HELP pls, with birthplace and father of Edward Imlay AIKEN

[iforani]

  Hello again.
I am hoping that someone may be able to help locate the birthplace (and father) of my g grandfather, Edward Imlay AIKEN...yet another tricky one..

He was supposedly born 26.04.1851 in Geelong, Victoria. No registration of birth in this name can be found. He died on 24.06.1938 at "Melrose", 2 Brooklyn St Burwood, NSW (NSW BDM 12030/1938).

He was the son of Sophia Eliza Atkins who left Northamptonshire (employed at Althorp) on the Boadicea in 1836 (aged 19 supposedly but really only 17, as born 1819). Sophia was the daughter of William and Sophia (nee WISH) ATKINS. When Sophia arrived in Hobart she was employed by the Reverend Bedford. On 26.11. 1837 she gave birth to a daughter who went by many names (Agnes Eliza, Eliza Tela, Eliza Zelia, Lena Eliza, Eliza Zella). This daughter married Francis Lewis SMITH in Tasmania. She gave her maiden name as IMLAY. ABDonline reports in the IMLAY biography that Sophia ATKINS was married to Alexander IMLAY), doctor who emigrated to NSW (Eden) one of (at least) 3 Scottish doctor brothers (who all came out to Australia). Alexander Imlay was to become a whaler, pastoralist etc etc..well known in Eden. He travelled frequently between NSW, VICT & TAS. I have found no registration of marriage between Alexander Imlay & Sophia Atkins. Alexander IMLAY died in 1847. At the time of his death, Sophia had 4 children. I won't go into the details of these, but 3 of these people went by the name of Imlay (and one dropped off the radar...a J J Atkins; I tried to trace him and believed that I'd found him living in Eden with different parents...strange as he called a daughter Eliza Sophia...same names as Sophia Eliza Atkins??). Anyway..after Alexander IMLAY died, Sophia Atkins had 2 more children, a daughter, Caroline Edith AIKEN and a son, Edward Imlay AIKEN.

According to Edward Imlay AIKEN, he was the son of a French ship's captain and he was born in 1851 in Geelong. No father is given on either of his marriage certificates. On his death certificate (completed by his wife) it states simply Randolph. Anecdotal evidence offers that the father of Edward was a D'Aiken. In an ad in Trove, I read that one of Edward's daughters from his first marriage stated that she was the grandaughter of a Capt Daiken. When Edward's sister Caroline married, she quotes the name Adolphus William AIKEN of Hobart Town as father. Adolphus is a German name, not French.   

Edward's mother, Sophia Eliza Atkins went by the name, Atkins, Imlay and Atkinson. I have found Census references to her as both Atkins & Atkinson in Hobart Town. She moved from Hobart to Victoria. She died on 22.03.1890 in Northcote, at the home of her son in law F L SMITH (her eldest daughter's husband) according to a TROVE source.

Any pointers greatly appreciated. 
Thank you, Deb

[cando]

He was supposedly born 26.04.1851 in Geelong, Victoria.

Civil registration did not commence in Victoria until July 1853 so that is probably the reason you can't find a birth registration.  Perhaps he wasn't baptised in 1851 but if so, not all churches complied with the Government's request to hand all parish records to the Registry.

Cando

[cando]

Sophia Eliza Atkins went by the name, Atkins, Imlay and Atkinson

And AIKEN.

Death
AIKEN Sophia Eliza
Parents unknown
At Northcote  72 years 1890 reg#3830

Cando

[iforani]

  Thank you, Cando. This is useful information. I didn't know this re the pre 1853 registrations. This most likely pimpoints the birth and place date as accurate then as Sophia registered all of her other births. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Re Sophia Eliza, thank you for info on her death certificate, info most likley not passed on for whatever reason to the person who filled out her death cert, would have been her son in law or daughter. I've traced her ancestry to East Haddon, Northampton and have a list of her (younger) siblings from the later Census's (post when she came out when she is not listed). Her father was a blacksmith. I've located details of her parents'marriage (by BANNS) in East Haddon also. Sophia named one of her children James John Wish Atkins (Wish after her mother's maiden name). Sophia was a Bounty woman & there is some information about her which I've found re character references etc from the Tasmanaian State Records.

I've found that she had at least one hotel licence as did her son in law in Tasmania. I would say that she followed the gold rushes to Victoria to make some money.

My g grandfather was a very well educated man. At one stage he was a publican as well (but also a hatter, a travelling insurance salesman, worked for a refrigeration co..Wildridge & Sinclair, an engineering consultant,  a dairy manager....went bankrupt several times).

If any one can locate a lead to his father, this would be great.

Thank you. 
Deb

[iforani]

  Sophia Atkins, Edward's mother, lived in Argyle St Hobart Town in 1841. A Dakin was married in Hobart several years after  Edward Imlay was born & his descendants lived in the same street, so it is quite possible that this Mr Dakin was his father. An Ella Dakin lived in Argyle St, Hobart in the early 1900's. She had a son called  Eric Tasman Dakin. I'm wondering if there is any connection to this family. There is a living descendant of this line living in Tauranga, New Zealand, if anyone knows any link to this family.
  Cheers, Deb

[iforani]

For interest..adding photo of Edward Imlay AIKEN, taken in Geelong 1913.

[c more]

Hi Deb
I have been looking and looking but have found nothing re the father of Edward. 
He did seem to have some kind of thing for Geelong, indicating he was born there, then his daughter was born there, then sending his daughter to school there all the way from Sydney.
Do you have any idea where he was educated?
Also out of interest, are the first 4 children of Sophia all registered in 1847 at Hobart Tassie under the name ATKINSON?
Cheers Leonie

[iforani]

  Hello Leone. Firstly, thank you for looking. Yes, they are...all the birth dates and names are there, under Atkinson, even though her name was definitely Atkins. Some of the names have been changed since that time, eg the oldest girl called herself Eliza Zella after this (and other names). When the girls married, they called themselves IMLAY. All were born while Imlay was still alive and Alexander & Sophia were ostensibly still in a relationship when he died (have heard this from someone connected with the Imlay family). I have  a list of names of the family members (Eliza Zella, Georgina Emma, Alexander & James John Wish...all Atkinson).

He was married to second wife (love of his life...see other thread under Muriel Annie). His mother lived in VIC as did some other relatives (eldest sister in Melbourne area). Am not sure where he was educated (but educated he was, he was very eloquent) & assumed in Geelong, but I've contacted geelong schools & noone by that exact name was educated there. I will order the baptism transcript which may shed some more light on this (found thanks to rootschatters). I note with interest that it is a Sophia ATKINS (NOT Aiken, which is the name she had when she died).

I won't be able to answer as going away for 2 days. 

Thanks Heaps, Deb

[c more]

Hi Deb
I have read all the other threads related to this family.
You say that no father's name is given on either of his marriage certificates which is not quite correct.
In 1895 on his second marriage cert he records his father as Unknown AIKEN, rank or profession Naval Officer.
And below is the marriage of Edwards daughter where the name D'AIKEN and French Navy are mentioned.

The Sydney Morning Herald Thursday 3 February 1898
Marriages.
PALMER-D'AIKEN.-January 19. at St Mark's, Darling point, by the Rev. Archdeacon Flower, Joseph Smith, eldest son of Joseph Palmer, of Amalfi, Longueville , to Mabel Louise, third daughter of Edward Imlay D'Aiken, of Feildlands Annandale, and grand- daughter of the late Captain D' Aiken, of the French Navy

I suppose its a matter of working out fact from fiction.
Have a great time away.
Cheers Leonie