Ashley Family in Australia

[Yvonne Ann]

Hi to all you budding genealogists out there.  I am new to this web site & like you, searching for family members.
I am searching on my maternal side of the family & have had a lot of success so far!
I am currently searching for a relative, born around 1941? in Sydney Australia. His father was John Lewis Ashley, born 1915 in Sydney.  His mother was Betty Bridges & as far as I can tell she was also born in Australia.  John & Betty married in 1941.  I also believe John & Betty could have separated?
I have not been able to find a birth, death or marriage for this person.  I live in New Zealand & although some records are a available on line, not everything is accessible for me in NZ.
A brief history for you which may help!!!........my maternal grandfather's mother Annie Harris nee Hendy, left my grandfather when he was very young, taking with her my grandfather's sister Sadie Eileen Harris, born 1909 in Christchurch, New Zealand.  My grandfather who passed quite a few years ago, never saw either of them again!  Although I can't find a marriage for Annie, I have found her living in Rose Bay, Sydney and with a gentleman names Percival Lewis Ashley.  Percival & Annie had a child (John Lewis Ashley) in 1915.  John's birth was registered 3 times!  John Lewis Ashley, John Lewis Harris, John Lewis Hendy!!!! I found John's marriage to Betty in 1941.  In the death notice for Percival Lewis Ashley it mentions a grandson of Percival.  Hence the reason I am trying to find him.  There is every possibility he could still be alive, but in his 70's. 
Any help would be very much appreciated.  Should also mention I found Sadie aka Eileen, she married twice, but no mention of children in her death notice.
Kind regards
Yvonne Palmer

[Dundee]

Hi and Welcome 

We cannot discuss potentially living people on RootsChat out of respect for their privacy so you will need to remove his name from your post.  If anyone can help with advice then they can contact you by private message.  You will need to make three posts to activate the private message facility.

I live in New Zealand & although some records are a available on line, not everything is accessible for me in NZ.

The NSW BDM indexes are online and free to search.  Birth records are closed for 100 years, marriages records for 50 years and deaths for 30 years.

Electoral rolls are available on subscription websites and you may have free access at your local library.

John's birth was registered 3 times!  John Lewis Ashley, John Lewis Harris, John Lewis Hendy

It was not registered three times.  You are looking at an index and so it has been INDEXED three times to account for the different surnames recorded.  A child was not given a surname on a birth certificate so the only surnames which appear are those of the parents.  If the parents give a marriage date and the mother has the same surname as the father then the birth will be indexed once under the father's surname.  If the mother has a different surname then it will be indexed under both those surnames.  If the mother has a different surname and also a 'formerly' maiden surname then it will be indexed three times under all the surnames.  The whole point of an index is to be able to find what you are looking for.  In the case of an unmarried couple the indexers do not know which surname the child may have used later so they are just giving you all the information to help you find it.  If you were to get the certificate it will likely name the father as Percival ASHLEY and the mother as Annie HARRIS formerly HENDY.

The father of an illegitimate child had to attend the Registrar's office and sign as co-informant for his name to be included on the certificate.

Debra 

[Yvonne Ann]

Thank you Debra......like I said, I am new at this.  Have removed the name for privacy purposes.