RUSSELL, Joseph Thomas born Inverness 1869

[ThommoS]

Hi,

Am having difficulty trying to find the parents and sibling details for Joseph Thomas RUSSELL - afraid I've hit the proverbial brick wall  .

The only information has come from his Vic Death Certif. which states he was born 31 Oct 1869 in Inverness Scotland - his parents were William RUSSELL and Jessie CAMERON

Was a gardener by occupation, migrated to Australia in 1890, married and died in Victoria on 18 Oct 1916 - leaving a widow and 6 young children.

I have his descendants down pat, but it's his siblings and ancestors details that have me stumped....

Any help or suggestions would be gratefully appreciated tks.............Tom

[MonicaL]

Should be more straightforward, Tom, with all the info you have on his post arrival...and yet nothing jumping out back in Scotland 

Not surprisingly, something up with his details. His marriage cert, does that include parents' info? Having said that, cannot see anything for him on censuses or IGI even leaving out parents' names.

This entry is the only one I can see so far for a Joseph Russell in 1881 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KM6C-92X - shows as an agricultural labourer. Can't easily see him in 1871 though...

Tried also looking for him under Cameron (if parents were not married) but nothing there that I could see really.

Hard one for you.

Monica

[ThommoS]

Thanks Monica,

I know there's some flexibility in age calculations given on census documents but not sure if your reference is the one .....that link has him aged 16 whereas he would have been 12 when the census taken...?..by no means ruled out entirely, but it's the closest we've come so far to date.

Yes, he's a bit of a mystery....I have the original marriage certificate to Annie Hawton in 1899 at the Primitive Methodist Church, Fitzroy Victoria which states he was born in Inverness, Scotland, Bachelor, Occupation Gardener and his parents William Russell, Engineer and Jessie Russell, nee Cameron.....unfortunately it doesn't show any other details of them, they didn't sign as witnesses and I have been unable to find any reference of them in Victoria - assume they probably remained in Scotland  .....am yet to look at Assisted Migration records.....

In addition I also have his Death Certificate with verifies the parents names and father's occupation but adds Joseph was born in Inverness Scotland and had resided in Victoria for 26 years

So far two separate documents verify he was born in Inverness - given that you'd think there'd be some form of record of this family at least ....?

Annie was born in Devon England to James HAWTON and Ann AUTON - have traced her lineage back several generations to Cornwall but her husband Joseph RUSSELL's origin is the complete mystery so far.........

None the less, I really appreciate your help - am confident we'll find him soon...

[MonicaL]

Tom, I am always optimistic but I think Joseph may have been economical with some of his life details, hard to know which though!

Have you searched through the indexes for births and marriages here https://familysearch.org/#start The LDS indexes, which are free to search, are really strong and comprehensive for Scotland. They, combined with a census search, normally throw up lots of options. However, cannot really see much to help so far with the info that Joseph gave  The ultimate check is the official pay to view site www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk It is free to do some general searches after you register (you have to pay in units/money to view search results or images).

From just general searches on SP, there are no births showing in Inverness-shire between 1865-9 for a Joseph/Thomas Russell, a fact confirmed by the indexes on the LDS site.

So....

- parents not married (no marriage showing for a couple with those names as given by him for his parents, including searching for Jessie as Janet which is a common variant).
- tried searching for his birth as an illegitimate birth, ie., with him as Cameron and mother as Jessie/Janet Cameron, and nothing showing for him.

I saw this entry for migration:

The 'Dacca' arrived from London in Brisbane on 26 Jul 1887. On the manifest showed a Joseph Russell aged 22 (so born c. 1865), b. Inverness.

That is as far as I have got so far...which is not much really 

Monica

[ThommoS]

Thanks Monica,

Have just accessed Scotlandspeople as you mentioned - unfortunately no luck at all in finding any birth for Joseph RUSSELL in Inverness - only one in that year was in Grenock Renfrew with a different date of birth and parents....likewise I couldn't  find any marriage references for his parents (RUSSELL/CAMERON) in the preceding years  - including the whole of Scotland .....just seems a complete mystery so far....

Maybe as you suggested, something up with the details.....I'll keep looking  .

[IMBER]

Following up on Monica's Dingwall Joseph I see that the census has him born at "Dores, Inverness".  Moving then to the 1871 census this Joseph appears to be at Scaniport, Dores shown as a Boarder aged 9, birthplace "England". Surname is RUSSEL, not uncommon to see the last L dropped in Scotland. He's in a large household of 15 persons born in a wide variety of places. Scaniport is roughly half way between Dores and Inverness.

Imber

[ThommoS]

Thanks Imber,

Appreciate your posting - that's interesting you mention the birthplace on the 1871 as England when all the documentation I have at hand shows Inverness - which was the other census you referred to as born at "Dores"?.....additionally are the other persons in that household "Russel's" too - his family perhaps??

Monica, I have a photo taken of Joseph Russell by Wrigglesworth and Binns Photographers in NZ - believed it was taken on his 18th birthday in 1887 and according to notes made by his wife Annie Russell (nee Hawton) in 1960, he arrived in Australia in July 1890...have not verified that as yet but it doesn't appear he arrived as as Assisted Migrant....
 
Thanks for the "Dacca" mention - not sure if that's him yet but it's known he was in NZ prior to arriving in Melbourne, that was the next part of my researching once I establish his family in Scotland ...

It gets curiouser and curiouser as they say.......am sure his family will turn up in Scotland - but so far I know a lot more than when I first asked......thanks to you both......Tom

[IMBER]

Monica’s link was to Familysearch. The entry re the 1881 census for Dingwall gave a birthplace of “Inverness-shire”.  When I checked the actual census record it gave “Dores, Inverness”. Sorry to disappoint you but there no Russells listed in 1871 other than this poor little nine year old boarder. Perhaps someone said he was born in England because they didn’t know any better, or perhaps someone was trying to obscure a relationship. Total conjecture of course.  All of the others listed were recorded as born in various Scottish localities and Ireland bar a one year old who was born in Dores. I take that to mean that most of those listed moved around a lot as was common in the farming community at that time. Seven of those listed bear the surname Robertson, one born in Moray. There is also a Robertson from Moray at the Dingwall 1881 address. That does not prove a connection but perhaps should be borne in mind.
Imber

[ThommoS]

At least the ball has started to roll - ever so slowly!

It frustrates more than annoys when information you'd normally expect to be there isn't in the Records. So many possibilities based on the information known but afraid I'm sticking to them being somewhere in Inverness up to the 1880's at least.
This is my first Scottish research effort and have learnt so much from this and other posts that will be valuable experience when I strike a realy hard brick wall next time
Cheers..........Tom