Alfred James SMITHSON mystery

[perilsofpauline1]

I have a birth certificate for a Dennis Charles SMITHSON (b.1891 Brisbane) that says his father Alfred James SMITHSON, was born in Manning River NSW, he was a drover, aged 57 years , but I can find no birth marriage or death for Alfred anywhere. His three children were all born in Qld between 1887 and 1891.Can anyone help find this elusive man please???
Pauline

[tropicalj]

Hello  there Pauline can you also tell us  his mothers name as well 

Jenn

[tropicalj]

I  had a look  and the mothers names was Minnie Metherelle Summers.

you say he was 57 years not impossible but !!

Jenn

[jorose]

Minnie Metherell Summers was born in Devon in 1865 and seems to have come to Queensland aged 13 in 1878 with her family.
She also seems to have ended up as "Minnie Metherelle Johnston" on the Australia voting lists, if anyone can take a look at who else was with her then.
Son Wilfred seems to have married as "Johnston" in 1909.

There are children listed in 1896 and 1903 as the children of William Johnston and Minnie Metherelle Summers (or Minnie Metherille Summers). 

So somewhere between 1891 and 1896 Alfred dies/leaves the family, and Minnie and William get together, but I can't find any marriages at all for Minnie.

[judb]

Qld electoral rolls:
1913 and 1919
Minnie Metherelle Johnston, home duties at Montague St, Cooparoo
Also in Montague St, Lily Johnston, h d; William Johnston, basket maker; Wilfred Kendall Ryan Johnston, hawker

Also in 1919
Gladys Vera Elsie Johnston, machinist address given as Montague St, Stone's Corner, Cooparoo

In 1925
Minnie, William, Gladys, and Wilfred all at Montague St (seems to be in Bulimba now) also
William John Johnston, milk vendor,

I cannot see any of them after 1925.

Cheers, Judith

[perilsofpauline1]

Hi Judith, Jenn and Jorose,
Thanks so much for all of that info - like you I cant find any marriages for Minnie. She was supposed to have married William Johnston in London 1895 stating she was a widow, but Alfred James Smithson just seems to have disappeared.
Her youngest child Denis Charles Smithson appears to have taken the Johnstone name when he first married.
I'm very grateful for those electoral roles, also the children born to William and Minnie, but its a bit of a mystery don't you think? (No, I should be used to this kind of thing by now!!)
Warm regards from Pauline, nearly midnight in Oz

[tropicalj]

Just to detail  the  children

1887/B38926 Smithson Wilfred Kendall Ryan 
1891/B48845 Smithson Denis Charles
1896/B59394 Johnston Gladys Vera Elsie   
1903/C7260 Johnston William John Adam

Does  the birth certificate say where and when  the mariage was supposed to have occurred?

Jenn 

[judb]

Had a quick look on FreeBMD and could see no marriage (that would fit) in London 1894-6 for a William Johnston, nor a Minnie Smithson, or Minnie Summers.  No mention of those names on the Inward (to UK) passemger lists for the dates between 1891 and 1896. 

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

I see by the electoral rolls that Wilfred also took on the Johnston surname, by 1913 anyway.  Is it your Minnie at school in Hathersleigh, Devon with her 3 sisters in Uk census 1871?

Judith

[perilsofpauline1]

Thanks Jenn and Judith,
All the info I have is that the marriage was supposedly  in London 1895. I'm wondering if this is NOT the London in the UK? Or if there never was a marriage?
yes Judith, I think that is my Minnie with her sisters in1871. I might check to see what i can find out about the school.
Thanks everyone for all your help - I might just keep the topic open a little longer to see if anyone can find a birth marriage OR death of William Johnstone.
Cheers,
Pauline