Need ideas to locate mystery ancestor

[jacklyn13]

I'm attempting to trace an ancestor Charles Thomas Edwards who I know lived in Queensland in around 1884/1885.   He had two sons:

John Charles Edwards born around 1884 on Galway Downs Station, Qld
Charles Thomas Edwards born around 1885 in Windorah, Qld

The problem is mainly that I don't believe he actually married the mother of his children, Louisa Elizabeth Lawraunce (born around 1862 in NSW).  Extensive searching for a marriage have failed and I know she was born in NSW so I feel fairly safe in assuming its an Australian marriage. I suspect that this is the reason his children do not have registered birth/baptism certificates. I've therefore found it impossible to find out when he was born, who his parents are and I'm not sure of when or where he even died.  The occupation listed on his son's death certificate has him as a carpenter.

There are several Charles Thomas Edwards returned in my Ancestry searches but they don't seem to match up with the dates and locations.

Using Ancestry I've located an electoral role entry that has a Charles Thomas Edwards in Nanango, cabinetmaker, up to 1908 but not thereafter.  Lousia married a John Clarke in 1887 so I'm not able to use her to confirm his identity.

Does anyone have any ideas about I might go about tracking him down?

thanks
Jacklyn

[Aussie1947]

Jacklyn,

1900 Qld ER has

Edwards Charles Thomas
Joiner
Alice St
Maryborough Qld

A joiner works with wood so it might be him!

Also residing were Arthur Edwards ( no occupation) and John Edwards Railway Clerk.

Regards

Gerry

[alison2763]

Hello Jacklyn .
Welcome to Rootschat
You say you have one of the son's death certificates. Does it say whether the father was alive or deceased on this certificate ? What year did the son die ? Who was the informant on that certificate ?
have you got Louisa's Death certificate and if so is Charles listed on that at all ?
Did either of the sons marry and if so do you have their marriage certificates ?
Regards
Alison

[majm]

Welcome to Rootschat from me too 

Queensland Insolvencies
Brisbane Court, Charles Thomas EDWARDS, of Toowoomba, occupation : Undertaker
25 August 1883; 13 September 1884; 18 October 1884;
and then
18 December 1886 Charles Thomas EDWARDS of Brisbane, occupation : Contractor

1903 Electoral Rolls in Queensland
I can see three chaps at three different locations, all named Charles Thomas EDWARDS .... none were noted as Undertaker. 

Cheers,  JM

[jacklyn13]

~Aussie1947 - I hadn't found the Charles Thomas Edwards at Maryborough!  May I ask what 1900 Qld ER is? 

~alison2763 - His son's death was in 1949 so Charles Thomas may or may not be alive at that point (its not specified).  The informant on the death certificate is his wife and the Coolullah Station manager at Cloncurry.  I'm still trying to trace Louisa, I think I've located her but I'm trying to make certain before I order the certificate.  Both her sons married and I have John Charles' certificate.  He's listed as being a labourer and and living at Camooweal.  His father is listed as simply Charles Edwards and his occupation is Drover.    Which is a contradiction to the death cert....
 
~majm - Contractor's a pretty generic term...it could be him...do the insolvencies give a location at all?

Thank you all for your welcome and help!

[majm]

Hi Again,

I have edited my earlier post to highlight the townships noted on the index I found     (Toowoomba for the Undertaker and Brisbane for the Contractor)

I think cabinet makers, carpenters, joiners etc would have the trade skills to make coffins and thus the Undertaker may be worth following up.  Also "Contractor" in that era may well indicate Drover.

Oh, as I understand it, if "deceased" was not recorded against a parent's name on a death certificate, then that parent may have been alive at that time, and of course information on a death certificate is only as reliable as the informant's own recollection which if given by a family member would be at a time of grieving.

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Hi Again

On the Qld BDM online, that index has 17 May 1948 death for a John Charles EDWARDS, but his parents are named as Charles and MARY.  Reference 1948/C1167  *C being country as opposed to B for Brisbane.

Also, perhaps the Charles Thomas EDWARDS of Toowoomba married in 1882
http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3407515

Several mentions of various Charles Thomas EDWARDS in the newspapers http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home

Cheers,  JM

[jacklyn13]

~majm - I'm pretty sure John Charles Edwards died in the 1970's (based on what little information I've been able to get from relatives).  I'm attempting to get more information from them but it hasn't been particularly successful.

The Thomas Charles Edwards in Toowoomba appears to be a merchant who I found through an electoral roll search.  My search of the Newspapers of the NLA suggest he went insolvent in 1884 (I think you have him listed as an undertaker? the NLA search had him as a grocer).  He appears to have married a Clara Holt in 1882 and he seems situated in the Toowoomba area rather than further out west.  I don't think its him...although I can't exclude the possibility he might have been a travelling salesman with a roving eye.

I'm going to request the death certificate for Louisa as I'm sure that I've located her correctly.  If there's more info on it I will post it.  I've done several searches on the NLA for Charles but I keep getting the guy from Toowoomba.

Luckily my other ancestors haven't been this hard to find!

[majm]

Hi there,

I've access to an index for Qld Govt Gazettes, and the index has his occupation as Undertaker    He is indexed as Charles Thomas EDWARDS ...  Could the Thomas Charles Edwards, the grocer be someone different again ?

I thought you mentioned a 1949 death for his son, so I take it, this was the other son - one named Charles Thomas,  , sorry ...  however, that 1949 document may well be indicating that Charles Thomas (the elder) was still living at that time 
 

~majm - I'm pretty sure John Charles Edwards died in the 1970's (based on what little information I've been able to get from relatives). I'm attempting to get more information from them but it hasn't been particularly successful.

The Thomas Charles Edwards in Toowoomba appears to be a merchant who I found through an electoral roll search. My search of the Newspapers of the NLA suggest he went insolvent in 1884 (I think you have him listed as an undertaker? the NLA search had him as a grocer). ....

From the Index for Qld Gazettes re the Undertaker, Charles Thomas EDWARDS 
Pg 612 for 25 August 1883
Pg 955 for 13 September 1884
Pg 1405 for 18 October 1884

http://www.qfhs.org.au/ Website for Queensland Family History Society ... Have you been in contact with them to see if they have info in your chap ...   

Cheers,  JM