RootsChat.Com

I have this family on the 1861 Census there is also an Agnes Dyke born 1849 in Coventry and in the 1871 Census I have Thomas Joseph Dyke 49 Watch Finisher Hannah 47 Henry 14 Watch Finisher Catherine 12 Agatha 10 Stephen Thomas 8 and Lucy 20 Lucy is my Great Grandmother she is crossed off the Census I think because she is already married and is Lucy Burke. Agnes goes missing in 1871 and Henry I cannot find after the 1871 Census. They all seem to be born in Coventry and spent most of their life at 21 Hill st. I have marriages and all other records for this family except for Agnes and Henry can anyone see them Thanks Lynette

Henry Joseph Dyke was the son of Thomas Joseph Dyke and Hanna Smallwood. Born in Coventry on 30 December 1856, he emigrated to Australia in around 1879. I understand that other members of the family may have arrived in Australia before Henry. Interestingly, Henry changed his name to Vandyke after his arrival in Australia. The story passed down is that the family was originally from Holland, but had anglicised their name to Dyke when they emigrated to England, then Henry changed it back in Australia. Henry married Annie Kate Parsons (born 1861 in Kingsclere Hampshire) in Charters Towers, Queensland, and they had a number of children as they moved down the east coast of Australia, then to New Zealand, then back to Sydney. One of the children was Irne (known as Ernie) Francois Vandyke, born in Christchurch New Zealand in 1898. Irne was my father. Happy to share other info I have. I had some contact with Don Burke more than a decade ago, but we have not communicated in a long time. Regards, John Vandyke