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Hi

I'm looking for any information on David Herbert Reese (or Rees) possibly born in Bishop's Castle, Shropshire about 1835/6. He came to Australia and married in 1862 and settled in Chiltern, Victoria, as a butcher.

There is no information on his death or marriage certificates about his parents, but the 1841 census appears to show him living in Bishop's Castle and in the 1851 he is in Welshtown, Montgomeryshire with parents David, a shoemaker, and Sarah. According to the IGI a David Rheece is baptised in Bishop's Castle in April 1936, parents David and Sarah.

I'm keen to find if this is my David Reese and anything about his background. His erstwhile father David appears to have been born about 1812 and Sarah about 1806 or 08. I can find no record of their marriage but David Sr seems to have died in Forden, Montgomery, in Dec 1881. The 1881 census seems to have him at 71 in the Forden Workhouse.

David and Sarah seem to have at least five other children: Richard, Jane, John, Edward and Margaret, born between 1832 and 1846, the last of these in Newtown, Montgomery.

Anything at all on these people would be really helpful

cheers
GazT

Hi,

Wonder if anyone can help me with Stephen DUCK and his wife Margaret, both apparently born in Somerset.

I have 1851 Census information for them:

2 Margaret Court St Marylebone All Saints
H0107/1486  610/54
Stephen Duck 59 Cadney Somersetshire Smith
Margaret 54 Bath Somersetshire

Which would indicate Stephen was born about 1792 and Margaret about 1797.

They had three children that I know of: Martha born 1824, Isaac born 1822 and Stephen born 1820, all in London. The 1841 Census shows Stephen living with Isaac, but no sign of Margaret.

A witness at Martha's wedding in 1843 was an Abraham Duck and his wife Charlotte. I believe this was her uncle and therefore a brother of Stephen.

Any help on the Ducks of Somerset would be gratefully received.

Cheers
GazT

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help me with a William Edwards born about 1820 in Bernett? According to his death and marriage certificates he was the son of William and Margaret.

He married a Martha Duck on Dec 25 1843 in Holborn, London and emigrated to Australia aboard the Bombay with their children John and Elizabeth in 1852. He was an engineer.

The 1851 census shows what I believe is the family at 13 Field Tce, St Pancras, Marylebone.

But I have found nothing in 1841, nor anything on his father William who I have seen described as a porter in the marriage certificate and as a horse dealer in William's death certificate. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

GazT

Hi,

I am returning to a topic on which I had little luck last year.

I had been hoping someone could help me find more on George FRY and his family. George, born about 1823, was transported to Tasmania in 1843 after stabbing a drinking partner Joseph Hake. He was convicted in Somerset Assizes in August 1843 and shipped out in November that year.

His convict papers show him as a ploughman and farm labourer and his 'native place' as 'Exminster'.  In a barely legible 'Remarks' section it appears to show his father as 'Jas' (probably James), a brother Jas, and a sister Eliza.

I have looked at the 1841 Census through Ancestry and found a number of George Frys, none living with a James or Eliza, though it is likely he was out working by then, aged about 17.

The most likely candidate was working at Clayhidon, but the census pages are virtually unreadable.

Today I returned to chasing the Frys and using the LDS site found a George Fry, bapt 28 Apr 1822, son of James FRY and a Harriet.  Further searching showed James and Harriet had two other children and they turned out to be James Frederick, bapt 31 Aug 1823; and Eliza, bapt 1 Jun 1828.

They looked very likely prospects and a google search showed me that Membury was only a couple of miles from Axminster (not Exminster) and that Clayhidon was only about six miles further north-west-ish. This makes me believe I might have found the right people.

I haven't been able to find anything else on Harriet, who may have died before George was transported in 1843, nor am I confident of an 1841 census showing a James Fry at Axminster with a daughter Eliza, aged 15, and a wife Susan.

Can anyone set me straight?

Gazt