ENNIS-DAVIS BRICKWALL

[LoneyBones]

Hi all,
this has been my very toughest brickwall. My cousin in NZ has done heaps of research and so have I.
John Innis married Elizabeth Ann Balfour Davis in Auckland, New Zealand at St Paul's Church, on 25 November, 1851. (Parish records)
Elizabeth Davis was aboard the 'Stately' from England, 1851. The voyage is well documented.
Beyond that we have nothing!!
Information from later birth, death & marriage certificates give this;
Elizabeth was born c.1831 in London.
John Innis (also and later, spelled Ennis) was born c.1830 "in the Western Isles" - Azores. Parents were John and Constance Louisa Innis.
Their lives after 1851 are fairly easy to follow, they migrated to Australia sometime between the birth of their 4th child born NZ, 1858 and their 5th child born New South Wales, Australia,1860.
They were photographed in Hill End, NSW in 1873, divorced in Sydney in 1880.
John remarried twice and died in 1914.
Nothing more for Elizabeth.
I can find plenty of info that looks good but nothing definitive and provable.
Maybe someone here will find this a challenge. I've just about given up.

[O1dgobbo]

Hi

You say John Innis was born c. 1830 "in the Western Isles" - Azores.  Why do you say Azores?  I always think of the Western Isles as the Hebrides.

Good luck

Gobbo

[MarieC]

Hi LoneyBones,

This sounds like a tough one!

It will be very difficult to find the right birth in London for a person with a common name like Elizabeth Davis.  I assume you have looked on the IGI, and it isn't helpful?  Do you know if she was C of E or belonged to another church?

Re her disappearance after her divorce, I guess you have looked fruitlessly for her death on the State indexes?  If only you could find it, it should give father's and mother's names and where she was born.  

I guess she could have remarried, or gone to another colony/State and died there.  She could also have left the country, gone back to New Zealand or England - have you checked outgoing shipping?

I can't think of another reason why she would have disappeared!

Could the whereabouts of her children give a clue - ie, were they all in Australia or did one or more of them live in New Zealand?

MarieC

[Josephine]

LoneyBones,

Have you checked with the cemetery where the ex-husband was buried, in case she was buried there, also?

Regards,
Josephine

[LoneyBones]

Hi Gobbo,
I too thought first of the Hebrides but his second marriage cert. says Azores. Believe me, I looked at everything west of Scotland.
Hi Josephine, I did look at the cemetery but nothing in memorials, headstones etc. My cousin wrote to the C of E rector/chaplain whatever at Rookwood cemetery but also had no luck.
One child did return to New Zealand, MarieC, but that's the branch my NZ cousin belongs to and he couldn't find a death for Elizabeth there either. However, I will follow that line and check for any family who were living outside of New South Wales at the time of her death.
Which has to be after 1880 (the divorce) and by what would be about her 100th birthday.
I've tried the IGI, using the Balfour name in every possible sense, as an adopted or step child, but it hasn't helped. I have no idea how she got the Balfour in there, she was plain Elizabeth Davis on the Stately. I even contacted the records office (can't remember off hand which county) where the "young ladies of good family" who went on the Stately stayed, with the Female Immigration Fund, before they left England but got no joy.
If you google STATELY or FEMALE IMMIGRATION FUND you will see how well documented that part of her life was, then my cousin has spent so much time searching records in NZ and chasing up family members for stories, add to that the good luck we had to find photos from the Holterman Collection, then to lose her after the divorce is just unbelievable.
I guess a genealogists work is never ending. But then I intend to keep going for another 30 years at least.
Cheers,
Leonie.

[toni*]

does her marriage cert give her fathers name?

[LoneyBones]

Hi Toni,
their marriage cert. is the most minimalist thing I've ever seen. Even the the parish register has nothing but their names. Doesn't even say how long in the colonies as Aus. certs generally do.
I did get one more bone for the soup! One of her sons has the name 'Grace Balfour Davis' for 'mother's name and maiden surname on his death cert. I don't know if this will help or just muddy the waters. (pardon the mixed metaphors) I generally try using middle names and children's names when searching for parents, so I'm going to give 'Grace Davis' a try as Elizabeth's mother.
Also; their first two children are 'Constantia Veulantia Innis' and 'Manuel Flizberto Innis' so I figure this adds to the Azores/Portuguese connection. (even tho' they were both born in New Zealand.
And just to make my life a little more interesting, I've missplaced all my files for this family. Since my filing system is the old 'chuck it on top of that pile there' sort of thing, I should get away from my computer and tidy my workroom. Well, maybe tomorrow.
Cheers,
Leonie.

[MarieC]

Hi Leonie

She's probably been hiding with those of mine who obviously don't want to be found - I sympathise!!  They must have all done something they didn't want their descendants to know about! 

If you can't find her in any of the colonies (fingers crossed that searching for the children proves fruitful!), I still think that searching outgoing shipping might just yield something. 

Have you looked on freebmd for a death for her in England - just in case she went back there?

MarieC

[Josephine]

Leoni,

It sounds like you and your cousin are quite thorough.  I wish you luck in your search!

Regards,
Josephine