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Wow, all this research is amazing, thank you everyone! France is certainly sounding possible. French protestant would also certainly seem plausible for the time. Where are you all finding the French Dorizacs?

I have taken a DNA test which sadly gave no clues, saying I'm 100% English, Scottish and Irish (despite I know for sure I have quite a bit of distant French ancestry from another line). I am 7 generations removed from Peter Dorizac however, so I guess it makes sense that it might not show up.

Thanks for the help rosie99, I'd got the dates of birth from censuses, but the GRO records are more accurate.

The 1841 document sounds fascinating - what sort of document is it? And where could I see it? I don't have a Caroline Dorizac, but I think she must be from the first wife. After researching that ship, it seems as though he must have lived with his first wife around Chatham docks, then ended up in Sheppey with Ellen Chapman after the ship traveled there.

iluleah, yes I originally thought Dorizas, the Greek name, could be theirs. However, I also find variations such as Dorizack and Dorzack in Germany, Drizac in France, Doriszak and Darazac in Hungary. So I don't want to make assumptions without knowing for sure, as it could be any of those! I'm thinking that the name could possibly be Prussian?

Hello!

I'm researching an interesting surname and route of my family tree. My great, great, great grandmother was Louisa Dorizac, born in Sheerness, Kent in 1848. This name caught my eye as it's clearly not English and I've been trying to find the origin.

Louisa's father was John Dorizac, born in c.1795 in New Windsor. John was part of the Royal Waggon Train at Waterloo in 1815. He then joined the Navy and was an A.B. aboard the ship Glasgow (some time between 1793-1827). He married Louisa Collins in 1832 in Kent, then after she died at an unknown time, married Ellen Chapman some time before 1844 when they have their first child together. They go on to have 7 children, always living in Sheerness, Kent. Later in life John is a Greenwich Pensioner. He dies in 1864 in Sheerness.

John Dorizac's father is Peter Dorizac. Although I can't find a baptism for John, there is only one Dorizac in Britain born before him - Peter. Therefore, it must be his father. Peter is born c.1770 (not sure where). He marries Sarah Thompson in Clewer, Berkshire in 1794. After she dies in 1797, he marries Elizabeth Meads in Hampshire in 1811. He dies in 1834 in New Windsor, Berkshire.

This Dorizac family is the only family with that surname in Britain until modern times. Most other Dorizacs in the world seem to be in New Zealand, Australia or America. I can't find any with that spelling of the name in Europe. It seems that the Dorizacs were possibly not originally called that, but spelt their name that way when they came to England. The Dorizacs in New Zealand etc. are probably descendants from this family that emigrated.

I would love to find where the Dorizac surname originates and what the original version of this name was. Even in the British Dorizac family, it's often recorded or transcribed wrong (e.g Dorizas/Dowizac/Doryzac etc). I'd also love to know where Peter Dorizac came from and what he did, as I can't find any information about him. Could there be a connection to another country from his son being in the Navy/fighting at Waterloo?

I'd be very grateful for any information.

Ellen Harling

I posted in both boards as I thought there may be people with different research interests in both boards, meaning I would be able to gather more information. I didn't realise the same people would reply in both boards, apologies.

I'm currently researching my ancestor Zebulon Harling, born in Warlingham, Surrey in 1809, son of Thomas Harling. I am having trouble finding the identity of his wife, who he married and had a child with while serving in the army in Madras, India. I was wondering if anyone could help me find her?

Zebulon Harling traveled to India some time after 1832 (when he was discharged from Fleet Prison). On 10th Jan 1838, he married Elizabeth Death in Madras, India. On 18th October his son Joseph Zebulon (later Joseph Alfred) Harling was born and baptised at St Thomas Mount, Madras. In 1842, he took part in the China Campaign as Brigade Searjeant in the Madras Artillery. In 1842, Elizabeth died in Madras and is buried at St Thomas Mount. By November 1849, Zebulon has come back to England and re-married Ann Marchington in Kennington.

Elizabeth was a widow when she married Zebulon Harling, so Death must have been her married name with her previous husband. I can't find her maiden name anywhere and so can't find out anything about her. I also can't find her marriage to her first husband and don't know if it was in England or in India, or who the identity of her first husband (Mr Death) is. According to her death register, she was born around 1810.

Another mystery is that a William Harling is baptised at St Thomas Mount on 19th December 1838 to Zebulon and Elizabeth Harling. However, according to the record he was born on 17th November 1831 - before Zebulon was in India and presumably while Elizabeth was with her first husband. Could William actually be the child of Elizabeth and her first husband? Or is it just a mistake?

If anyone could give me any pointers as to where I could go from here to find out more about Elizabeth, I'd be very grateful. Also, if anyone has any idea how I could find out more about Zebulon's time in the army in Madras, I'd love to know, as I can't find out much about his time there or service.

Thanks! Ellen Harling