RootsChat.Com

Thank you Sue and JM for your help and suggestions!

She died in 1886 in Victoria.
STEWART, Jane
Father McCORMICK
Mother not known
At Brtn
1886
EDIT .. Aged 65
Reg 410

I'd seen other articles in Trove of Martha in Brighton, but not really connected the dots.  That's great, thank you!

I've also managed to uncover the death Emma Wilson!  If her husband and sons hadn't been Sydney identities the newspaper may never have picked up the story!  But I haven't had any luck with Edward Wilson!

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229068057?searchTerm=death%20wilson&searchLimits=l-decade=190|||l-year=1902

Regards,
Amanda

South Australian birth… 5 October 1877, Archibald Percy WILSON,
Father as Edward Anderson WILSON
Mother as Emma Agnes FREEMAN
District: Adelaide
Reg 190/136

I have a very poor copy of this certificate and it appears to say the mother is Emma Agnes Wilson formerly Freeman.  The father's occupation on this is 'editor of a newspaper'.
Amy was born in Melbourne, George Frederick believed he was also born in Adelaide in 1879, but I cannot find a record of his birth or baptism.

I also have this article from Trove, which has rather a lot of information, but based on what people believe they knew about him.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230635543?searchTerm=death%20of%20Mr%20e%20a%20wilson&searchLimits=

I believe that is Emma's baptism, even though it doesn't have her name on it.  It seems to match up with similar records for her siblings.

Hi Sue,

Just to clarify,  the information on the marriage and death certificates are not notes - I have copied the information here as it appears on those certificates.

I do not have a birth certificate for Amy - I have never viewed it.

I have sifted through some other documents and found a birth certificate for Archibald and it reads Emma Wilson formerly Freeman; but, as far as I am aware, there is no marriage for Emma Freeman until 1886, at which time she gives her name as Emma Freeman.

Based on the fact that Edward Wilson appears to have been married in the UK and that the wife was possibly still alive at the time of Amy's birth in Australia, I am exploring the possibility that she (the first wife) may have been looking for him.  There could be a newspaper notice that fits the description of Edward Wilson.  Yes, that's speculation, but it is a plausible line of inquiry, given that the marriage and death certificates, which I have, very strongly suggest that he was married; and I don't have any other information about him.  Would you do something different in this circumstance?  At the moment, I don't know what else I can look up.  Do you have any suggestions?

Amanda

Hi Sue,

The word "formally" may have just been the language used by the person who copied the details from the marriage certificate.  I am quite certain that Emma Freeman was not married previously.

I believe Edward was married because he described himself as a widower at the time of his marriage to Emma and because his death certificate suggests the same.

Edward died 3 July 1900 in Sydney.  The information on Edward's death certificate was provided by his wife, Emma.  Informants are not always reliable, but the relevant information reads as follows:

Age - 62 years
Name and occupation of father and mother's maiden name - unknown
Religion - Church of England
Where born and how long in the Australian Colonies - Lancashire England, 11 years Victoria, 16 years Sydney
Place of marriage, age and to whom - 1) England - unknown; 2) Emma Agnes Freeman, Melbourne, 35 years
Children of marriage - 1st marriage not known; 2nd Amy 24 Archibald 22 Frederick 20 All Living, None deceased

Note that 35 years refers to his age at the time of marriage, but he was not actually married to Emma until 1886.  So this was clearly a lie!

No parents names are given on his death certificate; he provided that information himself at the time of his marriage to Emma.

Emma is also suggesting that he arrived in Australia in around 1873; this may or may not be the case.  I can find lots of Edward Wilsons arriving in Australia before and after this time from all over the UK and I have no idea which one he would be.  Trying to match him to a birth/baptism record is just as difficult, which is why I though that there might be a slim chance that a UK wife would be looking for him - a notice in a police gazette or a newspaper could potentially shed more light on who he might actually be.

Amanda

Perhaps someone has access to UK police gazette records and can run a search?

Or is there a free database with similar information that I can search?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.