Trying to track soldier, William John GIRLING

[ajf25]

Hi Jane,
Welcome to Rootschat.
I have heaps to share. Just have a few jobs to do today then I'll be back.
If you post once more, we will be able to communicate via the private message system.
Regards,
Alison 

[Jane Gurling]

Thanks for the post Alison. I have recently found quite a bit about my great grandfather's life in Melbourne in the late 1800's. It is a great pity my father and his sisters died before this information was available at our fingertips. They knew very little about William John except that he was born in Malta because their father George Lindsay Gurling was very young when his mother Minnie(nee Daley) died and 14 when his father William John died.
Looking forward to future correspondence.
Jane

[km1971]

Hi Jane

If he was in the army when he went to Australia the name of the ship should be in the muster books. These acted as paylists and the pay was reduced while in board as the men's food was provided. Troopships did not have passenger lists.

If he had left the army he may be on a passenger list.

Ken

[ajf25]

Thanks for all the little pieces of research information Ken and Annette.

Thanks from me too. All adds to the information I have and in fact changes when and where my ggg grandmother dies.
Cheers,
Alison

Do any of you know the names and dob of William Girling's and Margaret Oshea's two older daughters(mentioned by Alison) born between 1834 and 1839? Also Alison mentioned William Girling's sister marrying a soldier from the 57th regiment of Foot and the couple, William and another sister emigrating to Australia in 1858. Does anyone know the name of the ship they sailed to Australia on?
Jane

Hi Jane,
I'll answer this here for anyone else who comes across this post and also wants the information. I'll also send you a personal message (PM), Jane which allows us to swap email and more information.

The 2 older sisters:
Sarah Margaret b. 1835 in Scotland - my gg grandmother, d. 15 Dec 1910 Armadale, Victoria
Ellen b. 1837 in Scotland - I have no more information about her unfortunately.
A younger sister:
Mary Ann b. 1842 Walsingham, Norfolk ENG, d. 14 Sep 1928, Prahran, Victoria

The soldier Sarah married was George Duncan McDonald. They emigrated to Australia with William and Mary Ann, leaving Liverpool on 17 Jan 1858 aboard the "Empress Eugenie", arriving in Melbourne on 2 Apr, 1858 on an assisted passage.

I'm happy to share any other information, and would love to have anything you have to share.
By the way, we are 3rd cousins, once removed 
Regards,
Alison

[Annette7]

Whilst I'm afraid although I can't help with origins of William senior (and I suspect he was probably a plain William rather than William John) I can add a little to details of his family.

I note that John Mickleborough and 'wife' also travelled on the same ship to Australia.

The dau. Mary Ann Girling was born 29/8/1842 in Walsingham Workhouse, abode Gt. Ryburgh, and was baptised 3/9/1842.   However, the baptism shows that Mary Ann was the illeg. daughter of Margaret Girling so not William's child.

Daughter Ellen Girling died 20/3/1843 Walsingham Workhouse and was buried at Gt. Ryburgh on 24/3/1843 aged 6.

Raine Street Workhouse, Stepney, London records shows a Sarah and William Gurling discharged 17/11/1846, a Mary Gurling disch. 14/12/1846 and Sarah, Mary and William discharged 23/12/1846 to their mother.  They only appear to have been there of short duration.  I think this is probably the family.

So, if Margaret Girling was already widowed by the time of the 1841 census (as looks likely) I wonder how they ended up in Gt. Ryburgh, Norfolk - no other Girlings or O'Shea's there??

Times obviously hard as Margaret has dau. Mary Ann in Walsingham Workhouse in 1842, and older daughter Ellen died there in 1843.

Then children possibly in London in  December 1846 at the exact time when Margaret Girling remarries to John Mickleborough.

With the exception of William I simply cannot find his sisters Sarah and Mary on the 1851 census, nor can I find John and Margaret Mickleborough.   Since they all travelled together to Australia in 1858 they clearly were in close contact - perhaps they'd fallen on hard times again and were in a Workhouse somewhere but only shown by initials rather than their given names.   Who knows!

At least you now know what happened to Ellen.

Annette   

[ajf25]

Thanks so much Annette. I've been searching for Ellen for years. Interesting news too about Mary Ann's paternity.
Times seem to have been really hard. Perhaps William Jnr, going into the RMA was seen as a good opportunity???
Cheers,
Alison

[ajf25]

With the exception of William I simply cannot find his sisters Sarah and Mary on the 1851 census, nor can I find John and Margaret Mickleborough.   Since they all travelled together to Australia in 1858 they clearly were in close contact - perhaps they'd fallen on hard times again and were in a Workhouse somewhere but only shown by initials rather than their given names.   Who knows!

Annette

I have found Margaret, now Mickleborough with Sarah and Mary Ann in the Westminster Workhouse, arriving on 4.4.1849 and being discharged the following day.  In the settlement column it says "Dubllin" and then "Pass'd (I think) to Ireland", so I'm wondering if they were heading there 

Alison