New to Australian Research!

[Abiam2]

Just marking!  But must say how I have enjoyed this thread,
Abiam

[Ruskie]

Hello Elizabeth and welcome to rootschat! It is great to have you join in this thread.

This is a very interesting family . Any pictures and anything at all you can post is really most welcome. I, for one would be interested to learn about the family in Scotland.

It would be very worthwhile for Janet to purchase the book you recommend. It seems the sort of book which should be in our archives. It is fascinating to find out the stories of these people.

Do you mind telling us where you fit into the McGavin family? Do you know what relation you and Janet are to eachother?

Do you know if Robert left a will - I have been unable to find this in Qld as yet, but as he died in Sydney I don't know where it may be, if there is one? Do you know what he was doing in Sydney? How long was his illness?

This is all very exxciting!

[Ruskie]

Here you go Janet:

You can order online and pay with the credit card  . This company is reliable.

http://www.gould.com.au/SearchResults.asp?Search=helenslee

PS. Are you able to help Janet and tell her who Janet and William are. who travelled with Robert McGavin and family on the Helenslee?

PPS. Is Robert's correspondence transcribed or photgraphed, do you know? I'm sure Janet would appreciate seeing his lovely writing  .....

[fridayjan]

Thanks Ruskie,

I'd spotted the Gould site earlier today after a google search, but as you now say they're reliable, my order is already winging it's way to them!

I've just done a quick calculation on my family tree maker, and I think Elizabeth and I are 4th cousins once removed.

Still no sign of Janet and William Thomson - I daren't put another question about them on here just yet as I'm sure I'll get really snowed under with information and even more confused!

We recently had a very unexpected holiday (a relative was ill  and we were asked at 5 days notice if we'd like to go ) in the West Indies on an island only 30 miles from St Vincent and had hoped to get there to look for records of Adam Skelly (Margaret's brother), but the flight was cancelled because it was overbooked (?) .  Since we got home I've managed to find a paid researcher on the island (this was before I discovered the fantastic Rootschat) so hopefully I'll be getting some information from there soon.

Janet

[Ruskie]

Hi Janet,

Please let us know about any interesting revelations in the book. Look forward to you receiving it.

I'll see what Elizabeth says about Robert's letters in the book - if they're transcripts, I'll still get the images for you from the archives. If they're images of the letters, you probably won't need me to get them from the archives. (But let me know if you still do  ) Unfortunately they're on film, so not as nice and 'hands on' as if they were the original letters.

I think it would be best if you started another thread for each person/family you're looking for (I know there is some cross-over). If you want to start one for Adam, don't forget to add a link to this thread. Similar for the Thomsons. This will save people searching through records that may have already been searched in the hunt for your McGavins, and provide people with some background on the families.

I couldn't find the Thomsons coming into Queensland, but they may have gone to another state, America, New Zealand ... England  - anywhere. Adam and David aren't overly common names, so (in theory) should be a little easier to track down 

 
 

[ewilkin]

Hi Ruskie and Janet,
A couple of answers and a couple of questions.

Robert and Margarets children were as I see it Janet 1836, Mary 1838, Robert 1840, JOhn Adam 1844, James 1845, Jane 1846, William 1849, Agnes 1855, Margaret 1854.  Agnes died 8mth old in Sept 1855 of TB buried Glasgow necropolis.

The rest of the eight children seem to listed as traveling on the Helenslee with them although there is some doubt about the Matthew that is listed on the passenger list and James is not on the list and MAtthew is the right age for it to be James -  this could be an error in transcribing ?  Seems reasonable to assume that all the children would travel with the family.

The book on the ship is mostly transcribed, particularly the letters of Robert.   There are some photo copies in the back but they are of a more general nature.
I would love to have a copy of something Roberts hand if that could be arranged as well I would be very grateful.

Are you connected in some way to the family Ruskie?

I some crib sheets with a shortened version of the family's movements in Scotland which I can send by e-mail - I will send them to you Janet, and you if you wish Ruskie.
I shall also send some photo's and one interesting one of their old address at "Ibox Holm" where they were living in the 1841 census.   Went to have look at the address when there but the houses are now gone and a council estate there but the old terrace houses were still behind the estate.   When you see the photo you can see where the trees are still growing in the same position in the oval.
There was also quite an influence in Kilwinning as there were two streets and a rather large park named after them.  I think Roberts brother lived there at some stage.
Cheers Elizabeth
PS - Haven't found Roberts will - shall investigate that further - something I haven't really looked for as yet.
Have tried to post some photo's but the files are all too large so I'll email them.

[ewilkin]

Hi again,
To another questsion regardin Roberts Death I got his death certificate and its lists the following details that may be of interest.

Died 30th March at Nicholson Street, Balmain (Sydney)- listed as Robert McGavin - Gentleman Male 61 years died of Softening of the brain -  Father Robert McGain Merchant - Mother MAry Reid - certified by Margaret McGavin wife.
Buried at Balmain Cemetry - It seems he had only been in NSW for 7 months at time of death - Children of marriage listed as four males and two females living and two males deceased.
The list of children is interesting as they don't seem to account for Agnes's death in scotland so counting her that adds up to 9 children  instead of the 8 I have which Is another mystery??   Also that meant that two males died from the time of arrival till 1871 - I don't know which ones at this stage.
Cheers Elizabeth

[Ruskie]

Thanks Elizabeth,

Well I will certainly get copies of those letters sent to both of you. Robert does have lovely handwriting  . Not sure when I'll next get to the archives - maybe a week or two if you can wait that long  .

Not sure about the 'different' children travelling out with the family. I was told that the first list was compiled before departure, and the second list upon arrival - presumably by two different people, so unsure if there was a mistranscription. It's a bit of a puzzle.

Interesting that Margaret was in Sydney with Robert when he died. I wonder if Robert was doing some kind of business there. I will have to look up 'softening of the brain' - maybe he went to Sydney for medical treatment?

Re his d/c. Yes, strange that Agnes isn't counted as a dead child. You would think that Margaret would have given all these details. However if someone else did, perhaps they didn't know about Agnes?

I am not connected to the family - just doing a few lookups for Janet. I feell like a am a relative though . Yes, please, do send anything you can via email, I would be very interested to see.

If you are clever enough to manage to post any images etc on this thread, that would be good (as other readers may also be interested).

 

[fridayjan]

Hi Elizabeth and Ruskie,

It is a bit puzzling about the McGavin children isn't it?!

According to the 1851 census there were Janet/Jessie (1836), Mary (1838), Robert (1841), John (Adam Skelly) (1844), James (1847) and William (1849).

In 1861 there were Janet, Mary, Robert and John and Margaret (1852), and James and William were at school in Taunton, Somerset (I'm pretty sure it's them - the census there says they were born in Scotland and the ages would fit).

Agnes was born and died in 1855 (on her birth certificate it says she was Margaret's 8th child and there were 4 boys and 4 girls living).

My theory about the passenger lists is  , that Jane should read James (the ages could fit),  errrr, but I don't know where Matthew fits in!

According to the dates I have, Janet died in 1868 and 3 boys were still living when Robert Snr died in Sydney in 1871 (not too sure when Robert (the one excluded from Margaret's Will) died).  So to my totting up there would have been 2 females living, 3/4 males living and 2 females deceased.

I hope this makes sense (it did to me when I started the message but I'm not too sure now! ).

Janet