Ann REAY married Benjamin Bissell DYER c1833

[maddys52]

Hello, I have been researching the family of Benjamin Bissell DYER. I know quite a bit about Benjamin, so don't need any help with him, however I know very little about his wife Ann.

Her death notice says she was in her 76th year in 1879, and death registration says aged 76 (information provided by son).
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8984176

Benjamin arrived in Sydney on 21 Feb 1833 from Perth WA (from England c1830). His first child (Catherine Sophia) was born 4 May 1834 but not registered until 25 Sept 1836 in Hobart. It appears Benjamin arrived in Hobart on 26 Oct 1835, and "Mrs Dyer and child" arrived Hobart from Sydney on 17 Dec 1835. Subsequent children have Ann's maiden name as REAY.

So presumably Benjamin DYER married Ann REAY in Sydney some time between Feb 1833 and Oct 1835, though it may have been later. I can't find any record of the marriage or any announcement on Trove.

Additional information that may help is the census information available on the Libraries Tasmania site, though of course there are no names, only Benjamin as head of household. They indicate that a married female arrived free, rather than born in the Colony. (My understanding is that Tasmania was still part of NSW at this stage, not becoming its own Colony until 1856?)

So, I am looking for a marriage, and either a birth for Ann or an arrival in NSW. Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated. 

Btw, there are a number of trees which include reference to Ann REAY (sometimes Ann Smith REAY, where that comes from I have no idea) and varying dates of birth, though none offer any proof that I can see.

Modified to change Catherine Sophia's birth year. 

[Dundee]

The SMITH name has come from Catherine's NSW baptism.  She was born in 1834 not in 1835 as you have stated.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTC8-HK3

This is how the baptism appears on NSW BDM, so it seems the mother was unmarried.

SMITH, CATHERINE S D
509/1834 V1834509 19
Mother: ANN

Note that the indexed year is often the year of birth, not the year of baptism.

The Hobart baptism:

https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD32-1-2-p361j2k

Debra 

[Dundee]

If Ann was aged 30 when Catherine was born then the most likely explanation is that her married (or otherwise) name was SMITH and her maiden name REAY.

Debra 

[maddys52]

Many thanks Debra, that explains the "SMITH" , I seem to forget to check familysearch when looking at Tasmanian records as the are digitised so well, and should have checked when looking back at their time in Sydney.

Also, apologies for typing the wrong birth year, 1834 is what I have on my records - shouldn't try typing past my bedtime. 

Whilst harder, Ann SMITH nee REAY does give another to search. Thank you once again. 

[majm]

St James CofE baptisms   (St James, King St, Sydney)

Catherine Sophia born 4 May 1834, baptised 4 April 1835 by Rev Richard Hill, in a PB ceremony (Privately Baptised).
Father: Benjamin Bissell DYER, Mother:  Ann SMITH, (Mrs) Ann DYER.

Notice in the above there is NO mention of REAY. 

NSW BDM online has
a) Catherine SD Smith as Volume 19, line 509 of 1834.  Mother as Ann, no father's given name displayed.

There are many bdm events from the 1830s decade that the NSW bdm did not receive when it gained access to the NSW Supreme Court's records.   The very first acquisition of records by the newly established BDM registry was for copies of the 1834 to 1855 baptism, marriage and burial registers of the NON C of E clergy that the NSW Supreme Court's Registrar had been gathering as part of his civil duties.


https://www.nsw.gov.au/births-deaths-marriages/about-us/history-of-registry   
History of the Registry

JM

[majm]

From the Cyclopedia of Tasmania 1901

Mr R T Dyer, postmaster, Scottsdale, was born at Hobart ... son of Mr Benjamin Dyer who was postmaster at Brighton for many years and who died in 1875.  Mr Benjamin B DYER left England on 26th July 1829 as tutor to the sons of Rev Wittenoom and settled down at Swan river, where he received a grant of land .... remained there about three years and then went to Sydney where he was married in 1833 ... Two years later he arrived in Tasmania and was appointed schoolmaster in public schools at Hobart, then Launceston, Ross, Black Brush and Brighton ... by 12 August 1860 in charge of Post Office at Brighton with additional appointment of DEPUTY REGISTRAR (JM adds for bdm) until his death 14 November 1875 at advanced age of 79 years ....

JM  edited for some spelling typos.   

[maddys52]

Thanks JM,

Good to know what it says on the baptism record. It is only later in Tasmania when registering their 2 last children (from memory) that mother's maiden was recorded and shows "REAY", though their first son has REAY as a middle name.

[maddys52]

From the Cyclopedia of Tasmania 1901

Mr R T Dyer, postmaster, Scottsdale, was born at Hobart ... son of Mr Benjamin Dyer who was postmaster at Brighton for many years and who died in 1875.  Mr Benhamin B DYER left England on 26th July 1829 as tutor to the sons of Rev Wittenoom and settled down at Swn river, where he received a grant of land .... remained there about three years and then went to Sydney where he was married in 1833 ... Two years later he arrived in Tasmania and appointed schoolmaster in public schools at Hobart, Launceston, Ross, Black Brush and Brighton ... 12 August 1860 in charge of Post Office at Brighton with additional appointment of DEPUTY REGISTRAR (JM adds for bdm) until his death 14 November 1875 at advanced age of 79 years ....

JM

Thanks again, yes I have seen this and have those details. He was also a musician and played in the orchestra at the Theatre Royale during 1835, and set up a dancing and music school in Tasmania. (While his brothers were also teaching dancing in England). 

Whilst it says married in 1833, that is where I'm yet to find a record. 

[majm]

Yes, the dreaded 1833 marriages...  The following year the Registrar at the NSW Supreme Court took on the responsibility for 'certification' purposes for bdm events and of course as well trained, efficient, clerically minded paper pushers did (and still do), retained copy of 'everything' he certified as being true copy of a document....  Grants for Land, Bills of Exchange, Church registers, Probate matters, private letters between family members .... but with baptism, burial, weddings ... the extant records handed over to Registrar General in 1856 were only from 1834 and only where the Supreme Court's Registrar had certified copy to be true etc....  So unless someone had sought a certified copy of a Church Record that had actually been transmitted to one of the NSW Chaplains or to the denomination's Sydney office (1834 for Roman Catholic, and Presbyterian,  1839 for Wesleyan/Methodist; 1840 for Congregational, Independent and Baptist)  then it was NOT part of the initial holding handed over to NSW Registrar General  (Land Titles Office was the senior and larger office over the bdm function that had been added on to it in 1856).

I have asked my ancient rellies to assist with this quest, afterall, Benjamin was a Deputy Registrar for BDM in Tasmania ....      I hope some of the regular RChatters get to solve it before my ancient rellies who are not RChatters.   

JM