Sarah Rebecca MURRAY b.1822 - grand daughter of 1st Fleeter WATSON

[Les de B]

Apoligies in advance if this gets too complicated.

Just wondering if any RootsChatters have any information on Sarah Rebecca MURRAY b.14/3/1822, Sydney, to parents Robert and Rebecca (nee WATSON) MURRAY. Sarah was the grand daughter of First Fleeter seaman, Robert WATSON.

I am descended from a Sarah MURRAY, however, I'm only 99% sure she is the same one born to Robert and Rebecca. Some years ago, I did adverstise in a newspaper regarding Sarah MURRAY, and received a reply from a lady indicating that she was descended from a Sarah MURRAY and she was 99% sure that her Sarah was born to Robert and Rebecca. Unfortunately, my Sarah, and the lady's Sarah were different people. In the end this lady believed that my Sarah was more likely to be the daughter of Robert and Rebecca, though she was still not entirely convinced.

The reason for both of us "claiming" Sarah as our own is as follows;

Grandparents: never married - Robert WATSON (confirmed) and Sarah DORSET (possible?)

Parents: Robert MURRAY and Rebecca WATSON. (Confirmed by Bapt Records).

Robert MURRAY drowned 6 weeks prior to Sarah's birth. 1822 Muster shows widow Rebecca MURRAY with daughter Sarah aged 5 months. Rebecca WATSON/MURRAY dies 1826, so what happens to infant Sarah MURRAY? This is the gap that I need to fill, as the following information is confirmed and relates to my direct ancestor Sarah MURRAY.

The 1828 Census indicates Sarah MURRAY aged 7, as a lodger, living with Robert and Catherine HENDERSON of Brisbane Water (just north of Sydney). This couple had been married for some years but were childless at this stage. It appears that they raised Sarah as their daughter. Robert HENDERSON was boat builder, and his first boat built in 1830 was named "Sarah".  He was also the witness to Sarah MURRAY's marriage to Henry SMITH in 1843.

Sarah and Henry SMITH had a number of children. On one child's marriage certificate, the mother is identified as Sarah Rebecca SMITH (married surname name). On another she is called Sarah Rebecca HENDERSON (adopted parent's suranme name), while another is just Sarah MURRAY (birth surname). When Sarah MURRAY/SMITH died in 1881 her age was given as 63 years  (b.1819), but her age at marriage 21 years  (b.1822) Unfortunately, the informtant on the Death Certiciate indicated Sarah's parents being unknown.

Now for the cirumstantial missing link. Sarah's possible grandmother, Sarah DORSET, lived in Brisbane Water, around the mid/late 1820's. When infant Sarah was orphaned in 1826, did the grandmother take custody of Sarah, and then give her to the childless HENDERSON family of Brisbane Water to raise as their own?

Hope you can understand it all - that's the simplest version I can think of  

Les

Les

 

[tropicalj]

Very well written Les,

cannot help you  much  with this  but  there are a couple of articles  where he gets a mention albeit rather small

http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2180894?searchTerm=robert+murray

Jenn

[tropicalj]

http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2180965?searchTerm=rebecca+murray

and a bit about Rebecca,

Jenn

[Les de B]

Thanks Jen.

Yes, those articles do relate to my(?) RoberT MURRAY and his wife Rebecca (WATSON). There is another article on the actual drowning of Robert, which is quite detailed. It states that he died leaving behind a heavily pregnant wife - that's how I knew he died before Sarah MURRAY was born. I'm not sure if that article is on Beta Newspaper yet? I found it at the library many years ago.

As a matter of interest, although I can't remember exactly what the other researcher's reason was for claiming Sarah MURRAY as her's, but one of the reasons was that she in possession of an old letter that identified her Sarah as having a ressemblance to Rebecca's WATSON/MURRAY's brother. However, there was nothing in her Sarah's Death Certificate  1) indicating the names of her parents,  2) the age of death was  some 10 years out from a 1822 birth and 3) the place of birth was given as Windsor. Yes, I appreciate that this information always depends on how good the informant was (can't remember who it was).

At least my Sarah was the correct age, some records show her middle name as Rebecca, and the circumstances of her being raised by the childless HENDERSON family suggests she was  orphaned prior to the 1828 Census. Lastly, the HENDERSON's living at Brisbane Water, where Sarah's possible grandmother, Sarah DORSET, lived gives a reason why my Sarah ended up there.

Sarah DORSET was a former convict, who is believed to be the mother of 2 of Robert WATSON's illegitmite children, including Rebecca. DORSET had been known for heavy drinking, and was living with a new husband and his children at Brisbane Water. Maybe she didn't want the burden of an infant grand daughter living with her as well?

Les