Mysterious children

[sparrett]

Just harking back to my contributions Page 2, Replies #16 and 17

I have been searching  to see if one of John James Duncan CLARKE's siblings may have died young and left some children ( named Margaret, Albert, James and John) in need of paternal parenting.  Thus leading to the listing on his DC. 

-Hessy BECKETT and Duncan CLARKE had at least 6 children.-

But no progress down that road 

I do think there is not invention here as you have suggested.

Charlotte it seems was of sound mind and was able to state the maiden name of John James Duncan's mother. I doubt she invented the chn

[Eric Hatfield]

I do think there is not invention here as you have suggested.

Charlotte it seems was of sound mind and was able to state the maiden name of John James Duncan's mother. I doubt she invented the chn

Thanks for your interest. I always gain a lot from this forum when I post a question.

I too doubt she invented the children, but it is hard to find another explanation for their absence from the record (as far as I can find out). The easiest expanation would be they were JJD's children from a previous marriage, but that still doesn't explain why there is no record of them I can find.

It's a puzzle, and I appreciate everyone offering ideas and thoughts and information - somehow, we may solve it.

[giblet]

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)
Thu 24 Aug 1893

The woman Clarke represented to me she was anxious to have a baby boy to adopt, as she had no children of her own.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8683912

[giblet]

 The easiest expanation would be they were JJD's children from a previous marriage, but that still doesn't explain why there is no record of them I can find.

Do you have the marriage certificate for JJD and Charlotte? If so it should be noted if he was single or a widower. If widowed the kids may have been from a previous marriage.

[Eric Hatfield]

The woman Clarke represented to me she was anxious to have a baby boy to adopt, as she had no children of her own.

Well, it was true enough by then, one way or another! 

Do you have the marriage certificate for JJD and Charlotte? If so it should be noted if he was single or a widower. If widowed the kids may have been from a previous marriage.

Yes, I have it and it says "bachelor", but it doesn't mean this was true. If he was married at 26 as shown on the marriage documents, I doubt he was previously married and had enough time to father 4 kids, have them all die and the marriage ended before then. But if we believe the age on his death documents, he was 35 when married and all that might be possible. But I haven't even found any evidence of it.

[giblet]

She married in 1913 at CofE Prahran. She says she was born at Malvern, which I believe is correct. (DNA and other evidence points to her mother being Mary McDonald, and the birth records show Mary McDonald 19, being the mother of Olive, with no father named.) Parents are names as JJD Clark & Charlotte Bond.

Do you have the birth certificate for Olive? If so is there an address for place of birth?
Just wondering if Olive may have been born at the Mrs May's private hospital, the same place as Henry Dwyer.

[giblet]

The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) 
Sat 17 Jun 1893

WANTED, kind Person, Adopt healthy Baby Boy, 3 weeks, no premium, Mrs, Clark, 64 Bendigo-st.,
Pranran.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/193417794

Wonder if the above was little Henry Dwyer she was trying to give away, the age would be right.

[Eric Hatfield]

Do you have the birth certificate for Olive? If so is there an address for place of birth?
Just wondering if Olive may have been born at the Mrs May's private hospital, the same place as Henry Dwyer.

Yes, I have the documentation. You can see it all at https://jean4558.wordpress.com/documentation/. The address is given as Barkly Ave, Malvern (the writing isn't real clear, but I'm almost certain that is it). Henry was born in Melbourne CBD I think.

Because there is no adoption documentation, I have had to ascertain if Olive McDonald on the document is also Olive Clark my grandmother. I have established this based on three facts:

• I haven't been able to find any other plausible birth.
• Gran's birthday was the same as given for Olive McDonald, and there are no other plausible births on that date.
• Most importantly, DNA shows I am connected to at least 9 people who come from Olive McDonald's family - 4 to her sister and 5 to her cousin.

In following up and finding this info, I have found a very slight possible connection between Olive's family and JJD Clark, so I'm wondering if that may have been how the adoption came about, rather than for profit. But this is currently just a suspicion.

[Dundee]

John was born in 1843 so was nearly 32 when he married Charlotte.  You don't have to be married to make babies. 

Debra