Henry Prescott, did you really marry her?

[Dargie]

Just as I am beginning to understand how to make my way around the British census system, parish registers, record offices and all the GRO, SHS, IGI, etc variations it is time to leave my peaceful Suffolk comfort zone and come home to Australia.
What a mine field.
My late brother did a lot of work in the 1980's prior to internet forums and online archives. He has a lot of information , which I think he paid a lot of money to find out, regarding a 3xgreat grandfather, Henry William Prescott (born 1815, Ringwould, Kent) who came out on the crew of a convict ship. (Yes, unfortunately one of the crew!).
He has careful detailed dates of Henry's marriage,(St Andrews Presbyterian Sydney 1837) to Elizabeth Wood, dates of births of children and subsequent second marriage to Elizabeth Rossiter in 1862
However I cannot find any listing for this first marriage nor any of the births.
Second marriage is listed Ok.
Neither can I find a birth listed for my grandmother. I know her name, parents names and approx date but no luck.
My question is: Where else do I look but in the births, deaths and marriages for NSW? I have reason to believe that all events did take place in NSW due to documentation of his line of work as wharf Manager for the Hunter River Steam Navigation Co.
At the time of his marriage he was a crew member of the first two steam powered vessels to sail in Australian waters.(Sophia Jane and Maitland).
Would greatly appreciate a hint or two on what I need to know regarding Australian resources. I am sure it has all been given before so maybe there is another thread which I should read.
Many thanks .... greatly appreciate all help received in the past.

[ChristineR]

I do not know where you have been looking but the 1837 marriage is there indexed on the NSW BDM web site. I see the baptisms of four children.

https://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHist...calRecords.htm

V18373008 74A/1837 PRESCOTT HENRY W WOODS ELIZABETH JB
V1837302 75/1837 PRESCOTT HENRY W WOODS ELIZABETH JB

The early church codes show
JB = Presbyterian Sydney, St Andrew's Scots Church

There are two entries - bit like having parish records and bishops transcripts of the same record in England.

If you have been looking on the IGI, you will find only patron-submitted entries there. It is not a normal resource for use to find Australian records.

ChristineR

PS If you filled in both bride and groom search fields and you didn't get a result - it was WOODS, and not WOOD.
For the children, just the mother's forename would be used in the index.

[ChristineR]

Neither can I find a birth listed for my grandmother. I know her name, parents names and approx date but no luck.

If your grandmother was born after 1907 in NSW then she will not be found in the index.

C

[Dargie]

Well, Christine how embarrassing is that. Guess I should not be starting this at 10pm.
I will go back and check it now and see it in black and white. I thought I tried all spelling variations but thank you!

Now my dad was born in 1910 so I reckon it is pretty safe to say my grandmother was born prior to 1907 BUT I will definately go back and have another look One can only take just so much embarrasment in one night!

Actually the information, when it can be found, is quite informative. Just found quite a few family deaths, marriages etc and have now discovered parents names, locations etc well laid out.

Maybe it will be OK leaving the green fields of Suffolk and coming back to the sunburnt country!

Thanks, you are an

Regards
Marj.

[Dargie]

I am hoping that you can solve this puzzle also, Christine.

I could not find my grandmother's birth at all. Her mother, Elizabeth A Prescott married Andrew Henry Cox and my brother's notes say that my grandmother Edith was a child of that marriage.
Found four children of that marriage 1863 - 1879 but no Edith!
However I did find a birth for Edith M in 1872 born to Andrew H and Edith A!!
Now, I really don't think that my great grandfather would change wives in the middle of the stream then go back to the first wife so am puzzled.
My grandmother was married 1892 so the above birth fits in. The location is right also as a sibling born 1867 was also in Redfern.
Do these clerical errors happen very much? How can I prove it is the correct person if the birth certificate is actually wrong? Do I suppose he had an affair (shhh!) or do I blame the registrar. The middle initial of A is right.
The mother is also named as Edith A on Grandmother Edith's marriage certificate.

[ChristineR]

I thought I tried all spelling variations

I think you might have been giving too much information to the search engine. Nothing to be embarrassed about, sorry if I was a bit cheeky

I do not think it has always been so, but now one can use a wildcard in searching the BDM indexes! I am sure I had tried it before and it didn't work but does now.

Does your brother give a date for Edith's birth?

ChristineR

[ChristineR]

Hi again,

I had a look at the index - I think you are safe in that it is either a transcription error or the registrar wrote it down wrong on the birth certificate. Your Andrew is the only Andrew COX having children registered within 100 years - apart from one in 1834.

The registrar could have written it as Elizth, and the indexer has seen it as Edith - since Edith was also in the brain cells from the baby's name.

cheers
ChristineR

[Dargie]

Sounds good to me!

That is what I thought but a second opinion is always handy.

Until my next question, somewhere down the line!

Thanks and Cheers!

Marj.

[bridgy]

Hi Dargie
Re: Elizabeth ROSSITER
I was so excited to read this ladies name in your post. I believe that she was the daughter of Bartholomew ROSSITER, the first of my mothers line in Australia. I have a little information about her from the NSW BDM index - marriage to Henry W Prescott, children Fanny E.R, Kate E.L. & Gertrude M.P. - plus a copy of the ships index of the ship that I believe she and her family sailed on. My brick wall is her father and I would love to learn more about Elizabeth. If you think that we have a match, I would really appreciate a contact.
Regards
Jan

[Dargie]

Well, we definately do have a connection here Jan.
However I am descended from Elizabeth Anne born 7th August 1838, the daughter of Henry Prescott and Elizabeth Woods, Henry's first wife.

I have records which match yours regarding Elizabeth Rossiter and her children ....Fanny Er (b 1863) Kate EL (b 1865 d 1866 ) Kate El (b 1868) and Gertrude MP.( b 1870 d 1874).

Henry Prescott died in 1894... Paddington.

Do you have the death of Elizabeth in 1919 which gives her father's name as Bartholemew and mother's name as Elizabeth?

I can send you via private message all the info I have about Henry Prescott and his origins in Ringwould, Kent (parents etc) if you would like it.
I am afraid I cannot give you any further information regarding Elizabeth Rossiter or her father if that is the person to which you referred.

If the ship's index gives any original location in England we could maybe go back further. I will try to find something now I have the parents names and idea of a date of immigration.

My niece has a letter written by Henry, whilst crew on the convict ship. He was concerned about the moral welfare of the female convicts on board!

Let me know if you would like Henry info and I will pm it to you.
Cheers

Marj.