WILKS family geelong and Ballarat ( 1855-1860's)

[rutti tutti]

Hi all,
I have traced some of my Wilks family to Geelong travelling on the Omega in 1855. They were from Essex and traded as blacksmiths and wheelwrights. I would appreciate any help to point me in the right direction to find out more about them. I believe them to have owned the Fyansford Carriage Works. I am hoping that in a round about way I might find James and wife Caroline and daughter Caroline Betsey with them as I have not found them on any shipping lists yet.
Thanking you in advance
Ruth Archer

[little meg]

Hi Ruth,
You might like to check out this web site if you haven't already.

www.zades.com.au/geelong

There is a lot of mention of the Wilks name.
In the cemetery index round a James Wilks d. 1913, there was a Caroline Ann Wilks who died 1874. But nothing in that to prove that they are yours.  Perhaps someone else can check the Vic bdm indexes and see what they give.

The directory in that site mentions Wilks as blacksmiths with the other data you provided.  The consolidated book index has numerous mention of  wilks families. I would note the references  to Bannockburn as, if I read it correctly, Fyansford was in the municipality of Bannocksburn (1955).
Hope this is of some help, good luck
margaret

[flinders]

James Wilks - died 1913 Geelong age 63 - rego 9560
parents Jose Wilks and Ann (nee Collett)

Hi Megs - Flinders here
these are some Wiliks of Fyansford/Geelong victoria
Joseph and Ann (nee Colverd)
children
Matilda born 1866 Fransford rego 8300-died 1887 aged 20 - rego 1961
Caroline Ann died 1874 aged 20 rego 7745
Rosetta born Fransford 1864 rego 2329
Mary Ann - born Fransford 1861 rego 21056
Charles born Fransford 1859 rego 19834
Emma born Geelong 1857 rego 10766
John born Geelong 1855 rego 7954

[flinders]

Geelong Heritage Centre, Geelong City Council
  [Repository details] 
 Reference: GRS 375
Date Range: 1904 - 1915
Description: Includes order and plan book.
Access: Contact archive for conditions of access.
 

 

[flinders]

 Geelong West & Fyansford, VIC, AUST / 1853 - 1930


Moderator Comment: email address removed to prevent spam and other abuses. Please use the secure PM (personal message) system to share email addresses and other personal information. Thank You.

John wilks interested in same family


Do you have a Caronlie's maiden name

[rutti tutti]

Hi all,
Thank you so much for the info - I had searched the Geelong database but did not come up with the right folks. I have since made contact with someone and together we have found out that James Wilks b 1817 dunmow, William and Joseph are 99% brothers. William and Joseph came with respective families, both wives called Ann on the Omega, see above, but i still do not know when James, Caroline and Caroline Betsey came out. What I now know is that James, Caroline and Caroline Betsey had a hotel called the Dunmow Flitch in Ballarat before returning to England. This must have been in the 1860's.
I have a lot of info now on the Joseph and William Wilks families. I have tried on numerous occasions to contact John Wilks but the various email addresses I have for him are invalid, including the one you have posted.

So now I need some info if possible on Ballarat- ironically we were there a few years ago.

I know too that they did not have any other children that survived.

Once again a big  thank you -

Ruth

[gennig]

Hi rutti tutti

The following gives a brief history of Ballarat.
http://www.ballarat.com/history.htm

Also this one
http://www.ballarathistory.org/

and this the the genealogical society
http://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/

Cheers
Genni

[rutti tutti]

Thank you Jenny I will check out these sites
Ruth

[Jamie H]

Hullo Ruth,

Did any of your WILKS have connections in Worcestershire? I have a Caroline WILKS born in 1837 in Grimley, Worcs. And one of my WILKS family, Mark, was a blacksmith in that area.

Zillah