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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Bob_SA_Oz on Friday 26 April 13 09:41 BST (UK)
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I would particularly like to find out about when and how my grandfather Thomas Hughes arrived in South Australia, his date of death, circumstances and burial place. He was born 21 January 1891 in West Ham, UK, married Mary Elizabeth White on 2 September 1910, and served in the merchant service (CR10 463797). He resided in Coburg Road Alberton, South Australia from about 1927-1931. He worked as a wharf labourer in Port Adelaide. He appeared before the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court in 1927 for threatening to harm his wife and was put on a good behaviour bond for 12 months. Family anecdotal history says he died when he fell into a ship's hold sometime before about 1938. I cannot find any indication of a death record or coroner's inquest in the State Library of SA. Similarly, a search of digitised newspapers and cemetery records has failed to provide any clues. Can anyone help please?
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His wife stated in the court appearance on Tues 7 Nov 1927 that she and her family had been in SA for 6 months.
Advertiser Wed 9 Nov 1927
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0tp8/
I always treat family stories with a degree of caution. So many are inaccurate. Perhaps he simply left her. There would have been an inquest into an accident and a death certificate would have been issued.
I have searched a resource Inquests 1880-1942 and there is no inquest recorded for a Thomas HUGHES in South Australia.
Cando
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Hi Bob
The NAA passenger arrivals index have Mr TJ HUGHES and Mrs M HUGHES and a number of children listed on the ship Beltana that arrived 10 May 1927.
Essie
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1939 SA Electoral Roll has:-
Thomas James Hughes (occ: Assistant), at 77 Dale St., Pt Adelaide.
Also at that address is Mary Elizabeth Hughes, home duties and Kathleen Florence Hughes, home duties.
Regards,
Sashar
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The 1941 Electoral Roll is the same but in 1943 it just has Mary Elizabeth HUGHES at 77 Dale St., Pt Adelaide.
Thomas James HUGHES is at 33a Cannon St., Pt Adelaide and is a mechanic.
There is a Kathleen (no middle name mentioned) HUGHES at Gladstone Ave, Kilburn (machinist).
I believe there may be another Electoral Roll but that is all I have.
May be no connection but thought worth posting,
Regards,
Sashar
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Thanks Essie....I was just about to post the same info.... :) I think it is their son.
The passenger list on the BELTANA lists a Thomas James HUGHES 12 years with Mary Elizabeth HUGHES 37 years, Housewife; Mary Elizabeth HUGHES 16 years, Factory hand; Dorothy Rose HUGHES 14 years,Factory hand; Kathleen Florence HUGHES 10 years, Vera May 3 years and John William 2 years. Their last address in the UK 50 Emma Street, Silvertown E16.
In 1911 Thomas gave his age as 22 so possibility born c1889 not 1891.
This is the only marriage I can find for a Thomas to a Mary E in the period however they stated they had been married for a full year on 2 Apr 1911. Do you have the reference for their marriage in Sep 1910.
Marriages Sep 1910
HUGHES Thomas W Ham 4a/680
THOMAS Mary E W Ham 4a/680
Cando
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I believe the Thomas James HUGHES at 33a Cannon St., is the son of TJ & ME HUGHES. (just confirmed by Cando)
There are records on NAA, he was born 4.10.1914 LONDON, NOK Mary (mother), Dale St address.
He served on the Cerberus for about 9 months but was discharged 1940.
In 1943 at 33 Cannon St., there is also:-
Desmond Michael HAMDEN - ships fireman
Joyce May HAMDEN - home duties
Joyce's maiden name was LINDSAY and she lived at Dale St., Pt Adelaide when she was engaged in 1939, so maybe the families knew each other. In 1943 Desmond was lost in action, drowned at sea. I can't see his WW2 service record but his wife and mother applied for Mothers and Widows badges.
Cyril James HARTLEY was also at 33 Cannon St., (labourer).
Just mentioning all this in case something connects for you.
Sashar
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Hi
Found this record at Cheltenham Cemetery
Name: Hughes, Thomas James Date of Death: 11 January 1957 Age: 42 Years
Last Abode: QUEENSTOWN, SA Service Type: Burial
Cemetery: Cheltenham Cemetery Section: Section T Drive: D Path (#): 11(22) Site Number: 326S
Could be the son
there is also a Mary ELizabeth
Name: Hughes, Mary Elizabeth Date of Death: 06 November 1947 Age: 59 Years
Last Abode: PORT ADELAIDE, SA Service Type: Burial
Cemetery: Cheltenham Cemetery Section: Section E Drive: B Path (#): 6(28) Site Number: 197C
Hope this helps
Cass
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I think you are right Cass.
Mary Elizabeth's death on TROVE:-
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/43741452?searchTerm=hughes mary elizabeth&searchLimits=l-decade=194|||l-year=1947 (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/43741452?searchTerm=hughes mary elizabeth&searchLimits=l-decade=194|||l-year=1947)
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You may have already looked into this one.
Name: Thomas Hughes
Registration #: 12129/1958
Father's name: Thomas
Mother's name: Elizabeth
Registration district: Ryde, NSW
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Hi
Do you know Thomas Snrs parents christian Names?
Cass
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I also found this article on a Thomas Hughes who was a sailor.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/102676978?searchTerm=%22Thomas%20Hughes%22&searchLimits=l-decade=193
P.S_ scrap this one, his parents are William & Bedelia :(
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May be his family if his age was accurate on the 1911 census ie born c1889
1891 Census RG12/315/84/31
Living at 12d Queens Street, Stratford, West Ham
HUGHES Charles Head 51 years Railway engine driver Born Warwickshire, Brinklow
HUGHES Elizabeth Wife 41 years Born Scotland Glasgow
HUGHES Frank Son 19 years Engine ?? apprentice Born Scotland Glasgow
HUGHES Alexander Son 17 years Engine ?? apprentice Born Essex West Ham
HUGHES Charles H Son 14 years Coach Maker's apprentice Born Essex West Ham
HUGHES Janet Dau 12 years Scholar Born Essex West Ham
HUGHES Jane E Dau 7 years Scholar Born Essex West Ham
HUGHES Thomas Son 2 Born Essex West Ham
HUGHES Unnamed Under 1 month Born Essex West Ham
EDWARDS Helen Servant 44 years Married Midwife Born London Islington
Another possibility
National Probate Calendar -Index of Wills and Administrations
HUGHES Charles of Shilton Warwickshire retired engine driver died 4 April 1916 Probate Birmingham 6 Jun to Elizabeth HUGHES widow Effects £284.5.5.
Elizabeth's maiden name is possibly KIRKLAND as her sister is living with she and Charles on the 1881 census.
All very speculative research.
Cando :)
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Thanks to all for your helpful information. To assemble various pieces in the puzzle, I can confirm that Mrs Mary Elizabeth Hughes and six children left Silvertown UK on SS Beltana (as noted by Essie and cando) and arrived in Port Adelaide in May 1927, just 6 months before the courtcase noted by cando. One of the six (Thomas James Hughes 12 y-o) was my father. The family including TH (my GF) lived in Coburg Road Alberton, initially. Later, Mary and children resided in Quebec St and Dale St, Port Adelaide at various times thereafter. The last record I can find of TH is in the 1931 issue of the SA Directory published by Sands and McDougall. Presumably he left the family in about 1930 and moved out of SA (hence no death record or inquest despite oral family history of his supposed death by accident on the wharf). TJH (my father) worked in Port Adelaide as a cycle mechanic and enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy 2-9-1939. He was discharged due to ill-health soon after, then served in the RAN Reserve. He died on 11-1-1957 and was buried in the Cheltenham Cemetery (as noted by CassT). His mother died 6-11-1947 (noted by Sashar) and is also buried there (again as noted by CassT), along with daughter Dorothy Rose and son-in-law Lionel Kerr. Her son-in-law Harry Butler (wife Kathleen) and grandson John are in the adjoining grave. The parents of TH (GF) were Thomas Hughes (born 19-2-1871 in Bootle cum Linacre) and Elizabeth Ann White (born 8-3-1872 in Canning Town), married 23-11-1890, St Like's Church, Victoria Docks. TH and ME Thomas married 2-9-1910 in the Registry Office, West Ham, as noted by cando. As a matter of interest, my GF is not the Thomas Hughes, coxswain Harbors Board launch, mentioned in the newspaper Advertiser 31-10-1927. This TH resided in Hargrave St, Birkenhead, a nearby suburb adjoining the Port River.
I thought for a time that the family mentioned by cando (Charles Hughes and Elizabeth Kirkland) were my relatives but after more searching I abandoned this idea. Nevertheless, this couple have an interesting family history - Charles was an engine driver and he may have met his future wife through her father who also worked on the railways. This family lived in Cowlairs Road, Springburn, Scotland near a major train station and works depot.
Back to the drawing board - when and how did TH (GF) arrive in SA from UK, and when and where did he die? lilpurplepearl may have the clue.
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He was born 21 January 1891 in West Ham, UK, married Mary Elizabeth White on 2 September 1910,
TH and ME Thomas married 2-9-1910 in the Registry Office, West Ham, as noted by cando.
No wonder I couldn't find the marriage Bob ;)
I assume that is your tree on ancestry?
All that aside have you considered he may have arrived in Australia as ship's crew and c1930 returned to the sea and the UK?
Cando :)
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Thanks again, Cando.
My tree is on ancestry (Hughes family tree 28-1-12). I agree that it is a possibility that TH arrived in Australia as ship's crew sometime before wife Mary and children followed him in 1927, and left the same way, either back to the UK or elsewhere. I am hoping that a visit to the SA Maritime Museum in Port Adelaide may help me. He is reported (Advertiser 9-11-1927 in Trove) as saying "He was working at sea for about three years, living away from home". The period he was referring to is unclear to me as the SA Directory published by Sands and McDougall lists him as residing in Coburg Road, Alberton, South Australia from about 1927-1931 while working as a wharf labourer in Port Adelaide. Electoral records in the SA State Library may help me confirm the actual time period.
He served in the merchant navy until about 1920 if I have interpreted correctly details on his CR10 card (ID 463797) and BT350_121037 form. This fits with the birth dates of his two younger children (John Willian Ernest born 1924, and Vera May born 1923). The next youngest was Kathleen Florence born in 1916. Or, his three year period away from home was after his discharge in 1920. I speculate from this possibility that the court report of him calling the younger children bad names may refer to his belief that they were not his children.
I have begun searching for death and other records of him in Australia but no luck so far.
Any other suggestions or advice would be most welcome.
Bob