John WILLAIMSON born Ireland, grew-up in England, died in Australia

[Kerbent]

My 2x great grandfather John Williamson lived for 19 years in Victoria before he died, after emmigrating at the age of 23 in 1853/4 from England. His wife Louisa died in 1901. John & Louisa were married in Oct 1853 in England and migrated shortly afterwards to Australia. Both are buried in the St Kilda General Cemetery.

I had always assumed that they were of English origin so I was very surprised when I found that John, his parents and siblings were born in Belfast, Ireland. As I have been unable to find any record of them in the 1841 census I am assuming that left Ireland for England after 1841 and arrived before the 1851 census.

I was able to locate the family in the 1851, and although John came out to Australia before the 1861 census I was able to locate the remaining family members in England in the 1861 and 1871 census.

1851 (Series HO107 Piece: 2435; Folio: 561; Page: 11)
Wood Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. Thomas Williamson, aged 54, Dock labourer
2. Jane Williamson, aged 50,
3. John Williamson, aged 19, Tailor apprentice
4. James Williamson, aged 15, ship carpenter apprentice

1861 (Series RG9, Piece: 3942; Folio: 17; Page: 27)
Nelson Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. Thomas Williamson, aged 60 Labourer
2. Jane Williamson, wife aged 58
3. Jane Williamson, daughter aged 40 unmarried
4. James Williamson, son, aged 23, Ship carpenter
5. James Williamson, gson, aged 8, scholar

1871 (Series RG10, Piece: 5246; Folio: 77; Page: 35)
8 L Court, Nelson Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. Thomas Williamson, aged 70, labourer
2. Jane Williamson, aged 69

John’s father Thomas was born between 1797 and 1801 based on the various ages he gave in the 1851, 1861 and 1971 English Census. We think he died in 1872 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England. There may have been more children who did not come out from Ireland with John and his parents Thomas and Jane when they came to England but I are not sure.

The question I’s like to ask is how do I go about finding out about the family in Ireland. I’m not sure where to start and with such common names as John, Jane, Thomas and James its difficult to know how to preceed.

It would be great to hear from anyone with any ideas, further information or even better still someone who has a connection with the family.

Sandra

[Bluwitch]

Hi Sandra,

I have a connection to your family,
I am not starting at either end of the family I am starting in the middle so forgive me if I can't go further with this but for now I have some information relating to BDM's. Some of this info I have found from other people on other sites, some has been found just googling the names

Thomas Willamson (shipwright) and Jane ??
had 3 Children that I know off
Jane b 1821, John b. 1832 Belfast Ireland and James b. 1838
They arrived in Cumberland about 1840 and lived there, John Williamson (tailor) Married Louisa Walker (tailoress) in 1853 and they moved to Australia about that time.
I only know of one child and that is because she married one of my relatives
a daughter Rachel/Rachael b. 1857 Collingwood Reg# 4201 m. Allan Campbell in 1875 Reg#2478 They lived in Bairnsdale I don't know where they were married. They had 5 Children that I know off all appear to have been born at Bairnsdale
Matha Mary b. 1877 Reg#6373
Allen Abel b. 1881 Reg#13702
Jessie b. 1888 Reg#26312 d. 1888 Reg#12004 11 months
Christina b. 1888 Reg#26313
(I just noticed Jessie and Christina were twins, got this info on Thurs/Friday haven't read it that closely)
and
Ellen Jane b. 1878 Sale Victoria
d. August 1958 Bairnsdale, Victoria Reg#23723
burial. 29 August 1958 Bainsdale Victoria.
marr. Foster Nepean Varney 25 Dec 1897 in Vic Reg#6890
they had 1 Child (that I know of) also Foster Nepean Varney, the reason I know so much about Ellen is because her son Foster served in the 13th light horse, and my grandfather Archibald Donald Duncan Campbell gave me the flyveil Foster Jnr used on his horse during service and that is were I started my research.

Cheers
Robyn (Wangaratta)

[Kerbent]

Hi Robyn,


Rachel/Rachael b. 1857 Collingwood Reg# 4201 m. Allan Campbell in 1875 Reg#2478 They lived in Bairnsdale I don't know where they were married.
Hi Robyn,

I have Rachel marrying James Fergusson b. 1859 in 26 Mar 1881 Fitzroy, , Victoria, Australia (BDM index Vic Year: 1881; Reg Number: 33 - Surname: WILLIAMSON; Given Names: Rachel; Event: M; Spouse Surname: FERGUSSON; Spouse Gvn Names: James; Sex: F; Birth Place: FITZ)

As far as I know they had only on child - Louisa "Dolly" Hypathia Fergusson b. 1883, Benalla, , Victoria, Australia (BDM Vic Year: 1883; Reg Number: 617 - Surname: FERGUSON; Given Names: Louisa Hypatia; Father: James; Mother: Rachel WILLIAMSON; Birth Place: BENA)

It is possible that Rachel was partner to both men, particularly if her first husband had been ill for a long time. It just seems strange that man that she married happened to be in the middle of having kids with a defacto husband.

Could these two children have a different mother, to their twin siblings?

Matha Mary b. 1877 Reg#6373
Allen Abel b. 1881 Reg#13702

There is a big gap between Allen Abel and the twins

Jessie b. 1888 Reg#26312 d. 1888 Reg#12004 11 months
Christina b. 1888 Reg#26313
So maybe she married after her first two children, in the middle of having her offspring, but when her husband died she went back to her first partner? Or are these two different Rachel Williamsons.

I'm interested to see what you think

Sandra

[ChristineR]

... Rachel/Rachael b. 1857 Collingwood Reg# 4201 m. Allan Campbell in 1875 ... They had 5 Children that I know off all appear to have been born at Bairnsdale
Matha Mary b. 1877 Reg#6373
Allen Abel b. 1881 Reg#13702
Jessie b. 1888 Reg#26312 d. 1888 Reg#12004 11 months
Christina b. 1888 Reg#26313
(I just noticed Jessie and Christina were twins, got this info on Thurs/Friday haven't read it that closely)
and
Ellen Jane b. 1878 Sale Victoria
d. August 1958 Bairnsdale, Victoria Reg#23723
burial. 29 August 1958 Bainsdale Victoria.
marr. Foster Nepean Varney 25 Dec 1897 in Vic Reg#6890

The next BDM cd shows 4 more birth registrations for children to Allan Campbell and Rachel Williamson at Bairnsdale.
1893 - Archie Duncan
1894 - Foster William, died 21 days old
1895 - Frederick James, died 17 [days]
1897 - Charles

I think that there must be two Rachels, a divorce does not appear in the index following the marriage to Allan Campbell, so if it was the one girl then she would be committing bigamy.

More than likely some children were not registered or there were stillbirths in those years with the gaps. Ellen Jane's birth in 1878 was not registered in Victoria - I checked South Australia and NSW too.
The Vic death cd also shows an Ethel Maude who would have been born about 1886, and Esther Rachel born about 1883 - the same time as the Ferguson babe was born.

The Ferguson marriage appears to belong to the Rachel from the family the subject of this thread.

The Campbell marriage shows that other Rachel's place of birth as Gippsland, there is not a birth registration for her.

[Bluwitch]

Hi Sandra/Christine

Thanks for the heads up, I will check with mum to see what she has, I'm not sure how much info she has but it's usually more than I expect.
Will get back to you if and when I turn something up.

Cheers
Robyn