Alfred Richard Simpson born about 1836 in England

[Christine Major]

Hi

I have started researching again after a hiatus of several years and am having a hard time finding anything out for the above person. He married Hannah Guyton on 17th July 1860 at Reedy Flats, Shoalhaven. There is very little information on this certificate. I cannot find when he came into Australia. I was wondering if anyone can help with information on where I might find him. I have been in touch with the Shoalhaven Family History Society in regards to the marriage.

If anyone has any information on him I would greatly appreciate any help/information that you have and I will gladly share whatever I have.

Thank you
Chris

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Online trees say he comes from Somerset but that's all they have and I can't see a baptism or anything on the census.
Sorry
Ciderdrinker

[maddys52]

Hi Christine and welcome to rootschat.

There are a couple of articles on Trove about his son Alfred Richard SIMPSON, one of which says his mother remarried Henry HARLEY. This marriage is on NSW BDM in 1868, and the only death for Alfred SIMPSON that would fit is in 1863, died Sydney aged 27 years - does this fit with what you already know? (I guess if this is the right person he must have died before his son's birth was registered.)

[maddys52]

It might be a long shot, but there are also a number of items on Trove about Alfred SIMPSON from 1854-1862 one of which says he was a soldier in the 128th regiment (very hard to read - could be 12?th). Will try to find a few more details ...

Modified: reading about which regiments were in NSW, it was probably the 12th regiment (East Suffolk), in Australia: 1854-1861

[rosball]

Hi Chris,
   Welcome from me too 

   Did the family history society help with the blanks on the marriage certificate?   If not here is an excellent thread produced by MAJM which explains how to fill the gaps on historic NSW marriage certs
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,546609.0.html

   Essentially it says to contact the church archives as not all details were passed onto the Registrar in the early days.  (I followed the advice with great success  )

regards
   Ros

[majm]

Hi there,

Welcome from me too.

Yes, Ros is right.   The thread should help, and of course NSW BDM reminds us all on their website that their own holdings have blanks.

The information required by the clergy includes details about the bride and the groom and their respective parents. 

It is just that from the commencement of civil registration (1856) until the mid 1890s there was an ongoing dispute between the NSW BDM and the Churches. 

So the information was collected, but not all the information was sent to NSW BDM.   Then NSW BDM commenced to reconcile their records, but when WWI drew their clerks away to handle the paperwork at AIF Base Records, well, the reconcilation processes have not ever been sufficiently funded to be fully undertaken ever again.

So, on the NSW BDM document, it will have the denomination, the clergy,  so it is simply a matter of finding where the clergy's register/s are currently held, and asking for access to those records.  We need to remember of course that those are Church records, and not public records.  But volunteers are likely to be helpful in finding the details.

Cheers,  JM

[rosball]

Sorry deleted - wrong info - this Alfred Richard SIMPSON  was 15 years in 1879 so the wrong man.

[maddys52]

hi Ros, not sure what info you found and deleted but am pretty sure that's the son, born 1864

[rosball]

Well it's awful news and not much help in finding out about the father (other than mother was Mrs HARLEY).

It was at Cooper Flat  near Grenville - is this the right area?