Catherine WILLIAMS Bathurst NSW

[Miss May]

Hi Chatters

Hope you can help.

Having trouble locating the birth details of Catherine Williams b. abt 1836, father was Henry Williams.

Catherine was the second wife of Matthew Walsh (they married 1871) and spent most of her married life in Gundagai. She returned to Bathurst where she died in the care of one of her daughters in 1918. Her death cert states she was born in Bathurst but I have been unable to locate her anywhere.

I am very keen to confirm her parents - other researchers have suggested that her mother was a Mary O'Brien.

Suggestions anyone? Any pointers gratefully received.

Lee

[franh1946]

Hi Miss May, I presume the marriage certificate doesn't give you any details of parents etc? I'm sure you know that DC's are notoriously inaccurate as regards place of birth, the informant was most probably her daughter who may not have known where her mother was born. However she may well have been born in the colony; I have a group of 6 siblings not registered with BMD, but who appear on the Mudgee church's registers in the 1840's . Have you approached the Bathurst Family History Group? They may have better suggestions.

[Miss May]

Hi Franh1946

Her son-in-law was the DC informant, but there was also a detailed obit in the Bathurst paper at the time which recounts her life - just omitting the details of parents...

Her marriage cert gives no detail, and it seems impossible to get the info required from the local Catholic records held in Tumut, despite believing that extra info must exist in the church record.

I am currently waiting for the Bathurst Catholic Chancery Archive records to become available through the BFHG although I believe these start at 1839 - a little too late, but worth a look anyway.

No sign of her parents marriage in the index either, that is, of Henry Williams and Mary O'Brien. Other research mentioned in my earlier post suggests that Mary O'Brien (aged 19) came from Ireland in 1835 on the Duchess of Northumberland, but I can find nothing to tie this Mary directly to Catherine.

I can find Henry and Mary Williams with other children born there, but not Catherine...
Other children found include Harriet b. 1843, James b. 1846, Mary b. 1853, and possibly Elizabeth b. 1837.

Almost at the tearing hair out stage 

[majm]

Hi Miss May,

I can well sympathise re elusive details missing from m.c.  .... I hope the information in this link will give you some further leads to follow up re that elusive info.  http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,546609.0.html

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Fingers crossed this may also help

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nswtfhg/TFHG.html as they offer a Research Service for people who cannot get to their holdings.

Cheers,  JM

[Miss May]

Thanks JM  - incredibly useful info regarding certs and their lack of detail. However, I have personally visited both Gundagai and Tumut and there seems to be an issue with the handing over of info from the church to either individuals or the FHGs. Several of my lines are at a standstill until they make it more openly available. Certainly not the fault of the respective FHGs, and would appear to be a rather unique situation in that area. I have previously used both the Tumut and Gundagai groups and accessed their resources, and found them both to be particularly helpful, but unfortunately hamstrung when it comes to accessing certain registers that they currently don't hold. 

But I am undeterred, and will keep plugging away.
Many thanks again
Lee