1
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Decipher a name - your opinion
« on: Thursday 20 March 14 06:50 GMT (UK) »
majm - good call - found a Thomas Stone, Bricklayer at Bathurst in the 1828 census, probably my man. Thanks
Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
2
Australia / Re: CLARKE, Mary or Margaret, Bathurst Aug 1858 - why no record?
« on: Sunday 16 February 14 10:32 GMT (UK) »
If it was ALL easy it wouldn't be fun :-)
3
Australia / Re: CLARKE, Mary or Margaret, Bathurst Aug 1858 - why no record?
« on: Sunday 16 February 14 01:02 GMT (UK) »
Neil, all good points there, thanks
>>I think finding the church record of the burial would seem to be the way to go. Unless she died a pauper with no relatives in attendance then there should be a story of her life pretty much, on her burial record. Ages can be a little out (depends on informant)
I have viewed the church register for death of Margaret Clarke - has her name, date of burial, 74 years, name of priest, that is it.
Do you mean church record for Ann? I hadn't considered that, as I have the civil transcripts, which are generally much more informative. But yes, there could be something on the church record that is not on the civil record. It is a long shot, but I'm out of easy options, so that is a good suggestion, thanks.
>>So middle name.... may not be recorded on NSW BDM but probably on whatever baptism record there is, apparently none
(ANN THERESA) Marriage record? Death record for parents, death records for siblings predeceased. Confirmation names are not used outside of confirmation in the RC church.
Yes, am hunting down Margaret Clarke's death as per main thread of this, have transcript of Mary Clarke and Michael Clarke and (possible) Patrick Clarke, nothing useful on transcripts but am awaiting copies of these to see if anything overlooked.
>>I can't remember, is there a definitive tie by name written somewhere that ties Const Patrick Clarke and Ann....??
Yes, Constable Patrick Clarke leaves his estate to his wife Margaret to look after herself and his neice & nephew, Ann & Patrick. That ties the family who came in on the John Renwick to him to my satisfaction. I just haven't established the link between this Ann Clarke and mine who marries Domingo.
>>MRS DOMINGO GRESSIER WOULD NOT BE MRS CLARKE!!! Buried or otherwise outside of a wedding.
Sorry, I mis-stated that. Actual citations:
1) BFP 25 Aug 1858: FUNERAL The Funeral of the late Mrs. Clarke will move from the Residence of Mr. Domingo Gressier Waggoner's Arms, Durham-street, on Thursday next, at 4 P.M.
2) BFP 25 Aug 1858: DEATH On the 24th instant, at her residence, George-street, Mrs. Clarke, mother of Mrs. Domingo Gressier.
>>Church records are rarely wrong, TRANSCRIBED church records are more likely.
I know, that age of 74 years for Margaret Clarke really bothers me and the main evidence against this lovely fairy castle I've built. I've seen this record myself, but will double check it when I look for the death of Ann in the same register a couple of years later.
>> Marriage records are the best source of accurate information, as they are given first hand
My Ann was likely an illiterate 14 year old girl on marriage, without benefit of parents with her, so not sure how much input she had into the arrangement or information. I will see if I can get marriage docs for Patrick's son Patrick CLARKE - looks like he married in 1861, so should be some good info there, hopefully it was after Ann died in '61 and she was a witness :-) (I should be so lucky...but I'd be silly not to check)
Thanks for reminding me of some options to check.
Alex
>>I think finding the church record of the burial would seem to be the way to go. Unless she died a pauper with no relatives in attendance then there should be a story of her life pretty much, on her burial record. Ages can be a little out (depends on informant)
I have viewed the church register for death of Margaret Clarke - has her name, date of burial, 74 years, name of priest, that is it.
Do you mean church record for Ann? I hadn't considered that, as I have the civil transcripts, which are generally much more informative. But yes, there could be something on the church record that is not on the civil record. It is a long shot, but I'm out of easy options, so that is a good suggestion, thanks.
>>So middle name.... may not be recorded on NSW BDM but probably on whatever baptism record there is, apparently none
(ANN THERESA) Marriage record? Death record for parents, death records for siblings predeceased. Confirmation names are not used outside of confirmation in the RC church.Yes, am hunting down Margaret Clarke's death as per main thread of this, have transcript of Mary Clarke and Michael Clarke and (possible) Patrick Clarke, nothing useful on transcripts but am awaiting copies of these to see if anything overlooked.
>>I can't remember, is there a definitive tie by name written somewhere that ties Const Patrick Clarke and Ann....??
Yes, Constable Patrick Clarke leaves his estate to his wife Margaret to look after herself and his neice & nephew, Ann & Patrick. That ties the family who came in on the John Renwick to him to my satisfaction. I just haven't established the link between this Ann Clarke and mine who marries Domingo.
>>MRS DOMINGO GRESSIER WOULD NOT BE MRS CLARKE!!! Buried or otherwise outside of a wedding.
Sorry, I mis-stated that. Actual citations:
1) BFP 25 Aug 1858: FUNERAL The Funeral of the late Mrs. Clarke will move from the Residence of Mr. Domingo Gressier Waggoner's Arms, Durham-street, on Thursday next, at 4 P.M.
2) BFP 25 Aug 1858: DEATH On the 24th instant, at her residence, George-street, Mrs. Clarke, mother of Mrs. Domingo Gressier.
>>Church records are rarely wrong, TRANSCRIBED church records are more likely.
I know, that age of 74 years for Margaret Clarke really bothers me and the main evidence against this lovely fairy castle I've built. I've seen this record myself, but will double check it when I look for the death of Ann in the same register a couple of years later.
>> Marriage records are the best source of accurate information, as they are given first hand
My Ann was likely an illiterate 14 year old girl on marriage, without benefit of parents with her, so not sure how much input she had into the arrangement or information. I will see if I can get marriage docs for Patrick's son Patrick CLARKE - looks like he married in 1861, so should be some good info there, hopefully it was after Ann died in '61 and she was a witness :-) (I should be so lucky...but I'd be silly not to check)
Thanks for reminding me of some options to check.
Alex
4
Australia / Re: CLARKE, Mary or Margaret, Bathurst Aug 1858 - why no record?
« on: Saturday 15 February 14 22:14 GMT (UK) »
Ah - it wasn't that easy, unfortunately.
The circumstantial evidence is as above, and a couple of death certificates bolster the suppositions with facts, so it looks very much like everything panned out as above. But - I cannot prove on the evidence that the young Ann Clarke from this family is my Ann Theresa Clarke who married Domingo GRESSIER. The circumstantial case is very strong - but not one hard connecting fact, and a couple of troubling discrepancies. I'd like to ask the brains trust if they have any further ideas I could attempt. I'd love to just close my eyes and adopt this whole new line of family - but it doesn't really work that way.
I can see three ways to confirm this (there may be others):
Ann - how to establish the link between the 2 Ann's. Mine has a middle name Theresa given on her death registration, I haven't seen it used anywhere else for either Ann. If I found reference to it anywhere else it would tie things together, but the earlier records of immigrant Ann have no middle name. Church registers for Co. Monaghan at the time no longer exist, so no go there. My new collaborator on this has suggested it could be a confirmation name - is this a possible line of enquiry?
Her mother's death (the original request behind this thread). To recap - newspaper reports had the death of Mrs Domingo Gressier on 25 Aug 1858, and burial of Mrs Clarke on 26th, and I found Margaret Clarke in the RC church registers buried on that day, noted as age 74. If our theory is right, Margaret Clarke is actually her aunt, not her mother, and Margaret & constable Patrick CLARKE took her and her brother in when their parents both died. On the death of Patrick CLARKE in 1847 things must have been tough for Margaret, and marrying off Ann to Domingo GRESSIER must have seemed a good solution. But again, I can't prove the link. Unfortunately, I cannot prove the link between the woman who died and was buried on this day (my Ann's mother/aunt) and Constable Michael CLARKE's wife, Margaret. The age given of 74 is completely out for the theory to be true - Constable Clarke's Margaret was born about 1799, so would have been about 59 in 1858. While church registers can be and often are wrong, a 15 year discrepancy is a very inconvenient "fact" and the main thing stopping me from accepting this very neat conjecture. And most inconvenient of all - there really does appear to be no civil registration of this death at all. Any suggestions as to how I could link the two Margarets?
The third way is labour intensive and time consuming and I'd have to be lucky, but if I continue to work up this Clarke family by researching Patrick junior (Ann's brother) another connection may appear. So I'll continue to do a bit of work on that family, and see if any connection between Patrick Clarke jnr and the Gressier family emerge.
Oh well - keep trying.
The circumstantial evidence is as above, and a couple of death certificates bolster the suppositions with facts, so it looks very much like everything panned out as above. But - I cannot prove on the evidence that the young Ann Clarke from this family is my Ann Theresa Clarke who married Domingo GRESSIER. The circumstantial case is very strong - but not one hard connecting fact, and a couple of troubling discrepancies. I'd like to ask the brains trust if they have any further ideas I could attempt. I'd love to just close my eyes and adopt this whole new line of family - but it doesn't really work that way.
I can see three ways to confirm this (there may be others):
Ann - how to establish the link between the 2 Ann's. Mine has a middle name Theresa given on her death registration, I haven't seen it used anywhere else for either Ann. If I found reference to it anywhere else it would tie things together, but the earlier records of immigrant Ann have no middle name. Church registers for Co. Monaghan at the time no longer exist, so no go there. My new collaborator on this has suggested it could be a confirmation name - is this a possible line of enquiry?
Her mother's death (the original request behind this thread). To recap - newspaper reports had the death of Mrs Domingo Gressier on 25 Aug 1858, and burial of Mrs Clarke on 26th, and I found Margaret Clarke in the RC church registers buried on that day, noted as age 74. If our theory is right, Margaret Clarke is actually her aunt, not her mother, and Margaret & constable Patrick CLARKE took her and her brother in when their parents both died. On the death of Patrick CLARKE in 1847 things must have been tough for Margaret, and marrying off Ann to Domingo GRESSIER must have seemed a good solution. But again, I can't prove the link. Unfortunately, I cannot prove the link between the woman who died and was buried on this day (my Ann's mother/aunt) and Constable Michael CLARKE's wife, Margaret. The age given of 74 is completely out for the theory to be true - Constable Clarke's Margaret was born about 1799, so would have been about 59 in 1858. While church registers can be and often are wrong, a 15 year discrepancy is a very inconvenient "fact" and the main thing stopping me from accepting this very neat conjecture. And most inconvenient of all - there really does appear to be no civil registration of this death at all. Any suggestions as to how I could link the two Margarets?
The third way is labour intensive and time consuming and I'd have to be lucky, but if I continue to work up this Clarke family by researching Patrick junior (Ann's brother) another connection may appear. So I'll continue to do a bit of work on that family, and see if any connection between Patrick Clarke jnr and the Gressier family emerge.
Oh well - keep trying.
5
US Lookup Requests / Re: Agnes May DAVIS (nee GRESSIER) San Francisco CA
« on: Friday 14 February 14 22:05 GMT (UK) »
Another excellent hint, shelleyesq. Have found Miss Genevieve Davis, "California's Songbird" performing at the Tivoli here in Melbourne in 1925. Mimi Gressier was performing in Aus around then before returning to USA, so very possibly how she met Genevieve's brother. I'll dig into that more. Thanks
6
US Lookup Requests / Re: Agnes May DAVIS (nee GRESSIER) San Francisco CA
« on: Friday 14 February 14 01:35 GMT (UK) »
Great suggestion, shelleyesq. The nice librarian at Palo Alto library sent me the obit, and it was a winner.
"25 October 1962
Leonard Davis of Barron Park succumbs at 79
Leonard C Davis, 79, a resident of Barron Park for 13 years, died Wednesday at the Palo Alto - Stanford Hospital after a long illness. He was a native of Santa Rosa, Calif. Survivors include his wife, Agnes, a sister Mrs Genevieve Cosh of Santa Rosa..." and various nieces & nephews who I'll follow up. Funeral was at the Chapel of Roller and Hapgood, Palo Alto, and interment "in Santa Rosa"
Birth: Jun. 13, 1883, Sonoma County, California, USA
Death: Oct. 24, 1962, Santa Clara County, California, USA
Parents:
John Bell Davis (1845 - 1903)
Sarah C McQuaide Davis (1858 - 1938)
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
His sister is also there:
Genevieve Cosh (Davis)
Birth: Oct. 7, 1893, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA
Death: Aug. 23, 1978, Sonoma County, California, USA
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery , Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
And father:
John Bell Davis
Birth: 1845, Tennessee, USA
Death: 1903, Sonoma County, California, USA
Marriage to Sarah S MCQUAIDE 1875
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
And mother:
Sarah C. McQuaide
Birth: 1858, Ohio, USA
Death: 1938, Sonoma County, California, USA
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
Their children listed as:
Celora Elaine DAVIS
1876 – 1936
John DAVIS
1878 – ?
Albert B DAVIS
1879 – 1947
James Edmond DAVIS
1881 – 1947
Leonard C DAVIS
1883 – 1962
Genevieve DAVIS
1893 – 1978
In the same plot is another
Leonard C. Davis
Birth: Sep. 17, 1919, Missouri, USA,
Death: Jun. 30, 1978, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo County, California, USA
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
who I think is his son from an earlier marriage
And another sister
Elaine Trussel (Davis)
Birth: 1876
Death: 1936
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
Unfortunately, no Agnes at the family plot. Elusive to the end...
"25 October 1962
Leonard Davis of Barron Park succumbs at 79
Leonard C Davis, 79, a resident of Barron Park for 13 years, died Wednesday at the Palo Alto - Stanford Hospital after a long illness. He was a native of Santa Rosa, Calif. Survivors include his wife, Agnes, a sister Mrs Genevieve Cosh of Santa Rosa..." and various nieces & nephews who I'll follow up. Funeral was at the Chapel of Roller and Hapgood, Palo Alto, and interment "in Santa Rosa"
Birth: Jun. 13, 1883, Sonoma County, California, USA
Death: Oct. 24, 1962, Santa Clara County, California, USA
Parents:
John Bell Davis (1845 - 1903)
Sarah C McQuaide Davis (1858 - 1938)
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
His sister is also there:
Genevieve Cosh (Davis)
Birth: Oct. 7, 1893, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA
Death: Aug. 23, 1978, Sonoma County, California, USA
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery , Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
And father:
John Bell Davis
Birth: 1845, Tennessee, USA
Death: 1903, Sonoma County, California, USA
Marriage to Sarah S MCQUAIDE 1875
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
And mother:
Sarah C. McQuaide
Birth: 1858, Ohio, USA
Death: 1938, Sonoma County, California, USA
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
Their children listed as:
Celora Elaine DAVIS
1876 – 1936
John DAVIS
1878 – ?
Albert B DAVIS
1879 – 1947
James Edmond DAVIS
1881 – 1947
Leonard C DAVIS
1883 – 1962
Genevieve DAVIS
1893 – 1978
In the same plot is another
Leonard C. Davis
Birth: Sep. 17, 1919, Missouri, USA,
Death: Jun. 30, 1978, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo County, California, USA
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
who I think is his son from an earlier marriage
And another sister
Elaine Trussel (Davis)
Birth: 1876
Death: 1936
Burial: Odd Fellows Lot Cemetery, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA, Plot: Lot 50
Unfortunately, no Agnes at the family plot. Elusive to the end...
7
US Lookup Requests / Re: Agnes May DAVIS (nee GRESSIER) San Francisco CA
« on: Thursday 13 February 14 09:32 GMT (UK) »
Great, I'll follow up that Palo Alto suggestion - many thanks shelleyesq
8
US Lookup Requests / Re: Agnes May DAVIS (nee GRESSIER) San Francisco CA
« on: Wednesday 12 February 14 07:25 GMT (UK) »
Okay - have quizzed my aunt thoroughly, and while she did know about both marriages, she has very little further information. I did however get Agnes' birth certificate, so can summarise the facts as follows:
1891 - Agnes May (Mimi) GRESSIER born 1 October 1891 Bathurst, NSW, Australia. Family moved to Orange NSW by around 1900, where she went to Catholic school, and grew up in a very musical family.
1921 - Arrived USA on "Adriatic" 24 Nov 1921. Declares her birth year to be 1896, slicing 5 years off her age, and declares she is visiting her "uncle" WH Nugent in Chicago
1922 - Jan 18 1922 marries William H Nugent in Chicago
1927 Articles in the Buffalo Courier Express, NY Sun and Syracuse NY papers referring to her as Miss Mimi GRESSIER backpacking from NY to Oregon and performing along the way
1929 - she is back in Sydney as Mrs W Nugent, and with her husband is invited to her father's funeral
1930 - 26 April a newspaper article in Sydney referring to her as Mimi GRESSIER says she left the day before for USA. Use fo Gressier could be professional name, or imply mariage is over, don't know. The date can't be right, as she actually arrived on the "Sierra" in SFO departed Sydney on 26 April 1930 and gave her name as GRESSIER, and age as 33, thereby losing another year and implying a birth date of 1897.
1937 - marries Leonard C Davis in Santa Clara, CA. The family story is that William Nugent died in Sydney Harbour some time between these two marriages. If he did, it wasn't recorded in the NSW state registers, which would be exceptional. I have been unable to find his death in NSW.
1941 Census - together with Leonard at 163/3250 Webster st, SFO, gives her age as 43 (she was 50), implying birth year of 1898.
1956 - Sandra then found for me Palo Alto, California City Directory 1956 - show Leonard C Davis (Agnes M Davis) 841 Matadero Ave
1959 Palo Alto, California, City Directory, 1959 - show Leonard C Davis (Agnes M Davis) 520 Hawthorn Avenue.
And thats where we are up to. Clearly Mimi was not averse to changing her birth year gradually as she got older, but she would be very unlikely to change birth day - so I think the Agnes Davis death 26 th September 1969 in Alameida is not ours. I don't see Alameida as being that close - she was more San Francisco, Paolo Alto, Santa Clara side of the bay. The Sacramento one mentioned has a good birth year and she was nominally RC, but I have found no connection to Sacramento - not sounding likely.
I'm going to leave this as an open request, in case anyone has any ideas, or in case future researchers find it.
Thanks to all who have helped so far, much appreciated :-)
1891 - Agnes May (Mimi) GRESSIER born 1 October 1891 Bathurst, NSW, Australia. Family moved to Orange NSW by around 1900, where she went to Catholic school, and grew up in a very musical family.
1921 - Arrived USA on "Adriatic" 24 Nov 1921. Declares her birth year to be 1896, slicing 5 years off her age, and declares she is visiting her "uncle" WH Nugent in Chicago
1922 - Jan 18 1922 marries William H Nugent in Chicago
1927 Articles in the Buffalo Courier Express, NY Sun and Syracuse NY papers referring to her as Miss Mimi GRESSIER backpacking from NY to Oregon and performing along the way
1929 - she is back in Sydney as Mrs W Nugent, and with her husband is invited to her father's funeral
1930 - 26 April a newspaper article in Sydney referring to her as Mimi GRESSIER says she left the day before for USA. Use fo Gressier could be professional name, or imply mariage is over, don't know. The date can't be right, as she actually arrived on the "Sierra" in SFO departed Sydney on 26 April 1930 and gave her name as GRESSIER, and age as 33, thereby losing another year and implying a birth date of 1897.
1937 - marries Leonard C Davis in Santa Clara, CA. The family story is that William Nugent died in Sydney Harbour some time between these two marriages. If he did, it wasn't recorded in the NSW state registers, which would be exceptional. I have been unable to find his death in NSW.
1941 Census - together with Leonard at 163/3250 Webster st, SFO, gives her age as 43 (she was 50), implying birth year of 1898.
1956 - Sandra then found for me Palo Alto, California City Directory 1956 - show Leonard C Davis (Agnes M Davis) 841 Matadero Ave
1959 Palo Alto, California, City Directory, 1959 - show Leonard C Davis (Agnes M Davis) 520 Hawthorn Avenue.
And thats where we are up to. Clearly Mimi was not averse to changing her birth year gradually as she got older, but she would be very unlikely to change birth day - so I think the Agnes Davis death 26 th September 1969 in Alameida is not ours. I don't see Alameida as being that close - she was more San Francisco, Paolo Alto, Santa Clara side of the bay. The Sacramento one mentioned has a good birth year and she was nominally RC, but I have found no connection to Sacramento - not sounding likely.
I'm going to leave this as an open request, in case anyone has any ideas, or in case future researchers find it.
Thanks to all who have helped so far, much appreciated :-)
9
Australia / Re: CLARKE, Mary or Margaret, Bathurst Aug 1858 - CLOSED
« on: Tuesday 11 February 14 00:12 GMT (UK) »
Okay - haven't solved my original mystery (why no civil registration for the death of Anne's mother) other than to say it probably fell through the cracks of the early days of civil registration.
I HAVE however found out who Anne CLARKE was, my main objective - and discovered a whole new line of my family! :-)
I checked out Constable Michael CLARKE of Kelso and his wife Margaret, as they seemed good possibilities. Michael came from Co Monaghan, Ireland, b. c1802, convicted in 1829 of highway robbery & transported to NSW for life. He shipped out on the James Pattison in 1830, leaving a wife behind (no mention of children) and was assigned to government service in Bathurst, where he was later appointed constable.
His wife Margaret came out on the convict ship "Margaret" in 1839, aged 40, as a free wife of NSW convict Michael Clarke, to join him in Bathurst. Still no mention of children, and she was not accompanied by Anne.
I then found Patrick Clarke and family (wife Mary 33, children Michael 9, Patrick 2 and Anne 7) coming out as bounty emigrants from Co Monaghan on the John Renwick in 1841. Interesting, Anne's age and entry to the colony match with the details on her death transcript, and the Monaghan connection is good - but not conclusive.
So I researched Patrick Clarke - his home townland was Tullygrehan in Monaghan, and on looking at the tithe records of the time I found him - together on the same farm as Michael CLARKE! Okay, looking very good, they were probably brothers. But was Anne really Michael's daughter? She was 7 on entry to NSW, and would have been 10-11 if Margaret was pregnant when Michael was transported.
The connection is looking really strong, but still not conclusive. So I ordered the will of Michael CLARKE, hoping to establish the connection to Anne.
But before I could get it, I was contacted by a direct descendant of Patrick CLARKE, who sent me a copy of the same will - in which Michael CLARKE leaves all his worldly goods to his wife Margaret, for her upkeep, and for the education of his nephew Patrick and niece Anne! Bingo!
Patrick's wife Mary was very sick & weak on arrival in 1841, and died shortly after arriving, as did his his older boy Michael. Patrick himself died in 1843, apparently, and evidently his brother Michael and his wife Margaret took in Anne and Patrick jnr.
Lots of loose ends and "apparently's" to nail down, but at last I'm sure I'm on the right track, and have new parents etc for Anne. Even better, young Patrick jnr grew up and sowed wild oats all over the country, so there are a passel of Clarke's all over the country who are my cousins - including one alive who is interested in the family history - very exciting!
So I will mark this one closed while I run down these loose ends - this post to say thanks to all who contributed, and to let you know it has worked out in the best possible way.
I HAVE however found out who Anne CLARKE was, my main objective - and discovered a whole new line of my family! :-)
I checked out Constable Michael CLARKE of Kelso and his wife Margaret, as they seemed good possibilities. Michael came from Co Monaghan, Ireland, b. c1802, convicted in 1829 of highway robbery & transported to NSW for life. He shipped out on the James Pattison in 1830, leaving a wife behind (no mention of children) and was assigned to government service in Bathurst, where he was later appointed constable.
His wife Margaret came out on the convict ship "Margaret" in 1839, aged 40, as a free wife of NSW convict Michael Clarke, to join him in Bathurst. Still no mention of children, and she was not accompanied by Anne.
I then found Patrick Clarke and family (wife Mary 33, children Michael 9, Patrick 2 and Anne 7) coming out as bounty emigrants from Co Monaghan on the John Renwick in 1841. Interesting, Anne's age and entry to the colony match with the details on her death transcript, and the Monaghan connection is good - but not conclusive.
So I researched Patrick Clarke - his home townland was Tullygrehan in Monaghan, and on looking at the tithe records of the time I found him - together on the same farm as Michael CLARKE! Okay, looking very good, they were probably brothers. But was Anne really Michael's daughter? She was 7 on entry to NSW, and would have been 10-11 if Margaret was pregnant when Michael was transported.
The connection is looking really strong, but still not conclusive. So I ordered the will of Michael CLARKE, hoping to establish the connection to Anne.
But before I could get it, I was contacted by a direct descendant of Patrick CLARKE, who sent me a copy of the same will - in which Michael CLARKE leaves all his worldly goods to his wife Margaret, for her upkeep, and for the education of his nephew Patrick and niece Anne! Bingo!
Patrick's wife Mary was very sick & weak on arrival in 1841, and died shortly after arriving, as did his his older boy Michael. Patrick himself died in 1843, apparently, and evidently his brother Michael and his wife Margaret took in Anne and Patrick jnr.
Lots of loose ends and "apparently's" to nail down, but at last I'm sure I'm on the right track, and have new parents etc for Anne. Even better, young Patrick jnr grew up and sowed wild oats all over the country, so there are a passel of Clarke's all over the country who are my cousins - including one alive who is interested in the family history - very exciting!
So I will mark this one closed while I run down these loose ends - this post to say thanks to all who contributed, and to let you know it has worked out in the best possible way.