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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Newbie in SA on Saturday 06 July 13 09:17 BST (UK)
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Hi Everyone!
Just as I thought I had found all the leaves for one branch of my tree, a newspaper article popped up and alerted me that one leaf was missing .. ???
I am researching my Irish ancestors, the Courtenays of Waterford. However, Edward Courtenay 1814 - 1890 until today, in my mind had 5 daughters. All accounted for with husband's and children. Neatly arranged!
The newspaper article (Waterford News) makes mention of one of his grandchildren Lt. S.H Willis having come from Australia with the Imperial Australian Forces and had been through a terrible time in Gallipoli and all through the recent fighting on the Somme.
I have gone through every record I can lay my hands on, but have been unable to trace another daughter that could have married a Willis and immigrated to Australia.
Any Guru wishing to perhaps take a stab at this?
Kind Regards
Vanessa
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Hi,
What do the initials S.H stand for please?
Leanne
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Hi Leanne
Thank you for your interest.
This is what makes the search so impossible! The newspaper article only mentions the initials. I even had a long hard look at family names to try and figure out possible names. S.H must be from the father's side as it does not appear in the Courtenay line. (except for the name Hovendon)
Vanessa
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Hi,
A possibility:
COURTENAY Frances Elizabeth Liverpool 8b 123
WILLIS Stewart Henry Liverpool 8b 123
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
Leanne
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Hi Leanne
Thank you so much, I will follow that lead and let you know what happens!
Vanessa
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Hi,
Are you able to provide any information on the COURTENAY family, such as names etc, did they have any connection to Rangoon, India or New Zealand?
Leanne
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A long shot ... ;D was there a date on that marriage? And about when were daughters born? I'm struggling to work out a time line.
Well I'll throw it into the mix ...
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28131382
WILLIS.—August 10, at Havelock, N.Z.. Reginald Courtenay Willis, beloved eldest son of Mr. and
Stewart Willis, aged 34 years.
It appeared in Sydney Morning Herald 21 Aug 1912
regards,
Ros
adding : on NZ BDM it says he was 24 years old - no parents
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Hi,
Oops sorry Ros:
Marriages Sep QTR 1875
Hi,
This is the one I was looking at:
WILLIS Rajah Henry
Service Number - Lieutenant
Place of Birth - Rangoon India
Place of Enlistment - Liverpool NSW
Next of Kin - (Mother) WILLIS Francis Elizabeth
http://www.naa.gov.au/
Leanne
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Hi Leanne
No connections to India as far as I am aware, a branch of the family did settle in New Zealand. I did follow your Willis lead, but sadly I do not think it fits. Elizabeth Frances Courtenay (Willis) was born in England and I know that my ancestor, which would be her father never left Ireland. Also there is a index in the 1901 and 1911 England census for her, no son mentioned.
Here are some more info for you that I have on Edward from Ireland, perhaps that will help.
Edward Courtenay 1814 - 1890 m Sarah Susannah Walker 1820 - 1895
Children:
James Harold m Mary Elizabeth Micks stays in Ireland and has only one son
Mary m Henry Edward Clibborn immigrates to New Zealand and has 3 children
Sarah Lydia m Edward Clibborn stays in Ireland and has 6 children
Edward St. George immigrates to USA and remains unmarried
William Hovendon m Jane Elizabeth Crumbie immigrates to South Africa and has 2 children
Ida Clibborn m James Francis Thompson dies during her honeymoon
Charlotte Anne m James Cavanagh Murphy remains in Ireland and has 4 children
Rose Mabel m Thomas Fraser immigrates to Canada and has 3 children
Like looking for a needle in a haystack?
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Hi Ros,
Thank you for the info on Reginald Courtenay Willis. Interesting entry as Reginald is a family name! The time line however is off. The newspaper article refers to the Battle of Somme which took place in June 1914. And this Reginald died in 1912 .. Perhaps I have more family that I don't know of! It is however quite possible that he could be the brother of the LT S.H Willis that I am seeking!
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Yes Newbie - I didn't think he was Lt S.H.Willis (even my poor history is better than that ;D ). I just thought he could be a brother ... ?
I can't find an S.H. Willis in embarkation roll http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/nominal_rolls/first_world_war_embarkation/?Name=willis&ServiceNumber=&Unit=
or nominal roll http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/?Surname=willis for WW1.
The closest I can find is a Seaman Willis (!) (no middlename) born in Kent in 1880'ish with NOK brother George and on his marriage cert (included in service record), his father is Timothy Willis (deceased). Hmmm nothing to tie him in and he doesn't seem likely ... :(
regards,
Ros
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Ros!
Please forgive me, I did not mean to offend you! I get so carried away and was excited at the family name connection, I really did not want to give you a history lesson!! I am extremely grateful for the wonderful support that I get from guru's like yourself and would not in a million years have got to where I am without this support.
I do think you found the right family, if I can only tie it back to my tree now..
Vanessa
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No offence taken at all Vanessa :) I am just fumbling around looking for Courtenay Willis connections or an S.H. Willis in WW1 ... :D
cheers,
Ros
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;D Thanks Ros!
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Hi,
There is a connection between Rajah Henry and Reginald Courtenay.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KDR1-PJK
Reginald Courtenay WILLIS, "New Zealand, Probate Records, 1848-1991"
Image 121 gives Elizabeth Francis as living in Sydney N.S.W and Edward Julian TOSSWILL (Lawyer) of Port Ligar New Zealand.
Rajah Henry on his WW1 Service Document gives his mother as Francis Elizabeth WILLIS of Port Ligar, Sounds County, New Zealand.
Also an address of 1 Queens Street Rushcutters Bay, N.S.W
Edit to add:
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DOM19151018.2.46.2&srpos=2&e=-------10--1----2willis+port+ligar--
Further Edit:
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=MEX19120821.2.27
Leanne
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Hi Leanne!
So it seems that the two are definitely brothers. You guys are amazing. Now can you wave your magic wand and fit them into my family tree? ;D
V
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Hi Leanne and Ros
This is the way I understand it thus far:
Mother: Elizabeth Frances Courtenay ??
Father: Stewart Henry Willis
Children: Rajah Henry Willis
Reginald Courtnay Willis
E.J Tosswill nee Willis (the solicitor’s wife)
Reginald Courtnay WILLIS
In the article from the Marlborough Express the obituary mentions that he was the son of Captain S.H Willis and that Mrs E.J Tosswill of Port Ligar is his sister. We also know from the probate record that his solicitor is Edward Julian Tosswill of Port Ligar (my presumption ... his brother-in-law)
We know from the probate record that his mother is Elizabeth Frances Willis
And that Rajah Henry Willis has the same mother, according to his WWI service record and is in Egypt in 1912 with the 18th battalion in the Australian Forces
There is still no Lt S.H Willis (as per my newspaper article in the Waterford News), could it actually be a third son? Fighting in Gallipoli and Somme in 1914.
What do you think?
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Lieutenant Rajah Henry WILLIS aka Stewart Henry WILLIS (Jr) is the one your are looking for :)
http://dhistory.org/archives/naa/items/8855081/
Death:
Rajah Willis d. 18 June 1949 QLD #B22354
Father: Stewart Henry WILLIS
Mother: Elizabeth Frances COURTENAY
Stewart Henry WILLIS d. 18 June 1949 QLD #B22354
Father: Stewart Henry WILLIS
Mother: Elizabeth Frances COURTENAY
https://www.bdm.qld.gov.au/IndexSearch/BirIndexQry.m
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NZ Electoral Roll 1911
Stewart Henry WILLIS Jr
68 Cannon St, Christchurch North, Canterbury
Occupation - clerk
Also at the same address was his mother Frances Elizabeth WILLIS - married woman
He appears on AUS E Rolls as Rajah Willis.
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Siblings born in Waterford, Ireland:
Mabel Frances Caroline WILLIS b. 11 Apr 1876 - Johns Hill, Waterford, Ireland
Father's Name: Stewart Henry Willis
Mother's Name: Frances Elizabeth Courtenay
Reginald Courtenay WILLIS b. 13 Nov 1877 - Tramore, Waterford, Ireland
Father: Stewart Henry Willis
Mother: Frances Courtenay Willis
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Sibling born at SEA:
Willis Female b. 24 Jul 1890
Birthplace: Star of Austria, Merchant Marine, At Sea, Great Britain
Father: Stewart H Willis
Mother's Name: Frances E Courtenay
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Parents marriage:
Stewart Henry WILLIS m. Frances E COURTENAY 6 July 1875 St. Michael in the City, Liverpool, Lancashire #2054LP/8/422
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His father died suddenly in Australia:
WILLIS Stewart H age 67yrs 1918 ALBURY #211
Newspaper story:
trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/109707380
There are a few in the NZ papers also.
Mother died in NZ:
WILLIS Frances Elizabeth 76yrs 1925 #7964
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WOW WOW WOW, you are truly a Merlin!
That places his siblings in my Edward's house! My Edward is from John's Hill House John's Hill
The needle in the haystack has been found!
Thank you so very much for all the time and trouble that you went to Merlin. A Special thank you to Leanne and Ros for their time consuming searches in finding the initial links.
I am actually lost for words, when I started off this morning, I did not even have the Christian Name of this ancestor.
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When they arrived in NZ there was also a daughter Grace onboard with them.
This could be her birth:
Grace Sydney Ida WILLIS b. Jul-Sep 1883 Waterford, Ireland
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Thank you!!!
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Hi,
1899/4998
BRIDE Mabel Frances Caroline WILLIS
GROOM Edward Julian TOSSWILL
https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/
Leanne
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Hi,
I am not sure if there would be any different information but clarification of Rajahs' WW1 service is also available via N.Z Archives, if you go over to the N.Z Board they will let you know how to get this digitised, his Australian Service Document is available for viewing online at the link I gave earlier.
Rajah Henry Willis - Australian Imperial Force - Private, 18th Infantry Battalion, No.1305
1915 1915
New Zealand Defence Force,
Personnel Archives
Wgtn (Wellington)
http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/
Leanne