Thomas SIMMONS of Bathurst (O'Connell) 1835-1891.

[skyjaded]

Hi brumby90,
Came across this post in my hunt for family history info.... I know it's an old thread but hoping you can help me...
My GG Grandfather was William Simmons born 1880 in Bathurst.
Wondering how you went with your search for Thomas' parents and if you have any information specifically on William?
Thanks

[wivenhoe]

I think this describes the family of your Thomas SIMMONS and wife Catherine HARPEY -


Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal  6 Mar 1896 p2
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63934085?
...court matter ...." Thomas Simmons, of Lagoon, deposed  that Draper was his uncle ".......George Draper...

DRAPER - SIMMONS connection -
National Advocate 24 Nov 1904 p2
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/157216440?
..obit for Catherine LAMBERT...of Macquarie Plains, interred O'Connell cemetery.....nearly 90, born in England...married four times...
first husband SIMMONS, one child, killed in quarry in England
second husband DRAPER, two children, died kicked by a horse Campbells River
third husband Harry GEORGE run over by a bullock team Blue Mountains
fourth husband LAMBERT died fourteen years ago
of the three children, only one, Mr George DRAPER of the Lagoon survives
resident of Macquarie Plains over sixty years

FreeBDM  SepQ 1837 Chertsey 4 / 25
HARTFREE Kitty  m. SIMMONS Thomas

               DecQ 1839 Windsor 6 / 525
HARTFREE Catherine  m. DRAPER George

BDM NSW
2095/1842 V18422095 26A  DRAPER George parents George / Catherine
1562/1842 V18421562 27A  DRAPER Elizabeth parents George / Catherine

marriage
1562/1842 V18421562 27A  DRAPER Elizabeth  m. SHALLERY Thomas   @ Bathurst
(they are the witnesses on the marriage record 1860)

death
4124/1879  SHALLVY Elizabeth parents George / Catherine  @ Bathurst

marriage
135 / 1851 DRAPER Cathrin   m.  GEORGE Henry
1220 / 1860 GEORGE Catherine  m. LAMBERT James   @ Bathurst

Bathurst Free Press 19 Oct 1850 p5
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62216135?
death of George DRAPER....three children..

Empire 27 Feb 1858 p4
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60423093?
death Henry GEORGE...35 years...

[famhistbuff]

Looks like Wivenhoe may have solved your mystery.  There was a George and Catherine Draper with son Thomas arriving on the Earl Grey in June 1841.  The age fits for your Thomas.

Source are the Assisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896 from State Records NSW.

[brumby90]

Thank you for those extremely helpful comments!!

We do have Drapers as relatives around that time and as you know it was common for 3-4  groups to marry each other.
'Hartfree' sounds very much like 'Harpey' so it could well have been written down incorrectly on death certs of Thomas Simmons in 1891.
It also states he came to NSW 54 years ago meaning it would have been around 1837 so 1841 is very close which could make it correct as well. It did say he was born around 1835 so 2 years off could also be fine. However his marriage cert said he was 22 yrs old in 1860 thus making the ship of 1841 correct and his age of 3 yrs old correct.!! He was then 54 yrs old at his death making the death cert incorrect.
It would explain why she and the father Thomas Simmons 'disappeared' with one dead in England and Catherine re-marrying.
She is buried in the same section in O'Connell cemetery that all my relatives are.
It sure sounds like it is her but Ill try to get some death certs etc and see if can link and be certain.
Either way she was not a woman you would want to marry it sounds..lol
All in all there are far too many 'coincidences' for your evidence not to be correct. Thomas lived in Campbells River/Macquarie Plains etc
Thanks for all your work people!!!. Amazing.

[brumby90]

Skyjaded:

The two people below you have solved the problem most likely. This has given me much more detail now. I do have quite a bit of stuff on Williams parents and siblings if you need any?

[skyjaded]

Hi Brumby90,
Would love any information you have on William and his siblings.
Sadly, very little is known about William and his family. William's wife Emily left when their son (Cyril) was young. She disappeared for many years (lots of family rumours as to where she went) and we believe Cyril could have been raised by a family member in Perthville.
Unfortunately my Simmons line were not happy to talk about the past so not much is known.......
Thank you so much for any info you may have.
Skye