Author Topic: William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?  (Read 2202 times)

Offline KentishChris

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William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?
« on: Tuesday 06 February 18 03:47 GMT (UK) »
Hello all!

This is a brick wall I've been trying to smash down for a few years now and luckily I found an article the other day that has given me a fresh lead.

William Horn born in 1868, Glasgow, Scotland led an interesting life (from the bits and pieces I have found!). His father was George Horn and his mother Mary Nixon. I believe he was born as William Nixon Horn.
I've found him living at home in the 1871, 1881 and 1891 census. In the 1891 census he is listed as an Analytical Chemist. The next record I found of him was leaving the UK for Chile, to take up a job there. He then marries out there in Taltal in 1896 to a Violet Kemp Thomson. All records then disappear.

I found Violet Kemp Horn coming back in early 1902, on her own. This is where it got a bit strange!
George Lamont Horn (their son), was born in November 1903 and William is listed as his father.
I found a newspaper article that was granting Violet a divorce on the grounds of desertion. She has been quoted to say that he had left her in Chile, and his words to her were along the lines of "I hope to never see you again". Then in the article, it states that when Violet had returned to the UK a few months after William in early 1902 and found that he had already set sail for Australia and he was apparently in Fremantle, WA.

However, I can find no records of William at all. And, although he is listed as George's father, the dates just do not add up.
Frustratingly, I have not been able to find any of them in 1911. George is then living on his own in 1921. Violet then emigrates herself to Australia, and ends up in Geelong, where she lives for 25ish years and dies.
On her death certificate, it states she is widowed, to William. And strangely that she has no children. She did die in a home and of "senility", so the staff at the home may not have been aware that she even had children.

I was hoping to find any records of William in Australia and if anyone can help, that would be amazing :)
Goldsmith, Dewhurst, Brown, Stoneman, Waite, Philbey, Bolingbroke, Bowen - London
Evenden - Kent
Bryant - Somerset
Tyson, Walker, Beesley, Barlow - Lancashire
Horn - Sussex
Peacock, Bailey - Yorkshire
Butler - Hampshire

NIL DESPERANDUM

Offline warncoort

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Re: William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 06 February 18 03:57 GMT (UK) »
Butcher Westmorland and Lancashire
Barton Westmorland and Yorkshire
Trethowan,Reeves Middlesex
Halsall,Green,Charters,Chatterton Lancashire
Smith, Moger, Maxfield Wiltshire
Woods,Speechley and Coles Huntingdonshire
Gibson,Blanks,Monk,Fokes Essex

Offline mollipops1

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Re: William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 07 February 18 00:05 GMT (UK) »
There is a death for a William HORN in Marble Bar in the Pilbara region of WA, from Glasgow, in 1915 aged 'about 45'.

See this article: trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146123837

He had been working on Warralong Station for two years. He died without a will: trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146074247

You can order his death certificate here: http://www.bdm.dotag.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/default.aspx

Offline KentishChris

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Re: William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 07 February 18 10:06 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for finding this mollipops1!

Having no documents of his whereabouts after the newspaper article in the UK, it's hard to see why he is there.

I managed to find Violet in 1911, in Greenock, Scotland. She has obviously returned home and was working as a maternity nurse. Strangely, she is still listed as being married and uses the Horn name up until she dies. This is after filing for a divorce in 1906. On this document, there was no sign of William and no sign of their son, George, who would have been 8 at the time.

Thanks
Chris
Goldsmith, Dewhurst, Brown, Stoneman, Waite, Philbey, Bolingbroke, Bowen - London
Evenden - Kent
Bryant - Somerset
Tyson, Walker, Beesley, Barlow - Lancashire
Horn - Sussex
Peacock, Bailey - Yorkshire
Butler - Hampshire

NIL DESPERANDUM


Offline mollipops1

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Re: William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 07 February 18 10:13 GMT (UK) »
Didn't you say in your original post that he had set sail for Fremantle in WA?

He may have been looking for work and ended up going north to work on a station.

Offline KentishChris

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Re: William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 07 February 18 10:16 GMT (UK) »
When Violet was filing for divorce, she stated that by the time she had returned to the UK, William's apparent whereabouts was Fremantle, so there is no evidence to prove this.
However, it is was true, then he could definitely have gone up there to work. From his movements, it appears he was trying to get away, so again, moving to the middle of nowhere would make sense!
Goldsmith, Dewhurst, Brown, Stoneman, Waite, Philbey, Bolingbroke, Bowen - London
Evenden - Kent
Bryant - Somerset
Tyson, Walker, Beesley, Barlow - Lancashire
Horn - Sussex
Peacock, Bailey - Yorkshire
Butler - Hampshire

NIL DESPERANDUM

Offline mollipops1

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Re: William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 07 February 18 10:46 GMT (UK) »
 ;D

Offline willsy

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Re: William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 07 February 18 21:37 GMT (UK) »
Had a look at the divorce case in the paper and going on the dates Violet gave, I believe this is William

Uk Incoming passenger list

Mr W Horn abt 1868 departing New York and arriving 20 Nov 1901 Liverpool on the Oceanic

On the passenger list
Embarked from Valparaiso age  33 Chemist
Willsy

Ward, Newark (Nottingham), Leicester, Scarborough
Warren, Northampton, Leicester
Moore, Leicestershire
Hunt, Leicestershire
Kirkman, Leicestershire
Hurst, Leicester, Stowmarket
Kendrick, Leicestershire
Eld, Leicestershire
Essex Edey/Eady Elsden/Elsdon

Census Transcriptions are Crown Copyright from National Archives

Offline KentishChris

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Re: William Horn (1868-?) Did he really move to Australia?
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 07 February 18 22:41 GMT (UK) »
Had a look at the divorce case in the paper and going on the dates Violet gave, I believe this is William

Uk Incoming passenger list

Mr W Horn abt 1868 departing New York and arriving 20 Nov 1901 Liverpool on the Oceanic

On the passenger list
Embarked from Valparaiso age  33 Chemist

Thank you so much for finding this! Everything matches up there!
Goldsmith, Dewhurst, Brown, Stoneman, Waite, Philbey, Bolingbroke, Bowen - London
Evenden - Kent
Bryant - Somerset
Tyson, Walker, Beesley, Barlow - Lancashire
Horn - Sussex
Peacock, Bailey - Yorkshire
Butler - Hampshire

NIL DESPERANDUM