Am I at a dead end?

[heaven]

I have been trying to find my Great Grandfather,  "William James Russell"
The only record I have been able to find is a marriage certificate - 2 may 1877 in Ulverstone, Tasmania, he married Eliza Jane Biddle,  the parents are not listed on this certificate.  William was 23 and Eliza 20.
Three children were born in Tasmania and four in Victoria.
Eliza died 26 May 1947 in Carnegie, Victoria,  her parents, William Biddle & Catherine Gittons are listed on this certificate. It also states she lived 20 years in Tasmania and 70 in Victoria, she was aged 90.
William and Eliza were together on Electoral rolls,  1903 in Healesville, Victoria, 1914 in Collingwood Victoria,   from 1919
 on Eliza was alone.
The family story is that William left home one day and never returned!
I haven't been able to establish who his parents were as I haven't been able to find a death certificate.  Nor have i found their births, maybe they were children of immigrant parents!
Can anyone offer a suggestion
Judy

[duc45]

Hi
have you checked the ship arrivals or the convict arrivals for william. He may have coame out as a convict and was pardoned in Tas. A lot of them resettled in Victoria. Check Port Arthur records. Just a thought.

[Neil Todd]

Hi Heaven, Your G Grandparents went to Victoria after all the Gold Fever had died down, around the late 1870's. I dont know if they were convicts doesn't really matter, but a search of the english census for the 1861 & 1871, may reveal something. It is a bit of a wildcard, but worth a try. Have you searched "TROVE" for any possible listings? Also I note there are two possibles on Vic BDM have you checked these, it is free to search but if you want certs or to check if the right person it costs a tiny bit, worth to either verify or dispense.

Let us know if you need help with any of the above.

Neil

[Neil Todd]

Sorry meant to add transportation to Tasmania ended in 1853, a year before you GGrandfathers birth. So he wasn't a convict but his parents may have been? Going to make it a bit hard if this is the case.

Neil

[wivenhoe]

Birth certificate for the children b. Victoria should have age and birthplace for parents.

Do you have 1877 marriage certificate...will not have parents but witnesses might be relatives. Church they marry in might also be church where (Tas.) children are baptised....godparents might be relatives.

Numbers on the death certificate look suspiciously rounded off...20, 70, 90...so I would not be limited by them.

What is occupation for William?

From electoral rolls 1914 and 1919...what addresses are given please?

[Dundee]

You haven't said if you have any documentation which gives a place of birth for William and Eliza.  As Wivenhoe has said, any of the Victorian born children's birth certificates should give a place of birth for both parents.  

Death certificates can be unreliable, and I wonder if this may be Eliza's birth:

Female Child -  BIDDLE
Birth Date: 6 Oct 1856
Father:    Henry BIDDLE
Mother:    Catherine GITTONS
Registered: Westbury, Tasmania
Registration number: 1754

Henry and Catherine were married in August 1856.  Henry may have had a previous wife, Ann ROGERS, who died in 1855.

There are two unnamed male RUSSELL children whose births were registered in Tas in 1853 and 1854.

Debra  

[rosball]

Here is an obit for a William James Russell who was a respected timber man living in Healsville until an accident.   He is about the right age 72 in May 1926.  He leaves a widow with 8 children  (details given).

  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60291257

regards,
   Ros

[rosball]

If that is the right person then ancestry gives a death reg no 3998 for a Wm Jas Russell age 71 in Back Forest. Vic in 1926  with
   mother Ctina Learid   
   father  Geo Glue

regards,
   Ros

[alison2763]

From the Vic Index:
RUSSELL Wm Jas. d 1926 aged 71  B Forest- Parents- Glue George and Ctina LEAIRD # 3998

Regards
Alison