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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: CLawlor on Saturday 15 October 11 04:05 BST (UK)
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I am looking for more information about Emily Maud BIRKENSHAW.She was adopted by Henry DUNBAR.
He married Elizabeth ? .They had a daughter May.Six years later he deserted his wife and 2 children.Elizabeth was destitute so she asked that Emily be taken into care and she was sent to the ?Industrial School in Sydney
There is an article about it in the Broken Hill newspaper 27 Aug 1897.
Does anyone know what became of her?
Regards Carolyn
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BIRKENSHAW Emily Ann
3
17 Sep 1877
NRS 12266;
[4/10585];
Page 132,
COD 506
wrong Emily
http://srwww.records.nsw.gov.au/indexsearch/keyname.aspx
Leanne
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Hi
There is a marriage for an Emily Maud DUNBAR to a James Leonard WOOKEY in Victoria 1917.
Not sure if she is the right person but her marriage certificate should show her father. Victoria BMD Certs can be searched, paid for and downloaded from
online.justice.vic.gov.au
Cheers
Karenlee
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Hi.
Emily Maude WOOKEY's death registration has her father as Thomas Dunbar & mother Ethel Hall.
1963, Prahran Victoria, age 69.
Reg: 21690.
Regards
Gerry
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Gerry... saw that too so have been looking for a marriage for a Thomas DUNBAR and Ethel HALL and for a birth of an Emily Maud DUNBAR to those parents in Victoria. Not found any of that yet but of course that does not preclude their existence, but it also calls into question the knowledge of the person giving the information at Emily's death. ;)
Cheers
Karenlee
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Henry Dunbar and Elizabeth had a daughter Elizabeth M Dunbar in 1895, Broken Hill.
Given the time I would be looking at South Australian records as many travelled the shorter distance and she possibly married there.
Neil
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Hi,
Thankyou for all your suggestions :D
The Elizabeth M is the May I mentioned in the first post.I thought it was strange that Henry Dunbar adopted Emily BEFORE he married .
Regards Carolyn
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For clarification purposes:
The Industrial School for Girls was at Parramatta, not Sydney.
http://www.parragirls.org.au/parramatta-girls-home.php
Leanne
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Hi there,
At the NSW SRO index for deceased estates, there are two files that pay point to possible parents for Emily Maud ... there's a chap named as Thomas Birkenshaw, of Balmain who died in 1883, and a lady, Elizabeth Birkenshaw, also of Balmain who died in 1890.
NSW BDM index gives
Thomas W Birkenshaw's d.c. as #2291 of 1883. (no given name for his mother, and his father was recorded as William)
Elizabeth C Birkenshaw's d.c. as #2722 of 1890. (no given names for parents)
From the newspaper cutting, Emily was adopted circa 1891 by Henry Dunbar.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/44195530
From the NSW ER 1903, The BARRIER, polling at Burke (as in part of Broken Hill)
James DUNBAR, a miner, of Wolfham St
Verginia DUNBAR, at her domestic duties, of William St (spelling of her given name as per the roll)
I cannot find any NSW BDM indexed reference for Henry Dunbar's marriage to Elizabeth, and I agree with Neil's suggestion re South Australia. May I ask if you have a transcript of the 1895 b.c. for Henry's daughter with Elizabeth please? It should give you details about both Henry and Elizabeth, when and where married, Elizabeth's nee and any former names etc. It could well be that the adoption of Emily was undertaken because her birth parents were connected to either Henry or his then future wife, although the newspaper cutting makes no mention of that, so I should add that it is very much speculation on my part ...
Cheers, JM
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Not sure if this has any bearing on anything or may be nothing but other chatters may be able to clarify:
Ryerson Index has the following 2 death notices.
CORMACK William Birkinshaw
Death notice 23 SEP 1962
Death late of West Ryde
Sydney Morning Herald 25 SEP 1962
This would appear to be William Birkenshaws' birth registration:
3969/1876 CORMACK William Birkenshaw
Father John
Mother Elizabeth C
Registered at Glebe
and marriage of parents
1255/1875
CORMACK John
BIRKENSHAW Elizabeth C
Registered at Balmain
CORMACK William Dunbar
Death notice 07 AUG 1995
Death 83 late of Lismore
Northern Star (Lismore) 12 AUG 1995
Leanne
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There is no marriage registered in SA for them.
This is their marriage in Broken Hill:
DUNBAR ABRAHAM m. EASTER ELIZABETH BROKEN HILL 1893 #2627
Births of two daughters:
DUNBAR ROSETTA b. 1894 BROKEN HILL #7731
Parents: ABSOLOM H & ELIZABETH
DUNBAR ELIZABETH M b. 1895 BROKEN HILL #10298
Parents: HENRY A & ELIZABETH
Death of first born daughter:
DUNBAR ROSETTA d. 1894 BROKEN HILL #3388
Parents: ABSALOM H & ELIZABETH
There are several mentions of Henry in the newspapers domestic violence, causing trouble, going to gaol all around the Broken Hill area & then finally he was caught & gaoled in England.
Here are a couple:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/45628841?searchTerm=%22henry%20dunbar%22&searchLimits=
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/44104747?searchTerm=%22henry%20dunbar%22&searchLimits=
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Hi Carolyn,
I dont know what this has to do with any of the previous but a strong coincidence is found in this birth.
25/1909 DUNBAR MAY Mother ETHEL M SYDNEY NO FATHER LISTED
Could this be your EMILY M Birkenshaw? This whole family seems to have a way with altering Christian Names :o
Cheers Neil
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Sorry should have added there are two births of Ethel M Dunbar's none in Sydney.
23003/1885 DUNBAR ETHEL M FATHER CHARLES MOTHER ELIZABETH at SCONE
20932/1894 DUNBAR ETHEL M FATHER WILLIAM MOTHER FRANCES S at MEREWETHER
Either of these could be as per my earlier post ???
There is a commonality with the Dunbar women of the strong use of the name MAY.
Neil :P
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Hi,
Thankyou for all your suggestions.
I have found a marriage of Henry DUNBAR to Eliza J HARRISON in Orange in 1895.
Also a death of Henry DUNBAR [parents Joseph and Sarah in 1949[Orange again].
I am interested as my great grandmother was Florence Amy BIRKENSHAW borm1872 at Homebush Victoria [parents George and Rebecca].
She married John Charles LAWLOR in 1896 and moved to Broken Hill in abt 2004.
I wondered whether Emily Maud was her child that she adpoted out?
Regards,
Carolyn
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PROV Has a digitised will for a George BURKENSHAW, Ex-Farmer of Lower Homebush available for viewing online. This is a lengthy document of 32 pages.
Leanne
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Thankyou :D
I am amazed how helpful everyone is!
Regards,
Carolyn
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I have found a marriage of Henry DUNBAR to Eliza J HARRISON in Orange in 1895.
Also a death of Henry DUNBAR [parents Joseph and Sarah in 1949[Orange again].
I cannot find a registration for either of those events at the NSW BDM online site. It is possible that the online index does not include every entry in their registers, but it will be a tad more difficult for you to obtain either an official transcript or a certified copy of their records.
From that 1895 marriage, do you have the denomination, clergyman's details, and the witnesses? I could try to find confirming info from my off line NSW resources.
PS, perhaps the info in your post re Florence Amy Birkenshaw's marriage to John Charles Lawlor in 1896 and move to Broken Hill in abt 2004 has a typo, would that be 1904 perchance? ;)
Cheers, JM
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Hi,
Sorry of course it was 1904 not 2004!
No I don't have any other information.I need to order the certificates.
Regards,
Carolyn
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Henry DUNBAR m. Eliza J HARRISON 1889 ORANGE #6741 - not 1895
If you don't have this MC or other documentation I wonder how you know that the 1949 death in Orange is his?
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Hi there,
Some thoughts :
The newspaper cutting of 27 Aug 1897 reports:
:) A lass was adopted by Henry Dunbar in about 1891. (but does not say in which colony this occurred, where the lass was born or who her parents were)
:) At some time after that adoption, Henry Dunbar married (but it does not say where, or to whom)
:) His wife had a child by him (but there is no mention of that child’s gender, nor when/where that child was born)
:) In the several weeks prior to 27 Aug 1897, Henry Dunbar quit that marriage (and I deduce that after a search, he was not found in the district, perhaps a Police search was undertaken, but that is speculation on my part)
:) So that by 27 Aug 1897, Mrs Dunbar was so destitute that she needed to give up the adopted child, Emily Maud Birkenshaw and so Mrs Dunbar handed the adopted child to the Police
I hope that the Orange mc of 1889, giving a Henry Dunbar as marrying an Eliza J Harrison is for your Emily’s adopting parents, but I don’t know that it will help find your Emily. I also don’t know how that m.c. could confirm that the Mrs Dunbar in that newspaper cutting was the Eliza J Harrison on that Orange 1889 m.c.
There is a submitted public tree on a commercial website, that attributes that Orange 1889 marriage to a Henry Dunbar and an Eliza Jane Harrison and gives that couple EIGHT children, with births from 1891, 1892, 1894, 1897, 1899, 1901, 1902, and 1905. That submitted tree also gives Henry Dunbar as dying at Orange in Feb 1949. With all submitted information, it needs to be verified to enable you to confirm or eliminate part or whole of that very information.
So, may I suggest that you seek to obtain a transcript of Henry’s 1949 d.c. as it should show the marriage, and the children of that marriage. The submitted public tree does not give any citations, but that is not unusual. Perhaps the tree “owner” has not yet acquired the certificates, or perhaps has chosen not to include the citations for their online submission. I have looked but I cannot see anyone with the surname Birkenshaw on that tree.
Another submitted public tree has a photo of a headstone with this inscription (No mention of the cemetery):
In Loving Memory Of my dear wife, & our dear mother
Eliza Jane DUNBAR departed this life May 25, 1933 aged 69 years
our dear father Henry Dunbar departed this life Feb 11, 1949 aged 90 years
Not Lost But Gone Before.
If you are seeking details about Emily Maud Birkenshaw’s adopting father or mother, then perhaps the better option would be a transcript copy of that 1895 birth at Broken Hill, giving parents as Henry and Elizabeth. But I think that Leanne’s reply #7 pointing you to the Industrial School for Girls at Parramatta is the option to follow, for it should at least give you a lead to the current whereabouts of their admissions records from that era.
During May 1898 there was an enquiry about the Parramatta Girls institution, and the NSW SRO seems to have further information about that in their Series number 14718, #4/7790.
http://investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/
My fingers are crossed, brickwalls can be so confusing until a simple clue pops up to unravel the mystery.
Cheers, JM
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Hi,
Thankyou for your wonderful summary.It was all so confused in my mind and I wasn't lookinging at it logically.
Thankyou for everyones input.
Regards,
Carolyn ;D :D
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Hi Carolyn....me again >:( pest.
Going off your posts and the information coming to light some things I am finding a little confusing ::) probably me.....
I am interested as my great grandmother was Florence Amy BIRKENSHAW Born1872 at Homebush Victoria [parents George and Rebecca].
She married John Charles LAWLOR in 1896 and moved to Broken Hill in abt 1904.
I wondered whether Emily Maud was her child that she adopted out?
Question: do you know she had this child ???
Question: do you know when she had this child ???
Question: do you know where she had this child ???
Question: did she have any other children ???
Question: did Florence stay married to John Charles Lawlor ???
Question: do you know where Florence died ???
Question: Did Florence have this child before she married John Charles Lawlor
:So sorry about all the questions, just wanted to clear up several things in my mind.
Cheers Neil ;)
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George BURKINSHAW m Rebecca ROWLAND 1862 # 2362
Children listed to George BIRKENSHAW and Rebecca Emma ROWLAND in Victoria:
1. Rose Elizabeth b 1869 Avoca # 20048
2. Florence Amy b 1872 Avoca # 166
3. Bertram d 1872 aged 7 { b Victoria}# 23
3. Frances b 1874 Avoca # 6572
4. Bertram Arthur b 1877 # 12741
5. Walter William b 1880 Avoca # 126
6. Eveleana May b 1882 Homebush # 9891
Regards
Alison
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There are no stray births registered to Florence Amy BIRKENSHAW under any name before her marriage to John Charles LAWLOR 1896 in VIC. Also there are no births registered in VIC for an Emily Maud Birkenshaw.
However they did have a daughter born 1898 in VIC:
LAWLOR Eva Thelma b. 1898 WARRAGUL #29870
Father: Jno Chas
Mother: Flor Amy BURKINSHAW
That child died in 1899 in VIC:
LAWLOR Eva Thelma age 3mths d. PRESTON 1899 #3354
Father: Lawlor Jno Chas
Mother: Flor Amy BERKENSHAW
Eva is buried at Coburg Cemetery you can find her details online here:
http://www.fcmp.com.au/genealogicalsearch.asp
I assume their other children were born in NSW... I haven't checked.
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Could this be a likely death associated with the Birkenshaws?
Rebecca Burkensham at Homebush Vic, 1892 at age 50, (ie born 1842)
Father Rowland Wm
Mother Frances Corney Budge
Ref # 2328
Cheers, JM
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And there's also this possibility
a death in 1916 for a Geo Burkinsham, at Homebush Vic , at age 80
Father Burkinshaw Jno
Mother Marg Ashton
# 2154
Cheers, JM
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This may be a red herring ....
There is a birth registered in 1888 at Broken Hill that MAY and of course may NOT be for Emily ....
Emily Brockenshire (I am speculating this may be a mis-heard Birkenshaw)
Her parents given names were Thomas and Elizabeth J
The ref # 37249
EDIT TO ADD Ummm.... likely this is a red herring because :
NSW ER 1903 The BARRIER, polling at Burke (ie Broken Hill)
BROKENSHIRE, Elizabeth Jane, at her domestic duties of Gaffney Lane
BROKENSHIRE, Thomas, engine driver, of Gaffney Street
Cheers, JM
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Hi all, If Little Eva was born Last Quarter of 1898 and died first quarter of 1899 I would suppose that Florence was in Victoria until that time.
As per Merlins Post
Then
The newspaper cutting of 27 Aug 1897 reports that a Lass was adopted by Henry Dunbar in 1891.
Then
This is their marriage in Broken Hill:
DUNBAR ABRAHAM m. EASTER ELIZABETH BROKEN HILL 1893 #2627
As per Merlins earlier post
Wots the odd's of a Single bloke adopting a baby girl in 1891 ::)
Neil ???
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Well, perhaps he had become single after the adoption*** .... simply because at some point after that adoption he was no longer married ? .... separated, divorced, widowed .... Perhaps he thought it important to re-marry to find a mother for this wee lass... So many "perhaps" issues.... eg Was Henry actually Abraham and the obvious answer is : perhaps ...
*** This word in that era in NSW has a slightly different meaning from 21st sense.... in the 1880's/1890's it's meaning is more akin to our 21st C word " fostering " rather than formalising with court orders etc. Formal adoptions in NSW commenced shortly after WWI
It is not an easy task to find archival records for those 'adoptions'.... they may be for children born before their mums married, or they may be foundlings, orphans, "half-orphans" (ie one parent dies, the other has no funds coming in to keep the family together).... Sometimes these "adoptions" were
:) private within the family arrangements (eg grandparents raise a grandchild as though they were the birth parents, or the child is raised by aunts/uncles) (rare to find any documentary evidence)
:) private arrangements within a Masonic Lodge (very hard to find archive records)
:) Benevolent Society arrangements (see the RChat NSW Resources Board for links)
:) "Childless" couples taking in children whose parents were both still living, with the childless couple receiving board and lodging fees from those parents.
And, there's most likely other arrangements too... Trove newspapers has quite a number of examples of deaths in that era for young people, where that child/teenager has different surname to the family organising the funeral, and the notices mention "adopted son/daughter" within the family notice.
Cheers, JM
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I have found a marriage of Henry DUNBAR to Eliza J HARRISON in Orange in 1895.
Also a death of Henry DUNBAR [parents Joseph and Sarah in 1949[Orange again].
The couple who married, had chn and died at Orange are Henry and Eliza Jane not Elizabeth. As mentioned they married in 1889 and they are on the 1903 NSW electoral roll at Summerhill Creek, Division Canobolas, Sub division Mullion Creek. Henry's occupation, farmer. On the 1913 NSW electoral roll they are listed on the roll of electors who vote at the East Orange polling place. Their residential address Icely Road. Henry still a farmer and Eliza Jane, domestic duties. They are on the later NSW electoral rolls also at Orange. Not your couple.
Marriage announcement 3 Oct 1893
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0fpi/
DUNBAR-EASTER September 28 at the Baptist Church, South Broken Hill, by the Rev G J Tuck, Absolom Dunbar to Elizabeth Easter, both of Birmingham, England.
News snippet 8 Oct 1893 for Absolom DUNBAR
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0fpj/
Kalgoorlie Western Argus 31 Oct 1905
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0fpk/
Boulder Court 24 Oct 1905
Absolom DUNBAR was charged with neglecting to comply with an order of the court…..to pay Ł1 a week to support his wife and child......
I am wondering why you are researching Emily Maud? Is there a family story about Florence Amy having an illegitimate child?
Cando
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Hi,
I was in Broken Hill last Friday researching family history and catching up with distant relatives.When the lovely lady at the Genealogy Society found out we had BIRKENSHAWS in our tree she bought out the Trove cutting to show me.I just jumped to conclusions that my Florence was involved as she had converted to Salvation Army and did not get married until 24 which was old in those days!
Regards Carolyn
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OH!!!
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Well, there's many a bride in my own tree marrying in rural/regional/western districts of NSW in the decades before Federation, who were first married when they were a tad more than 24 .... They waited until their beaus were able to afford to marry and set up a home.