Margaret E. MAWSON - who is she?

[wivenhoe]

I agree that a marriage certificate is the best option for first-hand information. The John Mawson - Mary Sullivan couple looks promising. There is an Sydney Arthur Mawson d. 1936 Redfern, parents John and Mary. The Denning children of James Henry and Margaret Mawson include Arthur and Sidney. But the marriage cert. would be the most reliable record.

[alli_burnie]

Thanks guys - this is great.  Especially the parents names!!!

The informant at James' death seems to have got his parents names wrong (the informant may have been referring to one of James' uncles actually).

I have purchased the marriage certificate from BDMs.  I have ceased any further research until it arrives.  Certificate should take a few weeks to arrive - I'll let you all know what it says - whose speculation was right!

Thanks again,

Alli

[alli_burnie]

And thanks Merlin for that death rego!  I was finding that one to be a tad elusive!

[alli_burnie]

Well - the ordered marriage certificate of James Henry Denning and Margaret Ellen (?) Mawson arrived!

It confirms the sources found by other posters in this thread - Margaret came from New Zealand.  I actually found her NZ birth registration - 1872 (I didnt believe it when I first saw it, without any parents registered - I had to wait for the certificate to confirm).  She was 15 or 16 when she married James in 1887 at St Davids Church, Surry Hills, Sydney, already pregnant with their first child who was born that year.

Its written on the marriage certificate that her father, James Mawson, provided his consent to the marriage and was a witness. 

So now I need to track Mr James Mawson, tailor, back through NZ and possibly to Scotland (?) to find out who he was, along with Margaret's mother, Mary Sullivan.

The certificate also states that James' parents were John Denning and Eliza Ewer.  This is not what I expected - although it seems the informant at his death was correct.  It doesnt change much - John Denning was the brother of the man I first thought was his father and makes his gradfather the same - Thomas Denning - over-seer of John Macarthur's sheep station and founder of the town of Taralga in NSW Australia.

Many thanks to everyone for their help - the NLA newspapers provide a fantastic glimpse of these people.  It seems Margaret "Nellie" Denning was very much loved by her family and community - as was her husband.  I think they might deserve a mention on the Newtown Project website: http://www.sydneyarchives.info/

[tropicalj]

So now I need to track Mr James Mawson, tailor, back through NZ and possibly to Scotland (?) to find out who he was, along with Margaret's mother, Mary Sullivan.

Once again if you are able to do so I would get  the marriage certificate of this couple, it should give you further details on where and when born and possibly their parents names

as given by Kris


 
MAWSON John = SULLIVAN Mary at  Paddington 1862 #1108


Jenn

[Deborah Jane Kelly]

Hi,
This may be a bit too late but, my husband is related to  Margaret Ellen Mawson.
She was born in Aukland New Zealand
She married  James Henry Denning. Their granddaughter was my husband's mother, Cynthia Grace Anstey. Her mother, Alma Nellie Denning.
There is quite a colourful history of the Dennings.