A mother for Wilfred Charles EVERITT

[Seaton Smithy]

Wilfred Charles EVERITT’s death at age 88,  has his parents as Thomas and Annie. 

And as you well know, JM, you can't always rely on what is reported on death records.

(Annie and Harriett can often be the same person)

I did not know that, but I will take your word for it.  I know from my Scottish side Elizabeth and Isabel are interchangeable, and people christened Jane are often known as Jean their entire life.

What I can say is that Annie appears to have been a nickname for Edward's wife Hannah.

On the record of his marriage to Sarah Jane Densley (must have been an indexing error there), Wilfred gives his parents as Edward Jas Everitt and Annie M True, as this is what he would have believed at the time.  It was not until he was much, much older that he was told Edward and Hannah were not his real parents.

It is believed that Hannah is the Annie referred to on the death record, and the reference is to Thomas was an error.  The informant was one of Wilfred's daughters.

[majm]

(Annie and Harriett can often be the same person)

Well, I have lots of NSW examples  .... here's two. 
  My "Annie" was "Annie" when SHE registered the births of her children BUT when her husband registered the births of the children she was "Harriett".   This is 1870s to 1890s, rural NSW
  My Harriet was "Harriett" or "Harriet" or "Harriott" when she was registering births and yet when her husband was registering births she was "Ann" or "Anne" or "Nancy" or "Annie".... this was The Rocks, as in Sydney and was 1865-1880.

What I can say is that Annie appears to have been a nickname for Edward's wife Hannah.

   
 I can definitely support that suggestion (Annie aka Hannah) too !   

On the record of his marriage to Sarah Jane Densley (must have been an indexing error there), Wilfred gives his parents as Edward Jas Everitt and Annie M True, as this is what he would have believed at the time.  It was not until he was much, much older that he was told Edward and Hannah were not his real parents.

From that mc
Where does Wilfred state that he was born? 
And does the mc note if either parent was deceased?

And another question or two if I may ..... WHO told Wilfred that Edward and Hannah were not his real parents .... what was that person's relationship to Edward and to Hannah .... How reliable would that person's knowledge have been ....

Cheers,  JM

[Seaton Smithy]

Could you help me some explanation of why you believe all this to be true.

Quote
"Wilfred was the son of Edward's brother John Joseph Everitt

Wilfred was told this by a family member.

John Joseph Everitt who had died in March 1881

That's a matter of record.

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.

This bit is family history.  With no record of the birth, it's hard to prove or deny.  And in theory Bertha could have given him up because her husband had died.  Bertha's death record as Bertha Finn would be one option.  But there appears to be no actual suggestion in the family she was Wilfred's mother or that she had anything to do with him and the attachment of her as his mother on family trees is probably just an assumption. 

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' Wilfred's death certificate.

Sorry, my error there.  That should have read Wilfred's death certificate, obviously.  This information contradicts what Wilfred was told and to be an error made by the informant at the time.   Again, it appears that people without that family knowledge of what Wilfred was told have simply taken the death record as correct - and as you know, death records can not always be relied on.

Now, you'll be wondering how we know what Wilfred was told.  His daughters were interviewed by a granddaughter in the 80s.  That person has also obtained copies of official records from the registry offices, visited local churches, court houses and cemeteries for more records and been tracing the Everitt family history for around 25 years.  Now, I accept you can't always rely on people's memories, but Wilfred being told his real father was John was something that was very clearly recalled at the time.

The actual record of Wilfred's birth is one of the three remaining unsolved family mysteries.

Also when possible could you have a play with your surname interests and places and maybe put them across the lines without double spaces. The post get very tiresome t scroll through.

Done - I should have sorted that ages ago.

[majm]

May I wander off on a possible side-track please 

To the TRUE family (Annie's nee name)  and to Wilfred's nick name of BOB ..... Bob as in Robert ....  Robert as in one of the brothers for Annie TRUE was Robert ....

Robert P TRUE's birth was registered in the NSW BDM district of Gundagai in 1863, (#8270) a son of Samuel P and Mary A TRUE.     I will hazard a guess and say the "P" is for Pickering for both Robert and for Samuel (that's my own speculation based on snooping a submitted tree at Ancestry  )

Cheers,  JM       Off now to ponder on some more 'in depth' questions to pose ...   

[Seaton Smithy]

From that mc
Where does Wilfred state that he was born?   
And does the mc note if either parent was deceased?

Howlong, and no.

WHO told Wilfred that Edward and Hannah were not his real parents

Well, here is the kicker, and much may be made of this but ... that person was Thomas.  It was done in Hannah's presence.

[jorose]

Is this John one of your Everitts? ( http://www.rootschat.com/links/0vpx/  )   

I don't think you can be sure Wilfred was born in the Howlong area - if the family knew the woman they might have known she was from around the area, but her family might have sent her off somewhere while she was pregnant (the old "staying with my aunt for seven months or so" trick).

[giblet]

I deleted what i posted 

[Seaton Smithy]

May I wander off on a possible side-track please 

You may, but I would ask everyone at this point that there be no further references in relation to the extended True family beyond Hannah or something really very specific to Wilfred on this thread.  There's a particular event that still causes controversy today and I understand reference to it can get quite nasty.

[sparrett]

 
 

WHO told Wilfred that Edward and Hannah were not his real parents

Well, here is the kicker, and much may be made of this but ... that person was Thomas.  It was done in Hannah's presence.
 

Do you mean THOMAS, the husband of HARRIET?

Have I got the right death?

 

EVERITT Thos Jas
Father Everitt Edwd
Mother Unknown  UNKNOWN
Death Place WATTA
Age 85
Year 1933
Reg  16994

If this is correct and Thomas had not died earlier, it is clear Thomas and HARRIET were estranged which was my point in commenting previously about the absence of his name in newspaper notices related to herself and family. (Replies #24 and #25)

Details are readily available, but she is living independently on the E Roll by 1903

Sue