RootsChat.Com

Hello Joffy,
How exciting to find another researcher for this extensive family. As I live in Sydney I am most interested that James Molison blew up Bridge Street. I assume it was accidental!
If you search all 85 pages or so of the June 2005 Challenge you will find information relating to Duncan Dunbar's wife and children. His wife Mary Ann died of Dropsy and is buried in Geelong, Victoria. Both his children were born in Victoria, but it is likely that Justina was not baptised, or was re-baptised in Walthamstow in 1862 as you have noted.
I knew about Duncan's time in Hong Kong but I did not have the name or date of the ship he travelled on. I am so pleased you have been able to give us this extra information. Can you confirm that Malcolm Elmslie who provided this is the son of Alan and Mary Elmslie? I would very much like to contact him.
Was the John Dunbar who left DDT 500 pounds in 1845 living in England or Scotland?
I descend from John Korff and his wife Mary Gordon who lived in Sydney. Mary was a sister of Elizabeth Gordon, the stepmother of Duncan Dunbar Tatham. Their son Frederick James Robert Korff was a mariner who made frequent trips between Sydney and Melbourne. DDT could therefore have travelled without necessarily going through the usual procedures for passengers.

Hi Deb and all the contributors to this Scavenger Hunt,
I have just read all the messages and will make a couple of comments.
When the "Thames" left Port Phillip in January 1858 bound for London there were only 15 passengers, all stated to be going to London. As well as "25" years old Jane Brown, there was also "32" years old J WALLIS. The ages are often incorrect on the shipping lists. Perhaps J Wallis is every bit as important to us as Jane Brown as there seemed to be a family link between the Wallis and Shores families. What we need is the itinerary of the Thames to find out just where the ship visited and where Duncan Dunbar Tatham may have disembarked, if he were in fact on board. As well, I should pay a visit to Geelong to search their records, in the hope that I can find the last known reference to him in Victoria. You and I should start saving our pennies! I have just calculated that we are 5th cousins.
As for William Smith Brown, Phoebe Tatham and their family, there seems to have been a court case over Duncan Dunbar junior's Will as it related to the terms of the trust. I haven't worked it out, but the reference at the National Archives gives a hint:
"Item details C 16/60/B67
Cause number: 1862 B67.
Short title: Brown v Gellatly.
Documents: Bill only.
Plaintiffs: William Smith Brown.
Defendants: Edward Gellatly and Phoebe Dunbar Brown, Duncan Brown, William Edward Brown, Margaret Emily Brown, Francis Dixon Brown, Arthur Kaye Brown, John Archibald Dunbar Dunbar, infants."

As for their children, Phoebe Dunbar Brown died unmarried at Fulham on 15 April 1926. She was living at Otto House West Kensington, which I understand was then a "lunatic asylum."
Duncan Brown died at Digswell Welwyn on 2 June 1891.
William Edward Brown I think married Laura Whitaker in 1880 and they had a daughter Dorothy Brown in 1886. Perhaps William Edward Brown was a Lieutenant (refer London Gazette).
Margaret Emily Brown profited handsomely from Duncan Dunbar's Will. References to her and her husband and children are online on the Libindx website in Moray, Scotland.
Francis Dixon Brown married Agnes Mary Quain, and this has been covered already. Francis Dixon Brown was a Director of a Mining Company with its headquarters at 1 Victoria St, Westminster.
Arthur Kaye Brown was an engineer, and he died at Poole, Dorset on 18 June 1900.

So...everything we ever wanted to know about the Browns and no new revelations about DDT or his son DJT! As usual the contributors to Rootschat have been so generous with their time and information, so thanks to all
Regards, Denise

 

Hello Barbara,
The good news is that I now have access to the Censuses. I believe that in the 1851 Census William Rosser was living alone, next door to Joshua Prosser and his family. The record shows 28 and 29 Eign Street, then 30 Clarence Place (where Joshua lived) and 31 where William lived. By that time his wife and one daughter had died and his second daughter and her husband and family were living in Australia (her husband having been transported).
Last night I downloaded an 1841 Census record which could be his, but it is so faded it is almost impossible to read.
RG number:
HO107 Piece:
433 Book/Folio:
4/26 Page:16         
Registration District: Hereford & Dore
Sub District: Hereford City   
Civil Parish: St Martin
Municipal Borough: Hereford Address:
Blackmarstone, St Martin, Hereford
County: Herefordshire
Willm Prosser (?), M, aged 76, Born Herefordshire (mine was born in Gloucestershire). He was living with the family of George Bowen. I cannot make out his occupation.


Thank you and Pam once again.
Denise

Thank you very much Pam. I greatly appreciate your efforts.
Denise