June 2005 RootsChat Challenge

[Denise Thompson]

Justina TATHAM and the Victorian BDM Registry

Hello Holly, JAP and everyone,
I contacted the Registry of BDM Victoria and received a response today from Ms Anne Fullarton, Projects Officer, VicHeritage.
Anne very kindly checked the registers and confirmed that Justina TATHAM was born in 1854 at CHILWELL, Victoria. Mary Ann TATHAM died in 1857 at GEELONG, Victoria. The SOUT refers to Mary Ann's place of birth, SOUThampton, England. These 2 records have been altered to reflect this. Many thanks to Anne for her generosity.
Anne explained that they do not keep a list of abbreviations because the various data entry people used various abbreviations, making it difficult.  As a general rule, the first four letters of a place name become the abbreviation, but in the case of, for example, Ballarat  one sees BALL and BRAT, and BALL can refer to other Victorian towns as well.
So, assume nothing in genealogy!
Mary Ann Tatham is buried in the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.
Where was Duncan? Was he gold prospecting or a landowner or a merchant, or did he jump ship? Who looked after Justina when her mother died? Did she return to England alone or with her father?

For those still sticking to the original challenge you may be interested to know that James MOLISON, in Sydney, Occupation Shipbroker and Agent, made it onto the Insolvency List (Refer NSW State Records Online Index). Sequestration was on 9 March 1867 and Date Certificate Issued was 28 August 1867 (File #8234).
These insolvency records often provide a fascinating insight into the life of the person and their associates. If anyone would like me to check the records I will do so on my next visit to the Archives.

I checked out the site "Convictions Australian Shipping 1788-1968". Under "Ship's Captains" there are many references to Captains Molison and also Robertson. All the ships captained by Molison (check spelling variants) were Duncan Dunbar's ships.

I hope this is of interest to you all,
Denise

[JAP]

Denise, you were indeed fortunate in getting all that information without having to buy the certificate!  The death certs are very informative - but I guess it's fairly distant from your own family.  I take it - as you query where Duncan was - that he was not the informant of Mary Ann's death?  Holly, after you raised the possibility of Chilwell (which - mea culpa - I hadn't thought of as another possibility; and perhaps Childers might be another Victorian place to add to Chiltern and Chilwell?) it didn't occur to me to search on the Bellarine Peninsula site; I now see that Mary Ann's burial - name, date and cemetery - is listed there (though not the complete index entry).  Ah well, perhaps the discussion about the unreliability of lists of Vic BDM abbreviations was of use.  Denise, I apologise for my stupid error in listing SOUT as Mary Ann's death place; yes, it was in the days when, for deaths, the birthplace rather than the deathplace was indexed (they changed over later) - I'm sorry for my carelessness

Regards,

JAP

[Denise Thompson]

Hello JAP,
In my email to BDM Victoria I mentioned this Rootschat site and the fact that Justina Tatham had been traced to Victoria where she was born in CHIL in 1854. I also mentioned her mother's death in (I thought) SOUT in 1857.
The Projects Officer of VicHeritage generously provided the abbreviations information for us all, and I am indebted to her for her kindness.
I did not purchase either certificate since this family is rather remote from mine. I found the burial index for Mary Ann Tatham on a Geelong site.
Duncan may have been the informant on Mary Ann's death certificate. My question was more in the vein of "What was this family doing in Geelong? Was Duncan in search of gold, or was he a landowner or perhaps a merchant...?"
Cheers,
Denise

[Denise Thompson]

***Death of Justina Tatham, nee Dunbar***
Hello everyone,
I KNEW I had it somewhere.

Death Notice in "the Times", Saturday, Jul 15, 1826:
"On the 11th inst., Justina, wife of Mr Christopher Tatham, surgeon, Newby Place, Poplar, aged 24.

Also, the marriage notice for Charles John Tatham, in "The Times", Wednesday, Dec 02, 1846:
"On Monday the 30th ult., at All Saints Poplar, by the Rev. T. T. Bazeley (?), Charles John, son of the late Marmaduke Tatham, Esq., of Poplar, to Louisa, eldest daughter of Mr John Shores, of Blackwall."

One other "Times" citation, dated Friday, Jul 19, 1844 is of interest. The Thames Police arrested two "dissolute-looking young men",  and  Mr D. Tatham, of Newby place, Poplar, clerk to Dunbar and Sons was called to give evidence on oath. This case involved Tatham in a personal way and I will send the full transcription in another post.

I think this is likely to be Duncan Dunbar Tatham.
Regards,
Denise

[Paul E]

This is really starting to put some flesh on the bones!

cheers

Paul

[Denise Thompson]

Hello Paul E and everyone,
I will now add some juice to the flesh!

Citation in "The Times", Friday, July 19, 1844:
Category: Law
"THAMES POLICE- Two dissolute-looking young men, named John Cowhurst and Henry Burrell, were charged with endeavouring to extort money under the following circumstances:-
 Mr D. Tatham, of Newby-place, Poplar, clerk to Dunbar and Sons, stated, that on the previous evening he was walking with a young lady down Copperas-wall, Poplar, and they were followed by some men and boys, the two prisoners being of the party. When they got further on they sat on a bank to rest, and the lady, suffering from a head-ache, took off her bonnet. Hearing a noise behind, complainant turned round and saw the prisoners and four others, who threatened him with exposure if he did not give them money for beer. Being conscious that they could not say anything of which he needed to be afraid or ashamed, he walked away with his companion, and steadily refused to comply with their request. Still, however, they pursued, and threatened to follow him all the way home. As they went along he met with a constable, and the prisoners were taken into custody.
   The prisoners insisted that they caught the lady and gentleman in a very indecent position, the latter having her bonnet and shawl off. They threatened to give them into custody for indecent exposure, and followed them for that purpose, but the complainant meeting a constable preferred the first charge. They denied that any threats had been used for the purpose of extorting money, but Burrell admitted having heard some mention of beer.
  Mr Tatham solemnly asserted on his oath that no indecent liberties had been taken, and that the lady who accompanied him was most respectable.
   The prisoners were ordered to put in bail for their good behaviour."
Hmmm!
Denise

[Paul E]

The prisoners insisted that they caught the lady and gentleman in a very indecent position, the latter having her bonnet and shawl off.  

Those were the days, eh?  Not too far away from the hijab!

cheers

Paul

[JAP]

Oh Denise, what a story - your comment of 'Hmmm!' is so apt

The mind boggles at what the (of course) unnamed 'most respectable' lady was doing in such a compromising situation with young Mr TATHAM    By which, of course, I mean nothing more than being out walking unchaperoned by the Thames in the evening with a young gentleman - not that I am suggesting that they were anything more than platonic friends

Ah well, obviously matters had not progressed far - only the bonnet and shawl having been removed.

And, equally obviously, two 'dissolute-looking young men' must have been up to no good cf a respectable clerk to Dunbar and Sons and, by his own admission, a 'most respectable' lady

What a circus!  I bet that Duncan Dunbar TATHAM was a hero to his mates!

JAP

[alcrighton]

One wonders just how far this would have gone if they had not been interrupted by those poor beer starved young men.  Might she even have gone so far as to give him a glimpse of her ankles

Al