NSW - BMD Records Are they Complete?

[SueChris]

Does anyone know if the records that are on-line for the periods stated are complete for those years?

Thanks

[Robert Coble]

hi there,
Yes are fare as I know they are up to 1906 birth . marriages up 1956 . Death's  up 1976 .

[PrueM]

Hi SueChris,
As OzyBob says, they are complete up to the end of the open periods for the different categories, but that's not to say that every event was registered, particularly in the 19th century...were you looking for something in particular?
Prue

[SueChris]

Thanks for your postings. Yes I was looking for a death for
Ellen or Amelia MERCER who was born in Kent in 1848.  The family seem to have gone to Sydney between 1881 and 1885 as her husband remarried at Waterloo in 1885 (Henry Mercer to Johannah Nihill).  I am trying to find out what happened to Ellen.  There is no death for her on the NZ BMD index up to 1890 so she didn't die in NZ before then.  Her last known child was born in NZ in Nov 1880.  I haven't been able to find a shipping record between Auckland and Sydney on-line yet.  We are presuming that as her husband remarried in 1885 she had either died or they had divorced.  There are divorces on a NSW site but no divorce for Ellen and Henry Mercer. There is a marriage at Waterloo on the NSW index Ellen mercer to John Anderson so this could be her remarrying.  There were at least six children born to Henry and Ellen in England and NZ before 1881 so the children would have gone to Sydney as well.  Ordering the marriage cert for Ellen to John in 1885 may help me get further with this.

Thanks
Sue

[Robert Coble]

hi sue,
who was ellen mother and father there is a way look for the death to ellen to that married name thats how i fine out if it could be it an i have had lots of luck doing it that way too.
 there is this death there in nsw


9333/1875 
Name: MERCER  ELLEN 
Father: THOMAS M 
Mother: JANET 
Place: PORT STEPHENS   


have you looked in queensland they could have went there or victoria,
link for queensland is: [/b]


http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/research/indexes.asp


for birts,deaths and marriages:[/b]

Search historical indexes online it says  CLICK HERE thats where you go for Births, Deaths and marriage.

http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/bdm/familyhistory.html




Here is a nother way to search for the name Mercer in queensland:[/b]

http://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au


If this works there are Mercer from 1890 to 1905 to Australia:[/color]
after getting to this web link you click on search there Sue

http://www.findmypast.com/passengerListPersonSearchStart.action

[PrueM]

Hi Sue,
The couple could have split up and each remarried, I'm guessing it would have been possible to say one was not already married, or that one was widowed, in order to marry another person while still married to the first spouse.  I.e. they could easily have lied about their marital status. 
One way to find out would be to order the marriage cert for Ellen, the other is what OzyBob says - if you have her parents' names, her death could be searched for without necessarily having to know what her surname at the time of death was.
Prue

[sparrett]

I think it may be helpful too if we could have the names of the children who came with the couple from NZ.
Locating them and their events may lead to their mother.
Sue

[ChristineR]

SueChris - have you mentioned Ellen's maiden name? (I couldn't see it    ) It would be easy to spot her having other children over here if we know her maiden name.  And easier to spot her death.

ChristineR 

found it myself from a previous posting of yours

Ellen was married to Henry Mercer and they had children in England who came out on the Berar in 1875 but this part of the family were apparently taken off the ship as one of the members had Scarlet Fever. I have all the details of the marriage etc in Kent 1869 (under Hurrion).  Some of these four children stayed in Australia or went back at some stage - another member of this Mercer family has some of this info - At this stage I am particularly interested in find a death for Ellen - I think she was born in Lewisham - Mother Mary Skinner father William Skinner in 1848 - I haven't spent much time on this line yet so am not sure that these parents are right.  It appears that her father William was a brother of her mothers 1st husband who died before Ellen was born and Mary and William weren't married.  Her parents did not come out to NZ - at least they weren't on the Berar in 1875.

SueChris - you need to get in the habit of using the females maiden names when referring to them - this is the 'norm' for family history purposes  and saves lots of confusion.  Is Ellen's mother a Skinner too?  Have you been able to confirm these parents?

[SueChris]

Thanks to everyone for their help and advise. 
The death in 1875 I have had a look at but we know Ellen had two children in NZ in 1877 and 1880 so I have eliminated this one and also the parents are not correct.  Her mother was Mary and her father either Henry or William.  I do know what happened to three of the children.  Some of the older ones married in Australia but came to NZ at some stage. There were four children born in the UK who came to NZ and then two born in NZ before 1881 so we can guess that may be they all went to Sydney between 1881 and 1885.  It is also possible Ellen did not go although this would be surprising with very young children. We know Henry and his new wife Johannah came to NZ in 1897 but we do not know which children came with them.  Henry and Johannah had had four children (one had died not long after birth) so these three young children would have come to NZ in 1897 with some or all of the previous six children.  I have had a look at the shipping lists on FindMyPast but these are all for ships that left the UK so unfortunately doesn't help us here.

I also need to check for a death for Ellen in NZ  for 1890 on as even if she went to Sydney with Henry she may have returned herself at a later date.  There are still lots of possibilites. I have also check the UK BMD site for a death which could be Ellen in case she went back to England but have not found a suitable one.