Hello all you Wonderful People, here is a Summary of all the Red Herrings we had in the history of my Grandfather George Wm. BEST, McELROY SHIEL.
HIS MOTHER, WAS A SINGLE LADY WHEN SHE GAVE BIRTH.
SHE DID NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN PRIOR TO GEORGE IN 1881
SHE LODGED WITH THE SHIEL FAMILY, WHO HAD A DAUGHER EMMA A. AGED 12 IN 1881.
CATHERINE DID NOT ENTER A CONVENT, NEITHER DID EMMA.
FATHER OF GEORGE WAS WM. HENRY BEST A MARRIED MAN WITH CHILDREN.
AFTER INFORMAL ADOPTION CATHERINE (KATE) GOT AN ASSISTED PASSAGE FROM PLYMOUTH TO COOKTOWN, QLD.
SHE MET HER FUTURE HUSBAND AND HAD THE FIRST OF FIVE CHILDREN WITH HIM IN 1883. (THIS CHILD WAS CALLED VERA INEZ LUCY MUSGRAVE, AND SADLY DIED1885.
THE NAME VERA CAME FROM A MIDDLE NAME OF MRS. SHIEL...THE NAME INEZ WAS PROBABLY THE NAME OF A CARER/HOUSEKEEPER THAT HELPED BRING UP CATHERINE AND SIBLINGS, AFTER THEIR OWN MOTHER DIED WHEN CATHERINE WAS 10 AND HAD TWO YOUNGER SIBLINGS, AND ONE OLDER, AT THE TIME HER OWN MOTHER DIED. PETER, HER FATHER WOULD HAVE TO WORK TO KEEP THEM ALL TOGETHER).
SECOND CHILD BORN TO NEW PARTNER,THE SAME YEAR VERA DIED.
HER LAST CHILD WAS BORN IN 1889.
SHE MARRIED THE FATHER OF HER AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN IN 1889, AND SADLY DIED IN 1891
SHE IS BURIED IN BUNDERBERG CEMETARY.
WM. H. BEST THE ERRANT FATHER OF GEO BORN IN 1881 FOLLOWED HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN TO QSL APPROX 1883. LATER SOME OF THE FAMILY RETURNED TO ENGLAND, AND ONE LIVED IN THE SAME TOWN AS ME WHEN GROWING UP. I COULD HAVE MET AND MARRIED A CLOSE BLOOD RELATIVE!!!!!
ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE FAMILY RETURNED TO THE TYNE AND WEAR DISTRICT, 40 MILES FROM MY HOME. MANY, MANY THANKS FOR ALL YOUR INPUT, IT DID HELP CLEAR THE AIR, DROSS AND FALSE LEADS, AND WAS AN INTERESTING JOURNEY TRACING THE MYTHS AND SPECULATION THAT HAD BEEN FLYING AROUND THE FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS. THE TRUTH WAS HIDDEN IN THE PROVERBAL HAY STACK, AND GAVE US ALL A RUN FOR OUR MONEY, BUT WELL WORTH CLEARING THE POKIE PIES AND FALSE LEADS. IT MADE THE LITTLE GREY CELLS WORK A BIT HARDER; BUT YOU ALL GOT US TO THE FINISHING LINE ON THIS TRACING.....NOW I NEED TO CLARIFY WHO MY FATHER IS.... THANKS A MILLION.