Birth of Clara Harriett Coleman,Hastings

[gidget37]

Hope someone can help me find my Great Grand mother, she married George Langdon Smith at St Giles,London in 1886 and came to Australia soon after. All of her certificates in Australia, say she was born in Hastings to father Charles Coleman, mother Elizabeth Hattree. Her marriage is the only record I have been able to find of her in England. I have been searching for 10 years and have joined RootsChat, hoping somone out there can help me,I'm not getting far on my own. Fingers crossed

[cath151]

Hi gidget.
Could this be her on the birth index for July,Aug,Sep 1865.
Clara Harriet Coleman
Birth July,august,september 1865    BATTLE Vol 2b 41
Battle is very near to Hastings.
Have you seen the entry on the igi site confirming approx date and parents?
You should be able to get her birth certificate with the above reference or request a possible look up in Sussex records.
  Hope this might be useful
              Best wishes,
                      Cathy

[sillgen]

Hi
If you have her marriage certificate you can give us more information and possible confirm that the birth record Cathy found is correct.  How old was she?  What was her father's occupation?  Was he alive?   Who were the witnesses?
Have you searched the 1881 census? It is free on www.familysearch.org
Every scrap of information helps.
Andrea

[sillgen]

I see the IGI record has been put on by a church member so it is not an extracted record from a parish register.
I can't  see the family on a census record at the moment but will keep looking!
Andrea

[sillgen]

1871 census Rg10 1043 F64 p8
Ninfield
Charles Colman 36 wid journeyman miller b Brede Sussex
Clara da 5 b Westfield Sussex
Eleanor Rupell? 30 Housekepper b Hool? Sussex
George Cooper lodger/boarder 22 journeyman miller b Colchester Essex
Looks as if Clara's mother died when she was very young.  Westfield comes under the Battle registration district.
Andrea

[gidget37]

Thank you both for such quick response.
Cathy, I wonder if someone could look at birth details for me please. If the father is Charles and mother Elizabeth, then it is my Clara Harriett.
Andrea and Cathy, I put the IGI details on, they came from Clara's marriage cert to my g.gr.father William Dunbar here in Australia.It has fathers occupation as Hotel keeper,mother Milliner. I have not got her cert of marriage to George L Smith in St Giles, London yet. (he drowned in a river here in Australia) I am a pensioner and have to save only found the marriage December 2005
There are so many Clara Colemans in England and several are born 1885- 1886.Sussex. The 1881 Census has a CLARE H COLEMAN, age 15 niece, Head= William Coleman, Stone Link Cottage, Brede. I wondered if it could be her.
There is a story that she ran away and married Smith (who was beneath her station) and broke all contact with her family. That a brother who was in the navy came looking for her in Australia and she told her children to tell him he had the wrong person and sent him away. My uncle who is near 90 said she always said she would take him to see the castle one day and gave another grandson a Battle Penny.
So sounds like she knew the area and had a brother.
Thank you so much for you interest. Zoe

[Jane Masri]

Hi Gidget,
Don't know if you've seen this posting I put on the Sussex page but it might have some connection with your Coleman family,
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,126336.0.html

Jane

[gidget37]

Thank you Jane, yes I did get your message and as I am very new to all this I am still working out how to anser messages. 
I have added more information to the original message, should have done it to start with I guess.
Regards Zoe
ps love your pic.

[cath151]

Hi Gidget,
I cant  look up Claras actual birth certifcate as i dont live in Sussex but I m sure if you started another post someone may be able to find the answers you want.Funnily enough my forebears came from sussex and i have been meaning to visit the records centre in Brighton for ages.If you find that Clara from Battle has the correct parents i ll gladly find and send  the certificate to you,a presnt from Blighty!
 Good luck
         Cathy