ORIGINS: William Harry (Billy) SIMPSON, c.1848-1902

[Neil Todd]

Excuse me for butting in, but. William Henry/Harry Simpson/Simson went to NZ at age 15. How did he get there and who paid his way. What happened to his parents, did they go with him, or did they die in Victoria, if Victoria at all. William may have only gone off his closest recollections and may not ACTUALLY know his birthdate or where born. He would not have been carrying his BC with him.

Born 1849 in Victoria, pre goldrush? Must have been a lot smaller then, parents may possibly be one or both at one time guests of the Crown Possibly even ex Tasmania?

Maybe worth a look at some variants.

Neil

[NJ Holmes]

Thank you all for your inputs

For the Harry/Henry debate: My great-grandmother Ada/Aida Ellen's death certificate does record her father's name as Henry SIMPSON (No mention of William). Mentions in Papers Past suggest he was known as Harry. So there may be something to this although it does make him more difficult to identify, given this now widens the list of suspects!

The Baptism certificate I ordered contained these details:

CHILD
Christian Name: William Henry
When born: 11 February 1849
Date of ceremony: 11 March 1849
Where ceremony performed: Parish of Gunning, County of King
Where registered: Not stated

PARENTS
Father: William SIMPSON
Mother: Susannah SIMPSON
Abode: Gunning
Quality or profession: Shoemaker

Sponsors: Not stated

By whom the ceremony was performed: Robt. Cartwright, Chaplain, Church of England

According to Google Maps, Gunning is near Canberrra and actually closer to Sydney than Melbourne. Not really sure if this is him either

Neil, you are not butting in at all. In answer to one of your questions, I don't believe his parents came with him as the engagement notice in the newspaper said he was the son of W.A. SIMPSON of Melbourne. I don't have the text of the notice handy but will post it later when I get home.

[Neil Todd]

Well one of the five children "DAVID S SIMPSON 5613/1858" born to William and Susannah was born Braidwood NSW so they stayed in this "Monaro" area for some. There was a Goldrush at or near the Braidwood area throughout the late 1850's and into the 1860's. Gunning parish may well have extended to Braidwood so they may have been in that general area for some time.

Araluen a really beautiful Valley just south of Braidwood was where most of the action was, however Captains Flat also featured.

Whoops add another 3 children to William and SUSANNA/SUSANNAH also one noted at Braidwood 1860

http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au

MODIFIED TO ADD; http://www.gundaroo.info/genealogy/genealog.htm Lots on here.

My opinion was that they may have done well in that area. Monaro Pioneers Index has William Henry SIMPSON of YASS NSW still in the Monaro Region.

Neil

[Neil Todd]

Argh... That family above is definatly not your William Henry Simpson born 1849. He marrried Sarah Ann WILSON at Araluen in 1872 and had ten children there. Some still in area now.

so BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

Neil

[majm]

Hi there,

Cando has mentioned that we are discussing pre civil registrations, and I mentioned we are discussing pre separation of the colony of Victoria from the NSW.   

The movement of emancipated convicts  from VDL to Melbourne is also a significant factor to consider, and of course Civil Registrations for BDM events commenced in VDL before just about anywhere else in Australia, so their records were based on English requirements and are therefore quite scant, whereas VIC and NSW legislation on civil registrations is more akin to Scottish requirements and therefore  BDM records are quite detailed.   The family history dilemma is when the official records are not civil registrations, and (in the case of NSW BDM) they are based on transmitted Early Church Records, so the usual family history clues in these registers are often obscure or simply not recorded.   

May I stress that it is entirely possible that Billy/Harry (William Harry/ William Henry) Simpson was born in Melbourne, but as there was NO civil registration system in existence, so unless he was baptised by a clergyman who recorded the ceremony in his register, and unless that register has been shared with either (or both) the NSW BDM and the VIC BDM then it may not ever be possible to find the birth record that DadLoco is seeking.   

May I also stress that while Billy/Harry believed he was born in Melbourne, he may have been recalling that is where his first memories place him as a child, or as an adult perhaps he was answering a question “what native place for thy  father” rather than “what native place for thyself” when registering births of his own children.   Afterall,  that now archaic form of “your” was still part of many religious services until perhaps the 1970s.

DadLoco, do you have any details about your Ada/Aida Ellen’s UNCLES or AUNTS ….. perhaps by looking for likely siblings for her Dad, we may find the names of HIS parents, which afterall is the fundamental quest at present.  For example, perhaps Ada kept a birthday book, or a Christmas Card List, or a diary, or a family Bible, or simply letters from her aunts or uncles or first cousins.

Cheers,  JM

[NJ Holmes]

Hehe.... re questions about Uncles & Aunts, I'm afraid I have no knowledge.

Aida/Ada was my grandfather's mother. My grandfather married a Roman Catholic (of Irish descent) and converted, and it is rumoured that he was disinherited for doing so. All of this took place in NZ, although Aida/Ada's husband Thomas HOLMES was also of Irish descent, and I do know that they were fierce Protestants (Thomas's brother Joseph wore an Orangeman's sash).

Whatever really happened, my father told me he knew nothing about his father's family. When I started on this journey 17 years ago, and obtained birth and death certificates for my grandfather, I told my Dad his grandmother's name was Ada. He said "If you'd asked me before now what her name was, I would have said Nanny."

I have asked my Aunts about this also, but no one knows much about the family. I know they did have contact with their grandparents (perhaps this refutes the 'disinherited' rumour), and I know they did attend Aida/Ada's funeral in 1970. My grandfather was rather remote, so it seems he didn't share any knowledge he may have had himself.

[Dundee]

Hi DadLoCo,

Do you have a copy of the newspaper wedding/engagement notice?  It doesn't seem to be included on Papers Past.  This person here has William as the son of "W.A. SIMPSON and N.N."

http://holmes.org.nz/family.php?database=humo1_&id=F0020&main_person=I0046

I was wondering if the "N.N" came from the newspaper notice as well?

Debra 

[cando]

1848 Line 1466, Vol 145, William, parents as William and Rosanna

JM

Perhaps Wm Harry/Henry was raised in Melbourne.

SIMPSON Sarah Anne
Father William  Mother Rosannah
Born Melbourne  1852  Reg#17785
Denomination Church of England Parish St James, Melbourne  Fiche#300

Cando

[NJ Holmes]

Hi Debra

The site link you posted is from my website

The "N.N." is an anomaly from the software I used. I imagine it stands for "No Name" as I don't have any entry in the "mother" field.

I have a copy of the newspaper notice at home; I'll post the details here later on today.