John WILLIAMS Ballarat

[Valley]

Hi
I Had another thread on this but cant find it.
I have birth cert for John Isaac Williams born 20 th Dec 1858 to Father John Williams and Mother Sarah Leonard they both came from UK John and Sarah Married Feb 1857 in Liverpool Uk. John Senior was a Stonemason / builder they had a further 3 children
James L, Herbert and Thomas must be twins as listed same year 1865 born Australia, the family came back to England on th SS Great Britian in 1868 Ref Mar011 sailing back to Liverpool. Is there any type of census records say 1861 as to why John Sr and Sarah would have gone to Australia in the first place, maybe because he was a stonemason / builder and Ballarat was a growing city maybe he helped to build. I would ove to know why they may have been there. Any info would be great.

Thanks
Val

[aghadowey]

Here's a link to your other thread which was just started in January:
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,357247.0.html

[Valley]

Hi
Thanks for that I think I put it on wron board anyway put a complete on it

[Keengeni]

Census information was destroyed in Australia.  There are a couple in the 1840's that survive.

A 1865-66 Directory for Ballarat shows there are
2 Miners, 1 Bootmaker, 2 Labourers and 1 Seedsman with the name John Williams. 

Perhaps labourer may include stonemason.

Sorry I can't really help you other than with directory information.

Good luck
K.

[sparrett]

Hi Val,
I think you have probably answered your own question as to why they went.
It was about OPPORTUNITY.
His skill would certainly be in demand in Ballarat which still has many beautiful buildings established in the boom years after the goldrush.
It is wonderful to imagine that an ancestor of yours contributed.
I would be interested to know their reaons for deciding to return to UK.
The tough years of the 1890's were still a very long way off and things should have been rosy and optomistic for them.

My thoughs anyway.
Sue

[trish251]

Hi Val

These are the children I see born to John Williams and Sarah Leonard (apart from John Isaac) in Australia

Emily 1861 Ballarat ref 1940
James Leonard 1863  Melb ref 9608
Herbert Henry  Melb 1865 ref 16977

I don't see a Thomas - but I have the AVRI and wildcard searches & ref number searches are not easily done

It seems they may have moved to Melbourne for the latter part of their stay in Australia. Perhaps they came a little late looking for gold Sue - did not like life outside a large city -  - but I am guessing. Many people returned because they so missed the family connections - they still do in current times.

Trish

[tropicalj]

It  might be possible  to  try and find  when  the couple arrived in Australia,  the shipping manifest  might say  why  they came  ie if they came as assisted emmigrants  usually  states who long for  and who  assisted them.

We are looking at a period of time between  when  they married in 1857  and the birth of  their first child in Dec 1858.

However  that is assuming  they came into Melbourne.

Jenn

[terra]

This could be them

WILLIAMS   JOHN   24   MAY   1858   ZULEIKA   B   145   003
WILLIAMS   SARAH   19   MAY   1858   ZULEIKA   B   145   003

Do you have their dob's?

[tropicalj]

When the family returned to UK on the Great Britain in 1868
John was 36
Sarah  was 31

So  the age on  the arrival on the Zuleika don't quite match but we do know from experience that many peope were either unsure about thier ages or simply lied to make themselves younger and therefore more appealing.

Jenn