X Chromosone

I am very new to using DNA in Genealogy and don't yet understand it.  However, from my naive perspective, my mother's DNA revealed some potentially interesting things.  Providing me me with questions than answers.

The ethnicity results (as per pictures below) show a diverse mixture of backgrounds.

Source:  Ancestry DNA

The thing that stood out to me initially was the 4% African and 2 % Asian as none of my research shows African or Asian descent.

One of the brick-walls in my mothers family is Samuel Drayton, who is listed on many certificates as being born in Philadelphia, United States.  Therefore I wonder if he was of African origin?
If Samuel Drayton was 50% African then
his daughter would be 25% African
his granddaughter would be 12.5% African
his great granddaughter would be 6.25% African
his great great granddaughter (my mother) would be 3.12% African.
The African portion in the DNA results is 4% so this works!
Now I need to prove it!  I hope that I can link to another family member in America from the same family!

Another brick-wall is the Foy family, which is the only Irish family in my mothers ancestry.  Richard Foy was born in Galway according to his marriage certificate.  The name "Foy" does sound Asian so maybe the Asian showing in the DNA is from  Richard's grandparents?

And then recently, I completed a chart showing places of birth, which has totally confused me and made me wonder if there was some hanky panky at some stage?

In the chart, the dark green (at the top of the chart) represents the Irish ancestry.  It is very likely that the parents are also of Irish origin but this has not been positively verified.  The Irish percentage of my ancestry is a very low percentage according to the chart.  However the ethnicity chart above indicates that my mother is 34% Irish!

I don't know enough about the DNA testing to know exactly how the percentages are calculated.  My Christmas present to myself will likely be a more comprehensive DNA test, which tells me additional details.

DNA testing has not yielded any additional details to date, but has instead given me more questions than answers!

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Rebecca Drayton

"You live as long as you are remembered" is a quote from an unknown source, which appeals to me.  I feel that as family historians, it is up to us to remember our past ancestors and relatives so other family members (present and future) will be able to read about them.  That is one of the primary purposes of this blog.

Rebecca Drayton died when she was 20 years old, so has no direct descendants to remember her.  I have many relatives, who did not have children or died young so therefore have no descendants.  I make a point of remembering them.

Rebecca is the youngest sister of my Great Great Grandmother, Charlotte Drayton.  Rebecca ws born on the 22nd of February 1864 at Bealiba, a small farming and mining community in Victoria Australia.  On her birth certificate, her father, Samuel Drayton, is listed as a 43 year old Tailor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America.  Her mother is listed as 40 year old Sarah Drayton "formerly Boothy" [should be Boothroyd] from Yorkshire England.

Neither Samuel nor Sarah could write so it is unlikely that they could read either and therefore it is unlikely that they would realise that their names are spelled incorrectly on many of their records.

Rebecca was only 20 years old (although her death certificate states she was 19) when she died in the Gipps Ward at the Royal Melbourne Hospital from "Febris Enterica", which I believe is another term for Typhoid but translates to Fever of the Intestines.  She had been unwell for "1 month".  The family still resided at Bealiba so I am unsure if Rebecca had moved to Melbourne or the family took her to Melbourne for medical attention?  The second option is more likely as the death record is very precise, while in my experience, death records were often poor when a family member died away from their place of residence.

Excerpt of Death Record of Rebecca Drayton
Souce: www.bdm.vic.gov.au

On the death record for Rebecca, Samuel is listed as a "Miner" and her mother, Sarah's, maiden name is listed incorrectly again, but as "Botheroyd".

Rebecca is buried at the "New Melbourne Cemetery", which was established in 1852.

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The Women In My Life

Agnes Scott, Rita Walker, Mary Jane Walker, Elizabeth Mottram,
Charlotte Drayton, Danielle, Ellen Walker
Mary Ann Scott, Me , Joy, Eva Scott
Jane Warrick, Mary Ann Pilgrim, Edith Geyer, Mabel Pilgrim

Girls commencing work today would not believe how things have changed in the past 30+ years!

When I started working, what we today know as "discrimination" was accepted as normal practice!

As a junior,  I made the coffee for all the men in the office every morning and afternoon.  It was an accepted part of my role to be the "gopher".  In the days before every branch had a photo copier, it was my job to run across the road to get any photocopying done!  I didn't mind as being a smoker back then, it gave me the opportunity to have a cigarette, as females were not allowed to smoke in front of customers (but the men could).  In the early years of banking,  I remember being disciplined for coming to work in trousers!

I was ambitious from a young age but had many doubters.............and they were not afraid to tell me either!  That just made me more determined!  When I was 20 , I was told that I could not have a supervisors role because "You are female and under age 21" even though I had been successfully relieving in the role for months!   Hard to imagine today!

A male colleague actually laughed at me one day and told me that I would never be a manager as I would "just get married and have babies".  I did get married and have babies but continued working! I achieved my ambition to be a Manager before I was age 30 and am proud that I was the first female branch manager in Gippsland.  How I hated playing golf after manager's conferences!  However, it was something that I needed to do to be considered an equal.  In reality,  I feel that I had to work twice as hard as my male colleagues to be considered equal!

I do not write this to complain but instead to highlight how things have changed. We have come a long way but unfortunately we still have a way to go until men and females are equal in the workplace.

However, I have had it easy compared to my female ancestors pictured above. Every one of the ladies above (except my daughter) has a story of adversity and courage.

My Great Great Great Grandmother, Jane Bound, was 39 years old with 8 children and another on the way when her husband died.  Jane was too old to come to Australia from England, but did not take "no" for an answer and successfully applied for a special dispensation from the Queen to bring her family to Australia in 1878.  That took courage!

When I chose to be a working mother, I did not realise that my Great Great Grandmother, Edith Geyer, was one of the first working mothers.   After her husband died of typhoid in 1899, she needed to work to maintain custody of her seven children.  The family faced further adversity and nearly died when the family went by wagon to Mildura to pick fruit.  You can read about it here.
Nurse Edith Geyer later built a successful private hospital business (with no formal education).  She was certainly an early survivor and entrepreneur.

March is Women's Family History Month and Tuesday March 8th is International Women's day. I would like to take this opportunity to remember and thank the strong women in my family.  I am proud to come from a long line of determined and resourceful women.  Maybe I have inherited my resilience, determination and work ethic from my fore-bearers?

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Trove Tuesday - Maps

We all love Trove for the newspaper articles but there is so much more; photos, maps, diaries, books and in future, this blog.

1925 Map of Manya - Lot 33 belonged to my Great Grandfather, William Adam Bisset Scott
Source: digital.slv.vic.gov.au  via www.trove.nla.gov.au

Excerpt from map above

1928 Map of Bealiba - Lot 13 was my 3X Great Grandfather's, Samuel Drayton.  His son was nearby.
Source: digital.slv.vic.gov.au  via www.trove.nla.gov.au

Excerpt from map above

Coincidence or Not?

Two years ago, my mother and I took a detour to visit the Bealiba cemetery.   I pulled over on the side of the road to call a relative (another descendant of Samuel Drayton) and to let her know that we were delayed but still on the way.

After retrieving the above map some time later and googling the area , guess where I had stopped?  Yes out the front of Samuel's property! What are the chances?

Coincidence or Not?  I certainly had goose bumps when I realised.

Australia Day Challenge 2014

Climbing my Family's Gum Tree

The surnames of my ancestors who first set foot on Australian soil (my boat people)

I have not completed any family history research or blogs for over two months but thank you to Pauleen from Family History Across the Seas for proposing this Australia Day Challenge and prompting my return.

My first ancestor to arrive in Australia was:

Samuel Mottram, who arrived at VanDiemans Land (Tasmania) on 8th August 1838,  aboard the convict boat,  Lord Lyndoch.  He was 38 years old.  It is uncertain if he was accompanied by his young wife Catherine and daughter Margaret or if they followed him soon after.

Samuel was not a convict.  He was a soldier in the British Army who was escorting 330 convicts to Australia.  

I have Australian Royalty (tell us who, how many and which Fleet they arrived with)

I thought for a while that my elusive Elias Jones was a convict.  However, I was disappointed after researching three convicts name Elias Jones to find that none of them were my ancestor. So no, I do not have any Australian Royalty.

Alexander Walker was 5 when he arrived
in Geelong, on the James Brown,
 with his family on 5th January 1853.
A brother died on the journey.

I’m an Aussie mongrel, my ancestors came to Oz from:

Twenty from England, Six from Ireland, Five from Prussia, One from Wales (the elusive Elias Jones) and another elusive ancestor, Samuel Drayton, from United States.

Did any of your ancestors arrive under their own financial steam?

Fourteen were "Assisted passengers",  nine were "Unassisted passengers", a further nine are unknown with three of those appearing to swim!.  Two ancestors were working on boats (a convict boat and a whaling boat) and decided to remain in Australia.

How many ancestors came as singles?

I admire the bravery of all those who made the long and dangerous voyage to Australia.  Six of my male ancestors came out as singles.

How many came as couples?

There were only two couples (husband and wife). 

Edith Bound was age 8 and Amelia (Milly) Bound was 20, when they arrived in Port Adelaide, with their widowed mother and 7 siblings, aboard the Oaklands.  They were the last of my "boat people" to arrive on 21 September 1878

How many came as family groups?

The majority arrived as a family group.  Nine family groups made the voyage to Australia with five ancestors being younger than 10 years of age (the youngest being age two).  At age 22, Margaret Gully and her sister Ellen were very brave to make the journey to Australia from Ireland.  It must have been very difficult for my GGG Grandmother, Amelia "Jane" Bound (nee Congdon), who had recently been made a widow, to make the journey with 9 children, the youngest being 10 months old.

James Pilgrim was 22 when he
arrived in Melbourne
10th October 1858
aboard the Lady Milton

Did one person lead the way and others follow?
Yes, I immediately think of my GG Grandfather, James Pilgrim, who followed his older brother John to Australia and was soon followed by his younger sister Emma and her husband, with a further three siblings remaining in Essex.

What’s the longest journey they took to get here?

Over 3 years! Samuel Drayton boarded the whaling boat Sophia in Nantucket on the 15th June 1848. He was one of 25 crew. It is known that the schooner stopped at Pacific islands to offload barrels of sperm whale oil, arriving at Port Jackson, NSW,  on 28th October 1851.  I am hoping to get a copy of a log book detailing the voyage.  Fingers Crossed!

Did anyone make a two-step emigration via another place?

I believe that two of my unknown boat people may have left UK and spent time in USA and NZ respectively, before coming to Australia, which is why I cannot confirm their arrival details.

I would love to find out how and 

when Richard Foy came to 

Australia.  

I believe that he arrived in QLD 

in the 1870s but the records

 have been destroyed

 by flood so I cannot prove.

Which state(s)/colony did your ancestors arrive?  Did they settle and remain in one 

state/colony? Did they stay in one town or move around?

13 Victoria,  12 South Australia, 2 Tasmania and one in NSW.  I also believe that one ancestor arrived in Queensland prior to making his way to Victoria.  However, I cannot prove it, as the relevant QLD immigration records were destroyed in floods. 

Samuel Mottram, who was mentioned previously, arrived in Tasmania.  After two years, he went to WA, where the family stayed for 22 years before following their son to the Victorian goldfields. However many of the other children remained in WA.

Most of my boat people ancestors made their way to Victoria with a few remaining in SA.

Do you have any First Australians in your tree?

We may have aboriginal blood in one "branch" of the tree but it will need a DNA test to prove it.  On a different perspective, I am married to a "First Australian".  My husband's mother was born in Germany and his father in Romania whilst my husband was the "first" of his line to be born in Australia.  (I haven't done much work on his family tree).

Were any self-employed?

Yes, I have many farmers in my ancestry. 

What occupations or industries did your earliest ancestors work in?

I have previously written about the occupations in my family history.  Those who arrived in Australia, were primarily farmers or miners.

My father was the first white collar worker in the family, while I was the first to go to university (advanced diploma) with my daughter the first to obtain a degree.

Does anyone in the family still follow that occupation?

James Pilgrim purchased farm land in 1882, which is now operated by his Great Grandson.   There are many properties in the area, which are owned by various members of the Pilgrim family.

Mary Ann Warner was 4 years old
when she arrived at Port Adelaide,
aboard the Westminster
with her family on 5th July 1848

Did any of your ancestors leave Australia and go “home”?

Only one that I am aware of but it was only for a visit to seemingly collect additional furniture and goods.

Now it's all about me

What's your State of Origin?

Victoria.

Do you still live there?

Yes, I have lived in 15 towns within the State of Victoria, which are

listed in another post. 

Mother and Daughter
Jane Warrick (nee Trethewy) and
Mary Ann Scott (nee Warrick).
Jane was 22 when when she arrived in
Port Hobson aboard the Appleton on
25 January 1857 with her husband
and two children under two.

Where was your favourite Aussie Holiday place as a child?

Nearly every school holidays, we would go to the "Beach House" at a tiny coastal town on the South East coast of Victoria.  My parents have lived there since they retired so I wont mention the name.  I still find it one of the most relaxing places to visit.

Any special place(s) that you like to holiday now?

My husband and I love to travel and see new places.  I have a list of places that I am "ticking off".  Our most recent holiday was to US.  It is my dream to spend 3 months in a campervan, travelling England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, visiting all the places where my ancestors lived (but doing some touristy things too)..........................but that will need to wait until the kids have finished uni and/or I retire!

Share your favourite spot in Oz:

Now that is HARD as there are so many great places to see and things to do.  I keep going back to Cairns as my sisters live there.  I  don't think I could live there but I always enjoy it and there is always plenty to do and see.

Any great Aussie adventure you've had?

Jungle Surfing at Cape Tribulation and Climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Hard to believe that I am scared of heights isn't it! 

What's on your Australian holiday bucket list?

Definitely Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon and the Red Centre.

How do you celebrate Australia Day?

I don't tend to go to Australia Day events but instead use the time to do research and blog! 

 I thank my ancestors for making such sacrifices and having the courage to make such a long and difficult journey to Australia so that we can have a wonderful life now.

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

Donald Scott was 23 when he traveled
alone aboard the Sappho, which arrived
in Geelong on 18 December 1852. 

Mary Ann (Polly) Warrick was my
youngest "boat person" as she was
only 2 years old when she arrived in
Port Hobson aboard the Appleton on
25 January 1857.

I would love to find out how and when
Richard Foy came to Australia.  I believe
that he arrived in QLD in the 1870s
but the records have been destroyed
 by flood so I cannot prove.

Eduard Geier was 22 when he
came to Australia.  His father
was the oldest of my 'boat people"
at age 63. They arrived in
Port Adelaide aboard the
Alfred on 6th December 1848.

Matthias Lange was 49 when
he arrived with family at
 Port Adelaide in 1846, aboard the
George Washington.

Breaking a long tradition

This pin cushion belonged to my Great Grandmother,
Mary Walker.
Can any one tell me more about it?

It is interesting to see how traits and traditions continue through several generations of family. Do you have occupations, traditions, interests or similarities that have repeated in several generations?

My sister & I in dresses that
our mother made.
The photo may be  black and white
but I remember that my sisters
dress was pink while mine was navy blue

I come from a long line of knitters and sewers on several "branches" of the family. We grew up with home made clothes and jumpers (pullovers for American readers). As a young child I really liked my new dresses and clothes. I can remember going to the shop with Mum and picking out fabrics, ribbons and buttons so she could make a new outfit. By the time I was at High School, I was making my own school uniforms. It was great that I had school dresses that fit me perfectly, compared with many of the girls whose uniforms were too big or too small. However, I always wanted a shop bought school jumper rather than the home knitted jumper.

Source: http://museumvictoria.com.au
During War Times, knitting for the
soldiers was encouraged.

My mother knitted by hand but she also had (still has) a knitting machine that had belonged to her father, Allan Scott. The knitting machine was purchased by her father in about 1943 after he returned from Active Service in the Middle East. It seems unusual that a man would purchase a knitting machine. Perhaps the knitting was rehabilitation and something to keep my grandfather busy? Maybe it was also a way for him to give something back to the troops?

1828 Post Office Directory

My 3X Great Grandfather, Adam Bisset Scott, was a
tailor in Leith, Scotland

My mother made the wedding dresses for two of her daughters. Did she get her sewing talent from one of 

her Great Great Grandfathers, who coincidentally 

were both tailors?

Maryborough Hospital Admission Records
Another 3X Great Grandfather, Samuel Drayton, was also a tailor.  However he was from USA.

My Grandmother, Eva Scott, made all the clothes for the "nips". She also knitted. She made some incredible(and well loved)toys for me when I was a child. I wonder what ever happened to them?

My other Great Grandmother, Mabel Pilgrim (nee Geyer), hired/purchased a Wertheim Sewing Machine in 1905.
The cost of £11:15 in 1905 would be equivalent to approximately AUD $1600 today.  

Wertheim Sewing Machine Payment Card
1905-1907

Did you know what this is?

My daughter had no idea.

Today if we have holes in our socks or jumpers,

we tend to throw them out and buy new clothing.

However in times gone past, there was no such

wastage.  Clothing would be repaired by darning.

This darning egg belonged to my mother in law, 

who was a seamstress.  

Somewhere I also have a thimble but can't quite

locate it at present.

Unfortunately neither of my children sew so the tradition of sewers in the family has ceased sadly.  Maybe I will have a granddaughter that I can teach to sew.

Click for more Sepia Saturday posts

So could you pick the connection to this weeks Sepia Saturday picture?

My very first photo is an unusual contraption with wheels, from the past.

Wills & Probate Records

Wills & Probate records can be a great source of information for family history researchers.

We are very fortunate that Victorian Wills and Probate Records are available online at the Public Record Office Victoria.

My Great Grandmother told her family that her father's name was Richard Foy.  However, when we finally tracked down her birth record, there was no father listed.

Source: www.bdm.qld.gov.au

Therefore it was a source of relief to many family members to see Agnes listed as Richard Foy's daughter in his Probate Records.

Source: www.prov.vic.gov.au

The Probate Record also shows that Agnes and her sister May were using the Foy name (there is a mystery story here for another day) and they were living with their Grandfather, Samuel Drayton (and his address) at the time of Richard's death.

Now if only I could translate the Will for my 4 X Great Grandfather, Donald Scott, I may be able to obtain some more insights into the family.  This reminds me that you can search Wills on Scotlands People at no cost then pay a small fee to view the original record.

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Historical Societies

Historical Societies are a great source of information for family history researchers and often have additional information, which is not available over the internet.

Over the years, I have written to several Historical Societies to obtain information (as many do not have internet).  Every one of them has been most helpful and obliging.

The smaller historical societies are usually staffed by volunteers and require a donation to complete research.  I am always happy to provide a donation as I really appreciate their assistance and the work that they do. It is also a good idea to provide them with a copy of your research and contact details, to assist any other family members researching the same family.  One day I hope that a distant cousin will make contact with me and we can share research.

In particular, the Maryborough Historical Society has provided me with the most interesting and useful information, including details from local newspapers that have not yet been digitised.  This led to me to discover that a lamp that I had admired since I was a child, was a wedding present to my great grandparents from my great great grandfather! You can read more about this here.

The Maryborough Hospital Admission records also provided me some useful information and leads on many family members, who lived in the area.  It is the only record I have found which shows my Great Great Great Grandfather's arrival in Australia from America.

The record below told me Samuel's age (year of birth), occupation, residence, importantly the Port of Embarkation, the ship he arrived on (a whaling boat), how long he had been in the colony (when he arrived in Australia) and religion.  Fantastic information for a researcher who has hit a brick wall!

Maryborough Hospital Admission Record

There are many Australian Historical Societies listed at Coraweb.  Ballarat Genealogy also lists more Historical Societies in Northern and Western Victoria.

My tip:  Write a letter to the historical societies in the districts where your family lived.  You never know what information that you shall find.

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Births, Deaths and Marriages

Ordering certificates when researching your family history can be very beneficial.  For me, the information is sufficiently rewarding and valuable to warrant the cost.

I didn't always feel this way, but for many years now I have incorporated certificate purchases into my monthly budget (yeh, I am an addict and would prefer to buy certificates rather than go out to dinner).

We are very fortunate in Australia as our certificates usually contain a lot of information that you cannot obtain elsewhere.

The birth certificate of my Great Great Grandmother, Charlotte Drayton, helped further my research in many ways.

Click to enlarge

In addition to providing me with the exact date and place of birth, it gave me some very valuable research clues;

• Middle name "Esther".  Children are often named after grandparents.  Research revealed that Esther was the name of Charlotte's grandmother.
• Fathers age, occupation and place of birth. It was a surprise to see that Samuel Drayton was from America.  He is the only American ancestor in the family.  
• Mothers age, place of birth and prior name. This led me to find records of Sarah arriving in Australia with her prior husband and children from her first marriage.
• Sisters name and age
• Year and place of marriage.  I couldn't locate the marriage until I obtained this certificate. The marriage was recorded under "Raiton" rather than "Drayton".  Neither Samuel or Sarah could sign (showing they were uneducated and likely poor) so it was probably written the way it was pronounced.

Don't forget to also check the names of witnesses as they often lived nearby or were family, which provides another direction for research.

However, don't believe everything that is on certificates, especially Death Certificates.  Quite often the family members reporting the death were mistaken and sometimes our ancestors didn't want people to know the truth!

I have bookmarked my favourite websites for researching Births, Deaths and Marriages;

FamilySearch free indexes - https://www.familysearch.org/

Australian State Registries - http://australia.gov.au/topics/law-and-justice/births-deaths-and-marriages-registries

www.ryersonindex.org (death notices and obituaries - primarily NSW)

South Australia
www.genealogysa.org.au
www.familyhistorysa.info/
http://www.jaunay.com/earlybdm.php

Victoria
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ausvic/mwi.htm#W  (Marriage Witness Index)

United Kingdom
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

Please let me know if you have any other websites that you can add.

Click on the Link to see more posts in the Blogging from A-Z April challenge

S is for SEARCHING for Samuel

In 1859 family members were searching for "Samuel Drayton, from Philadelphia".  Over 150 years later, I am now searching for more information about Samuel Drayton from Philadelphia.

Samuel Francis Drayton is my Great Great Great Grandfather. He is one of my "Brick Walls" and the shortest branch on my tree.

According to hospital admission records, Samuel arrived in Australia in 1851 aboard the whaling boat, Sophia, which sailed from Nantucket USA in 1848.  As the crew were not listed there is no information to confirm this.

 There are many records available about Samuel since he arrived in Australia but nothing before.  

When I first started researching, I only used free sources and did not pay for certificates.  However now I budget to purchase certificates each month, which has really increased my information and provided further leads about family members.  Trove is one of my best research friends and it amazes me the information that newspapers can provide, which is not available elsewhere.  I can get lost for hours reading various stories and advertisements totally unrelated to my family.  Will and Probate records and Government Gazettes have also provided useful information.   

I use Family Tree Maker to sort and record information and photos but I also like to summarise my findings and sources in table format.   I find it is easier for me to follow and piece together the timeline and story.

The first page of Samuel's summary information
Click to enlarge

Samuel and his children seem to be the only family members of mine who have owned shares. In the early 1860s, Samuel purchased one share in the Star of Erin Gold mining company for £50.  In the late 1800s there were 20 shares held in the Ballarat Banking Corporation valued at £80.

This lead me to find information written about a high profile Drayton Family of Philadelphia (which includes a prominent banker).  Many of the names mentioned are the same as in our Drayton family.  However, I can't find a link to Samuel and it seems unlikely that Samuel was part of this family as he was illiterate, which doesn't seem to fit with such a well known and influential family.

Births in Philadelphia prior to 1860 were recorded spasmodically by the counties and have not been indexed.  So unfortunately it seems that Samuel Drayton will remain a "Brick Wall" for me.  However, I have put Philadelphia on my list of places to visit in the future!

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D is for DETERMINED and DEDICATED

DETERMINED to find more information.
DETERMINED to break down the brick walls.
DEDICATED to keep looking.

The brick wall surrounding the ancestors of  my great grandmother, Agnes Scott, remained high and solid for many many decades.  However with determination and dedication the bricks have begun to fall, the wall has weakened, falling in places but it still remains in place.  However, there are still more questions than answers!

Agnes Scott was very private and did not speak about her upbringing or parentage.  I think I now understand why.

Removing the first brick
Although the family had always lived in the Southern States, the marriage certificate of Agnes Foy to William Scott in 1906 showed that Agnes was born c1886 in Ipswich, Queensland and her parents were Richard Foy and Charlotte Drayton.

It was thought by some family members that Richard Foy was of Chinese origin and had worked on the goldfields.  The droopy eyes of aging ancestors and the name "Foy" seemed to support the story...........but how wrong it was.

I struggled to find a birth certificate for Agnes Foy but located the birth certificate for her sister May, which strangely was registered once with no father and secondly with Richard Foy listed as the father.  I assume that Richard was added later?  This soon lead me to Agnes' birth certificate with the mother listed as Charlotte Drayton but no father listed.

But why couldn't I find a marriage certificate?

The brick wall remained stable for many years
Nothing.  Every lead I followed went nowhere.

No immigration records could be located for either Richard Foy or Charlotte Drayton.  Still no marriage certificate.  I had searched all states.

I had found a Richard Foy who had departed Cooktown and arrived in Sydney in 1896 and also a Richard Foy who died at sea aboard the Kalgoorlie in 1898............but still no definite link to my Richard.

But I was DETERMINED.

This photo was unidentified for many years
but it is now believed to be Richard, Charlotte
and baby Agnes taken in 1886

  One section of the brick wall begins to crumble

The death certificate of Richard Foy revealed no new information, except he was a tanner.  However the Probate for Richard Foy was very interesting and confirmed that he was the same man who died aboard the Kalgoorlie and that he was also the father of Agnes and May.  It also mentioned that he had formerly lived in Ballarat.  I had confirmed a residence and date of death!

In my searching I also came across a Charlotte Sayers who married a Richard Foy in 1893 and also a Virginia Drayton who married a Richard Foy in 1896.  Both marriages occurred in Ballarat. Surely this was too coincidental not be a lead?  But I didn't want to get my hopes up as I had been disappointed many times in the past.  I ordered both certificates hoping that I was not wasting my money.

My family and dog got a fright and I am sure the neighbours heard too, as my shouts of triumph rang out boisterously.  The certificates showed that Charlotte and Virginia had the same parents.  They were sisters! Breakthrough.  The bricks came falling down................for a while anyway.





The story of Richard and Charlotte is beyond the scope of this blog but is one that I will tell another time.  It is tale of struggles, hardship and sadness but I like to think it is also romantic.

I found out alot of new information.  However, the mortar has again hardened and bricks have stopped falling but I am determined and dedicated in my search.  A termite can destroy a whole house, but it takes time.

Some bricks that need to be removed

• How and When did Richard come to Australia? I believe it was after 1873.  Richard was born 1849 Galway, Ireland and died 1898 aboard the Kalgoorlie.  His parents were Patrick Foy and Mary Conroy.
• Richards siblings seem to have disappeared after 1871. Cath b1852, Ireland - Margaret b1853 Warrington, Lancashire - John b1855 Warrington, Lancashire - Mary Ann b1858 Warrington, Lancashire - Agnes b1860 also in Warrington, Lancashire.
• Although I know that Patrick Foy and Mary Conroy were both born in Ireland, I have been unable to find out anything about their parents.
• Charlottes father was born about 1813 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US according to his death certificate. According to hospital records, he came to Australia aboard the Sophia in 1852, which sailed from Nantucket. His marriage, also in 1852, was registered under the name of Raiton. However I cannot locate any information about his origins or parents.

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