FITZMAURICE/MEADE

[shimitras]

I am trying to find out how my Great Great Grandmother arrived in Australia. Her death cert stated she was in NSW for 77 years. She died in Sydney in 1920 at the alleged age of 90. Her death cert says she was born in County Clare, Ireland in 1830 which means she was 13 years of age when she arrived. Her name was Mary Agnes Fitzmaurice. I have found a Henry Fitzmaurice and two children (no mention of a wife) arrived aboard the Andromache into Port Adelaide in December 1950. No names of the children were provided on the passenger list and he does not have a wife travelling with him. Her death cert says her father was a Henry James Fitzmaurice and her mother was a Mary Kathleen Meade (Meade is maiden name). Her death certificate also states her first marriage (from which two daughters were born) to a Robert William Grant. No marriage certificate or record can be found to substantiate this. Her first daughter's birth certificate states that her maiden name was a Williamson - not a Fitzmaurice and that she was married in England in 1853 to Robert William Grant. Her first daughter was born in 1856 and my GG Grandmother (no record of her birth can be found) was born in 1862.

Does anyone know where I should research details of her birth in County Clare Ireland. Or can anyone think of any other possibilities as to how she might have ended up in Australia at the age of 13. Her uncle was a Major Roche Meade who died in England on 17 November 1848.

[Dundee]

Hi shimitras,

Do you have Mary's 1862 marriage cert?  What does she say about her marital status, place of birth and parents?  The information on the marriage cert would be more reliable than the death cert. (I assume from her death notice that her husband was actually Mark, not Frank)

I was going to suggest that the best place to go for your Irish query is the RootsChat Ireland board, but I see you have already done that.

Roche MEADE appears to be Thomas Roche MEADE, died 1849.  The Fitzmaurices were in England more than Ireland. http://www.thepeerage.com/p3843.htm#i38424

Debra

[Essie]

Hi

If this lady did not name herself as a widow Mrs GRANT on the 1862 certificate, then even the details for her "second" marriage may be a lie.

An explanation for giving the surname Williamson on the first daughter's b.c. is that Mary's parents were not married to each other, so Mary may not have been registered as a FITZMAURICE. 

Essie

[cando]

Just to assist any who wish to help...perhaps these are the details that are not noted in your request.

Marriage
4/1862
POWELL Frank   .......and as Debra has pointed out, his name is Mark in the death notice.
FITZMAURICE Mary Agnes
District Sydney

NSW Electoral Roll
1903
POWELL Mary Agnes 105 Station Street, Enmore  Domestic duties

Death
18790/1920
POWELL Mary A
Father Henry  Mother Mary K
District Ryde

Link to death notice in SMH
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0etb/

Information is death certs is only a good as the knowledge of the informant.  Who was the informant on Mary's death cert?  Information on marriage certs is often more reliable as the information is given by the person not an informant.  Of course only accurate if the person is truthful.  Have you considered purchasing a transcription of Mary's marriage certificate?  You are probably aware that in NSW transcriptions are available for $18 and at the moment one of the accredited transcription agents has a special for September - $16.
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/howToTraceYouFamTree.htm#TranscriptionAgent

So often it is the small details on certificates that help.  Could you please type up all the details on the birth certificate for her dau, the death cert and if you do decide to purchase a transcription of the marriage cert, that would also help.

When did her husband Frank die?

Cheers
Cando

[cando]

Frank appears to be mistranscription on the marriage index as there are births registered to a Mark and Mary A POWELL
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0etg/

Could you please give us the names of the birth entries you are unable to find?

Cando

[Dundee]

I have found a Henry Fitzmaurice and two children (no mention of a wife) arrived aboard the Andromache into Port Adelaide in December 1950 1850. No names of the children were provided on the passenger list and he does not have a wife travelling with him. shimitras

Also on the ship was a Leonora FARLEY and it looks like Henry (likely to be a widower) married her in Victoria in 1853. His full name was Henry Rochford/Rochfort FITZMAURICE, and he died in Vic in 1877 aged 66, parents John and -- CAREY.  His Will is online but I can't get either of the links to work.  One says the file is damaged and the other won't download at all.  http://210.8.122.120/indexes/index_search.asp?searchid=54  His death notice says he was of County Carlow.

One of the children with Henry on the ship was coincidentally also named Leonora.  She married a Thomas EVANS in 1864 and died in NSW.  From the Cowra FHS cemetery index:

Leonora EVANS
Died 28.5.1908 aged 62
Dau. of Henry Rochford FITZMAURICE and Anny GREEN.
Born Co. Kildare, Ireland
M: Thomas EVANS
Died Royal Hotel, Mount McDonald
Bur: Cowra C of E

Her death index entry gives the mother's name as Amy.  Her marriage notice says she is the daughter of Henry, niece of William FITZMAURICE Esq of Everton, Co. Carlow, Ireland, and relative of the Marquis of Lansdowne.  Not quite as expansive as the notice for your Mary's daughter but indicating the same family connections.

Debra 

[cando]

FITZMAURICE
Passenger lists
17 Jan 1851  Melbourne  Ship ANDROMACHE
Argus passenger index 1846-1851,
Mr & family, departed Adelaide. 10 Jan 1851
Departed London/Plymouth 11 Sep 1850 & 2 children.

Incident on board the ANDROMACHE
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0ety/

FITZMAURICE Henry.
Marriage 1853
St James, Melbourne
Spouse FARLEY Leonore
Index and partial transcript of manuscript held at the State Library of Victoria.
Author/compiler: Hall, William Alfred. Page#34/2981

Births
FITZMAURICE Unnamed Female
Father Henry  Mother Leonora FARLEY
At Avoca  1855  Reg#11799
 
FITZMAURICE Mary Constanza
Father Henry Rochfort  Mother Leonore FARLEY
At Sandridge  1859  Reg#18367
Died 1930 Blackburn

FITZMAURICE Eva Eugenia
Father Henry  Mother Leonora FARLEY
At ?Kangerong  1862  Reg#11073
Died as Eva Eugenia BROOKE 1946 in Qld.
This snippet places a Henry FITZMAURICE in the area in 1862
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0etz/

FITZMAURICE Gamelial
Father Henry  Mother Leonora FARLEY
At Brighton  1865  Reg#14167     
Died as Horace Gamelial at Elsternwick 1892

Death of two sons whose births were not registered

FITZMAURICE  Henry Walter
Father Henry Rochford   Mother Leonora Farley
At Blackburn  1936  82 years  Reg#19020

FITZMAURICE John Alfred
Father Heny Rochford Fitzmaurice  Mother Leonora Farley
At Mitcham 1948  90 years  Reg21200

Marriages of two daus - first mentioned by Debra...

FITZMAURICE Lenora
EVANS Thomas
1864  Reg#809
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0eu0/

FITZMAURICE Amy born Carlow
PHILIPS John Armstrong
1867  Reg#131
Marriage notice..Amy is noted as the eldest daughter
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0eu1/
and her death

PHILLIPS Amy
Father Henry Rochfort FITZMAURICE  Mother Ann FITZMAURICE
At Elsternwick  53 years  1899  Reg#1899 ...born 1846

It would appear that Henry arrived with two daughters Leonore and Amy born c1846.

If your gggrandmother was born c1830 having children in 1856, it doesn't seem she was the dau of the Henry Rochford FITZMAURICE c1811-1877 whose eldest dau Amy was born 1846.

Cheers
Cando

[shimitras]

Thanks to all who are helping. I have in my possession a copy of the distribution of funds from the sale goods from the Estate of Captain/Major Roche Meade to his sister in Sydney in 1851 a Mrs Kate Fitzmaurice (the 'K" being for Kathryn - not Kathleen as previously thought). I found the passage of a Mrs Fitzmaurice and one child on board the 'London' from Port Phillip to Sydney in 1854. Mary's first child, supposedly to a Robert William Grant was born on 21 August 1856 - I have the NSW birth certificate for her (Robina Mary Josephine). I now believe Mary was born in Ireland somewhere in 1838/9 and not 1830 as previously thought. On the birth certificate of her last daughter to be born (to Mark Powell) on 10 October 1870 she states her age as 31 years and born in Ireland. Her second daughter (my Great Grandmother Selina Mary Violet) we know was born on 6 April 1861 and the supposed father was again Robert William Grant (overseer/surveyor). I have also obtained the death certificate of a baby boy William Grant (aged 7 months) who died on 17 October 1859. His father on the certificate is a Robert Grant - Labourer and mother is listed as 'Mary Grant formerly unknown'. The Informant is 'Agnes Grant of Canterbury - Friend'. This birth would have fitted in between the two daughters Robina in 1856 and Selina in 1861. The reason I think this is the same Mary Agenes and Robert Grant is because of the location - Canterbury, NSW and buried in Ashfield Church Yard by a Protestant Minister. Mary married Mark Powell in January 1862 nine months after Selina was born in April 1861. The first daughter to the second marriage Alarinina Carlinda Carlotta Powell was born in 1864 in Sydney/Parramatta, Field of Mars. Now I am sure Captain Roche Meade is Mary Agnes's uncle, - the brother of her mother Kathryn Meade married to a Henry Fitzmaurice but the subterfuge and the strange allegations of connection to the Fitzmaurice Family in Ireland which appeared in my Great Grandmother's marriage notice is perplexing. I am missing a marriage certificate or any evidence of Kathryn's marriage to Henry Fitzmaurice in Ireland. If their daughter was born in 1838/9 then their marriage must have occurred just before that date. Kathryn's maiden name of Meade indicates she was from around Limerick.

 I

[shimitras]

More from me Helen on the mysterious Mary Agnes Fitzmaurice. Mary Agnes put her status as 'Spinster' on her marriage certificate to Mark Powell.  The other interesting thing to note is that her eldest daughter Robina (born 1856) was 'adopted' by a sea captain and his wife and taken abroad with them in 1862 at the age of 6 years old and the year Mary Agnes married Mark Powell. They went to India and then on to Scotland where Robina lived with them until the age of 18 years when her mother asked her to return to Australia. This can all be verified from relatives. Unfortunately the names of the sea captain and his wife are not known at this stage. But how weird is this - letting your daughter go off with a couple at the age of six years. Robina stayed in contact with her family and sisters when overseas. I have only just found out this fact from tracking down a cousin who is the great grand daughter of Robina and has done a lot of family history. She too has not been able to get to the bottom of the mystery and no-one seems to know who Robert Grant is. Perhaps he is the sea captain? I have not been able to find out when Mary Agnes came to Australia, at what age and who with. She did live in and around the inner Sydney area. The current account prepared by a John Chalmers in London on 24 May 1851 directed to 'Mrs Kate Fitzmaurice' from her brother's estate (Captain Roche Meade) states among other amounts '1850 April 22 'Trfo you 38 pounds and April 29 Trfo for Order on Sydney  102.2.6 and finally 1851 May 24 'Trfr for Order on Sydney for pounds 53.19.11'. I originally thought that the money was sent to Kate Fitzmaurice in Sydney but I now think it is to someone else in Sydney as there is a separate entry on this account to her on April 22 of 38 pounds. I am also not sure if I am correct in deciphering the account as the writing of John Chalmers looks like 'Tofo or Topo or To For). So how these accounts end up in our possession is a mystery. My Great Grandmother Selina Mary Violet also had in her possession inherited jewellery from her mother Mary Agnes. It also appears that Kate Fitzmaurice was handling her brothers estate as there is another amount send to a Stephen Meade for his expenses in London of five pounds and another amount 'For Order on P. B. of Reland of 651.3.9 pounds.' On the debit side of the accunt are the words 'By Share of Est. Roche Meade 855.14.9 dated 1850 Oct 7 and he wordds Errors Excepted London 24th May 1851 John Chalmers. Does this provide anyone with ideas of where I could look for the birth details of Mary Agnes and marriage details of her mother and father.