Emma or Hannah WATSON

[radstockjeff]

Public Record Office Victoria. Index to Assisted British Immigration 1839-1871
Entries on page 174 of Book 11  May 1855.
Sarah A Watson age 22  and Emma Watson age 16
Ship "Omega" 
Also on board  George Parsons and wife Eliza nee Watson.  George subsequently became a prosperous businessman in the Ascot Vale area of Melbourne and died there in 1900.

I am trying to establish a relationship between Emma  and Sarah(b1836) and Eliza (b 1829). My difficulty is that in Sarah and Eliza's family I cannot place an Emma. However there is a Hannah b Jan 1838 which would put her age at 16/17 in 1855. Could Emma possibly be a mistranscription of Hannah and how can I be sure that they are all sisters?
They  were born in Downham Market Norfolk. Parents William and Mary.

Can anyone please give me a lead?

radstockjeff

[rosball]

Hi radstockjeff,
   Perhaps there are clues in their death notices.
   When did Eliza die?  Do you have her death notice?  As the wife of a prosperous businessman there is likely to be a more descriptive death notice ...

regards,
  Ros

[radstockjeff]

Ros
Thanks for your thoughts.

Eliza died 1866 and George remarried, to Sarah Ann, his sister in Law in 1872 who then outlived him by about 20 years(Sept 1920 aged 89). There may be something on the family  tombstone in Carlton Cemetery. Interestingly George and Sarah had a daughter Eliza Emma, so perhaps that is also an indication.

I suppose it is possible that Hannah liked to be called Emma, or maybe she was known to the family by that name.

What would have been the local newspaper in Melbourne in 1866?

Still more work to do on this one.

radstockjeff

[cando]

No mention on the MI

PARSONS
Erected by
his widow and family
in loving memory of
George PARSONS
(of Ascot Vale)
who  died 31 Oct 1900
age 67 years
Dear Father, tought we miss you muc, we know you rest with God
also
Sarah An
beloved wife of the above
who died 13 Sep 1920
age 89 years
Abide with me
also
Elliza Emma
beloved daughter of the above
who died
8 Aug 1945
age 73 years
Peace perfect peace.
The will be done.

[Four sided monument, with column]. 

Have you looked at the assisted passenger records at PROV?

The register contains the nominal and disposal lists of assisted immigrants arriving in Victoria from the UK. The nominal list usually gives details of each immigrant’s name, age, occupation, religion, native place, and whether he or she could read or write. The disposal list details what happened to the assisted immigrant after arrival: for example, the name and address of the migrant’s new employer, how long the migrant was contracted to work for them, their wages, whether this included rations, and the date the migrant left the depot.

Have you the WATSON family in Downham Market, Norfolk on the 1851 census?

Digitised newspapers
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

Cheers
Cando

[cando]

Apologies for the typos  ---- should be
Dear Father, though we miss you much, we know you rest with God


A quick search on TROVE - no death notice or obituary for a George PARSONS of Ascot Vale in 1900.

Cando

[Neil Todd]

The only connection I can see comes from the 1841 census and has Eliza Watson age 9/1832, Sarah Watson age 2/1839, also HANNAH Watson age 1/1840.
 
In 1851 William the father is missing presumed deceased as Mary is Head and they are living at Denver Road Watts Cottages, Parish, Downham Market, District Downham, Administrative County of Norfolk
 
Neil

[rosball]

I couldn't find a death notice for Eliza or George.

Here is death notice for Sarah http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4583689 which just mentions George and daughter Emma

regards,
  Ros

[radstockjeff]

Thanks for all the responses. Given me lots more leads (and work!)

Yes Cando I have the Watsons in 1851 in Downham Market including Hannah, but no Emma. By 1861 Mary was a housekeeper, still in Downham but with John Ashley (Widower). Two of her sons, Fred and George were still living with her as boarders.

My next moves will be to establish details of Eliza's death and burial place and to seek info from the Passenger Registration at PROV regarding the elusive Emma/Hannah.

It does seem quite odd to me that so little is known of Eliza's death and there being no mention of her in her sister's death notice(Ros). I have seen the brief entry in the register from an Historical Index Search where both spouse name and given name are marked unknown  (Eliza Parsons 1866).

Any further thoughts would be welcome.

radstockjeff

[Neil Todd]

I don't know if you had found George previous to his marriage to Eliza? He was also from Norfolk, if he was the correct one! He lived some distance away in Gentlemans Walk Norfolk and works as an assistant in a shop living on premises in the 1851 census.

As they are all proved sisters from the 1841 and 1851 census it would seem logical that Emma was Hannah as Hannah disappears from the 1861 census.

Neil