Bishop Binney of Nova Scotia

[Sandyhall]

Hi again
I am still looking.

Found this birth around the same time
Births Dec qtr 1863, Matilda Johnson, Bristol, 6a 34
So this could be her and she not from Canada at all

If you are based in Bristol I'd go to the Records Office and look for the Christening record I gave you in the other post and also look for the marriage as well. (It must have taken place at sometime, perhaps its not been Trancribed on FreeBMD yet)
You have a time frame as we know they were not married on the 1881 Census which would be March/April time & the first child Agnes wasn't born untill Dec qtr 1881.

Sandy

[Barnzzz]

Hi Sandy and thanks for your interest! I've spent about 2 days scouring Australian websites with no success. There is an index of Bath BMDs online so I checked that for a marriage between William and Matilda with no success. From the information I have found though, I am fairly confident that my William married/lived with 'a' Matilda Johnson, had several children and probably went to Australia.

I've emailed the lady who was the source of the stories on Ancestry to see if she has any new information, I think she is Matilda's gg grandaughter. I'm now waiting for a reply.

I now need to go out and about and see if there is anything in the Bristol Record Office. There is a very long list of things to look up there and I will need to take a week off work to do it. Happy days !

I'll let you know if anything turns up and in the meantime will be very grateful indeed if any further information turns up.

Many thanks for your help.
Sue

[juliaa]

Hi Sue

William Westacott (1860 Collumpton, Devon)and Matilda Westacott nee Johnson (1857 Halifax, Nova Scotia) were my ggg grand parents.

From what I understand Matilda was placed in an orphange at birth however was removed shortly after by Mary Binney ( wife of Bishop Hibbert Binney) and placed into the care of a Mr and Mrs Mary Newton.

Circa 1870 -1874 the Newton's immigrated to the UK taking Matilda with them. (Mary Binney had asked Matilda to remain in Halifax but she considered the Newton's to be her parents and chose to stay with them).

Upon arriving in the UK Mary Newton became ill & on her death bed told Matilda that 'although she could'nt break a confidence & tell Matilda of her true parentage' Matilda should contact Mary Binney as it was she who held the secret to Matilda's origins. (Matilda knew she was of North American Indian descent)

Circa 1887 William Westacott travelled to Canada & met with Bishop Binney who William stated was evasive & secretive - William recalled later how he had met with the young Miss Binney ( Bishop Binney's daughter) and remarked on the striking resemblence to Matilda.

William and Matilda immigrated to Australia 1889 with William arriving on the ship Ormuz in May 1889 & Matilda along with their two children William Harold & Alice May on the ship Liguria in June 1889. They settled in Koroit, Victoria near the town of Warrnambool where they had two further children Gladys Lillian and Violet Irene (my g'grandmother).

Sometime after 1903 William it is believe died at sea. Matilda some years later relocated with the children to North Melbourne, where she died in 1959.

Matilda never did discover her true parentage although her son William did hire a private investigator prior to her death to reserarch for him however it was to no avail. To date I have been unable to disocover much pertaining to Matilda's early life in Canada other than the fact that Matilda was baptised in St George's Round Church in Sydney Cape Breton, Nova Scotia by Rev Uniacke.

I have obtained records for Matilda & William's first child Agnes Daisey born 1881 Barton Regis, baptised St Emmanuels church 1881, St Philip and Jacob. Both Alice May and William Harold were born in Bath between 1883 - 1886.

The only possible census (1881) record for Matilda I could locate was for The Duke of York (publican John Westcott) located at 1 Barton Rd, Bristol.

Regards

Julia

[Wirral]

Hi Julia
Welcome to the Brit-Gen forum!

You have an interesting family story. I wondered whether the family connection between Matilda & the BINNEYs may not be through Hibbert BINNEY, but through his wife Mary's line. I am not suggesting that she is the mother of Matilda, rather that Matilda is the daughter of one of Mary's brothers. I've forgotten Mary's surname at the moment, but I found the tree on one of the other forums & Mary had 3 brothers who all lived to adulthood (I think they died in the 20thC). If one of those brothers had a child by a native american, then that would make Matilda the niece of Mary & the 1st cousin of the BINNEYs daughter.

That would explain the family resemblance, why Mary called the BINNEYs her uncle & aunt, & also explain why Matilda was told by her foster mother to contact Mary for the truth of her parentage, not Hibbert. Surely if Hibbert was the father, then Matilda would have been told to contact him, not his wife?

[JAP1]

Sue and Julia,

What an interesting story!

Julia, you mentioned John WESTCOTT in connexion with Matilda. I can see the 1881 census record for John WESTCOTT, Labourer and Beer Retailer, at Duke of York, Barton Rd, Bristol
RG11/2500/109/29
but no sign of Matilda?? Did you find Matilda?

I can also see possible/likely census records for a William of the right age and occupation as follows with parents Thomas (a baker) and Agnes:
1861
RG9/1477/34/26
New Street, Cullompton, Devon
WESTMACOTT (transcribed as Westacobs)
Thomas, Head, 25, Baker
Agness, Wife, 23, Dress Maker
William, Son, 1
All listed as b Cullompton

1871
RG10/2542/17/25
1 Thorns Buildings, Clifton, Bristol, Gloucestershire
WESTACOTT
Thomas, Head, 32, Baker, b Cullompton Devon
Agnes, Wife, 31, Dressmaker, b do
William, Son, 11, Scholar, b do
John, Son, 4, b do

1881
RG11/2481/54/12
68 Hotwell Rd, Clifton, Bristol, Gloucestershire
WESTMACOTT (transcribed as Westacok)
Thomas, Head, 44, Baker, b Bristol
C Agnes, Wife 43, b Devon Cullompton
William, Son, Unmarried, 21, Baker, b Devon Plumptree
John, Son, 14, Baker, b Devon Plumptree
Frances, Daughter, 9, Scholar, b Bristol
Amelia, Daughter, 2, b Bristol

Do you have Matilda's 1959 Victorian death certificate. Does it say when and where she was married? Though, of course, the informant may well not have known.
Or perhaps they did not marry? Or married belatedly - have you checked the marriages in Victoria, Australia (BDMs available online and can be downloaded for a fee).

Did Matilda's baptism entry in Nova Scotia give any details?
Any orphanage records?

It's certainly a fascinating brickwall.

Best regards,

JAP

[juliaa]

Hi

I have read with interest the many response's re: Willam & Matilda.

On the birth certificate I have for my g'grandmother Violet Irene Westacott born 7th July 1891, Warrnambool Victoria, Australia - William was the informant and states that he and Matilda were married 29th December 1880, Bristol, Engalnd. I have however been unable to locate a marriage certificate.

On the birth certificate pertaining to Agnes Daisy born on the 17th November 1881, Matilda's name is recorded as Matilda Westacott formely Johnson and her address as
1 Barton Road, Bristol - William Westacott is recorded as the father, occupation: baker.

1 Barton Road, Bristol was the location of The Duke of York and in 1881 John Westcott was the publican.

On the birth certificate for William Harold Westacott born 11th April 1883, Bath, County of Somerset the address for Matilda and William is given as 12 Angel Terrace, Bath - the same address is given on the birth certifiacte of Alice May Westacott born 29th June 1885 in Bath.

Mary Binney (wife of Bishop Binney) was the daughter of William Blowers Bliss puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia - I am aware that both Mary Binney nee Bliss and Bishop Binney had male siblings - it is possible that one of them was Matilda's father.

I do not have a copy of Matilda's baptism certificate & am only aware of the details from a letter written by Matilda in which she outlined her early life in Nova Scotia - Matilda recalled being baptised at St Georges Round Church, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and that she was baptised by Rev Uniacke a close family freind of the Binney's.

In the Unaicke family fonds there is a 'baptismal certificate' which is unaccounted for and I have always wondered if it was Matilda's as having searched the micro fiche records of St George's Round Church I was unable to locate an entry for Matilda.

Any assistance would be greatly appprciated.

Regards

Julia

[juliaa]

Hi again !

Just wanted to respond to a comment made by Sue relating to Matilda & the workhouse - upon the death of Mary Newton, Matilda states in her letter that Mr Newton was unfit to care for her & that she was placed in the workhouse - I can only assume it was a workhouse in Bristol.


Regards

Julia