Possible change of name opinion sort

[Oneday]

Many family members have been looking for this relative and my latest find could suggest our missing person has changed his name at some point.

Information to date (still unconfirmed):
Our hard to find relative is William Bowden born 1818 Chester, Cheshire.  Parents John and Ellen.
Supposedly arrived approx 1833 with both he and his father being miners'.

No one has been able to find out how he got to Australia.  We have records from December 1849 on - after his marriage.

I found a record of a William Bowden who arrived in 1833 as a convict on the James Laing, but died in about 1839 or so the record suggests.

I am wondering if this could be a possibility as a few of the details seem to match.

I would like your experienced opinions on this possibility.

[wivenhoe]

What is your source for these  pieces of information -

"William Bowden born 1818 Chester, Cheshire. 
 Parents John and Ellen.
 Supposedly arrived approx 1833 with both he and his father being miners'".

Can you list all the information on the marriage record please.

[Neale1961]

….. and my latest find could suggest our missing person has changed his name at some point.

 I’m confused – William Bowden changed his name to William Bowden 

I found a record of a William Bowden who arrived in 1833 as a convict on the James Laing, but died in about 1839 or so the record suggests.

still confused – He died in 1839, but then married in 1849 


Lots of people ready to try and help, but you will need to provide “the details” that will make that possible.

[Oneday]

William Bowden married Bridget McQueeney/McAweeney on the 26th December in Brisbane - St Stephens Cathedral 1849.  One of his marriage witnesses was a convict who arrived in 1830.  (James Cash.)  I have been advised they were good mates. 

The whole family has little knowledge of William prior to his marriage except what we have been told - i.e. he arrived in Australia in 1833 parents supposed to be John and Ellen.  He and John were miners'.  Claimed to have hailed from Chester, Cheshire.  Also unknown if he was a convict.

Why I'm proposing the earlier mentioned William Bowden is that he arrived in the same year and from 1839 onwards the person who married Bridget could have assumed his identity.

No one despite years of searching and some who have had a DNA done haven't had any matches. 

Any suggestions welcome as there are a lot of people looking for this person.

[goldie61]

I'm not familiar with Australian marriage certificates. Does it state William's father's name? His age? His occupation? His father's occupation?
(wivenhoe has similarly asked for this information in reply #1.
The more facts that are known the better to start any sort of search, otherwise it's just guess work).
Do you know when he died? Have you got a death certificate for him? Does that give any information about him?
What was his occupation in Australia?
(I don't think there were many mines in Chester!)

[cupoflife]

Qld Marriage registration:
William Boden
Marriage date: 26/12/1849
Spouse's name: Bridget McQueeny
Registration details: 1854/BMA/375

[cupoflife]

Death registration:
William Bowden
Death date: 03/07/1871
Mother's name: -
Father/parent's name: John Bowden
Registration details: 1871/C/430

[cupoflife]

https://www.ancestry.com.au/genealogy/records/joseph-aloysius-bowden-24-2m7cv4c
https://members.optusnet.com.au/steinar/mcqueen/

Adding: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187829480/william-bowden

[Neale1961]

“I have been advised ...”
“except what we have been told”
“claimed to have hailed from ....”
“could have assumed his identity”

Your research needs to be based on facts not supposition and guess work, so you will need to invest in some documents.


James Cash appears as a witness on Boden’s marriage record because he was Bridget McQueeney’s brother-in-law. I found no evidence to suggest he and William Boden were “good mates”.
There was about 15 years difference in age; they did not live near each other; Boden was not a witness at Cash’s wedding (2 months before his own). Whether they knew each other before their marriages is speculation. Although Cash came to the colony as a convict, he had been a free man since 1842.