John and Isabella BARR

[DeeBee58]

I am researching John BARR and Isabella Barr. Both came from Scotland with their respective parents on the Duchess of Argyle and landed in New Zealand. John and Isabella married abt 1850 and had a son John in abt 1850.
I found mention of a John born in New Zealand #50/599
The family of three left NZ for Australia, but I cant find any trace of which ship or when.
Family legend has it that their daughter (my gg grandmother) Mary Jane was born as the ship came into Sydney Harbour.
I have a copy of her Baptism Cert that has her date of birth as 4th January 1854 but there is no place of birth.

There has been a previous post (which is now closed) from another member about John and Isabella and their parents - and where in Scotland they came from.

Topic: John and Jean Barr Auckland 1842.

I have tried to email 2 members (the author and one who commented). I believe are related but neither can receive PM's as their emails are not working

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Debbie
 

[bme]

Shipping Intelligence from the Empire newspaper for Thursday 11 December 1851
- Arrivals -
December 10 - "William and James", schooner, 74 tons, Captain D. Gray, from Wellington the 20th November.
Passengers: Mr. G. W. Belford, Mr. and Mrs. Barr, John Barr, J. Dennet, John Geaves, Mr. and Mrs. Broadhurst and son

The V means that it is a Church record of baptism not a birth. Before March 1856, records were kept by Churches, and baptismal/christening dates were more important that birth dates.  As the family arrived in 1851, and she was born in 1854, family lore may be incorrect .. but, a baptism date can be long after the child's birth.

Are you a member of Ancestry ? they have half a dozen trees that claim Mary Jane as an ancestress ..

[cando]

Topic on the NZ Board
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=589512.0

When and who did Mary Jane marry?

What is her age on her marriage certificate?

Cando

[DeeBee58]

Thank you BME - for the shipping details. I was thinking that the family lore may have been wrong in this case. I am a member of Ancestry and have looked at the trees, but none came up with anything about when the family arrived.

Cando... Mary Jane married John Winter in 1872 and her age is listed as 20 making her birth year 1851
but then her death certificate says she was aged 81 - making her birth year 1854. Also on checking her age on daughters birth certificate - birth year would be 1854. Guess she told a white lie about her age when she married.

Debbie

[cando]

Not unusual to find incorrect ages on marriage certificates and the participants often did not lie they simply gave the ages they thought they were.   She was still a minor so who gave the consent for her marriage?

I should have asked you about the date of her baptism as you only gave the date of birth on that record. 

What was the actual date of birth on the NZ cert for
1850/1525   
BARR John    
Father John  Mother Isabella   

Cando

[DeeBee58]

Hi Cando

Date of birth on Mary Jane's baptism is 4th of Jan 1854.

Don't have the date for brother John's birth in NZ - just the year.

Debbie