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Hello Tony

Thank you for your time - I have the three children of Henry through Caroline living with sister Elizabeth in 1841, with Elizabeth's widowed husband in 1851 and with brother John in 1871.

My assumption of Henry as their father is through William Bavin Higley's apprenticeship with him in 1808 - then William married Elizabeth in 1817 in Stepney - it seemed a likely link - but entirely possible that Henry was a relative of their unknown father?

Will follow up Henry v.2 (1757-1829) - this one suggestive of an earlier family.

Regards
Zep

Hello Tony and Trish

Thank you for the baptism suggestions - I figured there must have been at least one before William Jeremiah due to their parents' wedding date.

I am holding on to Mary being a Whitehead by her third son being named Richard.

Also, acknowledging that this is a very simple indicator, going by tradition of naming sons by their parents fathers' name, I wonder who Henry was named for?

Regards
Zep 

Hello Margaret, Tony and Trish
Thank you for your efforts in extending what I thought was a dead end in my search. I have gone back through my notes and reminded myself of the events involved, and can add;

• at some stage I thought the first three children might be from a former wife and WTA snr, possibly because of the Mary/Mary Ann issue, so was looking for a second marriage for WTA snr between the births of Henry and Richard Allen
• also the gap between children seemed a bit larger than average at the time, but with WTA being at sea, it makes sense
• having looked at Tony's suggestion of WTA and Mary Ann marrying in 1812, I am very hopeful that this is the union that produced all five of WTA snr's children - and most importantly it has given a family name for Mary Ann 
• the bases I have for Mary Ann being the mother for all seven children (with WTA snr. and John Edwin Bearfoot snr.) are;

  - Richard is WTA jnr's executor as brother
  - Mary Ann jnr lived with various family members in 1851, 1871 and 1881
  - Eliza married in the presence of her step-father John Edwin Bearfoot snr.
  - additionally the 1871 census lists a Susannah Ann Allen living with WTA jnr. as his aunt - linking in WTA snr's brother Benjamin, who was her husband.

I'm looking forward to finding out about the Whitehead family - of which I've so far got;

• William Jeremiah b.1791
• Mary Ann b.1793
• Elizabeth b.1795
• Richard b.1798
• James b.1800

all born to Richard Whitehead and Susanna Loaden on the Isle of Sheppey.

Regards
Zep

Hello dgibbins02, Jolee, Millmoor and ShaunJ

Thank you for running with this search together - I will look through the wills and probate as well.

To possibly throw a spanner in the works, Mary Ann was referred to as a Scotch widow in the memoirs of another South Australian settler - this was when she emigrated (1839) and her husband Laurence died soon after (~1840) - she started an inn, then a carrier service for her rural area.

I assume being remembered as Scottish, would be from her accent, rather than her husband's nationality - not excluding an English birth, but suggesting she spent a decent amount of time in Scotland where she was married?

Thank you again,
Zep