Looking for James Slape Williams

[Dundee]

I have previously looked at this man for someone else who was related but cannot find it online.

I remember being interested in the events of 1852.  As wivenhoe said, Lavinia was firstly married to Edwin SHIPWAY and came to Australia in 1851.  By May 1852 she had left Edwin:

CAUTION - The public are cautioned against harbouring or trusting my wife, LAVINIA SHIPWAY, she having left her home without any just cause or provocation. I will not be responsible for any debts contracted by her from this date.  11462 EDWIN SHIPWAY, Canterbury.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/12936859

In October 1852 she was in Melbourne where she gave birth to a daughter Mary Jane and then she returned to Sydney where the child died before the end of the year.  The date function is not working for this burial in the online indexes but an online tree suggests that she was buried on 20 November.  Just two weeks later, on 4 December 1852, Lavina married James WILLIAMS by licence in Sydney as a spinster under her maiden surname.

They promptly went to Adelaide where their daughter Lavinia was born in 1853, and then to Tasmania where the daughter died at Hobart in March 1855 and a son James was born in October.

The rest of the children were born in Victoria:

Isaac John (1857-1860)
Louis Frederick (1859-1918)
Eleanor/Elletta Lavinia (1861-1875)
John Phelps Thompson (1863-1925)
Arthur George (1865-1866)
Bertha Slape (1866-1942) (SKINNER)
Blanche Ellen ( 1869-1913) (MacKINNON)

For reference, Lavinia's parents were Isaac THOMPSON and Jane PHELPS, siblings were Charlotte, Lewis Frederick, Eleanor Jane, Asenath Amelia, Uriel Oswin, Sophia Lucilla, Augusta Edith, and Rodelinda Rowena who married James SHIPWAY, Edwin's brother.

A number of James' children's names have come from Lavinia's family, but I wonder if 'Bertha Slape' is a clue as she was the only one registered with that middle name.

James could have been living in either NSW or Victoria when he met Lavinia, but I can't understand why they married in Sydney right under her husband's nose.  I wonder if James knew 

And Edwin SHIPWAY has children with Catherine in NSW...no marriage to see for this couple.

They married in 1856 and interestingly it seems that this was the first marriage registered in NSW when civil reg began.

1856
#1
SHIPWAY,    EDWIN
LOUGHRAM, CATHERINE
SYDNEY

How apt that the first marriage should be bigamous 

Debra 

[Dundee]

Bertha Slape WILLIAMS' birth cert in 1866 gives her father's age as 40 and place of birth as London.  The 'previous issue' names her brother as 'James Slape' and he did use that middle name.

James Snr's death cert in 1900 says that he had been in Victoria for 56 years (no other states mentioned) and he was born in London.  The informant was his son-in-law.

Debra 

[LizzieL]

I've just looked at the 1841 and 1851 censuses for the distribution of the surname Slape. It seems to predominate in Somerset.

[Angie Hawk]

Thanks so much everyone for your efforts. I have much of the information about James and his family in Australia but I just can't go back any further. He's my paternal line and would love to know where he came from.

The 1852 events are interesting, seems like Allette wanted to get to Australia and Edwin was her ticket. Poor guy, his brother married Allette's sister so there was always going to be a connection. I love that his marriage is the first ever civil registration.

I will try to obtain more documentation about his children, maybe there will be a clue in there somewhere. The Welsh convict got my attention because he was listed as a shoemaker and James was a bootmaker here in Melbourne.

[Angie Hawk]

I've now looked at all his children's birth certificates and every one states he was born in London. Assuming that's correct (and that he wasn't fibbing to cover a convict past) it looks like all I have to do is locate a James Williams born in London around that year...easy!! 

[bevj]

He may just be old enough to be working as a bootmaker or similar on the 1841 census.
You may be lucky!
Bev

[LizzieL]

Probably a red herring, but in 1841 there is a Richard Williams age 60 Bootmaker, Eliza Williams age 50, Alexander age 15, James age 14, both boys are Ag labs. Richard and Eliza not born in county (Middlesex), the boys are born in Middlesex.

Piece:  655 Book: 2 Folio: 7 Page: 8

They are in Cowley near Hillingdon, which is quite a way from central London and may not have been considered as London in 1841

[Angie Hawk]

Thanks bevj and LizzieL, the census records are probably my next task. The Cowley ones look interesting. I wish there were some hint as to where in London he came from, he could have been a bit more specific!

[LizzieL]

Boot / shoemakers would normally have served an apprenticeship, there may be records of them available, although I haven't found anything relevant on the major websites yet. Alternatively he may have learnt his trade more informally from his father. If he was born about 1827 and emigrated in 1844, he would have been about 17, so not old enough to have completed the typical apprenticeship (for 7 years starting at age 14). So if he started an apprenticeship and then ran away from his master there might be a record (sometimes in newspapers). Or an apprenticeship of an older Williams possibly born about 1780 - 1800ish might lead to his father (if in the same trade)