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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: KMF on Monday 14 January 19 00:02 GMT (UK)
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I have been searching for info on Catherine Doyle Fanning for a long time, with no success. She was born out of wedlock to Johanna Doyle in Bulla Victoria Australia c 1865. Her father was most likely my grgrgrandfather William Patrick Fanning. She was put up for adoption but apparently still used the name Doyle Fanning on some records. I don't know who she was adopted by. She had three siblings and one sibling who died. I have searched high and low and can't find her or her mother. She married and had children but to who I don't know. Any info much appreciated.
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Is this the news story on which you base the belief that Johanna had a relationship with FANNING?
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/6480187
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This article and some information I was given by Catherine's grgrgrandaughter who contacted me in 2009. Unfortunately, she has never replied to any of my emails.
The grgrgrandaughter wrote that "My great great grandmother was Catherine Doyle Fanning born 1865 Bulla Victoria to Johanna Fanning, according to our family records she was placed for adoption, but she retained the name Fanning. With some of the records she names her father as being a William Fanning and her mother as being Johanna Doyle. There is also mention of other children, but unfortunately no christian names only that she has three siblings and one sibling that died."
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I guess you are aware that there is not a birth of Catherine DOYLE or FANNING born 1865 to Johanna DOYLE or FANNING registered on the Vic indexes.
Using offline resources, there is not a birth in that area to anyone of the surname FANNING or DOYLE. at or around that year.
To get help, or a bit of a start on this, you need to start from what you know and work backwards.
So, are you talking about your mother’s side or your father’s side?
Depending which side, what were the names of their parents.
You can get assistance to find the further details but I believe you are starting at the wrong place ;D
There are people and resources who will do their best to assist if given some concrete information.
Sue
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Unfortunately that's all the factual information I have re Catherine Doyle Fanning.
I have also looked at the Vic BDM indexes for birth & marriage records for Catherine and also death recs for her mother Johanna Doyle. I have looked in Bulla Cemetery listings and also immigration records and nothing fits so far. I have looked on familysearch.org. and Ancestry.
I have also tried to trace the grgrgranddaughter who contacted with no success. The name given was Sani Sanscri and the email was Australian. An unusual name. But can't find it anywhere.
William Fanning of Sunnyside Bulla, who found the baby's body, was my grgrgrandfather on my paternal side. I have mapped his ancestry extensively. He was born in 1812 in Thurles Co Tipperary to Edward Fanning and Judy Darmody. He married Catherine Hayes and they emigrated to Victoria in 1841 and eventually settled in Bulla. I have a blog where I have put all my family history> This isthe post related to the article on the body https://fanningfamilyhistory.com/index.php/2009/11/06/catherine-doyle-fanning-bulla/
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According to your blog, the deceased child was found in 1862 by Wm Fanning and Johanna Doyle had been dismissed a couple of months earlier.
I'm struggling to work out how Johanna Doyle had a child by Wm Fanning c 1865?
shume
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It wasn't proven that the child found in the sack was fathered by William Fanning, although it seems quite possible, even likely. The body was found in 1862.
Catherine Doyle Fanning, according to her grgrgrandaughter, was born in 1865 in Bulla and she gave her father as William Fanning and mother as Johanna Doyle. It would seem that William continued his affair with Johanna.
I haven't been able to find any birth records for Catherine and as I don't know who adopted her or her married name I am hoping a descendant will see this post.
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I'm not fully familiar with Vic BDM, however I just did a search covering 3 years1864 to 1866, for births of Catherine with mother Johanna, no surnames, and found 2 possibilities in 1864 . Perhaps recreate this search and see what you think. I'm using a mobile device away from home so not sure how to link it.
Regards
Jennaya
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Thanks for looking. I have spent ages on Vic BDM, trying all sorts of combinations, but none have led anywhere at this stage.
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how about this one - as per Jennaya
Vic bdm
1864 #22650
HALTON Catherine
father - George
mother - Johanna DOYLE
possibly born Kyneton
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how about this one - as per Jennaya
Vic bdm
1864 #22650
HALTON Catherine
father - George
mother - Johanna DOYLE
possibly born Kyneton
George, a farmer, and Johanna HALTON arrived in Melbourne as a married couple in their early 20's on the ship William Eyre in 1857.
Sue
ADDING
She died
1865 /9041
HALTON Johanna
Father's name DOYLE Martin
Mother's name,-
Place of birth TIPP
Age 34
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something isn't quite adding up here
the 1862 newspaper article refers to Mrs. Doyle, Johanna Doyle, a married woman, whose husband had gone to Ireland 3 years before
this can't be Johanna HALTON nee DOYLE - she was having children with her husband George in
1860 - James; 1861 - Mary; 1863 - John; 1864 - Catherine; 1865 - Margaret
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Yes,
That is, as you say, not the woman.
Sue
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If Catherine Doyle was made a ward of state she may be listed, perhaps with her siblings, at Public Records Office of Victoria at Index to Wards Register at North Melbourne. Unfortunately not online but you may find some one who is going there for research.
I'm always cautious, after more than 30 yrs researching, of "family stories". As previously noted, you should always go back from what you know i.e. yourself, parents etc. Catherine herself may have believed her name was Fanning but there is no evidence as yet to support this.
shume australia
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If your ancestor was William FANNING and one of his children, from within his legitimate marriage, was your direct forebear, then you have only a tenuous and possibly merely speculative connection to her.
Like shume, I would query uncertified family stories. As it stands, there is no evidence of her birth, marriage or death in Victoria.
Is there a reason for your wish to locate her?
Sue
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I would say that as she was connected with the family, even if not biologically, it could be worth finding out about her. Newspaper reports show that she did exist. If she was connected like that to my family I would be fascinated.
Regards
Jennaya
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Thanks for all your input and suggestions.
Just to answer a few of your questions.
William Fanning in the newspaper article is most definitely my grgrgrandfather. Also the article was taken almost word for word from the inquest files, which are now online at PROV. I found the article fascinating. I love a mystery.
I am posting here to put it out and maybe a descendant of Catherine Doyle Fanning will see it. I have done lots of research on my Fanning Irish ancestry that I think would interest them and that I would be happy to share with them. I've visited the Fanning farm near Thurles in Co Tipperary and also the Fanning graves in Ballycahill Cemetery and met with a number of cousins there in Tipperary. If William was the father then I will share some dna with descendants of Catherine Doyle Fanning. Perhaps proof will come via a dna match.
I have also found that while family stories can't be taken as fact, they almost always contain some elements that are true and are worth following up.
I do find it strange that I can't find any records for Johanna or Catherine. I have just looked on Vic BDM and will look on Ancestry at my library. I was excited when I saw the Halton record until I realised that Doyle was Johanna's married name. Rats.
Even before I was contacted by Catherine Doyle Fanning's grgrandaughter I thought that it looked like William was the father. Why would he assume there were human remains in the sack? Wouldn't you look before contacting the police? No easy matter in those days? He had dismissed her about the time the baby most likely died. He had employed her for two and a half years and suddenly decides a man can do the job better. The most telling thing for me was this admonition by the coroner to William Fanning and his wife Catherine:"neither these last two witnesses gave evidence in a willing manner and the coroner was obliged to warn the woman that he had the power to commit to goal any person who withheld evidence or who gave evidence in an equivocating manner".
And then why would Johanna Doyle tell her daughter that her former employer William Fanning was her father? I guess she could have just lied to her daughter and gave her any old name.
It is a mystery to be sure.
Kathleen Fanning