Comments
Assume all events prior to 1913 marriage in Qld actually occurred in NSW and are registered with NSW BDM, but acknowledge we have not YET found Emily’s birth, so we are attempting to find her parentage without having her birth cert at hand. We need to recognise that some current family history buffs promote themes that assume that children of mixed marriages were not registered. NSW BDM’s registers have NOT ever had a column where a baby’s ethnicity was noted as part of the civil registration process. It is quite possible that spelling variations OR failure of a rural district’s deputy reg. gen to forward a quarterly return, OR the failure of the Sydney based reg gen’s office to adequately read the long hand script on the quarterly return are MORE ACCURATE reasons for lack of any index sighting. It was NOT until after WWI that pro forma forms became available for mums/dads to complete as part of the registration of a birth. Before then, it was: Baby’s mum/dad to stand at tall/wide counter at admin section of a local court house (Clerk of Petty Sessions or Sheriff’s office part) and answer verbal questions while clerk wrote the answers in their local ledger. Ledger faced the clerk, who after recording the verbal answers then turned the ledger to face the informant and said “Sign here”. Unlikely that the clerks were instructed to say “Please carefully read my scribble entered in each column and then sign to confirm you have given me truthful information and I have recorded it truthfully”. The quarterly returns were sent by post to Reg Gen’s office in Sydney, and included in with the various documents for Deeds, Land Titles etc . Reg Gen’s office did NOT have a ‘follow up’ policy if NO quarterly return received for the BDM section.
In 1902, Emily tells us she is aged 33 years. (son Thomas’ birth cert) 1902 less 33 gives birth year of about 1869. (25 June 1902)
In 1904, Emily tells us she is aged 36 years (daughter Emily’s birth cert) 1904 less 36 gives birth year of about 1868 (26 August 1904)
In 1907, Emily tells us she is aged 38 years (son James’ birth cert) 1907 less 38 gives 1869 (11 April 1907).
You may need to look for a NSW birth, born in Autumn/Winter NSW, in 1869. Her given name may be indexed as Emily, or that may be her middle given name. Also in that era in NSW, Emma and Emily are inter-changeable.
Also, need to consider if Emily was from first or second marriage for Jack.
Jack WRIGHT died 1936, aged either 105 or 118 (or thereabouts).
1936 less 1871 is 65 years.
118 less 65 gives Jack as aged 53 when Emily was born
105 less 65 gives Jack as aged 40 when Emily was born
So
look at possible NSW BDM deaths for Emily’s mum, assuming Emily was from first marriage and that Jack was informant and gave details of the children of first marriage…
They are still thinking of more options and will phone me again on the weekend.
PS Use less is more with the online NSW BDM index. If you have the CDs they may be better option for that era. Also familysearch using Australia as location is a good option.
JM
