Strange Memo . . .

[mike175]

Think I've just about exhausted Thomas' foreign adventures, culminating in marrying the movie actress in Beverly Hills. Sadly he was widowed again by the 1940 census and living with his daughter and son-in-law, but apparently he lived to the age of 89, dying in 1953. So quite a long and full life 

Many thanks to everybody for the help. I'll post further updates if I'm fortunate enough to discover anything more.

Mike.

[mike175]

Finally received a copy of the father's will dated 1900, but it did not mention Thomas Herbert so I'm no further forward in my original quest. The family clearly lost touch with him some time after 1871, and later believed him to be in Australia.

I'm convinced all the records after 1882 relate to the same man, and I feel the odds are in favour of him being my relative.

I continue to search for that 1908 incident that started all this . . .

Mike.

[ThrelfallYorky]

.... And we all hope when you finally do discover the significance of that June 1st date, you WILL let us all know - please?

[Sarco]

All may not be lost with regards to Thomas' 1888 marriage in Gunnedah NSW.

The records that the NSW BDM hold for marriages for that time do not always tell the full story and can often be a bare bones recording of the event. The full details will be in the parish register - if it still survives. I had the same problem with a marriage at Mudgee in the central west of NSW but found all the details in the film of the register.

Many such PRs of the 19th century have been filmed and are available for viewing at the Society of Australian Genealogists in Sydney and in various public libraries around the state.

I have checked the SAG online catalogue and they hold film of the following registers from Gunnedah:

Primitive Methodists May 1884-Feb 1898

Wesleyan Methodists 1875-1885 but with gaps

CofE 1869 -1909 including Gunnedah but no dates specified for that place.

With a bit of luck the 1888 marriage cert. you received for Thomas and Alice should have the denomination, place and name of the officiating minister. If you could post these details it could be checked to see if the marriage is likely to have been filmed.

I live on the outskirts of Sydney and don't make it into the centre city very often but there maybe a rootschatter that does and is a member of the SAG and could do the lookup for you.

Darryl
Sydney Australia

[Sarco]

Just noticed that there is a tree on ancestry that has your Thomas H FOSS and his family in New South Wales. The owner of the tree 'Kanned' still seems to be active.

It has Thomas H FOSS as being killed in South Africa in 1902, perhaps a family yarn to cover his disappearance. But how did his sister Winifred Partridge know in 1913 that he had left Australia abt 1899 in company with Charlotte Peterson?

[mike175]

Sarco,
They were married in the Wesleyan Church, Gunnedah 16 Oct 1888 so it doesn't look promising. The place of birth is blank for bride and groom. Age and father's name are shown only for the bride.

I have been in touch with the owner of the tree on Ancestry, with limited success so far. There are many errors in the tree so I didn't pursue it very far. The same death date occurs in a couple of other trees, but I can find no source information.

My late father used to talk about his extended family and was interested in family history but never mentioned Thomas, who was his grandmother's brother. In fact, when I started serious family history I was unaware of his existence until I found the 1871 census.

The death of his mother when he was 7 and of his step-mother three years later, followed by his father's 3rd marriage when he was 15, could have resulted in an estranged teenager who 'ran away to sea'

One of the most convincing links is that the later Thomas always uses the same birthday on official records as the true birth date of my relative, although the year varies.

Mike.

[confused73]

Wonderful story, enough to inspire the rest of us that when we hit a brick wall, we do not give up.

[Sarco]

I had another look at the SAG library catalogue and what do you know, there is a pamphlet concerning the Davis family from Gunnedah, herewith the details:

Davis family history. ;
Material Type:   Pamphlet
Pagination:   43p. : ill., geneal. tables, maps ; 30cm.
Summary:   Thomas (1819-1902) & Eleanor Davis (1819-1887 nee Besant) came from Upavon, Wiltshire; they married in 1841. They left England on the "Queen of England" in 1854 with their three children. By 1862, they had moved to Gunnedah, eventually living at Piallaway. This history was issued to commemorate a reunion of descendants held at Narrabri in 1993.

Perhaps Abner and Alice were part of that family?

Regarding the marriage, it could be that the Wesleyans became the Primatives as the dates are more or less contiguous so it could still be useful to check the film

Darryl

[mike175]

Thanks Darryl, I just checked and Abner was a son of Thomas and Eleanor Davis from Wiltshire 

Mike.