Looking for Relatives of Richard Napoleon Wyombe Townsend REECE

[outback_thunda]

Hi everyone. my appologies I have been camping...SOOOO much fun. LOL

anyway back on topic.LOL.

Margaret i am a great great grandaughter of Richard Napoleon Whychombe Townsend Reece So I would love to chat with you... I havent yet read the postings but will get to that later today once we are unpacked from camping. I will keep in touch and i will try to Private message you and give you my email address also.

Chat soon. Dianne

[outback_thunda]

hello, also quick perusal there.LOL. umm what certificates do you need as I have a lot and may be able to simply photocopy them for you....Let me know and will get back to you later again..SO sorry..
Busy busy busy.

Di

[margaretatwinmalee]

Hello Dianne

It's really nice to have someone else interested in trying to piece together this bit of a puzzle. On the family tree that we have done (which is quite incomplete) we have just 3 more children of Richard's apart from Nora (husband's grandmother) - Richard H, William (Jim or Bill) and Daisy - mother-in-law has often talked about Daisy (Aunty Dais). Which of the children are you descended from?

So far as I know there hasn't been much contact at least in recent times with other members apart from the immediate family. My mother-in-law, whose memory is fading a bit faster that it was in 2002 when we did a bit of work on this, did have some memories of her grandparents when they lived in Tamworth. She was 18 when Richard died but I might be able to extract some further details from her - she doesn't apparently know why he became a Reece (though name changes were a bit of a family tradition it seems). She does remember her grandmother Mary Jane going to stay with a son in Cessnock after Richard's death.

I've just had another look at the family tree (which I'm afraid I don't remember very well without it here in front of me) and I've spotted something that might be of interest. Annie Adelaide had 2 children with her first husband Isaac Reece. Their first born was a son Jacob S Reece and his first child with wife Francess Collins was called Margaret Orcella Reece (born 1883). I don't have the actual certificate - this is taken from the NSW BDM web site, so I can't check spellings but I wondered if there is any significance in her middle name being similar to Orella Steele who died in 1883 (and who we're considering might be Ellen Beecroft/Steel in another disguise).

Yes I would be happy to exchange emails with you. It would be good to get as much of this sorted out as we can. I'll put some order to the certificates I have here and see if I can send you some in return.

Happy New Year
Margaret

[margaretatwinmalee]

Hello Judith

Yes you're right about contacting the Historical Society - there's only so much we can do on the internet and even some foot work up north might be the way to go soon. 

The certificate that I have that mentions Ursula Beecroft is the 'original copy' dated 16 Apr 2002, of the marriage between William Townsend and Annie Adelaide Reece on 1st July 1869. The parents of Annie are written as Jacob Steele (Cabinet Maker) and Ursula Beecroft. It's in the original handwritten script but I'm fairly certain it says Ursula. It's definitely not Ellen or Helen.

Not sure that this gets us anywhere further except to confirm the propensity to name change.

Happy New Year
Margaret

[margaretatwinmalee]

Hello Dianne and Judith

Just thought I'd mention that I think I pieced together the origins and first marriage with some 6 children of Mary Jane Latimore (Latimer), wife of Richard Napoleon. It was tricky to trace because her first husband was Italian (Johann Karthegene) and his surname became increasingly anglicised as each child was born. He worked and possibly died on the railways and Richard seems to have to come to the young family's rescue.

As I've mentioned before it's a while since I looked at this history and I'd probably like to double check it but if both or either of you are interested I'd be happy to email it on.

Happy New Year again
Margaret

[outback_thunda]

Ok, i have read and am really starting to be over this tree.LOL.it's such hard work..

margaret my Grandfather was Richard Henry Reece ( Iknow him as James Valentine Williams) he changed his name because he was wanted for horse stealing in the the Piliga scrub....Apparently.

MaryLatimore married a John Halligan, he died in 1900. may I ask where or how you came upon the name Johann Karthegene?? After her Husband Richard Died she went to live with her son George Halligan in Cessnock, george then moved to QLD and I am currently in contact with George Halligans Son and He doesnt know much at all.

I have the Same certificate as you in regard to marriage of Annie to William Townsend, Inow also have the marriage to Isaac. Birth of Jacob Steele Reece and Flora and Death of Flora, Birth of William H Townsend... Which provide no extra info except that she was born in Parramatta and granted we have no idea if her Mother Ellen/ursula/orella or lets just call her Jane Doe  was the convict mentioned earlier or not we have no idea if Annie was indeed born in The UK or Australia. I also have the death of orella Steele and most of the information is provided by the undertaker?? Umm which isnt much either..I was wondering if someone wanted to get the marriage of Ellen and Benjamin  Maddrah transcribed etc. or tell me how to go about getting the certificate etc from the UK.

I also have the ceryificates of Birth and Death for both Mary Jane Halligan and Richard.

May I ask which of the Reece Children Your husband descendss from: William/Daisy, etc.


Alrighty Chat soon.

[outback_thunda]

Ok we cant find a birth for annie or an arrival that can be confirmed for Ellen or Annie, im just drawing wildcards here.? What IFFFFF she was only say 14 when she was married for the first time to Isaac or 12...Im just throwing wildcards but if you go to BDM in NSW and type in Birth for Last name: Unknown First name Anne or Annie you come up with several??? Are these a possibility???

[margaretatwinmalee]

Hello Dianne

I can understand your frustration level with this part of the family tree. I basically gave it a miss some 6 years ago because of the difficulty of confirming information and because I'm only a fringe dweller in the family. There has been a major advance now though as a result of your original enquiry - we may now have confirmation on Ellen Beecroft/Bearcroft at least in England, and the name Maddrah coming from her first marriage. We still have the question though as to whether Benjamin was Annie's father - you're right this is a nightmare.

Nevertheless I'm happy to get the marriage certificate from England but I've never done this before so I might be a bit slow.  I'll also like to see what I can find out about the convict Ellen Beecroft in Tasmania if that's okay. I don't really want to try and track all the Annie's through BDM records - you're right though, her mother may have married her off very young.

My husband is the grandson of Nora Reece (often called Kate). She was the eldest child of Richard N. and Mary Jane. I spoke to my mother-in-law last night and she thought your grandfather was William (Bill) Reece and he changed his name to Williams, but she's obviously got him confused with Richard Henry - so I'll change the details here. Oral family history can be as inaccurate as some "official" documents, if not more so.

Mary Jane Latimer's marriage to Johann Karthegene occurred on 10 November 1884 in Botany Strret, Waverley. He was an Engine Driver originally from Genoa, Italy. The registration number with NSW BDM is 3005/1884. The family moved around NSW following the development of the railways and they had 6 children. I traced their locations and births largely through spending days on the on-line indexes searching on Mary Jane's name. You can see the gradual change in the spelling of Karthegen to Halligan through the birth certificates. John is the Australian version of Johann. The last child George (who you mentioned before) was born in 1900 in Narrabri, I think. Shortly after his birth (according to my mother-in-law) John Halligan was killed in Sydney. M-in-L thinks it might have been in a railways accident but we're not sure - I don't think I got his death certificate as he isn't actually an ancestor.

Hope this helps
Margaret

[outback_thunda]

Hi there Margaret,

Well, th eplot thickens. Well I dont mind getting the certificate from england, Im more than happy too but i know its gonna be a long process...just let me know.

OK i always wanted to know who aunty katie was because my dada always spoke of her. Your M in L used to write to my uncle larry.......anyways you may be able to help me out with photos since you are so close to the source and I you. i have many photos of my relatives right back to Richard H Reece(james V Williams) I would be more than happy to pay for copies of things you might have.

Well Mr halligan and name changes in this family are just great. getting better.LOL...Im more than happy for you to search through Tasmania records. i have something new and I dont know if this a help to all looking at this tree BUT on the death certificate for orella steel it states::

that she had been in Australian Colonies for 30 years in 1883 when she passed. this would also confirm her arrival to australia as a convict in 1852 ish...jog my memory its back in this thread somewhere.LOL... now thi sinformation was provided by Jacob steele reece and the undertaker. also states has 1 child living other than Jacob as Anne Adelaide not annie so maybe we are just spelling things wrong. I gave up on spelling years ago.hahaha




Also birth certificate of Flora states mother as Annie Adelaide maiden name De la maddrah....

So dunno if that helps and her age varies between 8 years at a time in one such instance being as young as19 when she should be 27..? thats why i asked is it possible she was only very young when married and also did the children she had previous(the 4 asummised to be left in england live or are they deceased as there is no record of them??? Just a thought. even the father benjamin has no children living with him in census records even after his marriag eto matilda.....?


Be back layter