Which census transcription is correct?

[jennywren001]

Hi Jill,
Losing the will to live with this lot!
I've looked at the Trove newspaper accounts for the B. Fern and lots of Bowmans in 1849 and the David Fearn in 1863 but they only list the names, no age or occupation.  From what I've read there are no surviving records from the Waterlily which like the Morning Star appeared to have sailed from Liverpool.

I think Betty, David and Ann are still in my 'not sure' pile. If I could find evidence of David's age and occupation on a ship's manifest (rather than on an index) I'd be inclined to think it might be him as I can't find him post 1861 in the UK.
Jen

[benjaminhollister]

Hi Jen,

Thought I'd add to this conversation rather than just back to you. I came across this after you asked me about proof for Ann FEARN in South Australia being the daughter of James FEARN and Ann GALL.

I was in the process of revisiting my reasoning behind Ann (it was all done about 20 years ago - there seemed to be plenty of people doing the BOWMANs in SA so I had left it for my German families).

As extra (possibly) info:

Ann FEARN appears in the records of South Australia in 1858 in a marriage with William BOWMAN (District of Port Gawler Book 36 Page 175 25 Dec 1858 at the residence of the groom’s father [Gawler Hills]). Ann’s father is listed as James FEARN, and her estimated year of birth is 1839. William’s father is listed as John BOWMAN and estimated year of birth is 1829.

In 1914, Ann appears in the South Australia death register, listed as Annie Fearn BOWMAN, estimated year of birth 1840, widow of William Milne BOWMAN (District of Adelaide Book 385 Page 44 20 Jun 1914 at Nailsworth)

Not sure why William gained a middle name. I have always stuck with MILNE as it seems to come up in Kirriemuir and nearby families (Mary Milne FEARN for example). The MILLS was on his gravestone, but this is the only time it seems to come up. The MILTON I have never seen outside of some very old research that my aunt gave to me years ago. it seems to be linked to Milton Bank, the property name of these BOWMANs in South Australia.

As noted earlier, the SA Register lists the whole family but with older children as individuals. So the BOWMANs on the Calphurnia were:

•   John Bowman, wife and 3 children
•   James Bowman
•   Alex Bowman
•   John Bowman
•   William Bowman
•   Agnes Bowman

This family matches the Bowmans from Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland in the 1841 Scotland Census Parish: Kirriemuir; ED: 19; Page: 5; Line: 1380 and Parish: Kirriemuir; ED: 17; Page: 5; Line: 910.

Re the J and Ann FEARN on the Waterlily in 1852 - I think this is James and Ann FEARN who later have a son registered in 1859. Ann is nee TOTHILL. No real research done on this though.

Just for completeness, there is also a marriage registered in South Australia for a James FERN and Ellen BATH in 1867. The estimated year of birth for the groom is 1809 with no marital status entered.

I can't identify the death of any other Ann FEARN in SA, or indeed any James FE(A)RN.

The main reason for the belief that my Ann is your Ann is the family is:

• The link with David FEARN at Kanyaka - seem to be siblings
• Family always identifed Annie as Scottish
• Kirriemuir/Linrathen families sticking together in South AUstralia
• Of all the Ann FEARN births and baps in Scotland for the 1838-1840 period, this fitted best

Mostly negative proof and circumstantial evidence, but it does seem to add up. Of course no documents as they seemt o be thin on the ground this end. Always happy to be proved wrong!!

BTW, you mention that Ann is said to arrived in SA in 1852. Where did you find this? And Port Adelaide was our only port, so everyone came in through there afterthe first couple of years of just landing on the beach at Glenelg (Holdfast Bay). PA was also know as Port Miserty.

Cheers

Ben

[jennywren001]

Hi Ben,
Just back from Germany (holiday not family) hence tardy response. I think I'm coming down on the side of Ann being James and Ann Gall's daughter. By now I must have read everything on Trove that relates to this family. I've attached a clip from the marriage announcement where it states she's from Kirriemuir. Her obit mentions that she arrived on the Waterlily in 1852 (also attached) so either it's her or the newspaper is constructing early settler histories.

Having said that I've still got niggles and just to name a few...
The Waterlily records are either lost or destroyed (or so I've read) so the only thing to go on is the newspaper list of names. The Waterlily left from Liverpool in the January of 1852. Our Ann Fearn would have turned 13 about 2 months previous. The 1851 census was taken on the 31st of March when we know Ann and both her parents are still alive. Her shoemaker father James is employing five men so we know they are not destitute and presumably making a decent living. If he was reading the Scottish papers he'd not be inclined to let his youngest daughter upsticks on her own to Australia! What would inspire him to go?

On Trove the passenger list for the Waterlily shows no obvious Scottish names (compare this to David Fearn's ship which is full of Scottish and Irish names). The list shows 'J. and Ann Fearn' I found two other incidents in the list with this pattern "R. and Ann Little" and "J. and Sarah Hill" - I think they are pairs of sisters.  There are sisters Ann (14) and Jane Fearn (26) living in Liverpool on the 1851 census. IF our Ann was travelling with a 'J' it would have to be her father and I can't see a father being reduced to an initial while his child was given HER full name. Also, why Liverpool? The same day as the Waterlily arrives at Port Adelaide the 'Caroline Agnes' arrives from London and Plymouth these are the ships with the assisted passages and folks from Scotland sailed from Leith for free to London. (At this time the government refused to have ships sailing directly from Scotland with assisted passages so they had to embark from London).

I suspect part of the problem is the name Fern/Fearn/Feron/Ferme/Ferm/Ferns/Fernie/Phern plus a long list of other variants. Also, the name is much more common in England than in Scotland. You can see using the link below that in 1881 there were 2089 Fearns in England and only 129 in Scotland that's why I think a speculative Annie Fearn leaving from Liverpool is more likely to be English.

http://forebears.co.uk/surnames/fearn

"Re the J and Ann FEARN on the Waterlily in 1852 - I think this is James and Ann FEARN who later have a son registered in 1859. Ann is nee TOTHILL"


If this is the case then the obit can't be true and it starts to feel like a house of cards.

Jen

[Forfarian]

IF our Ann was travelling with a 'J' it would have to be her father and I can't see a father being reduced to an initial while his child was given HER full name.

Why not?

When I registered for a library card many years ago I asked them to put my full given name on my borrower's card, because I absolutely detest it being reduced to an initial. They told me they didn't put full names for adults, only for children. I insisted, pointing out that no-one, seeing me, was likely to confuse me with a child, and they did as I asked, but with a modicum of reluctance.

[jennywren001]

Given the way the lists are written I think I would have expected to see J Fearn and child. Maybe the abbreviations were only about ensuring the justification of the column? Much more exciting than the Fearns I've just had a Death's head hawkmoth in the living room!
Jen

[jennywren001]

Old post I know but for completeness - from the Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin review; and Forfar and Kincardineshire Advertiser. 01 April 1859 - a marriage notice for Miss Annie Ferns of Kirriemuir to Mr Wm Bowman of Kanyata