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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: Freya Ellingsen on Saturday 11 May 19 13:56 BST (UK)
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Trying to find out abt William Smith, He states on his marriage cert here in Australia that he was born in Sweden when he married Maria Staine, William was 35 Maria was 19. He could read and write where as his bride could not... their marriage took place in 1862 Hotham, Victoria. His occupation on his marriage cert was a Fellmounger, his father was Alfred Smith his mother was Margaret Nelson.
We know that he travelled back and forth to the mines in Victoria. He and Maria had 6 children only three survived. If this info rings any bells please contact me. William's birth is estimated as 1828...
William seems to of disappeared it is thought that he went back to Sweden but that is only a family tale.
Thanks
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Hi Freya,
I cannot answer your query, but it might focus attention if you put more info in the title, e.g. country and/or date.
Good hunting!
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I have added Sweden to title, but unfortunately there is no further info know abt him other then I have stated.....I suppose a marriage for his parents would be a starting point if any one can assist with this?U asked for a date well I have previously put down 1862 of a marriage in Australia and he was reported to be 35 so his birth would be abt 1828 or so that's all we know a mystery man.
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This won't be an easy task. I'm pretty sure that his surname wasn't Smith. A parish will be needed to locate him.
I will try though to find him here in Sweden to see if he did return.
Ian
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Ian, Thankyou :D
R U saying not a Swedish name Smith? That his surname has been Anglicised?
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Smith was/is not a Swedish name. There are variations..... Smed, Smidt, etc
Ian
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Ok thanks :D
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There is also a possibility that he was a seaman who jumped ship and to not be arrested changed his name completely.
Ian
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Yes that is a possibility, I have looked in the Police Gazettes and papers here but no reporting of , Smed, or Smidt but many Smith but only of English background... The period he was in Australia was a time he could of easily blended in to the many different nationalities that arrived here during the Gold Rush period, the population of Melbourne grew swiftly as the gold fever took hold. The total number of people in Victoria also rose. By 1851 it was 75,000 people. Ten years later this rose to over 500,000.
So many did not bother to change their names, I have another ancestor who did jump ship and used his own name without any problems... .William married in Hotham Melbourne, he was around until 1873 as his last child was born a female Margaret, Christina (? named after his mother) he is named as the father on her birth cert.... ???
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I'll take a look around and see if anything comes up.
Ian
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Wonderful!
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I'm sorry but there is too little to go on. I have though found quite a few Smith surnames in Sweden back then, so I may have been incorrect in saying that the Smith surname wasn't quite Swedish.
Ian
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Thanks for trying :)
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Hi Freya, I'm also looking for information on William Smith from Sweden, my research suggests I'm directly related to him. Comments displayed here certainly lead me to believe this is the same person and yes he was a man of mystery and getting information on him has been very difficult. As I'm new to this forum I'm unsure of how old this subject is and if you are still pursuing the matter or not.
Rgds
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Could this be your guy?
A 1878 Victorian Naturalisation for a William Smith from "Basslargen" in Sweden:
Naturalization Indexes - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=32722259&T=P&S=211
Letters of naturalization - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=32722201&T=P&S=714
Letters Received - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=ID&Number=1595457&i=7 (Note: the whole file is William’s)
UPDATE:
Although the same age and same country of birth, I suspect that this guy died on 29th june 1903 as the husband of Ellen Jane SMITH (probably nee NICHOLS?) in West Melbourne … so most likely NOT the right person
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Thanks so much for your response it is very much appreciated and this I believe is William Smith however I already have the information you have supplied. This appears to be the last recorded event and what happened after this is what remains a mystery. If you are to help in anyway it would be much appreciated. We are looking at several other possabilities at the moment but any help is appreciated.
Rgds
Tree Spirit, thanks for the update and efforts, unfortunately this doesn't appear to be the person we are after.
Rgds
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Hi
I'm taking another look here in Sweden. Can I have his children's names please. I just cannot find a Wilhelm with parents Alfred and Margareta etc.
Ian
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Ian thank you for your response, All of William's children were born and died in Australia. I can retrieve the list if that helps
William was naturalised in Australia in 1878 and gave his age as 51. This is his last recorded event.
He nominated his birth place as Hadiorora Basslargen Sweden however this was not in William's writing and may have been misheard and transcribed incorrectly.
The closest we could get was perhaps Hedemora however being in Australia I really don't know.
He did however sign the document as William Smith.
My DNA results indicate Northern Sweden if that helps.
He arrived in Australia in 1852 from New York but appears as though he had been to Canada first.
Any assistance greatly appreciated.
Rgds
Stephen
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Hi
Hedemora is correct. Basslargen is "Bergslagen" in Swedish. It is an area around Hedemora Parish.
Is this William Smith posted yesterday your William?
Yes, I'd like the list please.
Ian
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Do you have his travel documents?
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Ian, yes this is my William Smith he would be my Great Great Grandfather
We have no travel documents.
His Children's names George Henry Smith, James Alfred Smith and Margaret Christina Smith.
Rgds
Stephen
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Hi
Hedemora is correct. Basslargen is "Bergslagen" in Swedish. It is an area around Hedemora Parish.
Is this William Smith posted yesterday your William?
Yes, I'd like the list please.
Ian
FYI
As I mentioned in my update in https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=812742.msg7323110#msg7323110, that 1878 naturalisation is most likely for a different William Smith i.e. a cab man who seems to have lived out his life in Rosslyn street, West Melbourne and who was married to a Ellen Jane Nichols.
This topic is looking for a William Smith who married a Maria Stein/Stain in 1862 and who apparently was a Fellmonger (dealt in animal skins) and some kind of a mine worker.
Note: Some of his children were born in Collingwood and Richmond. This area was well known for boot/shoe factories and as part of it a tanning industry, so it is quite possible that he could have had something to do with these industries at some time.
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Ian, yes this is my William Smith he would be my Great Great Grandfather
We have no travel documents.
His Children's names George Henry Smith, James Alfred Smith and Margaret Christina Smith.
Rgds
Stephen
Interested in making contact
Thanks
Freya
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Yes, thanks TreeSpirit, I was actually thinking along those lines too.
Ian
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Deleted.
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Those 3 kids did not belong to the West Melbourne William/Ellen couple (i.e. the 1878 naturalisatrion), but (apparently) belonged to the couple William/Maria ... although I am a bit confused as some of the children's mum seems to have been Maria Littlejohn while others have Maria Stein/Stain as their mum.
Update: I realised that you've deleted your last remark, so this comment is a bit redundant now
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FYI
Obit:
When her mother, Maria (Stein) Littlejohn, died in 1903, Maria Smith is recorded as her daughter. This is the death notice for Maria (Stein) Littlejohn: "LITTLEJOHN-.— On the- 25th December, at her residence, 82 Victoria-street, West Brunswick, Maria, relict of the late John Littlejohn, and beloved mother of James, John and George, David, Alfred and Henry Littlejohn, Maria Smith and Martha Ramadge, aged 79 years. A colonist of 67 years."
The Maria who married William Smith was born to Maria Stein (before Maria Stein’s seniors marriage to LittleJohn)
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I need a drink after that ...LOL
( I did notice that William/maria's second child has mmn = "Stain" at birth and mmn="Littlejohn" at death ... )
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Thank you for all your help.
Since last post I've received additional information which has added a third William Smith to the chaos. The difference this time is a dna match to this particular Smith and not family folk lore.
To add to the story this Smith was born in the UK to Swedish parents, this journey of discovery now takes me to outback Western Australia.
So to all thank you as I now pursue this lead.
Apologies if I have wasted your time but thank you for the positive assistance.
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I’m wondering if u have the correct William Smith?
I’ve been down that road before with all those refs u have found and they ended up not the correct person! If there is a connection with this Smith line u would of obtained Williams marriage cert? Where info give comes directly from William, he states he was born in Sweden not Australia, and states his Parents names....
Would be good to hear your thoughts on this.
Fran