Author Topic: Melbourne - Edward JAMES  (Read 1114 times)

Offline dhj

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Melbourne - Edward JAMES
« on: Tuesday 03 May 16 12:44 BST (UK) »
Hoping somebody can help with this. Edward James was my grandfather and has proven to be very elusive but has now been found on the 1911 Census living in the UK. On the census it states that he is 45 (therefore born around 1866) and was born in Melbourne. It also says that he is a British subject by parentage. He was very economical with the truth regarding his age so he may not actually be 45 and was also a bit of a ladies man, marrying at least three times and having a number of children (including my father). I would dearly like to track him down prior to 1911 but there is no trace of him in the UK so I suspect he entered the UK perhaps 1901 and 1911 (he isn't on the UK 1901 census).

Any help would be most appreciated.

EDIT: Just revisited the marriage certificates and Edward refers to his deceased father (also Edward) as a Stockbroker. I thought this may have been fantasizing, especially after the earlier lies regarding his age but, having a look at Melbourne in that era it may be possible that his father was indeed a stockbroker

Offline sparrett

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Re: Melbourne - Edward JAMES
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 03 May 16 23:50 BST (UK) »
Hi
You refer to a marriage certificate.
To whom was he married on that occasion?
Please post the details- dates, where and when etc.

Have you his death certificate or are there no sightings after 1911?

If you are able to give more information, names of other children, and anything you know about his Australian life, we may be able to help.  ;D

Sue

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Offline sparrett

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Re: Melbourne - Edward JAMES
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 04 May 16 00:15 BST (UK) »
In the mean time, here are a few births of persons Edward JAMES with father Edward JAMES in Victoria in about the right time frame.  Perhaps you have studied these before.

JAMES Edward
Father John Edward
Mother Jane Yarkins FREEMAN
Birth Place COLLINGWOOD FLAT
Year 1855
Reg Number 355

JAMES Edward
Father Edward
Mother Hannah ANDERSON
Birth Place MELB
Year 1857
Reg Number 4367

JAMES Edward
Father Edward
Mother Elizabeth HORE
Birth Place ARMSTRONG
Year 1858
Reg Number 18342

 Sue
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Offline majm

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Re: Melbourne - Edward JAMES
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 04 May 16 02:38 BST (UK) »
May I mention that any person born in Australia in that era was automatically a Natural Born British Subject.  There was no such thing as Australian Citizenship until 1949.   

Cheers,  JM
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Offline dhj

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Re: Melbourne - Edward JAMES
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 04 May 16 08:02 BST (UK) »
First of all can I say a huge thanks for the very prompt responses. I also realise that I wasn't as clear as I could have been in the original note so here goes.....
Edward James appeared out of nowhere to marry Ethel Brown in the UK in 1918, He claimed to be 48 and a widower. His father was Edward, deceased, a stockbroker.
Ethel died some years later and he married Mary Wall (my grandmother) in the UK in 1931. He now claims to be 56. Same father and same profession.
He dies in 1936 in the UK where his age is recorded as 64.
He appears on the UK 1911 census as aged 45.
His job and address are consistent for all dates and times.
Given his alleged age on the documents I have he could have been born (in order of the above) in 1870, 1875, 1872 or 1866.
Given the age of his two wives in comparison to his age it's likely he lied about his age when he married. Both women were much younger than him so I am inclined to go along with the 1911 census age. He is shown on that document to be single but he is a widower 7 years later when he marries Ethel Brown. He has also twice mentioned the same father (Edward, deceased) and that his fathers profession was 'Stockbroker'.

As the 1911 UK census is the first sighting of him I am thinking he may not have been here very long.

Again, any help would be much appreciated.

The citizenship is very interesting, thanks for that. I wasn't aware of it.

As an aside, which may be of passing interest, Mary Wall (his second wife) is related to William Wall, hanged in 1830. His wife was transported and I have been in contact with a whole swathe of distant connections over there in Australia.

Thanks again for the help so far.

Offline sparrett

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Re: Melbourne - Edward JAMES
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 04 May 16 23:29 BST (UK) »
I do not see any reference in the newspapers of the tme to Edward JAMES a stockbroker.
You may have luck with further browsing.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/search?adv=y

Did the informant on his death certificate have any information about his mother's name?

You have a challenge in this search because any information he has on record about himself may be untrue, including of course, his real name ::)

I suspect by his handwriting on the source you mention, that he  was educated.  The script is confident and fluid.
I am unsure exactly what a checker at the Bristol docks would do.

Sue   
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Offline cando

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Re: Melbourne - Edward JAMES
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 05 May 16 07:22 BST (UK) »
Quote
JAMES Edward
Father John Edward
Mother Jane Yarkins FREEMAN
Birth Place COLLINGWOOD FLAT
Year 1855
Reg Number 355

The father had occupation slater on the parish record for his son's baptism.

Cando
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Offline cando

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Re: Melbourne - Edward JAMES
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 05 May 16 07:24 BST (UK) »
Quote
JAMES Edward
Father Edward
Mother Hannah ANDERSON
Birth Place MELB
Year 1857
Reg Number 4367

Father was an upholsterer.

Cando
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Offline cando

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Re: Melbourne - Edward JAMES
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 05 May 16 07:30 BST (UK) »
There are no Edward JAMES's births with father Edward in Victoria between 1858 and 1875.

Cando

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