Jane Smith

[mitzi2017]

The following info is from the births of the first two children and the death records of Sidney and Elizabeth.
I do not have a death certificate of any of the early children except that of my Grandmother Elizabeth Smith.  Hope it gives light to my mystery.

The first child, Robert John, born to Sidney Smith and Elizabeth (nee McKenzie) was at Geelong, Victoria, Aus.
Date: 17 July 1853 Geelong
Name: Robert John
Sex:    male
Parents:
Father:     Sidney Smith, Blacksmith, 37 Years, Fort William Scotland.
Marriage: 1852 Fort William Scotland 1 Child.
Mother:    Elizabeth Smith, formerly McKenzie, 30 years, Scotland.
Signature, Description and Residence of Informants: Elizabeth Smith, mother, Off Little
                Ryrie Street Geelong. Signed with her mark.
Registered:31 August 1852 at Geelong.
Deputy Registrar:  P. Jas. Stephen.

Date:       22 December 1854 at Colac, Victoria
Name:     Maria Mary.  Girl.
Father:    Sidney Smith 39, Labourer
Marriage: 25 May 1852 Fort William, Invernessshire. Robert John 2y7m, Maria Mary 7days
Mother:    Elizabeth Smith, formerly McKenzie, 32, Tomich Invernessshire.
Informant: Sidney Smith, Labourer, Colac, Father.
Registered: 17th Feb 1855 at Colac.
Deputy Registrar: John B Farrer.

Death Records:
Name:    Elizabeth Smith, 21 Dec 1877, 55 years.
Parents:  John McKenzie, Wheelwright, Jane McKenzie formerly Chisolm.
Informant: Thomas Smith, Son, Colac.
Where Born: Beautie, Scotland. (another place name change)
Marriage: Fort William, age 29, Sidney Smith.
Issue:     Jane 32 years crossed out and co signed by Registrar.
              Robert John, 24 years: Maria Mary, 23 years: Annie 20 years: Thomas 20 years:
              Sidney 18 years: James 16 years: Agnes 13 years: Elizabeth 11 years:
              Marion dead:
Name:    Sidney Smith 12 August 1880, Colac, Storekeeper, 65 years.
Parents:  John Smith, Doctor. Mary Smith formerly Kennedy.
Informant:  Robert Smith, Son, Colac.
Where Born: Invernessshire Scotland.
Marriage:  Fort William Scotland age 27 Elizabeth McKenzie.
Issue:      Jane, 38 years: Robert, 29 years: Maria 26years: Ann 24 years: Thomas
               22years: Sidney 22 years: James 19 years: Agnes 15 years: Elizabeth 13years:



             

[wivenhoe]

Thank you for the information on the death certificates, 1877 Elizabeth SMITH nee McKENZIE, and Sidney SMITH, 1880. For each of these certificates what do you see for "...years in the colony....."

The death certificate, 1877, Elizabeth SMITH.........is this a (typed) transcription......or....image of a handwritten document?

Is it is an image of a handwritten document.......and with regard to -

"..Jane 32 years crossed out and co signed by Registrar."

Was this editing done at the time of the registration of death.....eg same pen....same colour intensity of the ink.....informant Robert SMITH is fine tuning this detail with the registrar....

or....do you think that informant, son Robert SMITH, or another person, might have come back next day to make this change.....after consultation with other family members.....ie Robert SMITH had to be told that Jane SMITH was not a daughter of his mother Elizabeth McKENZIE. 

Either way, I would read this to mean that Robert SMITH knows about Jane SMITH, age 32 years at 1877, and Jane is daughter of Sidney SMITH....but not daughter of his wife Elizabeth McKENZIE?

[mitzi2017]

I agree with your interpretation of these documents but it still does not answer my original question. Who was Jane Smith's mother and is there a birth record somewhere?

[mitzi2017]

All documents are hand written and changes were done at time of Registration not later.

[wivenhoe]

"...does not answer my original question. Who was Jane Smith's mother and is there a birth record somewhere?"

Does not have to at this stage. We need to do this in incremental steps.

Now we know that Jane SMITH was known to the children, born Australia, of Sidney SMITH .....and Jane SMITH was alive in 1877? 

[mitzi2017]

"  Does not have to at this stage. We need to do this in incremental steps."

You will have to guide me through incremental steps.

[Forfarian]

Where Born: Beautie, Scotland. (another place name change).

That will be Beauly. It's in the parish of Kilmorack, and is the only village of any size in that parish.
See http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NH5246

Who was Jane Smith's mother and is there a birth record somewhere?

As Jane was clearly illegitimate there may not be a surviving record of her birth/baptism in the parish register.

There is a good chance that her impending birth would have been noticed by the Kirk Session, and if they did notice, and her mother was a member of the Church of Scotland (very likely; in 1845 only about 150 of the total parish population of 2700 was either Roman Catholic or Episcopalian*) the KS would have summoned her, interrogated her, then summoned the father and subjected them both to discipline for the sin. 

The minutes of the Kilmorack Kirk Session are held in the Highland Archive and Registration Centre in Inverness https://www.highlifehighland.com/highland-archive-centre/. They can be viewed in digital form there and in several other archives in Scotland, including the Historical Search Room in Edinburgh, but not online. You might like to hire a professional searcher to look at them on your behalf. See https://www.asgra.co.uk/.

* According to the New Statistical Account, which you might like to read for background. It's online at https://stataccscot.edina.ac.uk/static/statacc/dist/parish/Inverness/Kilmorack.

[wivenhoe]

Is this Jane part of your SMITH family?

7018/1918 BDM VIC death
JACOBSON  Jane  parents  Eliz MCKENZIE /  SMITH Sidney
died  Wmstown   age 71

[mitzi2017]

Thank you for yor help.  I will be away from the computer for a few days so will not be sending any messages immediately.