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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: judb on Wednesday 25 March 20 07:20 GMT (UK)
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This man is not my direct ancestor but I find his life interesting, and would like to know about the change in his family circumstances in later life.
He was registered and baptised in Wilton, Wiltshire, as "Midlane Russell COOMBE" in 1840 to John Henry COOMBE and Frances Agnes nee MIDLANE. I have plenty of information about his parents. As his father was a clergyman the family moved about a bit - in 1841 at Mere using first name of Russell; 1851 they are in Heworth Yorkshire, and his name is listed as "Russell Midlane COOMBE."
In 1855 he was appointed Master's Assistant in the Royal Navy (named as Russell M COOMBE)
The next sighting I can see is a marriage in Kooringa, South Australia in November 1863 to Bridget Bower, using the name "Herbert Russell Midlane COOMBE" He and Bridget had children who used the surname COOMBE and three of whom were still alive at the death of Bridget in Wentworth NSW, December 1917, according to the obit which makes no mention of a husband.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74807613
His youngest child with Brdget is born abt 1868
By about 1886 he begins a family with Margaret MOORE who, by 1897, is using the name Mrs Midlane. He marries Margaret as "Russell MIDLANE" in Jan 1917 and he gives his status as widower although Bridget doesn't die till December 1919.
I think I have all the details re his children of both families and his wives, so no need to search for them.
What I'd like to know is:
How did he get to South Australia? He had only been taken on by the RN seven years before.
Did the two families and wives know of each other?
The marriage to Margaret was about 30 years after the birth of their first child. Wondering why as it seems he didn't wait for his first wife to die. (Pure nosiness here!)
There was an earlier thread about this man where it's clear that Herbert Russell Midlane Coombe is the same man as Russell Midlane.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=799129.27
Sorry, a bit long-winded but might fill in some spare time in these days of pestilence. ::)
Judith
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Interesting Judith.
Will spend some time looking, but to start, just in case you haven't seen it, there are notices in various newspapers of a Russell COOMBE being appointed a naval cadet around 3rd March 1854.
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Thanks, Maddy. Are those UK papers? Seems odd that he was only in the RN for seven/eight years, if that. Many of his mother's family were involved with the RN, either as serving officers or as Admiralty administrative staff.
Judith
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Do you have copies of his RN records?
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
I would look at "Russell M Coombe" but also "Rupel M Coombe" - particularly look for dates suggesting if he was released from service (possibly by purchase?) and what ships he was on in what years - might let you know what regions of the world he was in.
From google books I can see a reference in 1857 to him being assigned (R M Coombe, Masters Assistant, to the Styx) which is also found in the newspapers https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
(Simply says "R M Coombe, to the Styx" - this was around September 1857)
As someone with a seafaring background I imagine it would have been fairly simple for him to work passage. Perhaps, having entered the Navy at the encouragement of his family, he found it was not for him after all.
Did his father leave a will? The way in which he is referred to and if there is a location given for him might tell you if the family in the UK knew about his movements and name changes or not.
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I am just popping this transcription here, 'because' ... ;D
Looks certain that Herbert Russell Midlane COOMBE is the same man as Russell MIDLANE.
Transcript of the marriage of Russell MIDLANE and Margaret MOORE
Reg No: 3106
Date Married 9 JAN 1917
Place Married ST MARY'S CHURCH, WEST WYALONG, BLAND SHIRE
Religion ROMAN CATHOLIC
Groom Name: Russell MIDLANE
Conjugal Status Widower
Birthplace York, England
Occupation: Selector
Age 77
Usual Residence BENA
Father : John Henry MIDLANE
Mother: Frances Agnes COOMBE
Occupation - Father: Clergyman
Bride
Name: Margaret MOORE
Conjugal Status: SPINSTER
Birthplace CARLOW, IRELAND
Occupation POST MISTRESS
Age 67
Usual Residence BENA
Father: Denis MOORE
Mother: Ellen POWER
Occupation - Father BAKER
Witnesses Austin H. O'CONNOR, Jane DUNNE
Minister EDWARD JOSEPH LAIDE; REGISTERED 19 FEB 1917
He has transposed the surnames of his parents as his father was John Henry COOMBE and his mother Frances Agnes MIDLANE. His father's occupation is correct. He was born in Wilton, Wiltshire but had moved to Yorkshire by 1861 (I cannot find the family in 1841).
He had a younger brother Herbert b 1853 - possibly why he used the forename Herbert ??? in his early adult life.
I'm still wondering why they were married so late. Bridget didn't die until the end of 1917.
Is there a shipping record for him?
Judith
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Thanks, jorose.
I'm being mean and not buying much info for this man as our common ancestors are a good way back - my 3xgreatgrandparents. I just find him interesting, especially as he came to Australia.
As his father died in 1887 that will is not available on-line; the executor was Russell's sister who was born after he joined the Navy so no easily-found information there.
Thanks for the name of his ship which was deployed in the East Indies in 1855 and in North America/West Indies from 1857-1862.
https://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=2128
I downloaded the reference from The National Archives (UK) which told me no more than the index. And he is indexed also as "Rupfel", caused by the use of the old long s
Judith
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Thanks JM.
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In 1917 he married according to Roman Catholic rites .... and I notice that he must have converted, for his father was recorded on that NSW marriage as a 'clergyman'...
;D ;D :o
JM
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As an aside, (from not just me, but also from several of my ancient rellies, including retired clergy)... ::) ::) ::)
Looking 1851 Heworth, Yorkshire.
Frances Agnes is a clergyman's wife, but the clergyman was not listed although their children and even the Monthly Nurse was ... and also noticed that next door but one was another clergyman's wife, their one child and three servants and again that clergyman was not listed ...
Where were those two clergymen ... (Rev Coombe, and Rev Barker).
ADD 1851 Russel Midlane COOMBE https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG12-KKB : 12 September 2019
JM
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Thanks JM for your iinterest.
Answering :
1851 census has his father John Henry COOMBE in Woolwich as a visitor with his brother-in-law.
1841 census has Russell with his mother and siblings in Mere which is where her parents lived and her doctor brother-in-law.
Yes he was baptised as C of E; his father was an Anglican clergyman; I do not know any details of his first marriage. I think (will check) that the children of the first marriage were C of E.
Second family were brought up RC, one daughter even being a nun, and obviously accepted into a convent while her parents were still not married (although I suspect that fact was not known) . He and Margaret must have lived as a married couple as her appointment as Post Mistress is using the name "Mrs Midlane" and there are various TROVE mentions of her social life in Bena, NSW. And he lied on the marriage record by saying he was a widower - perhaps he had no idea that Bridget was still alive. I've not checked re Margaret Moore, the second wife so perhaps she was not free to marry earlier.
I wonder what the church thought (or knew) as their daughter had been married in the same church (Catholic church West Wyalong) 9 years previously.
His mother's family seemed to drift from RC to C of E also. Parents of Frances Agnes MIDLANE were RC when Frances was born at West Camel (Somerset) in 1811 and was baptised at a Catholic chapel in Shepton Mallet, some 28 miles away at the age of 3 months - quite a trek with a three-month old and her two year old sister baptised the same day. Later the family moved to Mere (Wiltshire) and became stalwarts of the local Anglican church, even to the extent of Frances' brother donating a stained glass window in memory of his siblings and parents.
I rather suspect that he left Bridget and his first family for whatever reason and met and formed a partnership with Margaret Moore. They were together over 40 years and died within a week of each other.
Interesting......
Judith
Would love to know if the two families knew of each other.
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Thanks, Maddy. Are those UK papers?
Yes, in the Morning Post, Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, The Standard, and Caledonian Mercury.
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Thanks again, maddys52. I used to be able to find those 19C British newspapers on the National Library site very easily but their site has been upgraded so "it's easier to use". Well, I'm having real difficulty finding the papers now. :'( Possibly says more about me than them! :o
Judith
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Thanks again, maddys52. I used to be able to find those 19C British newspapers on the National Library site very easily but their site has been upgraded so "it's easier to use". Well, I'm having real difficulty finding the papers now. :'( Possibly says more about me than them! :o
Judith
Oh I so agree! Not as easy as it used to be.
When I open "eResources" I then click on "Browse eResources", click on "G" and scroll down to "Gale Primary Sources". Then a log in page comes up in a new tab, and then I can search the newspapers etc. There may be an easier way, but this works for me. ::)
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Thanks maddys52 I managed to get to the Gale papers one day last week but then lost the way in. It used to be so easy with a simple list of e-resources coming up and could click through from there. I find in so many instances "improvements' are anything but!
Judith