James Ralph Matthews (who are his parents) m. Lillian Tiffen Tasmania

[Peggle]

James Ralph Matthews married Lillian Tiffen in Broken Hill NSW June 1891.
They were married at The Manse ,Sth. Broken Hill according to the rights of the Baptist Church. The marriage certificate says James was a contractor and that his parents are unknown.
Hoping that James' death certificate would provide his parents names also proved fruitless.
James died in Ascot Vale in Victoria 23 May 1922,aged 61.
It says he was born in Longford Tasmania.
His wife Lillian is still living. The children listed are;
Nettie May 32   (Nettalie May)
James Robert 30   (James Robert was informant)
Ivy Lily 28
Dorothy 25   (Mary Ann Dorothy Louisa)
Herbert 23   (Herbert William)
Walter 20  (Walter Clem)
Nora 19   (Nora Ellen)
Violet 17   
Olive 16
Ernest 13   (Ernest Ralph)
Elsie 11   (Elsie Elizabeth)
Tyrill 6   (Tyrill Evelyn)
 
James met Lillian in Wilcannia NSW. He held an Engine Drivers Certificate according to his son Walter Clem and was working on digging dams on large outback properties. It's understood that James returned to Tasmania to start work with the Emu Bay Railway, most certainly before October 1898 as Herbert William was born there.
James' son believed that his father had 6 or 7 brothers and that he didn't know where they were.
James' first 4 children were born in Wilcannia and Broken Hill NSW.
His remaining children were born in and around Emu Bay Tasmania.
The Emu Bay Estate included Ridgley which is about 15 km. south of Burnie and formed part of the Van Diemens Land Company.
Walter Clem,known as Clem and his sisters Violet and Netallie, known as Nellie were pupils at Ridgley School.

So James Ralph Matthews is our brick wall......we cannot find a record of his birth in Tasmania.
Any help would be so very much appreciated please, before I go loopy.
   Kindest regards,
                     Peggle

[Dundee]

Can you give full details from the marriage cert, place of birth, age and witnesses.

Debra 

[Peggle]

Hi Debra,
there were no ages recorded.
The witnesses were;
David Pinnuck
Johanna Pinnuck
Thanks

[Peggle]

No place of birth stated either Debra. Isn't the lack of detail a bit strange?

[Dundee]

You need to see the church register, see JM's post here:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,546609.0.html

Debra 

[wivenhoe]

Are you saying that the marriage certificate...where parents' names are recorded....you see the word "unknown".

What details are recorded for Lillian.....her age?....her parents' names?.....her birthplace?

Do you see blank space....a dash "-"....the word "unknown".....

[Peggle]

Thanks for that link Debra, but therein lies another problem. My cousin has been in touch with the NSW Baptist Archives and received this response;
"The only Broken Hill marriage register I can find is 1939-41. Prior to the 1940's the Baptist churches were in the South Australian Baptist Union who may have the register for 1891"

[Peggle]

Wivenhoe, the space for Fathers name,Mothers name and maiden name are blank.
On James Ralph Matthews death certificate it said, Mother unknown, Father unknown.

[majm]

Hi

Thanks for that link Debra, but therein lies another problem. My cousin has been in touch with the NSW Baptist Archives and received this response;
"The only Broken Hill marriage register I can find is 1939-41. Prior to the 1940's the Baptist churches were in the South Australian Baptist Union who may have the register for 1891"

Have you contacted the Baptist Union of South Australia?

Also,

What info  is recorded on the NSW birth cert of the first child to the couple after their marriage ... that should give you a possible start point, as it should give place of birth, and age for each of that baby's parents ....

JM.