Patrick BARRETT brickwall

[majm]

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If they did change their name how could you prove it? .....

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Thinking about where to look for actual signatures..   
....

Look at any 'real deal' NSW BDM certificates you hold.   Check if the handwriting on these is "all in the same hand" and if so, put aside, in the NOT helpful pile.   If there's ANY with the signature of any relative of Patrick and/or any candidate for his wife, his inlaws, his parents ... or signature of Patrick himself, keep, scan, and backup scan copy.   And then think about any documents at NSW Archives that may have his signature ... letters to Colonial Offices, etc and any documents at NSW BDM ... could he be a witness at a sibling's wedding or an informant at birth rego for any of his children ... etc ... Become a detective ... look for info which backs up the info on the 1886 marriage ... any aspect ... and then work at confirming/eliminating that from your quest... 

Remember, that it is still quite legal in NSW to become known by another name.  It has only become difficult since the Quintex scandal of the late 1980s early 1990s. 

I dont have much knowledge of the admin aspects of Roman Catholic parish registers, but re C of E, there's every possibility the local clergy kept a "cheat sheet" on families ... including in 19th Century the ship of arrival, the native place, children and when/where baptised etc.   You can get the gist of these via RChat's NSW Resources Board and the live links to Christ Church, Hexham, (Newcastle) NSW.   Here: (family sheets across two foolscap pages).   
Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/sets/72157606066769147/ 1820 – 1899 Family Register

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=369703.0

I think it may be worthwhile to consider saving some pennies to order official transcript of birth registration of youngest NSW REEVES found (George, 1867, to Robert & Susan registered Braidwood #7316/1867 ) ... You see, the NSW BDM civil registrations include details of the OLDER siblings of the baby being registered... so the youngest should give name and age of each living older sibling, and gender of those who had succumbed prior to baby's birth.   You would have info about Robert and Susan (when/where married, occupation, age, etc as recalled by the informant), and about their children ... so it may repeat info already known, or it may mention Patrick as older sibling, or it may help eliminate (so NOT mention Patrick), or it may remain confusing ... sorry ...

Fingers crossed,  still thinking about how to confirm if there's been an informal surname change...    not just a spelling variation... 

JM

[TJ 007]

....
If they did change their name how could you prove it? .....

...
Thinking about where to look for actual signatures..   
....

Look at any 'real deal' NSW BDM certificates you hold.   Check if the handwriting on these is "all in the same hand" and if so, put aside, in the NOT helpful pile.   If there's ANY with the signature of any relative of Patrick and/or any candidate for his wife, his inlaws, his parents ... or signature of Patrick himself, keep, scan, and backup scan copy.   And then think about any documents at NSW Archives that may have his signature ... letters to Colonial Offices, etc and any documents at NSW BDM ... could he be a witness at a sibling's wedding or an informant at birth rego for any of his children ... etc ... Become a detective ... look for info which backs up the info on the 1886 marriage ... any aspect ... and then work at confirming/eliminating that from your quest... 

Remember, that it is still quite legal in NSW to become known by another name.  It has only become difficult since the Quintex scandal of the late 1980s early 1990s. 

I dont have much knowledge of the admin aspects of Roman Catholic parish registers, but re C of E, there's every possibility the local clergy kept a "cheat sheet" on families ... including in 19th Century the ship of arrival, the native place, children and when/where baptised etc.   You can get the gist of these via RChat's NSW Resources Board and the live links to Christ Church, Hexham, (Newcastle) NSW.   Here: (family sheets across two foolscap pages).   
Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/sets/72157606066769147/ 1820 – 1899 Family Register

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=369703.0

I think it may be worthwhile to consider saving some pennies to order official transcript of birth registration of youngest NSW REEVES found (George, 1867, to Robert & Susan registered Braidwood #7316/1867 ) ... You see, the NSW BDM civil registrations include details of the OLDER siblings of the baby being registered... so the youngest should give name and age of each living older sibling, and gender of those who had succumbed prior to baby's birth.   You would have info about Robert and Susan (when/where married, occupation, age, etc as recalled by the informant), and about their children ... so it may repeat info already known, or it may mention Patrick as older sibling, or it may help eliminate (so NOT mention Patrick), or it may remain confusing ... sorry ...

Fingers crossed,  still thinking about how to confirm if there's been an informal surname change...    not just a spelling variation... 

JM

Thank JM as always good advice
I will do that regarding the signatures. I don't have much on Patrick but I see you point in regards to other documents he may pop up on. That is angle that needs to be looked at.

You and Judith have giving me something to ponder on the Reeves family. That might be a step I need to take in the future regarding George's birth. Could provide some answers or none but its something to think about.
I am going to keep searching for Patrick's Mother death record. If I found that I think it may provide a few answers.
Hard to figure out when she died and what name. Which makes the range big. She could be under Reeves, Barrett or even Green? with the first name Ann, Mary or even Susan?
I have printed off a page of NSW Death index results on Barrett and have managed to rule out a few names from obits from trove and cemetery inscriptions.

I will go through the pages of C of E cheat sheets on the link provided over the weekend.
The hunt continues

Kind regards
Tom

[majm]

one brick at a time     Anywhere any family member signed ... regardless of the surname they used at that time.   There's some extremely talented RChatters on the Handwriting board...  Provided they are given enough sample to examine of course ... 

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/handwriting-deciphering-recognition/

JM

[majm]

oops, wrong thread.