Hi All, first post.
I've been compiling a family tree and supporting documentation on familysearch.org, with forays into ancestry.com and various BMD databases, focused on Australia, where my family has lived since about 1850.
My father's line (Handmer) becomes Jones about 6 generations back - I think Handmer/Hanmer/Anmer/Amer was a "silent" middle name prior to this time. The unit that emigrated to Australia was John Jones (b. ~1816 in Shropshire or North Wales/Snowdonia?), Lydia Williams (born ~1814 in Oswestry Parish, according to her death certificate), and Leah Jones, later Leah Emazine Handmer-Jones, (b. November 1840 in/near Trefonen). John and Lydia married on January 1 1845 in Wolverhampton (I have the certificate). Lydia's parents were called John and Ellen according to her death certificate. John's father was also John, according to his marriage certificate. John Jones' death certificate (likely between 1865 and 1875 in Victoria, Australia) has not been found.
Ship list can be found at
http://www.familyhistorysa.org//shipping/passengerlists.html (search Lydia Jones).
I recently found a record of Leah's christening (
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQRK-CB7) but I don't have a copy of the original documentation, nor any real idea of how to get it - do people just call up the church and ask?
I have searched through the 1841 census with a fine toothed comb and haven't found any sign of John, Lydia, and little Leah. By family tradition, they had about 4 other children who died in infancy before moving to Australia - I am descended from their second surviving child and first surviving son.
I am looking for *any* supporting documentation that might throw light on this mystery. In particular, birth/death records for other children, census records for the family in 1841, and birth records from c. 1815. We're not quite sure how Hanmer got mixed in, perhaps John Jones' mother's family name? I'm also unsure of John Jones' mother's name, but if the naming pattern of his children is anything to go by, he and Lydia had a "Leah" and a "Mary Ellen" as nearby female relatives.
Any insights, suggestions, sources, methods, or sympathy is very welcome!
