HELP!! me find great-grandfather John Robert Davis-emigrated to Australia 1800s

[sparrett]

Yes, that's the daughter Bridget.
She died quite young in 1893 and had married in 1867, so clearly she was here by then
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/199736702

Johanna DAVIS had been living various of her offspring since about 1869.
No mention is made  in any newspaper record I have seen of her husband John being part of her life. Persona non grata??
He was in very poor health when admitted to the Asylum

I think John was disconnected from his wife and family for some time before he died.

I suppose he may have had a relationship with a younger Chinese woman which produced Ernest and if he was registered at all, it was not under the name DAVIS.

However, on the information so far found, there is no link between this DAVIS family of Beechworth
 and Ernest DAVIS.

Sue

[Annbee]

I think John was disconnected from his wife and family for some time before he died.

I'm curious why you might think this Sparret. Although that John Davis died 'insane' would not be something a family in those days would advertise and for some families might attach an element of shame. His illness may have caused difficult behaviours, not readily understood by his family and friends. For example, a brain tumour affecting the front temporal area can cause all sorts of behavioural issues which to the unsuspecting might seem as if the person has just turned into a nasty (for example) person. But who is to know? Not us at the moment.

If John and Johanna had only arrived in Beechworth in 1869 or so, John didn't have a lot of time to hook up with another woman - and especially one from a relatively segregated community. But again - who knows? I guess technically it can be less than one night!

I have an illegitimate grandfather in the 1700s who was called 'base born' on his parish register and of course he bore his mother's surname. I'll never find his father.

If Ernest is illegitimate, it will be hard to track his parentage I imagine, especially if one parent is married and the mother is not only unknown but from a different cultural group.

[Annbee]

the real focus of this entire thread has been trying to establish a link between John Davis and Ernest Davis.

Katorama, I hope you can somehow find that link. BUT - there are so many unknowns. John Robert Davis: you only have Ernest's word that this is his father. Did he actually know his father? Perhaps he was just told this name to appease his curiousity. Or perhaps he made up the name himself so he could move easier in the non-Chinese community.

There are about 26 John Davises (according to Vic BDM) who might be eligible by age to be Ernest's father in the period 1871-1880, including the John Davis who died in Beechworth in 1871.

My thoughts on this is you might be better off to find out more about Ernest's beginnings by doing further research on Ernest first.

Here are some links which may assist (supposing Ernest is half Chinese):

https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/family-matters/researching-your-chinese-victorian-ancestors/

https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Chinese_in_Australia

Perhaps questions are: were Chinese births registered somewhere different to BDM, where did the Chinese born children go to school and are those records available, was there a Chinese publication for the Chinese community and also a printed directory and what can you find out in general about the Chinese camp in Beechworth (ie social practices, medical and child birth practices, attitudes to an illegitimate child (with father of different ethnicity) etc etc

Did Ernest live with a Chinese family (which might explain his language ability - school certainly wouldn't explain it) or did he live with a yet unknown Davis family or another anglo-european family - or was he reared in an orphanage?

https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/vic/biogs/E000816b.htm

A school admissions register might reveal a parent of his? (Your problem there might be that he didn't bear the surname Davis as a child.)

 
 

[katorama]

The only written links I have between Beechworth and Ernest are in his immigration records.

It was also passed down to us that way via oral family history. 

 

[katorama]

Annbee,

If Ernest was born 1871 through 1872 (which is what shows up on various records, including his grave) then he was either conceived in the hospital or via a fling he had with someone before he was admitted to the hospital. 

I think it's possible he had a brain disorder; they had few ways to diagnose these things back then.

[sparrett]

I think John was disconnected from his wife and family for some time before he died.

I'm curious why you might think this Sparret. Although that John Davis died 'insane' would not be something a family in those days would advertise and for some families might attach an element of shame. His illness may have caused difficult behaviours, not readily understood by his family and friends. For example, a brain tumour affecting the front temporal area can cause all sorts of behavioural issues which to the unsuspecting might seem as if the person has just turned into a nasty (for example) person. But who is to know? Not us at the moment.

For reasons outlined in my post  above.
It is merely deduction and speculation as are your own thoughts and, as such, you are of course welcome to disagree.

Sue

[Annbee]

you are of course welcome to disagree.

I am not disagreeing sparrett! I am being curious! As we also agree, it is all pure speculation. 

[Maiden Stone]

Griffith Valuation (reply #72) lists only people who held property. Your John Davis or John Robert Davis may not have been a property holder when the survey was done. He may not even have been in Ireland at the time. There was mass migration from Ireland during and after the famine in 1840s. There was also internal displacement.
Freeholders lists (reply #73) were more restrictive. Some of my ancestors were on Griffith Valuation but their ancestors wouldn't have qualified for the freeholder list 35 years earlier.
Another property record made in early 19th century was Tithe Applotments. These were lists of people liable to pay tithes on their land. These contained far fewer people than Griffith Valuation. None of my ancestors were included.