Ernest. I even found a descendent of one of their relatives, but he has no information either.

I am assuming Ernest McQuillan Hargraves is not his birth name, and he changed it for some reason, which makes it almost impossible to trace him. The only clues I have are these:
  • It is surely no coincidence that the only couple of his claimed parents names were living in Melbourne only a decade before he married at age 33, and I assume he must have known them or have been related to them.
  • In various genealogy magazines and websites, I have read quite a few stories of people who changed their names to escape from police, a debtor or an unwanted marriage, or because of an 'illegitimate' birth, but they almost always kept the same first name.
  • He gave his middle name, McQuillan, to both his daughters by his first marriage, one of whom was my mum. That suggests to me that his original surname may have been McQuillan and he wanted to preserve it.
So my best and desperate guess is that he may have originally been Ernest McQuillan, but I can find no-one of that name that fits either. I feel I may have reached the proverbial brick wall, and perhaps my only hope is if someone happens to be researching a family where an Ernest or a McQuillan suddenly disappears.

I know it is a lot to ask, but does anyone have any ideas please?

Offline rosball

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Re: My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 12 October 13 04:46 BST (UK) »
Hi Eric,
  Welcome to rootschat  :)

   There is a probate packet at NSW state records http://investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/Entity.aspx?Path=\Item\637431 and also divorce papers.

   I am going to state records next week and can photograph for you if you don't have this,

regards,
   Ros
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Offline Neil Todd

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Re: My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 12 October 13 04:49 BST (UK) »
I have tyo ask the question? Have you checked for various spellings (IE Hargreaves) name.

Neil
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Offline Neil Todd

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Re: My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 12 October 13 04:56 BST (UK) »
Hmm delete above, seems he married NSW?

ERNEST MCQ HARGRAVES MARRIED GERTRUDE M ALDRIDGE IN SYDNEY REF # 14141/1924

Neil
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Offline Eric Hatfield

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Re: My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 12 October 13 04:58 BST (UK) »
Hi Neil, thanks for the thought. But yes, I have tried the 'a' and 'ea', as well as with and without the 's", I don't know if these is much else.

That was his second marriage. I have had no trouble tracing him after 1913, but not before.

Offline rosball

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Re: My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 12 October 13 05:00 BST (UK) »
That was his second marriage Neil, after divorce from first wife whom he married in Vic in 1913.

There is a will (?) for Francis Hargrave who died 1902 on pro-vic but it has not yet been digitised  - I was thinking perhaps they adopted him http://prov.vic.gov.au/wills-and-probate

regards,
   Ros
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Offline judb

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Re: My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 12 October 13 05:02 BST (UK) »
There is a public tree with the marriage certificate for Ernest HARGRAVES and Olive Blanche CLARK at St Matthews, Prahran, 1913.  His mother's name is given as Mary McWILLIAM (obviously this and the surname you have given are phonetically almost the same) and he was resident at Naval College, Jervis Bay (NSW) as a cook.

I'm sure you would have seen this certificate but I thought the info may be helpful in searching for him.

Cheers, Judith
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Offline Eric Hatfield

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Re: My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 12 October 13 05:06 BST (UK) »
Ros, thanks so much for that kind offer.

I have the divorce details, but not the probate. I knew it was at Kingswood, and was planning to get out there one day..... Would that be a lot of trouble for you? If it was easy, it would be a great help for me please.

Offline Neil Todd

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Re: My mysterious grandfather - Ernest McQuillan Hargraves
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 12 October 13 05:08 BST (UK) »
hey Jude, sounds like a song coming on ;D... Do you think that Mary McWilliam be phonetically wrong form of Mary McQuillan. ???

Neil

MODIFIED :-[ You already thought that, DOH.... :-X
I dont think he would get his own name wrong on his marriage licence though.
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