Matilda BATES, b. ca1830, emigrated to Adelaide, AUS

[surreydoug]

I'll try this, as a first post on rootschat! It's a toughie.
Matilda BATES was my great-grandmother. She emigrated to Australia in 1849 on 'Rajah' and just months after arrival, married Matthew MARCH (ex Thrapston, Northants).
I believe Matilda sailed from Lizard, Cornwall, but where did she come from?
She was obviously born before civil registration began, and neither her Australian marriage or death certificate give any clue. She's my 'mystery great-grandparent"!
I know of one or two Matilda BATES born in England around this time (e.g. Richmond Surrey) but nothing concrete. Is she on anyone else's chart?

[sparrett]

Hi surreydog,
On her Australian Death certificate which I understand you have, where does it say she dies and is buried please.
If you are able to give all details on both certificates, there is a much better chance of finding her origins

Sue

[surreydoug]

Thanks sparrett.

She died 28/8/1891 in Unley (Adelaide suburb) and was buried 30/8/1891in West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide.
I have the death cert. and have been to WTC but found no further clue 

surreydoug

[cando]

Hi surreydoug

Have you looked at the shipping record?
http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/1849Rajah.htm

http://www.familyhistorysa.info/shipping/passengerlists.html
BATES Matilda arrived 1849-01-06 on Rajah from London

There are  extracted records of births on IGI within a few years of her birth.
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true

Death
MARCH Matilda
28 Aug 1891  61 years  Married  Relative Matthew MARCH [Husband]
Residence Unley    Death Place Unley  Ade 196/94

Unfortunately SA Death certs have very little information.  http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=368744.0
Mentioned to save further questions re details.  Other states have much more details on death certs than SA.

There doesn't appear to be a headstone at WTC either
 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~deadsearch/west_mmi.htm

Shipping records may help you.


Cheers
Cando

[jorose]

There was a Matilda Bates who was charged in 1847 with theft from her employer; she was aged 19, pleaded guilty, and judgment respited - she was confined for four days (see http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/)

Although the Rajah seems to have carried a lot of emigrants from Cornwall, I can't find a Matilda from the Cornwall/Devon area.

[surreydoug]

Many thanks for your suggestions folks, much appreciated.

>>There doesn't appear to be a headstone at WTC either. (Cando)

It’s strange that Matilda’s MARCH’s headstone at WTC isn’t listed – I have seen and photographed it!

>>Although the Rajah seems to have carried a lot of emigrants from Cornwall, I can't find a Matilda from the Cornwall/Devon area. (jorose)

I guess my problem is that there are quite a few references to ‘possible’ Matilda BATES in the IGI and other sources, but I seem to need to identify a BATES researcher whose Matilda went missing!

surreydoug