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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 00:38 BST (UK)

Title: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 00:38 BST (UK)
My Paternal Great Great Grandmother is proving quite a challenge.

I am asking for all your valuable knowledge and input into furthering my plight to knowing more on my Great Great Grandmother Emily Wright.

She was Emily Wright born in Trangie,New South Wales to John Wright, a Stockman.

Mother of Emily is unkown and has never been mentioned on any documents in relation to Emily, like her marriage or death certificates.
So knowing who Emilys mother is or was is one of my many unanswered questions.[/i]

My Paternal Great Great Grandmother was married to Thomas Hawkes and together they had three children.

1. Thomas HAWKES, born 25 June 1902,Nyngan,New South Wales
( Also regestered as Thomas Wright)

2.Emily WRIGHT, born 26 August 1904, Cobar, New South Wales

3. James WRIGHT,  born 1907,Cobar,New South Wales

From the birth of Thomas registered on 14th July 1902 at Nyngan by the Mother Emily Hawkes herself of Duck Creek. It states there was a marraige of Thomas and Emily on 26th April 1901 at Cobar, New South Wales.
To date I have not been able to find this!

It is from here and the birth registrations of her three children that I establish Emilys place of birth as being that of Duck Creek which is located at Canounbar,New South Wales. This is now marked with a monument of stone with a plaque describing the township and where it once existed.

Emily and Thomas made there way north to Queensland where they married in Roma, Queensland on the 20 August 1913. They also had the children registered and they were then the lawful issue of Thomas and Emily. This occured in the September of 1913.
 The children were now legally Thomas, Emily and James Hawkes.

The Hawkes family continued to live in Queensland eventually settling in the Longreach town. Thomas died in Longreach on the 1st July 1947.
Thomas Hawkes was born on the 6th June 1861 in Gundaroo, New South Wales Father John Hawkes and Mother was Mary Ann Davis.

Emily died in The Bethany Home in Rockahmpton,Queensland on the 11 May 1960, aged 92 years old.

From this I have acertained Emily was born around 1868.

Many records have been searched and to date I have come up with none that support the life of Emily, my Great Great Grandmother from her birth in 1868 up until her birth of her first child Thomas in 1902.

 Just to throw an oral account into Emilys life it was always known by her family of the Longreach area that she was of the Wellington Area and of MAORI decent.

I had to disagree with this after the knowledge I was gathering not supporting any of that oral account.

As you can well imagine this was a fine line to tread with the family and suggesting quite a different line of decent was  one I had to approach with much tact.  This is my opinion and mine alone and I do not wish to offend anyone but just further my wanting to learn the truth and discover my great Great Grandmothers ancestory.

I have many oral accounts of what might be but none that are factual!

Thanking all you valuable researchers and hopefully together something can be gleaned from all this to further my research.
Jill

Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Jamjar on Saturday 10 July 10 02:09 BST (UK)
Have you checked out this certificate?

NSW BDM

11342/1865  Emily I    WRIGHT  Parents:    JOHN  and Rhoda -  registration  MORPETH 

Jamjar
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Jamjar on Saturday 10 July 10 02:27 BST (UK)
Marriage: V1854759 41B/1854  John WRIGHT  Rhoda  PRESLAND     

Area of registration includes: Black Creek, Bulwarra, Cloden, East Maitland, Hinton, Hunter District, Maitland, Morpeth, West Maitland

Jamjar
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: crisane on Saturday 10 July 10 02:28 BST (UK)
Hi Jill
after checking out the sometimes very precise dates of births, marriages and deaths both in Queensland and NSW I am seriously beginning to doubt myself. This is because the only dates I can verify are those of the births of Thomas and Emily Hawkes' 3 children registered in NSW.
I cannot find Thomas Hawke's birth (or a marriage of his parents using the names you gave) or a Thomas born to a John and Mary Ann Davis between 1800 and 1900 in NSW
There are four possible births of an Emily Hawke but the closest in place is Bathurst otherwise the one in Morpeth.
There are also four births for an Emily Wright in NZ for the time frame, the closest being 1869.
Similarly in Queensland I can't find the deaths of Thomas and Emily either   Do you have the certificates for the Queensland marriage, the re-registering of the births of their children and the death certificates of Thomas and Emily?
Whatever information is on birth, marriage and death certificates can be very suspect as it is reliant on the informer  wanting to tell the truth or even on whether they know the truth. We have to work around it. Similarly with family stories which can be outright fantasy or part truth.
Please put me out of my misery and give the references for the BMD details :)
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Raylen on Saturday 10 July 10 02:44 BST (UK)
Similarly in Queensland I can't find the deaths of Thomas and Emily either  
Please put me out of my misery and give the references for the BMD details :)

1947/C2572  Thomas HAWKES
Father: John  Mother:  Mary Davis

1960/C2361  Emily HAWKES
No parents listed

Raylen
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 03:00 BST (UK)
Have you checked out this certificate?

NSW BDM

11342/1865  Emily I    WRIGHT  Parents:    JOHN  and Rhoda -  registration  MORPETH 

Jamjar

Thanks for this suggestion, this was one of my first and earliest option back in July 1997. I cant see any connection here at all. I do have acopy of this birth certificate.
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 03:02 BST (UK)
Have you checked out this certificate?

NSW BDM

11342/1865  Emily I    WRIGHT  Parents:    JOHN  and Rhoda -  registration  MORPETH 

Jamjar

I have not pursued this
Jill
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 04:09 BST (UK)
Hi Jill
after checking out the sometimes very precise dates of births, marriages and deaths both in Queensland and NSW I am seriously beginning to doubt myself. This is because the only dates I can verify are those of the births of Thomas and Emily Hawkes' 3 children registered in NSW.
I cannot find Thomas Hawke's birth (or a marriage of his parents using the names you gave) or a Thomas born to a John and Mary Ann Davis between 1800 and 1900 in NSW
There are four possible births of an Emily Hawke but the closest in place is Bathurst otherwise the one in Morpeth.
There are also four births for an Emily Wright in NZ for the time frame, the closest being 1869.
Similarly in Queensland I can't find the deaths of Thomas and Emily either   Do you have the certificates for the Queensland marriage, the re-registering of the births of their children and the death certificates of Thomas and Emily?
Whatever information is on birth, marriage and death certificates can be very suspect as it is reliant on the informer  wanting to tell the truth or even on whether they know the truth. We have to work around it. Similarly with family stories which can be outright fantasy or part truth.
Please put me out of my misery and give the references for the BMD details :)
Thomas Hawkes birth Ref#in N.S.W. is 24762, mother Emily Hawkes nee Wright and Father Thomas Hawkes. His death Ref # is 2572

Thomas Hawkes was born in Gundaroo,New South Wales, Reg #12122, Mother Mary Ann Hawks nee Davis and Father John Hawks.

Marriage Ref# of Thomas & Emily in Roma,Qld are #2257

Death Ref# for Emily Hawkes nee Wright is #1960/002361 (2361)

Registered in the New South Wales BD&M Registry is the added Comments section of a certificate, which reads
TO THE SIDE "The within named Emily Wright was registered as the lawful issue of Thomas Hawkes and Emily formerly Wright, 17 September 1913: - Registrar Generals Office,Brisbane,Qld, 24 September 1913.

This is the same for Thomas and James.
 On the Qld Cert is says registered under authrity of Act 63 Victoriae No.11.

I was fortunate enough to obtain copies of three sources for comparison for the births of the three children Thomas, Emily and James. They were a transcription of the NSW births, the Copy of the NSW Birth Cert for use of Historical Purposes only and the Qld Birth Certificates.
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: crisane on Saturday 10 July 10 04:10 BST (UK)
[1947/C2572  Thomas HAWKES
Father: John  Mother:  Mary Davis

1960/C2361  Emily HAWKES
No parents listed

Raylen
Quote

Thanks Raylen. I'll go and take another look and see if it comes up for me. One mystery solved, I knew I was being dense.
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 04:13 BST (UK)
Similarly in Queensland I can't find the deaths of Thomas and Emily either  
Please put me out of my misery and give the references for the BMD details :)

1947/C2572  Thomas HAWKES
Father: John  Mother:  Mary Davis

1960/C2361  Emily HAWKES
No parents listed

Raylen
Thank You Raylen
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 04:15 BST (UK)
Have you checked out this certificate?

NSW BDM

11342/1865  Emily I    WRIGHT  Parents:    JOHN  and Rhoda -  registration  MORPETH 

Jamjar

Thanks for this suggestion, this was one of my first and earliest option back in July 1997. I cant see any connection here at all. I do have acopy of this birth certificate.
Further to this and with a view to re visiting everything I have already covered and just because I do have this certificate on hand, what do you suggest I do to futher the research on this line?
Jill
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Jamjar on Saturday 10 July 10 04:35 BST (UK)
Why have you discounted it?
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: crisane on Saturday 10 July 10 04:41 BST (UK)
Thanks for putting me straight Jill. I still don't know why I couldn't find them but it is quite evident brain was not in gear. Now to go and sit in the corner  :-[ :-X ::)
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 04:46 BST (UK)
 ;) All good, it is quite a frustrating family to research!!!
I value all input.
Jill
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 04:55 BST (UK)
Why have you discounted it?
Initailly I hadn't discounted this and as I had mentioned previously was one of my first and earliest  pieces of documentation but as my research opened up and I began looking at other documented pieces of information it lead me away from this piece of information. I feel however it may beworth revisiting, However as I am typing this and going over the 11 children of John and Rhoda I am not getting a sense of familiarity of any of the names.
Jill
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Jamjar on Saturday 10 July 10 05:12 BST (UK)
Didn't both familes have a James?

jamjar
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: tropicalj on Saturday 10 July 10 06:11 BST (UK)
Hello  there Jill

I am wondering if it is possible she was of Aboriginal descent and the familiy may have tried to hide her background by saying she was of Maori descent. 

just a thought

Jenn
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Joyful on Saturday 10 July 10 06:44 BST (UK)
There is a public member tree on Ancestry (Aust) called 'The Higgins Mob' which gives

Emily's parents as John (Jack) Wright and Mary Ann Potter (1846-1879) Wellington NSW.

According to the tree Mary Ann Potter's parents were John Potter and

Mary ann surname unknown BOTH identified as Aboriginal.

Mary Ann Potter's birth details are apparently on NSW BDM's REF: V18461218 40/1846.

Hope this helps you

Joy



Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Jamjar on Saturday 10 July 10 07:22 BST (UK)
Mary Ann Potter's birth details are apparently on NSW BDM's REF: V18461218 40/1846.

Doesn't show on the search I've done.

I assume Aboriginal births show under usual manner of search.

Jamjar
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Dundee on Saturday 10 July 10 08:48 BST (UK)
I assume Aboriginal births show under usual manner of search.
Jamjar

(1846)
Last Name: Aboriginal
Given Name/s: Mary A POTTER

From: http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/pmackett/nswbdm.html

Mary Ann, daughter of John Potter of Macquarie, stockman, and an aboriginal female. Aged 8 years.
Baptised 15. 4.1854 District of Wellington (40/1218)

John, son of John Potter of Macquarie, stockman, and an aboriginal female. Aged 5 years.
Baptised 15. 4.1854 District of Wellington (40/1219)



Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Joyful on Saturday 10 July 10 08:56 BST (UK)
Good find Dundee ;D ;)

Joy
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: tropicalj on Saturday 10 July 10 09:21 BST (UK)
Well found!!!

the birth is also there on the NSW online BDMS

reg no V18461218 40/1846
surname  ABORIGINAL 
given name MARY A POTTER 

father JOHN  mother UNKNOWN

Jenn
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Dundee on Saturday 10 July 10 10:21 BST (UK)
John WRIGHT, supposed father of Emily apparently lived to a very old age.  This could be his death:

2688/1936
WRIGHT, JOHN
son of JOHN
105 YRS TRANGIS
NARROMINE

Also some interesting info here:
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/AUS-ABORIGINE/2008-04/1207454525
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Jamjar on Saturday 10 July 10 11:45 BST (UK)
All very interesting, indeed.   :D

Jamjar
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 11:55 BST (UK)
Ok Guys, hate to seem like I'm putting a dampner on it and all that is being done to help further my post queries BUT.... like I have mentioned in previous postings there is all this information around Emily but nothing that actually ties it all together with her and her Father John Wright and a Mother!
A lot of this information I have seen, and some of it I have shared and questioned.
I really need to confirm something...aghhh ???
JIll
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Jamjar on Saturday 10 July 10 11:59 BST (UK)
Then I would start with this:

2688/1936
WRIGHT, JOHN
son of JOHN
105 YRS TRANGIS
NARROMINE


It should say who his children were.

Jamjar
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Jamjar on Saturday 10 July 10 12:06 BST (UK)
Trangie cemetery

John Wright 27 Feb 1936 105 years - born Forbes; son/John; unmarried; unmarked Anglican

Jamjar
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: 85jbk on Saturday 10 July 10 12:23 BST (UK)
I obtained this certificate back in 1997. It reads John Wright,Labourer,Male 105 years old. Died of Senility. His Father was John Wright, Mother Unknown. Born Forbes,New South Wales. Not Married. I too had hoped it would list the children. This left more unanswered questions.

I then contacted the Trangie Council and was lucky enough to be put onto the fellow who was then running the section connected with the local history of Trangie. He gave me quite a bit of information. BUT.... not enough to confirm what I am chasing.
I have attached the articles supplied by Bob.
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Jamjar on Saturday 10 July 10 12:36 BST (UK)
Makes for interesting reading, upside down.  ;D

You may want to remove the one with your name and address on it though.

Jamjar
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: patmotty on Sunday 08 August 10 00:05 BST (UK)
Jill

I would like to have a look at the attachments you mention in this posting.  I don't know how to do this and have not been back on rootschat for many years.
Kind regards :)
Pat
AUSTRALIA
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Ron Rodgers on Saturday 07 June 14 13:57 BST (UK)
Hi Jill. Perhaps I can help. My great great grandfather was John Wright who died in Trangie in 1936. I am from his daughter Alice. If this sounds like the same person contact me to see if we can be of assistance to each other.
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Ron Rodgers on Saturday 07 June 14 14:12 BST (UK)
I would really like to get a copy of the certificate mentioned by 85jbk as it relates to my gg grandfather.
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: mum mum on Monday 09 June 14 01:32 BST (UK)
Hi,
Just throwing my two bobs worth in. I think the possibility of Emily being born in NZ is quite strong. Part of our family believed that our GGG Grandmother was of Maori descent, she was born in NZ and they had not been able to find her birth registration so assumed that she was Maori.
Possibly look for shipping records for Emily's arrival in Australia??
mum mum
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: VickiC on Friday 12 August 16 13:33 BST (UK)
Hi Jill.
Im hoping we can help each other out. I think my grandmother is the daughter, Emily you mention. Lovely lady :).
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: VickiC on Friday 12 August 16 22:54 BST (UK)
Hi Jill.
I received your message - thank you. :)
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: bellandshane on Saturday 06 October 18 13:49 BST (UK)
Hi jill and VickiC.
New to this site and some family research.
I can research family back to John "Jack" Wright through his daughter Louisa who is also Emily's sister. I would love it if you could share any info on this family with me please.
Belinda
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: Treetotal on Saturday 06 October 18 13:55 BST (UK)
Hi Belinda and welcome to Rootschat...You may want to send a Personal message to Jill and Vicki...you can do this by clicking on the text icon beneath their name on the left..you will need to make one more post before you can do this.
Good Luck!

Carol
Title: Re: My Paternal Great Great Grandmothers Challenge!!!
Post by: bellandshane on Sunday 07 October 18 05:18 BST (UK)
Thankyou Carol   :)