RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Brian1 on Thursday 17 March 05 20:12 GMT (UK)
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Hope someone can help.
William Dowling was born in Liverpool in 1872 ( December ) and emigrated to the U.S. where he fought in the Spanish American war. He then became a gold prospector in California and Alaska. At around 1900 ( not sure exactly which year ) he emigrated from the U.S. to Australia where he is thought to have settled as a farmer. No clue as to where he settled unfortunately.
Thanks to Jaki and Wendy, I have now received quite a bit of info. on his elder brother Henry A. Dowling. and if I can trace his descendants to the present day they may have some info on William.
Many thanks to anyone who may be able to help.
Brian1
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Hi Brian,
There are plenty of William Dowling deaths in Victoria so do you know if he has a middle name?
Did you check out N.S.W.?
cheers,
Wendy
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Hi Wendy
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately William does not have a middle name ( unlike most of the other Dowlings ). As you say there are too many Williams to be able to locate the correct one. Have tried NSW and Vic already.
Thank again.
Brian1
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Have you tried the national archives - www.naa.gov.au
A search gives 112 hits for William Dowling. A brief look gives (as an example)
DOWLING ROWETT STANLEY : Service Number - V34296 : Date of birth - 28 Mar 1920 : Place of birth - CARNEGIE VIC : Place of enlistment - ARMADALE VIC : Next of Kin - DOWLING WILLIAM
This COULD (only could) be a son of your William. There are probably others that may give some ideas.
The records from NAA can be seen for no charge, by requesting they be digitised & put online.
The main records you will get are WW1, WWII and immigration post 1945.
Trish
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Hi Trish,
I will take another look at WW2 and see if any of them correspond with William Dowling ( as a father ).
I managed to get the digitised copy of James Dowling WW1 who was Henry A. Dowlings son.
Thanks once more
Brian1 ;D
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Hi Trish,
William remains elusive as ever. Search all records but to no avail.
Thanks for your help
Brian
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Always a good idea to refresh your post - someone else will hopefully have some ideas
Trish
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Hi Trish,
Thought it was a good idea myself to bring it further up the postings. Someone may have something on William.
Brian
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One more time??
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What about giving us Williams parents names please
Jenn
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Hi Grub,
Yes one more time.
It is surprising how the answer can come out of the blue even a year or more after the original posting. This happened on the Irish site for Galway, which opened up a whole new line for me.
Thanks to Jenn for reminding me I should have put William's parents in the original posting. They were Thomas Dowling and Sarah Mary Dowling, both born in Ireland but living in Liverpool when William first emigrated to the US and then to Australia.
Many thanks
Brian
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Hi Brian,
Just a thought, did he become a US citizen, if so, then when he came to Australia, perhaps he had to renounce that citizenship to become a British Subject once again. If so, then perhaps there are Australian Naturalisation records, or even an Alien Card at the National Archives of Australia. These too can be digitised and put online, as mentioned by Trish Have you tried the national archives - www.naa.gov.au
The records from NAA can be seen for no charge, by requesting they be digitised & put online.
The main records you will get are WW1, WWII and immigration post 1945. Trish
Hope this helps, Cheers,
MA
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Hi Mary Ann,
Many thanks for the suggestion. Never thought of it, but he did join the American army and was in the Spanish American war of 1899 so he may well have become a US citizen.
Regards
Brian
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William Dowling was my Great Uncle We lost track of him in Alaska
In 1901 we have a photo of him at " Camp Russell on the Alaska Central North of the Divide- Gold Mining Camp
It was said that he then traveled the world My Grandfather was Thomas Dowling 2nd son of Thomas & Sarah
James, William, Thomas & John A. came to Boston I believe James & William came first
Joseph went to Argentina
Robert was planning to come to Boston but his wife changed her mindso the did not come
My mother was Winifred { Dowling } Myette
Peter {Myette} Palakavong Na Ayutaya
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Welcome to RCat Aust board. It is late at night here in NSW. I am sure that you will have several Rchatters along within the next day or so to update this thread as there has been many more archival material made more easily accessible since I posted on it in 2008 and that in fact this thread was started years before then. Cheers JM
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Many thanks MJ.
William still remains as elusive as ever and there is a hope that with new material coming online and new members, someone will find some information.
Brian
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Many thanks for all those who have contributed to this thread. One thing I have now learnt is that never overly rely on info given by relatives. In this case it was commonly thought William had gone to Australia somewhere around 1906, had married a widow and started a life of farming.... or so we all thought.
I have now found him in the 1930 US census aged 57.
Again many thanks for all of your help.
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This thread is now closed as I have Williams death details which place him in San Francisco, He died 12th May 1954. He was unmarried.