RootsChat.Com

Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Madraykin on Monday 05 July 10 15:27 BST (UK)

Title: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: Madraykin on Monday 05 July 10 15:27 BST (UK)
Hi all,

Well I never! I never thought that I'd get to go far abroad with the family, and after some unsuccessful USA links I'm trying to follow up a rather interesting potential Australian link.

A long-lost family member that I'm now in contact with after FT work pointed me in the direction of the 1854 news report here: http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3175183?searchTerm=Robert+Chambers

Now the man in question in this case is Robert Francis Hodgson, and it appears his wife snuck in to his house and made off with the kids for some reason!

We're trying to find out if this RFH is the same as my GGG Grandfather RFH. It seems a long shot, but he was a Master Mariner by 1864 and regularly sailed his ship to Australia. He also has links to the East India Company, just as this gentleman has. Just quite excited that there's a potential 'other family', but trying not to get my hopes up too much!

Anyway, with my tiny knowledge of available Australian records I found that he and his wife - listed as 'Elizabeth Charlotte', although i don't know if Charlotte is a surname or middle name - had a daughter called Beata Theodosia Hodgson in St Lawrence, Sydney, in July 1853 (baptised Feb 1854).

I can't find anything else out about the parents though, and was wondering if any bright sparks with Aus FT know-how may have any ideas about how to go about finding more, if that is at all possible.

If anything the article makes for a really  funny read, despite the subject matter!

Thanks in advance all, you're all stars!

Mads
xxxx
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: aniph on Monday 05 July 10 22:28 BST (UK)
Hi there

There is a probate packet for Robert Francis Hodgson DOD 25 Nov 1871

http://investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/ResultList.aspx

Annie
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: Madraykin on Monday 05 July 10 22:39 BST (UK)
Hi Annie,

That's super - thanks so much. So I'm assuming this means that he passed away in Australia (excuse the ignorance!). It would be a good result as it means that it's not the same person!
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: aniph on Monday 05 July 10 22:47 BST (UK)
Well I can't find a death record for him on NSW BDM :-\

Annie
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: Madraykin on Monday 05 July 10 22:56 BST (UK)
Hmmmmmm....... well, it's not my blokey as he dies in 1874.

Interestingly there is another Robert Francis Hodgson that dies in 1871 in England.......... I wonder!!
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: sparrett on Tuesday 06 July 10 00:01 BST (UK)
Hi
An advertisemet regarding the sale of his house as part of deceased estate. 8/10/1873

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/13324325?searchTerm="robert francis hodgson"

Sue
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: sparrett on Tuesday 06 July 10 00:30 BST (UK)
In Queensland ??
Don't know ::)

In 1871 reg. B6789 Robert Hodgson.  father William Hodgson - ** born England aged 53 years

Sue
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: sparrett on Tuesday 06 July 10 01:01 BST (UK)
A death notice for the above man, here in the Brisbane Courier (Queensland) tells us he was commander of the ship SALAMANDA at his death.

We are told this man died in JUNE 1871

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1296739?searchTerm="robert Hodgson"



Sue
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: tropicalj on Tuesday 06 July 10 01:26 BST (UK)
the Qld Pioneer index shows that Robert Hodgson death date was the 4/6/1871 father William reg no B 6789 the B denotes the Brisbane Area

http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/12954678?searchTerm=Hodgson+Robert+Francis 
this is also an article about a Robert Francis Hodgson  it gives his sisters married name may have some clues perhaps?

edited by Jenn I see that it is the same article you had in your original post,  do you know if he had a sister Mrs Haggers?
Jenn
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: aniph on Tuesday 06 July 10 03:12 BST (UK)
I thought it read hersister Mrs Hagger??

I have found a tree on Ancestry

Parents: Abraham WHITE and Theodora Drieberg

Children: Herbert William 1808-1842
James Charles 1809-1894    J.C mentioned in article?
Charlotte Elizabeth 1811-1862 m Thomas West HAGGER
George William 1812-
Susannah 1813-
Charles Peter 1815-1858
Abraham Bennett 1818-1867

Annie
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: tropicalj on Tuesday 06 July 10 03:44 BST (UK)
I stand corrected it is HER sister

but  the White tree you have posted up Annie does not  show a  sister Elizabeth Charlotte, to the Charlotte Elizabeth who married a Hagger

 Elizabeth Charlottes was the name of the mother of the child Beata Theodosia Hodgson born in Sydney to Robert Francis Hodgson?

confused Jenn
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: aniph on Tuesday 06 July 10 03:59 BST (UK)
I'm confused too Jenn ;)

The JC White and MRS Hagger match :-\

To have one named Charlotte Elizabeth and another Elizabeth Charlotte is very puzzling as well
I'm not sure what to think!

Annie
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: sparrett on Tuesday 06 July 10 04:21 BST (UK)
Adding a note of no real help...But  :D

The "Theodosia" being the second given name of the child, is obviously a gesture towards the mother in the family tree "Theordora"

Sue
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: tropicalj on Tuesday 06 July 10 05:36 BST (UK)
true Sue and I also thought that the s could have been mistranslated and it is an R

Jenn
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: sparrett on Tuesday 06 July 10 05:45 BST (UK)

Ah well, if madraykin has evidence that his ROBERT FRANCIS HODGSON died in 1874 in UK, we simply have a co-incidence of names and occuptions I guess.

(Three of them, if you include the QLD man!! who was also a seafarer, born Eng. )

It would be interesting to know what his evidence is :D

Sue



Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: Madraykin on Tuesday 06 July 10 08:59 BST (UK)
Hi All,

What excellent work - and really interesting sources there.

A bit of a shame my ancestor didn't have all this lovely sounding property in Australia!

I'm lucky that we know an awful lot about our Captain Robert - we have numerous diaries that he wrote while at sea, and all of his mariner's certificates, plus a death certificate listing him as a Master Mariner (although with these coincidences I'm almost convinced to look again!). If only we could get a little more info on exactly where the Aus RFH was born!

Thanks so much for chasing my little mystery guys!

Mads
xxx 

(PS, I'm a girl :D)
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: Madraykin on Tuesday 06 July 10 09:04 BST (UK)
Ah - he's also a lot older. That death notice has him aged 53, which would put his birth around 1818.

My GGG Grandfather was an 1830 child!
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: sparrett on Tuesday 06 July 10 09:11 BST (UK)
That death notice has him aged 53,MADRAYKIN

That is the QLD one.

He died JUNE 1871
(see posting #6 ).

The NSW Probate package one lists a death date of NOV. 1871
(see posting #1)

Sue
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: tropicalj on Tuesday 06 July 10 09:15 BST (UK)
 
Quote
If only we could get a little more info on exactly where the Aus RFH was born!

are you actually looking for where your ggggf was born????????


Jenn
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: Madraykin on Tuesday 06 July 10 11:02 BST (UK)
Nope - sorry if it has confused you!!!

I know everything about my GGG Grandfather - just thought that this was an interesting name coincidence that was pointed out to me, and investigating a little bit to see if it might be my GGG Grandad in the years he spent at sea before marrying my GGG Grandmother and writing his voyage diaries.

It doesn't seem to be, but this Parramatta guy seems a really interesting one all the same doesn't he?

[Edit] Just read back and it still doesn't seem clear. The two Australian RFH's aren't my relative, but as he has links with Australia it seemed sensible to follow up the name to check it wasn't the same person in Parramatta.
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: sparrett on Tuesday 06 July 10 11:10 BST (UK)
Hi Mads,
I agree with your "edit note" and think the team has followed up on it pretty thoroughly.
Hope your future hunting goes well.
Sue
Title: Re: Out of my depth in Australia!!
Post by: Madraykin on Tuesday 06 July 10 11:12 BST (UK)
Thanks Sue,

And thanks all for the help - it does seem like a rather interesting story - Victorian child abduction!