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  1. #1
    JAP1
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    Default LostGggpa - James Christie/Christy ROBINSON

    This might be labelled a Brickwall but I thought I would post it here and link to the Brickwall forum. Not sure where to ask for replies - perhaps it's a good idea to see where the thread goes (IF ANYWHERE!) and then decide which thread should continue and which might be locked.

    I've done a fair bit of research and not come up with anything which helps me to identify Gggpa James.

    James ROBINSON & Jane HALL married on 27 Oct 1852 by Licence with Consent (whose?) at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in St Peters CofE; witnesses were Willim SorL MILLER & Eliza P MILLER (according to local directories they were lodging house keepers in the area - Williamstown, Melb, Vic - where James & Jane lived).

    Unfortunately, the marriage was just before the time of informative Victorian marriage certificates.
    It has also been suggested to me that the 1852 marriage was on Jane's 16th birthday (which would fit).
    And that Jane came to Aus as a very young nursemaid and that James was a crew member on the ship - possible.
    Also Jane's daughter's Jessie's granddaughters (whom I met in their 90s when they were in the 90s - cousins of my late mother) referred to James as a 'Man-o'-Wars Man'. Hmmmm.

    Jane's parents did not come to Australia. Jane/Jean (b ca 1836) was in the 1841 Glasgow census with sister Euphemia (b ca 1839) and parents William HALL & Janet McILHOSE/McLAUSE (both b ca 1825). William HALL (he was a letter carrier; I have other information on William - including from the Scotland PO Archives - though unfortunately I haven't traced his origins) died ca 1846 and his widow Janet remained in Glasgow, remarried, and died there. Euphemia too stayed in Scotland and married and died young.

    I have not found either James ROBINSON or Jane HALL on shipping lists.
    It has been suggested that they landed in Sydney.

    My Ggma, Jessie/Janet Christy/Christie ROBINSON was the first child (b 1854 Victoria Aus) of James & Jane. On Janet/Jessie's bc, Jane gave her husband's birthplace as Glasgow; every other cert has his birthplace as Exeter. And they have his name as James Christy/Christie ROBINSON. He is variously described as a mariner, a timekeeper, a railway worker, etc.

    To think that, as a little kid, I saw his daughter, my Ggma Jessie - a most intimidating aged lady in a very dark room!! As they say - why didn't I ask Gma; but what about Ggma etc!

    James was found in various BDM entries after my Ggma Jessie's birth. But his own death has not been found.. It has been suggested that he might have used the surname HALL - why I have no idea. There are heaps and heaps of ROBINSON descendants in Vic.

    In a very limited time of opportunity, I did look for him in mariners' records at the UK Archives at Kew. There was an inordinate number of mariners named James ROBINSON from Devon but not a one with middle name Christy/Christie that I could see ...

    An insurmountable brickwall?

    JAP

  2. #2
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    Oh my goodness Jap1. I just knew that if you were asking for help it must be a curly one. So many aliases that I got dizzy looking and now have quite a few candidates in whatever name you choose except James Robinson!
    I am off to bed and hope some one else comes up with something overnight.
    Christina

  3. #3
    JAP1
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    Hi Christina,

    Thanks for the vote of confidence - if that's what it is.

    As far as I'm concerned, James (Christy/Christie) ROBINSON (perhaps - very remotely - later recorded as HALL) truly is a very difficult chap.

    But the B-G brickwall demolition experts have done such amazing jobs in the past that I think nothing is beyond them!
    I just hope that I've given all the background - and not too much background.

    But I'm not yet about to despair (do we ever!) - and can only hope that someone else will have some success with my puzzle.

    Perhaps I should also post this puzzle on the Australia board ...

    JAP
    PS: Just for a bit of fun - a son of James & Jessie, James George ROBINSON, married a daughter of 'slaves' and that's another story!! Especially her rather odd entries on ROBINSON certificates ... (like - Jane, who was born HALL, and might have had the middle name of Vasey from her Gma, turned up recorded by the slave lady as Jane Baeseyhall! Don't ask!)

  4. #4
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    Have you looked at this one from the IGI

    JAMES FRANCIS ROBINSON
    Christening: 07 FEB 1836 Saint Stephen, Exeter, Devon, England
    Father: CHARLES FREDERICK ROBINSON
    Mother: ELEANOR
    Batch C050521

  5. #5
    Máguari
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    Have you seen:

    James Robinson arrived at Port Jackson on 6 Feb 1850 on the schooner Union. He travelled in steerage and the boat sailed from San Francisco on 14 Nov 1849. No Halls aboard.

  6. #6
    JAP1
    Guest

    Default Dob of James Christie ROBINSON?

    Thank you for the suggestions.

    Something I should have mentioned is the date of birth of James Christie ROBINSON - although even that is uncertain.
    Probably ca 1831/1832 - but might be later ...

    I have birth certs for only three of his 8 (might be 9) children - the two eldest and the youngest.
    On the birth cert of his first child (b 11 Mar 1854), he is listed as James Christy ROBINSON, Mariner, 22, born Glasgow (registered by his wife who is listed as aged 19)

    For the second child (b 31 Jul 1856), he is listed as James Christy ROBINSON, Mariner, 25, born Exeter (registered by his wife who is listed as aged 20)

    He registered the youngest child (b 29 Oct 1870) himself. He is listed as James Christie ROBINSON, Miner, 35, born Exeter. He signed as James Christie ROBINSON. He listed his wife's age as 35 also ...

    The only reference I have to his possible death is on the May 1883 marriage of one of his daughters. Her father is listed as James Christie ROBINSON, Railway Employee. However, the daughter was under age and the certificate states that she was married with the consent of her mother, her father being deceased.

    On some marriage and death certs of his children he is recorded as James George ROBINSON ...

    JAP

  7. #7
    DOB7
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    My first suggestion would be to confirm/eliminate the baptism of James Christie ROBINSON in Devon. The Devon FHS can supply indices by surname for baptisms 1813-1839 for most of Devon. The Exeter area is particularly well covered:
    DEANERY OF CHRISTIANITY (EXETER) - BAPTISMS 1813-1839, MARRIAGES 1754-1837 AND BURIALS 1813-1837
    An index of baptisms, marriages and burials in the parishes of Allhallows Goldsmith Street, Allhallows on the Walls, Bedford Precinct, Exeter Cathedral, Holy Trinity, St. David, St. Edmund, St. George, St. John, St. Kerrian, St. Lawrence, St. Leonard, St. Martin, St. Mary Arches, St. Mary Major, St. Mary Steps, St. Olave, St. Pancras, St. Paul, St. Petrock, St. Sidwell, St. Stephen and Heavitree St. Michael & All Angels. With burials from Bow Meeting House, Castle Street Independent Chapel, George Meeing House (Presbyterian), Mint Meeting House (Presbyterian), Mint Methodist Chapel and South Street Baptist Church.
    You don't have to buy the CD, you can just request an index by surname for all of Devon. It might be worth asking for the marriages too, as Christie may be the maiden name of his mother.

    I also went to Hugh Wallis' middle names register (adapted from the IGI) and found these:
    Date Name Father Mother
    6 Apr 1833 James Hutchison ESTON Christening James Christie Palmer ESTON Anne Frederick (St. Sidwell, Exeter)
    6 Feb 1835 Harriet Charlotte ESTEN Christening James Christie Palmer ESTEN Ann Frederick (St. Mary Major, Exeter)
    Probably no connection, but an interesting coincidence.

  8. #8
    JAP1
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    Thank you DOB7 for your thoughtful response.

    I will certainly contact the Devon FHS.
    I have to admit that this particular brickwall is one which I'd given up on many years ago - and have just decided to exhume.
    So I'll have to think for a while before contacting them.

    I've always had problems with finding Hugh's Devon middle names as they aren't in his standard middle name page.
    So those were very interesting finds of yours.
    Though I can't find mention of the gentleman with the many forenames anywhere else except ... in Ontario Marriages, I found:
    James Hutchinson Esters m Harriet Sylvia Phillips 11 Sep 1858
    His parents:
    James Christie Palmer
    Anne Frederick Esters
    (perhaps Esters is assumed as the surname for James Christie Palmer given that it is the surname of James Hutchinson - our indexes in Victoria, Australia do this).

    Thank you again,

    JAP

  9. #9
    Newcomer to Brit-Gen
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    Default Any updates?

    Hello JAP1, as one of the “heaps and heaps” of Robinson descendants in Victoria, Australia and new to the game of genealogy, I would love to know if you have broken through the wall? One of James’ children (Samuel) married Ada Armstrong and I managed to track her back to the first fleet to Australia. The big sticking point is James. I would love to hear if you solved this puzzle. Cheers, Dean

  10. #10
    Dundee10
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    Hi and Welcome.

    James remarried in 1891 but as John W. and said he was a bachelor. You should have a look at that certificate to see who he names as his parents as there might be an element of truth in there. He might give the correct first names for his parents or correct maiden surname for his mother, it just gives you somewhere to start.

    1964/1891
    ROBINSON, JOHN W
    TAYLOR, EMILY M
    SYDNEY

    Newspaper item and gaol record relating to the charge of bigamy.

    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112612999

    https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/index...03_6055000148r

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