no reason not to share the info Candos...just thought that it would be quicker this way, I guess too that I underestimated the degree of interest
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I did not find William Wells Snr on the U.S census but I did obtain his Australian marriage and death certificates...and they tend to confirm what was always just a family 'tale'.
his cert states that he came from Cincinnatti, Ohio and given that his age was apparently 72 when he died he would possibly have been born Circa 1830-ish.
On his marriage certificate( of which he was the informant) his mothers name was simply given as the Christian name of Abigail with no other details or surname and his father's name was simply given as the surname Wells with no Christian name/occupation or any other information.
Remember that in 1830 the USA was still involved with slavery although I believe that Ohio was a free state.
The family story that has been handed down was that he was picking potato's in a field when he was knocked out by some men and woke up on board a ship (gang pressing by Whalers looking for cheap crew was common then).He jumped ship in Melbourne.
The very first verifiable info after that is his marriage and the births of his children.
It is my educated guess that his mother was indeed a slave at some point and that his father was a white man...how he and his mother came to Ohio I have no idea..nor do I know anything about his life in America..try though I may to find out.
The thought has crossed my mind that Wells was not even his real name and that to avoid recapture he changed his name in Australia and that is why I can't locate him in America, but that is only speculation and not in any way a fact.
Both his son and his grandson bore the names William Henry Harrison Wells...the grandson was my grandmothers brother( my great Uncle Bill) who died aboard the Montivideo Maru as a P.O.W of the Japanese in WW2.
Uncle Bill's father did marry a Josephine Webb in Victoria however I don't think there were any children..at least I have not found any to date from the marriage.
He left( ?deserted) her and came to NSW where he set up home with my great grandmother Florence May Findley (whom he obviously could not legally marry) and they had 5 children all dark skinned of which my grandmother was the eldest and Uncle Bill the second eldest.
All the children thought that their parents were married and they were named Wells...not so..all the children were registered at birth with their mothers surname of Findley.
There is more but perhaps that's enough of the story to digest for the moment.I would dearly love to chat with Dean.Wendy....there are pictures ect to share and Iam sure we'll both learn more about our mutual fascinating ancestor.
Karen
