BLACKWELL, William James b:1864 Looking for details re; when he arrived in Aust

[mchadwick]

I have a bit of information on my great great grandfather (maternal side) William James Blackwell but I can't seem to find any details on how or when he arrived in Australia.

Can anyone help?

He was born in Newtown, Dorset, England. I have his birth date as 19 Jan 1864 from a family tree given to me by my Aunty however someone else on ancestry.com has it as "March 1864"

He was the son of George Blackwell and Harriet Sarah Harwood. Only William and his brother George Henry Blackwell b:1860 came to Australia. The rest of the family (their parents and siblings) all went to Canada. I'm pretty sure William came to Australia before George Henry because George was apparently married in 1892 in Canada and William was married in 1891 in Bourke NSW (to first wife, Ida Lavina Warren).

I know that William and Ida had their children in NSW (mostly Sydney) then lived in Hughenden Qld and that William was a well borer and worked with his son (my gray grandfather), Leslie Roland Blackwell and his brother George Henry. Ida died on 9 Jan 1909 and William then married Ida's sister Edith Alice Warren on 9 May 1910. So they only thing I seem to be missing is when and how he arrived in Australia.

I've checked numerous records including the NSW state archives but I must be missing something. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Michelle

[ShaunJ]

Welcome to Rootschat Michelle. There's a previous thread on this family:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=621373.0

"Newtown" is Sturminster Newton

[mchadwick]

Thank you. I did see that but unfortunately it doesn't include any information that answers my question about when and how William arrived in Australia.

[ShaunJ]

He's in the 1891 Canada census (taken 20 April) so that should narrow the date range quite a bit. I see that he was married on 1 August 1891: he could not have been in Australia more than a couple of months.

http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1891&op=img&id=30953_148149-00357

[mchadwick]

He's in the 1891 Canada census (taken 20 April) so that should narrow the date range quite a bit. I see that he was married on 1 August 1891: he could not have been in Australia more than a couple of months.

http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1891&op=img&id=30953_148149-00357

Thanks, yes he was only in Canada for a few months after that census - as per the info I quoted he was married in Bourke NSW Australia so I have a fair idea when he came to Australia (between April when the census was done and August when he was married), however I can't find him on any of the passenger lists I've found for that time. That's pretty much what my question is, where can I find passenger lists for immigrants from (presumably) Canada in 1891 (if there isn't anyone who actually already has this information).

[cupoflife]

Not a perfect fit but there is a W. BLACKWELL on BRITANNIA 1891 http://marinersandships.com.au/1891/04/080bri.htm

Sorry not Canada