Velcro,
John
Joseph FRENCH, when HE married Mary Dorothy PETERSON, in 1888, (in Western Australia) what information did
HE provide to the clergyman about his age, his place of birth, his parentage (it may not be recorded on the summary for the civil registration for that marriage as held by WA BDM Registrar General's Office but it ought to be on the Church register). Afterall, if that
John Joseph FRENCH was NOT YET 21 years of age when he was marrying Mary Dorothy Peterson, he would have needed the consent of a parent to enter into marriage. Which parent was available (his deceased father was obviously NOT, but there's his adopted father, and there's his mother .... apart from my concerns about 'adopted' which is likely your shorthand for 'informal fostering' ....) where were Mr and Mrs Patrick James EGAN (and therefore their son Patrick Joseph).... that 1888 WA marriage cert info may well help your quest.
By the way, I am assuming the Lilly French EAGAN baby who succumbed at 10 months
in WA in 1893 was that John
Joseph FRENCH’s daughter. That seems to be Guildford, WA, and so not any where near any Gold Fields.
ADD and where was her Mum? as Lilly's death registration shows "unknown" mother.
Was this wee lass in an orphanage in Western Australia perhaps? and letters were sent to California and to New Hampshire regarding a child in an orphanage.
John
Joseph FRENCH and Patrick
Joseph EGAN were half brothers.... and have same middle name
Cheers, JM
ADD:
30 Dec 1867 seems to be likely birthdate for
John Joseph FRENCH
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTZR-97N (so he turned 21 on 30 Dec 1888)
further ADD
This
William FRENCH was described on the census as born
August 1871 in Australia and was in San Francisco with a wife in 1900, so ................... have they been eliminated from the EGAN search, afterall,
he migrated to the US in 1893 .... was there any Gold Fields in California in 1893 ? Who was writing to this chap from Western Australia? or who in Western Australia was receiving letters from him? Or was he writing to Northampton New Hampshire and they were writing back to him in California?
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M95C-WTG Irish and their names : Must of been a few families with same names from IRE. My Patrick James Egan (in USA Egan families have both Egan & Eagan as their surnames) parents Richard & Helen Egan nee Feaney. Patrick James Egan b. abt 1839 Tipperary IRE m. Mary Leahy (? varied spelling) 14 May 1876 R/C Ch. Perth Western Australia.Patrick & Mary had 1 son Patrick "Joseph" Egan goes by the name Joseph Egan
Patrick James Egan died 2 Apr 1903 Northampton Hampshire tMA USA buried St Mary Cem. Hampshire County MA USA. Mary Egan nee French nee Leahy b. abt. 1837 Cork IRE parents Thomas & Catherine Leahy nee Connell. Thomas b. abt. 1810 IRE married abt. 1836/37. IRE. Mary Egan died 23 Dec 1904 Northampton Hampshire MA USA buried also St Mary Cem Hampshire County MA USA. Look up findagrave to view their headstones. "Joseph" Egan b. 19 Mar 1877 Perth Western Australia m. Jennie M Fahey 1901 (Hampshire County MA?) USA. She was born abt. 1877 Clonmel Waterford IRE died 1852 Northampton MA USA also buried in St Mary Cem. Hampshire County MA USA. They had 8 children. Some still living. Jennie Egan parents Patrick & Nancy Fahey/Lawlor nee Madden. 1900 US Census has the immigration year as 1879 but 1930 Us Census has the family immigrating to the US from WA 1892.
Mary Egan was married to Edward French after she arrived per Mary Harrison 24 Jun 1862 to Fremantle WA from Plymouth and IRE.
She found work in York WA where she met Edward French a Ticket of Leave man from Messing Essex ENG.per the Sea Park.
Married where Edward French was working for Robert Hardey of Mt Hardey 15 Apr 1863 Holy Trinity Ch. York WA Edward died 8 Jul 1875 Fremantle Asylum WA due to complications of a Stroke.He was buried in the Old Skinner St Cem Fremantle WA ."The Skinner Street cemetery is now the location of the Oval belonging to the John Curtin College of the Arts where it is estimated 200 bodies still remain.[2] Over 40,000 burials have taken place at this cemetery." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremantle_Cemetery
Edward & Mary French had 2 sons : John Joseph French & William Thomas French.
When Edward died apparently Patrick Egan adopted the 2 French boys and John Joseph French aka Egan. No record of this researched yet.
Patrick & Mary and son Joseph Egan left WA ? via Albany for a medical condition of Joseph's eyes and left John & William In WA. The French boys never saw their mother, step father, step brother again though family stories say there was letters of communication till the year of Patrick & Mary's deaths. Naturally!
Velcro
Cheers
Velcro
