A mother for Wilfred Charles EVERITT

[Seaton Smithy]

OK, dipping my toe back in the water - let's see how we go with this one.

My great-grandfather was Wilfred Charles Everitt. 

Wilfred was raised by his uncle Edward James Everitt and his wife Hannah Maria True, who had no children of their own but took in a number (at least 4) children of other family members.

Wilfred was the son of Edward's brother John Joseph Everitt who had died in March  1881, shortly before Wilfred's birth.  There are several public trees that show Wilfred's mother was John's wife Bertha Devery.  However, it is believed within our branch of the family this is not correct, and probably a reason he was raised by his uncle.

There are also several public trees that show Wilfred as the son of another brother, Thomas James Everitt.  This error comes from information on Thomas' death certificate.

The family story - which comes from one of Wilfred's daughters through one of his granddaughters is that sometime after John's death a woman possibly named Adelaide or Adeline left the young Wilfred at the home of Edward and Hannah.

Wilfred's date of birth is generally given as 14 June 1881, but it is believed within the family it was actually May and the place of birth is given as Howlong.

Wilfred was known all his life as Bob which is not an obvious nickname and it is possible that as a young child he was known as Robert before being told when he was older his name was really Wilfred Charles.  There is also a suggestion his birth name may have actually been Charles Wilfred.

So there a lot of maybes with this one unfortunately - born Wilfred Charles or Charles Wilfred, either 14 May or 14 June 1881 in Howlong or possibly Albury, possibly Everitt but probably his mother's unknown surname, mother's given name possibly Adelaide or Adeline, and possibly known at one time as Robert.

We have lots of information about the Everitt family here in Australia so don't really need anything there at this time.

Any possible leads on the birth of Wilfred and his mother would be greatly appreciated.  I have tried the NSW BDMs, but I know there others far better than me at these searches. 

[giblet]

This is the closest i could find...

NSW birth
27469/1880    EVANS    WILFRED CHARLES    father EVAN ROBERTS  mother   CATHERINE    
District WOLLONGONG

edited to add
Maybe not the one.

[giblet]

Maybe it could be worth checking births in VIC.

Howlong is a town 28 kilometres west of Albury, and is situated on the Murray River which separates the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria.

[Neil Todd]

There are no children of Everitt unaccounted for, even the unnamed one to Thomas is recorded dying same year 1880. Have searched exhaustively for mother Adelaide/Adeline and sons Wilfred/Charles/Robert and again none.

There are as JM would explain many instances of Birth returns which have not been indexed. So it is just possible that he was born to one of the other Everitt's at Howlong and not registered.

I don't hold much store in handed down family stories as these can be imaginatively enlivened over the years and much romance attached.

Neil

[Seaton Smithy]

Maybe it could be worth checking births in VIC.

Absolutely - later Everitts and other branches of the family from that region regularly crossed back and forth across the border, almost like it was some sort of articificial construct.

I don't have access to the Vic indexes at the moment, hope to have that access sometime soon.

[Seaton Smithy]

I don't hold much store in handed down family stories as these can be imaginatively enlivened over the years and much romance attached.

Thanks, Neil.  It's good to have a double-check.  And I agree, this particular birth may not have been indexed or recorded correctly.

And I agree about the family stories, although sometimes they are your only starting point.  Always just as happy to disprove them as I am to prove them.

Just to add some "romance" to this one, Wifred's father John died young from a head injury, official reason at inquest being a fall from a horse.  Family legend version is he was beaten up in a pub, possibly by the mother's brothers.

While it's possibly just a story, it's interesting that during his illness after whatever incident caused the injury, he apparently went to his mother's home rather than stay with his wife.

[sparrett]

After this birth there is only one male EVERITT birth registered in Victoria between 1876 and 1884
It is at Casterton to parents of incorrect names.

EVERITT Bertha Mary Catharine
Father John Joseph
Mother Bertha Bridget Connor DEVERY
Birth Place TARR
Year 1876
Reg  5765

Sue

[Seaton Smithy]

Just a quick note to the person who sent me 2 PMs with births of children of Thomas and his wife Harriet - thank you for your suggestions but these are known births for Thomas and are known not to be Wilfred.

[judb]

There is certainly a marriage listed for a John Joseph EVERITT

Victoria, 1872, #4197
John Joseph EVERITT m Bridget Bertha C DEVERY

The birth found by Sue is obviously for this couple but whether it's your family..........
Sue, I think TARR might be an abbreviation for Tarrawingee in north-east Victoria?

I wonder if it would be worth getting the death certificate for Bertha, although I would think it's unlikely that Wilfred Charles would be mentioned as one of her children given the circumstances.

Victoria, 1934, #13907
Bertha Bridget Connors FINN, 80
Death Place:   Beechworth, Victoria
Father's Name:   Bernard Devery
Mother's Name:   Mary Connors
Estimated Birth Year:   abt 1854

It's also very possible, in my opinion, that Wilfred's birth was never registered at all.