James GARCIA birth Richmond VIC 1876-78

[Shadwell]

Hi Genni

That is amazing    According to Vic BDM Stanley Edward WHITE was born on what looks like 16 August 1883.  His mother Sarah WHITE was 21 years and lived at 9 Brougham St, Richmond.  The Garcias lived in Brougham St in 1883 (directory in 1885 shows it is 7 Brougham St, right next door).  According to NZ school records Stanley GARCIA was born on 18 August 1883.  So this will be our Stanley.  Thank you.   

The question is whether James WHITE is my grandfather James GARCIA.  No birth certificate has been located for James GARCIA but various records, including death certificate, state it was Melbourne, and Cyclopaedia of New Zealand cites Richmond.  According to Thames High School's (NZ) register of pupils, James was born on 13 January 1876.  Vic BDM has James WHITE born on 19 October 1875 to a Sarah WHITE who is 20 years.  So with the dates not matching and the mother's age not coinciding with that of Stanley's, it does not look to me like James WHITE is James GARCIA, but I'd be interested in what you think.

Genni, we'd be so grateful if you could turn up something on James GARCIA.  You've done so well on Stanley.  Thank you so much.

[gennig]

Hi Shadwell

Glad Stanley appears to be correct. 

I'm not sure how adoptions took place in the early days.  But I know my grandmother's family advertised her illegitimate daughter in the paper.  This was in the 1920's and her daughter was virtually put up for sale!!!!! 

The bdm's indexes give 3 James' born in Richmond in 1875 with Father: Unknown.  In 1876 there is also 3 born in Melb & nil born in Richmond.  One in particular appears to be born early in the Year.
Surname is COOK - mother is Alice.  I'll see if I can track him.

Regards


Genni

[Shadwell]

Thanks Genni
In 1876 the Garcia family was living in Charlotte St, Richmond.  The father of James GARCIA was Miguel Paschal GARCIA and the mother was Mary Jane GARCIA (nee AMY).  The grandmother Elizabeth GARCIA (nee Graham) was also likely living there.  We'd be very interested in what you can find.
Kind regards
Shadwell

[gennig]

Hi Shadwell

Did some investigation at the Library on Saturday, but couldn't find anything on James or Stanley in the Children's receiving home.

The only mention of a GARCIA was as follows:-

In the Girls Books for State Children's registers.
GARCIA Jane Frances also known as BOOTH.
On looking at the register entry, it appears
Jane Frances DENNINGS born Melbourne 14th Nov 1874 (birth doesn't appear to be registered) was fostered by Mary J GARCIA of Richmond from the 12th July 1876 for a period of time, she appears to have been fostered by the family until Dec 1881, when she was readmitted to orphanage. She was then fostered by the BOOTH family.  She was fostered at least 3 more times after that.

In reading about adoptions, there was no formal process before 1929 and most children were taken in by family or friends.

Regards


Genni

[Shadwell]

Hi Genni

Thank you very much for taking time out to research my family.  I'm amazed at what you've been able to find.  I've just come back from a very short trip to Melbourne during which we visited a gravesite and houses in Richmond lived in by the Garcia family.

Your news about a foster 'daughter' was fascinating.  I wonder why one would send a child back to the orphanage after fostering for five years?  That doesn't sound like my modern-day family at all, but I guess we do not know what the circumstances were at the time.

The adoption of a brother (Stanley) and a foster child (Jane Frances) is building a picture of a family that did adopt and makes it even more important we find out the birth details of my grandfather James Garcia before our family reunion in January 2008.  I wonder if Vic BDM would give me all births for 13 January 1876 or whether someone would kindly lookup Melbourne and/or Richmond births on that date looking for a James or a male born close to Charlotte St, Richmond?

Many thanks once again and kind regards.

Shadwell     

[cando]

Hi all

I have pm'd Shadwell the results of a search for a James b. Richmond for the year 1876 but I don't know how helpful this will be as James may not have been registered at birth with this name. 

Cheers
cando

[sparrett]

Hi Cando and All,
Yes, certainly possible that the boy's name was changed from a birth name of James.

However, just looking at what we  know at this stage.

It is most unlikely that James was biological child of the Garcia's
AND
The other 2 children that we know of who were fostered/adopted by the couple kept their full birth given names.
AND
The name James would not appear to be for his adoptive father ....Miguel or John ....as one might think if a name were being selected for a first "son"

Was Mary Jane AMY's father James, Shadwell?

To me it suggests that James was the boy's original given name.
My  thoughts anyway.

It should be considered too, that the date recorded as his birth may not be accurate.
January fits in nicely with the beginning of the school year and if his birth had never been registered, being like Stanley's the child of a friend or neighbour , then you could say what suited about birth date, within a few months anyway.
She may have been very busy with the comings and goings of foster and adopted children and having one in school might have suited.

Sue

[Shadwell]

Thanks Genni, Sue and Cando

I appreciate you sticking with me on this one.  I have a number of relatives in New Zealand and one in London now following this quest and I'm just hoping to crack through this brickwall before the family reunion in January.

There is no James in prior family history - parents Miguel and Mary Jane had fathers Miguel and Francis (Francois) - so what Cando says makes sense to me.  So I'm looking for a James born 1875 to 1878 in Melbourne (probably Richmond, close to Charlotte St or perhaps family known through the Methodist Church) to an unmarried mother, father unknown.   

I have revisited what I know about James "Garcia's" date of birth and it appears he could have been born between 1875 and 1878.  Cyclopaedia of New Zealand would make it 1877 in Richmond, Victoria, marriage details indicate 1877/78 in Richmond, Victoria, and James’s death certificate indicates born between 18 July 1876 and 17 July 1877, but his mother Mary Jane Garcia’s death certificate in 1908 indicates it could be 1875 or even 1882 - two male issue aged 33 years (1875) and 26 (1882).  Place of birth on James’s death certificate is stated as Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.  Taranaki Daily News of 19 July 1943 stated that he was born at Melbourne. A relative once told me that James’s birthday was 13 January 1878.  In Thames High School's (NZ) register of pupils, James was born on 13 January 1876.

I also can't help wondering why Mary Jane Garcia would return a young girl to the orphanage yet keep my grandfather who was around the same age.

I know this all sounds very confusing, but any further help would be gratefully appreciated.

Cando, thanks for the "James" names. Genni, thanks for the library research - which library was that and I wonder if there is a James for my dates in the Boys book?

Kind regards

Shadwell

[sparrett]

Hi again,
As one who works with and knows many very young children, I can suggest a number of reasons why a child may be returned to an orphanage and then subsequently move through a series of fostering arrangements in early life.
Disability mental or physical,  abnormal  social/emotional behaviours to mention a couple.

Questions
"but his mother Mary Jane Garcia's death certificate in 1908..."

Who was the informant on Mary Jane's death certificate and how "reliable" do you think they are?  how close to the situation?

Could you clarify this bit

'A relative once told me..."
What relative and how would they know?

[I just have a feeling that there is a connection between these children.]

I've put this in brackets because it is just speculation