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

[kroberts236]

I know little about him other than what has been passed down from records:

Born "Ireland" or "Britain" (from his son's immigration records to US in 1912)

Nationality "British" (from grandfather's marriage certificate 1912)

Son: Ernest Davis (b. Beechworth, VIC 1872)

May have owned bar or pub in Australia, may have owned general store in Australia.

We know nothing about his wife or marriage but that he had a son, Ernest Davis, who is my grandfather.  He was born in Beechworth and left Australia for the China approx 1906 and later to the US.  Ernest's father is listed as "John Robert Davis" from "Britain" or "Ireland" on all documentation we have.  Ernest's mother may have been Portuguese or Portuguese-Chinese according to family DNA testing.

I know that I don't have much to go with but one has to start somewhere.  I'd be grateful for any help or just kicking me in the right direction.

[wivenhoe]

Ernest DAVIS (b. Beechworth, VIC 1872), your grandfather,  is the son of John Robert DAVIS?

Ernest DAVIS married, 1912......where?...to?

Ernest DAVIS was in US by 1912?

" He (Ernest DAVIS?) was born in Beechworth and left Australia for the China approx 1906 and later to the US.  Ernest's father is listed as "John Robert Davis" from "Britain" or "Ireland" on all documentation we have."

What documentation do you have?

Do you have a birth record for Ernest DAVIS?

Do you have a marriage record for Ernest DAVIS?

Can you please identify the USA immigration record that you see, 1912, which gives birthplace........of John Robert DAVIS, father of your Ernest DAVIS.

[mckha489]

Is this the immigration record (1908)

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9B2-GS6X-V?cc=3477656&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3ACDCV-TPPZ

Passenger list

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99Z5-3RW?i=764&cc=2141044&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQV9Z-9Y86

Neither Of these mention his father.

[mckha489]

Marriage transcript.  Does the original have his mother’s name missing too?


https://www.familysearch.org/search/ark:/61903/1:1:FW84-JBH

[ciderdrinker]

Yes
It does.Mother born Hong Kong Portuguese Chinese  name unknown.

Family trees on line imply a half brother James.
Two deaths for a John Davis Beechworth  1838-1903 and 1838 -1915 .

Ciderdrinker

[Maid of Kent]

Slightly confused if John Robert Davis, Ireland (according to his son's marriage cert) arrived in Australia in 1800, that meant he must have been born c 1780 or earlier and he fathered a son in 1871?

[jorose]

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9YS-LSJ1-J?cc=3477655&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AD13B-5G6Z
 - is this entry in 1912 also him? Gives DOB as specifically 10th May 1870.

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1910-08-02/ed-1/seq-9/#date1=1777&sort=date&date2=1963&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&index=8&words=Davis+Ernest
 - seems like it if this is him being selected as court interpreter.

[kroberts236]

Ernest DAVIS (b. Beechworth, VIC 1872), your grandfather,  is the son of John Robert DAVIS?

Ernest DAVIS married, 1912......where?...to?

Ernest DAVIS was in US by 1912?

" He (Ernest DAVIS?) was born in Beechworth and left Australia for the China approx 1906 and later to the US.  Ernest's father is listed as "John Robert Davis" from "Britain" or "Ireland" on all documentation we have."

What documentation do you have?

Do you have a birth record for Ernest DAVIS?

Do you have a marriage record for Ernest DAVIS?

Can you please identify the USA immigration record that you see, 1912, which gives birthplace........of John Robert DAVIS, father of your Ernest DAVIS.

I do not have a birth record for Ernest Davis' birth.

We have found Ernest Davis in Queensland via voting records, and some indication that he was involved in a Chinese business. We know that he left Australia for China then went to the US.
We don't have a birth certificate though. 

I do have a marriage certificate for Ernest.  He apparently married his wife in China, then emigrated to the US via Hawaii, where they had a second ceremony.  Here is a link to that:

https://ulukau.org/algene/collect/algene/pdfs/Oahu_pdfs/O-73_1911-1913_pdfs/O-73%20p47.pdf


The immigration records are interviews with Ernest and his wife, along with some other records. Ernest apparently came to the US without his wife, got a job as a court translator then went back to China to bring her to the US. 

[kroberts236]

Is this the immigration record (1908)

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9B2-GS6X-V?cc=3477656&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3ACDCV-TPPZ

Passenger list

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99Z5-3RW?i=764&cc=2141044&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQV9Z-9Y86

Neither Of these mention his father.

Yes, those are correct; we know that the Ernest Davis mentioned there is him.

The original of the Hawaiian marriage certificate mentions parents but nothing about mother really.

 https://ulukau.org/algene/collect/algene/pdfs/Oahu_pdfs/O-73_1911-1913_pdfs/O-73%20p47.pdf