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Hi Everyone,
I'm trying to help my cousin with her husbands family. His Great Grandfather Robert Sproule, came to Victoria, Australia in the late 1850's-to early 1860's. We have a reference to him "puddling" near Bendigo in 1858 and he appears again on a passenger list coming back in from New Zealand as a Miner in 1862.

Robert married Maria Walsh at Bendigo on 26 October 1863. The age shown on their marriage certificate for him was 28 years. According to the certificate his father was Thomas Sproule, Farmer and his mother was Rose Watt, and states that Robert was born in Ballymena.

Robert died in a mining accident on 8 January 1867. His age shown on his death certificate was 32 years (b 1835).

I have found Thomas Sproule's death information on the 'Wills Callender'. He died on 13 March 1872 or on the 29 August 1872, the 'date of death' is shown as the August date but the 'date of grant' was shown as the March date, perhaps that should read 1873. I haven't yet found his death registration or where he is buried.  He was shown as 'late of Caugherty, Farmer'. The Letters of Administration for his estate were granted to his widow Rose Sproule of Caugherty (Ballymena).
From the 'Wills Calender' I have found Rose Sproule, Widow dying on 21 May 1879, late of Lower Broughshane. The Letters of Administration were granted to her daughter Sarah Johnston (Wife of Alexander Johnston of Ballymena same County Bread Server) a child of the deceased.

From various unverified sources it would appear that Thomas Sproule was born c1806 and Rose Watt was born c1808. We are trying to find their births and their parents, also their marriage and the births of their children and where Thomas and Rose are buried.

Any help anyone could give us on this family would be very much appreciated.
Regards,
Tissy

Many thanks John and Brian, you have given me a bit more to go on. It intrigues me that the whole family seems to have disappeared from Yorkshire between the 1841 & 51 census' and it has just occurred to me that I have only checked two States here for the immigration of all of them. We do know that John ended up in Victoria but perhaps the rest of his family also came here and settled in another State. I'll have a look all over for them and see what I can find and I will keep looking for the roots of Thomas and Mary.
Many thanks to everyone for all your help.
Regards,
Tissy

Hi All,

I am trying to trace the family of John Bower b Huddersfield  c 1831. John came to Australia, date unknown at this stage. On November 2, 1866 he married Alice Adams at St Luke's Church, Emerald Hill (South Melbourne) Victoria. According to their marriage certificate he was aged 35 and born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire to Thomas Bower, Farmer and Mary Balfour? (the writing is atrocius). At the time of their marriage John was shown as a Blacksmith but later became a farmer.

I have found a Thomas Bower b Yorkshire 1806, Labourer, at Fieldhouse, Huddersfield on the 1841 census. With him were wife Mary, b Yorkshire, 1811, son John b Yorkshire 1832, son William b Yorkshire 1837 son Francis b Yorkshire 1841 and a James Harrison, Lab/Lodger, b Yorkshire 1826. I have not been able to find any member of this family in Yorkshire for any census after that, but feel that this is John's family from the information on his marriage certificate.

On Free BDM there was a death of a Francis Bower in Huddersfield in the Dec 1/4 1844, also the death of a William in Huddersfield in the March 1/4 1850. There were six deaths for Mary Bower's listed in Huddersfield from the Dec 1/4 1844 to the March 1/4 1850. No sign of a death or a marriage for a Thomas Bower in that area, and no definite proof at this stage that Thomas came to Australia.  The names of Thomas, Mary William and Francis come up in the children of John and Alice.

I have tried to find a marriage of a Thomas Bower to a Mary Balfour, or similar, and have also tried to find the baptism records for the children listed on the 1841 census, all to little or no avail. On Family Search I have found a John, William and Francis born to a Thomas and Mary Bower with dates that match the census but they were born in Cawthorne and Scisset, South Yorkshire. I have not discounted them though.
If anyone could could help me find the marriage of Thomas and Mary and what happened to this family I would greatly appreciate it.

Regards,
Tissy

Hi Gus,

I'm sorry that I cannot help with any photos of E P O'Kelly. I've had a look on the Web but nothing comes up unfortunately. The only thing that I can think of is to contact the House of Commons to see if they have a portrait of him. The House of Commons Information Office can be contacted via email to hcinfo[ at ]parliament.uk. In Australia it was and is a common practice to have portraits taken of all sitting MP's so hopefully the same would apply in the UK. The only other place I can think of to look for a photo would be the Irish newspapers, The Freeman's Journal did have a lot of articles on him.
I'm in contact with quite a few descendants of the Kelly family from Baltinglass, I'll contact some of them to see if they can help. I do have a few photos of the Australian line of the family that came from Edward Peter's brothers, Thomas Joseph and John. When you have made another post, we will be able to contact each other via a PM and I can send you photos direct.
Good luck with the search,
Tissy