RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Eupham on Monday 17 August 09 04:45 BST (UK)
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Hi All,
I have 2 ancestors that I have not yet been able to find how they got to Australia. The first is Benjamin Purss born about 1839. He married Mary Ibbotson in Sydney in 1865 and died in Cootamundra in 1919. According to his death certificate he had been in Australia for 66 years. If this is correct he arrived about 1853. I'm not sure if he was a convict or not and I have not been able to find him using that spelling. The second is Alexander Weeks who according to his death certificate from 1873 he had been in Australia for 32 years. He possibly arrived about 1841 with a wife Harriet and some children. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Eupham :)
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Was Alexander Weeks also in NSW?
Jenn
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Hi Jenn,
According to his death certificate he was.
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Hi Eupham,
Alexander WEEKS arrived in Sydney on 24 Oct 1841 aboard the VICTORIA
Application of Married Immigrant (I can only transcribe what I think I can see)
Alexander WEEKS a native of Charthouse Menten County of Somerset, son of Barbara WEEKS a widow
He was an Ag Lab aged 37
Thomas Spencer certified his baptism
Joseph Erwood and another certified to his character
state of bodily health, strength and probable usefulness - very good
He was Protestant
He could read and write
no complaints paid £63
Harriet WEEKS a native Phillips native County Somerset, daughter of Thos SPEARS a farmer and Marey PEARSE WESTLEY his wife
She was a L'dery Wooman aged 35
Richard Palaint - Vicar certified her baptism
Joseph Erwood and another certified to her character
state of bodily health, strength and probable usefulness - very good
She was Protestant
WEEKS Mary Ann 12 can read
WEEKS Clara Fanny 9 can read
WEEKS Emma Harriet 2 1/2
WEEKS Ann 8 months Born 31 Dec 1840
Cheers Kris :)
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Now we have what looks like PEARSE Crossed out with WESTLEY below
Cant say that the father Thos looks like Pearse it looks more like Spears to me but there is a marriage
Alexander WEEKS of Hinton Charterhouse = Harriet PEARSE by Licence Norton St Phillip 10 Aug 1838
Pretty close to what I read the parishes as in the applications (I just loved wooman) - so the older children are not Harriets.
Cheers Kris :)
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Also note Thomas PEARSE = Mary WESTLEY 29 July 1805 Bath St James ;)
Cheers Kris :)
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This site may be worth a look.
Mariners and Ships in Australian Waters
Masters, crew, a stowaway or two; passengers, cabin, saloon and steerage; births at sea, deaths at sea; deserters; vessels with one crew and one passenger and those with 70 crew and hundreds of passengers; simple single sail boats, barques, brigs, large steam ships; whaling voyages, regular coastal passenger trips, voyages from other Australian ports, London, San Francisco, China and other exotic ports - you will find them all here.
http://mariners.records.nsw.gov.au/
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Good finds there Kris ;D
Eupham,
if you post the date of death you have for Benjamin Purss, I know that one of our fellow Rootschatters often pops into the National library and does looks ups. So it might be possible for her to see if there was an obituary for him in the Coota" Herald.
Jenn
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Hi All,
Thanks so much you are all amazing at this. Benjamin Purss died on the 14th May 1919 in the district hospital at Cootamundra.
Cheers
Eupham :)
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What will also help us if you can tell from any of these records where he was born and parents names, we can then see what last census he was on if he was from Uk
Jenn
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Kris
the unassisted emmigrants have an arrival for
Benjamin PRUSS arriving 1862 November on the Balclutha
I have looked at the record and the name is very hard to make out
what do you make of it please?
Jenn
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unfortunately the unassisted passenger lists provide no information apart from a name.
In this case I see no relevance re this entry as it refers to a trip from Melbourne to Sydney
The name I am not sure of but it certainly not PRUSS
To me if I was looking at something for PURSS I would instantly think it may well be PEARC/SE - Seen a lot of parish registers for this name which could easily be transcribed as something like PURSS in my Cornish parish records, but if Eupham has the name as PURSS in numerous records it may not be the case here - Just my thoughts.
Kris :)
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I did realise it was not an entry into Australia but was rather looking at a time frame to see when he was here. Perhaps arriving first into Victoria.
The name dosen't appear to be Pruss as transcribed but did wonder if it was Purss.
Jenn
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On his death certificate from 1919 he is 82 years old, his parents are Edward Purss and Mary Ann Milbourne and he was born in Liverpool England. He had been in Australia for 66 years so if the info is correct he arrived in 1853. The death certificate states he is not married so his wife had already died.
He married Mary Ibbotson on the 11th March 1865 in Sydney so it is possible he arrived in 1862 and the death certificate is wrong about how long in NSW.
I also have the marriage certificate of his parents (different spelling) Edward Parss married Mary Ann Milburn on the 4th Jan 1838 at St John the Baptist Church in Liverpool. I hope this helps
Cheers
Eupham :)
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So his parents married in Liverpool England? just to clarify
Jenn
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Yes and he was born there a year or two later
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Thanks Eupham just confirming :D
Jenn
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free settler or felon
http://www.jenwilletts.com/index.htm
sylvia
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Is this your chap?
Free BMD birth shows
Benjamin PURSS Mar 1839, reg West Derby, vol20 page 841
The Ancestry criminal register only shows convictions for a William PURSS 1858, Nottinghamshire and another William PURSS July 1872 Surrey.
I think I see him, Born in County, age 2, with Mary PURSS, 30, Independent, Not Born in County, at Grove St Liverpool in 1841. Can't see either of them in 1851 but the name could easily have been mistrnscribed. :-\
And a VERY long shot..............
Looking at the National Library digitised newspaper site are many mentions of an Edward PURSS as a ship owner/captain in the mid 1800s. It is an unusual name but, given that Mary is on her own with Benjamin in 1841, and of independent means perhaps it may be a clue.................
http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home
There are a few mentions on Google for"Benjamin PURSS" including some other genealogical information aobut his descendants.
Cheers, Judith
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http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/AF/family_group_record.asp?familyid=4784533&frompage=99
JUST WILD CARDS BUT STRANGE
DO THESE NAMES MEAN ANYTHING TO YOUR SEARCH
SYLVIA
hello found these 2 children living with a MEEHAM FAMILY
ALSO OTHER CHILDREN
CLARK
Charles H PURSE
Born 1875
Matilda Alice PURSS
Born 28 Feb 1877 Walgett, Nsw, Aus
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Bit More,
1903 NSW Electoral Roll, seat of HUME, polling place ADELONG - that's near Cootamundra.
Line 744
PURSS, Pertina, Female, domestic duties (no others at that polling place with that surname).
Checking other polling places on that roll, and earlier rolls.
JM
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Ah ! ;)
1903 roll, Cootamundra polling place, seat of HUME (1903 includes FEMALES for first time, but enrollment was NOT compulsory)
Line 1188
(DEFINITELY SAYS PURSE, DOES NOT SAY PURSS)
Purse, Benjamin; Male, living at Cucumbla, a labourer.
No others with similar surname at that polling place.
Still checking
EDIT TO ADD - have not found others with surname PURSS on the roll for the seat of HUME in earlier rolls. Sorry.
JM
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BUT, 1878 sighting of both Edward and Benjamin PURSS on electoral roll in Newtown (suburb in inner west Sydney!
Line 2743 Purss, Benjamin, Campbell St, household, (ie qualification to enrol, suggesting to me he lived in that household)
Line 2744 Purss, Edward, Campbell St, residence (ie suggesting to me, this was his residence, and that Benjamin lived there too).
Will now try to find them in Sydney in 1870 roll.
JM
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Ah, 1870 roll, same address, Campbell Street NEWTOWN.
There were property qualifications for voting in NSW in those days.
Lines 1939 and 1940, PURSS with Benjamin as household and Edward as residence.
Cheers, hope this helps fill in some gaps. I have not searched for arrival in NSW for the PURSS family.
BUT 1869 Sands directory seems to show:
Purss, Benjamin, printer, Campbell st, NEWTOWN
EDIT TO ADD
http://cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/newtownproject/Sands_Directory/sands_directory.html
JM
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Great Finds JM ;D
arriving as unassisted immigrants aboard the ELIZABETH 28 Apr 1860
Captain Edward PURSS Master Mariner
Mrs PURSS
Benj PURSS
Cheers Kris :)
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Well Done Kris, that gets them from Melbourne to NSW, but can we get them to Melbourne from overseas perhaps around 1853 ish? I don't have much experience on arrivals to Victoria, but perhaps the following is them arriving in Sept 1853 on the ship LOWESTOFT? (Online index only)
Benjamin aged 13, Edward aged 45, Edwd Capt, Mary Ann aged 40, Mary Ann Aged 8 ?
http://proarchives.imagineering.com.au/index_search_results.asp JM
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Looks Good JM
Benjamin PURSS is listed at 18 Edward St Pyrmont in 1866
1867 also along with
PURSS Edward - Master Mariner
1868 Benjamin is listed at University Hotel Glebe Rd
Cheers Kris :)
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Well Done Kris!
I guess Eupham will have lots of clues to follow up on now.
JM
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1841 census
HO107/561/25 Folio 12 Page 17
Grove St
Liverpool
PURSS Mary 30 No Ind
PURSS Benjamin 2 Y
PRINGLE Jane 5 Y
EVANS Elizabeth 25 N Female Servant
Benjamin PURSS born Mar 1/4 1839 West Derby 20 841
Cheers Kris :)
Yes Eupham should be pleased with the latest developements here JM ;D
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Well it is probably them into Melbourne as Judb pointed out in her reply there are a number of "hits" regarding Edard Purss master mariner in the newspapers.
And they arrived into Sydney shows on the unassisted site from Melbourne to Sydney
Jenn
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death in Victoria
PURSS Mary Anne died 1855 aged 12 birth place Live ( no doubt Liverpool)
father Edward mother Mary Anne Milburn regno 4207
Jenn
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Well done, Jenn - there's a nee name for Mrs Purss, and I was about to post that I could not find Mary Ann in NSW bdm records. What a series of grand surprises for Eupham when next back online!
Cheers, JM
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Yes it matches the parents names given in reply no 13 by Eupham.
However I don't think Eupham knew the parents had come to Australia, but we will find that out when Eupham comes back on line
Jenn
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Aha It helped with the marriage too ;D
Edward PARSS = Mary Ann MILBURN Mar 1/4 1838 West Derby 20 549
EDIT: Hohum, its in reply 13 also
Cheers Kris :)
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Hi All,
Oh my god! I go away for one day and look at all the bricks you guys have knocked off that wall that I hit. Where to start, you're right Jenn it never occured to me that Benjamin's parents had come out as well. Perhaps it's because they went to Melbourne first. Let me see if I've got this right
Sept 1853 - arrived in Melbourne on "LOWESTOFT" with Edward Purss 45 (Capt), Mary Ann 40, Benjamin 13 and Mary Ann 8.
1855 - Sister Mary Ann dies age 12 in Melbourne
28th Apr 1860 - arrived in Sydney on "ELIZABETH" with Edward, Mary Ann and Benjamin.
I did see all the times Edward Purss was mentioned in the old newspapers yet the penny didn't drop. Where would I be without you guys (still banging my head against that brickwall) :)
Cheers
Eupham :)