Hi Jessie's Mum
I have masses of information on the Lidbury surname, as I have been researching it for around 20 years, and have collected a great deal of documentury evidence from many sources, and I knew this name rang a bell as soon as I read it.
I have a copy of Annie's marriage certificate in Newcastle, NSW 14th September 1872. She married John Atkinson and she was the daughter of Joseph and Catherine Lidbury. She was born in Glamorgan in 1854.
Joseph Lidbury was born in 1824 in Beckington, Somerset. By 1841 he was at Blaenavon near Abergavenny, South Wales aged 15 and a collier. In 1851 he was still in Blaenavon, aged 27 and married to Catherine Lidbury. They had the same surname at marriage, and since Catherine was born at Rudge, very close to Beckington, it is highly likely that they were closely related, possibly first cousins. They had married in Q4 1847. They had no children in 1851, but several lodgers including Silas, who was Catherine's brother.
Joseph and Catherine went to Australia in 1855, although the ship they sailed on is as yet unknown. They had , in total, 11 children.
Joseph was the son of John Lidbury and Elizabeth Francis ( see names of lodgers in 1851). They were married at Berkley, Somerset 13 May 1816. John died in 1851 and was born c.1795. I have searched my records and the only possible baptism for him was at Berkley 25 December 1795. His parents were John Lidbury and Grace Viner. They had married at Berkley 13 January 1793.
Returning to Joseph and Catherine, Joseph died 12 August 1879 aged 54 at Lambton NSW ( I have the death certificate) of chronic bronchitis. He is buried at Wallsend. Catherine didn't hang about long to marry again, marrying Thomas James at Lambton on 5 December of the same year 1879. ( I have marr. cert).
I hope that this is of interest and I would be very happy to give further details if you require them.
Dale Lidbury (UK)