CLARKE, John (1809) & William (1818) bapts. Hexham NSW

[TasTyger]

Hi,

Am wondering if anyone has access to early NSW church records. Trying to get more details on - V18094531 1B/1809 CLARKE, JOHN,  son of  ANN and V18184530 1B/1818 CLARKE , WILLIAM, son of ANN. There is no father listed on either index entry. Both baptisms took place at Hexam, Newcastle, Christ Church.

Wondering if this may be answer (long shot) to mystery thats been going on in Tassie for more years than I can count.

Cheers,

Peter J Oakley (Tas.)

[alison2763]

Hi Peter,
Don't know if what you are looking for might be here ?
At the top of this board click on this and follow the links- good luck 
Australia Resources & Offers

  NEW SOUTH WALES RESOURCES

Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle

regards
Alison

[~MERLIN~]

1828 Census shows this:

William CLARKE - age 10yrs, Born in the Colony.
Occupation - Lodger with Mr Chas. ROWLEY at WINDSOR.

As you probably realise there are many by the name of Ann, John & William CLARKE/CLARK on the indexes.

I am assuming that Ann was probably a convict, do you have any information on her at all that can help us with your query?

[~MERLIN~]

Hi Peter,
Don't know if what you are looking for might be here ?
At the top of this board click on this and follow the links- good luck 
Australia Resources & Offers

  NEW SOUTH WALES RESOURCES

Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle

regards
Alison

These have been digitised by the University of Newcastle & are available online but the Baptisms start at 1826 

However the Christ Church, Newcastle NSW 1804-1900 has been fully indexed & the transcriptions of Christ Church Registers for the 1800s have been reproduced from original records held in the University of Newcastle, Cultural Collections. Whether they have the information you are looking for or not would require you to contact them with your request. They are very obliging 

You can contact them here:

http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/library/our-libraries/cultural-collections/

[TasTyger]

Thanks for responses. It appears this family has already been well integrated into a family history -

http://www.beswick.info/besfam/beshist2.htm

So my long shot is a fizzer....but worth the attempt.

Cheers,

Peter

[~MERLIN~]

So, who is it you are trying to find information on to solve your mystery?

[TasTyger]

The long version or the short...? My ancestor William Clark lived at "the Falls", New Norfolk and had children with Ann Browning (nee Murell). She had also had children with her legitimate husband, John Browning and a George Laburn....

Nothing is known of William prior to 1841 in New Norfolk. He just "appears". In the 1848 census he is "born in the colony" and a court record in 1853 says ' native ofthe colony". He died 1879 aged 66 and the 1853 court appearance says he's 38. So born between 1812-1815.

There is also a family lore in another Clark family from Ellendale that he was the brother of James Peves/Peevor/Pevis/Clark. This James Peevor is as big a mystery as William in his origins.

Family researchers have scoured records for over 30 years and come up with all sorts of hypothesis' who they might be but not one holds any real substance.


Hence my stab at this John and william from NSWs.

Cheers,


Peter

[~MERLIN~]

I can only assume that you have possibly tried to follow up on these:

CLARKE WILLIAM - Baptism - 18/05/1815 at HOBART #423/1815 RGD 32
Father: Name Not Recorded
Mother: CLARKE SARAH

CLARK JAMES -  Baptism - 18/02/1818 at HOBART #650/1818 RGD 32
Father: Name Not Recorded
Mother: CLARK SARAH

[TasTyger]

Every early William and James Clark baptism was scrutinized and discarded many years ago. They all link to known individuals who have a full history.

If you browse or search Aus-Tasmania mailing list you will find many theory's and discussions relating to this pair. I have contributed in some of the discussion but it is all adds up to more questions.

We may not even be dealing with original names. William Clark may be an assumed name. James Peves (or variation) used this name till the middle of the 1840s then called himself Clark. All very convoluted and confusing.

I have my own pet theory using a "best fit" model if that damning "born in the "colony wasn't thumbing its nose at me. It involves a convict that ticks all the boxes and the last known place he was sent 1 month before he received his Certificate of Freedom was the public works at New Norfolk.

All my background research lends some credence and plausibility to the theory but as an Archivist friend said "its a leap of faith" without concrete proof. How do you find such proof though when many of the records for that period don't exist anymore or never existed at all??.

Peter