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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Australia Lookups completed => Topic started by: Chrisrob on Tuesday 03 June 08 11:08 BST (UK)
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My great great grandfather came to Aust in the 1800's and I am trying to find out where he went.
The story is:
John Beavans Bertram born 1839 County Durham , married Sarah Jane Fairley 1863 and had a son George 1864. All this part of the family comes from Chester le Street.
He left the UK some time after the birth of his son in 1864 and before the 1871 census (as he is not listed) - by himself.
Family have told me he was a contractor (Joiner by trade) and had something to do with the Great Western Railway.
I have also been told he was in Brisbane in 1874 and left to go to Nth Qld at the time of the Great Flood of 1874.
He never stayed in touch with his family and in 1878 his wife remarried after having him declared deceased. As far as I have been able to find out he must have been "missing" for at least 7 years to be classified deceased. He did however return to the UK after his wife remarried and after finding out what happened returned again to Aust.
I am told he travelled to Aust on the ship Bluebird or Skylark but I have found no trace of them so perhaps this is wrong.
He sometimes dropped his second name from documents.
I have tried many many places to find him all without success.
Any pointers would be very welcome.
Thanks
Chris
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http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/829.htm
- there is a John Bertram, born England, aged 50, who died in 1889 in Queensland. A copy of the death certificate should give you some clues as to his life in Australia. I can't see a marriage for him in Queensland, and whoever was the informant seems to not have known his parents names (else they would be on the index).
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Hi Chris, and welcome to Rootschat :D
First of all, have you looked at the links on the Australian Resources board, here http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/board,399.0.html ?
You might find some useful places to search there...the first two obvious places to look would be the NSW and Qld births, deaths and marriages indexes which are available online:
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/search.htm
http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/829.htm
Cheers
Prue
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Oh, jorose ;D Snap!
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And I was just looking, too!
There are three more John Bertrams on the Qld death index. D 1884, father Henry Bertram. D 1926, father William Bertram. D 1889, father Andrew Bertram. Any of these sound like yours, Chris?
I believe Ancestry are about to release records of a large number of free settlers who arrived in NSW. It would be worth checking those, just in case he did arrive in NSW.
Oh, and yes, welcome to Rootschat, Chris!
MarieC
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Hello there Chris
and Welcome to Rootschat
by the 1861 census he wasa cerpenter and parents were George and Margaret.
I guess a lot of the information you have in family lore without any actual facts, which how it is with a lot of family backgrounds. If he was involved with the Great Western Railway that would mean he must have stayed in England for a while, is he listed on their webiste . I don't know the details but I believe there is a ig museum in the Wilthsire county and it does list many employees?
kind regards Jenn
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Thank you for the information and the welcome to this forum.
I have ordered the death cert of John Bertram who died in 1889 aged 50. He is the only one that matches. The others second names/parents are not a match. Maybe I will be lucky.
I have previously checked the other resources without any luck.
Thgankjs again
Chris
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Good luck, Chris - let us know how you get on!
MarieC
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From the CD the death date of this John was 20 Apr 1889 - may help if looking for burial/funeral notice. The death certificate should give burial details, but it will take upwards of 8 weeks given recent times from the registry
Trish